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 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

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

Day 11 - 9"x 12" Oil for Saeta's Challenge

Hey Friends,  Another day on the beach.  Another day in Paradise.  Don't I wish !  It is 15 degrees as I type this.  I want to go to the grocery store but I don't wanna go outside.  What a wussss.
Painted this one after I was home from Paradise.  Using some of the 500 photos I took.  I didn't quite capture how high the waves were.  But I like it.
It's in my Ebay auctions, Click here.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Day 6 of Leslie's 30 day challenge

Well here it is Day 6.  I remember the other challenge seemed to drag on forever and was over quick as a wink.  Time is a funny thing.  We never have enough of it and we wonder where it went.
Just like the week we spent in Myrtle Beach....Where did the time go?  I only got a handful of paintings done, certainly not enough for this challenge.  But I think I'll get ahead this week because it's negative degrees here in SW Virginia and I certainly don't want to go outside.  I'll just sit here by the wood stove and paint.   She (above) is up for auction in Ebay.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

New Year New Challenge !

Hey Friends,  Yep, I'm gonna torture myself again for a whole month.  I just got back from spending a week at Myrtle Beach with my sister and family.  So this challenge will all be based on work done last week at the beach or using photos taken around the area. 
I came home with about 400/500 photos.  Of course a good bit were the family on the beach

The painting above I did sitting on the balcony of the Whitacker House on the oceanfront.  Late evening sun made the sky pretty orange.  And we had lots of white caps and foam all week.
It was heavenly !
You will find this little piece in my Ebay store starting at a penny.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Day 26 in Leslie Saeta's Challenge

Hey Friends,  Totally different art today.  Done from the other side of my brain.  Plein-Aire !  Sorta.  I was inside a big building in Botetourt called the Greenfield Center.  One side was glass and looked out onto this beautiful view.   The gorgeous Blue Ridge mountains of SW Virginia.
I totally enjoy painting landscapes but will admit I get pretty overwhelmed with so much to look at. It can be a struggle to stay focused.
I will put this in my Etsy shop.
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

Leslie Saeta's 30 Day Challenge - No. 19

Hey Friends,  Day 19 - Whew.   Still hanging in there.  Another in the series of Dictionary Art.  I guess I wasn't thinking when I decided to do this series.......I mean that's 52 little paintings !  Did not realize how long this would take, but I've already picked out each subject for each letter.
In my defense, I started this in the dead of winter.  I was obviously bored with the usual suspects.
But look up there, aren't they silly ibis?
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Painting No. 18 - Leslie's 30 Day Challenge

Hey Friends,  I decided to throw a few of my Dictionary Art into this challenge.  After all I must work on them if they are to be finished.   Why did I choose hammer for "H"?
I use a hammer to make my frames but mostly because I always think of my Dad when I see a hammer.  He was a rock mason and carpenter.  His right arm was a bit bigger than the other from swinging a 20 lb. hammer ( I could be as crazy as a bat on that 20 lb thing) but that's what I remember.   I also remember that he always tried to drive a 6 penny nail in 2 swings.
And that is a real nail there on the piece.
I'm trying to become more efficient in my posting on this blog and the DPW store.  I haven't listed anything there for a while because it ALL takes up so much time.  My desire is to post on this blog, then put the work in my Etsy store and have the DPW link to Etsy.
I'm gonna give it another try.  Wish me success.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

16th Day in Leslie's Challenge

Hey Friends,  Day 16 in Leslie's challenge !  And this has been a challenge.  I can't imagine doing this for a year....and if I did, could I still keep my other (real) job and keep my Babes once a week?
I would have to hire an organizer.  Ha Ha

A lovely lady in Lynchburg named Betty bought these two little jewels.  Bless Her.  I created these just for the fun or joy of using birds.  And the joy of using my hands and brain and papers to make a pretty little something.  These are 6x6x2 so they are chunky enough to sit anywhere Betty wanted them.   In a window in the bathroom or over the sink.  The book case or the end tables.  I do believe I need to make some more.  Speaking of organization maybe I should get back to my dictionary page art !  AND more of these.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Day 15 of Leslie's Challenge

Hey Friends,  The title is " Lessors on Parade".   In case you don't already know, we have lessor and greater flamingos.  The Lessor is the prettiest to me.  It's brighter pink and smaller.  The greater is of course a pale pink and ganglier..   They are both beautiful and I love to paint both.
This is a parade of Lessors and they know they are hot stuff.
This was purchased Saturday at the fab Lynchburg Festival by Nanci for her darling granddaughter, at least I think I'm remembering that correctly.
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Bob-O-Link in wax

Hey Friends,  My latest avian themed presentation for the 30 in 30 challenge.  This is a collage of  cold wax mixed with oil paints that is applied to an inflexible surface such as ampersand products.  Then you heat and while very soft imbed stuff in it such as a picture of a Bob-O-Link and a strip of glittery tissue paper and gold stuff and some webby stuff (sorta looks like a weave up there on the left side).

 Then you apply more cold wax (clear or with more oils added).  And then you must wait about 4 months for it to dry.  I'm told others don't have such a long drying time.  I don't know why it takes so long for me, that's why I don't work with it much.

I had to go back in with white oil to touch up his head and the little flowers.  This is a very tactile, expressive way to create. I enjoy it a lot but I'm too impatient.  It just doesn't work with my personality.  It's good to know your limits, in my case anyway.

Happy Trails
Travel Well