Hello from Kentucky!

McKinley Paige Drennan...November 2009
Our little pilgrim-turkey girls...too precious for words

Kayleigh Lorelle.....November 2009

Well, this year there is definitely MUCH to be thankful for! We have enjoyed these little girls so much!!!! They are so precious and happy. There is nothing in the world like having one of them crawl over to you and stand up next to you to play and smile and dance. They love to snuggle up and Kayleigh likes to give kisses now. We are so proud of these little chickies. They have such sweet personalities. They are truly good babies. Can't wait to have them with us at Christmas!!!

I'm "published!

I enjoy, very much, a web site for artists and art-lovers, called The Empty Easel. It is a very comprehensive site that offers art how-to's, tips for selling art online, opinions on everything art-related as well as introductions of various artists in various disciplines around the country (and world sometimes). A week or so ago they invited artists to answer the question "What is Art?"

Well, those of you who know me know that I can expound for 30 minutes on a subject that I know absolutely nothing about, so you can imagine how I could get rolling when the subject is ART. So I dashed off a response giving my thoughts on the matter.

Imagine my surprise when in my inbox today I found the weekly newsletter that I get from EE and there, where they display what had been featured during the week, was the article by ME! They published the article in it's entirety complete with photos of two of my recent paintings and a link to my blog! You can read the article here .

Woo! Woo! And since I don't like a book with no pictures (or a blog, either) here is a shot of one of my favorite paintings that I have done in the past. It features art on the fence in New Orleans being viewed by passers-by...interpreting the work of others in their own way.

Fence Gallery...30x40..oil on canvas...Sold

Art at the Auditorium...

This is the poster from the event that I was a part of on Tuesday night. A very cool restaurant in Jackson has started doing meet the artist night once a month and I was one of the featured artists this month. Great food, great people, great fun. This is the poster that advertised the upcoming adventure. I think this is the first time I have seen my name in poster form. They did a great job.

And speaking of adventures...I had another one Monday night. I was the Guest Artist at Easely Amused...a paint-your-own-masterpiece gallery here in our town. It was great fun and I plan to do another one in January...we did a palm tree this time. I think in January we will either do a crab or a group of tomatoes.

With having taught a painting Mon. and then having had the meet and greet on Tues. (coming on the heels of an outdoor weekend show) I was pooped out by Wed. But I am packing the car today and we are off to Covington, LA tomorrow for the Three Rivers Arts Festival. I have a new set-up for displaying my prints that I am anxious to try. Hopefully we will have beautiful weather and great sales.

I have big news on the horizon, but it is a little too soon to talk about it...more info coming as soon as details are definite.

Crabs and more crabs....Shell-y and Clawed

"Shell-y".....12x12.....oil....$150(sold)

"Clawed"...12x12....oil....$150(sold)

These are two more in my "seafood" series...I have loved giving them slightly skewed people names. If these guys don't sell, I might just end up hanging them in my house somewhere...I like them that much.

Seafood Sampler...Crab, Shrimp, and Crawfish

Painting 1

Painting 2


Painting 3

# 1..."A-2 Fay"....12x12...oil.....$150(sold)

#2..."Barbie Q".....12x12....oil....$150(sold)

#3...."Sue Shee"...12x12.....oil.....$150(sold)

These are three paintings that I did for the festivals that I have coming up. As I said in a previous post....this is how I want to paint. I love the colorful loose style and the mood of the paintings. And it was a little bit of fun naming them.

Tipsy Wine and Wine Straight Up..Oil Paintings...

Painting 1 Painting 2

#1........Tipsy Wine................8x16............$130

#2.....Wine Straight Up........8x16............$130

These are two more wine bottle paintings that I have done to get ready for my two upcoming shows. They are fun and evoke thoughts of having a good time, I think.

Speaking of having a good time.....I have some more paintings waiting in the the wings to unveil. I just love them, the style, the subject, the mood of them. I am finally getting a more consistent "look" for my work. I have all my new stuff hanging in the foyer to dry and when I look around I see that I am heading in the direction that I want to be. I knew that my little "painter's block" that I experienced last week was probably a harbinger of change and I was right. I am so much closer to where I want to be.

