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 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

30 Day Challenge - Day 7

Hey Friends,  Another day has come to an end.  Can you believe Jan. 7th is almost over.  This challenge will be over before ya know it..

So on with the details.  This is NO. 7.  It is oil on a 6x8 canvas panel.

It is available HERE -  in my Etsy shop.

'Til tomorrow.

Happy Trails

30 Day Challenge - Day 3 and Starts

Hey Friends, Here is my floral for Day 3.  This has both of Nic's handmade birds and is 8x8 Oil.

You will find it in my Etsy shop HERE.

And it's nice when I can remember to take a few photos of my starts.  Or let you know I hate the texture of canvas so I usually put a layer of paste or heavy acrylics down before I start painting.

These two are 24" sq. and I finished them today.!! YaY.

Love it when an idea just falls into place and I don't struggle for hours on one stupid little element.  If I don't watch out Karma will bite me tomorrow.

Now if I can just get a decent photo for the web, I'll be happy.

My sister gave me a camera, a very nice Nikon.  All I have to do is learn how to use it.

Thank you little sister.

Happy Trails

30 Day Challenge - Day 1 and 2

Hey Friends,  Can you believe I'm behind already ?!  I had my sweet GranBabes for New Years and today.  And as hard as I try, I can't get much done with them.  But the purpose of having of them spend the night is to have fun and be silly.

So it's ALL GOOD.

My theme for this challenge is floral.  I started the series with my GranSon's hand made birds in the compositions.  They may not make it all the way to the end.

The top is an 8"sq. Oil of nasturtiums.

The bottom is a 4"sq. Oil of wild daisys.

I'm hoping to do the whole challenge in Oils.  But you know there is a problem at times with the drying time.

Hope you are participating in the challenge too.  It'll whip you into shape.

Happy Trails

Day 22 of Leslie Saeta's Challenge

Hey Friends,  I must be honest,  this piece of work has not been shown before BUT I didn't paint it yesterday.  I made this about a month ago.  There now you can chastise me.  I made a post here on my blog sometime ago, I will attempt to link to it so you can see that I made the stamps for all of these critters.  I did enjoy carving the stamps and thoroughly enjoyed creating a design to fit them into.  So please leave a comment, tell me what you really think of this.
You can also check some close-ups in my Etsy shop.   Click Here.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

13 Paintings in 13 Days

Hey Friends,  Here is the companion piece to yesterdays challenge.  This title is "Singing with My Love".
I could see this turning into a series.....Ya never know.  These two hang out a lot together and always have so much fun.  Maybe they should write a book ? !
No time for funny business today.  I've gotta finish framing and pack and what else?
See you in Lynchburg tomorrow.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

12th Painting in the 30 Day Challenge !

Hey Friends,  I love fantasy art or maybe they are called illustrations.  Like James Gurney's work, in Dinotopia.  Of course, my stories are snippets, just a peak into a couple of strange brain cells.

The title here is " Listening to My Love's Story "

 I remember once in a while to take photos as I work along - so here we go.  Above, I'm thinking of which papers I want to use.  That's the gel I used to glue them on the ampersand panels and the crackle liquid, I will put on after the paper is glued.

 Here I'm showing you my process of sketching the bodies in different positions and then cutting them out of Masa Rice paper and staining with acrylic ink.

 This shot and below is showing you how hard it was to decide on something such as what color to make the shadows.  Above is a green shadow.  And I just noticed I need to go back and highlight the birds eye.

And here is ablue shadow.  Can you see the piece of glass?  You lay that on the painting and put your color choices on it, so you don't mess up the original !  I learned that tidbit from Julie Ford Oliver.  Can you tell how old my art table is?   It was white years ago, now it's sort of a splattered egg look.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

BlueBird diptch - Right side

Hey Friends,  Here is the other half of my diptch, the right side.  These are 12" squares.  Look at my last post to hear about YES canvas.  I failed to say I get this canvas at ASWExpress.
I'm at my GrandBabes birthday party today and I posted this last night !  Hopefully everything went fine.   I'm enjoying this challenge this time.  I failed the last challenge.  Thanks, Leslie!
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Blue Bird Diptch

Hey Friends,  This is the left side of a dyptch.  I'll post the right side tomorrow.  I was at my youngest daughters house this summer, actually spring, because that's when I snapped a 100 photos of a large old lilac in the back yard.  There were some birds, and plenty of Bee's but not a Blue Bird. 
I believe what was really there was a Titmouse, so I just used his body shape for the BB.

