Happy New Year! And Day One of the January 2023 Painting Challenge!

Day 1 – Happy New Year everyone!! I’m kicking off 2023 with a challenge and I'll be painting and posting my progress every day throughout the month.  There will be a few themes I explore as I go along, but through it all, the artwork will be designed to bring you joy and make you smile.. January can be tough, but hopefully my paintings will help to ease the transition😊

Today’s painting is titled “Simple Gifts” and is the spark of an idea for a new series I’ll be working on.. Some of you may be familiar with the traditional Shaker song with the same name - "Simple Gifts". It has long been one of my favorite songs and this painting ..with this little, Maryjane-wearing mouse, offering you a ripe, juicy berry... What better way to ring in the New Year than with a simple gift, a little thing, a tiny treasure to hopefully make you smile. I hope you have a wonderful 2023!

"Simple Gifts", oil on panel, 8"x8", click here for purchasing details

Here's some juicy details for you...

I love raspberries.. and polka dot socks. And Mary Janes.. :)

"Simple Gifts" is a Shaker song written and composed in 1848, generally attributed to Elder Joseph Brackett from Alfred Shaker Village. Music was an important part of the Shaker community and this song was both a spiritual song and a song to dance to.

While I'm not a Shaker, or a Quaker or even a Candle Stick Maker, I believe the message of simplicity as a way to love is something worth considering... and I like picturing the community coming together and doing a traditional dance to this tune. :)

Tis the gift to be simple

Tis the gift to be free

Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be

And when we find ourselves in the place just right

It will will be in the valley of love and delight.

 :)

Day 1 - A New Year (Chinese that is..) and a New Challenge!

Today is the beginning of the Lunar New Year and we are marking the first day of the year of the Tiger! A holiday celebrated by over 2 billion (!) people around the world, traditionally the animal is paired with one of 5 elements- fire, water, earth, wood or metal - 2022 is a water year, so this is the year of the Water Tiger. 

I painted today's painting especially to celebrate the start of the Lunar year. While I am not Chinese, and am far from an expert on the traditions surrounding the Lunar year, the symbolism of the animals and the elements are fascinating and, if nothing else, are fun to explore and think about. So, according to a brief search on the net, the tiger is considered the King of all beasts in Chinese mythology.  While not everyone agrees on what the year of the tiger means for individuals, most agree that the tiger symbolizes power and courage, confidence and strength.  They are associated with good luck, bravery and good health and consequently, the year of the tiger will be a year that will bring about new changes and encourage people to overcome all challenges and difficulties. (referenced from this article)

  The tiger in this painting is drinking a big cup of soothing tea (to symbolize the water) and is staring out at the viewer, rapt with attention. She is ready for a new year, perhaps a new beginning, and is paying attention for opportunities to arise so she can pounce when needed.  

"Tea is for Tiger", oil on panel, 10"x10", 

Click here for purchasing details

🍀Lucky Gus 🍀

 I follow many wonderful pet owners and animals on Instagram but recently, one account caught my attention. Pam is the caretaker of a wily herd of horses, donkeys and other animals. she has the biggest heart and the care she gives to her animals is phenomenal Not long ago, she rescued a baby donkey from a dire circumstance.  Gus came to Pam's attention unexpectedly one evening through an animal auction. She could immediately see that he was in poor health and wasn't being taken care of properly. She knew that if she didn't intervene, he likely would die from neglect. Gus was auctioned off for a bid of $75 and as is sometimes the case in animal auctions, he was slated to go to another auction house soon after. Pam quickly scrambled to track him down and was luckily able to rescue Gus from what surely would have been a bad situation.  But this was only the beginning. After bringing him home she found he had pneumonia and other health issues.  He had to be quarantined from the other animals and have specialized care for several weeks until he was healthy.  His care and road to better health has not been without a price though.  To date, bills associated with Gus's veterinary care, food and lodgings have totaled over $3000.  To help out with these unexpected but very needed costs, I am donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of this painting to Gus! 

