Day 3 - Let Hope Bloom

 Today's painting of a sweet bunny with flowers on her head it titled "Let Hope Bloom".. Rabbits are symbols of fertility and rebirth, as are flowers, and butterflies too :) Rabbits because of their prolific off spring, flowers because they experience a rebirth each year and butterflies because of the transformation they go through during their lifetime.  I thought it an apt title and every now and then I need to inspire myself.  I've heard that if you have hope, you have everything and I believe that to be true. Hope is a small word but has such power to help transform our thoughts about what could be, to make us get up even after falling, and to sustain us during dark times. With hope, you can accomplish most anything... Let Hope Bloom <3

"Let Hope Bloom", Oil on panel, 10"x10",

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Day 3 of the 28 in 28 - Easier Together

 Whew.  The past few days have been a whirlwind of snow and lots more snow.  We got just about 2 feet over the last 48 hours. It stopped this afternoon and after arting in the morning, the rest of the day was pretty much about shoveling.  Everyone pitched in to help in this arduous work, but we got it done together.  Although my arms hurt a bit and I am wupped, I love times like this when family is forced to come out of our singular spaces to all get something accomplished.. even if it is just shoveling a crap ton of snow. :)  So, today's piece is called Easier Together.. I thought this little elephant and blackbird made a sweet pair, weathering the pink precipitation together, having a nice time because of it. ♥

"Easier Together", oil on panel, 8"x8", unframed
$165 To purchase, please click here

In addition to being a sweet metaphor, this little painting has some nice areas of texture and color.. 

See details below :)

Day 29 of the 30 in 30 - A Shining Affirmation

White... is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black... God paints in many colors; but he never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when he paints in white. 

-Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Shining Affirmation, oil, 8"x8", on hold

I painted this while working in Art Plus Gallery today. I love my gallery!  And, a huge plus of this job is when I am in the gallery I get to sell art and make art... where is the flaw? :)  It is an affirming thing to be an artist, even on the hard days. I am truly grateful to be able to do what I do. <3

Day 20 of the 30 in 30 - "Unconditional"

I am entering this painting into a local show put on by the Berk's Art Alliance, that is themed "Aspects of Love."  The opening for the show is this Sunday, February 25th With all of the birds I am painting lately, I tried to imagine how birds might show their 'love' with each other.  I would think that the duty and love that parent birds show when they are feeding their babies with untiring consistency is encouragement for any parent who might need Inspiration from the natural world. 

I used acrylic paint for this painting instead of oils. As acrylics respond VERY differently when using them in a painting, I have developed very different techniques when painting with them.  I tend to use matte medium and paint layer upon layer (commonly called glazing) to create depth and the feeling I am looking for. Here is my take on Aspects of love. <3

Unconditional, acrylic, 12"x12", on hold

Day 18 of the 30 in 30 - "Family Outing"

I had to revisit the duck family today.  I figured Sunday was a good day to check this sweet little clutch out again as they could be just coming back from church or maybe going to Mom-Mom's... I left this one very gestural as I was pinched and had to limit my time in the studio.  As an aside, it is really a good exercise to sometimes give yourself an hour (only) and finish a painting in that time.  Makes you plan and work efficiently, plus gives some good lessons along the way...

Family Outing, oil, 8"x8", $135, to purchase click here

Day 12 of the 30 in 30 - "Let Him Preach"

I was looking up quotes about Goldfinches to try to spark a good title for this one... I came upon a few interesting ones, including a strange one from Picasso...

But, I related most to this one from author Aldous Huxley -

"Fortunately, however, birds don't understand pep talks.  Not even St. Francis'. Just imagine, he went on, preaching sermons to perfectly good thrushes and goldfinches and chiff-chaffs!  What presumption!  Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut and let the birds preach to him?"

-Aldous Huxley

Just too funny... Aldous calling St. Francis out for preaching to the birds... Love it...  But you know, I do agree, sir!  Listening to the beautiful song of our feathered friends is more oft better than any cacophony of human verbiage one could perceive... Thank you Aldous for the title...

Interested in purchasing?  Click here

Let Him Preach, oil, 8"x8", to purchase click here

Day 11 of the 30 in 30 - "Balanced"

Composing these paintings has been a lot fun.  I'm especially enjoying the challenge putting together disparate things and trying to make the composition interesting and successful. Today's was reminding me of a weather vane, I think because the scale of the the Mockingbird is obviously off compared to the marble and thread and whimsical weather vanes often have a small horse or other animal above a sphere of some sort. I love where art takes your mind! And it would seem that this is reason that the more I paint, the more ideas I seem to have. I wish for more hours in the day so I could paint everything I want to paint...

