The Day After - 28 in 28 Collage

 It is a lot of fun to see all of the paintings together and satisfying to know that I worked my tail off this past month!  I spent much of the month pursuing themes and series that I have been exploring for the past year or so... Cupcakes, stackers, Spirit Animals, teacups and ducks.. and I started a few new things too - namely Watercolor!  I only posted 3 of the watercolor paintings I completed this past month, but I've painted nearly 10 paintings so far.. some better than others, but all so much fun and such an exciting new medium to explore.

7 of the challenge paintings have found new homes, 1 of them is at Studio B in Boyertown and won and award, 6 of them found their way down to the Square Pear Art Gallery in Kennett Square, and even more of them will be in Art Plus Gallery’s upcoming March/April exhibit. Yay!! That being said, if there is one you are interested in but have been him hawing.. don’t wait!  It may not be available for for long..

Thanks again for following along and reading my ramblings.. Happy March and happy creating!

Day 18 - Balancing Act

 Good morning and happy Saturday :)

Today's painting, titled "Balancing Act" focuses on the tension between opposites. A chickadee (predator) and a ladybug (prey), the delicacy of the teacup and the juicy texture of the paint, the heavy pattern of the teacup against the simplicity of the background, the flight of the bird and the static nature of the cup... In other words, it is a balancing act where I tried to marry the concepts of push and pull, yin and yang into a balanced whole.

I enjoy exploring themes within themes and while my paintings may seem like simple acts of happy symbols and tropes, I am always thinking about the tension within the square, so to speak, as I am painting.

In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed painting the chickadee's wing (the colors.. the feathers.. the elegant lines...) while trying to capture that classic blue glaze and gold trimmed cup... and the shape of that handle... so many little things adding up to create this composition...

"Balancing Act", oil, 8"x8, click here for purchasing details

Day 18 - Snail Oinochoe

Today's painting is the latest addition to my snails with alternative shells series. I have no real reason for painting these guys, other than they amuse me to no end. I've decided to take the idea and run with it and to my delight, the ideas just keep coming.

  You know, I've had several fellow artists question me, asking me why do I paint "the same thing" over and over... and I wonder to myself, if I am painting the same thing over and over, than what about landscape artists? or Portrait artists? or still life artists.. the list goes on.. these genres of art have been around for thousands of years... many MANY more years than I have been creating my brand of artwork... there are literally millions of landscape/still life/portrait paintings out there.. but really, how many snail paintings have you seen in your life?  I ask you to ponder that...

Anyway, pondering aside, the title.  

I couldn't come up with something cute or tongue in cheek today so, I'm calling this what it is - Snail Oinochoe.  Which I think is just fine since Oinochoe (pronounced Oy-nok-oh-wee)  is now my new favorite word to say, right up there with Quinacridone. Simply put, and quoting from Wikipedia:  "An oenochoe, also spelled oinochoe, is a wine jug and a key form of ancient Greek pottery. Intermediate between a pithos (large storage vessel) or amphora (transport vessel), and individual cups or bowls, it held fluid for several persons temporarily until it could be poured. 

Oenochoe - (Ancient Greek: οἰνοχόη; from Ancient Greek: οἶνος oînos, "wine" and Ancient Greek: χέω khéō, "I pour," sense "wine-pourer"; plural oinochoai; New Latin oenochoë, plural oenochoae, English plural oenochoes or oinochoes) "

Snail Oinochoe, oil, 8"x8", click here for purchasing details

Thoughts about vessels.. I have a thing for vessels, likely because I am classically trained as a ceramist.  My mug cabinet is full to bursting, because I believe that one can never have enough mugs. And the same goes for bowls.  Couldn't tell you how many bowls are in my cabinet but there are a lot, in all sizes and designs.  It was not a stretch to put an ancient Greek vessel on the back of one of my snails, and, I am happy to say that the Greeks had all manner of vessels to suit their every whim..meaning, there could be more of these to come :) 

In case you are interested in furthering your store of useless Greek vessel knowledge, here are some names you can google: Kylix, Kantharos, Phiale, Skyphos,  Oinochoe, loutrophorus. All are actual types of Greek vessels, different shapes and sizes, used for various food and drink dispensing purposes.  You are welcome. 

Day 12 - Tea for Two

I have painted so many birds in my career as an oil painter.. but it's so strange that I don't think of myself as a painter of birds.  It's just that they often seem like the right thing to add into a composition.  They are often colorful, which makes it easy and fun to choose the perfect accent.  In addition, they are perchable, flyable, poseable, come in all sizes and add life to what could otherwise be a 'dead' composition... And, birds are revered by cultures the world round.. they appear in stories both ancient and new, as symbols, talismans, spirit guides and companions helping to weave a story within my work ..So Versatile are birds that no wonder they end up in many of my paintings! 