This painting is available on my Daily Paintworks site.

"Lucky Gus", 10"x10", Oil, Framed, $390

Purchasing details can be found here

About the painting: "Lucky Gus" is a 10"x10" oil painting on board.  It is framed and ready to hang. It is titled "Lucky Gus" for several reasons, the first being that Gus was so lucky to be rescued from bad circumstances. I've included other lucky imagery as well  Horseshoes have been hung in houses for ages (make sure it is facing up!) to bring luck. Shamrocks, the design on the cupcake wrapper are also a symbol of good fortune. Gus also has a back cat perched on his back. His name is Cinder and he lives and works on the farm where Gus lives.  Black cats often have a bad rap and can be hard to adopt out because of the myth that they are bad luck... but I think that is bollocks!  Changing the narrative, Cinder sits atop Gus as his protector and friend. Lastly, who doesn't feel lucky when given a tasty cupcake?  All together, "Lucky Gus" tells a story of hope and good fortune!  A lucky painting to have hanging in your home! :)

Please check out Pam's instagram page where you can follow Gus's progress as well as the antics of her other wonderful animals! Below are 2 posts from Gus's journey from the auction house to his new life.💚🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

Day 26 - Reflections

 Good morning :) It is day 26 and today's painting was commissioned by a friend and loving mother.  Her son's birthday is today and she sent me this image telling me that it holds special significance for many reasons, and she would love to give it to him as a birthday gift.  The number 7 as well as what was happening on the day the photo was taken are 2 important aspects.. I also see the reflection in the wet sand behind the man as being not only very beautiful, but a key part of the story of this picture.  All together, I was honored to be asked to paint such a special painting, and thankful I was asked to paint something very different from what I usually paint.  Commissions are one of those gifts that bring me continual artistic interest as well as growth.  

Reflections, oil, 9"x12", sold

If you would like to commission me to paint something meaningful, special, cute, adorable or commemorative, contact me here :)

A new month to create art :) (and my 28 in 28 collage)

 It is always a shock when the month has ended and you realize the challenge is over... I'm telling you, there is a little bit of sadness along with the afterglow from the experience.  Immersing yourself in your artwork for the month is like being in an incubator and to emerge the first day of the new month can be kind of hard. Making a collage of all the work I created helps put things into perspective.. It is always wonderful to see it all together.. and a bit amazing too! This collage was a challenge in itself due to there being 28 paintings and a few that are odd sizes.. Here is what I came up with.. :)

That being said, I had such a wonderful time this past month, exploring some ideas and trying out a new one with my snail series.  Some things I'll keep and explore more!  I am always so thankful for the feedback on my work every day.. it is so valuable.. My most commented on and liked painting was "Moove Over Andy" which was a huge surprise! (See below collage) I love this one too, but just didn't expect it to be such a hit!  It will continue to have a life as I plan to use the image in some marketing for an upcoming show.  Another great thing is I sold 5 of the paintings!  Doing challenges like this are beneficial in so many ways and ultimately I'm always thankful I did them!  

Moove Over Andy, oil on panel, 9"x12"

10 days into the 30 in 30 - Beauty in Broken Things

This time we are all living in can sometimes feels like it is trying to break us. But, I've seen such strength, resilience and creativity come from all of this insanity too.  So many people I know are becoming more courageous, fiercer and even more determined than ever to live a life worth living. I know that I am not singular, and in fact am luckier than many.  I feel fortunate every second of every day to have been gifted my art and and am thankful it is my healer, my outlet, my answer... When times are particularly hard and the veil is thick, it may be difficult to remember... until that moment when you do.  Beauty can always be found in moments of sadness, in times of despair and even if we feel we've hit rock bottom. Just look at a flower.  A bird.  A feather.  A fragment of broken glass.  Blessed be and know that this too shall pass.

