Just Cluckin' Around

I wanted to take a break between commissions,

 and what better way to do it than celebrate spring by painting a couple of my hens!

Just a quick practice piece to loosen up...

"Just Cluckin' Around"

11" x 13"

Oil on canvas paper

Thanks for viewing!

Leave a comment if you wish

Commissions welcome!

Lemons 'n Blueberries, an Original Oil Painting

Spring has been in the air lately and I decided that for a moment at least, I would deter from the dead trees of Winter. Lemons always summon thoughts of freshness, and what more appropriate time than Spring! Add a few blueberries as a reminder that on the heels of Spring comes Summer and its bounty!

"Lemons 'n Blueberries"

5" x 7"

Oil on Canvas panel

Thanks for stopping in! Leave a comment if you care to.

Comments are always welcome!

Side-Step

Visiting Daughter #3 in Mississippi, she asked me to help her with a painting she had been struggling with. The idea came from her, and was to be a painting for her son who has been facing many struggles in his young life, but now through trusting Christ, was on the road to a better life! As she was painting and we talked, I painted along, basically using the same idea she was trying to transfer from her heart and head to the canvas. The new thing for me was painting with her acrylics, which I had never tried before. This was my version. I am also posting hers, She has just begun paint a few months ago and is making great strides in her skills!

"A Changed Life"

8"x 10" acrylic

Painted mid-November 2014 with daughter

 

as we were working....

She hadn't put the scripture on yet and a shawl over the cross.

I wish I had a finished picture of hers. It was so fun doing these together!

 

 

Thanks for viewing!

 



Christmas Scents, Scenes and Sounds

Christmas Painting #3

Oh this is fun! Remember the distinct sounds of bells... and the song about.......

"Silver Bells"

3 x 5 Oil on stretched canvas

Don't forget to leave your comments to be entered in the give-away!

Read about it ~here~

You may leave a comment on each Christmas painting post to be eligible,

and each time you comment puts your name in the "hat" again.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Painting Challenge for Me and a Gift for One of YOU!

I started a new simple series of small paintings called

"Christmas Scents, Scenes and Sounds"

I don't know how many I'll get done before next Tuesday, but I am challenging myself. There are 2 posted now and hope to get several more added. Check it out if you have time and want to see them.

I will be giving one away for Christmas.
The plan is to draw a name from all the comments posted on the

Christmas paintings.

If you comment more than once, your name will go in as many times as you comment. The drawing will be on

Dec 15th.

My daughter will be here to do the drawing. She will notify the winner and you can send your address to my email. She will get it mailed out to you. This helps me, as well as gifting someone else, because it gives me a reason to paint.
So keep checking back... this should be fun!

Christmas-y Stuff

Christmas painting #2

This is one of the many old-timey ornaments I have made. I love the smell of cinnamon and spices along with the evergreen scent of real pine trees, and the highlights from the white twinkle lights.

"Cinnamon-Stick Bundles"

5 x 7 Oil on canvas board

A 20 Min Exercise ... Christmas Painting #1

I have been disappointed with my painting lately, to the extent of just burning some partially finished works. They made good, but expensive heat in the wood-stove. (sigh)I knew in order to keep from being totally discouraged I had to keep painting, even if it was a small one.

I relate this time in my life to being in a snow storm right now, but the light of Christ will bring me through.

"For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him"

Matt. 2:2

3" x 4 1/2" Oil on stretched canvas

Painting with Johannes

As I have never had training or opportunity to take art classes, when I heard about a 12-week free webinar painting classes (2 hrs.in length, Sat and Sun afternoons) through Wet Canvas, I was determined to sign up.

11 x 14 WIP

Today was a demonstration painting and we were told we could paint along if we wanted. I got my pallet laid out with the colors the instructor suggested using, but found out at the last minute he was doing it in watercolor instead of oil. He also had sketched the larger shapes onto his support, and I hadn't had time today to view the reference photo he had emailed us.

Well, I decided I'd go for it anyway!....with my oils, as that is what I work with. I just painted along with him, filling in shapes in the general areas, and doing my best to keep up with him. This painting is not done yet of course, but it was a very fun exercise, and I feel I am learning alot about a whole new way to paint. I will post the painting when it is finished. I am so thankful for the opportunity to take part in these classes! Thanks to

Wet Canvas and Johannes!

Soybean Harvest .... after dark

" Soybean Harvest at Night"

Oil on 8" x 10" canvas panel

Our soybeans were being harvested yesterday. It went on all afternoon and evening, and into the night. The harvesting process sure creates alot of dust! The small field on the right was the last to be done. The truck on the far side of the big tree was waiting to have beans loaded into it. You could see the headlights and reflections through the dust. There was a huge harvest moon shining and I thought the scene very beautiful and needed to be painted!

Two recent practice paintings.... revised photos

I have several paintings in the works, but I wanted to get these 2 done before starting on a major project. Both are on 6" x 6" stretched canvas and are typically shelf-setters.

I started painting this vase of Lily-of-the-Valley from my daughter's garden while on vacation in PA, but got interrupted and had no background on it. Don't ask how I came up with this... I haven't a clue, but I know I am truly blessed to live in the country.

"Get Out of Town"



I had such fun doing this next painting. It was inspired by a friend's ( Joann of Pieceful Afternoon) blog-post about a Re-enactment at Bellingham Bay, WA, and she remarked about seeing the "water-fairies dancing". Click on the image to enlarge. Maybe you will see them too!


"Dance of the Water Fairies at Bellingham Bay"

Yes, Jo .... this one is for you! I hope you enjoy it! It will be in the mail Monday.

Up-date ... a "plein air" painting ... almost

After company from TX visited 2 weekends ago, my husband had shoulder surgery on the following Wed. Getting things done in preparation for that, I stayed off the puter and when I returned, my power cord no longer worked. Checking it out, we discovered that it had been chewed on and was no longer holding together (thanks alot, Bailey :-/ ) So hubby ordered me a new cord which arrived yesterday.

Over the week-end, I had wanted to paint (like fingers itching, smelling the oils, empty easel standing there) .... but all the photos I wanted to use were on my puter.

So I just sat..... in front of my easel, get up and go back an hour later ... (needed to stay close to my "one-armed" hubby in case he needed anything) I found myself looking out the window, across the yard , through the fence in the bull pasture, into the woods .... where the lowering sun was playing among the trees .....

The result was my first, "almost" plein air painting

"Don't Fence Me in"

9" x 12" Oil on canvas panel

This took several hrs total. I had to wait to finish the next day to get the sunlight as close to the same as the day before as possible. (I am not a quick painter, but I am working on that...)

Just wanted to share..... Thanks for visiting!

Oh, and hubby is mending and was able to go back to work with his arm in a sling, on light duty for the next 4 weeks. He's been a real trooper :)