"Eddie says to look at your paintings upside down.."

Eddie is always reminding me to look at my paintings upside down. He should know--he has lots of practice at this. He has also reminded me that today is the last day of June. And you know what that means---it is time to draw for the winner of this month's petite master piece by the globally known artiste' Dreama Tolle Perry. And just in case you might be wondering why I haven't posted a new painting--I have spent the past two days since the workshop ended, shopping for a new computer, monitor, router, wireless thingy, desk, chair, chair mat....you get the picture. It has been two long days filled with stuff I need but didn't want to take the time to do......I'd rather be painting! So tomorrow, thank goodness, I will be back to the easel,where I BELONG!

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"We're All in the Same Boat...."

More fun at my Lexington workshop with our boat show. I was looking for a way of getting artists to loosen up and detach from the outcome of their painting--essentially to get back to the joy of painting. Then I came across Leslie Saeta's wonderful painting blog and her 27 sailboat paintings. And the idea was hatched. We played musical easels, taking turns working at each easel, for about 4 minutes at a time (long enough to listen to the Christopher Cross "Sailing" CD play.....) at which time I would holler "next", and everyone moved to the easel next to them. What resulted were the wonderful little pieces you see above--completed in about 35 minutes, which included scurrying from easel to easel. It turned out to be lots of fun and a great exercise for everyone in remembering the joy of painting and a reminder you don't have to have a huge block of time to paint--the important thing is to paint, and often.

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"Lexington Workshop"

Well, the Lexington workshop is now history. Here are just a few snaps of the artists hard at work! I am tired but my heart is happy-- it was such a wonderful group . Artists in general are some of the best people I know because of their love and support for each other. These gals painted for hours--they mean business!

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"Remnants" SOLD

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I have some stemless glassware which I love. They are simply shaped, almost round, glasses. Since my workshop in Lexington begins tomorrow, I had set up the still life for it today and used a potted geranium in one of them. These little fellows had to be cut in the line of duty. I couldn't bear to throw them away. So clutched in hand, I trudged to my hot car in the parking garage and laid them on the seat. I was hungry so I stopped to get a bite to eat--forgetting about my little riding companions. When I came back to the, once again, hot car--there they were. I was surprised how chipper they looked. So I brought them in the house and grabbed my drinking glass by the sink to give them a drink. I didn't have a painting planned for the evening, but seeing them looking so sassy and refreshed, I decided to give in to the urge to paint them. I have a full class of wonderful people tomorrow, some I know and the others I will know by the end of the workshop. Art is such a great vehicle for meeting fascinating, talented, generous, loving people. I will be posting some pics of the group and what we get into. Wish you were painting with us! Life is good. (And I think this little piece will look balanced when my signature goes in--my brush for that is at my workshop location!)

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"Almost Summer"

I borrowed the idea for this still life set up from Carol Marine. I chose a different vase because it lent itself better to the composition for the canvas size. One thing I have noticed about photographing each piece I do and then seeing it after I post it--things I may not have noticed jump out at me when viewed. Sometimes its things I like that really work and other times its things that are off and I didn't catch it 'til after seeing it photographed. I guess it steps one back a bit from your work and makes it a bit more like viewing it for the first time, or as if it were a painting that someone else had done. Good old objectivity---a really wonderful friend--you just constantly have to look for ways to lure him out into the open. Turning your painting upside down to view it can also help--- maybe makes you look a little crazy---but who cares if it gets the job done.

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"Mini Rose Sparkle" SOLD

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I went into the studio to set up a new still life and just could not pass on one more chance to paint the roses and glass sparkles. So this is bit of a reverse. I usually do small ones and then take them on up in size if I like what's happening. Here it's kind of a "Honey I shrunk the roses" theme! That is one of the joys of working small. You can indulge yourself no matter what's going on--kinda like just one Hershey's kiss...

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"Rose Sparkle" SOLD

Roses and glass are probably two of my favorite things to paint. Roses with sparkling glass just seem to denote the "good life". It has been raining for days-weeks--I don't know--pretty much everyday for a good while. I ran outside and snapped this between the rains! I did try a different ground color for this--almost a lemon yellow (you can see it peeking through by my signature) and was happy with the results--I think it kept the red in the roses a bit more sunlit feeling.

Well, back to the studio!

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"Bucket of Roses"

What's more fun than a bucket full of roses? Painting them of course! All the roses are vying for attention when I first set them out. Since I am the "one in charge" it becomes my job as to which roses I showcase to draw your attention too and which ones I suggest so that they don't become like a roomful of school children, all clamouring for you at once. I guess, in a way, it it my job as an artist to prevent "information overload". The mind needs just to be pointed in the right direction and it can fill in lots of information on its own, so that art becomes a participation sport. A painting needs you in order to be complete. Pretty cool, huh.

