Reception Today in Altavista

Hey Friends,  The challenge is over !! so maybe I will not post every day for a while !

But I wanted to let you know what a grand time we had in Altavista, Va. today at the YMCA.  The photo above shows Tim Dalton taking photos for the local newspaper.  We were treated royally and it was very appreciated.  They even had special rose baskets for each of us to take home. 

Lots of people came out to talk art with us so the time just flew by.

We laughed and enjoyed every minute.

Thank you Altavista!

Happy Trails

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 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 14

Hey Friends,  Almost half way!!  This is # 14. 

The first color laid down is turquoise.

Then the dark seed heads.

Then their silly little skirts.

Then some more layers laid over the first.  Texture, ya know.

More colors and what a grainy photo.  Went a little too far with the resizing.

Title is "Mexican Umbrella's".

It's available in my ETSY shop.  Hope your week has been pleasant and productive!

We will be removing the artwork from the Jefferson Center in DT Roanoke tomorrow.  I hope you got a chance to go by and see all the pretties.  In the meantime you can go by Potentially Chic on Brambleton Ave. to see the DLP's works.

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 in 30 - Day 10

12x12 Stretched Canvas

Hey Friends,  Day 10 is here and almost gone !  I was invited by a sweet lady named Lavon to try out the "Paint New Mexico Challenge".  And they have a new photo for you to paint from every month and January's has flowers in it.  A good combo I thought.

"Pelargoniums on Turquoise" is the title and It's available in my Etsy Shop . I used a pallette knife a lot on this one and several coming up.  Enjoyed playing with these knives.

Thanks for stopping by.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 9

Hi Friends,  Here is No. 9.  I have painted this sunflower before, in acrylics.  I liked both versions.

She is in my ETSY SHOP.

21 more florals to go.  Shee-e-e-e-e-zzzz.

Have a great Sunday.

Happy Trails

30 in 30 - Day 8

Hey Friends,  Day 8 !!  Another small still life called "Square with Round".  I do have the most creative titles, right? 

And as usual, it is in my ETSY SHOP.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

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 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 5

Hey Friends, Here is # 5 !!  Ta Da..."Wild Daisys" is available in my ETSY STORE.

It is painted with oils on an 8" x 6" canvas panel.

And here are two more starts.  Started with molding paste up there, right onto the board.  Never have done that before but I think it will work as well as gesso.

This is gessoed canvas with an under coat of  reddish acrylic.  The white is molding paste again.  I really like having all this texture  ready to go.

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

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