This is not to say that everyone is going to like my paintings better, or that they will sell better (but I hope both of these things do happen). I used to paint a painting every now and then and be able to say..."this is how I want to paint!" But then I would fall back into the inconsistent mode and paint something totally different in style and mood. Now I am finding that I am turning out one of those "this is how I want it to be" paintings much more often now.

I don't ever want to be one of those painters that finds a "niche" and then paints nothing but trees or nothing but houses. I want my unifying factor to be my signature style and my consistent choice of colors. I think in this past week I have taken a step closer to achieving that goal.

Blue Heron on the Bayou....Oil Painting

"Blue Heron on the Bayou"....12x24...oil......$290(sold)

This is a painting I did for the Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs. Their website is beautiful, but I have to say the way they list the artists leaves a lot to be desired. If you click on the right to see Visit our Vendors...it brings up a word document and I am on page 13 out of 14 if anyone wants to take it to that level. I would advise just look at the other stuff and skip that step. My booth is #710 and I will be in a spot off of Government between Government and DeSoto. I am going down there for something else this weekend so I will check it out and get better directions for those who are near enough to attend. It is a wonderful festival with so many talented artisans...I am just proud to be there!

Martin the Crab...

Martin the Crab....8x16.....oil.......$130(sold)

I have a friend, Martin. He paints crabs. In fact he is "the Original Crab Man". He will think that I am painting crabs because he paints crabs and because he has outsold me at the last two shows we have been to. However, I do have witnesses that I painted crabs before I knew him. (if you go to this link you will have to scroll down past the twin's first sonogram, but there is, indeed, a crab down there.)

I painted that crab because I was going to be doing a show in South Louisiana and I knew that it would be popular down there. (and it did sell, by the way) That is the same reason I painted this guy...I will not only be in Covington again, this year, but I will also be at the Peter Anderson Festival in Ocean Springs...another venue where seafood in general, will be popular.

Plus, if you read my former post about the new artist I found that I admire greatly...Carole Foret...you will see that she has some great crab paintings and it just got me in a "crabby mood".

More Tabascos for the Art Festivals...

Painting #1 Painting #2
#1......Just a Drop.......8x16......oil.......$130(sold)

#2...Tilted Tabasco...10x20.....oil......$200

You may say, "is this woman not tired of painting Tabasco?" I'm really not. There are many good thoughts associated with the Tabasco paintings I do, one of which is that they always sell, lol. But aside from that, some of the most important men in my life put Tabasco on everything. One of my first paintings that I did as a gift was a Tabasco for one of my favorite people in the world, my stepdad, Bob. Plus, it is such an iconic item. There are Tabasco clothes, and housewares. If you are sporting a Tabasco tie or shirt, it says something about you...you have a spicy side.

Plus, I have discovered another thing I like about them...just like my tomatoes that I paint all the time, I just love painting the shades of red that you use...I love the way that alizarin crimson gives way to cad red deep and then cad red light...and when you add that pop of orange on there...well, I guess I am lucky, it just never gets old.

Painting 1 Painting 2

#1"Middleman"..10x20...oil on canvas...$200

#2"Hotty"....12x24...oil on canvas...$290(sold)

This first painting is a composition that my son and daughter-in-law have been wanting me to paint for a while. They saw something similar in a restaurant in Lexington. I love the negative space. I want to revisit this one another time and try it again. But I love the idea of it. Thanks Michael and Heather.

Painting 2 is another Tabasco for my upcoming art festivals. I like it...see, I told you not all my paintings were going to be "twisty" like yesterdays's.

Tabasco with a Twist...Oil paintings

Painting 1 Painting 2

Painting..................."Pssst"....10x20.....oil on canvas....$200(sold)

Painting...."Twist of Tabasco".....12x24....oil on canvas....$290

I have struggled, since I returned from my two are shows, to get back into painting mode. The posts from the last few days since I returned have been of paintings that I had done prior to the shows that I had not had time to post before I left.

