Monday, August 18, 2008

"Washing Hands"
















Pastel on paper 11" X 14" $900

I don't usually post pastels here; they are in the link for pastels located in the right margin, but I just felt like it today.

"Sunflower Corner" Day 6 - Completed (no, really)



















Oil on Canvas Commissioned 18" X 36" $300 Sold

Well, I thought I was finished, but my art critic, (my husband Lenny) said two things were bugging him. The first were the two background sky areas that were very light colored, so I added more blue. The second was that the center of the flower was not curved enough at the top, so I added more bulk to it. NOW, I am finished!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

"Sunflower Corner" Day 5



















Oil on Canvas 18" X 36"

Well, I have mixed feelings about finishing this piece. I could hardly wait to see how it would turn out, but I really loved working on it. Sorry about the tilt of the photo and the space between the two canvases, but the bottoms are wet.

Me, painting "Sunflower Corner"

I know it's not the focus of this photo, but the apron I'm wearing was signed by the entire kindergarten class I team taught back in 1983 when my daughter Amy was just starting school. Her signature is on there as well, so I love to wear it when I paint.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A day at the dunes

We drove up to Leadville, CO on Thursday so Lenny could compete in the Leadville 100 mountain bike race on Saturday. He was able to finish the race in 10+ hours, and now can actually say he competed with Lance Armstrong who came in second place!

Other highlights of the weekend include seeing friends Adrian and Margo from Colorado, who we haven't seen in too long, hanging out with Amy & her friend Lindsey, and cheering on Lenny and his teammates Mike, Doug & John. The low spot was me getting altitude sickness immediately upon entering the town of Leadville at 6:30 pm on Thursday(altitude 10,430 ft.), visiting the ER at 10:30 PM, getting a steroid shot in the butt, and taking Diomox, steroids and oxygen for the entire weekend.

Sunday night we drove down to Monte Vista, CO and spent the night at The Mansion B & B, which I would highly recommend. Monday we drove out to the Great Sand Dunes,hiked up to the top and then checked out the surge flows in the river below. We ate a nice picnic lunch and then hiked up a trail and crossed a creek to a beautiful waterfall.

The lack of oxygen, hiking, and sun left me feeling like a bit of a trainwreck, but I'll resume painting that sunflower soon!

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Me - In the Artists Spotlight

I got an email today from the shop owner in Connecticut where some of my pieces are for sale. She said I had been selected as the featured artist for August! I am flattered. Here's the link to the website:

Artists Spotlight

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

"Sunflower Corner" Day 4



















Now comes the challenging part...

Monday, August 4, 2008

"Sunflower Corner" Day 3



I am certainly enjoying everything about this painting! The interaction of colors and shapes, and background vs foreground keep it interesting, and the gestural quality of the flower is very playful. I am torn because I want to see the finished product, but the process is so much fun!

Friday, August 1, 2008

"Sunflower Corner" Day 2





















Well, I only had time to put down two colors today, so here are the blues and greens. It's a good tease though...

"Sunflower Corner" Day 1





















Sorry this photo is not very clear, but it is difficult to capture the vine charcoal sketch and the notations for shapes and colors.

I don't know what it is about sunflowers, maybe it has to do with being Italian, but I can't seem to get enough of them! I am really stepping outside my normal style and trying a more graphic approach with this one. The shapes in it just grabbed my attention. I also decided to split the composition into two canvases, something else I've never tried!