Mary B Spires Watercolor & Art Stuff

This is the new Great Granddaughter....she was born March 26, 2008, 8 pounds 3 oz....20 inches long.....Isn't she just wonderful!!!!!!

7x5 Oil on Board This was painted at the afternoon class with Judy & Larry Pumfrey .....it took a couple of hours, but the process was sooooo much fun. I'm trying to get a few ahead because it's going to be a busy month.......I'm hoping to do at least 5 per week.....

7x5 Oil on Board This little guy was painted this morning before class....the photo doesn't do it justice! That 40 minute, 15 minute and 5 minute at the Carol Marine & Karin Jurick Workshop a couple of weeks ago, made me brave enough to do this 25 minute painting!!!! I'm a happy camper!!!!

Sold 6 x 8 Oil on Canvas This was a fun one! I think I need to darken the shadow, but I think I'll wait until the paint drys.....I spent the afternoon working on my new easel for the studio, plus an addition to the paint box for plein air. I'll take pictures and up load tomorrow.

6 x 8 Oil on Canvas I toned the canvas with a peach color.

Saturday Art Market was great fun! Of course it was not ideal weather conditions for Florida......it was cloudy with a threat of rain all day! I started a couple of painting but they were wiped off! It finally rained about 1:30, so we had to close up shop, but just as we were packing up, a lady came back to purchase one of my Little Daily Paintings!

Answer: The one in the middle! I've been tagged, so I have to tell 5 things about myself. 1. My oldest granddaughter (23) is having a baby due March 20 th , so that makes me a great grandmother! Oh! My! 2. I was born in Kermit, West Virginia, yes like the frog. 3. I started painting after having Breast Cancer 20 years ago! Sometime things happen for a reason. 4. I had a TV Painting Watercolor Show in Columbus, Ohio, that ran for 8 years on Educational TV 28. 5. I have authored two "Step by Step" Painting Books. Today I will be at the St. Pete Art Market.....so I should have a couple of painting to post tomorrow.

6 x 6 Oil on Canvas Board This little guy was painted in one hour! I totally surprised myself. After a day of lecture, watching both Karin Jurick & Carol Marine demo we had about an hour to paint a small "Daily Painting". We were all in the "zone" after all that inspiration!

6 x 6 Oil on Canvas Board One of the most valuable exercise that we did at workshop with Karin Jurick & Carol Marine was this exercise where we did three small painting with only Burnt Umber, one we had 40 minutes to complete, one we had 15 minutes and last one was only 5 minutes. Can you pick which is which? I'll post the answer tomorrow. As I have read many many times in various art books, if you get the value right the color doesn't matter! Well what do you think.

I've been so busy with "ah ha" moments, I haven't even thought of taking pictures of my own paintings. I can truly say this has been one of those "Things" that happens on your "Art Journey" that is a major step in the way you think about painting and the way you execute it! It's like Carol & Karin have flipped on another circuit breaker in my brain!

Can you see and feel the joy?

Carol's demo was really good......what wonderful brush strokes!!!! It truly is about value and shape....if you get these two right....the painting will work. Carol looks at the still life thru a view finder, studies the shape/value, then does the stroke....I don't remember who said it but "if you get the color right, the value will be right". Her demo was right on.......another day in painter's heaven, with a bunch of new girlfriends and Mark.

A few pic's from Day 2!!! WOW!! So much information, what a learning experience! It's been such a great workshop! It's like they both have opened up the right side of their brain and we got to visit.....In the am we did value studies one 40 minutes, one 15 minutes and the last 5....quess which one most of us did the best? Wrong! the 5 minute one!!!!!! So much fun. The top photo was Karin's "Spring Man"..... it truly was a "AH Ha" moment. What a neat way to describe form........the second pic is Carol modeling for Karin......next was Karin's Demo of the a Bus Stop figure......then the final Figure..........

Workshop Austin Texas The workshop has been everything I hoped for!!!! Yea!!!! We started the morning off with a lecture from Carol & Karin, they discussed their views on blogging, plus general information on painting small daily works. Both artist were very giving with information on why they paint, what got them started. Both are very different in the way they approach their subject, but their differences complement their approach to teaching a workshop. How lucky we are to have both artist teaching in the same workshop. Carol painted the apples from a still life set up with her "still life table" (check out her blog for the picture of the stand her husband made). While Karin was painting the little girl painting from a photograph.

8x10 Oil on Canvas Board I know I said I wasn't going to paint those orange slices again!!!! This painting is really about white or the colors of white. I'm not real happy with the overall painting, but I must remember this about practice.....

Photograph of still life, White cup with Orange Slice.

8 z 8 Oil on Board Another orange!!!!! I think I'm tired of them!!!! Finished this one yesterday.....I still have about 6 more of the frames......great surface to paint on.

SOLD 8 x 8 on wood panel This is the second one painted today!!! My husband was right, I'm picking things too hard to do for daily painitngs......it takes me a while to get IT!!!! But it's supposed to be about practice!!!!

8 x 8 oil on board Last year I purchased these pictures in white washed frames......I covered the picture with gesso and then painted over them......so now I have these wonderful painting surfaces that are already framed!!!! I painted a couple of them when we were home in Ohio, but I found a few more in my closet in Florida......I think I should clean out the closet, who knows what I may find!!!!

8 x 10 Oil on Canvas It's been a good two days!!! I'm on a roll!!! This one is was painted yesterday afternoon. I'm getting ready for the workshop with Carol Marine & Karin Jurick next weekend in Austin Texas.

11 x 14 Oil on Canvas Board

This picture & painting was painted during a workshop with Judy & Larry Pumfrey this past weekend. I had a couple rub off's but the 3rd painting was OK! As always we can find fault with everything we paint. But at least I didn't rub this one off. Larry did a couple demo's, just to watch the process is a learning process. It truly is about Practice, Practice and more Practice.