I knew why I was struggling...it was because I was headed in a new direction. I had looked at lots of good art at the two shows I had been a part of, plus I had spent 8 days in a tent surrounded by my own work. I knew what I liked and I knew also, what was missing. I knew where I sort of wanted to go but I just couldn't break out and make a move in that direction. I unpacked and primed new canvases and did all sorts of "useful" stuff instead of painting.



But then I saw the art of Carole Foret online. She is where I want to be. She even paints Tabasco! Looking at her stuff got me going. It says what I want my work to say. I want my paintings to look like they are moving. I want them to be alive and happy and colorful. I had the colorful part and the happy part (according to comments I heard during my art festival stint) but I was missing the moving part. The work you see above is a result of combining what I already did with what I see others doing. I will not switch completely over to this form of expression, but I can tell you for sure you will be seeing more of it.

Slices, Cantaloupe on cutting board oil painting...

Slices...12x12...oil on gw canvas....$150

These cantaloupe slices just looked so nice and juicy that I had to paint them. And those of you who know me well know that I don't eat melon of any kind. But you know what? I love to slice cantaloupe. Is that weird or what? I love to cut it open and scoop out the seeds and cut it in half and into slices and cut off the rind. Then I pop it into a bowl and into the fridge for someone else to eat. I don't even really like the smell of them. Hmmmm.

For any of you out there with super computer skills...I had started trying to make a little simple webpage on GoDaddy.com, where I bought my domain name. I had not even gotten past a title really. Then I was redirected by a friend to use the publishing application that is a part of this blog. Through that I was able to get my blog configured so that if someone types in www. and then my name it comes to this blog(which is what I want)...but if they just type in lorriedrennan.com it gives an error message that I have published my web page incorrectly and directs me to the "web site tonight" which is the designing program from godaddy that I was using. I did some DNS numbers, when I did the part that worked yesterday, that were supposed to redirect to my blog even if they didn't use the www. but it is not working. Does anyone have experience with this?

I want to have new business cards printed up ASAP, but I don't want to put the web address on there it if won't work correctly.

Hay bale oil painting....and big news!

Marmalade Skies...30x40 oil painting....$1200($1300 framed)

I took this picture on the way through Georgia a couple of years ago. I have always wanted to paint it and I am glad that I did.

The title comes from a Beatles song...Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds...."Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies" It was running through my head the whole time I was painting this. Those Beatles sure did have a way with words didn't they?

Now for big news....on the advice from an artist friend that I just met at the Shrimp Festival, Terri Keller, I have bought my own domain name! Soon, when all the little miniature computer gremlins finish working their magic, and if I did it right, which is a big IF, you will be able to type in lorriedrennan.com and you will be brought directly to my blog. I tried it with the www in front of it and it works now, but since I didn't do it the easy way and go directly through the blogger program, I had to do a couple of extra steps to get it to work without the www. Those things take a day or two to catch on I think.

So try it. My blog actually looks better if you view it on the actual blog page...if you gt it sent directly to your email you just get the white background. I designed a nice page, but you have to click on my name at the top of your email to go to it. Some of the paintings just look so much better on the black background, I think.

Anyway, thanks Terri, for your help. It's not like you are sitting around looking for things to do!

Reflection....Bird standing in the water oil painting

Reflection....10x20....Oil on gw canvas....$200(sold)

I took this photo quite a while ago in an obscure area down on the coast. Thanks to my zoom lens I was able to get the shot and not disturb the bird as he peacefully stood there.

This is a paintover, a painting painted over another painting (one that didn't quite work out). The hope is that the underpainting will evidence itself in an interesting manner and therefore add to the painting that is on top. This one definitely does that. The vertical lines that you can see are texture from the underpainting and create a very interesting look...sort of like the water is coming toward you, which on the shore, it always is.

Shaken or Stirred & Does it Matter?, Oil paintings of vodka & martini

Shaken or Stirred?....6x12....oil on gw canvas....$80

Does it Matter?.....6x12......oil on gw canvas.....$80

These were originally going to be very different....they were to be larger, and for specific person, but major life changes called for the commission to be canceled. But my husband liked the idea so much that he encouraged me to paint it anyway. And the titles, I think, asks a question that begs to be answered.

