"Santa's Helper?"

"Santa's Helper?"

5 x 7 acrylic on canvas $30

SOLD

"I dare you to take away my hat", says the cat! However, he looks a little pensive, so I guess he knows it won't be his for long! Well, he is only a young kitty, so we really don't expect him to behave! And Santa must have a hat!

"Quail House"

"Quail House"

18 x 24 watercolor framed $400

The only inhabitants around this old house are the quail flying up in front of it. They are sort of camouflaged the way quails are in the wild, so you may have to click on this to be able to see them well. The old house is full of memories; a pioneer family who could never afford to paint the old home place. I reminese about several children playing in the dusty lane and a garden in back of the house. I suppose it was full of many happy memories. I enjoyed painting the weathered wooden boards of the house and the tin roof.

"The Market"

"The Market"

7 x 8 1/2 acrylic on paper $50

This abstracted market place view has some India ink washed in to define things and that is why you see the jet black in this composition. I simplified shapes, even the people. Be sure to click on it for a close up look.

Only two more days left until the Painting Give Away, so if you haven't signed up as a follower, and want to be entered in the contest, better hurry!!A dis-interested party will be drawing a name out of the pot and I will announce the winner on Wednesday, Dec. 1. Thanks to all who look at my blog. It is very encouraging to me!

Hi Everyone,
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and have enjoyed Black Friday as well. I stayed in all day, resting from such a big day yesterday. We had a good day yesterday, full of fun with grandchildren, food and games. I was very tired this morning and have been getting some Christmas decorations out this afternoon. I will probably take a few days to do some decorationg and work in my studio getting things organized for those who want to drop by and visit and pick out paintings for Christmas gifts. So if I don't post for a couple of days, you will know why.

There are only a few days left before I give away the painting, "The Yearling" to one of my followers. So if you haven't signed up as a follower, please do so and you will be entered in the contest. I am giving away the book by Rawlings called "The Yearling", too and it is a great book, written by a Florida lady.

Hope your day is a fine one!

Little Sketch

"Cottage Floral"

5 x 7 watercolor pencils sketch $25

I'm posting a rather quick sketch of an imaginary cottage with hibiscus flowers in the foreground. Watercolor pencils are fun to work with and you can blend them and do precise work. I would like to do some and take more time---maybe do lace. That would really be fun!

I am getting ready for company for Thanksgiving and have lots of cooking and cleaning to do, plus after Thanksgiving, I will be taking appointments for people to come to visit my studio, watch me work and look at my paintings. So I have much work to do to prepare for that! Mainly I will be cleaning out and making room for painting racks to display painting on. When it is looking good, I will post a photo of it. So I may not post for a few days, but stay tuned.

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and to all my International friends, have a wonderful week as well!

"Old House and Zinnias"

"Old House and Zinnias"

18 x 24 watercolor, unframed $250

I always love painting weathered boards on old houses---such a variance of color! In this painting I did not want the color of the zinnias to over power the nuance of the house, so I made them subtle and focused on the petal and leaf shapes. I love the color of the leaves in the foreground.

Time is flying by and Dec. 1, I will announce the winner of "The Yearling" painting plus the book by that same name. If you want a chance to win, please sign up as a follower. Easy and fast, just click on Follow on the right column here and Google will tell you what to do. Only takes a minute and you could then be the winner! Thanks for looking at my blog.

"The Banks of the River Seine"

"The Banks of the River Seine"
7 x 9 watercolor with pen sketch NFS

Hi, my show today went well. I sold 2 larger paintings, 5 smaller ones and some cards,so I was happy and gave out lots of cards with my blog spot on them. I haven't got to paint today, though, so I am posting a sketch which was done in Paris along the River Seine. It has sort of a strange perspective, but was hurriedly done and just for future reference! My daughter and son-in-law surprised me with this wonderful trip to Paris and we had a major great time. We even went to the artists' quarters in Montmartre and sat on the sidewalk and sketched. I took tons of photos and have sketches to work from. It was my "dream" trip!

