I forgot to post my collage of all of the paintings I completed during the 30 day challenge.. but better late than never! Here it is.. It was a FUN month and I had such a great response to all of my artwork.. I've sold 4 of them thus far, and most of the rest of them are already hanging in galleries. So thankful for this artistic life that I am blessed to be able to live. ♥♥♥
This little dude is a companion painting to yesterday's "Artist Chick" and is titled Chicasso (of course!) :) I love to paint in series (sometimes just 2 in the same theme, other times a whole mess..) and after designing the artist chick painting with red accents I knew I wanted to design one painting in blue.. I'm considering a green artist chick, but haven't yet designed her..
Somehow, I also have gotten into painting iconic shoes.. It started with me painting Converse All Stars years ago.. I painted them alone and then I started putting them on ducks (because, Ducks in Chucks..).. and they even ended up on bunnies and giraffes too! Then I opened up my shoe repertoire and added Mary Janes.. then saddle shoes, and wingtips and even Vans.. Shoes are just too fun to paint, and really, we all have a deep connection with our shoes. The shoes we wear are, of course, utilitarian, but, it can't be denied, have a ton of symbolism that go along with them too. I don't really want to explore the symbolism of shoes in words, but I do love to explore how different styles of shoes can change a painting. So this guy is wearing a stylish pair of blue wing tips, and if you compare yesterday's and today's painting, the red and blue give quite different feelings, and the shoes do too.. Hope you enjoy! ♥
One reason I've done so many daily painting challenges (this is my 13th!) is because I love the new ideas that come by pushing the creative flow.. To come up with new ideas every day, there is a degree of letting go you have to do.. letting go of censoring, letting go of control. This little idea came yesterday and while it is so simple, the imagery and story are striking to me.
another point of interest, I had no blue or green on my palette for this painting.. Its probably obvious, but it was fun painting with what is known as an analogous color scheme, meaning all of the colors are next to each other on the color wheel (yellow, orange and red)
Oh, and how do you like the funky red saddle shoes? (I love them...)
Last bit of commentary - by day 24, I am feeling the fatigue.. designing, painting and posting every day is a challenge for sure. The posting in particular is hard for me, but also, I know, vital. Vital to get my art out there, and vital for myself, and others who care to come here and read my blab, to get a deeper insight into why I do what I do. I am so thankful to everyone who follows along with these challenges I do and of course for all of the kind comments and likes my paintings glean. ♥ So today, this painting celebrates the challenges and rewards of being an artist chick :) Thank you for reading ♥
Hello and welcome to day 24 of the challenge.. :) I painted 2 bunny's in honor of the Year of the Rabbit, the Lunar New year's animal this year.. I'm looking forward to some peace, productivity without stress and prosperity for all.. This little bunn is giving up an offering of a juicy, ripe strawberry to help with the welcome! I've enjoyed painting fuzzy little critters for the past few days.. seems that a little bit of fuzz goes a long way towards the cuteness.. ♥
Mary Jane dudds seem to make it into my paintings every now and again.. I love the simple, classic design and, every time I look them up, I want to get a pair.. why have I not gotten a pair yet?? That'll be a goal for 2023.. get a comfy, chic pair of Mary Janes all of my own.. :) Its the little things..
Its day 21 and today's painting features a fuzzy syrian hamster, hamming it up :)
Now, I'm not a rodent aficionado, but from what I have seen, I think syrian, long-haired hamsters are some of the stinking cutest little dudes on the planet.. their little faces look like tiny teddy bears and their fuzzy bodies almost don't look real..
Beware though! They may only be cute from a distance.. After I painted this guy, my daughter was admiring the paintings, but then went on to remind me of different long-haired hamsters she has known over the years, and she reminded me that they did not have particularly sweet temperaments! Years ago, she worked in a pet store that sold different breeds of hamsters and she relayed the story that every time she would walk by their tanks, they would, well, stand up and hiss at her! She wasn't terribly fond of handling them, as you'd expect. And, I believe it was in 3rd or 4th grade, her class had a class pet.. and it was a long-haired hamster. Each student had the opportunity to take it home for a week to care for it, and when Meilea brought him home, he bit her.
Oh well.. I still think they are stinking cute, even if they have a stinker of a personality :) And I promise, this guy won't bite you! :)
Todays painting is tentatively titled "I can see clearly Now"... there are so many odd things going on in this painting, I was having trouble landing on the meaning...Plus I'm a little under the weather so also having trouble coming up with words! Here goes.. We have a Llama, of course, and the rainbow in the background.. the Llama is wearing the funky 80's, square engineering glasses and, what is the leaf doing on his head? I don't know! Sometimes when I design images, I'll have ideas fly through my head and I put them together not necessarily knowing why or where the ideas came from.. and this is one of them.. the best I can do is say that I do have a rainbow theme going in some of my paintings this month and I wanted to explore that a bit more.. plus, as I've said many times, I love making images that make people smile, so I hope this one does that. :)
And thinking about it, its quite ironic that I chose the temporary title "Seeing Clearly" when it is clear I am seeing anything but clearly about this one!
