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

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

ORIGINAL PAINTING OF KEY WEST ROOSTER #3 - MR. RI RED

Hey Friends,  While I was sitting at the Home Builders Art Show at the Salem Civic Center today, I painted a couple small guys on matboard.  Busy hands make the day go faster, or keep boredom at bay.  This is the first and I gave him the impressive title of Mr. Rhode Island Red. 

Mr. Red is available HERE. and I think this link engages tomorrow.

Tomorrow will be a shorter day but I hope to get a few ducks done.

Please stop in and say Hi.

Happy Trails

FAMILY NIGHT OUT on Ebay

Hey Friends,  I may be getting back into the swing of  computers.  I find it hard when it's nice outside to stay indoors.  I'm not too disciplined.

I painted this little whimsical piece last week, Maybe?  I'm trying to make pieces for ebay and etsy and shows coming up.  Such as the Lynchburg Fest. at EC Glass High School and Art on the Lawn and Ikenberrys and MORE.

Please go see the news at www.doublelinepaintersoftheblueridge.blogspot.com for more info.  And you can share, we would love that and we would love to see some familiar faces at these shows.

Go check out the family on Ebay - CLICK HERE.

Thanks for stopping in.

Happy Trails 

Travel Well

SUMMER VACATION IS OVER !!!

 

Hey Friends,  It's true.  It's Over.  I have been silently working in the background.  Been getting ready for the festival type art shows coming up very soon.  In Lynchburg, Pearisburg, and right here in Salem, Va.

I have worked on a couple smaller pieces for my ETSY shop.  Click HERE for the above.

 

I went with my paint buddies, the DLP's, to Buchanan, Va. this morning to enjoy painting in this beautiful weather we have been having.

Enjoyed every minute of it !  Only managed to paint one.  But I have a few decent photos to work from.

 

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Happy Trails

PEACOCK PAINTED AND PLEIN AIR PAINTING AND NOSEY COWS

 

Hey Friends,  A post about what's been going on here in SW Va.   It is spring, glorious spring time, here in the beautiful mountains of the Roanoke-Salem Valley.

This beautiful, noisy peacock is up for auction in EBAY. click there.

 

Yesterday I went with my group the DLP's to the beautiful arboretum at our local community College. Virginia Western Community College.  This is a beautiful, well maintained garden of unusual trees that create a canopy for all the shade loving plants.  You will find many.  Everything has a name tag so you can find them for your garden.  The photo above is poor quality but you get the idea of what I painted.  The blooms just didn't show up at all. 

 

After the arboretum and lunch, I went to the Little Gallery at Smith Mountain Lake to exchange artwork.  I'll show what I took later because I want you to see these silly, cute cows.

I was headed home through Hardy, Va. to avoid the Windy Gap Mtn. (my car is being a pickle).  When I saw a glimpse of these black and white cuties, I slammed on the brakes and turned around.

This is how I found them.  It appeared to be their private little campground minus tents.

 

They stayed on the ground for maybe 2 minutes but their nosiness got the best of them.  They ventured this close and stood there until I left.  HOW I wished I had a flute or bango.  Next time I go that way I'll need to remember music and apples for these sweet faces.

I'm dying to paint them but I must get ready for a big day tomorrow.  The www.BlueRidgeLandConservancy.org is sponsoring a plein-air paint out at Pleasant Grove Farm in Botetourt County tomorrow from 9 to 4.

Mrs. Whitney Feldman has graciously opened her farm for us to use.

 

Linda and I are hoping for nice weather and anticipate a lot of fun.  I'll let you know tomorrow night.

 

Great times

Happy Trails

ORIGINAL SMALL PAINTING BLUEBIRD HOUSE

 

Hey Friends,  Before you know it, it's going to be Mother's Day again.  Most of the last 20 years I have been working an art show on Mother's Day so my girls had to wait for the celebration.

 

Most Mother's don't NEED a thing but something pretty like a small piece of art work would be a happy thing to receive.  My girls never would have thought to give me art !  ART! of all things.

After all that's what I do .