Cardinals are brilliant and very common here in PA.  Whenever I see one, I think of the belief that, when you see a cardinal, you are seeing a messages from loved ones who have passed and they are letting us know they are here, checking in... true or not, it is always soothing the soul to think about.

This cardinal is joined by an even smaller brilliant friend, perhaps a message to the cardinal, or perhaps coming in for a sip..  And so it is a cup of Tea for Two..

"Tea for Two", oil on panel, 8"x8", click here for purchasing details

Day 30 - Orange You Sweet

 Today is the last day of the Daily Artwork Challenge and I am always in a bit of shock that a month has passed and I've actually done it..  I think of artists that have dedicated themselves to painting every day all of the time.. not just a month here and there, but every month, every year.. 

No matter the challenges, each time I've done one of these I have discovered new things and gained so much in experience and ideas. This time the challenge also coincided with my Barktober specials so I was able to do some commissions along with my own work which was a lot of fun, and mixed things up a bit. 

Today's painting is titled "Orange You Sweet" and came about because of the painting I posted this past Thursday of the sparrow on a teacup full of cherries.  I thoroughly enjoyed painting those juicy cherries so thought it would be a good idea to explore fruit a bit more.  I am predicting even more fruit in future paintings because of how much fun it is.. the colors are irresistible and honestly, I can practically taste the fruity juice when I'm brushing on the bright reds, oranges and yellows.. more please!

Orange You Sweet, Oil, 8"x8", click here to purchase

Day 29 - Gabriel's Steed

Its the 2nd to last day of this challenge and I spent most of the day photographing and framing my work.. As the holiday season approaches, art galleries are refreshing their art and hanging new shows.. which means doing all of the finishing things to my paintings to get them ready! Pictures and labels of my work are due for 3 shows this weekend and then I have a few more after that, so I've got my work cut out for me.  But enough about that, because this is supposed to be a post about today's painting...

Today's painting is titled Gabriel's Steed. I took this picture when I was out plein air painting at the Derry Edain horse farm and met a beautiful white horse.  In fact, I took about 40 pictures of that horse.. so many that I considered doing a white horse painting series.. and still may.  So, this would be the 2nd in that series, I suppose.. the first being "Moment of Clarity" which I posted last week some time.  I decided to keep this one more of a study because I am still learning about horse anatomy.  I feel lucky that the white horse let me pet her so much... allowing me to explore her cheeks and down her nose and neck.. It's really the first time I was able to do that and I think it may help me in future paintings.  

The story about the title, it is said that God gave the arch angel Gabriel a white spirit horse as a gift at some point in cosmic history... that horse was named Haizum and had wings and could travel between the spiritual and physical realms, carrying Gabriel through so he could bring God's messages to mankind.  I kind of like that story, and as I've mentioned, I kind of liked that white horse.  So, I'll think of her as Haizum, Gabriel's steed.. :)

Gabriel's Steed, Oil, 8"x8", to purchase click here

Since I was messing around with frames earlier, I tried the steed out in a few.. 

settled on this one as my favorite.

Day 28 - Suzume Cherries

Cherries are such a delectable fruit. When they are in season, a bowl of them is about the best treat I could have. Cherries have symbolized many things through time, but I like the symbolism of good fortune.. so here is a cup full of good fortune, topped with a little sparrow.  Suzume means sparrow in Japanese and these little industrious birds are symbolic of finding the joy in the little things in life.  I like to think that by adopting the positive attitude of finding joy in the little things, we invite good fortune into our lives.. This little painting carries that message within.

Suzume Cherries, oil, 10"x10", to purchase click here

Guess where I was when I painted this...

Day 27 - Rosie

 I have been appreciatively flush with commissions this month and this is one of the latest. This little lady is named Rosie and she and her dog mom Lauren have a special bond. Lauren asked if I could include a flower crown using the same flowers and greenery that were in her bridal hair piece.. such a great idea! One of my favorite features of this sweetie are her big brown eyes and intelligent gaze... yet another wonderful dog I had the honor of painting!

Rosie, Oil, 8"x8", sold commission

3 more days left to commission me to paint your fur baby 
and be guaranteed by Christmas... Contact me here

Day 23 - A Moment of Clarity

Today's painting veers off the path a bit for me.. It is an image I had in my mind's eye for the past week and so I finally had to try to paint it.  I tried to stay loose and create a sense of movement outside of time.. but I think I still have a ways to go in that area.  I also tried some new color ideas out and a few new painting techniques.  All in all, this was an experimental painting. Coincidentally, I painted this one a few days ago, and yesterday, I had the good fortune of meeting a beautiful white horse while I was out plein air painting. I had a bonding moment with this horse when she bowed down to me and allowed me to pet her.. <3 That experience made this painting a bit more meaningful to me as I feel like it completes a circle.. :)

A Moment of Clarity, Oil, 12"x12", Click here for purchasing details

Day 19 - Buttonwood Sparrows

 Good morning :) Today's painting is a new one in my Three Little Birds series.  I designed this one at the same time I designed day 5's painting - Good Things Come in Threes.  Charmed with sparrows and their curious little gazes.. it's fun combining 3 in the same painting to create entertaining compositions.  The leaves are changing color every day, inspiring this warm palette of Autumn leaves.

