Azaleas at the Overlook

Azaleas are Blooming 18 x 24 Pastel

Today I only had one child to watch so I set her up with some watercolors (she's three) and we painted all morning! I think I am finished with this one but I will let it set so I can see if anything needs to be fixed. I really enjoy working large! This painting is from a photo I took at Callaway Gardens last weekend. This morning I took some great photos of my own yard. I have 5 cherry trees in bloom and it is really very pretty. I will have to try to paint the cherry trees. Up next is a sea turtle though!

Mermaids and Treasure

I don't know what got into me today! I was all ready to work on my big azalea painting when I started thinking about mermaids! I do like mermaids and have started a collection. I think this painting has been in my head and wanted to come out. It's fun to let loose and just play!

Tiny Palm Tree Painting

A few months ago I bought some pretty gold frames with the idea that I'd paint some small landscapes. Here is my first attempt. The painting is 4 x 6 in a 5 x 7 frame. I am thinking it might be fun to do a small one after finishing a larger painting...using the same pastels. Maybe focus on an area of the larger composition.

My goal today is to work on my big azalea garden painting. I bought some new jazz cd's last night so I am ready to paint!

This weekend I plan to work out in the yard. I want to plant a sunflower garden and maybe I'll have my own flowers to paint this summer.

Show & Tell

Last night at pastel class I decided to try another painting from a black and white photo. I chose this one of palm trees because I could almost 'see' it in color and I wanted to see if I could do it. Of course Marsha wanted me to stretch and paint it in colors different from 'real' colors. My brain wasn't up for that last night... so maybe another time! Just for fun I held a gold frame up to this one and I really like the way it looked. I guess I am partial to palm trees and blue sky days!

Azalea Study

'Azalea Study #1' 9 x 12

I had some extra time today so I thought I'd do a study of the trees and azaleas for my bigger painting. As much as I love trees, they aren't my favorite things to paint. They all seem to come out the same. I really need to take the time and just paint single trees of different types and try new colors. I did that once with skies and it was very helpful. Add it to my list of things to do!

Azaleas are Blooming... Work in Progress

It took some doing to find the Overlook Garden on our visit to Callaway Gardens this past weekend. We almost gave up...but I don't think we would have. And I am glad we found it! The azaleas were at their peak and were so beautiful! There were paths lined with azaleas of all colors. The late afternoon light added just enough drama to the scene. I started this painting this morning and I will bring it to class to work on. This is just the first layer with my hard pastels. It is big for me...18 x 24..but this scene needed to be big!

Salt Marsh Fisherman

I'm on a roll today! I painted this one during naptime. This happens to be from a photo I took on a trip to Cedar Key Florida. I remember waiting patiently for this fisherman and his friend to get in the right spot so I could see their reflections in the water. I already painted that version. It might be fun to do that one again only larger....but first I need to pick a photo to bring to class from my new trip pictures.

Providence Canyon

'Early to Rise' 12 x 18

I was anxious to paint something from our trip since we didn't get to paint at all while we were there. I wanted to be sure it was still fresh in my mind! I call this one 'Early to Rise' because we had gotten up that morning around 4 0r 5 am! We headed over to Providence Canyon around 9:00 am which was perfect timing. The sun was just beginning to light up the rock formations causing them to have a beautiful glow. Providence Canyon reminds me of Bryce Canyon National Park. I did this painting on white Wallis paper with a watercolor underpainting in purple and blue. Now what will I paint next???? After lunch I will decide.

The Soggy Bottom Painters Paint Georgia! (not!)

