Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 Challenge - This is DAY 30 !!

Hey Friends,  This is IT  ! ! !  Last Day of Leslie's challenge.

I went out to my studio and found another flower painting, I had finished before winter set in.

I know that's cheating but like I said yesterday, my Sweetie Pie's are here and I don't want to fool with paint when we are all closed up in the house.

And this is what happens when you let them have paint.

And they were outside when they painted these beauties.

Anyway, that's why I decided it was OK to cheat once.

This painting is available in my ETSY SHOP.

Hope you are warm and happy where ever you may be.

HAPPY TRAILS

Leslie's 30 in 30 - Day 29

Hello Dear Friends,  I'm sure you know by now I'm basically using the same photos for these glad paintings.  'Tis a good way to get to know your subject.

Day 29 !!  One more to go and I'm kinda flowered out.  I will have the pleasure of my GranBabes company tonight so I may miss day 30.  Who knows maybe they will let me sketch something.  It's ALL good as my daughter says and well worth it.

This painting is available in my ETSY Shop .

Happy Trails

Leslie Saeta's 30 Day Challenge - Day 28 !!

Hey Friends,  Hope all is well in your corners of this world.  All is good here in Salem, Va. but I do wish I was in Key West or even Cuba for a week.

Here is my 28th offering of flowers.

These delicate pale pink heavenly smelling roses are available in my ETSY SHOP.

Still hoping you will be there come Sunday going to be warm I hear.

Happy Trails

Leslie Saeta's 30 Day Challenge - Day 27

Hey My Friends,  This is day 27 in the 30 day challenge !!  I think I'm gonna make it !

Still working long hours on the other commitments, like the "Critter Show"in April and the "Route Eleven Show" show soon.

I'm listing this still life in my ETSY SHOP.

Hoping some of my friends can make it to the Altavista reception Sunday.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 26 ---------- and YOU ARE INVITED

Hey Friends,  Here is one of the Glad paintings I mentioned in yesterdays post.  This is painted on a 3/4" wrapped canvas 16" x 12".  It is varnished and ready to hang.

It is available in my ETSY SHOP.

And I'm inviting you to come to Altavista, Va. this Sunday. Jan. 31st. from 2 to 4 pm at the YMCA.

This is a lovely place to hang art work.  They have a hanging system and lots of light and room.

Their staff is so warm and helpful and I heard they put on quite the festive reception.

This is a great excuse to get out of your snowed in condition.  The roads have been cleared and you will not have to drive home in the dark.!

Click on the Altavista link above for driving maps, etc.

See you there with bells on.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 25

Hey Friends,  More Flowers.  You just don't realize, starting out, what it takes to do 30 paintings of the same subject.  I think I'm gonna mix it up a bit and paint something larger.

This painting is in my ETSY SHOP.

I had some pretty glads over the summer and took photos of them in various vases because I knew they were not going to last long.  So I think I will do them next.

Stay tuned for tomorrow !!

Happy Trails

Leslie Saeta's 30 day Challenge - Day 24

Hey Friends,  I suppose most of you know that Virginia got a good dusting of Snow this weekend.  I've been holed up painting and eating like a mad woman.  Happy with the art work so far but I forgot to buy ice cream before the flurry HIT !

It's a good thing really.  I've been eating pretty healthy.  

The small painting pictured here is in my ETSY SHOP.  I painted it with a palette knife and I must say I really like working with a knife.  You can make a lot of texture and of course it keeps you loose.  Everything I've painted the last few days was done with knives.

Thanks for stopping in and leave a message if you have time.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 22

Hey Friends,  Been busy this evening with a chicken painting !!  That doesn't seem to be working. I have been taking process photos as I'm going along so I'll show you after this challenge is over.

This little 8" x 6" painting of lilacs is  in my Etsy shop if you love it or just need a One of a Kind gift for the flower gardener in your life.

Hope everyone is staying off the roads and working hard at their favorite hobby !  And don't forget our little feathered friends, it's hard to find food under 3 ft. of snow!

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 21

Hey Friends,  This is an unusual item for me.  I've only done a few of these cold wax paintings.  It takes months to dry and that's the reason.

This is started with a base of genuine silver leaf on a 4" sq. ampersand cradled panel.  Then the cold wax is mixed with the oils and applied with a knife.  I then used a rubber shelf liner to impress the pattern in the wax.  The area for the Water Lily is smoothed out and when dry (months later) I painted the Water Lily !

Would make a sweet and unusual gift for the gardener in your life.

Check it out HERE in my ETSY shop.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 15

Hey Friends,  Really running behind today/tonight.   I've got my GranSon.

This pretty little painting is in my ETSY shop

Hope you have a fabulous weekend.

Happy Trails

EXPERIMENTING WITH DISPLAYS

 

Hey Friends,  I have wanted for a long time to show my work in an actual home setting.  I know this can be done virtually but have not found any DIY or tutorials on such.

 

So the only thing left, is do it manually.  And what a job !  And no, I did not feel like painting the wall or doing hours of house keeping.  I'm not much of a house wife, would much rather be painting.

I took photos of most of the larger work on hand.  That took several hours.  Now if anyone out there would please take a moment to let me know if this stinks or is it acceptable?

