Red Azalea in Glass Bottle

Red Azalea in Glass Bottle 

Oil  8 x 10 

This painting is from a class I took last summer with Amanda Carder Lovett on how to paint glass.  I thoroughly enjoyed the class and was very pleased with the way this painting turned out.  I had attempted painting glass on my own several times, but wanted to find out if there was something I was missing--tricks of the trade.  Basically, paint what you see.  The trick is deciphering what you see in front of you to make an interesting piece of art.  If you look closely at glass objects, you realize just how intricate the reflections are--the problem is what to put in and what to leave out.  

Check out Amanda's work on her website.  She is very talented and an excellent instructor.  I have taken several workshops with Amanda and they are always informative and fruitful. I come away feeling that I have taken steps forward in my pursuit of art.  

Have a great Monday!

Day 19 - 30 in 30 Challenge

Sunflower II

Oil  6x6

 

Sunflowers are always a fun and popular subject to paint.  Lots of yellows and oranges to work with and set off by the dark center. 

 

It's Day 19 of the 30 Day Challenge and I've heard from several of you "challenged" people and seems everyone's having fun with it and hanging in there.  It has certainly been a good thing for me--kept me focused and on my toes. 

 

Thanks to all of you for visiting each day!  It is a pleasure to have you join me. 

Day 12 - 30 Day Challenge

Hydrangea close up

Oil  6x6

 

I approached this painting with great trepidation.  So many petals--so little time, but the more I painted, the more excited I became to see the finished product.  I also discovered that when I click to enlarge a painting on the computer, if I step back from the computer, it looks more like the original painting.  (You all know how I complain about my photography skills--this is the answer.  Maybe my photography is not as bad as I thought).  Did all of you already know that and I'm the last to figure it out.  Same as stepping back in an art gallery to look at paintings.  They have so much more depth from a short distance as opposed to getting right up to the painting to observe.  Of course, if you are studying the artist's technique, you would want to view it up closer. 

 

So remember to take a few steps back.  Have a great day.  Thanks for stopping in today!

Spring Morning on the Marsh

 

Spring Morning on the Marsh

Oil  8x10

 

I definitely love marshes and love painting them.  They change several times a day with tide ebbing and flowing, so even with the same marsh scene, there is always variety to consider.  The softness of the spring trees and marsh reflections made this a fun composition to paint. 

 

Have a great summer weekend!  Thanks for your visit!



Yellow Road

 

Yellow Road

Oil   5x7

 

I chose this view because of the mountains in the background.  Since we live very close to the Blue Ridge Mountains and can see them on many of our trips around our immediate area, they are dear to me.  It's a matter of fact, we just got back from a quick day trip to the mountains yesterday.  However, it seems I got these mountains a little too pointed at the top to correctly depict our mountains.  But there will be another painting to try again.  I am pleased with the colors and the trees.  This little painting leaves me wondering where would I go if I traveled down that yellow road.  I'm sure there's something interesting over the crest of the hill. 

Have a wonderful week!





Sunset

 

Sunset

Oil   5x7

 

 

What could be more beautiful than a late evening sunset in all its colorful splendor?  I look forward to  the sunsets and lately they have been spectacular.  In this painting, I tried to capture some of that intense color with a palette knife.  I laid the color down and tried not to "fiddle" with it too much.  I wanted to achieve saturated color in the sky with the trees subdued as they are this time of day in the landscape.  Enjoy those sunsets!

 

I would like to thank all of you who follow my blog and those who just stop by for a visit from time to time.  You are appreciated!



Red and Yellow Peppers

Red and Yellow Peppers

Oil  5x7

 

My husband brought these beautiful, colorful peppers in from the garden last summer and, of course, they had to photographed and painted before landing on the dinner table.  I love to paint peppers of all kinds.  The shapes and colors are so much fun to paint--the brighter, the better.  I'm sure you'll be seeing more pepper paintings in the future as well as other vegetables from our garden.

 

Have a beautiful spring day--I hope it's spring in your part of the world.  



Yahoola Creek

Yahoola Creek

Oil  8x10

 

 

This is another painting done in Dahlonega, Georgia en plein aire--a term I introduced in my last post which is French for "in fresh air" or as I say, painting on location.  This was done in early spring as you can tell by the spring greens.  It's springtime again and time to get out in the fresh air and paint some beautiful local scenes. 

 

Enjoy this beautiful day and thank you for stopping by.



The Chestatee on Frog Hollow Road

 

The Chestatee on Frog Hollow Road

Oil  8x10

 

This scene is of the Chestatee River in Dahlonega, Georgia at the end of a private road called Frog Hollow.  I love the name and love the scenery.  The rapids were so beautiful and challenging to paint, especially since this was my first attempt (2 years ago) at painting moving water and plein aire painting (painting on location).  I had lots of hurdles to overcome that day, but I learned a lot.  North Georgia has so many beautiful scenes like this just waiting to be painted. 

 

Thank you for visiting today.  Have a wonderful week.