Rainy Day Street Car on Canal...

Rainy Day Street Car in New Orleans....24x36.....oil on gw canvas....$860(sold)

When I paint I always show what I have worked on to my husband and my daughter when they get home. They are like my first responder critics, if something isn't working, they always tell me. When Dacia, my daughter, saw this one she said that she really liked it and that it was different from the other streetcars that I had painted. She said, " It looks like a rainy day, and you know how I love rainy days!" What a wonderful child! Because of course, it was a rainy day and I wanted that to come across and she got it immediately. This one goes in the "W" column.

We just returned last night from the whirlwind, marathon art show tour. I was gone for almost two weeks. I met a lot of nice people and got to see art friends from all over. I even met people that follow my blog. It was hard, hard work, but also great fun. I froze on Sunday in the rain in Shreveport and less than a week later I almost passed out from 105 degree heat index in Gulf Shores.

I also won my first Patron Award while in Gulf Shores so I'd like to send a big thank-you to the owners of Cosmo's Restaurant in Orange Beach. They are nice people and they have a place in my personal art history book. They run a wonderful restaurant that I frequent whenever I am in that area. I had never met them till they came to buy art. They are opening another restaurant named Cobalt so I'm sure it will be nothing short of wonderful and successful like Cosmo's. And did I mention that they have great taste in art?

I have two more shows this fall coming up in November. For now, it's time to do a little wedding planning for my daughter, Dacia. We're off with our entourage to check out bridal gowns this weekend. And it's gonna be fun!

Jazzy Trio, Oil painting from New Orleans

Jazzy Trio....30x30...oil on 1.5 gallery wrap......$900

These musicians were playing outside the Cathedral in New Orleans when we went down there for our anniversary this past August. The guy in the yellow shirt seems to be playing to his own particular audience.

All in all I am very happy with this one and have enjoyed having it around so much that it has been in my living room since I painted it. It is off to the art show today to possibly find a new home.

Wish me luck as I travel and work myself into the ground over the next week. I will try to post starting again next Thursday when I will have internet access again. Until then I'll be going from sun-up till sundown....

Have You Seen my Glasses? II, Wine Art Oil Painting

Have You Seen My Glasses? II...24x24....Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap....$575(sold)

This is one of my faviorite paintings to come off my brush in a while. I am loving this look of the "Party behind the subject" where the light is just a glow in the background. It makes you wonder what is going on back there.

Pear for You....

"Pear for You"....16x20....oil on gallery wrap....$375(sold)

The depth of color in this painting really doesn't show in this photo....but it's pretty cool in person. It looks really nice with the pair of pears that I did a few posts ago.

I have a revolving foyer art show going on...I hang my paintings, as I complete them, on a grid system that I have hanging in my foyer. They hang there where I can enjoy them and critique them, as they dry and await their fate....either off directly to a new home, to a gallery or on the road with me to the outdoor art shows.

I love this system because I get to enjoy them before they go to their permanent home. Some of them, I will really miss. But alas, they have to grow up and head out on their own someday. Did I mention that my daughter is getting married?

Out Standing....

"Out Standing"....24x36.....oil on canvas.....$800 ($900 Framed)SOLD

This is a revisitation of a bird that I have painted before...it is a different size and different treatment, but the same bird. I took this photo during a trip to the Tickfaw River in Louisiana.

This guy was just "out standing" in the water begging to have his photo taken.

Coffee Cup Colors....

Coffee Cup Colors....6x6 ea.(set of 4)...oil on 1.5 Gallery Wrap....$175(set)SOLD

It is surprising how many people collect coffee cups and coffee cup art. I decided that I would be ready for them this year. This is my second set of cups that will be featured in my fall art shows.

Walkie Bird Wing-Ding...

"Walkie Bird Wing-ding"....30x30....Oil on 1.5 Gallery Wrap...$900

This painting features friends of yesterday's birds. These guys were planning their strategy so that when they commenced to "walkie-walkie" they wouldn't run into each other.

