"Pat"

I have known Pat for about a year, but it seems like we're old friends.   As her face emerged from the blank linen canvas, I could hear her voice from conversations we have had...words punctuated with a chuckle here and there...

When I photograph my subjects, I engage them in conversation to evoke an expression that reveals the spirit of the person.  Usually, I prompt them to think of something that makes them happy, or warms their hearts.  Pat thoughtfully voiced a short list aloud (as she is want to do when looking for a solution), until her face lit up with the look you see here.  

It was a blast to put the light next to the dark that created the dimples that so define Pat's face!

"Ken"

16x12 in. Oil on Stretched Linen

SOLD

My "Daily Faces" project has necessarily become my "Weekly Faces" project, although that doesn't ring quite as well.  Let's not even talk about the week of Thanksgiving.  A great week, but there was no painting going on then.

I have known my friend Ken for almost twenty years.  He is one of the kindest, smartest and most talented people I have ever known...a great man in size, spirit, and character.  My life is richer for knowing him. 

"Abby"

14x11 Oil on Linen

SOLD

"Abby" is a beautiful greyhound.  You may notice the scars, on on her face, and two in her chest area.  Her owners especially wanted those racing scars included in the portrait.  Abby has such beautiful eyes and a winning smile!

"Laura"

The latest of my Daily Faces.  I actually painted this entirely today... as if that really matters.

Again, I am struck by the beauty of another person's face.  I didn't realize until our photo session that Laura has blue eyes, or that her eyes are so big...really great eyes.  She never stopped talking as I photographed her, and laughing. What a creative, generous and joyful person! 

"Tammy"

SOLD

Part of my "Daily Faces" series.  Tammy is as sassy as her sassy haircut!  What a joy it is to paint the beauty of a person's face, and to recognize the personality you have come to know as it unfolds on a blank swatch of linen...

Clay

10x8 in. Oil on Linen Panel

SOLD

Obviously, I am not completing Daily Faces in a day.  So, I was grateful to Carol Marine, when I read in her new book, DAILY PAINTING, that she doesn't paint every day, AND that many artists prefer to paint larger than 6x6" for their "daily painting", and that's ok.  Whew!  Great book, by the way.

I am very excited to be painting faces and putting light in my subjects' eyes.  I do strive to paint the personality of my subjects.  This is my nephew, Clay.  He is an outstanding teenager, gifted with talent, good looks, and great character.  The latter is the most important.  The rest is a bonus...just look at that hair!

I'm not sure how long I will be able to sustain these "Daily Faces", as I have several commissioned portraits to complete.  A nice dilemma!

"Anna Claire"

10x8 in Oil on Linen Panel

Yes, her eyes are really that blue!

Brooke

10x8 in. Oil on Linen Panel

OK...I'm delirious, so I hope I spelled that correctly.  I told my husband two hours ago that I was going out to my studio to clean up my palette and brushes, then I would be right in.  Here it is nearly 2AM, and I just have to post my second "Daily Face".  Must get an earlier start tomorrow!

More about this painting tomorrow...

Mike

10x8 in. Oil on Linen Panel

You have seen this face before in my "Sage and the Sea."

This is the first of my Daily Faces series.  Nothing motivates me to paint more than human faces.  I look for the beauty in any face.  It is always there.  For the first of my Daily Faces, I have chosen my handsome husband.  It was fun putting the twinkle in his eye!  (Yes, I can hear the jokes already.)

My plan is to publish a book of Daily Faces, featuring friends, family, fellow artists, fellow choir members, neighbors...  I will offer the paintings for sale, and make the book available to order at a reasonable price.  

How I love painting people!

"Chicken Hat"

16x20 in.  Oil on Linen

SOLD

I'm sure there is a perfect title for this painting, but for now "Chicken Hat" seems to be appropriate. Anna goes to her grandparents' farm every Easter for their annual chicken fry. Here she is, sporting said chicken hat, with her grandfather, who is as good a man as you will ever know. I can hear his laugh every time I see the photo I used as a reference for this painting. And I heard it as his face evolved on the canvas. Anna's smile makes me happy, too. 

Portrait artists don't often paint teeth, but this painting would not work without these smiles!

"Beauty and the Beach"

24x24in.  Oil on Linen
SOLD

This little beauty is a friend who is now a beautiful young college graduate, now in her second year of grad school.  Obviously, she didn't sit for this painting!  The reference photo popped onto my Facebook page as "Someone you may know."  Inspiration!  With her permission, I used her FB cover photo as my reference.   Margeaux currently teaches Beach Yoga on Pensacola Beach.  Perfect!

I changed Margeaux's print suit (Disney's Ariel) to pink for Quayside Art Gallery's next West Gallery Show.  The theme is "Over the Underwire" for breast cancer awareness, keeping the female figure in mind.  

"Not Quite Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days"

I registered for Leslie Saeta's online "Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days" challenge.  We were supposed to paint a painting every day in the month of September and post daily on Leslie's blog.  How generous of Leslie to give so many artists (about a thousand from all over the world!) exposure on her very popular blog.  I didn't make it to thirty.  In fact, after the first five posts I decided to work on some paintings that I was itching to do, and I have gone back to them, making corrections as I see the need.   My hat is off to those who actually painted, photographed, and posted thirty paintings. What a harrowing ride!

