Day 31 !! NO it isn't !! "Upper Peninsula"

Hey Friends,  Can I keep it going?  No don't think so.  But since I am trying to clean out my studio, trying to make room for new stuff ('cuz I'm compelled to keep painting) I will continue to post work for sale on Ebay.  And everything starts at a penny, $0.01, not a typo. 
It doesn't hurt to look.  And ebay has made the listing process so much easier that I don't mind doing it.  This beaute with the crashing waves is in a gold frame and ready to hang.
Go ahead and Click Here to look.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Plein Aire Painting with the gang

 Hi Friends,  The weather here in the Blue Ridge Mountains of SW Va. has been awesome the last few days.  Warm days and cool nights, birds are busier than we are and certainly prettier.

We took a little trip up or down the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Peaks of Otter area and visited Gross's Orchard.  Beautiful place.

 We wandered and took lots of photos and drank up the wonderful sunshine (after this long dark winter, the sun showed up just in time to save my sanity).  The naked trees are apples.  They bloom after the peaches.

Here is a close up of a peach. Such a gorgeous pink.

 This shot is from Ikenberry's in Botetourt county on Rt. 220.  I like the perspective here.

 All of the surrounding farm land and distant mountains just look like a beautiful velvet case a diamond ring would sit in.  Can't wait to see what I can do with my paints. And I must get busy, 'cuz we will be showing our works and painting at Ikenberry's in 2 weeks !!   Yikes!

Here is a shot of Ikenberry's Greenhouse with lots of blooms to drive you crazy.

And here is what Midge, Judy and Linda painted that morning.  Most will need more work at home, in the upper photo.  Mary Anne and mine in the lower photo.  Mary Anne's on the left is pastel and mine are acrylic.  I'm sure we will have these at the Ikenberry show.

Happy Trails

New Work hung at 2nd Helpings Gallery

Hello Friends,  I've been working pretty hard the last couple of weeks.  Finishing some work and started a couple of new works.   And our little painting group, the Double Line Painters of the Blue Ridge, hung a new show at 2nd Helpings Gallery yesterday,

Here are a couple of my pieces that I finished last week.  "Mother Earth Awakens" is the title of the show, hence all the bright, beautiful colors I love.  Flowers and more flowers with a few birds thrown in.  Several pieces are collage, like the one below, but the one above is straight paint work.

Collage is such fun.  If you have never tried it you should.  And we, the DLP, are planning another collage workshop.  Probably in July but it something we just started thinking about yesterday.  Lots can change between now and then.

I'm so..o..o..o.. very happy that spring is almost here, I can barely contain myself.  I see little pink buds and want to take photos that won't quite show the color yet.  But it's still joy.  Can't wait to get out and paint.

Hope you make it to our reception at 2nd Helping on Sat. April 13th.  Would love to visit with you !

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Happy News

 Hey Friends, the Salem Museum has the holiday wreaths up now !  All ready for us to bid on !  I'm just showing a few here.  I saw some bids already and they were $25 and $30 so we can afford them and help the museum at the same time.

 The reception is this Friday the 17th until 7pm  so come out and bid on a beauty and check out the beautiful art work upstairs and on the tree in the gift shop.  Unique gifts in deed !!

 And the good news is........A lovely lady from Georgia bought my art work above titled " the Snow is Ending " (with the cardinal).  That made my day !

So I scooted on over to the museum and hung " Magpie " above, in the empty space.  I love painting birds so I had better get busy.  Hope all of you have a fabulous weekend.

