Closet Aprons

Closet Aprons

8x6in oil on canvas board  $125. SOLD

#30  - Final Painting for the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

 I want to thank Leslie Saeta for coming up with such
a positive Challenge. I have enjoyed seeing all the artwork
and have been introduced to some fabulous painters.

Artist Note.
The challenge I gave myself has been stimulating for me.
Time flew by and I never felt I was just painting to get it done.
I also learned to see beauty in a different way and that has been a
big surprise.
I am grateful for the support I received from so many of you
on this journey. And for not minding the vacuum, broom, detergent,
fire extinguisher etc.
For my final painting I wanted to push myself into more of an abstract
painting. I am hoping that most of you cannot really tell right off
what this is . By that I mean it is not explicit.
I have been inspired by Roger (Akesson) who has been testing
a voyage into more abstraction. To my mind, these aprons
were the perfect subject to give it a go.
Here  is a photo of the closet in the Artists Guild's Studio.
Just as it was - not arranged.
Notice how bright the aprons are. They are gifts from well meaning
friends who do not realize that color bounces back onto surfaces and
can effect your colors.

 I do wear them, but only at times when color does not matter.

The  light colored one is the one I usually wear for painting.
I made some artistic decisions by making changes from the
actual scene...more for color and linkage than anything else.
The talented artist,  Dean.  from Deano's Den has a great
 term for these artistic decisions; he calls them
 Artful Departures. 
Isn't that a great - doesn't it fit just right?

My video showing how I paint with the fracturing technique
will be released this weekend by Daily Paintworks. 
(Are you hearing that, Miss Patient Lavon?)

Dried Artichoke Flowers

Artichoke Flowers

6x8in oil on canvas SOLD




Day 29 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

I was muttering away last week about how I was missing
painting flowers and another artist told me she bet she had
a flower I had never painted before. She brought it to the
Guild today and she was right, I had never even seen one never
mind paint one. Here it is - the artichoke flower.
For those of you who were like me and didn't know about this,
the thorny part in the center of the
artichoke (that you cannot eat) becomes a very beautiful purple
flower. These were past their prime and were at the totally
dried stage but I still loved painting them.
There were three heads on the one stem - very dramatic.
I will be painting them again I am sure

Personal note...
The artist who gave me these flowers owns a winery here

in New Mexico with her husband. She is a really good artist
and does some of the posters for the marvelous festivals
they hold. She is taking a year off from painting,
BUT will be back!
Have fun, Denise, we will all miss you.

Rock Wall Shower

Rock Wall Shower

8x6in oil on canvas board $125.



Day 28 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

As I was having my shower this morning I looked up
at my ivy plant and thought how lovely it looked
and then it occurred to me...drum roll...
I have never painted my shower!
It is an unusual shower because it has two rock walls.
which travel into the house from outside.
Not everyone's cup of tea I know, but I have always
enjoyed feeling as if I was showering in a tropical
environment and that is why I hung the ivy in there.
This house was built in the mid 70's and has
some of the typical features like this huge shower
which is also doubles as a Roman style bathtub. (tiled)

Artist Note.

I painted this outside the shower but kept standing back
inside to check what I was doing and seeing. The glass
doors cast a bluish color shadow on the stones, and
I was not sure I wanted that, but when I slid open the
door at that end it wasn't as interesting to me as
with the shadow color, so I closed it again.

Guess who picked the red plant pot...
uh-uh, moi!

Other Lights of My Life

Other Lights of My Life

6x6in oil on canvas panel  $100.



Day 27 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

Three more days left in the Challenge!

Many years ago I had a virus which left me with what they 

call pinpoint pupils - preventing both my pupils from dilating. 

The only downside is that I am as blind as a bat from dusk to 

dawn without a light source. Caring friends and family have 

always casually linked my arm and guided me safely wherever, 

without a word being said, but on my own it was a 

different story and I became the flashlight queen...

never without one or two!. 

Have you noticed that along with the LED lighting, brighter 

colors and different styles and shapes have also presented 

themselves? It has been a joyful experience for me. 

I now have a wardrobe color range of flashlights.

My purple/cerise one is at the gallery or it would have 

been painted today.

Color it PINK!

Color it PINK!

6x6in oil on canvas panel  $100.



Day 26 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

Of course someone like me who loves a bit of color
would have a pink hair dryer. Right?
Actually, the story went like this... mine broke and
when I went looking for a replacement I read this one
gave part of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Research
That made it a no brainer. My reward has been the color
gives my spirits a lift every morning.
But did I EVER think of painting it until
this challenge - no way!

Winter Closet

Winter Closet

6x6in oil on canvas board  $100.

Day 25 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

It was a comment by Helen Moreda, laughing about the
mouthwash post asking,"have you visited your closet yet?"
that put this idea into my head. Thanks Helen.
My winter clothes last for years as they never wear out in
our short winter season.
I hang all my winter tops by color.
My hubby used to tease me about this until he started
helping with the laundry, and now he loves it because
he knows exactly where to hang up my clothes.

Artist Note.

My new computer with Windows 8 goes very, very slow
on Blogger to the point where I am waiting until I get home
to do it on my laptop.
I wonder if anyone else has this problem
or maybe I am doing something wrong

Allium - Dried Seed Head

Allium - Dried Seed Head

7x5in oil on linen  $100.


Day 24 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

This is a wonderful dried seed head from the flower of
the garlic plant. I have painted them when they are
in beautiful bloom, but never like this.
I have to admit I cannot wait to paint a flower.
Something glorious.... hmm, now what will it be?

Mint, Lime and Peach!

Mint, Lime and Peach!

6x6in   oil on canvas board  $100.


Day 23 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

Panic today,  what to paint?
I am having to resort to restroom stuff for the Challenge.
Love the juxtaposition of the colors in this one.
This is from the studio and consists of mint  mouthwash,
cups, lime hand cream and peach soap.

Artist Note.

I painted for a couple of hours on another piece only to wipe
it all off. Feel my pain?

Still learning Windows 8. Frustrating. Lots to learn!

I do appreciate you visiting my blog and thank you.

Fruit Seller

Fruit Seller

6x4in  Ink line on bond paper.  Not for sale


Day 22 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

I went to the dentist in Juarez, Mexico, on Monday
 (saving money!) and as we waited in the line of cars to
cross back over, we watched many individuals selling wares
of great variety. This young pregnant woman cleverly
carried fruit on her head. She had netting over it
to keep it all from falling out of the ingenious little
shelf/hat she had made. I presume she had more
fruit in her bag. It took us more than an hour in line
so I happily kept drawing different people. After crossing
the border for 8 years to see this dentist I now
 have enough sketches  to paint a series from them.

Artist Note


Hope a drawing counts for this challenge. True to my own
goal I have never drawn a person carrying something
on their head before.
It is the first time I have used a pen to sketch with in the car.
Usually I count on something I can erase - like a pencil!
The marks you see under the drawing are an erased
pencil drawing from a previous attempt. I liked the subtle
difference it added to the paper.

Tea Lights

Tea Lights

6x6in oil on canvas board $100.



Day 21 in the 30 in 30 Days Challenge
My personal goal for this challenge - to paint only
what I have never painted or thought of painting before.

I love tea lights. They are so handy to place around
and last just a few hours.
This is the first time I have ever painted them and
want to do them again after the challenge.
I have a feeling they are something I would enjoy
studying

My computer change-over is taking up
precious painting time.