It was a perfect painting trip in every way except for one minor detail.... we didn't paint a thing!!! Oh we had good intentions. We spent days organizing our pastels and packed Jayne's car full of painting supplies. We had new easels, plenty of paper, layers of clothes in case it was chilly. But we didn't factor in the wind. It was just too windy to set up (and a bit too cold) But we did manage to have a wonderful time. Between Jayne, Holly and myself we have well over 1000 images of Springtime in Georgia. It was so relaxing to get out in the country...and I mean we were out in the country!! Where shall I begin....How about at the only restaurant for about 100 miles...'Soggy Bottoms', where the evening special was fried toads and hooters (whatever they are!) We asked our server where a good place to paint might be. She had a very puzzled look before she answered...but she did seem to think they might like some 'painters' out at the new construction down the road! Seems we were being recruited for some house painting! Providence Canyon was beautiful and unique and we spent hours exploring the Eufala national Wildlife Refuge...on a hunt for the elusive 'big white one legged bird'. We saw some of the best wildlife at a gas station though! Some gators and an osprey nest with baby ospreys! We ended our trip with a stop to Callaway Gardens where the azaleas were in bloom! I have so many stories to tell and so much to paint! I just may start by trying this azalea picture...or maybe a canyon...or the gator or the mossy trees.......Stay tuned for more!(and thanks Jayne and Holly for a wonderful trip...can't wait for the next one!)

Feeling Tropical Today

'Little Shack by the Sea' 12 x 18

I think I could be happy spending time here. I came across this little green shack on a tour of St. Martin in the Caribbean. Our tour guide stopped at a little souvenir stand but I was enthralled with the view of the sea and this colorful little home. I can still remember the feel of the warm breeze and the sound of the coconut windchimes from the shop across the street. I had to buy a windchime so I could have that sound here at home!

I am finishing my packing for this weekend's painting trip to Providence Canyon. We are due for sunny skies and temps in the upper 60's. Should be perfect! I may get to paint and post before I head out of town...but if not..have a great weekend and look for my trip report next week!

Bougainvillea Update

'Pink Delight' Pastel 12 x 18

As promised, here is an update from class. Working from a black & white photo was a good learning experience. I am going to try another one and have fun with the colors. I was a bit frustrated at class because I didn't have a bright enough color to really make these flowers pop. When I got home, I remembered I had a set of half stick senneliers which had just the colors I was looking for! Michael actually likes this one and he is my toughest critic!

St. George Island...In the Water!

Sometimes the best treasures are found in the shallow water on a calm day at the beach. On a morning walk on the beaches of St. George Island, Florida, I was wading in the clear water looking for shells. I didn't find much but I did capture this view with my camera. We had the beach all to ourselves..so peaceful! This painting is 9 x 12 on art spectrum paper.

Painting from a Black & White Photo

Finally! I have been having trouble posting to my blog again! It's been a busy few days for me what with getting ready for our painting trip to Providence Canyon, ordering more pastels....yes, Jayne and I decided we really love using the Girault pastels so we are splitting a couple of sets. I have also been busy with ebay. I have sold a few paintings among them one of my sea gull paintings. I am thrilled about that! I have also been in contact with someone who is interested in having me illustrate a children's book! Exciting stuff!

Last week in class we were given a new assignment. A challenging one! We had to choose from some black & white photos our teacher, Marsha Savage, had printed. Then we had to paint in COLOR! I chose a crazy tangle of bouganvillia...not sure if I spelled that one correctly! This isn't an easy task. I decided to do a small version to plot out my colors and I think that is helping some. This photo shows my first layer. I will work on it more in class tomorrow and post an update.

Reference Photos!

Now that I have a new camera, it's time to finally organize my reference photos. I plan on spending some time going through my files and getting all those photos organized! Call it 'Spring Cleaning'! It's going to be a very busy spring starting with a plein air painting trip with Jayne & Holly to Providence Canyon State Park next week. I have lots to do to get ready!
Here is a photo I took last weekend on my day trip to Madison, Georgia. As you can see I am starting on my goal of painting Georgia! Hopefully this weekend we can get to another area State Park. Stay tuned!

