hot tamales

 Just for fun on a Friday. Painted on a 6 x 6 x 1 1/2" canvas.sold

scout

 I recently got some oblong frames so I am enjoying painting this format.  This is painted on an 8 x 16" linen canvas.  Painting a lot for some upcoming shows. "all day, daily painter" lately.sold

in wait

 Sometimes it takes me a while to get to some of my favorite photos.  I took this at Rosemary Beach a couple of years ago. This is painted on a 12 x 12 x 1 1/2" clear primed linen canvas.sold

white woman

 White is the new black. This is painted on an 8 x 8 x 1 1/2" canvas.sold

santa rosa morning

 This is a gift for a dear friend who lives in Santa Rosa Beach, FL.  She wakes up to scenes like this most mornings. On occasion, she sends me photos of beautiful sunrises and sunsets .  I knew I wanted to paint one for her one day but I was scared.  My paintings usually feature a figure. Not sure how to make a landscape stand on its own.  I am taking a landscape workshop with Frank Serrano in October so I hope that will help me understand more about depicting sea and land. This is painted on an 18 x 18"x 1 1/2" canvas.

Speaking of workshops...I am trying to get my act together to have one at my studio.  Thinking of starting with a Saturday and Sunday in middle January. I will have to limit it to no more than nine because of space. More to come on that soon.sold

timely

 I read Robert Genn's "twice weekly" newsletter recently and he addressed artist blocks and helping students out of them.  He suggested giving youself a 37 minute time limit to finish a painting.  Not an easy task but a great exercise to make you focus and make each stroke count.  This was my first exercise. No muddling around. This is painted on an 8 x 8" linen panel.

prime time II

 This is a commission piece for an English  patron. I am actually going to carry it with me to England in a few weeks.  She has bought one painting from me before and now I am delivering this and another painting.  She has been helpful to make lots of dining recommendations and even sent me a book , "secret london".  So fun making friends I may never meet through the blog world.
Speaking of friends I talk to often but have not met is the owner of the original "prime time".  (24 x 36") Denise lives in North Carolina and has bought  at least eight paintings from me.  She is sweet to email me now and then to check in or just compliment a new work.
More on blog friends....I really do appreciate when folks take the time to comment.  It takes alot of time and patience but it is very helpful to hear.  I need to find more time to visit and comment on my friend's work.

This piece is painted on an 8 x 10" linen panel.sold

cheers

 I have had trouble finding still life items that I am inspired to paint.  I was excited (maybe just pleased) to find my blue cup hiding behind some other things on my prop shelves.  I got very close to overworking this.   So easy to lose the freshness when you keep going back in.  This is painted on an 8 x 10" linen canvas.sold

his haughtiness

 I had a friend come by today and she suggested that I should paint some small rooster pictures.  This one is painted on a 6 x 6 x1 1/2" canvas.sold

field of dreams

 I think the title works.  It always feels good to complete a painting but then comes titling process.  Sometimes it is easy and other times not so much.  This is painted on a 6 x 12" canvas.  

the early bird...

 I have painted this image in a few different formats before.  It is one of my favorite rooster photos because of the shapes and action. The actual photo I took is kind of blurry because of the movement of the birds.  My sister lives in north Alabama and they had roosters and chickens for a couple of years.  I was able to take a lot of great photos. I miss them.  They don't.
This is painted on a 12 x 12 x 1 1/2" clear primed linen canvas.sold

ben

This does not look like my style but I like the way it turned out.  I was recently looking through pictures from my Italy trip and saw the image below.  I started out making the guy bald  but I did not really want your eye to go to the hairline so I added a little toupee.  I originally painted the flag in but decided it looked forced so I painted over it.  This is what I ended up with. The painting looks  much like my son Ben hence the title.  My favorite spot in the painting is the highlight on his calf.  I am a calf fan.

This is painted on an 8 x 16" canvas. sold

happy happy, joy joy

 I think the Ren and Stimpy catchphrase sums up this little boy's feelings. (title) Mine too.  This is painted on an 8 x 10 x 1 1/2" canvas.  Hope your week is full of happys and joys.

purple haze

 It seems that I never tire of painting cows.  Sorry if you don't like cows.  This one is painted on an 11 x 14" linen canvas.sold

An artist blog friend of mine Mary Ann Carey suggested that I post a picture of my last painting, "cow love",  to show the scale in relation to a typical size I paint.  The small painting above it is a 6 x 8". 

cow love

 I am the absolute worst at photographing large paintings.  This one is painted on a 3  x 3' canvas.  On my first attempt the painting toppled off the easel and over onto the pinestraw covered ground.  I was not going for a textured look so I had to scrape off the straw and touch up the paint.
I was drawn to the subject and the organic shapes of the negative spaces in this painting. Think this is also the first time I have painted grey cows.  I feel like a lot of my photos do not portray the colors as true as they look in person.  I could spend hours tweaking that but I would rather paint. These are pretty close.sold

angus

 Black angus are not the friendliest looking cows.  Maybe that is why I have rarely painted them.  I like these two. They are painted on an 8 x 16" canvas.sold

lean ones

 This is a commission piece for a friend.  It is a surprise for someone so I will not say much more about it.  The reference was taken with a phone.  One of the nice things about having phones with us most of the time.  The quality is not as good as with a nice camera but it is great for capturing a moment.
This is painted on an 8 x 10" linen panel.sold

touch up

 I found this behind some other paintings in my studio and decided to tweak it a bit.  It is a cow but it also looks a bit like a sheep.  You pick your favorite and that is what it is.  This is painted on a 6 x 8" linen panel.

 I wanted to share how happy some of my plants are at my new home.  They like it as much as me. This is a patio down by the creek that my husband constructed.  A "little" help from me.