This is a work I started today.  24 x 24" oil on linen.  Wait 'til you see the little girl's expression!  I'm having fun with those waves, too.   Check back for the finished painting.

What a difference lighting makes!  I took the photo of Emma (painting is 10 x 8") inside by my dining room window, which faces north/northeast.  The photo of Jadeyn (14 x 11") was taken at the beach after the sun had slipped below the horizon.  Amazing how much light that is left even after the ball of fire disappears!  Jadeyn has beautiful olive toned skin that glowed in that light.  I still see some corrections I need to make before packing her up for her parents…  What a sweet face.   The sky above the horizon in the beach scene (top painting) looked violet next to the water, even though the sun seems to be high in the sky.

So…NINE paintings in thirty days…in various stages of completion.

Wyatt

11 x 14 in. Oil on Linen Panel
NFS

Meet Wyatt, an Australian Shepherd.  Wyatt is compelled to herd.  That's what shepherds do.  On the day I met Wyatt, I was painting in my studio with the door open.  Wyatt had herded all the people in the house (and Roman, our Cocker Spaniel) into the back yard.  As I was busy painting, Wyatt barked incessantly, insisting that I be herded with the rest of the creatures of the house.  Pretty amazing how dogs live into their natural characteristics.  Wyatt has blue eyes, and is very handsome.

Restless Ring Bearer

20 x 20 in. Oil on Linen Panel
$800.00

Obviously, I am not going to make it to 30 paintings in 30 days.  I enjoyed the crab paintings last week, but I wanted to paint this little boy, and I wanted it to be 20 x 20 inches.  I will continue to post on Leslie Saeta's Thirty Paintings in Thirty Days, though.  Leslie's motivation for the challenge is to get us into our studios, so I'm good.

In 2008, my husband and I sang in a friend's wedding.  This little boy was unbelievably cute.  I snapped several photos of him and saved them.  I remember thinking that I wanted to paint him in this pose.  You should see the video of him dancing at the reception, oblivious of the enchanted onlookers.

THE ARTIST'S MAGAZINE Annual Competition 2014

I have good news to share (again, for those who are friends, Facebook followers and family).  My "Stuck in Neutral" has received recognition in a couple of venues.   In this year's First City Show at Quayside Art Gallery, Scottish artist and judge Muir Stewart awarded my painting "Best of Show."


Today, I received this badge to display for "Stuck in Neutral" being selected as a finalist in  the 2014 Annual Competition of The Artist's Magazine.  There were over 7500 entries.   I am so honored!

"Stuck in Neutral"

24x18 in. Oil on Stretched Linen

Puppy Kisses

10 x 8" Oil on Linen Panel

Anna has a new puppy.  His name is Roman.  None of us mind the puppy kisses.

Sunshine & Shade

18x12" Oil on Linen Panel

$275

The water at Pensacola Beach on this particular day was perfectly emerald!  So was this beach umbrella, which was a blast to paint.   Nothing beats the emerald water and the white sand of Pensacola Beach, Florida.  This painting can be seen at Quayside Gallery in Pensacola.

Sage and the Sea

20x16" Oil on Linen Panel
$1200

My husband.  I asked about 6 people what they thought would be a good title for this.  Five of them immediately said, "Old Man and the Sea!"  The other one said, "Earnest".  I thought about "Hemingway Thoughts," but settled on "Sage and the Sea."  Mike likes to give "sagely" advice, so I think he will like this title.  I painted this from a photograph taken while on a ferry boat traveling to Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  Mike served in the U.S. Navy for over twenty years, and has worked for the Navy since his retirement in the early 80's.  This painting will hang in the upcoming Quayside Gallery of Pensacola show themed "Light and Bright," beginning on March 26.

Veteran

 24x36" Oil on Stretched Linen

My daughter worked for a campaign in the last presidential election.  As she was snapping photographs, this gentleman sat on the edge of the runway and asked her to take his photograph.  I don't know the man's name.  I imagine that he is one of the many veterans who came to support the candidate, and that he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the teenage girl who had given up a day of her life (and high school) to participate in a political rally.  And, surely he is about to take his seat at the beginning of the row of distinguished guests, all veterans who had served in the armed forces of the United States of America.  I was moved by the kind, sensitive eyes of this handsome gentleman, not to mention the impact of the image of him with that giant American flag glowing in the background!

Kitchen Windowsill

12 x 16" Oil on Canvas
$400

If you follow my blog, you may remember seeing a version of this painting.  It was actually the very first painting done in my new studio, in May of 2012.  It was also the very first painting I sold online.  The vine of this peperomia plant wraps round and round, so it hangs from the windowsill like a wreath.    There are so many leaves now that I fear one day the whole pot will fall into the sink as I wash dishes.  I didn't want the pot to fall out of my painting either, so I didn't paint all the leaves.

Usually I stretch my own canvas, but this one was sitting around with this arrangement already sketched in pencil, as I did in earlier paintings.  (I now block in the composition with my brush.)

All kitchen sinks should be under a sunny window with a particularly pleasant view.