This picture does not really capture the real painting. I will be getting a new camera soon, as soon as Canon releases the new G11. When I do, I hope to learn how to really use it well and take better pictures of my work. Partnered with that I need to learn how to really use the photo shop programs. I know some of it, but not enough. That's why I quit doing the Different Strokes blog adventure, because the photo requirements were so stringent that I couldn't be sure my entries were up to par. So in my spare time, between painting, planning my daughter's wedding and planning a trip to Italy I will strive to make better quality photos.

Walkie Birds I, II, and III...

Walkie Bird I (King of the Hill)...12x12...Oil on Canvas....$150SOLD
Walkie Bird II (Goin' Places)...12x12...Oil on canvas...$150SOLD

Walkie Bird III(I'll be Right Here if You Need Me)...12x12...Oil on Canvas...$150 SOLD

I have a close friend that calls these birds "walkie birds" because of their funny little skittery walk as they go back and forth on the sand when the waves come in and go out. I took these photos late in the day last year when we were enjoying our two-day "recuperation" stay at the end of the Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores.

I probably like these paintings as much as any I have ever done. I love the subject, the colors, and the fact that (to me anyway) you can tell that it is late afternoon at the beach.

That is my favorite time to be at the beach. The families with children pack up and go to dinner, the sun-bathers give it up and head in, and those of us who are left find that there is really no where else on earth we would rather be.

Somewhat Abstract.....

12x24......Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap......"Somewhat Abstract"........$300

I have always wanted to paint the sparkles of light that you get in the background of some of the scenes you come across. I am so happy with this one. I am going to be taking a whole lot of photos with this effect. You can just feel the ambiance of the evening can't you?

"Bottlenecks"....

24x30......Oil on gallery wrap....."Bottlenecks".......$725($825 framed)

I really am happy with this painting. Not only is it a subject matter near and dear to my heart, but I like the different composition of this one as compared to some of my others.

This is from a photo I took in a restaurant in Las Vegas this past spring. I had a blast one afternoon wandering through some of the restaurants when the wait staff was setting up for dinner. I just wandered in and asked it they minded if I took pictures of the bottles or tablescapes or whatever interested me. Not one person said no.

We are just returning from my niece's wedding in Tampa. It was this past weekend and it was beautiful! My brother and sister-in-law did an awesome job putting the entire thing together. They did everything themselves...decorations, food, flowers...everything. They had some good helpers in the family and it could not have been any nicer if they had had highly paid professionals to do it all. (I still hate that I missed getting a stuffed tomato, though. Everyone was raving about them the next day. Where was I?)

Pear Pairing Oil Paintings......

set 8x10.....Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap......"Pear Pairing".......$175(sold)

I am really excited about these two paintings. They are just the type of loose, colorful, funky paintings that I want to produce. I can just see them in someone's classy kitchen. The great thing about the groupings that I do is that they can be hung alone, side by side, or on top of each other. In kitchens sometimes walls come in horizontal patches (backsplashes) and in vertical segments (between doors) so these are great to add that punch of color.

The second festival that I will be attending this fall is the National Shrimp Festival in Gulf Shores Alabama. If you go to their site, highlight "Artist" in the keyboard to the left and then choose fine arts. Boom, I am number three. Also check out my friend, Martin Welch.

We both have an interesting situation coming up. We are both in the Red River Revel (see yesterday's post) and the Shrimp Festival. These are both 4-day shows. WITH ONE DAY IN BETWEEN! I will be by myself in Shreveport...no one is free to come with me. So on Tuesday night the show in Shreveport ends at 9 PM. I have to break down and pack my stuff (normally a 3-hour process with TWO of us!) Then I have to get up early Wed. morning, drive from Shreveport to Jackson, pick up Mike and the trailer with more stuff in it, then hightail it down to Gulf Shores to get there before check-in closes at 6 PM. Then we have to set up the booth still. That can take 4 or 5 hours. The people who visit my booth on the first Thursday the Shrimp Festival opens will probably meet a zombie woman.

The really good news is that the condo we are staying in is in walking distance of the festival (no parking issues) and they offer two free nights if you book 5...and I had to book five for the festival itself. So like we did last year, we will be staying two extra days to relax after it is all over with. I know I will need at least two days!!!

