Underwater

Sea turtles seem wise like they know some secret of life. Maybe they do.

A few years ago I had the privilege of going to Indonesia.  One day there was a surprise side trip to visit a sea turtle preserve. It was an amazing thing to experience.  We even got to choose one little turtle and let him go.  They say that only 1 in every 1,000 make it to adulthood. It was oddly emotional to watch him crawl down the sand and let the waves take him away.  I hope he was the 1 that made it!

The WordSpark challenge this month was "Underwater."  I actually got my companion piece done first then had to decide what I could paint that would compliment her. I thought I'd do a fantasy/realistic, watercolor/oil, character hanging the the water with 3-4 little sea friends, similar color scheme... They didn't turn out quite as similar as I meant for them to, but I like them both.  

The mermaid is from an Ida Anderson Lang lesson that I first attempted a couple of years ago when I was just beginning to give watercolor a try in a LifeBook taster session

Original Oil Painting on 8"x 10" Wrapped Canvas

[GIFT]

Still Beach Lovers (10 Years Later) Kauai 2021

Does this look familiar?

Different ocean...

Different decade...

Same girls...

I've seen photos where families recreate a pose from a childhood photo.  These lovely young ladies recreated their pose from the painting I did a few months ago. 

Their grandmother asked me to paint the first one as a surprise for their father's Christmas.  I'm not sure who this new one is for.

Thank you, Helen, for agreeing to create a before and after

image of Lily and Annabel at age 4 & 5 and then 14 & 15. They learned to love sandy beaches and blue oceans on east coast vacations in the early years. A recent trip to Kauai as teenagers strengthened their belief that they'll always be beach lovers! Once again, you've created a lasting memory with your artwork! Thanks so much for sharing your time and talents!  

Cheri 🍒

Wouldn't it be fun if she asks me to paint it again when they're 24 & 25!

It's interesting that two of the most important mentors in my life have been named Cheri.  Cheri W, my art mentor, and Cheri O, my writing/teaching mentor.

Cheri loves the process, so I made a little 45-second video to show how it all came together. Enjoy!

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Little Beach Lovers, Kiawah Island SC

Whenever I do a more complex piece, I like to take photos along the way.  Here's a little video of my process from blank canvas to finished painting.

This painting passed all of Buff's quality control for packing and shipping.

Original Oil Painting o 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Golden Sunset

I'm honored and humbled whenever someone asks me to paint for them.  At some point I always want to know, "Why?" or "What's special about this image?" or "What's the story behind it?"

Earlier this year I painted this image and told my story of watching the sun set on a beach in Indonesia.  You can read about that here.

Recently I got a note from someone saying that they loved the picture but wondered if I could paint it again... only much bigger.
What a pleasure!
Of course I had to ask why.  
I found out that their baby girl will be born next month, and the meaning of the name they'll give her will be Golden Sunset! 
Ahhhh.... sigh... I loved knowing that as I painted.
And, my painting will hang in her room!  Like I said at the beginning, I am honored and humbled!

I know what her name will mean, but I am anxious to know exactly what her name will be! 

Original Oil Painting on 24"x 36" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Indonesian Sunset

Recently I had a pretty amazing opportunity.  (I hesitate to call it a once-in-a-lifetime experience because that implies I won't ever get to do it again.)

On the first day in Indonesia, I got to teach an art lesson to a group of children... 2 hours surrounded by 60 kids ages 5-13 none of whom spoke a word of English... I painted a sunset, then they each created one of their own.
      It... 
          was... 
                wonderful...
                    ... like a dream I never even thought to dream.

On the last day in Indonesia, I got to enjoy an evening surrounded by new friends... Walking with feet in the waves... picking up shells and bits of coral... then sitting down to a food-filled a table in the sand watching sun set over the ocean... 
     It...
          was.....
               wonderful...
                      ... like a dream I never even thought to dream.