Happy Trails Travel Well

Blue Moon Travels

 Hey Friends,  Finally a few minutes to post my disappointment over the "Blue Moon" last Friday night.  I headed for the Blue Ridge Parkway in plenty of time to find an overlook.  My imagination was probably out of line but I could see the moon rising over a vast sweeping view of the valley !  I think it would have been breathtaking !  BUT just as I turned off Rt.460 onto the entrance the "check engine" light comes on.  Dang, what to do.  I chickened out, fearing my car would blow up in the middle of no where.  Then once it was dark, I'd be drug off by coyotes and never seen again.  So I turned around and went back to the closest station and put oil and water in the car  and went home.  Dang, I was madd.  The light hasn't come on since.  Turns out I had filled the gas tank and the cap wasn't screwed down really tight..   Did you know your engine light will come on IF your cap is at all loose?

 So I took a few photos from my secret place.  And it was beautiful, of course.  Just not what I had in mind.  I've already painted this scene.  Not sure I like the painting.

 This photo was from the parking lot of a Holiday Inn close to home and just off I81.  Too many city lights to do the moon justice.

And this one is from Green Hill Park.  Couldn't find any good spots to shoot from.  So I quite after this one.  Went home and pouted.  The good news is we will have another Blue Moon in about 3 years instead of the eleven years I read somewhere.
So I'll work with what photos I have and be ready next time.  Maybe I can talk somebody into going with me to paint from life.  My family thinks that would be as much fun as watching paint dry !!

Happy Trails Travel Well

A Day at Gallery 108

Hey Friends, It was my turn to MAN the desk at Gallery 108 yesterday. It was a good day! For the lovlies that don't know, Gallery 108 is in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, on the market and the market building that has been in a very long state of renovation - IS almost ready to open!!! Just a few more weeks to go - Yay!
One of the artist in this co-op is Miki Overcast. And she stopped by with her beautiful (handsome) son named Joshua. Somehow He did as I asked, when I told him to kiss his Mom.

This is a closer view of a painting by Bonnie Mason. She works mainly with oils. Beautiful!

This is a closer view of a Mary Ann Meador. She works in all media and they are joyous depections of everything she sees.

Mary Ann and Bonnie are the featured artist this month. The show is called "More than Places" This is just a glimpse. Hope some of you can stop by for this show and some artists had some new work that is really NICE. I'll try to remember to post those tomorrow.

These photos are of the windows and they are usually difficult to get a decent shot of. the beautiful assemblages above are hand crafted by Heather Brush. I have not met her yet and hope to soon. Love the "Shiney Moon" piece and there is a tree made of Domino's.

And the other window has Linda Overstreet's lovely quilted work. I apologize for the sorry photo Linda. Her book covers and journals and hand bags are wonderful gifts for anyone. Think of the book covers on a Bible ! And girls love journals.

Check back to see some new works that I'm especially fond of. As for myself, today I put base colors on a lot of small canvas' and wooden panels. I think the panels are MDF boards. Will be my first try on this surface. Should be just like masonite.

Happy Trails

Original Painting of Raven-Details

Hey Friends, I think this post may turn out to be pretty funny. You know how you have a choice of putting your photos in the middle or on the left or right? Well, I've seen others put the image on the side and the verbage on the other side. Thought I'd give it a go. I clicked the left and you see what I got!! It's always a mystery how I do these things. I'll try to work around this.

Theimage above is just acrylic splattered with alcohol and then more acrylic layered on, transparent acrylic. And more alcohol. If the acrylic is somewhat dry, you get the tiny marks. Then in the corner I laid down a pink layer and swirled a comb through it.

The image on the left above is the limb the Raven is sitting on. Painted thinly or transparently. It has a watercolor look. The orange dots were placed with the brush handle. Obviously the other is the Raven's tail.

The images above are details of the beautiful birds features. The background was painted in blocks. Taped off, then paint was dripped and rolled with a brayer and alcohol, etc. in layers. I'm not doing so well with getting this verbage where I want it. HA! My daughter still needs to fix this thing. I'd love for it to be done before that Baby Boy arrives!!! Hint Hint!

I realize I didn't post the full image but I dare not go back and try to add something else. I'll just do that next time. It's more fun trying to put this puzzle together anyway.

Happy Trails.