Three Pears and a Celebration!!!!! Oil paintings and #30 of 30 paintings in 30 days!

 

12x12 (set of three).....oil on canvas.....$170 ea.

 

 

Well it is here!  The thirtieth day of the 30 in 30 Challenge!  This is me taking a bow...I accomplished what I set out to do plus a little.  I thought I would celebrate with a set of three paintings to go out the a splash.  Pears are one of my favorite subjects. 

 

During this thirty day challenge I did, indeed, post thirty new fall paintings in thirty days.  And I think I only missed one day of getting my painting posted to the host blog, Slices of Life by Leslie Saeta, that was the epicenter of the whole event.  With my own blog, when you schedule a post you can set it to publish when you are out of town.  But you have to go in each and every day to post to the host blog, waiting till that day's post is up and running so that you can add yours at the bottom.  So I only missed one day of doing that.

 

The big deal is that I sold 2 paintings just from the blog alone.  Yay!  I haven't, in the past, sold as many straight from the blog.  But I can and I will in the future! 

 

Congratulations to all who successfully completed the challenge!  A lot of great art was created in the course of this event and Leslie Saeta is to be congratulated for a job well done!

Crabby Guy....oil painting.....#29 of 30 paintings in 30 days...

 

8x24.....oil on canvas.....$230

 

In deciding what I wanted to post on this second to last day of the 30 in 30 challenge, I was looking through the remainder of my new fall paintings.  I came across this one and I said "Oh, I need to show this crabby guy!"  So he is now the Crabby Guy...He has cousins known as  the Crabby Couple.  I may make a whole Crabby Family one day, who knows?

Tomato Trio....oil painting....#28 of 30 paintings in 30 days....

 

8x16.....oil on canvas....$150

 

A fellow artist gave me some advice that someone had given her one time.  We both come regularly to the Red River Revel in Shreveport.  She said that it is good to always have something new going on in your tent when the people come back....the ones that visit you every year.  It's not good to have the same old same old.  Well tomatoes are one of my normal things that I sell regularly and I love to paint them.  So for a different twist I decided to combine them with another one of my favorite elements....the black and white checkerboard pattern.  It give them a really different vibe I think.

Poppies.....oil painting......#27 of 30 paintings in 30 days...

 

18x36......oil painting.....$775

 

I have been much more comfortable painting flowers since my workshop with Dreama Tolle Perry this summer.  I will have to say, I am just more comfortable painting....period.  It's like anything else, the more you do it the more comfortable you are. 

 

Every now and then I go back to paint a subject that I have painted in the past when I was first learning how to use oil paints.  This happened recently with  a bell pepper.  I remember the first time I painted one....all the little dips and shadows around the top....and getting the stem in there and looking like it stuck out.  It seemed like a foreign language and I was just muttering a few phrases here and there.

 

But just recently I had a commission to do three small paintings of a red, green and gold bell pepper.  It was so much easier this time and I realized that I have been getting better over time.  I wouldn't say that I am "fluent" yet, still lots more to learn and more discipline to apply, but I am at least "conversational".  

Lake in Lecco, Italy......oil painting.....#26 of 30 paintings in 30 days...

 

18x36.....oil painting.....$775

 

This is a little place in the Lake District in Italy...a little town called Lecco.  This is where we stayed our first two night of our trip in 2010.  We had traveled by ferry to Bellagio on this day and as we returned and were walking back to our hotel, the light was just so gorgeous!  I took many pictures along the way and lagged way behind my fellow travelers.....as usual.  lol

Garlic.....oil painting.....#25 of 30 paintings in 30 days...

 

12x24....oil on canvas.....$340

 

I have previously been confused about garlic terminology....clove, pod, bulb, hunk?  So I looked it up.  It appears that what you see before you are three bulbs of garlic which separate into numerous cloves.  So now we know. 

Jalapeno.......oil painting......#24 of 30 paintings in 30 days...

8x24.....oil on canvas....$230

 

This is a companion piece (or not) to the red pepper that I painted yesterday.  You can tell it is a jalapeño because the tip is fatter than the red pepper.  These paintings would look great together or can stand alone.  Either way they'll be hot.  Did I just say that?

