"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.

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.

Angie's Beach 2

SOLD

11"x14"  Oil on linen board.

The sunset on Pensacola Beach was spectacular on this particular evening.  I have many photographs of my niece from her Thanksgiving visit in 2011.  

Angie's Beach

SOLD

11"x14" Oil on linen board.

It is incredible to sit here in Pensacola, Florida and watch the devastation of a hurricane on the shores of the northeast.  The pictures are all too familiar to many people here who suffered similar losses from Hurricane Ivan in 2004.  Our home was spared any significant damage. Three large trees snapped and fell parallel to our house, and our roof lost several shingles.  Our downed fences initiated friendships with neighbors whom we had never met.  We had evacuated to Dallas, Texas, and watched the storm from afar.  As I watch interviews of people in the northeast, I recall the rush of emotion upon first sight of the destruction as we returned to our ravaged city, and my heart aches for those who lost loved ones, lost homes, and are struggling to find food, water and gas.

This is a painting of the sunset on Pensacola Beach.  The young girl is my niece, enjoying a Thanksgiving visit.  100% of the proceeds from the sale of "Angie's Beach" will go to the Red Cross relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.   Click on the link above to bid in the Daily Paintworks auction.  Thank you.