White Tulips

11x14 Oil on Canvas Board
Yesterday I joined the open studio at the Columbus Cultural Art Center. I attended classes there about 20 years ago. A couple of artist that were there then was in the class. What a wonderful surprise. They've moved to the second floor and the natural light is unbelieveable! So I signed up for the afternoon open studio, so now I get to stay all day.

I started this from a photograph that I had set up in the studio, then I came home and finished it this morning. Nothing like the real thing for the wonderful colors.

Morning Storm

4x4 Oil on Board

The photo doesn't show the storm clouds very well, but I was surprised how I made rain by dry brushing down from the clouds. I hope to work on landscape this summer as we are going to Colorado for the month of September. The landscape is unbelievable............

Carol's Dune

4" x 4" Oil on Board

This was painted from a photograph of Carol's in our Wednesday afternoon class with the Pumfrey's.........We finally made it back to Ohio from Florida.......just had to take time to paint today! Since the weather is Ohio Gray!Yuk! Welcome back gift for the next 5 days!!!!!

Jude Pool Side

Jude getting a little breeze out by the pool. What a beautiful day.....

Little Miss Movie Star

Miss Haddie, age 1, but going on 15......her mimi purchased her the new sun glasses and she loved them, except she wanted to keep them on all day!!! She's a cutie!!! We had a fun day at the pool at our hotel, then Nana make fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy! WOW! Brittney's favorite dinner. The new baby is soooo handsome, he sure does eat a lot.

Class Projects

The above paintings were done by Wendy Thorn in the Wednesday Watercolor Class at the Beach Art Center. We spent the month of April learning Mark Polomchak watercolor techniques for doing landscapes and water. Mark is a wonderful teacher, he produced a video a couple of years ago and it really shows some wonderful techniques. As most of my students know I don't do very many landscapes. Wendy really worked hard on studying Marks techniques and of course you can see she was very successful. Next season I expect to see lots of landscape painting from the summer! It was a great season and I will miss all of you guys! Have a great summer! Keep me posted on your progress.

Dunes IV

4x4 Oil on Board
Of course, another Dune painting from Pass-a-Grill. I've sold two of them! Maybe I'll become a Dune Painter?

Jude Statsi

This is my new great grandson........my granddaughter Brittney had a wonderful Easter Day present.......Now this really makes me feel old....number 2!

Killarney Canada

4x4 Oil on Board
Last summer for my birthday my friend Sheila, took me to her "cabin" in Canada. We had a week of painting and playing. I took so many pictures that I will be able to paint for a 100 years. I seem to have more success with the little landscape so I think I will continue working on these little guys for a while.

Sand Dunes 2

4x4 on Oil Canvas
This is a nice little painting of the dunes in Pass a Grill, but I painted it on a canvas board and it has way too much texture......no more small painting on canvas.

Pass A Grill Dunes 4x4

4x4 Oil on Board
After a couple of "wipe outs" on Wednesday in the Pumfrey's class.....I was bummed! Just couldn't do anything right....so yesterday at open studio I decided to paint small.....less time invested for a wipe out. Finished this little guy this morning.....I also used water mixable oils. They're a little stiff but once I added the medium, it went on pretty good.

Pass a Grill Dunes

8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

I'm still painting! Last week was Paint the town in St. Petersburg. It was a wonderful week of painting every day with Judy & Larry Pumfrey. We went to Pass a Grill 2 days and over to Salt Creek on Friday. I had several wipe outs, but I learned a lot. The weekend before we had a 2 day workshop on Plein Aire Painting with Judy & Larry also, I got a couple of good starts but I need to go back to the Garden at Hertiage Village, maybe this Friday Morning.

The paintings from Paint the Town are in the Finn Gallery on 4th St. until April 19. I can't tell you how wonderful this show is, it really makes me know how much work I have ahead to get up to where I would like to be in my painting in Plein Aire!

David A. Leffel Demo

All I can say is WOW! David A. Leffel did a demo at Longboat Key Art Center, this was the third day of his workshop.......couldn't afford it, but just couldn't miss seeing the master at work. It was wonderful, he is the best! Also I purchased his book (out of print from 2003) from Gallery M in Sarasota, they had one of his paintings. So I got it signed and he was just a gem......thanked me for coming and purchasing his book. I've had the opportunity to see several pieces in Galleries out west and let me tell you they are just awesome!!! This has made my year!!!