Getting ready for a show---my studio

Hi everyone, Here is a view of my crowded studio! I spent all day yesterday sorting through paintings getting ready to take some to a show. When you can only take a few, you have to decide which ones you think are likely to draw the most interest. Not an easy task----you invariably look back and think, " I should have taken so and so"......

After this show, I am going to give my studio a good re-organizing and clean it out, making room so that people can make appointments with me to look over my work and buy for Christmas. So my plan is to do that Mon.-Wed. of next week. It is time to think about Christmas gifts and I surely have a lot of paintings to offer!

It is time for you to think about them, too! What could be more thrilling than to own an original painting?Also, now is a good time to sign up as a follower. Click on Follow in the right hand column and sign up so you will be entered in my free painting give away!

Hope your weekend is wonderful!

yo queiro, los amigos

"Chihuahua"

3 x 3 acrylic on stretched canvas $25

Now here is a little dog with a big attitude! The only dog in my long life that has ever tried to bite me was a chihuahua! I am always wary of these little nippers, even though most are very friendly. A tiny dog with big ears in proportion to the rest of the body, originating in Mexico and I am told that they will eat veggies as well as meat! So here is the perfect Christmas gift for some Chihuahua lover! Comes on a little easel, too.

"The Old Bait Shop"

"The Old Bait Shop"

17 x 22 1/2 watercolor on Arches paper $200

The old bait shop fell down soon after I painted it! It was leaning in this painting! Nothing left but a memory. It was on the rim canal of Lake Okeechobee, an old building, whitewashed and I'm certain full of memories. Old Florida has all but disappeared and many people collect art depicting the scenes of times past.

The Yearling"

This is the painting I will be giving away December 1st. Just thought I would remind all those who look at my blog and haven't signed up as a Follower to do so and be entered in the contest to win this painting. Just click on Follow and choose a password. It only takes a minute, is safe and secure and you can then comment on my work plus be eligible to win this painting plus a book, The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. It is a terrific book---I couldn't put it down when I started reading it! It was written a long time ago, but is timeless---about a young boy who raises a motherless fawn. A movie was made from the book years and years ago.

Keep watching my blog; I will be posting fresh paintings this week. Hope your week is going well!

"Pooch, the Pom"

"Pooch, the Pom"

3 x 3 acrylic on stretched canvas $25

Such an excellent little dog, the Pomeranian. Several of my friends have a Pom and they are so intelligent and sweet. I think the intelligence just shines through their eyes, and that is what I tried to capture here. These little canvas paintings are a good starting point for collecting art!

Hey, You'd better hurry and sign on as a follower to my blog so you can be entered in the painting give away Dec. 1. Look on older posts to see the give away painting which is called " The Yearling.". Also I will give away a wonderful book by that same name. It is easy to sign on as a follower and only takes a moment. Just click on Follow in the right hand column.

"Regal Swan"

"Regal Swan"
8 x 10 acrylic on stretched canvas $125 SOLD

First, I would like to thank Jane Willis for allowing me to paint from her beautiful photograph taken on holiday in Turkey. (See http://marksvegplot.blogspot.com/ . If there was royalty in birds, I think the swan would be king and queen! They are so regal, graceful and romantic. Just seeing one makes you have visions of peace and love! Painting this was a humbling experience. How can you show the grace and elegance? I opted to make the water deep purples, blues and crimson--not as dark as the photo, but using the colors that suggest royalty. I love the shadow on the swan's back. I took some artistic liberties, but an artist painting from photographs tries not to just copy the photo, no matter how wonderful it is, but to add or subtract what is needed to make it her own, to make it express the mood she sees in the photo. I hope you like this--your comments are welcome!

"Victorian Tea Pots"

"Victorian Tea Pots"

11 1/2 x 23 1/2 egg tempera on panel, framed in gold frame $500

Click on this to see the beautiful crocheted lace runner someone made. It was so much fun to paint it, and took quite some time! This is the perfect painting for a lovely dining room or tea room. It is soothing and feminine.