Beauty in Broken Things, 8"x8", oil, available to purchase here

Day 9 of the 30 in 30 - Carrot Soup

 Had to kick off Monday, which is usually serious and somewhat daunting, with a light-hearted, whimsical concoction of seeming nonsense! :) As I mentioned in a recent post, I love to put together unrelated things to see what kind of story I can tell, and this was just exactly one of those kinds of paintings.  I absolutely love when paintings happen like this, and even more tickled when they somehow 'work'.  I'm not entirely sure how or why, but to me, this one works.  Why do roller skates on the bottom of a soup can with a tiny rabbit and carrot on top make sense?  I don't know but, they do, and now you have caught a glimpse inside of my brain. :)

I have taught art to children ages 6-18 and the biggest setback and difficulty I findis that most people tend to censor themselves when they are trying to come up with ideas for what they will next create.  People tell themselves "this is stupid", "its already been done", "I can't possibly do that", I don't know how, or that doesn't make sense.  And then they believe that B.S...  Here is the secret, most important piece of advice I can give you if you are an artist struggling with ideas.  Don't Censor Yourself.  If you are sitting in front of a blank canvas and have convinced yourself that you have no ideas, you most likely don't realize that you are actually censoring yourself unconsciously.  In reality, hundreds of ideas probably were bubbling up, but possibly before you barely caught sight of them, your mean old ego smacked them back down into the recesses of your imagination under the pretense of one of those lies I stated above.  

One of the most important gifts I have given myself as an artist was permission to let my ideas flow, no matter how strange, impossible or improbable they seem.  If my brain thought it, then it is a true expression of me, and who am I to censor it?  And even better, maybe the ideas that surface in my mind's eye are a true expression of a larger creative consciousness of which I am able to access, just because I listen and don't censor.  (wouldn't that be cool?)

Carrot Soup, 9"x12", oil, to purchase click here

So this post became a lot more personal than I thought it would.  I thought it was going to be silly and kind of funny. But I am very serious when I say that the best thing you can do for yourself as an artist is to believe in the ideas you have and allow them to come without censoring them.. follow them and explore where they take you. I promise you, you will never lack for ideas again!

Namaste and Carrot Soup.  

Please see below for a recipe for real Carrot Soup which  looks simply divine!

Day 8 of the 30 in 30 - High Summer Perch

 Good Sunday Morning. As this week begins, I am posting Day 8 of the 30 in 30  with another garden painting.   My family decided we were going to have a garden this year, after 4-5 years letting our garden plot go fallow.. It has been an enormous amount of work, but has given us an enormous amount of satisfaction and of course produce.  And a wonderful result has also been the time I've gotten to spend with my husband and children as we work in the garden   A few months ago, I found an old but very pretty chair sitting out for the garbage, and immediately knew it would find a home in my garden.  This vintage beauty may not be needed anymore as an inside chair, but I had a need to sit and rest after harvesting and a pot of very prolific portulacas were in need of a perch.  We also installed a few bird feeders near the garden and I always see all manner of little feathered friends perching on the fence and this chair.  I have been enamored with this chair and finally had to paint it.  I hope I've done this old girl justice!

High Summer Perch, 10"x10", oil, to purchase click here

Day 7 of the 30 in 30.. One week in & Brother Bjorn :)

 It feels good and kind of homey now that I'm a week into this 30 in 30.  And following suit, Brother Bjorn came to visit me in my studio, as a companion painting to yesterday's Uncle Urso. This guy doesn't have a story yet, other than it feels like he should live in the Swiss Alps for some reason... Mostly though, he was an experiment of white on white, and a trial of a hat on a polar bear. I do like, however, that Polar bears symbolize endurance and black eyed Susans symbolize motivation. Feeling like both of these attributes are so needed exactly right now, as we slog through this new world of cataclysmic change...endurance to keep on going and motivation to try even harder.