Red Hot Chili Pepper...oil painting.....#23 of 30 paintings in 30 days

 

8x24.....oil on canvas......$230

 

Long, tall chili pepper will fit on a skinny wall beside your window or between two doors.  Perfect little kitchen painting.

*****update....there was a little misdirection in the dates and times of these last two posts.  But if you look backward you will find the painting you thought you would find.  Also, note to self, these long tall paintings do NOT show well in a tiny square thumbnail. lol

Seeing the Seasons.....oil on canvas.....#22 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

 

Set of Four 8x8's.......oil on canvas.....$300 (set)

 

In yesterday's post I began telling of my "intersection" of my normal way of painting and abstract painting.  I have always been drawn to color.  (my foyer is purple and my dining room is "watermelon"...'nuff said)  Sometimes when I finish a painting there are all these beautiful colors still left on my palette.  They just call to me...lol.  How "artsy" does that sound?!

 

For this set I just pretty much stood there and these paintings happened without my knowledge (or planning or direction).  Somewhere partway through the process I noticed that I had the four seasons developing so I did nurture that idea as I continued....it wasn't a total accident. 

 

So this is what I imagine....you are looking at the surface of the water....

 

the first one is summer....full blooming flowers reflecting from the water's edge.

 

second one is autumn....trees leaning over the water and their reflection mixes with the leaves that have fallen into the water and are floating.

 

then in winter....the icy sky reflects into the water and because I am such a fan of color we have some brave souls in their winter hats and scarves reflecting before they head inside where it's warm.

 

and for spring....bright greens of the new growth everywhere and since we are in Mississippi we have flowers very early in the season.

 

There you have it....Seeing the Seasons...four little tiny windows for you to look through any time you choose....no matter what the weather outside.

Abstract Intersection.....oil painting.....#21 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

 

8x8.....oil on canvas.....$75

 

Well this is a departure isn't it?  I have, for a long time, had an interest in creating abstract paintings.  I have heard more than one person say in passing "Anyone could do that!".  But I am here to say it is much hard than you think. 

 

When you do a representational painting that actually looks like something then it is easy to create an emotional response from the person....they have something they are familiar with to relate to.  But when you do an abstract.....you don't have the object or person and all the memories or emotions or impressions or feelings that might go along with something you have seen before.

 

All you have are form and color.  You still have to create a composition, and harmony and try to create interest without the help of the familiar. 

 

You'll hear more about my abstract diversions tomorrow.  For now this is an "intersection"....my thoughts are intersecting and you have a front row seat. 

Outstanding in the Swamp.....oil painting.....#20 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days....

 

18x36......oil on canvas.....$775

 

I have taken a bunch of photos of birds in the swamp, so I couldn't tell you exactly when this was taken.  But I can tell you that it was somewhere along the Tickfaw River in Louisiana down near Baton Rouge.  As anyone in my family can tell you...."I love these long-legged birds"!

 



Barn and Hay Bales.....oil painting.......#19 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

 

16x20....oil on canvas.....$375

 

I love the colors in this one.  And since here in Mississippi the temperatures have finally dipped into the 80's it seems that fall is in the air.  These big rolls of hay are in every field this time of year.  I took a little liberty with the trees, they are definitely not that colorful around here yet.  But as I said, the "low" temps have got me thinking of Autumn...

Lake District, Bellagio, Italy....Oil Painting.....18 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days

 

24x30.....oil on canvas......$850

 

 

This is a photo that I took in 2010 when my husband and I went to Italy with some dear friends of ours.  This is near the beginning of our trip when we visited the town of Bellagio in the Lake District of northern Italy.  We had our first of many long wine lunches there. This particular wine bar was where we had the amazing Puglia Olives.  What you see are my husband and our friend speaking with the proprietor.  They were scoping out a spot and I will have to say this was an excellent choice!  Wonderful little places were just around every corner.  Great memories. 

Pouting Tomato....Oil Painting.....#17 of 30 Painting in 30 Days...