Balanced, oil, 8"x8", to purchase click here

Day 7 of the 30 in 30 - It's a Sin to Kill a Mockingbird

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing bu sing their hearts out for us.  That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Well, the Ducks in Chucks (technically Fowl in Footwear...) are taking a hiatus... There are a few more planned, but this idea came to mind and needed attention.  I've always believed it to be quite special and even a little magical when I hear a mockingbird.  And during the summers when one nests near my back porch, for me to enjoy their songs daily, I feel extra blessed.  This mockingbird has a bit of attitude perching on a pretty spool of thread. :)

It's a Sin to Kill a Mockingbird, oil on panel, 6"x6", to purchase click here

Day 4 of the 30 in 30 - Blue Mary Janes

These Ducks just keep coming out of my brush.  This one is simply a study in cute happiness, as I believe she is quite satisfied with her shoes. I would assume that blue MaryJanes exist in this world of varied footwear.  After painting them on this happy duck, me thinks I may have to search me out a pair! That is after tonight's big game.. Off to make Nachos and other goodies!

If you are interested in purchasing, please click the link under the painting. :)

Blue Mary Janes, oil on panel, 6"x6", Click here to purchase

Day 3 of the 30 in 30 - "Eagle Beagle"

Today's painting is dedicated to those underdogs, the Philadelphia Eagles!  I am rooting for them and can't wait to see them kick some big time butt!  Since I paint dogs, I couldn't resist painting this one today, and hope it brings a little luck to the Birds!  Fly Eagles, Fly!  This painting IS for sale.  If you would like to purchase please visit my Daily Paintworks in the link below Eagle Beagle. :)

"Eagle Beagle", oil on panel, 6"x6". click here to purchase

Day 30 - "The Duck : Harmony in Red" (The Red Chair)

The last painting from me in this challenge is one that I specifically painted to hang at Art Plus Gallery in W. Reading. The member artists at the gallery are having a friendly contest to create a piece of artwork that is inspired by our sweet Red Chair.. (See pics below). I was inspired by the chair, and also by a fellow member who decided to paint the chair in a Van Gogh painting. I really loved that idea so after getting a nod of approval, I shamelessly borrowed the idea and painted my red chair in a Matisse inspired painting - in fact, one of his most famous paintings titled "The Dessert: Harmony in Red" also known as the Red Room.  I will include an image of Matisse's painting so you can compare and see the changes I have made to make it my own. Hope you enjoy!

The Duck, Harmony in Red (The Red Chair), oil on panel, 14"x18",
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The Dessert : Harmony in Red (The Red Room), 1908 by Henri Matisse

To read more about this painting, click here

The Red Chair

Day 20 of the 30 in 30 - "Roller Derby Ducky"

How many of you out there (assuming you were born early enough to not only remember the 80's but have actively participated in them) had a pair of roller skates and a "Hang Ten" tee-shirt?  Well, I lived through the 80's (showing my age here...) but, alas, I was not an avid roller skater...  But, I had an epiphany the other night....  My ducks need roller skates!  Upon looking for images of roller skates, I started coming across AMAZING images of roller derby skates and of course all things 80's.  Along with that came the iconic Hang Ten shirts with the two little foot prints on the upper left and the rainbow stripe across the chest.  It became evident that I needed to put all of these elements together, and so, Roller Derby Ducky was born.  And what better day to paint such a painting than on this day of peaceful transfer of power, when so many people out there are looking to smile just once. I hope this painting is the reason you did...  :)  

Roller Derby Ducky, oil on panel, 9"x12"
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Day 19 of the 30 in 30 - "Park Güell, Barcelona"

Travelling the world is fun, but tiring!  Today's most visited city (the 10th, I believe) is Barcelona, Spain.  Many famous artists have come from Spain, so I thought it appropriate to choose a scene from Park Güell, a beautiful park that was completely designed by the famous artist/architect, Antoni Gaudi.  It was constructed between 1900 and 1914 and is a combination of architectural and natural elements.  His buildings all have soft curves and often include mosaic work.  the view I chose is from the very top of the park, looking down at one of the iconic structures in the park.  The wall you see at the bottom of the panel is actually very intricate mosaic work... too intricate for me to try to represent.  In fact, this whole scene was pretty intricate, and mid way through painting it, I wondered just what the hell was I thinking?   I do, however like the zig zagging lines that take your eye through the picture and buildings themselves are what initially attracted me to paint this scene.  If you want more info about Park Güell, you can check it out here and here. There is so much more to see than what I was able to represent in this tiny Glimpse of the park!

Park Güell, Barcelona,oil on panel, 4"x18"
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Day 18 of the 30 in 30 - "Sporting New Duds"

Well, this 30 in 30 is for some reason more challenging than others as far as being able to actually paint every day.  And usually I am ahead with by a few paintings, so even if I don't make it to the studio one day, I have one waiting in the wings.  Not so this time. Anyway, I missed yesterday again!  I did however spend most of the day yesterday thinking and talking about art and composition with a master artist - Don Victor Vargas.  Although I have nothing to show for it, I do feel productive about yesterday.  Enough about that.