I really enjoyed painting these.  I used the "YES" canvas and very fluid acrylics.  It felt very much like watercolor.  The Yes canvas is very smooth and it claimed to be for all fluid media so I gave it a try and love it...I've been using it for a long time with acrylics and oils so now ya know you can use it like watercolor paper too!  I have never cared for the texture of canvas so Yes was a great find.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Day Two !

Hey Friends  Saw a small gang of Red-Winged Black Birds at Judy's house this summer.  She lives in Botetourt County.  Also saw some grackles there.  Took me a couple months of searching but I finally figured out the birds were Grackles !  Since then I've seen a couple at home.  They are pretty but I'll probably find out they are a pain to paint, with that iridescent head.

This Red-Wing's background is a collage of painted deli papers and stenciled gels.  The bird is painted.  All done with acrylics.

Now I need to get back to the studio,  I'm working on a large diptych for the Goose Creek Show.  The Harmony Equestrian Center is the subject.  Got my fingers crossed !!

Happy Trails Travel Well

Joining in 30 in 30 Challenge

 Hey Friends,   I decided to should join Leslie Saeta's challenge of 30 paintings in 30 days.  It would be good discipline for this easily distracted woman.  I'll not stress too much if I miss a day but I DO hope to get a painting or two ahead.  This is a collage and I've had a lot of fun doing this and plan to do more.

 It may seem weird but for me, collage is a lot more difficult, than just straight painting and a lot slower.   I believe a lot of people perceive it to be a lessor art form but if you've never tried it, don't judge to harshly.

I started with a glittery back ground scrap booking paper.  Once finished I didn't like all the glitter so I toned it down with a gesso & acrylic mixture.  Much better now.
So go check out Leslie's Blog and join the fun.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Cardinal for 30 in 30

Hey Friends,  A week later I continue with my feathers series !  AND this mini painting looks garish on my monitor !!  Maybe I'll have a chance to photo-shop it later tonight.
Internet service with Comcast still sucks big time so I'll be lucky if this post goes out.  Then I want to put bird in my DPW store and the 30 in 30 challenge.

The weather is supposed to get rough again tonight and the next few days.  We might even get some snow/ice on Friday, which will create a problem for the Double Line Painters collage workshop on Saturday morning !!  We may have to reschedule,  really hoping not.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

30 in 30 Challenge

Hey Friends,  A short post to show the latest hummer for the 30 in 30 challenge.   I KNOW I've not been posting every day but I'll just have to take a beating.   My daughter is very sick still and it's taking a toll.

I see better days ahead.

From the Oil Painters of America blog - "We keep our eyes on the things we can not see:  for the things which we can see are temporal;  the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:18

Happy Trails
Travel Well

30 in 30 Day 4

Hey Friends,  Woody #4 added to DPW store.  And a picture I took right before Christmas of one of our beautiful woodpeckers at one of the suet feeders.  I haven't been home hardly any for the past week so I've missed seeing these beauties.  And esp. the giant fella.

Tonight I made a batch of suet for the first time ever.  So we will see tomorrow if they appreciate my efforts.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

30 in 30 Challenge

Hey Friends,  Another little woodpecker added to my DPW store.  This guy is a good bit smaller than the other woodpeckers.   He is Woody #3.

And I decided to participate in Leslie Saeta's challenge.  It's called 30 in 30.  Supposed to paint 30 paintings in 30 days.  I missed the first 2 days 'cuz I'm slow and I've been very busy with my daughter.

Hopefully things can settle down now.   I've got about 15 4x4" canvas panels to work on after the 2x4's are used.  And plenty of 6x6 for back ups.

I put Leslie's blog over there on my side bar if you want to check it out.

Wish me luck !  Lots of Luck !!

Happy Trails
Travel Well