I wanted to achieve a soft and subtle feel and kept my tints all close in value.. also a challenge for me.  I am always tempted to go bold and striking in my paintings, but have recently been striving to go subtle and whispering.  I'll strike a balance eventually!

Brother Bjorn, Oil, 10"x10", to purchase click here

Day 4 of the 30 in 30

Good morning! I'll hop right to this one... :)  About a month ago, the image of 3 wolves came into my head and wouldn't leave me alone. I had to paint it... It was a painting of healing and strength, 2 things I was needing to contemplate.  After painting that painting, I immediately had the image of 3 hares come into my head, and like the wolves, they aren't leaving me alone either.  And that is how this painting came about. I'm not sure what these guys represent, or why some images just won't leave me alone, but the number 3 is very important in art.  For instance, if you have the choice of having 3 items in a still life or 4, which do you think most artists would choose? To read more about the ubiquitous number 3, check out this article.  

I have also been experimenting with mediums lately and in this painting, I used an oil based primer made by Zinsser and tinted it with my oil paints to do an under painting.  I know, this may sound outside of the box... but I am in the mood to play and have read a lot about artists' love for Zinsser.  I've experimented with it before and do agree, there is something about it worth exploring.  Plus I am looking to achieve a certain atmospheric effect that the zinsser underpainting seems to benefit.. 

Splitting Hares underpainting

But the Zinsser has a very matte finish, and I didn't quite want that.  So, after this dried (in about an hour - the zinsser dries fast!) I coated it with my medium (linseed oil, stand oil and gamsol) and finished it off. Now that I look back at this earlier stage of the painting, I wish I would have kept some of the looseness, but on the other hand, I wanted the rabbits faces to have more realism. Here is the finished painting :)  

Splitting Hares, 10"x10", oil, 

to purhase, please click here

Day 2 of the August 30 in 30

What a glorious way to start August.  I am so happy that I dove into this challenge and am doing it!  Today's painting is an example of some experimentation I have been doing with backgrounds and painting techniques.  I really enjoy artwork that has an atmospheric and moody tone to it and have begun playing with this idea..  "Elephriend" evolved from this sentiment.  I built this painting around colors and textures, painting the background first, which is opposite of how I often go about a painting.  I typically paint the focal points and subject of the painting, starting with the darks, and get all of the 'things' in the painting blocked in before I even touch the background.  But it was important to me that I pay special attention to the background in this painting.  After getting the feel I was looking for,  I then used the same colors from the background to paint the elephant, which helps to provide harmony and a sense of unity.  Of course, the elephant needed a friend, so I added a happy little corvidae, hitching a ride on her back. :)  I hope to experiment more with the methods I used here during this challenge, because, after all, that is part of what the 30 in 30 is all about... experimenting, playing, learning :)

Elephriend, 10"x10", oil on gessoboard, $225

To purchase, please click here

Don't forget to check out Russ's progress!  Yesterday's painting is beautiful... a peek into his latest trip to Maine.  You can find his work here: www.russellslocum.com

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 :)

Spring Pop Up Show and Sale!

I am busily preparing for my Spring Pop Up Show that I am having with 2 of my painting buds, Russell Slocum and Keith Rentschler.  May 4th and 5th at the Warehouse Studios at 700 Lancaster Ave, Reading, PA.  Stay tuned for more details to come, but know that we will be showcasing 150+ paintings including new pieces as well as archived work, plus prints, cards and commissions specials.  Studio prices, many discounted.... Door prizes, free-with-purchase artwork and a lot more!:) 

