CELESTIAL SUNFLOWERS #1 AND #2 - ORIGINAL ABSTRACT ART

Hey Friends,  This set can be what you call a dyptch  or they can be displayed indivually.

They were inspired by my last visit to BEAVER DAM FARM in Buchanan, Virginia.  They have a sunflower festival there every year.  AgroTourism, even though they are a dairy farm, they are struggling like most farmers so they started this wonderful festival and I hope you go next year.

This is #1.

Here they are together, a little too together.

Here is #2.

A shot of them together over a desk.  If you love sunflowers I think you will love these.  The colors are very sunflower-ry.

Hope you look at the link to Beaver Dam Farm, if you click on one of the photos, you will see a lot more hidden in there somewhere. And hope for better weather next year.

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CONTORTED #2 - ORIGINAL STILL LIFE PAINTING

Hey Friends, I started a series of contorted vases a month or so ago.  This is the 2nd, and posting this has made me realize, I have not posted #1 yet!  I guess I should be expecting this more often!  LOL  It is on my FASO website HERE.

If you were to look at my Instagram you would see it and that I am using acrylic pour skins for these vases (most of them)  This pouring technique is a big pain in the wazoo so I may give it up.  I like different that's why I tried it. 

Thanks for stopping in.

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LET'S HASH THINGS OUT - ORIGINAL ABSTRACT ART

Hey Friends,  Hope you are having a great month of inspiration and quality time with your loved ones!  I am.  This piece was inspired by another conversation with my sister.  I talk to her more than anyone else.  We have had our disagreements but we usually get them 'hashed out pretty quick'.

I guess we love each other.

This is listed on my website HERE for sale.  In case you didn't know, Shipping is Free.

Thanks for visiting.

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30 N 30 Challenge

Hey Friends,   LS #2 in Saeta's 30 day challenge.  Lots of experimenting coming up.

This available at  DPW's.

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I'M IN - SLOW BUT IN

Hey Friends,  Finally made up my mind........Yep, I'm gonna do Leslie's 30 in 30 challenge,  although I am already in a challenge so to speak with myself and instagram.

I decided to stick to small (6x6) and paper and black with another color.  Thankfully I got the ugliest out of the way first - black and yellow.  I definantly feel that I used the wrong yellows.  So maybe at the end I will do a couple more with black and yellow ochre.  Looks much prettier in oil also.

Anyway, that's it for today.  I think black and teal come next.

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https://www.facebook.com/lesliesaeta/posts/10156895569842518

PRODUCTIVE SUNDAY

Hey Friends,  Today has been a bunch of fun, tiring but greatly enjoyed.  I don't often get to work on paintings all day.  

I have not signed either one because I'm not sure I am finished.  

Love the colors in both, especially this one.  I call them Sedona colors.   Turquoise and Terra Cotta.

Maybe tomorrow I will know what is finished.  

First I must help hang the LRA Showcase at the Jefferson Center in the morning.

Then tomorrow evening I have dinner with my high school buddies.  Always fun.

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SAVING FOR TAHITI NOW SHOWING AT WVTF PUBLIC RADIO

Hey Friends,  I have been saving pennies for years, planning to escape to Tahiti just like Paul did.  Can you imagine living somewhere that you don't need coats or shoes.  Just stay outside under a palm and paint your heart out.  It is hard to forgive Mr. Gaugin for what he did to his family but I can totally understand it.

This is hanging with several other new abstracts at the public radio station, WVTF, which is almost across the road from the Red Lobster.  I'm sure you know where that is.

This piece is 24x18 canvas and framed in a natural light colored wood.

Hope your August has been a grand one.

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TRANSITION HOUSE HANGING AT WVTF

Hey Friends, I named this piece "TRANSITION HOUSE".  It sort of looks like a place you might be able to catch up on life things.

Guess how much I like to doodle !  A lot.  Really enjoy spending some time scribbling, drawing on new work.

More coming at you.

Having a grand August?

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DELIVERED THE ART TO WVTF and WENT HOME TO POUR MORE CELLS

NO ONE COULD CATCH IT 24 sq.

Hey Friends,  Bonnie and I delivered our work to WVTF this morning. 

They prefer their hangers do the hanging of the work, so we just left!  I picked up my GranBabes then and took them to GreenHill Park in Salem.

Here is one hallway and there are about 3 more.  Should be a good show.

And here we are back home.  Lillie and I mixed up some paints and did 3 pours.  We did it on the picnic table and that was fun.