Buttonwood Sparrows, oil, 6"x12, purchasing details here

Here's a pic of my mobile studio set up while I painted this one :)

Day 18 - One Enchanted Tea Party

 As I've mentioned before, I have a penchant for painting teacups with things in them or perched upon them. Seems the more I paint teacups, the more ideas I have for how to tweak this motif. This painting is of a teacup with a cupcake nestled inside and a birds nest replete with eggs on top.  Interestingly, many species of birds lay blue eggs, but the one I chose to adorn the top of this nest of eggs is a house finch. House finches are plentiful in my neighborhood and somehow I did not know that they too came from blue eggs..  I liked the neutral gray of this little bird, along with the warm neutrals in much of the rest of the image, the main pop of colors being the blue eggs and the warm tones in the shadows.  As I was about to write this post, the word enchanting popped into my head and I thought, yes this would be one enchanted tea party to attend, should something like this be served! :)

One Enchanted Tea Party, oil on panel, 10"x10", click here for purchasing details

DAy 25 of the 28 in 28 - Moove over Andy.. and what keeps me coming back...

I know this is a pretentious title, but it is what came to me.  I would never deign to say that my paintings could come close to replacing Andy Warhol's iconic work.. but.. there's a cow in the teacup, man...  I had to!

In addition to exploring my foray into painting Tea Cup Critters, I continue to consider the balloon motif.  In my RhinOlive post the other day, I mentioned how much I love color and brush work.. and that is what keeps me coming back.  Well, I also love that I can just take motifs and follow them wherever my brain wants to take them... I've now paired the balloon with birds, a fish, a cat, a rabbit.. some ducks, and now a cow.. and each iteration carries with it completely different connotations, feelings and if nothing else, visual interest.  So, THAT... that keeps me coming back for more too.. :)

"Moove Over Andy", oil on panel, 9"x12"
To purchase, please click here

Day 24 of the 28 in the 28 - Slow Down and Drink Tea

And now for another edition of Hawking's snail for today's painting.. This time, she is trying on one of her favorite teacups as a potential new style :)  Yes, it's cute, and yes it's sweet, but, since tea is one of the simplest yet most satisfying pleasures in life, it might make good sense that a cup of tea could make for a great house.  Just by the look on her face, I can tell she thinks its pretty hot.. 

Slow Down and Drink Tea, oil on panel, 8"x8"
to purchase, please click here

Day 21 of the 28 in 28 - Delicious Monster

 Today's painting is the latest in my Hawking's snail exploration series where a precocious snail has found the pleasure of choice...  Today's shell choice is vase with a few stems of one of her favorite plants, the Monstera Deliciosa, or, the Swiss Cheese plant.  I prefer delicious monsters, myself and titled the painting as such... :) Either way, the shapes are luscious and the color... same. ♥♥♥

Delicious Monster, oil on panel, 8"x8"
to purchase, please click here

According to wikipedia,  "The specific epithet deliciosa means "delicious", referring to the edible fruit, while monstera means "monstrous", in reference to the size that this plant can grow to, over 9 m (30 ft) in many cases."

Day 23 of the 30 in 30 - Tyger Tyger

An American cartoonist once said that Van Gogh would have sold more than one painting if he'd have put tigers in them (the internet attributes this strange statement to Bill Watterson)

I don't know about the wisdom of this and I'm sure I don't know why Bill said that. I guess I'd have to hear it in context.  I do find it utterly amazing though that Van Gogh only sold one painting during his life time.  According to the website Van Gogh gallery, the rest of Van Gogh's more than 900 paintings were not sold or made famous until after his death.

This painting, however, is not at all about Van Gogh, but... knowing the above fact instills solemn gratitude in me. I am grateful for every sale of my artwork, and thankful for all of the loving support I receive because I know that being true to your dream can be a lonely affair...

Anyway, THIS painting was partially about my recent obsession with White on White. It is challenging to paint images that read well that are also composed of  many similar values.  At least it is for me.  And its the challenge that keeps me coming back for more...