Hanging artwork in restaurants

You may have noticed a trend with fine dining establishments reserving display space for original fine art, usually by local artists.  When I first started painting, there were two modes of thought on this... Some artists felt that hanging your artwork in a restaurant was undesirable and was simply decorating another's space... for free! I was advised by some to not hang my art in restaurants... But, since I have been painting, I have had my artwork in many, many restaurants.  And it has almost always been a win-win situation.  If you are an artist and are thinking about hanging your work in a restaurant, here are a few pointers... Most importantly, make sure that certain things are agreed upon up front... The restaurant should always give you permission to have your work for sale and you should always be able to display label information with your artwork so patrons know your work is for sale. Along with your artwork, hang an artist statement with your contact info, website and social media links.  Make sure there is decent lighting and if the space has a hanging system in place, bonus! If not, make sure the owners are ok with you moving hangers if you need to. Determine the percentage the restaurant is taking (if any... some don't take a percentage!) and determine who will handle the sale, should someone want to purchase a piece.  Also, it doesn't hurt to have the staff on board and knowledgeable about your work so they can talk about it positively when you are not there, so you might want to leave a little info sheet for them to get acquainted with you..  I have had a lot of success hanging in alternative venues like this and would encourage any artist looking to put their eggs in more than one basket to give it a shot.

Take More Chances, Dance More Dances, oil, 8"x8"
Will be available at one of the 2 venues mentioned....

So, point of story....  I will be hanging my work in 2 beautiful restaurants on Monday! -  Say Cheese in West Reading and the Soltane Cafe in Phoenixville.  My gallery, Art Plus, has had a relationship with Say Cheese for some time and we hang our member's work there all the time. It is a wonderful restaurant and has a great gallery space towards the back of the restaurant where they even installed a hanging and lighting system to make it easier to hang your work! Things have been so successful, the owners are looking to expand the hanging space into the front of the restaurant. Very cool!  I have never hung in the Soltane Cafe before, but am so looking forward to getting my feet wet in the Phoenixville scene, and the manager, Emma Peabody is a total sweetheart. 

As you may have imagined, the past few weeks have been jam packed for me with preparing new work for these two shows.  I've painted 14 new paintings (which I can't even believe...) and am in the process of finishing frames.  The weekend will be spent deciding which work goes where, printing labels and putting the finishing touches on everything.  :) Life is good... 

Check out the details of both shows below, and happy Friday!

The making of a solo show

Last night I hung my solo exhibit, Spirit ○ Animal, at Art Plus Gallery. I have been actively preparing for this show the past 3 months and am a little in shock now that it is finally hung, perhaps similarly to when you are preparing for finals and you don't quite know what to do with yourself the day after you take the last test. I put a lot of work (literal blood and sweat... no tears) into the theme and creation of this show in an effort to weave some new ideas and mediums together with my love of animals and my life long interest in spiritual matters.

Over the past few months, I wanted to post more posts about the process of preparing for such a show.. the planning and designing, surface preparation, painting, frame design and building, finishing and preparing the work for sale... all this between being a mom and a gallery director! But, alas, I found myself so busy with painting and frame making (and momming and directing)  that I just didn't have a lot of time left over for blogging and telling y'all about what the heck I am doing.  If you are here, reading this now, I just want to thank you for taking the time to check this all out.  Below are just a few highlights from the past few months, and a little sneak peek at my freshly hung exhibit.  I am looking forward to sharing my work with everyone who makes to it the opening on May 11th, and, fyi, if you can't be there, the show runs through June 3rd.

Its great fun to take progress shots of my artwork as I complete it.  I don't always have a chance to look back on it right away, but going back through my pics later, I'm always grateful to find these painting 'diaries' to remind me  of what works and how I got there...

Telephant, oil, 12"x12", on display on APG

Below are just 3 of the about 50 works I have on display in Spirit ○ Animal...

