"Just One French Window...." SOLD

"Just One French Window..."

6 x 6in, oil on panel

$150

They say the first step in getting help is admitting you have a problem. Well, I am admitting I have a fixation on windows. Especially French windows. However, I am just gonna go ahead and say it. I don't want your help. I can handle this. I am still in control. Just a window a day. That's all. Well, on a day I am feeling nervous, maybe a window and half. But that's it. Seriously. Okay. If you see me post two window paintings in one day, then call for help.

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"Corner Cafe in Roma" SOLD

"Corner Cafe in Roma"

oil, 6 x 6in canvas panel

$150

Some days you're just not in the mood to cook. Especially on a gorgeous Italian summer day. What to do? I guess you just call your friends and decide on a gathering place. How 'bout the cafe on the corner of Via di Santa Maria? Yeah....that'll work. I just hope there are enough seats. After all the friends I realized I had after yesterday's post, it could be a full house...:)


Ciao' Baby!

Sorry--this piece has sold--but Italy is a favorite place of mine, so there's more to follow..:)

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"A Day at the Beach" SOLD

"A Day at the Beach"

oil painting, 6 x 6" on canvas panel

$150

Now at first glance this looks like a carnation in a simple glass. However, if you squint, you can see the ocean, sunshine, and a big umbrella with yourself spread out underneath it.

See---I told you it was there!!

Now, squirm you toes a bit in the sand. Ahhhh......

Don't forget your sunscreen.....:)

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"Winter Tulips" SOLD

"Winter Tulips"
Oil, 6" x 6" oil on canvas panel

$150 unframed

I'm just sayin'. At no time are tulips more a sight for sore eyes than when you're knee deep in winter and still a day out from Ground Hog's Day.

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"Good Things Come to Those Who Wait"

I bet you think I forgot to draw for a winner for my December painting giveaway. Well, you would be right , sorta....I kept remembering to do it at odd times. But it's never to late to give a painting away...right??

So to start the New Year's off right, Eddie and I have a new winner to announce. Drum roll please. Seriously, do the drum roll thing with your fingers. It could be you, you know. And you want the moment to feel really special. Heck, the cameras could be scanning the audience and be doing a close up on your face right this minute...





And the winner of the December, 2009 , final giveaway painting for the decade, by artiste extraordinaire, intergalactically known, Dreama Tolle Perry IS...........

Kgerehart. Congratulations K. Come on up and get your award...I mean painting. I mean send me your address so I can mail "Mugged" to you.

Whew! Glad that is over. These late award nights are taking their toll(e) on me. Pun intended. If you can't make fun of your own name, what's left to make fun of???

P.S. I am really excited about my book. I will post the information here just as soon as it is ready to roll!

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"Bell" SOLD

Sometimes it pays to be sneaky. Take the case of Becky and Bell. Sneaky Becky snapped some photos of Bell when Bell's owner was looking the other way. Then Becky sent them to me via email and voila'---Bell has been immortalized for generations to come in her very own Christmas portrait. It was a Christmas present and appropriately done this time of year....Bell is short for Christmas bell because that is when she moved in with her family.

I love doing dogs and cats in these small formats. Eddie isn't always up for modeling so it's great having some other paintable pets!

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"Winter Sunshine" SOLD

"Winter Sunshine"

Oil, 6" x 6' oil on canvas panel

$150 unframed

Today, take a tip from Eddie. The next time you see the sun shining, pull your chair up close to the window and soak it in. Eddie says it is extremely important to remain motionless while doing this. He tells me this is when he does his meditation (which looks suspiciously like sleeping). Of course he also tells me he hates the smell of tuna.

I don't believe everything Eddie tells me.

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"New Old Pitcher" SOLD

"New Old Pitcher"

Oil, 6 x 6in on canvas panel

$150 unframed

Picture this. A new picture of a new old pitcher. Picture me shopping and finding this delightful little piece. I could picture myself painting it. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what's a picture of a pitcher worth? I best stop while I'm ahead. ..I am not even going to give a sales pitch on why you should buy this picture. Even though I am sure you can picture yourself enjoying it. Hope you have a picture perfect day.

Footnote: Only got paint on two things today. Canvas and pants. Shoooting for just the canvas tomorrow.

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"The Last Tango" SOLD

Click Here to Purchase

Wanted to visit with the teacup and rose one last time--my roses have held up amazingly well--between the heat from the spotlight and visits from Eddie it has been a death defying act! Someone on my last post had asked how I go about getting the "gold" look. I use Indian yellow mixed with white to get the color I want (sometimes a smidge of sap green). And the other thing I do is lay it in next to an intense dark. Metallic things have the extremes in them of light and dark. So with those two things, you can achieve the look of gold.....most of the time.