It won't be long until Dec.1 when I will be giving away the painting "The Yearling" (see older posts), so be sure to sign up as a follower if you haven't already done so. Plus, I will be giving the lucky winner a book ,"The Yealing" which is such a wonderful book. Click on Follow in the right column and Google will tell you what to do. Only takes a minute! Thanks!

"Purple Gallinule"

"Purple Gallinule"
24 x38 watercolor on Arches paper $300

This huge painting is unframed, but framed it would make a bold statement in a large space. I have often observed this beautiful bird walking on lily pads, using its very long toes. It constantly jerks its head and tail and makes a squawking noise. There are dark colored ones and then the purplish/blue ones and are commonly called the "Coot". Look in my painting how he (it is a male--you can tell by the coloring) walks on the lily pads!

"Panda, Panda"

"Panda, Panda" sketch from my sketchbook NFS

Hi to all of you who are looking at my blog, and a big Thank You for looking! Today's post is just this little sketch with watercolor from my sketch book. I'm working on a portrait that is very time consuming plus a couple of other smaller paintings and my studio is getting in dire need of some straightening and organizing, so for a few days I may be just posting from my sketchbook! I find that if I get things disorganized, it makes me less creative--perhaps because I am then worrying about what needs to be done instead of what I want to do! Anyway, I hope to get things organized in a few days and finish some of the paintings I'm into. I always have many projects going at once. Still, my thoughts are spinning on new paintings to do, new projects. What a great life it is!

"Raggedy Ann and Andy"

"Raggedy Ann and Andy" sketch from my sketchbook---not for sale

My studio is full of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls! It is not my doing! A few years ago, I asked friends and family to help me gather up these cute little dolls so that I could put them on a Christmas tree and donate it to Hospice in their Christmas fund raiser. The response was over-whelming! I made a six foot tree filled with dolls and at the silent auction it raised $350 for Hospice. However, I had some dolls left over. And still people are bringing me Raggady Ann and Andy dolls. I hope they quit soon, as I am over run with dolls. Maybe I will do another tree or donate them. Anyway here is a sketch done with a pen and enhanced with watercolor.

Cheerful little red heads---I hope they make you smile!

"The Grapefruit Eater"

"The Grapefruit Eater"
18 x 24 egg tempera, framed SOLD (FROM PRIVATE COLLECTION)

This painting was done a few years ago, but I wanted to show it on my blog. It was done with egg tempera, which is powdered pigment mixed with egg yolk. It is very durable when cured and requires no varnish. The paint was applied in thin layers building up the darks. It is time consuming, but well worth the effort. Click on it to see details and you can actually see the layering in places. I love doing egg tempera, but have to have a lot of time to complete one. I will be doing more, though, so keep looking at my blog.

Don't forget to sign on as a Follower and be entered in my painting give away contest. It closes Dec. 1st., and it only takes a minute to sign on. Just click on "Follow".

"The Dachshund"

"The Dachshund"

3 x 3 acrylic on stretched canvas $25

Here is the sweet little Dachshund sitting in my portrait as calm as can be, which true to life, they can be, but I know for a fact they like to alert you if anyone is at the door! My neighbor had one who was a good watch dog and loved to bark! It is so much fun doing these little 3 x 3's and I put them on a little wooden easel, so they are great for gifts. They take up very little space, but are a good way to start collecting art.

I think everyone should have some original art in his/her home. Why buy expensive prints or computer generated pictures when you can have a piece of art created by an artist?

"Cardinal"

"Cardinal"

8 x 10 watercolor, framed $45

I'm showing a close up of this cardinal and hope you will click on it to see more of the details. I didn't photogragh the complete border which is green like foliage and has words written all around that say," The World is Filled With His Glory". Often when you see beautiful birds, you think of God and the wonder of his creation.

This watercolor is framed in a simple gold frame that you can either sit somewhere or hang.

To enter my painting give away contest, all you need to do is sign up as a follower. It is easy. Just click on Follow and choose your password and you are there! The painting "The Yearling" and a book of that same name will be given away on Dec. 1st.