We made our pours on plastic wrap.  I have been experimenting with this technique of making skins.

If the pour is ugly I can toss it.

This is one I did yesterday on a canvas panel.

Makes me think of Key West.  Love those colors.

Have a great evening.

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FOUND A NEW TECHNIQUE TO PLAY WITH (WASTE TIME WITH?)

Hey Friends,  I'm sure you ALL know about paint pouring and I have been watching YouTube videos of it for way over a year.  I thought it looked like fun but did not want to get involved with yet another new thing!  Also thought I should not waste the money.

But I have been wanting to play with a series of abstracted, deformed pottery rejects for months.  I think it will be interesting to use these panels and skins for the vases...!!

I'm starting to get the hang of it.  First ones look like marbled paper, not cells.

Can't wait to get started.

COMPLICATED FROM BIRTH  24" sq. Acrylic

And lastly, this new piece will be going to WVTF in the morning.  I painted over one that I did not like but kept the title.  I wonder if that is bad luck?A little glare on the right side but like I said, Photographing Artwork is a PAIN!

I'm liking my work more and more.  I would like to know your opinion.

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NEW PAINTINGS TO GO TO WVTF IN ROANOKE

Hey Friends, I thought I should show you some of my new work that is going up at WVTF Radio Station next week.  I should have about 15 pieces to be in the exhibit with Bonnie Mason.

I so much enjoyed working on this one!  My favorite colors are in it, aqua, pale green, pinks!!

Title is DREAMS OF OUR FUTURE.  It is 24" square and 2 inches deep.

Would look lovely in any home.  It's nice to have a vision of the future.

Thank you for stopping by.

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PHOTOGRAPHING ART IS SUCH A BIG PAIN IN THE WAZOO

DANCING ON THE FRONT PORCH  24sq.

Hey Friends,  If you are an artist then you probably know what I'm talking about when I say PAIN!!

This summer it has been especially hard 'cuz it rains nearly every day.

The top photo was taken in the studio and it is mainly fluorescent lights  I had a daylight bulb in a desk spotlight shining on it so that may be where all the warm came from.

The bottom photo was taken outside, under my Zelkovia that has a white sheet strung up in it like one of those shade sails.  Even with the white sheet it's much cooler than the other.

I don't know which is closest to correct.    It's raining so I don't really want to go get it, but I will have to before I put it on my website.

So I fetched the painting and it looks MORE like the top, the interior light!

I would have thought the outdoor light would have been more true.  Learn something every day.

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ANOTHER GREAT DAY - FINISHING UP PAINTINGS

Howdy Dear Friends,  Hope this finds all of you well.  A BIG shout to my friend, Cathie, Who had hip surgery yesterday to repair what the first idiot did to her !  Hope all is moving along.

That photo above is about all I have to show for my day.   Finishing some of the work I have done lately.  Getting them ready to hang at the Home builders show at the Salem CC this weekend.

My car has taken her last breath today.   I tried to start her for 15 minutes or more.  She started finally and was thrashing like a hay maker.   I turned the key off and took it out of the ignition and she kept on thrashing, throttling, sounding a lot like a boat in the water.  Finally she heaved and let out one last yelp.  Bless her heart.  I really liked her.

So my brother has consented to let me use his ugly white car for the weekend.  I never have figured out why he likes that scruffy thing.  Reminds me of a street cat.

Anyway, Hope all of you with working vehicles can come by the Salem CC and say HI!!

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TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY

Hey Dear Friends,  It was a good day for me and HOPE your day was peachy as well.

I varnished about 7-8 new pieces today and tomorrow I will put the backs and labels on and wire so they can be hung at the Roanoke Valley's Home Builders Show at the Salem CC.

The vendor and Art show will be this coming Fri thru Sun.

I will be looking for you!

And I had to take a break and go to the mailbox.  These little sweeties were blooming.  They always bloom when the earliest daffodils bloom.  Can't remember if they are "Bloodroot" or "Spring Daisy's" or what.  Started to say "MayApple".........DUH.

Anyway more work to do for the show.  Will let you know how it goes!

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No. 3 in the Chartreuse Challenge and a Hint about a Workshop

Hey Friends,  Yep, Only the 3rd!  I'm suffering through a bad bout of the winter blues.  That's what I'm calling it anyway.  Can you get a temperature with the blues?

My face looks a bit snarly up there doesn't it?  Hard to fake it.

I'm calling this one CURRENTS, 'cuz I made it when the electricity was OUT.