Little Rebel

8x10 Oil on Panel

I have a collection of photographs from a local park that has an annual re enactment every spring. This was one of my favorite photos......just loved this little guy.....you may see him in a painting again!

Back 40

11"x 14" Watercolor on paper

This photo was taken while we were in Ohio over the holidays......we live on 40 acres of woods so it was a winter wonderland......had to paint it! I just love the reflection in the small creek in back of the house.

Baby Girl at the Beach

10"x10" Watercolor on Paper

Little Sister

22" x 30" Watercolor on Paper

Sunflower

4"x4" Oil on Gesso Board

Painted this in the open studio class at the art center. Great fun! I decided to work on a few close up views of flowers. Of course, I only have 5 million pictures!!!!

Cone Flower

4"x4" Oil on Board

I painted this one in Judy & Larry's class yesterday. The board needed more gesso, the paint became very tacky.

Lake Hope, Ohio

4" x 4" Oil on Board
This painting was painted from a photograph from a workshop a couple of years ago with Church Marshall, a wonderful teacher and artist. Of course, I have a bunch of landscape photos that I've been taking over the past years. So here's to finally getting to them!

River View

4" x 4"

Oil on Board

As most of you know I don't like doing landscape, but I've decided for my new challenge, paint more landscape. The St. Pete Plein Aire "Paint the Town" is coming up in April, so here's hoping I will get more experience, so I'm not so intimidated.

Making a Mark: Art in 2008 - A Review (Part 2)

Making a Mark: Art in 2008 - A Review (Part 2)

This is a wonderful art blog.....it's all about the art business, especially with what's happening in this tough market. I discover this link from Karin Juricks site, she's a faithful reader and I can see why. As most of you know I talk about Karin's work and what has made her so successful. It's about hard work, painting daily, because if you paint everyday you will get better! Remember the old saying "Practice makes Perfect". Speaking of Karin check out her blog (http://karinjurick.blogspot.com , she's having a show at Morris Whiteside in Hilton Head in March......I may have to go visit my friend Julie, or maybe Shelia will be in Charleston. If you haven't visited Karins blog......you need too!

Words All Dressed Up

8x10 Paper/Mixed Media

This was a fun Christmas Gift....I haven't played with collage for quite a while....We made it back to Ohio last night.....It's Cold.

Copper Pitcher

8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

I've worked on this one for a couple of weeks....of course it was a wipe off a couple of times....the medium I used is very shiny. I like the way it looks in real life, but it's very hard to photograph. I also have been working on Christmas gifts.......We will be leaving for Ohio Saturday, so I hope I will have a little time to paint.

Brass Pot

8x10 Oil on Canvas Board

I started a couple of paintings last week while I was at the Art Market in St Petersburg, Florida. It was a real challange painting from the photograph, it's hard to remember the wonder reflections, especially in the shadows.

Granny Smith

8x10 On Canvas Board

This was a fun one to paint...I experimented with a different technique....I did a value underpainting (black, white and gray) with acrylics.....Helen Van Wyk (we have her weekly on our PBS station in St. Pete) does this quite often.....it's a great way to paint. Get those values right and everything falls into place. I've also been working on a new design for my web site.....it's been a busy week. I hope to get a few more paintings with this technique.

Orange Triad

5x7 Oil on Gesso Board

I started this one last Spring, just didn't get around to finishing it.....I think this ended up being a favorite.

Brass & Roses

11x14 Oil on Canvas Board

This was given to St. Paul's School for their annual fund raiser.....happy to say it SOLD!

Beach Buddy

11x14 Watercolor on Watercolor Paper

I've had 3 wipers (What Carol Marine calls her paintings that were trashed or wiped off). So I decided to post my class project for the next two weeks.

I'm scheduled to be at the Art in the Park in St. Petersburg today, but the rain is moving in......so maybe I'll just get to paint all day.

Turnips

6x6 Oil on Canvas Board

During the Carol Marine Workshop the girls from Georgia had these wonderful turnips....mine are not quite as pretty, but I did enjoy painting them.