 

Of course I would never have told them either.  I really need nothing.  And they were struggling to make ends meet like most families.  I'm very proud of what they have accomplished and how well they are caring for their own children.

 

So if your Mom doesn't NEED a single thing, think about giving her a permanent little piece of Nature's Beauty.  You just never know.

 

Secure this for Mom by clicking HERE.

 

Happy Trails

ORIGINAL ACRYLIC PAINTING - "WOOD STORKS'

 

Hey Friends,  Again the weather here is sunny and nice.  A bit chillier than yesterday.

 

This painting of nesting wood storks was done a couple years ago from photos taken while in Florida visiting my uncle.

This nest was really big and messy and a bit stinky.  But what the heck you can't be picturesque and smell like a gardenia every day.

 

This is for auction in EBAY but the link doesn't engage until tonight, about 9pm.

CLICK HERE

 

Thanks for stopping by

Happy Trails

Day One

 

Hey Friends,  I've blown it already haven't I?  That's OK, there are NO mistakes or rules with this challenge.  I will try to do some stuff that's way off for me but sometimes LIFE just won't cooperate.

That's when you make lemonade.

Click to EBAY.

 

Happy Trails

Pollinator Series # Twenty-Five "Discussion" and Plein Aire Today

 

Hey Friends,  This entertaining little painting is going up for auction on Ebay this evening.  Pollinator series is almost over and so is the month of June !  Yikes, can you believe it.

 

Me, Myself and the DLP's went out into the wild to paint today.  It was a beautiful day and so encouraging.   I might be getting a small grasp on this outdoor painting thing.  I try real hard not to include everything I see.  "Tis difficult.

 

Bonnie took this shot of me.  I would have to go back and look, but don't you think that looks like poison ivy in the foreground??  Bonnie are you itchy tonight?

Happy Trails

Travel Well

No. 18 in the Pollinator Series and Plein Aire at Evergreen Lavendar Farm

 

Hey Friends,  Moving on to #18 !  A gorgeous Raven waiting on a branch for a French fry !  This was started on a base of dictionary pages.  Up top left is the dictionary's definition of raven.  This pretty boy is for auction on EBAY, Click here.

 

But the good news of this day is We, the DLP's finally got to the beautiful "Evergreen Lavender Farm" just this side of Appomattox, Va. on Rt. 460.  Bonnie the owner, said "Sure come on over and paint.  She was happy to see us and a gracious host.

 

This is my first painting of the day.  I started with a magenta base instead o white canvas.  That is a beautiful pond in the distance.  With rows of lavender between us.

 

Here I'm pretty much finished.  Made a couple adjustments at home.

 

And here is one of Bonnie's donkeys.  She said they (there were 2 more hiding) did not like the heat so they hang out in their Donkey House during the day.

 

Here is a shot of the beautiful Bee Hives.  Can't wait to paint this !  Bonnie said she does not mess with these hives.  She has enough going on with the farm and making lavender products.  And I bought some really heavenly smelling stuff while there.

Check out their website at www.evergreenlavender.com

 

Happy Trails

Travel Well

Blue Bird with His Nest

Hey Friends,  This is an experiment of sorts.  Trying out the technique of printing on sumi paper and using in a collage.  (That would be the nest area)  The bird is a stencil using heavy gel so it is raised.  The rest is acrylic paints.   Enjoyed doing this and want to give it another try.  Click Here for the Ebay auction.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

"Ducks" Collage

Hey Friends,  Another I found in the studio.  A whimsical collage made from photos I took of ducks whilst at Roanoke River, probably the Eddie Street Bridge.  I just love to watch these silly little creatures.  At the river or at my neighbors pond and the fountain pond in DT Salem.