"Majestic Mallard"

"Majestic Mallard"
8 x 10 acrylic on stretched canvas $125 SOLD

There is no duck prettier than the Mallard! I want to thank Mark Willis at http://marksvegplot.blogspot.com/ for allowing me to paint from his beautiful photograph he posted on his blog. The color of the water is so captivating with the duck's coloring. I just had to paint it! Of course, I took some artistic liscense---one does not try to replicate exactly a photograph, but the essence is captured and I am pleased with this effort. I hope you like it, too. Your comments are welcome.

"Waltzing Duo"

"Waltzing Duo"

5 1/2 x 5 1/2 watercolor $60

THE STORY BEHIND THIS PAINTING:

My mother was a teacher and she received gifts from her children at Christmas. One year she received a huge bottle of "Blue Waltz" perfume , bought at the dime store, from one of her school children. It was the strongest, loudest perfume you can imagine and "cheap", too, and she would never wear it. Well, my brother and I were teens at the time and he had a very heavy date one Sat. night and was primping and combing, etc getting ready. So I sneaked out the big bottle of "Blue Waltz" and headed for his old car! I opened the hood and liberally dashed perfume all over the motor, then did the same inside the car, under the seats. I waited in the shrubs outside to see what he would do. He came outside all polished and in a sport coat, all slicked up and good looking, and I waited in the shrubs! He saw me, ignored his little sister and opened the car door and got in. Boy, he was out in a flash, yelling at me "I'll get you for this!" He dashed into the house, back in a jiffy with two eggs. I took off running as fast as I could go through the alley and all over the little town we lived in, with him right behind me with the two eggs. It didn't take long for him to catch me and cram the two eggs into my hair, yolks, shells and all! That was just one of our teen pranks!

So yesterday I got a surprise package in the mail. It said Vermont Country Store. What could it be---I love surprise packages! I opened it to find two little bottles of "Blue Waltz" perfume and a note from my brother, "Here is something you have wanted all your adult life"!I am still laughing! I just had to paint them (don't have the nerve to open them up and take a sniff).

If I did, you could probably smell it on this blog!!!Ha, Ha. Maybe this painting will stir up some memories for you, too.

To enter my Painting Give Away, sign on as a Follower. The painting called "The Yearling" and a wonderful book by that same name could be yours. Contest ends Dec. 1

Thanks for looking at my Blog! Thanks to my new followers! Egretta

"Great Blue Heron"

"Great Blue Heron"

3 x 3 acrylic on stretched canvas $30

SOLD

This painting is quite a contrast to the last Blue Heron I posted on April 30th. Go to older posts and check that one out! This painting is only 3 inches by 3 inches and the Blue Heron posted in April is 21 x 39! There is quite a bit of difference in the price, as well!! If you are looking for a small gift for someone, the little painting is perfect. It comes with a little wooden easel and looks great in a shelf or on a desk. Click on it to see the details.

"Dance of the Pearls"

"Dance of the Pearls"

9 x 11 acrylic on paper $85

You may ask, " What was she thinking---how was this created?" Believe me, as much goes into creating an abstract as in creating a painting of a recognizable subject matter! I began working with some box shapes using various shades of blues and purples. I tried to get variety in the shapes in their sizes and placement. There was not really a pre-conceived idea or plan. As I worked, the ideas began to flow and I added lines for interest, as well as one large circle. I needed a punch of white so I did the small "pearls" and flicked some white splashes into the dark shape on the left. I was thinking of balance and interest then. I adjusted some colors, washed over some with other colors until I felt I had an interesting piece of art. So what do you think? Click on it for a view of details. It is great fun and a challange, as well, to create an interesting and pleasing arrangement of art elements that the more you look at it and study it, the more you see and the more you enjoy it.

"Watch Out--Here Come the St. Bernard"

"Watch Out--Here Comes the St. Bernard"

3 x 3 acrylic on stretched canvas $25

Here's another mini painting! This was fun to do and I think I captured the woeful eyes of this Saint Bernard pretty well! This painting comes with a small wooden easel as well, perfect for a gift for someone or even to gift yourself! And the good thing is that this Saint Bernard won't eat you out of house and home!

It is only a month now until my Painting Give Away. To enter the contest, just sign on as a Follower.