The door is still open for Christmas commissions (blog size). I have hired a couple of elves to help although I am not sure how it's going to work out. They're too short to reach the easel and they seem to be spending a lot of time with Eddie...which is worrisome. At any rate, consider this your cyber art gallery and place your orders--(I need the income, elves do not work cheap.)

*Note: If anyone from the Elf Union is reading this, please disregard --I am just joking--I would never hire try to hire elves away from Santa at the height of the Christmas season.....

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"A Cuple of Cuties" SOLD

"A Cuple of Cuties"

oil, 6 x 6in on canvas panel

$150 unframed

Continuing a bit further with my earlier posting on words--couldn't resist twisting the couple word into cuple to make it fit my subject (get it?? cuple as in cup as in mug...) Gosh, I am sorry. This is what comes of staying in the studio talking to yourself all day. It seems almost brilliant 'til you see it in cold hard print....

Back to the painting itself--love this cup. Addicted to the blue. Using some of the new radiant colors I learned of from one of my favorite artists, Karin Jurick. Something about blues with some red that just hits the happy-o-meter for me.

And a note to the friends and artists in Lexington, KY area---I just discovered a wonderful wholesale flower shop called, appropriately, 'The Cutting Garden". Mellow Ellis, the owner, carries beautiful flowers with lots of personality (as in fresher and more unique varieties) at wholesale prices. You can just walk in the cooler and pick out what you want--a single stem or a whole dozen plus (which I just did---okay, I had to do it, I am working on a still life that I needed fresh roses for---sometimes it is so tough being an artiste'.)

Well, over and out for now. Must get back to the studio. Show date looms large on the horizon. Feeling a bit like Howard Hughes these days.....except I did trim my fingernails last week (just in case you were wondering...)

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"Mugged" SOLD

Click Here to Purchase

It's no wonder the English language is said to be one of the most difficult to learn. Take the word mug for instance. According to the dictionary it can be a cup to hold something or it can be a human face. And if you ad an "ed" to it, it can become, of all things..... an act of violence! Now call me crazy, but I don't quite follow the dots on that one. Which leads me to quit, quiet, and quite--a whole (hole) other dilemma ......suddenly painting seems like child's play.

By the way, I chose to ad another meaning to the mug word. I figure if things can be bottled, wrapped, and sacked---then this rose can be mugged.

Too much heavy thinking--must stop before I get a headache.

Also, have been reading some great books lately. Picked up a new term I love. Ever have those days that you just avoid everything and feel guilty for doing so?? Yep, there's a word for it. Multi-shirking. As opposed to those great days of multi-tasking and feeling so in control. It's all about balance. Somedays I am a multi-tasker and other days....a multi-shirker. I at least feel better now that I know the name for it.......

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"Mission Squared" SOLD

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I love the mission (as in San Juan when the swallows come back to Capistrano mission) anyway you can paint it. Like with Forrest Gump and the shrimp (you can barbecue it, boil it, bake it, saute it.....) the mission has lots of ways you can paint it. It is a place that has been painted for many years (some beautiful paintings by early California artists) by many artists (ad me to that bunch). It has a peace it exudes even when packed with people. And the bougainvillea is legendary. So of the many ways to paint it, you can now ad to that list.....6 x 6 and squared.

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"October's Painting Giveaway"

I love finding out who has won one of my paintings each month. It's a little perk of doing what I do. It's nice to know you can do something that is so simple and yet is going to make some one's day a little special. The above piece, "Lilly Ann", will be heading out to her new home with blog follower, Catherine Jeffrey. Catherine, I truly hope you enjoy your newest little art piece and that it brings its own special sunshine to your place!

Each one of you who take the time to read and view my art---it is so amazing for it creates such a sense of family--- it is a way of putting our heads and hearts together on art and life. Along with the comments here on the blog, I receive so many nice emails--it is just interesting because it truly is like opening a little bit of love in the mail. My heart is brimming over so I always want to remember to say a very, very sincere thanks to each of you. You are special and your contributions enrich my life and my art. Thank you--thank you!

*Note to Catherine: Email me with your address so I can send Lilly Ann on her way!

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"99 Cents" SOLD

Late night ride in the country snacking on colby cheese, crackers and hot dill pickle chips. Cold soda to to wet it down. An Esperance rose for 99 cents and a beautiful 80 degree fall day. Incredible beauty and peace served up so nonchalant by life. To be mindful of where we find joy...now that is truly art.

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"Slim Pickin's" SOLD

It has been a day of slim pickin's painting wise--both in flowers hanging on from summer and a dickens of a day at the easel. I am not happy with this painting but thought I would post it anyway. Two reasons come to mind. One so you would know I am working....the other because even though I know you think I am perfect....even I, the great Dreamdino, have crappy easel days........ somedays I am thankful to close the studio door and turn out the light.