I'm offering this on Ebay starting at a penny.  Go look !  Unfortunately I forgot to post this sooner.  This auction is ending tonight, but ebay automatically relists if it doesn't sell.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Day 20 Original Art Challenge

Hey Friends,  I had a big scare earlier this morning.  My monitor wouldn't come on!  Of course I called my daughter.  She said "check the connections and then turn machine off for a bit".  And it worked  Yay!!!  Just happy I don't have to buy a new one.
Above is a collage of avian stuff on a deep 6x6 canvas.  These are fun to do so last night I scanned some of my gran babe's piano practice book and a couple pages from her notebook with pencil written stuff.  Now I will go to the copy store and have some lazer copies made to use in these collages.  You need lazer copies so the ink won't smear and run when I get it wet.
Hope to get one done for tomorrow's challenge.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

30 Days of Painting

Hey Friends, Here is a quirky one for you to ponder.  The title is " I Live Here Now ".....If you are not a painter, or one that produces work for sale, you will not understand how difficult it can be to give a painting a title !   Some times I think of title right away that fits but makes no sense to others.  In most cases that's because it's very personal or betrays a child hood moment.

This is a collage using painted deli-papers and scrap book paper and lots of gel medium.  And a crazy little bottle made to apply hair color with several little prongs that dispense the color.

And this pretty little blond is printed and painted on Sumi rice paper.  I did another version before this one, bigger and more complicated.   I'm saving these works (the challenge works) for the festival coming up in Lynchburg.  I'll list them in my Etsy shop if any come home with me.
Now back to the painting table !
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Our Wren Babies

Hey Friends,  Just to share the beautiful little baby wrens trying to leave home !  Their Mom builds a nest every year in one of my Mom's begonia plants.  Some times a hanging begonia but sometimes in a potted begonia.   They pick such odd places to call home.   We have at least 6 bird houses out there for them, but no......... They want to be in the middle of everyday life.  And that would be wonderful but they fuss and scold if you get near their babes.   Scheeeeeeez..........

 This brood was four babes.  And of course they couldn't fly yet so they were stuck in between all the pots in the green house.  And the parents were flitting here and there,  raising a ruckus,  almost dive bombing me.

 This was the first to break free and go hopping across the yard and through the fence into My Field.  Never saw it again so I'm pretending the parents got it to fly before it got dark.

This little guy was the last to leave on his own.   So Cute.

And this little guy was captured by my Mom and thrown out the window !!!    Can you believe she did that?
The parents were happy she did that, they got him going in no time.  I'm hoping they all made it, safely to the tree tops.   Life is hard when you are this tiny.

Have a happy Memorial Day
Travel Well

Getting Reference Photos in Botetourt

Indigo Bunting

Robin

GoldFinch

Hey Friends,  Just a quicky (I'm hoping) 'cuz I can't get this computer to work .  It's taking forever and clicking on something over and over.

I took these photos and a lot more at Judy's home this morning.  Most of you probably know what a bird nut I am, so I got to see some up close for a change.  This is the first indigo bunting I've seen in person.   I had a photo of a dark bird I wanted someone to identify for me but it won't load on to the blog.  I will try again tomorrow.

Happy Trails

Travel well

30 in 30 Woody #7

Hey Friends,  This is the last of the Woodys for now.  I've got plenty of these beauties to paint yet, but we need a break.  He is Woody #7.

Click on the DPW big button on the right sidebar to check out the auctions.  Very reasonable starting bids!

Hope you have been following along on Leslie Saeta's blog for this 30 in 30 challenge.

I need to get on with the paint brushes now.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Beautiful Birds

Hey Friends,  I had the good fortune to see both of these beauties this morning !!!  Even found this tiny little feather.  Can't say for sure that it's a woodpeckers feather but it sure looks like it. 
On my way to work I had to stop for some suet to offer these beauties.  I want them to hang around so suet should do the trick.

I also painted about 5 more Wood peckers  and I've started listing them in my DPW gallery.  The starting bids are low and they make sweet little gifts.  And they come with their own little handcrafted easels., which you can see by scrolling down a bit.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Hand Crafted Easels

 Hey Friends,  As promised I'm showing you the little easels I have made for my miniature paintings.

 I used 20 gauge silver coated wire with gold  beads or pearls or glass beads.  Back view above.

Hope you can get a sense of the size and structure.  The mini painting of the robin is 3'x3".  I suppose you could say this easel is more feminine most.  Not at all like the wooden things I've seen for sale.

Happy Trails
Travel Well