On a happier note, a photo from the beautiful EVERGREEN LAVENDER FARM in Appomattox, Va.  The Double Line Painters meet this morning to plan for the workshop coming up on Sat. June 23rd, this summer.  Mark your calendars, you know you don't want to miss this gorgeous place and all the help and hints you will get from this lively group.

More info later of course.

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Enjoy the journey

NEW CHALLENGE COLOR OF THE MONTH with ELIZABETH CHAPMAN

Hey my Friends, I am starting a new challenge !!  YAY.  I have followed Elizabeth Chapman's blog for some time now. Envious.  Usually I just look at the post in my email but Sunday for some reason, I clicked on over to her blog to see what she had to say about the particular piece.

Sometimes I wonder why things happen the way they do, or what divine interventions are at play in our lives.  Anyway, there she was talking about this challenge, A Color A Month.

So I sent her a note asking to send me to the challenge master AND it was her!

She has graciously allowed me to enter her challenge and I would be willing to bet you could too.

There are NO rules but I say you need to give her credit and link to her blog, click up there.

So this is a year long Challenge ...  YIKES!!

What am I going to do with 50 paintings?  I can paint over some, thats gtd.

In the meantime I had to post  a painting for eye candy.  Thinking some one might enjoy a figure study done at the 202 Gallery's Monday night Figure Class.

I did it with squirt bottles on a piece of WC paper that was already stained with ochre and lavender.

Totally enjoyed working this way. Give it a try.  You have to water your acrylics down a good bit so it flows out easily.  I put matte medium in with my paint so the paint film would not be weak.

A new Abstration is up next !

Thank You Elizabeth.

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ENJOY THE TRIP

DWELL IN A NEW PLACE II 30 DAY CHALLENGE NO. 26

Hey Friends,  This is DWELL II.  They would look good hung together so I guess I'll call them a dyptch.  Soon, maybe later today, I want to show you some of my process photos.  That will either be fun or a total mess.  Stay tuned.

Hanging by your bed? Looks rather springy to me, that wasn't my intention but I like it.  Do You?

Day 26 of the 30 day Challenge.  Feb only has 28 days.  Wonder if we will cut it on the 28th or keep going?  Leslie may have told us and I missed it.

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TRAVEL WELL

DWELL IN A NEW PLACE I for the 30 DAY CHALLENGE

Hey Friends,  Hope you are not tired of my posting every day.  I have been enjoying all this sharing.  Since I have found a renewed passion maybe I will not get so far off track with my blog again.

View this one on my website HERE.

I also should mention the plein air season will be starting soon.  I need for it to warm up a bit more. being outside in the winter is not my fav thing to do. 

You will find this at the Challenge blog HERE.

Dwell II will be here tomorrow.

Hope none of you are suffering through the FLU.  So far I have been able to avoid it.  My sister always says "Don't say that out loud"!  She is a funny one.

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ENJOY YOUR JOURNEY

FIND YOUR PASSION

SHE PREFERS A BURGUNDY NO. 24 (more or less) in 30 DAY CHALLENGE

Hey Friends,  This Challenge will be over soon.  Think I might miss it a bit.  This is perfect for procrastinators and generally disorganized people, such as myself.

The entire time I worked on this piece, the title kept popping in my head.  So I figure it must have been a sign from someone that I needed to listen.  So now you know where the title came from.

I'm already almost finished with the next one.  For now, I think I have found what I was missing for the last couple of years.  INSPIRATION ! THE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WAS SO OVERWHELMING !

I can remember years ago that I did not even like abstracts.  Could be because they were all sharp edges, muted colors, and graphic.  I love the curvy, chubby, feminine pieces I see now.  And I think I'm doing pretty good with them now.  Of course we know not everyone feels as I do.

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ENJOY THE JOURNEY

(click on the links above)

DISTURBING SEA TURTLES NEXT UP IN THE 30 DAY CHALLENGE

Hey Friends,  I just posted this 12x12 on my website and I named it DISTURBING SEA TURTLES.

I was watching a PBS program about the little turtles hatching and the humans helping them get to the sea before they were devoured.  Of course the humans were only at one nest, so you can imagine how many made it from the other nests.

Here is a shot of what it would look like hanging over your night table.  Don't you think it's really KOOL the way I can do this ?!

Check it out on my WEBSITE and HERE on the 30 day Challenge.

It would be really great if I kept going after the challenge but that would be a stretch.

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