Sunset Over Lake Hamilton

Original Oil Painting on 30"x 40" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

Click Sunset over Lake Hamilton if you'd like to purchase this painting.

Reaching for the Stars

When I was asked to do a painting of my friend's granddaughter, she said I could choose the image.  There were about 5,895,421 gorgeous photos... okay, maybe only 50... to choose from.  They were all lovely, but this one was different.  It seemed to be an unplanned snapshot of Fiona filled with joy, leaping and twirling like only a young girl will do when no one is watching.

I asked my friend if she'd like to write something. Of course, she said yes...

Thank you, Helen, for creating a special memory painting for the magical moment in the life of granddaughter, Fiona, age 14.  This one was captured at her e2019 Bat Mitzvah party in Santa Moica.  You chose this photo, one of many expressive ones taken by Jenifer Whalen (jenniferwhalenweddings) to tell a story of Fiona.  The chosen title "Reaching for the Stars" epitomizes all those dreams she has for her future!  Love all the amazing stories your paintings tell!"

**I know I just called her "my friend." There's a reason. I have two women who I consider life changing mentors in my life... and they're both named Cheri!

Cheri Wollenberg is my art mentor, painting teacher, dear friend.

Cheri Olmstead was my writing mentor, teaching partner, dear friend.

**Thank you to @jenniferwhalenweddings for taking the beautiful photograph that I used as a reference.

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

Sunrise Ablaze

Sara's inspiration image for this month's Inspiration Collaboration was the most gorgeous and fire-y sunrise. I snuck on over to her blog post and found that she'd taken a photo of the sunrise from her kitchen window on 25 different mornings.  Each photo was exactly the same... and completely different at the same time. I noticed that one of those photos took this view a little lower and showed a small cottage in the trees. I did a little cut and paste to put those two images together.

Next I did a rough painting that would act as my guide through the collage process. Then I made designed papers that would eventually make up the sky. I had some brown designed papers left over from the previous project. And, I realized later that I would also need to make some with greens for the foreground. Finally it was time to snip... glue... study... snip... glue... rearrange... snip.. glue... turn... snip glue... look again... snip... glue... squint... snip... glue... snip... glue...

If you're wondering, yes... I did stress a lot over it looking like the house was on fire instead of the sun rising behind the house.  I made a few changes to push the fire further back.  In the end, I embraced the issue by giving the piece a fire-y title.

I committed to do three of these collages before I would let myself decide whether I loved the process or whether it was fun but not something I'd do again.  

Here are some things I decided, learned, and discovered:

• Using the Gelli plate to create the designed collage papers is very freeing and expressive.
• The process requires lots of stuff out and leaves the art studio a huge mess.
• I like having a plan for what I'm going to work on then creating a palette of the colors that will be a part of that piece rather than just randomly making papers. 
• I'm challenged to think through the value of each colored snip of paper needed to show form and shape.
• Mistakes can be glued over or painted over.
• The final product is just going to be kind of funky and wonky... and that's not a bad thing.
• Yes. I will do some collage again.
• No. I don't think it will become my main art love.  I'm not throwing out the oil paints and brushes.

Original Mixed Media Collage on 9"x 12" Canvas Board

[GIFT]

Red Barn at Autumn Sunrise

It's usually cool blues, greens, and purples that give a calming, peaceful tone, but I wanted to try to create that with warm reds, yellows, and oranges. 

I think it does bring a soothing moment, but only a moment... because if it's a farm, there are jobs to start taking care of as soon as that sun comes up.

Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Animals in Silhouette at Sunset (Kid Project)

If you ever need a great painting project to do with kids, here's a good one.
Last week I did it with 23 5th & 6th graders during our church's Bible school week.  They came to me for 30 minutes for 4 days.  The final products... Well, see for yourself...

Every single one of them was a work of art to be proud of.

Before I put all the supplies away, I had my two sweet great nieces over so that they could each make one.  They're going to be in kindergarten and second grade.  How do you suppose theirs turned out?  Beautiful, of course.

Here are the steps if you're doing it all in one sitting:

• With a 50 cent chip brush, paint the yellow strip then blend the orange on either side of that then blend the red on either side of that. 
• Use a dry brush.
• All strokes horizontal.
• Don't wash the brush in between colors.
• Turn the canvas upside down if it's hard to reach the top.
• Don't forget the sides.
• 

• With the same brush wiped clean (or a new brush if you want), use black to paint the grass.
• Use a dry brush.
• All strokes punched upward or dabbed.
• Go into the red.
• Turn the canvas upside down if the lip of the easel gets in the way, then dab down instead of up.
• Don't forget the sides.
• Use a blow drier to make sure it's dry. (Then go outside and check the chicken coop for eggs, pick tomatoes and cucumbers out of the garden, and give it just a little more time.)

• Mix some white and yellow to paint the sun in the yellow strip.
• A sponge brush is great. (A chip brush will work fine, or a piece of sponge will work fine... just messier.)
• Tape a circle stencil into the yellow strip.
• Just a circle cut out of a piece of cardboard or paper
• Masking tape, painter's tape, clear tape... whatever you have
• Press, press, press the paint on to the area. 
• Do not bounce it on the canvas. 
• Do not stroke it on the canvas. 
• Use plenty of paint.
• Remove the stencil 
• Dry again if your next stencil will touch the wet part.

• With a clean, dry sponge brush (or brush or sponge), paint the animal.
• It's easier if you take the easel away and do this step flat on the table.
• Tape the stencil as above.
• Use a Cricut if you have one to cut the stencils.  If not... good old fashioned scissors will work.
• Take off the stencil and say, "Wow!"

I did it a little differently when I did it with a large group and over four sessions.  

• Day 1
• Yellow and Red
• Day 2
• Orange and Black Grass
• Day 3
• Yellow-White Sun
• Day 4
• Black Animal

Original Acrylic Paintings on 16"x 20" Wrapped Canvas.

Giraffe - For Sale on Etsy - Click Here

Wolf - For Sale on Etsy - Click Here

Moose - For Sale on Etsy - Click Here

Elephant [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]

Sea Strong... She Strong...

When the sun rises in the morning, 
     I will be ready to give my all!
          I am strong!
          I have confidence!
          I am proud of my efforts!
          I feel important!
          I can do great things!
          I know who I am!
          I am glad that I'm me!
          I will make a difference!
When the sun sets at night, 
     I will know I've done my best!

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

Sunrise at Shangri-La

Comfort food - beef vegetable soup
Comfort clothes - the oldest jeans and big paint-stained tee-shirt
Comfort drink - coke from Sonic
Comfort music - country
Comfort view - Lake Ouachita

This is my view from the porch of Cabin E at Shangri-La Resort on Lake Ouachita.  

My family started spending a three-night reunion here 29 years ago... when we filled 6 cabins.  Now we need 9 cabins and 8 rooms!  

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

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.