Rolling Waves

Rolling Waves

oil on canvas

A studio piece I've been working on lately... I think it's done, at least for now.

Step by step...

on the easel

A Pair of Prickly Pears

Plein Air Prickly Pear

12x12 oil on canvas board

on the easel

Prickly Heat

11x14 oil on canvas

on the easel

I thoroughly enjoyed painting with the Plein Air Colony of Pinnelas this past Monday over at Fort DeSoto Beach. I've admired paintings of this subject by other artists for a while and was interested in trying my hand at it too, but hadn't even realized we have them growing here in Florida! As it turns out, the organic forms, with their subtle shifts in temperature and values, along with the various textures, make for really fun subject matter! So much so, that we all returned the following day to do it again!

Canaveral National Seashore Paint Out Paintings

Palm in the Park 

8x10 oil on canvas (sold)

Canaveral Morning

6x6 oil on canvas (sold)

White Caps

10x20 oil on canvas board (sold)

We'll Leave the Light On

12x12 oil on canvas board 

New Smyrna Dunes Park

16x20 oil on canvas (sold)

Beach Day SOLD

5x7 oil on canvas board

Moored

11x14 oil on canvas (sold)

Sunset Palms

8x10 oil on canvas, available

I returned to New Smyrna Beach yesterday to take part in the rescheduled "Sunset Paint In" and live art auction that had been postponed earlier last month due Hurricane Matthew. The organizers of this event did a fabulous job, going above and beyond to save all the artwork from getting water logged, as the roof and ceiling of the gallery space ended up with substantial damage. My nocturne turned out to be one of the few casualties, unfortunately, but I'm hoping to successfully restore it with a little restretching and TLC! As always, it was a delight to paint and visit with my fellow plein air artist friends. We'll just have to hope for better weather next year!

Sunflower Studies

Cheerful Sunflowers 

Couldn't resist this cheery bouquet of sunflowers when I saw them in the market. As I was checking out the girl bagging my groceries exclaimed how pretty they were too and asked if I was buying them for any special occasion. "Yes," I said, "I'm going to paint them!" And paint them I did, till eventually they drooped and died... So I went back the following week and bought another bunch :)

Memories of Kansas SOLD

9x10.5 oil on Arches Oil Paper

Alone in the Kitchen With a Bunch of Asparagus

Asparagus Bunch

7x9 oil on Arches Oil Paper

That moment when you're just about to start dinner and your kids decide to go play outside, your husband announces he's going for a quick run and you suddenly realize you've got an extra 30 minutes before you have to get started cooking... AND the beautiful bunch of asparagus you'll be sautéing is practically screaming out to be painted first!

The Last of the Bunch

9x6 oil on Arches Oil Paper

Did one more study a few days later right before I polished'm off!

Seagulls on the Beach

Seagulls on the Beach

12x12 oil on canvas

Played around with a limited palette of black, white and yellow ochre yesterday.

Light Effects

Light Effects I

5x7 oil on canvas panel

Light Effects II

5x7 oil on canvas panel

After dealing with a terrible red tide outbreak here on the island for the past few weeks, the air has finally begun to clear! So nice to be able to paint on the beach once again... a couple quick studies, attempting to catch the fleeting light effects on the atmosphere. One of those mornings where I was just filled with gratitude and so happy to be doing what I love!