Trees in the Mist

Painting #22 - 16x20 Acrylic on canvas 
This painting was challenging because I did it in acrylic and this medium dries so fast.  I think I achieved the look I was going for though.  A mysterious, misty feel.

Best Friend

SOLD
Painting #21 - 11x14 oil on panel 
This dog is like a child to it's owner, an older woman who's children have been out of the house for a while.  He's her very best friend and close companion on most outings.

Fall Leaf

Painting #20
Fall Leaf Study, 6x6 watercolor
I haven't posted for a while because the last few paintings I've done are Christmas gifts and the clients asked me not to post.  :(  I broke away from oil to do this one, and used watercolor.  I may attempt it in oil on panel though.

Favorite Dress

Click to Bid

Painting #19 - 8x10 oil on panel
Wow, now that school is underway, it's a little more challenging to get to the easel.  I wanted quick, loose brush strokes for this one.  Working on skin tone.  It's so interesting to see how many colors can be mixed for skin.  I want to do more like this. 

The Pears

Click to Bid

Painting #18 - 5x7 oil on panel
I wanted to do a classic pear still life, and even though it's dull compared to my two previous paintings, it was a nice change.  I still have so much to learn about shadows, highlights and color mixing.  Hopefully I will show improvement as I go.

Avocado Purple

Click to Bid

Painting #17 - 5x7 oil on panel.
Okay, so here's yet another avocado!  The purple background was my second choice.  I actually started with blue, but I didn't like it.  I may do ONE MORE to see what other colors compliment this fruit.  
FACT: The avocado is a climacteric fruit, which means it matures on the tree, but ripens off the tree. (Just learned that.)

Avocado Orange

Click to Bid

Painting #16 - 5x7 oil on panel.
I like how this turned out.  I did quick, loose brush strokes and it didn't take me very long.  I want to do other bright colored backgrounds, so more to come... 

Avocado Red

Painting #15 - 5x7 oil on panel
One of my favorite foods.  This was a lot of fun to do.  A much looser stroke and a lot faster to finish!  I will probably do more like this.

David

Click to Bid

Painting #14 - 6x8 oil on panel
Michelangelo's David.  I wanted to focus on his facial features.  I haven't done a statue before and wanted to see if I could capture the look of stone with oil.  I actually went into my photo editing program and made the whole feel of the photo reference "warmer" before I started, so it would have more of a glow.

School!

Okay, we are deep into getting ready to start school on Tuesday.  Since we homeschool, it's a big deal to get organized.  Posting a new painting asap though.

Proud

Painting #13 - 6x8 oil on panel
I think I'm ready to do something without hair.  ;)  I don't know if I did this amazing animal justice in my painting because he is absolutely gorgeous... and from his expression, he knows it.

Tukan Too

Click To Bid

Painting #12 - 5x7 oil on panel
My son Zach wanted me to paint a Tukan, so here it is.  There are actually several beautiful varieties of Tukans so I may do more with these amazing creatures.

So True

My son Luke sent this to me.  Had to post it.  :)

Sup?

Click to Bid

Painting #11
6x8 oil on panel
I want to do a series of paintings of this particular tiger.  I have several photo references of him in different positions.  He really loves playing it up for the camera.  He is so beautiful.  I want to get a softer brush stroke... trying to figure out how to achieve that on a 6x8 panel.

Watchful Eyes

Click to Bid

Painting #10
Watchful Eyes  11x14 on panel.
This took longer than I wanted because of the grass and hair detail.  Sometimes you don't know when "you're done".  I was ready to go on to the next painting, so that dictated it.

Almost there...

This is an 11x14 Cheetah family I'm working on.  We decided to pack up and do a spontaneous trip to the San Antonio Zoo this afternoon, so this will have to wait again.

It's gonna take longer...

I started working on an 11x14 painting that is obviously going to take longer than one day, since I started it at 11:00.  Domestic work was priority this morning.  :(

Queen of the Rock

Click Here to Bid

Painting #9
8x10 oil on panel
This painting took about 6 hours, longer than I had planned.  I have several photo references of big cats that I'd like to paint, hopefully here in the next few days.

Plum Beautiful

Click Here To Bid

Painting #8
8x10 oil on panel.  I liked the face, everything else is a different color than the original photo.  I still want to get more depth in my paintings.  I'm working on it.

Waiting on the Storm

Click Here To Bid

Painting #7
8x10 oil on canvas panel.  The sky in this photo wasn't actually stormy looking, but I thought it would look more interesting this way.

Polish Blue Rose

Click Here To Bid

Painting #6
8x10 oil on canvas panel.  Okay, so now we are up to date.  I just finished this today.  This is a piece of pottery my sister-in-law, Stephanie gave me. I set it up with a sugar spoon, took a picture with my digital camera and painted off of the uploaded image on my large computer screen, which is next to my easel.

One a Day

Click Here To Bid

Painting #5
8x10 on canvas panel.  I am kind of disappointed with this.  For some reason, this was a challenge.  I just didn't like the brush strokes on the apple.  Practice, practice.

Laundry Day

Painting #4
This is on 8x10 canvas panel.  I went by a photograph of the clothes pin and line, but I made up the background.  I want to learn to get more depth in the trees.  Maybe I need better paint!

My Realist Background

Example of what I've done in the past.
Yes, I know that a lot of people like when a painting is exactly like a photograph.  I am capable of doing that, but I am trying to be more expressive, which to me is much harder.  Let's just say, I'm exploring new territories with my art.

Close Encounter

Click Here To Bid

Painting #3
8x10 oil on panel.  This is no one I know.  I actually made the face up.  I just wanted to practice my loose brush strokes.  I am trying not to be such a realist.  I want to show more expression in the strokes, with more color.  I tend to be a perfectionist and want to make it exactly like the photograph.

Miss Laura

Painting #2
Another friend of the family.  This one is 11x14 on panel.  I just loved the photograph and thought it would be fun to paint.  It was.  :)

Nic

Painting #1
Nic is a friend of the family.  He only "looks" tough.  He is a very sweet young man who recently joined the military.  He should be just about finished with basic training.  I painted this on 8x10 masonite board, prepared with gesso.  This one took 3.5 hours.

A Reachable Goal, In Small Paintings

Hi, I have made a promise to myself that I will do 100 small oil paintings, hopefully, almost daily.  I know that life gets in the way at times with being a wife and a homeschool mom, but I am committed!  Thanks to Carol Marine (http://carolmarine.blogspot.com/), finishing a painting doesn't seem like such a huge challenge anymore.  I now have a new goal of completing smaller paintings, more often.

I figured if I have a blog to post them on, I will be more likely to keep up with my goal... call it accountability.  So, I have only a few now, but as you visit this blog, you should start to see my collection increase.