Day 11 of my Holiday Painting Spree - Black & White

"Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy - but mysterious. But above all, black says this:  I don't bother you, don't bother me." - Yohji Yamamoto (Fashion Designer)

My 2nd VW beetle painting during my Spree - This one is the opposite of yesterday's... a black car on a white background.  As I mentioned, surfaces reflect the colors and light that surround them, so black doesn't always appear black and can have all colors reflected in it.  But, I can agree with Yohji... Black can be a statement above all else.  This painting will be hanging side by side with the white bug I posted yesterday in the Reading Tavern for Art Plus Gallery's upcoming show there, "Black and White".

If you should wish to purchase this painting now, please visit my DPW gallery here.

Black & White, oil on panel,
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Day 10 of my Holiday Painting Spree - "White & Black"

"If everything isn't black and white, I say Why the Hell Not?" - John Wayne

What does that mean? I am not quite sure, but it made me laugh.  Today's painting is 10th in line of my Holiday Painting Spree paintings.  An upcoming show I will be hanging in is themed "Black and White". As a painter, you come to realize that there isn't ever true black or white in an object or scene.  This is because surfaces are always reflecting their surroundings and the ambient light.  So, a white car may actually have shadows that are purple and reflections that could be any color of the rainbow.  So, maybe this is an answer to Mr. Wayne's question above... Because Mr. Wayne, as the impressionists found out a long time ago, black and white do not truly exist in nature..... Without further ado, here is today's painting, "White & Black".  Had to paint another VW beetle... just one of my favorite subjects to paint... :) 

White & Black, oil on panel
to purchase this painting, please click here

Day 30 - Rowan and the Bug

Its the last day of the 30 in 30 and uh.... I can believe it!  Well, sort of not, but, when I look back to the first painting I did, and all the ones in between, I definitely feel like I painted for the e n t i r e month.  Of course there is a sense of relief and, pride I guess, that I am finished and I did it... But, I am always sad when the 30 in 30 ends too.  The sense of forced urgency to produce a painting every day seems to fuel creativity differently than at calmer times.  And posting everyday is a very beneficial for any artist.  I always hope to keep it up.  I will definitely try to be better about posting more often.  To be honest, I only painted 26 paintings this month.  Me getting sick and then Rowan staying home sick from school yesterday threw off my groove so, there are several lost days. 

Anyway... today's painting

Rowan came home from school last week very excited to tell me that his bus passed by "this awesome VW beetle!  It would make a great painting, Mom!"  His enthusiasm and happiness about finding a painting subject for me put a healthy dose of joy in my heart. :)  So, we drove there the next day and I took a bunch of pics. I told him he had to pose for me, though, since the theme I chose for this 30 in 30 is figurative and I definitely wanted to paint this in the challenge. I thought this picture was the cutest of the bunch!

By the way, as always I will make a collage of all the paintings I created and post it here tomorrow.  Have a great night and thanks everyone for reading my blog and following me through the challenge!  From the looks of my people counter I had over 750 people read my blog this month.  Peanuts for some, but awesome for me!

Rowan and the Bug, oil on panel, 6"x6"
NFS

I haven't posted a progress pic for awhile.  If you are interested, this is the painting early on...

Day 10 - Orange Bus

So, VW got itself into some hot water recently.. and did some pretty despicable things... But ~
I have always liked the look of early VW vehicles... the bug, the rabbit, the bus.... Just so cute!  And the colors.... don't get me started....
Anyway.... Here is a sunny orange VW bus, I am guessing early 60's.... waiting to take me away on a road trip!

Orange Bus, oil on panel, 6"x6",
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Day 8 - Vintage Plane

Don't have a lot of time to blab today, so with out further ado... "Vintage Plane"... May be able to write more later....

 Vintage Plane., oil on panel, 11" x 14"
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Day 24 - How We Roll

I said the other day that I like cute cars... Well, I like big trucks too... My husband is a truck driver, and I think about just how much our world depends on tractor trailers for just about everything...  This is how we roll, so I salute truckers out there just doing their job, helping things to keep on rolling.  :) In addition, I really enjoy finding interesting compositions in mundane pictures.  This was one of them!  While hiking around Google street view in Hailey, Idaho again, I came upon this little parking lot with a semi in it.. It caught my eye and after cropping it I really liked the contrasts and general balance of everything.  Anyway, here it is...

How We Roll, oil on panel, 6" x 6",
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Day 21 - "Red Fiat"

I am a sucker for cute cars... and classic, little Fiats are just about the cutest car there is.  I am wondering, is this the car that was featured in one of the Pink Panther movies with a gorilla driving it around and around?  Anyway, I think there will be (at least) one more red car in my painting future... can't seem to get enough...

Red Fiat, oil on panel, 6" x 6",
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Day 15 of th 30 in 30 - Yellow Bug

If someone offered me an old VW Beetle... I wouldn't turn it down.  I am sure that by today's standards it would be pretty uncomfortable and, well, not very safe.  But I think they are one of the best looking cars ever made.  So, yeah.  I'd drive it...here and there.  :)

Yellow Bug, oil on panel, 6" x 6"
to purchase, please click here

I love to paint impasto (really thick paint).. The secret is in the brush... 

Yellow Bug Juice