I was also specifically inspired to paint a tiger because the poem "The Tyger" by William Blake has come into my consciousness several times in the past few weeks... two very different books I recently finished.. both coincidentally and prominently featuring Tyger Tyger in the protagonist's thoughts and a random reading on the internet that led me to another reference to this poem...  And it got me thinking about Tygers and what Blake was talking about. In it he ponders creation.. and the creator... the question he posed in prose is, can a God who created something as fearsome and beautiful as a tiger also have created the lamb?

And what about teapots and corvidaes?  I have not the answer.. just the painting... :) Please see below for the entire poem. 

Tyger Tyger, Oil, 10"x10", Click here to purchase

The Tyger

William Blake - 1757-1827

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Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare sieze the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Day 19 of the 30 in 30 - Duck Tape

I like ducks... I love vintage curiosities. These 2 guys seemed the most natural of companions.  This was one of those rare and special paintings that just painted itself. Do you know the kind of painting I'm talking about?  When the whole painting evolves naturally and every single brush stroke is some how exactly the right brush stroke. Such a joyful experience and I am extremely gratified with the results!

I seem to remember a tape dispenser like this on my 3rd grade teacher's desk.. a cast iron 'whale tail" design put out by 3M in the 50's.  One of them weighs several pounds, but the beautiful lines and balanced design make me want to have one anyway. And what else would you put on top of one of these but a duck? :)

Duck Tape, Oil, 11"x14", Click here to purchase

 

Day 12 - Labrador on Holiday

 I often create and work on series of paintings.  Themes that, to me, are worth exploring beyond just one painting. Because I largely work on smaller surfaces, it is easy and pleasurable for me to paint an idea in many different incarnations.  This painting is part of the Labrador series that I just realized I am exploring.. Sometimes I don't realize things until I'm hip deep... :)

I grew up having the pleasure of knowing and living with several black labs or black lab mixes... Joe, Nick, Ollie, Ben, Belle and Chet... They were all loving, caring, beautiful dogs (Chet still is..) and each had such personality.  My son came up with the title for this painting and I love it.. He said that his hat makes it look like he should be out vacationing, perhaps on a yacht or sailboat... :)  I think dogs deserve a holiday just as much as we people do.. ♥ My current canine companion is named Ember and while we aren't sure what breeds she has in her (she's a rescue melting pot of a dog), I know in my heart there is some Labrador in there..  Her heart is too big to not have a bit of this breed in her. <3

Labrador on Holiday, oil, 7"x7", to purchase click here

Day 11 of the 30 in 30 - Golden Through and Through

A smiling dog is one of the sweetest sights to see... :)

I have heard that Golden retrievers are some of the most friendly, steadfast and loyal dogs you will ever have the pleasure of knowing.  I've met many a Golden in my life and not one of them has yet to show me any different.  This guy seems like he fits that description, doesn't he? I also love that the retriever breed can have beautiful long golden coats, shorter yellow, brown or black coats... Such beautiful, rich colors and so much fun to paint.  A few years back, I painted a trio of retrievers, all of which have found forever homes :)  I decided it was time to revisit this special breed again..this time with hats.. :) Look out in the coming days for a few other variations on this theme and thank you!

Golden Through and Through, 7"x7", oil, to purchase click here

Day 1 of the August 30 in 30!

Welcome to Day 1 of the August 30 paintings in 30 days challenge I am doing!  The first day of these challenges is always so amazing... you really don't know what is going to happen in 30 days and the hope and anticipation is fresh and exciting. But know this... I will be painting paintings that are designed to make you smile and I hope that if you follow along, they bring a spot of joy into your day! :)  With no further ado, here is my first entry...

Mrs Easterday in the Garden, 8"x8", oil on board, unframed 

To purchase, please click here

 This year, our family planted a decent sized garden. (see pic below..)  We are currently in the midst of dealing with the fruits of our labors (canning, pickling and such) and every day when I go out to tend and harvest, I inevitably stir up a few bunnies.  I painted this little rabbit in honor of all of the little rabbits skittering about in my neighborhood right now, some of whom find their way into my garden. Thankfully I am not seeing any signs of bunny nibbles on any of my slaved over veggies, so for now, they remain cute... I hope they are just hanging in the garden because it is so pretty... :) the plants behind the bunny are from a picture I took while laying on the ground.  I have a thing for the little plants that crop up between the rows - Lady's thumb, clover and plaintain are just a few of the prettly little 'weeds' that I love almost as much as the sweet tomatoes growing by their side. I like to think the bunnies that go in my garden are sweet on them too. About the title, I have a friend I met through my artwork and she recently shared with me that her maiden name was Easterday.  I instantly fell in love with this name and titled another painting (which she purchased..) titled Mr. Easterday's Peaches.  It seemed logical that Mr. Easterday should have a daughter.. don't you think?  And Ms Easterday was born.... <3   To purchase this painting, click here and See you tomorrow!

Weber family garden Summer 2020 :)