...thank God there is chocolate in the house. All I have to do is walk downstairs and eat it. I am pretty sure I can handle that......

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"The Pansy Polka" SOLD

Click Here to Bid

I have a big fat mug. No, not my face....a coffee mug. Which has big fat polka dots and a big fat handle. And it's in my almost favorite color--blue-- which I pushed a bit further into my favorite color-- periwinkle . Letting the mug be home to the pansies for a bit just makes me happy. It's one of the silly things of life. I have perfectly good, very sedate little vases for the pansies to hug up too, but the big fat mug has lots more personality and I guess that is why I chose it. Perfect is never nearly as interesting as big personality--be it people or big fat mugs. I feel a bit of kindred spirit with the mug.....

May you have a big, fat wonderful day fully of interesting mugs (people)! Pin It

"Lilly Ann" SOLD

Click to Bid

I have loved water lilies for a long time. Way before it was in vogue to have a water garden I was digging the hole myself, lining it with a kids pool liner and being pleased as punch when the little green frog showed up to sit on my lily pad.

I found Lilly Ann floating peacefully at the mission in California. And I felt she should have her own name. I mean, we are human beings, but you don't hear us saying, "Hey Human, over here." So I decided her name was Ann. Ann has lots of personality and has been known to make a smart remark or two---just ask the koi---they would know...!



Note: Any similarity between this Ann and another Ann I know is merely coincidence. The Ann I know is a perfect angel. And she did not pay me any $$$ to say that.

Yet.

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"Somebody Just Got Lucky!" SOLD

The title of this painting ("One Step at a Time") came from the song buzzing in my head and on my ipod at the time it was being painted. The little cobalt blue glass caught my eye sitting on a clearance shelf at Pier One...I am a sucker for cobalt blue. The geraniums were mine, selected for their color in early spring and planted out by Mr. Lincoln. It's funny sometimes how things end up together.



What a great September it has been. Two workshops, a trip to California, lots of new friends and paintings AND another winner. This month's winner of my petite painting giveaway is Leslie Saeta of Pasadena, CA. Go Leslie! Leslie is actually a great artist herself and I have used her sailboat paintings as exercises in some of my workshops. Check her work out on my blog list~






Now for the rest of you that didn't win, you are just gonna have to order your own painting.....so start going through your photos now or taking some new ones--I need something to paint---it's your turn to get creative! Pin It

"I Love Lucy!" SOLD

Say hello to Lucy. Lucy is the definition of why we allow these furry, shedding, licking, loving little people into our lives. With a face like this, the world is pretty much your oyster!

Lucy comes with an owner, Carla Pasley, who is first on the list for my 30 days/30 paintings series that I kicked off in my latest online newsletter (sign up here if you want to get future newsletters).

Realizing I am already committed to doing my little works, I decided it would be fun to open it up for audience participation. You pick the subject (pretty much anything goes, with the exception of people portraits). For the slight sum of $100 you can commission me to do a petite piece of something special to you. Treasured moments, places, things, favorite flowers, cats (Eddie will be jealous, but he will get over it)---you send the photo---I do the painting. Perfect match.

If this idea appeals to you (and I hope it does) email me here and I will mail you the information on how to get things started to own one of the 30 (now 27) commissioned originals. It's a great way to combine two loves--special things of yours captured in an original oil painting. And do I need to state the obvious? They make really wonderful gifts......

And besides, you know you love me and want to see me become super famous and then you can brag about the little painting you bought for only a hundred bucks way back when......

Note: I was pleased with the painting, but wanted to make sure Carla was happy before I let you see---below is Carla's response when I emailed her the picture of the painting.

OOOOOH! I love “I Love Lucy!” You have so captured her expression of an almost lost wonder and her preciousness! It makes me feel the way I did when I first fell in love with her. I am amazed and impressed with your skill, talent and obvious love of painting. I cannot wait to see it in person! Post away! I bet everyone else will love it too.
Carla

Thanks Carla and Lucy. I LOVE MY JOB!!

One Last Note: This is my 100th post on "Dreama' Day to Day Paintings". And they said I'd never make it ("They" being the negative singing chorale that lives on my shoulder and is usually pointing out all my shortcomings...they are gonna have to get a new song to sing now!) Pin It

"Singled Out" SOLD

Click here to bid

I'm Back!! California was awesome. Hot and sunny. Beautiful days on the beach. Great paintings to see in Laguna Beach, especially Redfern Gallery. Visits with my artist friends at Spanish Village, lunch with Ginger Chang--a very inspiring woman. But most of all days spent with my beautiful, heart of my heart, friend---my daughter, Desiree.

So it's time to get busy with my art again....lots of painting to catch up on and a workshop coming up Monday. It's a tough life, but somebody's got to do it.....

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