Today's painting is called "Sporting New Duds".  I actually have painted this rooster several times, in slightly different poses and with different backgrounds.  I just love this guy's expression, pose and especially the colors -  the bright, warm oranges paired with the black and turquoise.  I just love painting him.  Decided it was time he sported some Chucks of his own, so I dressed him up a bit!

Sporting New Duds, oil on panel, 6"x6"
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Day 15 of the 30 in 30 - "Tall Tale"

Could a giraffe wear sneakers?  I doubt a giraffe would stand for it actually, but I sure like the look of this guy in a pair of red All Stars.  It is fun imagining and anthropomorphizing animals. (I think this is a word!). I would suspect most of us have given animals human traits from time to time... I know I do!  Just something that makes me smile. If you have read my recent posts, you know I have been experimenting with a very different sized composition - 4"x18".... It has been challenging but extremely enjoyable coming up with interesting compositions within this format.  The Giraffe seemed like a natural fit! The title seemed a natural fit as well... :)

Tall Tale, oil on panel, 4"x18"
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Day 9 of the 30 in 30 painting challenge - "I Love New York"

Back to globe trotting... Today's painting is a glimpse of the world's 5th most visited place - you guessed it, New York City.  This was the most challenging painting in this series so far for many reasons... the biggest of which is that New York is not just ONE thing.  Of course neither is Paris, or Bangkok, but, New York is just so many things.  The people,the buildings, the scenery, the energy! So much to see.. It is impossible to choose just a glimpse of New York to try to represent the city. So, I ended up opting for a traditional city scene, right near Time's Square, with a traditional "I Love NY" sign displayed... 

I painted this one more loosely and with lots more paint to attempt to capture the energy and life of the city.

I Love NY, oil on panel, 4"x18"
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Day 8 of the 30 in 30 - Brown Duck, Green Chucks

The response I got when painting my other fowl in footwear last month was surprising!   So many people loved them and in fact, I sold all of them almost before they were even dry.  And I love painting them... they combine two of my favorite subjects, and really, I love to make people laugh, which apparently these do. So, I present to you another fowl in footwear painting - "Brown duck, Green Chucks"

Brown Duck, Green Chucks, oil on canvas, 8"x8"
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Day 4 of the 30 in 30 - "Ducks in London"

Evidently London held first place for a long time as the number one place visited in the world, until last year.  Then Bangkok took that title, and London moved to second place.  Still not too shabby.  I can actually say that I have been to London, and saw Big Ben in person.  Not something I can say about many of the other places on the list.  But, I flew into Heathrow when I was about 20 years old and stayed in the square mile for a few days before moving on to Glasgow where I studied ceramics.  

This is another of my "Glimpsed" paintings in which I present to you fleeting visions of the World's 20 most popular tourist sites.  It is a view of Big Ben with two Bobbies taking a stroll.  One of them just found out they are being followed by some friendly ducks. I added the ducks just for so, (I thought this composition could use 'em) and made the sky a bit more dramatic than was in the original reference pic I got while perusing Google Street view. If you scroll down below my painting, I included the original screenshot. As you can see, there are many alterations I make to a reference photo before I make it into a painting I can live with.

Ducks in London, oil, 4"x18"
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Day 28 of my Painting Spree & the Winner of my Commission Giveaway!

Today is the last day of my Holiday Painting Spree, Sale and Giveaway. I can't believe it!  This spree/challenge has been just about the most influential things I have done thus far in my career. I have had such a huge response from my fans, have given away 4 paintings, painted 28 paintings and even sold a few!  The 20% off sale on my paintings will continue until December 20th, so you still have time to get in on some great deals on my artwork

Today's painting is titled "Sam & Pete".  Sam is the dog, Pete is the bird.  They are 2 unconventional friends, but they go together like peanut butter and jelly.  I am definitely going to explore combining animals in upcoming paintings.  Like I said, this challenge has been so good for me and one of the great things that comes from doing something like this is the influx of ideas that flood my brain.  You don't run out of ideas when you do something like this.. on the contrary, you wind up with more ideas than you can handle!  But of course that is a good thing. :) 

 If you are interested in purchasing this painting, click here. :) 

Sam & Pete, oil on panel, 6"x6"
to purchase, please click here

I also want to thank EVERYONE who followed me through this challenge and everyone who entered for a chance to win one of my paintings. I wish I could have given everyone a painting as it feels great to give back to those people who support me.  I will definitely do this again next year! 

Without further ado, I want to announce the winner of this week's commission giveaway:

Nancy Kauffman of Birdsboro, PA!  Congratulations Nancy!  

I can't wait to get started painting your amazing pet!

Day 27 of my Holiday Painting Spree - "Bird Dog"

It's a good day when you can see a bird AND a dog in the same painting!  The question is, does this Corgi agree?  I was really digging the thick paint and textures today.  Also loving the warm tones in this pup! I have stuck with pretty much the same palette during the current painting spree I am doing, and I am just not getting tired of that periwinkle blue.  Maybe because its winter?

Bird Dog, oil on panel, 6"X6"
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