KIWIS

6 x 6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

I wanted to do something quick and actually keep it quick and loose. I found some kiwis in the fridge so there is my subject. I've never painted kiwis so not only was it quick, but lots of fun, too. Perfect!

Tomorrow is 2011 - Already? Yikes, that was fast!!

To Everyone -

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

BLUE VASE

8x8 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord n

This was really FUN to paint!! It is my submission for Studio Atelier's December challenge. I decided to do something entirely different and sort of in the style of Matisse. Who knows, I might try this again! :-)

$100.00 free shipping in US

$20.00 CHAIR

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

What idiot chose "chair" as a challenge on the Some Texas Artists Like to Paint site? ......... Oh, that would be me! What was I thinking? This was not easy, so I guess it definitely was a challenge for me. Despite the fact that it was a struggle and there were two wipe outs, it was really good to be painting again after a fantastic holiday. Click on the link above to see some really good chairs.

After the wipe outs I thought about posting this clever joke with a blank canvas. I can leave the blank canvas, but laughter is always welcome!

An eccentric philosophy professor gave a one question final exam after a semester dealing with a broad array of topics. The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on his desk and wrote on the board: "Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist."

Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in furious fashion. Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair. One member of the class however, was up and finished in less than a minute.

Weeks later when the grades were posted, the rest of the group wondered how he could have gotten an A when he had barely written anything at all. His answer consisted of two words: "What chair?"

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and to thank all of you who have taken the time to visit my blog! Those of you who have commented with encouraging words this past year have meant a great deal to me. When I began blogging I had no idea I would meet such wonderful people and become friends with so many of you. It is a joy to share this art journey with each and everyone!

Blessings -

Linda

PEAR x TWO

5x5 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

PEAR

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

This is a Comice Pear. They are small with sensuous shapes and colors that sing. With all that is going on this time of year I am enjoying painting a familiar subject.

MORE JOY

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

JOY

7x5 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Joy is a Christmas decoration. She usually stands on the kitchen counter, but sometimes she is located elsewhere. She is one of my favorite little decorations. She is always happy!

Get your merry on and have

a wonderful week-end!!

HOT CHOCOLATE

5x5 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord n

I don't know why, but hot chocolate always tastes better in a Christmas mug!

TWO BOWLS

5x7 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

In explanation of the "grays" in my last post I grayed each color using the compliment. I didn't want it to be grayed in the traditional since of black and white grays, but a hue taken to a gray. I was very tired when I posted my painting and didn't add any commentary. Lesson learned! :-)

HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEK-END!

A STUDY IN GRAYS

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

THREE RED PEARS

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Red pears are realllllly red! They are so beautiful with their color and shape. Pears are always fun to paint.

SHALLOTS IN BOWL

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6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

SHALLOTS

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Shallots from Central Market ended up in my still life today. I may paint them again as it was fun to try to capture the values, colors and the modeling. Not perfect, but I am pleased with the outcome, so I may try it again. Painting is such a joy!

THE BIG ORANGE

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Beautiful, large naval oranges were piled high at Central Market. I wish I could have brought my paints into the produce department and painted all those oranges. Not being able to do that I bought a few and painted this still life ........ then I ate my set up! Not only are they large, but they are sweet and juicy.

VALUE STUDY

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

This was painted from a photograph I took in an old cemetery in Savannah, Georgia. There were so many interesting grave stones. Some were very large as this one. In addition to being tall it was elaborate with sculpture that was a testament to a very affluent family. This detail is nice for a value study. AND, just for fun .........

http://www.youtube.com/user/AlphabetPhotography%20%20

COUNTY CLARE, IRELAND

5x7 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Virtual Paintout is such fun! This month Bill Guffey sent us to County Clare, Ireland. The photography was, in my opinion, better than former places we've visited. It was a delight to explore this beautiful area of the world. Click HERE to view art work and take the challenge yourself.

On another note, I love dogs, especially my dog, Maggie. However, I also love other people's and I just looked at Suzanne Berry's blog with the portrait of one of her Pugs (she has two). Her story of falling in love with these dogs is funny and just fun to read. Take a minute and click HERE to read her story, see a great painting and a photograph of her two cute Pugs!

ENJOY YOUR WEEK-END!!

PLEIN AIR HAT TWO

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

PLEIN AIR HAT

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

SURROUNDED

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Of course, I had to paint another white cup with persimmons! I painted so many bad white cups that it feels really good to finally feel that I can paint a fairly good one - much improved with all the practice. Painting the same thing over and over does help. To see another artist's practice, on a plastic bowl, click on Jean Townsend's link HERE. She painted her bowl 10 times with commentary on each post. She did a great job. In the meantime, I will continue to work on my cups! :-)

BEST BUDS

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

HOORAY!! I painted a white cup! All is right with the world! :-)

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!!

We all have so much for which to be grateful!

SKY

8x8 Oil on Canvas

This is a painting for the November challenge of Some Texas Artist Like to Paint, which is "sky." Check out the site for some great sky paintings!

