30 Day Challenge

Hey Friends,  Our neighbors way down the road, have a small, city farm of sorts.  My gran-babes love to go there.  They have chickens, ducks, goats, a dog and a pond!
This little painting is acrylic and painted while my babes chased the dog, Rumi.
I took a bazillion photos of their ducks in anticipation of Leslie Saete's 30 day challenge.  So far I haven't done any ducks but hope to be caught up soon.
I'm busy preparing for my favorite art festival in Lynchburg, Va. on the grounds of EC Glass High School on Sat. Sept. 14th.
And today I'm helping with an Ice Cream Social at the Green Ridge Center in Botetout on Rt. 220.
I had better get this posted on Leslie's blog and start packing !
Happy Trails
Travel Well

Beautiful Saturday on the Porch

 Hey Friends,  I wish you could have been there with us.  Ikenberry's retail store on Rt. 220 in Botetourt county has a wonderful huge porch with rocking chairs with cushions.  A fabulous place to sit and laugh with your friends and chat with art lovers.   We had quite a few people to browse and chat.

 True, most did not come for the art, they were after Ikenberry's beautiful greenhouse plants, such as the Ivy geranium above.  BUT, they did come over and look and chat, so we (the women of DLP's) are encouraged that this will grow into a show to benefit not only us and Ikenberry's but the FFA (Future Farmers of America) at Lord Botetourt High School.

Judy made this sign to display our intentions.  So if you will forward this blog post to all your friends, you will help us build this venue that ultimately will benefit our farmers.

Another shot of the art panels on the huge porch.  Inside this store is a big selection of candy, hand made bread stuff, hand made jellys and preserves and seeds and soaps and much more.

An antique cart right outside of a green house with a few of their beautiful plants on display.  I bought a Dragon Begonia, Lobelia, Blue Salvia,Creeping Zinna and Snapdragons.   All are gorgeous.

Happy Trails
Travel Well

Art at Ikenberry Orchard

Hey Friends,  Just in case you haven't heard, the Double Line Painters will be at the http://www.ikenberryorchards.com/index.php Orchard retail store on Rt.220 in the Daleville area today.    We will set up on their big porch and display our work and paint some too, if the wind isn't too strong.  Click on the link above for directions.

Hope to see you there.  

Happy Trails
Travel Well

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

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

300 Years Ago

Hey Friends, I've been meaning to show you a few of my "Western" or "Native American" paintings. I decided to name this series 300 Years Ago because by my calculations this era would have been >< that far back. I have a little American Indian blood in me so maybe that's why I'm so compelled to do these.

When I was little I always hoped Roy Rogers and Dale Evans would come riding over the horizon to adopt me and take me back West with them. I can remember those day dreams very vividly. Lord knows what would have happened if I had actually seen them coming. I'll bet it would've been close to a heart attack!

Anyway, I have thought that I must be the only person in Virginia that likes this subject matter and that is proabably still true BUT when I came home from working at Gallery 108 this evening, a lady in Minnesota had purchased the painting above !!! That gave me such a thrill, to know that someone else appreciated my sentiments on this subject.

So now that I feel braver I am going to list the others in my Etsy shop.

Happy Trails to You , Sue

LA Series #3 Original Alla Prima Painting

Hey Friends, I just added this to my Etsy Shop. This is the third in the LA series. Soon I'll have to start an NR series!! After the handsome fella in the post below.

This is a close up of the model looking for stones to skip across the brook/creek/stream?

Happy Trails.

Gum Springs-the Glow of a Million Red Buds

Hey Friends, A couple weeks ago I posted some photos I took on a short walk down our little country road along Gum Springs. I did finally get around to painting from them. At the time I was painting, the Red Bud trees were in full bloom. That's where the title came from. The little buds have fallen now and the little green leaves are emerging. In the photo below it is hard to visulize all the shades of green and the glow from a Bazillion Red Buds when the sun is setting. Just trust me - That's what it looks like

I painted another from the same area that I will post later. I only have 2 shows scheduled for this year, thus far. And it's a darn good thing 'cuz I'm not sure I'll be ready for these. The first is in a couple weeks and the second is the end of May. Boy, I better get with it.

Happy Trails.

BEACH NO3

Hey Friends, Artists know they should paint what they love, the things that really inspires them. So with that in mind, I painted another beach scene. Using the same photos I've used several times. In this painting I felt like adding some figures. Some humans enjoying the sun and water as much as I would, if I only had the time to go.

This is painted on masa rice paper with acrylics, one of my all time favorite techniques, which I learned from Vera Dickerson years ago. You can find 8x16 giclee/reproductions in my Etsy shop by clicking here.

Happy Trails.

POND

Hey Friends, This painting was done from some photos I took at the college my youngest daughter was attending. Maybe you have heard of it - Hollins College - here in the SW mountains of Virginia. She graduated this past May "08 so I'm guessing I painted it in 2007.
The sun was setting and casting long shadows. Everything was really green, with a few flowers blooming here and there. I gathered them all up into the foreground. It is one of the prettiest campus' you will ever see. I must find those photos and make some more! Click on this.
Happy Trails. BTW-it is 8"x 16".