Garden Show-offs....

16x20.....Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap......"Garden Show-offs"....$325SOLD

This is from a photo I took while we were out in Las Vegas the second time. They have the most beautiful landscaping around the casinos. And to think it's all built in the middle of a desert. They have signs in their magnificent plantings stating that they are watered with "reclaimed" water so that you will know they are not wasting resources.

I am still feverishly getting ready for my fall batch of art shows. I was blown away by how nice the web site was for the first one that I will be attending....the Red River Revel in Shreveport, La. Click on the artists icon in the lower left. It will take you to a list of artists. Scroll to the bottom and click on page 4. If you click on my name it will bring up a large page and if you wait a second (or click on the picture, I can't remember) it will start a slideshow of the paintings I submitted. Very cool.

Hot Sauce oil painting....

12x24.....Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap......"Season to Taste".....$300SOLD

This is another of my stand-by subject matters. Here in the south people are known to be passionate about their hot sauce....to the point of wearing logo clothing and having logo dishes, etc.

I know a certain someone that carries his mini bottle in his pocket for emergencies. : )

Tomatoes on the Vine OIl Paintings....

12x24.....Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap......"Vine Ripe".......$300(sold)

See the post from Mon., Sept. 7, for my thoughts on tomatoes. They really are one of my favorite subjects. And they always seem to look extra yummy on turquoise backgrounds.

I found out that I have been accepted into two more fall art shows....that makes four in total. I am so excited, but that means I need to really get busy!

If you need me, I'll be in my studio!

Tomato Pairing Oil paintings...

12x12....oil......$150 SOLD

12x12 .....Oil .......$150

I tried a different background on these and the look, I think, is totally different. They look more serious. If a tomato can, indeed, look serious.

My thoughts today are with those who are still dealing with the aftermath of 9/11. We are all still dealing with it on some level. Some much, much more than others. Children started school without mothers, wives set tables with one less place, and hearts are still broken over what might have happened differently. God bless America and those who love her.

Sun-N-Sand Hotel Landmark oil painting...

24x24....Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap......"Back in the Day".......$600SOLD

This is an old landmark hotel from "back in the day" in Jackson, MS. I remember my husband's grandfather and his group would stay there when they came in town on business. I met them there for breakfast one time when my 30 year-old-son was 1.

Sunset behind the Blowfly Inn Oil Painting...

12x12.....Oil on Gallery Wrap....."Sunset Behind the Blowfly Inn".....$150(sold)

This is the view that you get from the Blowfly Inn in Gulfport, MS. It's back in business now and has been for a while. Katrina destroyed the original building and they moved to another location for a bit, but they are back on the bayou now where they belong. This is where Dacia(my daughter's) surprise engagement dinner was held this summer. She used to go there with her grandparents and the Blowfly is just part of the family. You may have seen it featured in Southern Living Magazine.

Tomato Line-up Oil Painting

6x12.....Oil on 1.5 Gallery Wrap....."Tomato Line-up".....$80SOLD

I am getting ready for my fall outdoor art shows and in addition to painting things that I am wildy inspired by, I am also in the mode of painting things that will sell. I cannot tell you how many tomatoes I have sold. And that wildly inspires me any day.

Wine Bottle Oil Paintings....

24x36.....oil on 1.5 gallery wrap.......Three's Company......$875 SOLD

I took this photo at the Cork Wine Festival, also. The light was coming in from the back and you could see it through the bottles.

Well, I have been busy busy busy this week and have gotten several paintings done. They will be posted next week after I have them all photographed.

Thanks to all who have commented and welcomed me back after my long absence.

And now to end the week with a smile. Check out these two party animals. Am I lucky to have a daughter-in-law who realizes how much I love getting these photos or what? The girls will be seven months old on Sunday. I feel like I fell asleep in January and woke up and it's September!

Another Vantage Point Oil Painting of wine bottle...

24x30.....Oil on 1.5 gallery wrap....View from Above....$700 (sold)

I just loved the idea of looking down on this bottle from above instead of the usual vantage point from the side. Maybe next I will do one looking from below......hmmmmmm.