Homer, Stanley & Elmer

All Ears

I had begun painting these three charming cows about two months ago and after getting it two-thirds done, I had to set it aside due to a wedding, home remodel and vacation. When I picked it up again this week, I was surprised by my hesitancy in not diving right in! I found I had other things to do even when I had be missing painting so very much.

Elmer was the last cow that needed to be done but I felt like I didn't remember how, or that I was painting on someone else's artwork. I soon realized that I just needed to get back in the flow of painting.  I put on some music and began by painting the background and sides.  Before I knew it, I couldn't stop as I was having too much fun!

I just love these three characters!!! The looks on their faces is one of curiosity and interest.

Do you happen to know what that skin fold hanging down from their neck is called? I looked it up online after painting two of them.  It's not a wattle but a dewlap.  Just excess skin with no known purpose.

Glee

This is such a happy painting showing my glee (through this doggie) about finishing #75 for my upcoming show featuring 100 Faces with Character in August.  I will keep you posted closer to the date!

Top to bottom - l to r - Oscar, Bobby, Tug, Harley, Billy, Annie, Muddy Waters, Julia & Nuts

Above is a sampling of nine 6 x 6 inch paintings that I have done for this show. I am having so much fun painting these small paintings that I can't wait to get started each day!!!

Junie

#68 - Junie

David, my older brother's birthday would of been today - Flag Day.  So while thinking about my precious moments growing up with him, I painted the above painting of his granddaughter - June blowing out her birthday candle several years ago.  He would of had a blast with Junie Maroony!

#65 But Who's Counting?

#65 - Comeonmomandplaywithme

Can't you just feel the joy in this little guy's face while trying to get his mama to play with him?

Lil' Harley

#64 - Harley

This is a painting of my nephew Sean holding his nephew Harley.....don't you just love those rubber band wrists?

PS - This one is for you Mom!

New Numbers

#60 - American Kestrel

I darkened the background on the American Kestrel painting and he seems more at home.  I also discovered that I missed a few paintings in my "counting" to one hundred, so I have 30 paintings that I did for "30 paintings in 30 days" and I now have 33 paintings as of Sunday that I have been working one little by little!

So only 37 left to go to get to my goal of one hundred!!!

#62 - Laguiole Belle

The sweet cow in the above painting was from a photo I took in the countryside in France.  My husband and I were looking for the tiny town of Laguiole which is famous for their knives which have a hallmark bee design on the handle.

#63  - Mama and baby swan - in need of a name!

I have also been trying to design a hanging system for the 100 little paintings.  I am planning on separating them into groups of 25 so that I have options when hanging them in a gallery.  I will be able to hang them in a large square of 10 by 10 panels or in a long line of 20 by 5 panels high or even randomly sprinkled around in groups of 25.

Three Faces

#57 - Julia

 The woman in the painting above is a beautiful woman who spends a lot of time in Yosemite weaving baskets.  Now she isn't just your everyday basket weaver, she is a National Treasure!  Julia Parker is a Coast Miwok-Kashaya Pomo basket weaver and has baskets at the Smithsonian and one of her patrons happens to be Queen Elizabeth II.  The reference photo for this painting was taken while I attempted weaving a basket in one of Julia's workshops in Yosemite!

#58 - American Kestrel

 I love this little bright eyed hawk!  I am thinking of darkening the background so he pops a little more. I had one just like this guy hanging out on the pergola outside my office window watching for a song bird to come along to eat at one of my feeders.

#59 - Jeanette

I still have so much to learn when painting. Once again, my darks in my face are not quite dark enough..... I won't redo this painting but will try to learn from it!  This is so me though, a camera is always in my hands or nearby in my purse.  I never know when the perfect shot might show up!

Fifty-five and Fifty-six

I spent the last four days in Lake Tahoe.  It was tranquil bliss......

I painted under the pines overlooking Lake Tahoe. 

#55 - Cowgirl in the Lake

#56 - Sweet Sheep

52, 53 and 54

Annie

I have two large paintings that I am working on and in between I enjoy these little 6 x 6 inch paintings of faces.  This little girl makes it 54 out of my goal of 100.

#53 - Speedy

 When the boys were young, we had a turtle and they named him "Speedy".  While this isn't the same turtle, it reminded me of the fun we had watching him lumber across the backyard.

#52

Haven't come up with a name for this distraught little person - and I'm not too sure if he/she is a boy or girl (see the long curl on the far left?).  I just loved how exasperated she/he seems to be!

One Hundred Faces

 Face #7

This painting is part of my series of One Hundred Faces, painted on 6 x 6 panels.  I have a long way to go but I wake up excited to paint each morning!  

A Marilyn Monroe look-a-like posed for this shot.

One Hundred Faces

 Face number 5 is of my nieces little girl in the snow for the first time 

and her middle name happens to be Snow!

These two paintings are part of my series of One Hundred Faces, painted on 6 x 6 panels.  I have a long way to go but I wake up excited to paint each morning and after my pause in painting, it is very lovely to enjoy the process!

Face #6 - I just wonder what he is thinking about?

Faces With Character

Some of the 6" x 6" panels I have been working on this last week.

 

 

Day 4

Reference Photo

Detail to show brushwork and colors

Day 3

Reference Photo

Day 2

Day 1

Thanks for looking at my latest work!

Delightful Faces

I have hit a plateau in my painting for the last few months and whenever that happens, I find it helpful to do something else that nourishes my soul.  By a plateau, I mean that I feel like I can't find anything inspiring to paint, I don't know if I even remember how to paint and I will probably never paint again.  But I know that feeling and I also know that it will pass with time.

Then I realized that I needed an "assignment".  You know, something to paint and learn from.  I love painting people and animals so I decided on collecting 100 photo's of "faces".  There are two online photo archives that share photography with artists for free that I use.  One is Morgue File  which is a strange term but they have high end photo's that are free to both businesses and the public.  The other is Paint My Photo which is a gallery full of both photo's and artwork.  The photo's are taken by both professional photographers and world travelers with just their cell phone.  After just a few days of collecting photo's from these two sites and my own photo's, I have close to 372 photo's!!!

I decided that I would paint from one of these reference photos every day that I don't have something to paint for a show or a commission was so freeing.  Mostly because it's both fun to paint again and it doesn't have to be perfect!

If you look at the two photo's above, you will see that the upper one is the original, cropped to fit a 6 x 6 canvas panel.  The second one is one that I have played with in Photoshop and "posterized".  It gives me an idea of interesting colors to add while I am painting.  I used the same method for my Portal Series of windows and doors.

My regular photo of Elvis

See how it takes a fine ho-hum photo (these are both mine) and gives it a certain zing that makes it fun?  So much richness and pops of color!

Elvis - my chicken with a hairdo and attitude!

I have four paintings that are finished from this last week and I started one today that I ended up wiping the paint off the panel at the end of the day because it just was turning into mud.  But I am excited to start a new one tomorrow! I will post the finished ones on Sunday!  Stay tuned.