PERSIMMONS TWO

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

This is the same setup as my last post, but with a different perspective. The mirror on the right added quite a bit of light to the persimmons, especially the one in the foreground.

PERSIMMONS

6X6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

These were really fun to paint. I've never tried painting persimmons. I saw them in Central Market and decided to give them a try. I added a mirror to the right of the setup to add a bit more light in that direction. The stronger light was on the left. I think I will be painting more of these beautiful fruits and play more with lighting.

GREEN DRAGON

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEKEND!!

TWO APPLES AND A BOWL

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

More apples and this time with a green bowl. These are fun to paint and practicing more with elipses. Gosh, there is soooo much to learn! It's a good thing that I love doing this ..... loving the journey, as they say. :-)

This painting and the one before was painted with a limited palette of three colors - Primary Red, Primary Blue, and Primary Yellow by Maimeri and Titanium White. This is fun to do sometimes. One learns a lot about what these colors can do.

FANS OF THE GREEN DRAGON

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Three Red Delicious apples and one Green Dragon apple are my current subjects. They are good for practice and make nice paintings. Maybe I'll put a white cup with one of them ..... or not!

PITIFUL CUP

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Well, I tried again to paint a white cup. White is so difficult for me and I realize I need lots of practice. Most of my attempts have been relegated to the garbage and will never see the light of day. However, I need to post today and this is all I have at this time. So, here is my poor, pitiful, white cup.

LIMES TWO

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

This is the same set up as the previous post. It's painted from a different perspective, like the clementines were. I like doing this as it provides good learning possibilities. In Carol's workshop we were encouraged to paint the same thing over and over and I understand the reasoning behind this suggestion. With each new angle the more one sees ..... values, color, edges, shapes. Learning - it's a wonder!!

LIMES

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

CLEMENTINES IN GREEN BOWL TWO

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

This is the same set up as my last post, but from a different perspective. I think I will do this again with a set up, because there is much to learn about the light, shapes, values, etc. when you look at it from a different angle.

CLEMENTINES IN GREEN BOWL

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

Have a wonderful weekend!

Enjoy some clementines and don't forget to squint!

JOE and the CLEMENTINES

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

I focused on white today. I have a white cup which is a bit translucent. I filled it with coffee and added some clementines. Now they can go on the road. :>)

APPLE HARVEST

6x6 Oil on Ampersand Gessobord

It felt really good to get back to the easel today after being gone for two weeks! I pulled out Carol's notes about painting white and did some sketches this morning. I felt a little rusty, but it felt great to have a paint brush in my hand. It is evident that I need more practice and will continue to do more and more until my whites look like white! :)

In the afternoon I painted "Apple Harvest" for the Studio Atelier challenge. This is the first time I have participated in this particular blog challenge. The blog host, Barb Benik, takes photos and uses one every 3 to 4 weeks for the challenge. In this particular photo I cropped it and had a blast painting. Click here and enjoy what has been submitted and maybe join in!

INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS DAY

14x11 Oil on Canvas

Painted after Amedeo Modigliani

"Jeanne Hebutern in a Large Hat"

Tomorrow is International Artists Day. To celebrate I am featuring an artist that I admire, Amedeo Modigliani. He was an Italian artist born in 1884 and died in 1920 of tuberculosis. If you are not familiar with his work he painted elongated faces and necks. In his short life he completed many paintings, sculpture and works on paper. He led an interesting life and if you enjoy reading biographies I recommend Modigliani and The Artists of Montparnasse by Kenneth Wayne.

I posted this today because tomorrow I don't know if I will have wifi for my computer. Take some time tomorrow and visit The Daily Painters International Art Gallery and view what other artists are doing to celebrate.

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DAY FIVE - REFLECTIONS

CAROL MARINE

Carol's set up for her demo.

The beginning of her demo.

Finished and fantastic!!

Isn't she remarkable?

Brenda's painting. Click HERE to view her website.

Claire's beautiful painting.

A couple of paintings with reflections. By the time I got my camera out people were getting ready to leave, so I didn't get as many photos as I had intended. However, here are two really good ones.

Some good news - Carol will be making some DVDs soon and they will be available some time next year. YEAH!!!!

This was a wonderful week and although I am tired, I could go on another day or two. Not only did I learn an incredible amount, but had a blast doing it. Carol is fun and has a way of making each student feel comfortable at whatever level she is on. We painted, had some good food, drank some good wine and painted, painted, painted!! If you ever have an opportunity to take Carol Marine's workshop, DO IT!!!

My sister, Julie, and I will be on our annual road trip so I won't be posting for the next week. In the meantime - happy painting and SQUINT, SQUINT, SQUINT!!!

DAY FOUR - LARGE PAINTING

These are just a few of the fantastic large paintings that were started or completed today. Great talent!

Tomorrow some of the paintings will be completed and we will also work on reflections. There just doesn't seem to be enough time to do everything that needs to be done in one day. My gosh, the time just flies!!

So, now I say good night - sleep well- and remember that tomorrow when you work on your paintings ............. SQUINT!