More Morning Glories #3 of 30 in 30

Morning Glories

8x8 watercolor on Arches

This is my third painting for Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge. My greatest pleasure during the amazing summer of 2014 has been the incredible weather with low humidity, temperatures consistently in the 75-80 range, and hardly any mosquitos.  WHAT?!
Next to that, which was pretty big for me, I've been loving sitting on my deck enjoying our little slice of oceanside nirvana and painting. Our 'Heavenly Blue' Morning Glories are in full bloom and I cannot get enough of this beautiful shade of blue. 
The painting is much lighter and cleaner than I can reproduce in this photo. Back at it again tomorrow.

Morning Glories

"Morning Glories"

6x12 watercolor

My second painting in Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30 challenge is this tower of morning glories which I grow on trellises inside ceramic pots on my deck. The 'heavenly blue' shade of these flowers is almost impossible to paint, but I tried. I so love sitting on my deck painting these gorgeous flowers! This has been a perfect summer and I hope this is a trend in the weather.

Leslie Saeta's 30 in 30

After Andrew Wyeth's painting "Her Room"

6x10 sketchbook watercolor

Leslie Saeta has thrown out another 30 paintings in 30 days challenge and I am jumping onto the bandwagon.

The challenge is to paint A LOT and I could use some motivation and some discipline in focusing.

This is my interpretation of an Andrew Wyeth painting, entitled 'Her Room'. There's something kind of lonely in the stark and melancholy mood of his paintings, set by his muted palette.  

It was a challenge in itself to try and match his color. 

As Leslie will remind everyone, this is about having fun and sharpening one's skills not about the count. So, I'm in.

Turps Can

"Turps Can Inspired By Carol Marine" 
6x6 oil on board

SOLD

I've been super busy since I arrived in Naples, which is really not an excuse for not completing my 30 in 30, but it works for me ;)

I enjoy doing my drive by paintings and will definitely be painting more of them. 

Meanwhile, Thursday we welcomed a precious new baby boy into the family! I spent the day at the hospital Friday, rocking him and admiring his teeny weeny-ness while his daddy, my nephew, took care of business and his very tired mama got a chance to take a nap. Yesterday I made the new parents a crock pot meal and offered to stay and hold baby Win, while they ate. 

They fell for it ;D

Drive By #13 Bonita Srings

Drive By #13 "Bonita Springs"

5x5 oil on board

It looks like I'm going to make only half of my 30 Paintings in 30 Days but Leslie did say that there were no rules and that we should have fun with it, which I have. I've been non stop teaching and visiting family and doing since we arrived here two weeks ago and I need to slow down.
This is the water tower at Big Carlos Pass in Bonita Springs with some Florida clouds. I'm loving the Drive Bys and I'm also working on some paintings of Naples for The Art Boutique at Tin City. Right now, I'm off to teach my Painting A Day class at Von Liebig......Stay tuned....

30 in 30 #12 Miss Piggy

"#12, Miss Piggy"

6x6 oil on panel

Yesterday, my two fabulous ladies came for their first painting lesson this season and we painted the white pig for the value lesson. They said that they'd lost their skills after all this time, but they hadn't. This is my pig demo which is standing in as today's 30 Paintings in 30 Days entry.

Drive By #11 GW Bridge

"Drive By #11, George Washington Bridge"

5x5 oil on board

Why do I choose such complicated subject matter when I'm under pressure? No answer for that.....I'm behind....with my 30 in 30......gotta go!

30 Paintings in 30 Days #10 Piggy Bank

30/30 #10 Piggy Bank

5x5 Oil on Board

Yesterday was my first Painting a Day class at Von Liebig Center for the Arts and 12 adventurous Ladies showed up to paint with me.  One thought she was in over her head and was about to bolt when we talked her into staying. She ended up surprising herself.

I must say that they were fearless and unaware of their abilities and, we had fun which is the prerequisite in this class.

I did this demo of my dollar store pig which counts as 30 Painting in 30 Days as I'm sure Leslie Saeta would agree.

Naples

I am itching to make up the Drive By paintings which have been on my mind for this entire drive by. I did snap 424 photos along the way, like I'd never seen any of it before, but, it's about the light and the light is always different.
We had a great trip, except for 12 hours a day in the car with each other ;) and two cats who were intermittently vocal, and the ultimate 'Pet friendly" DIVE (think cooties) of a room last night. Just kidding. You have to have a sense of humor to be doing this, and we do. 
We toasted our 10th season here in Naples as though we had never been here before and it was a new adventure, which, it kind of is.
I am setting up the studio tomorrow and will be ON these paintings, which as I've painted them have spoken to me in that way that makes me want to paint many more views of life on the road......so stay tuned...
Thank you all for following my 30 Paintings in 30 Days  journey, it keeps me going ;) ;)

Drive By #7 The On Ramp

Drive By #7 'The On Ramp"

5x5 oil on panel

The 30 paintings in 30 days challenge is working pretty well considering I'm about to embark on the annual Drive By, haven't packed a thing, or cleaned the house, have to work today, etc. etc.. 

The point of this is to act and when I finish one I choose the next one and block it in. Decisive and committed. Wow, who knew?

Drive By #6

"Drive By #6 Mystic River Bridge"

5x5 oil on panel

There was no traffic on the Mystic River Bridge that day. Really.
See the 30 Paintings in 30 Days painting challenge at Leslie Saeta's blog.

Drive By #1 On the Road

"On the Road" 6x6 oil on panel

This painting is part of my 30 in 30 challenge. I've always been a road girl and as many of you know, my hubby and I are about to pack up the cats and embark on our annual trip to Naples, Florida. These overpasses near DC were inspired by Karin Jurick's from Georgia to NYC and back series.
All of the paintings are for sale and you can find them in my DPW gallery the day after they post here. 
*  for some reason my PayPal button isn't working so please use email instead. I will figure it out ;)

Painting Out 2012

Inspired by Matisse 6x6 

Another year goes over the cliff....Oh, wait, I'm listening to too much radio if I'm talking that way ;)  

I deem 2012 the year of the over used cliche.

Anyway, I have had the busiest December ever, including a second trip to Maine, this time to see the Winslow Homer exhibit at the Portland Museum of Art. In case you've never been, it's a first class Museum and very easy to get around. 

It snowed that weekend and my pal Sally Dean and I had a ball, slippin' and slidin' on the sidewalks of the city.

Be sure to visit Girls Just Wanna Paint tomorrow to see our Matisse inspired works. Here's a sneak peek of mine but I must say that the girls outdid themselves with this one!!! 

I also signed up to do Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days beginning...well, pretty much, right now.

The View from the Irish Pub overlooking the Portland Ferry docks.

Happy New Year all and thanks for all your love and support. It's much appreciated!