Old Mill with Stream - SOLD

Old Mill with Stream
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20"
SOLD.

Another version of the old mill, but with this one I decided to try adding some scattered pinkish clouds and a stream. I like it.

Sunset Pier Two - SOLD

Sunset Pier Two
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 14" x 18"
SOLD

Seagull Detail

Abandoned Barn 2 - SOLD

Abandoned Barn 2
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20"
SOLD.

A second version of the lovely abandoned barn sitting in an summer field.
West Virginia at it's prettiest.

Old Mill, West Virginia - SOLD

Old Mill, West Virginia
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20"
SOLD.

Today, an old mill, no longer in use, but still charming with its water wheel.

Rolling Hills with Old Barn - SOLD

Rolling Hills with Old Barn
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20"
SOLD.

Another barn, but with more emphasis and attention to the hills, which I really like.

Abandoned Barn, West Virginia - SOLD

Abandoned Barn, West Virginia
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 16" x 20"
SOLD.

A simple, summery subject.
When you see abandoned buildings, don't you always wonder what stories a building might tell?
Who used the barn, who built it, what family worked there, what kids played there?

Jim from AAA - SOLD

Jim from AAA
Oil on Canvas Panel, 9" x 12"
SOLD.

Every once in awhile, I get an itch to try a person. Not a portrait, since a likeness is beyond me still, but just a face or a figure. A friend sent me photos from a trip, and this was one of them, so I decided to give "Jim" a try. He had an interesting face in the photo, which I didn't quite capture, but still fun to try.

Summery Stream - SOLD

Summery Stream
Oil on Canvas Panel, 9" x 12"
SOLD.

Implementing some of the techniques (and colors) from the seminar with Johannes Vloothuis.
I'm liking the purples in the trees. (Indian Red, Ultramarine Blue and White.)

Foliage Studies One, Two - SOLD

Foliage Study One (Island Exercise)
Oil on Canvas Panel, 9" x 12"
SOLD.

Foliage Study Two, Clearing Sky
Oil on Canvas Panel, 9" x 12"
SOLD.

I'm taking another course with Johannes Vloothuis, this one called Landscape Painting Problem Solving.
I haven't been able to watch for the last two classes, but yesterday I listened to the recorded first class.
Sort of a "boot camp" for landscape painting basics. Very good. I did these two while listening to the recording. I especially like the line of background trees in the second piece.

Sunflower Trade-In - SOLD

Sunflower Trade-In
Oil on Stretched Canvas,11"x 14"
SOLD.

You can trade in cars, you can trade in paintings. This one was sold, but then the collector saw the palette knife sunflowers, and decided that for her purposes, the palette knife painting worked better. And since this one hadn't been shipped yet, it worked out fine. So this one is available again, for those of your who missed out on the sunflower series.

Palette Knife Sunflowers - SOLD

Palette Knife Sunflowers
Oil on Canvas Panel, 11" x 14"
SOLD.

This one is a leftover, after I said "No more sunflowers."
Different, I know. Done with palette knives.

Palette Knife Hydrangeas - SOLD

Palette Knife Hydrangeas
Oil on Canvas Panel, 12" x 16"
SOLD.

I've been scanning a new artist today (new to me, anyway) and she's fantastic. I am trying to figure out how I can get from the level where I am to a level like where she is. A class? A series of workshops? I'm not sure. More practice drawing? A concentration on composition? I need to study, I think.

Here's the link to Kim's gorgeous work:
http://kimcasebeer.com/

and notice what that skill level fetches! THAT'S where I wanna be.

Lake Sunset - SOLD

Lake Sunset
Oil on Canvas Panel, 12" x 16"
SOLD.

Since I had these colors out anyway, I decided to do a made-up sunset, with a bare tree and some beach grasses.

Lemon and Plum - SOLD

Lemon and Plum
Oil on Canvas Panel, 5" x 7"
SOLD.

I just adore these intense colors together.
Plums are gorgeous anyway, but then to pop a high yellow next to it? YUM.

Sunflower Medley - SOLD

Sunflower Medley
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 12" x 12"
SOLD.

Last week Monday I bought two bunches of sunflowers for around $20. But they didn't last at all, having wilted by Wednesday. So on Thursday, with a ride at hand, I took them back to the store, and got two new bunches. Now THESE are lasting!

But I'm getting tired of painting them, and I know you must be tired of seeing them, so this will be the last one for now. Tomorrow something different.

Sunflower Skirts and Tutus - SOLD

Sunflower Skirts and Tutus
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 12" x 12"
SOLD.

Something with sunflowers, but from a little different view.
Don't the leaves and fringes remind you of skirts and tutus?

Sunflowers - SOLD

Sunflowers, Done
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 30" x 40"
SOLD.

I wanted to post the final version of the large sunflower painting I've been working on all week.
I'm pretty happy with it. I still have to go around all the edges, top, bottom and sides, but I'm waiting with that for the front to be dry.

Large Sunflower commission, Progress

I thought you all might like to see the painting I'm working on right now.

 My still life set up. Very sophisticated and professional, don't you think?

A good start, some flowers done, some not..

Almost done, lots of tweaking to do, some decisions to make (polka dots or not), (change the values on the bottom, lighter table edge and darker beneath?) and some changes to make; leaves, bowl to green. But all in all, I'm pretty happy with it.
Oh, did I mention that it's HUGE? 30" x 40" Big for me, anyway.
So definitely a challenge.

Beach Sky - SOLD

Beach Sky
Oil on Canvas Panel, 12" x 16"
SOLD.

Back to the landscapes, and thinking today about sand and surf.
Maybe some rain blowing in?

Hydrangeas in a Jar - SOLD

Hydrangeas in a Jar
Oil on Stretched Canvas, 11" x 14"
SOLD.

I do paint hydrangeas all year round, but it's especially fun to have real, live models to paint from.
Yesterday I trudged across the neighborhood with my scissors, knocked on a neighbor's door, waited, knocked again, waited to ask if I could clip a few stems from their huge bush. No answer, and there's the bush with about 100 blooms...what would you do? (Clearly, I clipped.) Ah, purloined hydrangeas...