The Winged Buddha

Sometimes you have to follow your heart.... Today is the first day of Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 painting 'challenge' and I am posting my first painting!   It is a great way to kick off 2015 and I am sending this out into the cloud as my prayer for the world in the upcoming year... I pray for peace for the world because I think that covers pretty much all of the bases.  I don't subscribe to one particular religion or philosophic belief, but I am highly spiritual and have been on a lifelong quest for meaning and living to honor this life that I have been given.  I wanted to paint an image that represented reverence, peace and inward meditation.... Hopefully I have succeeded!  Happy New Year!

Winged Buddha, oil on panel, 9" x 12",
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Day 12 in the 30 in 30 - A touch of Fall

I took the reference pic for this painting as a passenger during a drive (I think to Hershey Park).  I am including the photo here so you can see the original compared to what I ended up with.  Sometimes I stick pretty close to the photo, sometimes I change a lot...like in this one!  I wanted a red barn in this one, and I really warmed the foreground up. I also cropped it to fit into a square composition. I can't believe I am almost 1/2 way done this challenge! So happy I am able to actually complete one a day!

Reference Photo

A touch of Fall, oil on panel, 10.5x10.5
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Day 11 - Lady Liberty

In response to the posts I was reading earlier today concerning 9/11 I chose to paint the Statue of Liberty... The meaning of the statue is inherently good and I wanted to put some good energy out there and paint a little bit of hope.  I painted this one very differently than any I can ever remember painting.  I laid it out as usual, but by the time I got to the actual painting, I had about 1 1/2 hours until I had to go to work.  The painting style is therefore very loose and I think has some pretty nice brush work going on.  There are some minor things I want to tweak here and there, but all in all I am happy with the expressiveness in this one.  I will post an updated picture if I decide to change anything.

Lady Liberty, oil on panel, 9"x12" 

Day 9 of the 30 in 30 - The Orange Lifesaver

I have these new paintbrushes that I am just loving... I have been slowly trying different brands, hair types and styles and think I have hit upon a definite winner.  They are made by Grumbacher are the Degas line and are a size 6 flat and a size 6 filbert and they are just great at laying down paint....

O.K., so, about Day 9...
I went for a less complicated composition today and decided on painting a scene I wouldn't mind being in right about now...  Boats and their reflections are endlessly fascinating to look at and to paint.  I also love the orange lifesavers and bumpers!

The Orange Lifesaver, oil on panel, 9" x 12"
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Day 8 - Winter Street in China town

I decided to challenge myself with a more complex composition today... and just finished!  Still have an hour to spare.... I am really enjoying this challenge and am learning a lot about my process... also learning how to leave things alone and not mess around too much with the paint.  It also makes me consider each brush stroke and the color and value of paint I am applying more carefully too.  Well, this one is from a picture I took in Chinatown, Philadelphia over the summer.  I was interested in the building in the background and repeating shapes.  I also enjoyed painting the two figures as it is not often that I include a figure in my paintings. I must do this more.

Winter Street in Chinatown, oil on panel, 9" x 12"
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