And while you are visiting, go take a look at the DLP Blog.  Maybe the timing of some of our local shows will fit into your schedule and you can come by to say HI !

                                                             Happy Trails

Day 21 "Alley #2 "

Hey Friends,  Alley #2 is horizontal, #1 was vertical.  It is 5"x 7" and painted on a gessoed panel.

For auction in Ebay, CLICK HERE to check it out.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Day 20 " Alley #1 "

Hey Friends,  While at Myrtle Beach last month, I rode around a bit on the tricycle of my sisters Son.
He is handicapped so the cycle is adult sized.  I had fun riding it and it really amused my niece.
Pedaling along on Ocean Blvd., I saw several alleys of interest so I went back at sunset and the setting sun was just right to create nice little streaks of light in the darkness.  I really want to do a bigger version.  This one is 7"x 5" and is for auction in Ebay - CLICK HERE.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Day 15 of Leslie Saeta Challenge

Hey Friends, Day 15  and yeah, I know about yesterday.  The dog ate my painting ! ?  This was done here at home not at the beach.  It measures 12" x 9" on a canvas panel that I texturized with acrylic medium and one of those net bags that oranges come in.  It's a bit more pronounced than I intended.
I put it in Ebay with the auction starting at a penny. CLICK HERE.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

After the Dishes are Done

Hey Friends,  Just added this to my Etsy store.  It is a giclee on canvas and embellished with crackle paste and string gel.  This is on a wrapped 10" x 8" canvas and it is varnished. 
This treatment sort of gives it a framed/matted look.  You can see some extreme close ups in Etsy.
This would make a sweet gift for any female on your list.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Looking for the Right One

Hey Friends, A sweet little Blue bird "Looking for the Right One" this past spring.  Saw him at my sisters house.   Maybe some year I'll see some at my home.  I've got a bluebird house up and some mealworms (yuk).
He is looking for a new home in my Etsy shop.

And on another note, that me up there, painting at RR Donnelly today.  We had a fun day, fighting the wind and painting the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.  The sun was out in full force and if the wind had stopped, we would have been too hot.  As it was, I was just right.  Can't wait to go back this spring.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Summer's Mailbox

Hey Friends,  Something different today.   Not a bird in sight!  Such a shame, a bluebird perched on that box would be pretty.
This is painted first with pen and ink then watercolor to fill it out. I'm listing it in my Etsy shop.

 On another note, Judy, Mary Anne and myself where out today in Bedford, Va. taking photos of BARNS !  There is a beautiful red barn behind us in this photo.  But we were thrilled these cows came over to say HI !   Judy is the photographer here.   I took 298 photos today .  We had a good day and enough fodder for 200 paintings.  We also came across a farm with a lot of colorful chickens and roosters.   I was happy to get this reference.  I was thinking of you NaNaKat when photographing the chickens.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Rosey Finch

Hey Friends,  Another bird you say.  Yeah, I still love them and love to paint them.  This measures 6" x 5" on 300 lb. arches watercolor paper.  I have put it in an off-white mat and it's in my Etsy shop.

I'm getting some work ready for our Holiday show at the Salem Museum and the Jefferson Center in Roanoke.   We will be hanging both on the same day !  It is lovely to be busy.  Hoping you can make it to both places during Nov. or Dec. to see some new works.  Art makes a wonderful gift for anyone, and in my case, any nature lover.   I will post some images from both places closer to the hanging.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Mini Original Art for the Holidays

Hey Friends,  Yes, How I've slacked off since that challenge ended.  Bad - Bad.  I have been busy even though I haven't shown you anything.  At night, I like to give my Mom a little company.  She isn't getting any younger, so we watch some TV and holler at each other ( we're both deaf).  I can take that for just so long and then I pull out the paints and pens, and start doodling.
Pen and Ink with watercolor has proven to be pretty neat and doesn't take up much room.  Since it has turned winter here in Virginia (I hate this) I can't play outside any more, so I'll have to be content with this for now.
These are small little jewels and would make nice, inexpensive gifts for almost anyone, especially the person that has everything.  If you want a mini of any subject,  just let me know.  I will probably be able to do it with a little flair.   Check this out in my Etsy shop, HERE.

Friends and Lovers

 Hey Friends,  I'm posting the latest work first because I'm afraid I'll get in trouble with DPW.  They (DPW) pull the first image on your blog to post on their site in my gallery.  Hope that makes since.  Anyway a couple times I've just blogged about what's going on (nothing for sale) and some one made a comment about it being a photo and not a painting.  So just to be safe I'm doing it this way from now on.   Maybe.  The painting above just sort of grew from beginning with the piece of green paper with the musical notes on it.  It actually came in the mail as a postcard invitation to a concert.  You can see in the real piece that I stitched on it with a sewing machine before gelling it on the canvas panel.  Another piece of the GranBabes music sheets, real oat grass from the yard and a feather stencil and silk flowers.  And I'll put this in my Etsy shop.

And today I met up with my painting buddies here in Salem, Va. to enjoy a drizzly day, chatting and painting under the picnic shelter.  Enjoyed every minute.
Happy Trails
Travel Well