Copper Caddy

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One day I wandered into TJ Maxx and found 3 copper pitchers which I knew I didn't need but had to have. Props, of course. This one's been sitting here for weeks holding watercolor brushes and a palette knife and I thought it was time to paint it. 

This afternoon I went to the beach with the intention of painting which didn't happen. It was again,  windy and brisk but, hey, it's still Florida and I enjoyed reading and taking photos of the kite surfers.

Lady In Red

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Having flowers around the house is an indulgence worth the cost. Especially since they insure that there's always a prop to paint. I'm in love with the red/green color scheme, here.

Yesterday I worked as a volunteer 'booth sitter' for the Downtown Naples Festival of The Arts Show. The day was sunny and clear with high temperature of about 80 and NO HUMIDITY. My favorite weather. I had a great time meeting the artists and shopping for a few pieces of original art. Check out this deluxe golf cart with a Wisconsin license plate on it. 

This is Naples, after all.

Palmettos

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 The plan today was to go out to the Everglades and paint with another artist/blogger but, it's raining so we bagged it and will try for another day. Last night, in anticipation, I decided to paint some palm trees just for practice.  I kept my  brushwork really loose combining lessons I've learned from Carol Marine and Colin Page. Two of the BEST whose edges and brushwork make their paintings exciting no matter what the subject.

"Cup Shadows"

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 Three beautiful cups and a saucer from my extensive collection of white objects found mostly at Goodwill. Naples is loaded with second hand shops, filled with any and all kinds of treasure. Don and I went into a place called Sensible Chic which is in a strip mall sort of building. Come to find out the entire building was filled with second hand 'vendors', each renting space. What we initially thought was a 3 store section, turned into a maze of conjoined shops all filled to the brim with YOU NAME IT! We were in there for an hour before Don had to go sit in the car and read his book. I finally exhausted my sensory receptors and quit without buying a single 'Prop'....but I saw some tempting stuff ;) so I'll be returning.   

Dream On 6x6 acrylic on paper

Lately I've been realizing how much I like beautiful abstract and illustrative art and this little painting is a complete departure from my usual medium and style. The concept here was 'dream' which is a subject I'm intimate with. I have vivid dreams and often wake up feeling like I've had complete experiences involving people (some I've not seen in years and some I don't even know) and places I might or might not know of. I sometimes feel like I've been on a trip. Anyway, for this subject I wanted to break out of the box and create something dream like. I had great fun drawing it and I ordered a bunch of metallic acrylic paint to use with it. This was for the Girls Just Wanna Paint challenge blog where you can see the other paintings. 

Virtual Martini

In my usual fashion, I was late for the "virtual" cocktail party that my friend Kelley held over at her blog. No matter, I'm publishing my drink here. Last night I cooked a corned beef dinner for my hubby's cousin and her artist husband. Despite my misgivings about my circa 1987 electric stove, I managed to regulate the burner so as not to boil the thing to death. It was excellent and we had a great time. He is a watercolor artist so he and I just yammer on about art while his wife and my husband yammer on about their family history. It works quite well.

We Three

My love affair with white continues between my incredibly (for me) busy social life. My brother and his girlfriend bought an RV and rolled into Naples last weekend, surprising us and kicking off another round of family shindigs, visits, dinners and social time. In addition, Don's cousin and her husband are in town and we are going over to their pool tomorrow and I'm cooking a corned beef dinner on Wednesday evening for them. Anyone who knows me well, knows that I rarely leave the studio or the paints. I tell you. I have been getting in some studio time but I'm way behind in some of my intended paintings.

Cozy Up

The hardest part of this painting was the rim of the clear glass plate. In reality it is a bright and very distinct hard line. I had to balance it with value and break it up so it didn't dominate the painting.  Today was a beautiful rainy day. Monsoon like. I spent the day in the studio and later this evening I picked up my Sister and my Mama on the way to a family party at my niece's house, where we turned on the festival lighting aka Christmas Lights :D and had a great time!

Fourth Cliff

The towns comprising the South Shore of Boston are a treasure trove of ocean, river and marsh views, harbors dotted with working lobster fleets, lighthouses and fresh salt air. To me, it's home. This little seascape is a view from the North River out toward Fourth Cliff in Humarock, Massachusetts.

Irish Soda Bread

This perfect loaf of Irish Bread studded with currants was baked by a friend of mine who sent me a photo of it to paint. Baking Irish Soda Bread is an art much like painting. It's not easy to get it right. This one looks awesomely mouthwatering and would be great toasted with butter. If I have the assistance of Betty Crocker or the Pillbury Doughboy, I too, can bake ;)

Famous Artists on YouTube

 

My Studio Awaits

While I'm washing sheets and towels in anticipation of going back into the studio and locking the door (in the figurative sense) I'm posting some entertainment for those of you who stop by looking for a new painting. Soon, soon ;)

Not only are there famous artists on YouTube but I'm there too, along with my friend Kelley MacDonald and her famous pug, Paco.  Enjoy these cool videos made by the talented and hilariously funny, Myra Anderson!