Chickadee with Cherry Blossoms, 6"x6", oil, for sale at APG

Lost in Thought, 20"x20", oil and mixed media, for sale at APG

Nevermore, oil and mixed media, 12"x12", for sale at APG

You may also know that I make frames in addition to painting.... It isn't the most glamorous part of the job, and I find that only a few can really appreciate what goes into making frames... The past two weeks, I made close to 40 frames, which even I can't comprehend.  It takes a lot of math, staring at the wood, hundreds of cuts with a variety of saws, sanding till your arm is numb and plenty of loud music for me to make so many in such a short amount of time. Oh yeah, and the most important thing... the support of my husband.  (Yes, he brings me coffee and dinner, washes the dishes I don't have the energy to wash and makes sure I know he has my back...) I wish it was as easy as the pictures make it look, but all I will say is, IT'S NOT. :D   And the pictures skip Plenty of steps. But...this gives you a brief idea of the frame making process and the piles of wood I have to manipulate through it all. To be truthful though, I am not in this business because I like to do things the easy way.  Just the opposite actually, as the easy way is often thoroughly boring... 

And finally, after putting all of my paintings in their brand spanking new frames, and making them look all professional and what not, I get to hang them up in the gallery!  The absolute best part of the whole thing....

So, the show is hung, and I am most pleased with how it all came together.  A wonderful thing about intensely creating work... ideas build upon ideas... I have so many new things I want to explore from all I found in the past few months...There is so much more to come! Thanks for reading and looking and I hope to see you at the opening on May 11th!

Latest Newsletter is here!

Happy Spring! I have been painting a lot, and there is much in store in the coming months.  To check out all of the latest goings on, check out my Spring Newsletter here.

Lucky Frenchie with Strawberries and Duck, oil, 8"x8", on hold

 

Day 30 of the 30 in 30!!! - "I Honor the Place"

Today is the last day of this 30 in 30, and I cannot believe it!  It has been the absolute best 30 in 30 I have challenged myself to in so many ways...

I want to put this out to all of the people who have followed me through this round of paintings.  I have had over 700 page views on my blog since it started, which for me is a big deal! :) Plus lots of great feedback on my facebook and instagram.  Also, I met some new artists who are also participating in the challenge and amazingly, I have sold about 1/4 of the paintings I created!!! I appreciate all of the support, love and encouragement people give me every time I do one of these, and this time has been especially wonderful!  So, this painting is in honor of y'all... 

Namaste 

I honor the place in you 

in which the entire universe dwells.

I honor the place in you which is of love, light, peace and joy.

When you are in that place in you 

and I am in that place in me,

We Are One.

I Honor the Place, oil on canvas, 8"x8", to purchase click here

I tried to fill this painting with as much light as I could logically fit in... with glints of gold and rosey highlights to produce as much visual joy as I could... <3 <3 <3

Day 28 of the 30 in 30 - "Bluebird for Happiness"

Bluebird for Happiness 

This merry little feathered friend, 

so cheery, bright and blue,

because he brings true happiness, 

I'm sending him to you! 

Bluebird for Happiness, oil, 8"x8", to purchase click here

Day 27 of the 30 in 30 - "Morning Call"

I have a penchant for vintage things.. particularly product designs that are found in the 1950'5.  This tea cup is a cup made by Lu-Ray and was in their pastel dinnerware line. Lu-Ray made this line from 1938-1960 and if you like clean, simple, soft lines, elegant design and pastel colors... this is the dinnerware for you.  The baby chickadee sitting on the edge of this cup is singing a joyful song, maybe for his breakfast.. or perhaps a cup of oolong tea?  

Oh, and thank you to my hubby for the title. :)

Morning Call, oil, 6"x6", to purchase click here

Day 26 of the 30 in 30 - "Spool of Gold"

Did you know that juncos are in the sparrow family?  There are 5 types of dark eyed juncos and they range across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.  And they form monogamous relationships... meaning they are one of those rare breeds that mates for life. :) One last little interesting nugget of junco info - They are often called the 'snowbird', as in the eastern U.S. they appear at the start of the winter and then flies north again in the spring!  So, Eastern U.S.-ers... enjoy them while you can, because they'll be gone soon!

Spool of Gold, oil, 6"x6", to purchase click here