Thought for the day: If a painting hangs on a wall and no one ever sees it, will it ever be complete?

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"Double Delight"

I should name this piece "Extreme Makeover". It started with 3 red roses. I painted them in and the longer I looked at it and the more I painted, the less I liked the color combination with the pitcher. So the dilemma became, "Change the pitcher color, background color, add something or what?!" After sleeping on it and getting quiet to let the painting talk--we both realized it needed a rose color makeover. It has all the makings of a reality tv show....

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"Hide 'n' Seek Polka Dots"

See this painting at Courtyard Gallery!
Well, here's "the rest of the story". What you didn't see in yesterday's piece!

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"Deliciosity" SOLD

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Spell check rolled its eyes at me on this one. Of course, it never seems to know what to do with my name either....

Dreama's Dictionary: "Deliciosity"--the quality or fact of being delicious. Sometimes the English language just doesn't have the exact word I need. The deliciosity of this morning, for example, just listening to the birds singing, chattering and fluttering around in the trees. What a gift to be able to hear them. All of life is so precious and abundant, I am just happy to be here and painting and sharing.

This is a portion of a still life I was painting last evening--it was just a happy little happening in the middle of a larger happening--just like real life!

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"Old Silver, New Reds, Middle-aged Pears"

Ah, our crazy human need to label everything. There sits this painting, in all its "isness" and I just can't leave well enough alone. I have to give it a name. Its label. And now I have done gone and messed with your mind, making you have to think about it and decide how you are going to label this........
May you have an interesting, thought provoking, label free day. "Nothing in or of itself is either good or bad, but the thinking of it that makes it so. " Pin It

"Afterglow"

This painting evolved and dictated to me what it finally became. That often happens if we slow down, get quiet and "listen" to what the painting is telling us. The flowers in the lower left hand were the last things put in. Honestly, sometimes it's like the painting is directing things and telling me, "now this is what I need, go get some more flowers and drape them down over my front part, into the shadows, yes--now that feels much better!"
When the going gets tough, don't give up, just get quiet and listen. The answers are always there.

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"Saucy Conversations"

One of the things I think about in still life is movement. Since obviously the term itself doesn't denote much happening (for instance, I consider Eddie a good example of extremely still life....) one has to think of ways to introduce a liveliness to it. Still life without movement is like a song that plays one note for the entire verse and course. Fortunately, there are many ways to add some life to a still life. Well placed color, directional brush work, and as in this piece, sitting a canning jar a bit askew are all viable options. When I was setting this up, the canning jar on the left was sitting uphill due to a roll in the fabric. As I framed it in, I decided I like the movement it brought, so I exaggerated it a bit. That and some fluid brushwork and voila'---a moving still life!

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"Something in Blue"

My artist friend Carol and I share a love for all things blue. When I visited her studio in California a few months ago this was what I found! The top half of the studio with red tile roof is delightful as well, buy I couldn't resist slicing it this way. As always it is fun and informative to explore in a small size to see if there is something to work with. I will probably revisit this later in a larger format.

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"Susan's Piece"

This piece was actually done before yesterday's painting. The painting in the painting is a piece by my talented friend, Susan E. Roden. The one thing I would ad to this still life setup would be some tubes of paint--oh well, there's always tomorrow!

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"Artist's Bouquet"

Brushes are very near and dear to an artist's heart. They are the tools of our trade and in willing hands, they create magic. Even though I have painted for years now, I confess, I still am amazed at what emerges from just a blank piece of canvas or paper. With paints and brushes, we try our best to capture light--the stuff that travels to us from the sun. Imagine that!

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"No Cat Left Behind"

Eddie says he had one of his teacher friends help him learn to read last night. Along with a fur ball, he finally coughed up the winning name......




Susan Linville is the winner of "Daisy Does the Polka". Congratulations Susan! Thanks so much for all the participation. Painting can be a solitary occupation. It's so nice to take a break and go to the computer and read so many nice things and funny comments. Thanks for making my life richer! Please help me to grow this painting a day project by sharing it with others---it helps me work harder and have more fun doing it! And it also gives your friends a chance at winning a petite work of art by moi!

Note to Susan: The painting needs to dry just a wee bit longer--and I still need to sign it. Should be ready to go in about a week. Pin It

"And the Winner Is......"

Eddie approaches the bowl of names slowly.....

He peers in, almost in a zen type state, he contemplates all the weight that is riding on this.

With lightening speed and agility of a Kung Fu Master, Eddie snatches out the winning name.

Only one small problem. Eddie can't read.

Well, what did you expect. He's only a cat. And it's our first drawing. We still have some bugs to work out......

Okay, I know it's Tuesday--so go to my blog (12 noon EST) and I will have a new posting announcing the winner!!

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