POND

Hey Friends, This painting was done from some photos I took at the college my youngest daughter was attending. Maybe you have heard of it - Hollins College - here in the SW mountains of Virginia. She graduated this past May "08 so I'm guessing I painted it in 2007.

The sun was setting and casting long shadows. Everything was really green, with a few flowers blooming here and there. I gathered them all up into the foreground. It is one of the prettiest campus' you will ever see. I must find those photos and make some more! Click on this.

Happy Trails. BTW-it is 8"x 16".

LOVE THAT COBALT

This post is being published Wed. Feb. 18th.2009. Can't figure out how to change the date on a draft.

Hey Friends,

This was painted a couple of years ago also. It is watercolor. I remember why I gave it that title. I had a new tube of cobalt violet and cobalt green and the colors are lucious. Cobalts colors are heavy, they come from minerals. So when you put a brush, dripping with color, on watercolor paper (this is Arches) the mineral sinks to the bottom of the liquid before it starts to dry. You get a granulated effect. Just beautiful! I got the idea for this composition, while at a workshop, being held at a local artist home. There were easels and such everywhere.

This is double-matted, under glass, and the metal frame is gold and deep. It measures 20"x16". Normal selling price is $200.00 but for this studio sale, $100.00 and $3.00 shipping will work.

Shipping for this size would be around $23.00, so that's a good deal also. Click for my etsy shop.

Happy Trails.

SPRING BULBS

Hey Friends,

I painted this several years ago, using watercolor. I remember the little area being close to Tanglewood mall area. Off of Starkey Rd. It has been demolished and a nursery sits there now. It is double-matted and in a metal frame that is a greenish-gray color. Pretty much the color of the under mat. It measures 20" x 16" and is under glass. It is a soft, dreamy type of landscape, some might say romantic.

This size normally sells for over $200.00 but a studio sale should put it at $100.00. And I'll ship it for $3.00. Normally shipping would be about $23 for this size. So that's a deal.

It's a pretty piece - don't let it slip away. Click here for my etsy shop.

Happy Trails.

CLUSTER OF POPPIES

This small piece , 6"x6", is a view from the back yard, looking up a small hill or ridge. It is especially pretty with the evening light. Over the years there have been horses or goats or cows in this little pasture. At the moment there are no animals, so the vegetation has had a chance to grow a bit. I painted this with acrylics on canvas panel and it is varnished. It would make a nice gift for an art enthusiast. CLICK HERE to visit ebay and bidding.

Glad you could visit again.

TIME TO OPEN

Here is a new painting! It is a larger piece, 24" x 24", painted with oils on a gallery wrapped canvas. It is adapted from a photo I took years ago on a trip to Germany. Such a beautiful place, the landscape is very much like the mountains here in Virginia. This painting is available at The Little Gallery at Smith Mountain Lake, here in Virginia.

FARM SHED w/ RED AZALEA'S

Some of you may know that Ebay is having a sale on some of their fees. (for the sellers) So I'm posting a few extra paintings tonight. I'll try to keep them short. This artwork is 6" x 9" , an odd size. One of the typical sheds you see all over America. This one is in Ohio. Saw it early morning on a trip to Columbus. A peaceful little painting. CLICK HERE for info on ebay.

DELPHINIUM BED

In reality there were only a few delphiums and a lot of weeds in this bed. Artistic vision is a big help. Have you ever given any thought to the fact that you can buy an original painting, one of a kind, painted with high quality, permanent, lightfast acrylics or oils, for less money than the mass produced, unlimited prints at Sam's, Cosco or Kmart? Thanks for stopping in. For purchase info on ebay CLICK HERE.

EGRET

This is just one of the many marshy areas you can find in southern Florida. I love to paint birds and include them every chance I get. This is a 5"x7" acrylic on canvas panel. A standard size that should fit into any 5x7 frame you find. For bidding info CLICK HERE and you will link to ebay. Have a wonderful weekend! SOLD

POPLAR

This painting came from the same area as the next post, VIEW ALONG THE PARKWAY. The same overlook but in another direction. We have a lot of Poplar trees here in Virginia. I'm not sure of their habitat range. Even though a common tree it is still pretty and a good shade tree. I welcome any comments but I won't be able to read them until about Saturday or Sunday, the 5th or 6th. My computer needs some refurbishing or something to that effect. My computer geek daughter has to work on it for me. Thanks for visiting and if you desire to own this painting or give for a gift CLICK HERE and you will wind up on ebay. SOLD

VIEW ALONG THE PARKWAY

I'm sure most people have heard of the "Parkway". It's a scenic highway running through a few states, originally built to ferry the US President to a safe place during the cold war. It wanders through the western mountains of Virginia (where I live) with lots of scenic overlooks. Every overlook has a beautiful view and you can get lots of reference for paintings. This painting is from one of my many trips along this parkway. This is a 5"x7" Acrylic on gessoed panel. If you would like to bid on ebay - CLICK HERE. Thanks for stopping in and have a Wonderful Fourth of July weekend! SOLD