** Thanks to a precious interpreter who 

made the art experience work seamlessly.

** Thanks to my friend Olga who was the 

perfect model for the painting I knew I'd do.

Original Oil Painting on 18"x 24" Wrapped Canvas
Click "Indonesian Sunset" to purchase this painting.

Beach Bliss

What does this image say to you?

On first glance... it's a big, fat man lying on the beach.  Yep, that pretty much sums it up... right?

Oh, just loosen up a little bit and look again...  Anybody and everybody can enjoy the beach... No fancy umbrellas or chaise lounges... A less-than-magazine-perfect body... Last year's blue trunks... Favorite ball cap over the face...The picture doesn't show it, but you know the sun is shining, the temperature is warm, and the water is cool... job and responsibilities a hundred miles away...

... complete relaxation... if only for a little while... peace... bliss... beach bliss...

This painting is special to me for a couple of reasons.  One is that I loved how my own thoughts about it evolved as I worked on it.  I went from that first-glance thought to the really liking what this guy symbolizes.  The lady who asked me to paint this for her explained why she loved it, and it made complete sense.  You see, this painting is not an original.  She already had a similar work that she'd found years ago at some flea market or craft fair.  But, that piece was destroyed along with her beach house in a hurricane several years ago.  She had a photo of the wall where it used to hang.  I hope this replacement reproduction gives her family the same feeling that the guy on the canvas has!

Another reason that this painting is special to me is that it is my 200th painting!  That's quite a milestone! 200 paintings since that first attempt called Summer Trees that I did on February 22, 2007.  What a lot I've learned about color and shapes and shadows and lights and texture and composition and well... just art in general in these five years!

I am so thankful to my friend and art mentor for showing me how to see things differently then faithfully guiding me through the learning processes every Monday night for 3 years.

To celebrate painting #200, I took my parents to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art today.  We are so fortunate to have this amazing place just 30 minutes away from us!  I'd been with my husband a couple of times and with my 4th grade students before, but it was quite a different treat to take my 86 year old parents.  It's more than just looking at art... it's an event... an adventure... an amazing experience.  If you ever get the chance, go!  It's free!  It's beautiful!

[SOLD]

Cottage by the Sea

Doesn't this look like the perfect cottage for an artist to live in?

Or, maybe it could be the home of the heroine from a romance novel?

The idea for this painting began with a photograph taken by my niece.  This place as it looks in this painting doesn't really exist, but if it did, I'd love to spend a long weekend there!

"Cottage by the Sea" was my first attempt with taking huge liberties with the reference photo.  It had been the office of a bed and breakfast hotel.  I flipped or reversed it, took away the parking lot, big flag, and lawn chairs.  I planted a few trees and built a dirt road.  Finally, I sprinkled some flowers in just the right places.  

End the end, I was amazed at my own finished product.  Usually, I love the process and am simply pleased with the end result.  But, this time I also loved the finished painting.  My heart actually ached when I got notification from Etsy that the original sold.  But, I loved it so much that I had an image made.  A giclee reproduction hangs where the original had been.

Each time I look at "Cottage by the Sea," I think of Miss Rumphias, a wonderful children's book about a lady who sets out to make the world a more beautiful place by planting flowers wherever she goes.  I think Miss Rumphias would have liked to live in my little cottage.

[SOLD]

Original Oil Painting on 16"x 20" Wrapped Canvas

"Cottage by the Sea" can be purchased in several forms.
Contact me if you'd like to purchase this image as a giclee, a print, or note cards.

Praise

Praise Him!

Praise Him!

Praise Him in the morning,

Praise Him in the evening.

Praise Him!

Praise Him!

Praise Him when the sun goes down.

Praise!

I submitted this painting to an In the Moment challenge.  The challenge was to show and artistic interpretation of the word triumph.  And, doesn't she look triumphant!!  Visit this unique site to see how other artists have portrayed the word.

Original Oil Painting
[SOLD]