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 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 19 and more

Hey Friends,  No. 19,  all shiny and new and in my ETSY shop.  Probably my most favorite flower, the Daffodil.  Any and/or all of them and probably because it's the first one in the spring.

And today we, the DLP's, hung our art show at the beautiful YMCA in Altavista this morning.

Here is the link to one of their google pages.  Altavista is a pretty little town and I enjoyed the ride on Rt. 24 then 43.  Scenic route.

Put it on your calender to come to the reception at this Y on Jan. 31st, from 2 til 4 pm.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 18

Hey Friends,  Posting a lot earlier than usual today because I had a second job out side my home.

I painted this using a photo from "Let's Paint New Mexico" and I used acrylics.  I have mostly used acrylics for this challenge 'cuz they dry so fast.  I prefer to scan paintings rather than photograph them, and you can't scan a wet oil Painting.!

This mini is in my ETSY shop- CLICK HERE.

Yesterday I painted (2) 12"x16" oils for an up coming show about Rt. 11.  This will be a great show I'm sure for the Double Line Painters.  I'll have details as the time gets closer.

Have a great week

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 17

Hey Friends,  Here is one very similar to the painting 2 days ago.  Different color palette.  I didn't want to waste a good idea.

This is painted on a 4" sq. canvas panel and varnished.  I listed it in my ETSY shop.

And it's cold here in these beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains but I got outside anyway to pack and load my car for a trip to Altavista Tuesday Morning.  We DLP's are hanging another show Tues.

Should be fun as usual, if we don't get delayed by weather.  Write down that date on your calender so you don't forget to come to the reception.!  We would love to see you.

Have a happy healthy week.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 16

Hey Friends,  Here is another mini !   Lilacs.....Can't imagine anyone not loving lilacs.

That heavenly smell alone is worth your effort to grow.

And how many colors do they come in now?

I'm painting another one or two but bigger.

This mini is a 4"x 4" canvas panel.  You could display as is on a mini easel or frame it.

It is in my ETSY shop waiting for you to come by and take her home.

Stay tuned, not to many to go now.

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

30 in 30 - Day 13

Hey Friends,  Decided to title this one "From the East" because the sun was in the East at this time.  And I'm sure you know the sunflower follows the sun across the sky.

This is the very beginning, putting down my favorite turquoise color.

Next step putting down the yellows and the darks.

Now adding some reds and browns.

Got a little carried away with the palette knife and the pretty reds.  Had to go back in with yellows.  I have really enjoyed doing these sunflowers with palette knives.  So much texture can be found with them.

This painting is available HERE in my Etsy shop.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 12

Hey Friends,  Todays post will show you a little more of the process.  May be of interest to some one.   I have tried really hard to take photos as I paint.  It is difficult.  I get so lost in the DOING that I forget!  Done with a palette knife-which I'm loving!

I bought a timer today to see if that helps.  (But ya know I've got to remember to set it)

The bottom three photos were taken with a camera so of course they are not very good.

The top image is done on my scanner.  It is a lot more trouble but look how much better the image is.

Anything over 10" has to be scanned in 3 sections at different dpi's and then merged in photoshop and cropped and if need be, resized.

This painting is available HERE.

Come back again tomorrow.

Happy Trails

30 Day Challenge - Day 6

Hey Friends,  I've been on my feet most of the day.  Varnishing and prepping newly finished art to go to local galleries.   Needless to say "I'm Tired" (no whining allowed)

This painting No. 6 I did ahead yesterday, thank goodness.

You will find it HERE in my Etsy shop.

Thanks for coming by.

Happy Trails

30 Day Challenge - Day Four

Hey Friends,  It continues with Day 4 and a still life of  heavenly Lillies with a few hydrangeas to fill in the voids.  And the GranBabes sweet little ceramic birds.

It is in my Etsy shop HERE.

Now I had better get busy for the next day.  This is harder than you think.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Trails

THANKFUL AND BUSY

Hey Friends,  Thankful to feel better.  Had something that must have been a virus last week.

But last night I started prepping my panels for the up coming 30 day challenge in Jan.  Leslie Saeta hosts a challenge to paint one every day in Jan.  EVERY DAY, I say!

There are 30 panels up there and a few extras in case I loose my temper.

AND today about 2pm I went West on Rt. Eleven close to Elliston to paint a bit.  It started Plein Aire but as you can see I did not finish.  Was another beautiful day for December in SW Va.  Not so good for the trees.  Some are blooming and the sap is running.

Here is an 8 x 10 canvas I finished a couple weeks ago.  It is dry now.  My scanner seems to be off a bit in capturing the colors correctly.  I fooled with the colors and saturation, etc but it still shows the shadows as ultramarine blue when the blue is not that intense.

You know that famous phrase "It (he or she) really looks better in Person" ?

It really does !

I will list it in my Etsy shop tonight.

Happy Trails

ORIGINAL LANDSCAPE FARM PAINTING PLEASANT GROVE FARM

Hey Friends,  I have listed this in my ETSY SHOP. Click There.

This was painted this spring at a paint out at Whitney Feldman's ranch.  Sponsored by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy.  One of the prettiest farms you will ever see in Botetourt, Virginia.

Thanks for stopping in.

Happy Trails

ORIGINAL PAINTING OF RED WINGED BLACKBIRD

Hey Friends,  I ran out of time for listing and editing, etc, etc. so I'm showing this beauty.  Love these birds.  And I love the way the stenciled, collaged, scumbled background turned into this.

This is available HERE.

More tomorrow.

Happy Trails