 

8x24.....oil on canvas....$230

 

 

I have fallen into the habit, like fellow painter Carol Marine, of assigning human attributes to the inanimate objects that I paint.  To me this group of tomatoes is like a group of your grandkids....you ask them to line up for a picture and there is one that pouts and turns their back and will have none of it.  Well, I didn't feel like coaxing the big guy that is looking away....I just went for it.  I wonder if he will regret it later. 

Tabasco......Oil Painting......#16 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days...

 

12x24......Oil on Canvas.....$$340

 

I have to have at least four or five Tabasco paintings ready as I head into the fall show season because they are a popular item.  This one is on the coolest green background!  It is different from any green I have mixed before and really complements the red bottle. 

 

Little Chapel...oil painting....#15 of 30 paintings in 30 days...

 

8x16...oil on canvas...$$150

 

I love this little painting.  It has the energy and the vibe that I want all my paintings to have.  what better way to celebrate a fine Sunday in September than with a painting of a happening little church.

 

I guess you see we are half-way there!  15 paintings in 15 days.....so far!

Potted Geraniums......Oil Painting......#14 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days...

 

16x20........oil on canvas.......$375

 

I bet these look so nice from inside the window. I really like the way the leaves really look like geranium leaves.  

Water's Edge....Oil Painting.....#13 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days....

 

20x24......oil on canvas.........$575

 

This is a scene from the edge of the water where our house in Gulfport used to be pre-Katrina.  We sure do miss the good times down there.  With God's grace we will be able to have the family convene down there again one day.

DeSoto Magazine Article re: Red River Revel....

I will be participating in the Red River Revel in Shreveport in a couple of weeks as I have for the last four years.  This is the first year I will be doing the entire week as opposed to just the first half.  It is long hours and hard work, but the fellow artists, the staff and most of all my loyal friends and clients make it very worthwhile. 

There is an article in Desoto Magazine about the Revel featuring me and another MS artist.  If you can get past the first time they mentioned me (Brennan!) it is a very nice piece. 

You can find the story online at www.desotomag.com then click on the DeSoto Magazine Online link at the top of the page and the article appears on pages 14-16.

Lovelace Drugstore, Downtown Ocean Springs....Oil painting.....#12 of 30 paintings in 30 days

 

12x24.....oil on Canvas.....$340

 

This is from my hometown of Ocean Springs, MS.  Lovelace drugs is a fixture in the downtown area.  I remember sitting in front of Lovelace's under the oak tree in high school and having a bake sale for the Paper Staff.  I met a wonderful older gentleman that I went on to interview for the paper.  He paraphrased this Longfellow poem and I have always remembered it.....

 

"I often think of the little town,

seated beside the sea

and in my dreams stroll up and down

the pleasant streets of the dear old town

and my youth comes back to me."

Just picked.....oil painting.....11 of 30 paintings in 30 days....

 

12x24......oil on canvas.....$340

 

This is one I did after taking the Dreama Tolle Perry workshop.  I feel much more inclined to paint flowers now than I ever did before.  I LOVE the colors in this one.  I can see it in a powder room just making you smile when you go in there.

Ticklish Ivories.....Oil Painting of Piano Keyboard.....#10 of 30 paintings in 30 days....

 

 

10x30......oil on canvas........$360

 

I love the movement and the happiness of this one.  You can just about hear a tune when you look at it. 

 

We are 1/3 of the way through the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.  Yikes!!!  That means we are 1/3 of the way through September!  How did that happen?

Museum-Worthy Tomato.....oil painting......#9 of 30 Paintings in 30 Days...

 

12x12.....oil on canvas......$170

 

This is the tomato that I painted on location at the Mississippi Museum of Art this past Saturday.  I was a part of their "50 Paintings in 50 Hours" celebration as the "Old Masters to Monet" exhibit came to a close.  I had such a great time visiting with people and seeing all the great art we have right here in our own backyard!  What a great day!

Crystal Hot Sauce...oil Painting....#8 in 30 paintings in 30 days

 

10x30........oil on canvas........$360

 

 

For a long time my mom has been telling me to paint a Crystal Hot Sauce bottle to go along with my Tabascos.  She says that there are people out there just as devoted to their Crystal as there are Tabasco fans devoted to their brand.  So here you go, Mom! 