Have you ever been to a tea party? I have fond memories of one I went to when I was a little girl, in a bonified tea room. I don't remember much, but I do remember the pretty teacups.. the fancy cookies and just being enchanted to be there. Maybe that is why I like painting tea cups so much.. Teacups have made it into many of my paintings, indeed, and I've definitely pondered why.
You ever wake up on Monday and feel like you need another weekend? Ok, maybe the operative question would be, do you ever Not feel this way? :😂 It sure seems like the panda in today's painting is feeling this way.. or maybe she just really loves cupcakes.. Either way, I think she's happy where she landed..
I designed this painting awhile back and when I did, I considered painting it really big (big for me anyway.. something like 24"x24"..) I thought it would be interesting to see how a whimsical design like this would translate on the big scale..
But I rarely paint that big anymore. The most common sizes I paint on are 8"x8" up to 11"x14" and sizes in-between.. so I him-hawed around about it and let it sit on the back burner.. and every time I'd look at the design I'd think.. I just want to paint it small.. And so, I did :) This little gem measures in at 8"x8" and she was just a joy to paint.
I like painting smaller because I really like being able to finish a painting in one day. There are many things that interrupt painting during a day, but if I paint small enough, I can always make sure can finish what I start. There are several reasons for this, but the 2 that stand out to me as the most important are: I get bored if I have to work on a painting for too long.. and then I get fussy, and then I lose the spontaneity of it. So keeping it at one day, I can stay interested and keep the painting feeling fresh. Secondly, I prefer to work wet into wet - meaning I want my painting to be just as wet at the end of my painting session as it was at the beginning. This also enables the sense of spontaneity that I prefer. So, that is why this little panda ended up a small one.
I'm of the firm belief that it is good to regularly celebrate yourself.. You are an amazing miracle! Being an artist, I get to meet so many people and, I find over and over that everyone has big and beautiful stories to tell about their lives, their pets and the love they have in their hearts. I admire so many of you, so let's celebrate you today... and, this little mouse is here to help :)
Good day and a happy Saturday to you :)
I've only roller skated a handful of times in my life, but I do remember liking it quite a bit when I did. Haven't done it in years.. and while I don't seek it out on social media, Roller Skating (with a capital R) comes up in my feed sometimes, reminding me that the sport is still alive and well in some areas of the country..
Gliding around on wheels attached to your feet is just a little bit like flying.. and that is what I imagine this bunny is feeling as he glides around the roller rink, blissfully breezing through the moment...
Continuing on with the rainbow theme.. I dunno.. it keeps drawing me back in with it's happy vibes and infinite design possibilities. And I know, this one is a lot more illustrative in nature. If I'm brave enough, I may keep exploring this direction :)
Good day :)
Todays painting is titled "Mid-Century Euro-Robin" and it is a simple little one with a mid-century modern style teacup and an adorable European Robin.. I like mid-century modern design and the funky little drawings that are sometimes found on the products of the time. I think this teacup is just the sweetest and like not only the design on it but also its little circular handle..
If you are not familiar with the term, the Merriam Webster dictionary describes it thusly: Mid-Century Modern (MCM) is a style of design (as in architecture and furniture) of roughly the 1930s through the mid-1960s characterized especially by clean lines, organic and streamlined forms, and lack of embellishment.
When I look at this frog serenely gazing at a ladybug, with the colors of the rainbow boldly in the background, well, this painting just exudes happiness to me and toadally makes me smile (I am so sorry... I had to..) :) But, seriously, this got me thinking about happiness..
How can a picture just.. well.. make me happy? Well, for one, I think smiles can be contagious and this frog has a big one. And, if you read my rainbow musings post, you will remember that I think rainbows and even images of rainbows can make us happy due to the complete range of wavelengths we are seeing. Rainbows rev up the brain... :) So there's those two things. Plus there's the story happening between the ladybug and the frog.. what exactly is going on? Whatever it is, the story makes me smile too.
Another thought... why is Happiness sometimes elusive? One moment you are happy and in an instant, something "bad" happens and everything changes..
After a lifetime of contemplating things like this, I've come to think happiness is not about what is going on outside of you, but rather what is going on inside of you... it is about inner balance and peace.. and letting go too..
*When that instant comes, as it inevitably will, your inner peace will be disrupted. How you react to the disruption is everything. Will you fight to hang on to a desire to remain in your previous blissful state, or will you flow from one moment to the next without letting your expectations of the moment disturb your inner peace.
Sometime I bend like a willow.. Sometimes I break like an oak.. always practicing, not always hitting the mark..