Path to the Beach Revisited

I finally got this to post! Blogger seemed to have problems the past 2 days...I wanted to share this painting. It was just purchased by some very good customers of our pet sitting service. I am thrilled because I have been to their home on pet visits and have always admired their art collection. I am honored that they will be including one of my paintings!
This is from a photo I took on our trip to St. George Island. I love pathways to the beach and this one was really dramatic!

Tonight we go back to art class after a 4 week break. I hope to have Marsha give her critique on the paintings I've worked on...(Jayne..what was the other term you use other that 'critique'???) I'll report back!

Zooming in on a Tree

On our plein air excursion to Red Top Mountain, I had time for one more quick one so I focused on this old tree on the eroded shore. I liked the moss that was growing around the twisted old roots. This one would have been fun to sketch too!

Plein Air Clouds

Plein air painting is such a challenge! Jayne did a wonderful cloud painting and I wanted to try one as well...but the clouds kept moving and changing! And the sun kept coming in and out. I quickly put in the clouds and the sunny part of the shoreline. I just tried to work fast. It's a great learning experience!

Red Top Mountain Plein Air

It was a gorgeous weekend in Georgia. Sunny and temperatures in the upper 70's. If it could only be this way all year! I took advantage of the weather and called Jayne for a little plein air painting. We headed up to Red Top Mountain State Park which is on Lake Allatoona. We both were trying out our new easels and plein air set ups and they worked out quite well. We spent a wonderful afternoon painting and enjoying the sunshine. This was my first plein air attempt since fall. I did three and will post the others next. It was good practice. I even had a gentleman ask for my card...no, I didn't have any!

Sandcastle Sunsets

This must have been a truly magical scene. Imagine strolling the beach and taking in a magnificent sunset. The sky is on fire with color. You come across the remains of a sandcastle and you notice that through the window you can see the sky..it's magic! You want to capture this moment forever. This is what I hope I have accomplished for the person who requested this painting.

Treasure from the Sea...Shell Painting

I wanted to paint another shell but then I found this photo of a bowl full of them and thought I'd challenge myself! This is 12 x 18 on LaCarte paper. It was my first time using this paper and I really enjoyed it. Painting these shells was like doing a jigsaw puzzle. I blocked them all in with my hard pastels then worked my way around finishing each shell. It was fun to do.

Next on my list is a commission of a really cool beach scene. It is a sandcastle at sunset and you can see the colors of the sunset through the castle window. It will be a challenge because the photo was taken with a camera phone and isn't very clear. I'm excited to give it a try though!

An Experiment

I tried something new today! A few weeks ago I bought some pumice ground with the intention of preparing some of my own painting surfaces. An artist on Wet Canvas, Tom Christopher, shared how he makes panels with masonite and pumice ground. He leaves the board texured which shows through on his finished work. He does beautiful landscapes and this surface suits his style. So I tried it! I did a quick 8 x 10 painting of a Florida Marsh scene. This is what I discovered...if you want to paint loose...then give this a try. There is no way you can get too detailed with this texture. I'll probably try some more.

Late Afternoon on Monhegan Island

I had to steal bits of time to work on this painting but I am finished for now. Of course I will leave it out so I can see if anything sticks out...I really had fun with this one. I have decided that I like working larger so now I need to order more paper! I also decided that I love using the Girault pastels along with my Terry Ludwigs and Great Americans. It's so funny because I have had this photograph on my desk blotter for years and for some reason it wanted to be painted this week! I remember now that on that trip to Maine I shot slide film so that is why I have few photos. I need to see my slides and see if I have any other scenes that speak to me!

Monhegan Here We Come!

I had a little time to work on this today. I worked on the sky and started on the lighthouse. I am making use of my Girault pastels which are great for details. Not that I need anymore pastels....but I may just have to get some more Giraults. I'm liking them more and more! Tonight I will try to do some more painting.
Plans are moving ahead for Maine this fall. I made a reservation for three nights at the Island Inn on Monhegan. I'm very excited about that!