 

(tomorrow you will see the tomato that I painted at the museum yesterday.  I haven't had a chance to photo it yet.)

Three Amigos.....Oil Painting.....# 7 out of 30 Paintings in 30 days...

 

10x20......oil on canvas........$240

 

 

I paint pears almost as much as I paint tomatoes.  Pears have the most "personality" of any fruit I know.

 

I had a great day today being a part of the "50 paintings in 50 Hours" celebration at the Mississippi Museum of Art.  I got to paint, talk to great people, spend time with my wonderful daughter AND see a Van Gogh, a Cezanne, a Manet, a Monet, a Renoir, a Bonnard, and many more fabulous paintings ALL in one day!

 

I'm tired but it's been a great day!

Fresh Cut Flowers......Oil painting.....#6 out of 30

 

12x12....oil on canvas.......$170

 

I am sticking with the workshop theme.  This is another painting that I did at the Dreama Tolle Perry workshop.  However this one is all mine....no musical easels for this one.  One of the first roses I have ever painted.  Such a happy painting!  (Did I just sound like Bob Ross there for a minute?)

Sunny....sunflower oil painting....#5 out of 30 painting sin 30 days

 

8x8......oil on canvas.........$75

 

I am painting every day, I promise.  But I am working on a rather extensive commission and I don't want to unveil it just yet. 

 

So in the meantime I am posting some of the paintings that are new for my fall shows.  This is the one that got started at the Dreama Tolle Perry workshop in Lexington.  It was the "musical easels" painting and we all got to move around every few minutes and work on each other's paintings.  I didn't think I would like the exercise, but it taught me a lot.

 

I fixed up a few rough edges and this little guy is a keeper for sure.  

It's Hot....Tabasco Oil Painting....4 of 30 paintings in 30 days

 

10x20.......oil on Canvas........$240

 

Red on Turquoise....one of my favorite combos.  Your kitchen needs a little spicing up.  Right?

Tomato Portrait and Workshop Announcement....Oil painting 3 of 30 in 30 Days

 

8x8...............oil on canvas.............$75

 

Painting number three in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days online challenge.  I am featuring this juicy tomato today because I have a juicy announcement to go with it. 

 

It's official....I will be conducting a 2-day workshop on February 14 & 15, 2014.  It will be hosted by the nice people of the Delta Art Association and will be held in Greenville, MS. The workshop will be $200.  If anyone would like to participate you can contact me and I will put you on the list for more info as the final details are arranged. 

 

The title of the workshop will be Big, Bold, Funky, Chunky (and no that is not a description of the artist!).  We will focus on tips and tricks to loosen up, gain confidence and produce bolder, braver art.  We will work with palette knives and use other activities to get loose.  I will share my list of "Things I wish I had Known from the Beginning" as well as "Things I knew and Use All the Time".

It is a fun workshop with a relaxed, encouraging vibe that is perfect for beginners as well as experienced painters wanting to "loosen up".

 

Come join us in the Delta and see what it is all about.  Spaces are limited so once you decide to come, don't put off letting us know.  

Authentic Jazz (Musicians from Fritzel's) Oil Painting...2 of 30

24x36......."Authentic Jazz"........$1200

 

This is my second painting for the "30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge".  We went to New Orleans at the beginning of August to celebrate anniversary # 36.  Lately we go check out Fritzel's every time we go down there.  Great place and really great music!

Wading...Oil Painting of a Blue Crab(Challenge #1)

 

10x20.....Wading.......$240

 

September is here!  And so begins the Leslie Saeta 30 Paintings in 30 days challenge.  I am looking forward to trying to accomplish the goal of 30 new paintings posted in 30 days!  Wish me luck!

 

This is one of my favorite new paintings.  In person the water on this one looks so real that it seems that if you touched him your hand would get wet.  But who would touch a crab running around loose in his own element? 

 

We just returned and unloaded the car from our trip to New Orleans for the Palmer Park Art Market.  I'm hot, tired and hungry .....feeling a little crabby. Hence the choice for my first of thirty paintings.