"Happiness", oil, 8"x8", purchasing details can be found here
What can I say about this one? I know the background in this isn't a traditional rainbow, but it is still a bow... and somehow I've now included rainbow-esque designs in 3 of my challenge paintings, and hope to do a few more.. So, as you'd expect, I've been thinking about rainbows, and I'm wondering why they are popping up in my paintings.. Here's a theory... rainbows comprise all of the wave lengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that make up Light... In the northern hemisphere, we are currently in the dark part of the year, and, I know quite a few people who don't fare too well during the dark months... lack of light is known to affect mood.. I feel for those folks who get sad in the Winter due to lack of light.. And who knows.. I'm probably affected too, to a degree. So, I'm thinking that rainbows are showing up in my work lately in an effort to bring a little light to the situation... a few more wavelengths..
And really, who doesn't love rainbows? Every time it rains.. and then the sun comes out, even when it is still sprinkling just a bit.. I'm running outside to see if there's a rainbow.. It's a special thing to see one, really kind of magical.. So, maybe this is the start of a new series.. my magical rainbow paintings:)
Can't not mention the bunny in chucks with her ladybug companion.. I couldn't help myself. They're just too cute.. Painting this fluffy little bun, well.. she was just plain fun.
All together, I hope this one makes you smile big and brings a little light to your day. :)
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!
Yes, I am one of those people who find satisfaction in a good pun.. and this one fits the bill..
I'm not sure if Maybelline, the cosmetic company, still uses the tag line "Maybe she's born with it... maybe it's Maybelline.." but, you can see where this pun came from :) Made me laugh when I came across it and, well, frankly, all horses are beautiful creatures naturally, and white horses can be particularly stunning.. so, of course, this title was the one.
Titling my work: Sometimes I am lucky and a title just comes to me as I'm painting the painting. Other times, not so much. When this happens, I will do some research on the animal or subject matter I am painting (which I do anyway) and as I read about it, a title often emerges.
This is the companion painting to yesterday's half of a horse, "Horse sense". I like to paint in twos, or threes (sometimes more..) because often one painting doesn't quite satisfy my desire to explore the subject. With this one, I truly was wanting to hone my skills of painting a horse (not an easy animal to paint, I will admit) as well as experiment with this half of a horse composition. Again, I am interested in the negative space around the horse, maybe not as much as, but in addition to the horse itself. :)
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people." - W.C.Fields
Fields may have been making a joke with this turn of words, and yet there is a bit to unpack here.. :) My thoughts about what he may have meant when he said this lean towards the often unpredictability and sometimes unreliability of human nature.. is it any surprise that animals are many people's best friends?
On another topic, I am happy to announce that I have been invited to be an exhibiting artist in the Art Gallery at the Devon Horse Show :) Growing up in Chester County, PA, I always knew when the Devon Horse Show was happening. Surrounded by horse country, many of my classmates had horses and would go. I never had the chance to attend (or reason to at that time..) so I am excited that I'll be going this year, and have the chance to see it from an artist's perspective. As one might expect, I've had horses on the brain lately...
Today's painting is of a painted horse, focusing on his front half... I love how the negative space is emphasized by composing the design in this way. :)
Back a year or so ago, I painted a small series I called "Animals Behaving Badly". Each painting featured an animal leaping out of a mixed drink. This was one I designed during that spell, but never painted. While scrolling back through the archives the other day, I came upon the design and decided it was a good time to paint it. :)
I love how it came out and am particularly happy with the glass and the liquid. Not necessarily a difficult subject, it still just makes me happy when glass turns out looking like, well, glass!
I imagine this Bass in a martini glass was just hanging out, lazily minding his own business when along came a fisherman.. apparently unable to resist a challenge, this guy may have ended up someone's meal, already pickled and seasoned for the pan.. or, maybe he was the one that got away..
Lately, one of my favorite animas to paint is the Scottish Highland coo. I wish there were a farm near me that had a herd of these adorable, furry creatures, but even though I am surrounded by lots of rich farmland, so far, I have not located one. That won't stop me from painting them though.. Its funny to me that although you can rarely see their eyes, they somehow still always have such adorable expressions. Funny how that works.. This sweet gal is munching on daisies and chicory (two of my favorite flowers), hanging around with a few bumble bee friends.. I'm ready for warm days and while lots of folks don't care for the bugs that come with warm weather, I love seeing the bees and welcome them to my yard!
Two thirds of the way through this challenge and I'm happy to still have some ducklings to paint.. There are more than a few folks out there with whom ducks resonate, and its true that these guys don't stick around for long in my studio.. I try to put something new and fresh into each duck I paint.. This one was largely about his expression as he 'breaks the 4th wall' so to speak. It makes me smile to think that this little guy is engaging with the viewer, inviting you to, I don't know, come on in, sit down and have a quack (or something) :)
Getting a tad technical, I also went a little nutsy with texture as I enjoyed painting impasto (thick, juicy paint) throughout the composition..
I don't remember the artist who said this this, but his belief was that, while all the elements and principles of art are important to make a good painting, the 4 most important aspects of a painting are value, edges, shape and texture. Generally, I agree. You will notice that I consider these 4 things carefully in every one of my paintings.. So, while this may just look like an innocent little duckling waiting for a quacker, look closer to see how I handled each of these four devices.
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...
