About The Joe #4

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#106

I was afraid that picking an image so "precise" might push me to relapse into my over-controlling, obsessive-compulsive, picky and perfectionistic, anal, uptight, and stressed-out painting self. So it was risky. To say the least.

Alas! I survived. I was able to finish this without all the above tendencies re-surfacing. Maybe all my Daily Paint Works therapy sessions are working! 

This was a fun painting. Even tho it may look somewhat "tight", it wasn't painted that way. I'm learning to put paint down and leave it alone. I'm learning that "close enough" sometimes works better than "dead on perfect". Who'da thought?

Almost Caught Up! (3 more!)

#105 - New School Jitters (Back-to-School Challenge)

I took this picture on Jackson Square (French Quarter, New Orleans) back in the spring. I've been wanting to paint it ever since, but because I'm really not a figurative painter, I haven't tried. What better time to do it then "A Challenge!"

There was actually a whole group of children; apparently, they were on a field trip, all lined up in their matching uniforms. They were there for soo long that they all looked just miserable! Boy, remember those days!?

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I posted two others that aren't really numbered DPW pieces. This first is one of my larger pieces that I just finished (link below for the story behind it).  It's called Cloud Farming:

$750

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Here's the other one: It's called Cabo Girls (click link for story).

$550

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To The Gods and Goddesses Of Coffee (three so fa

#103 - About The Joe

I've been out of town a lot this summer. And even though it's been mostly vacation time, it always fills SOOOO good to get home. What I've realized is that one of the things I miss the most is MY COFFEE! Nothing tastes better than that first sip of coffee, in your favorite spot, AT HOME!

To show my gratitude to the Java gods and goddesses, I'm planning to do a small series about coffee. This is #1.

This picture was awful to take without getting reflections. This was the best I could do.

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#104 - About The Joe II

This is the second of my salute to coffee!

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#106 - About The Joe III

Whew! Started this as the "next in series" for my Coffee Salute. I didn't have a lot of time when I painted it, but I figured it'd be pretty easy. HA! I spent my time that day just trying to get the sketch right! It was a lot harder than I thought it'd be.... all those flattened circles at slightly different angles. UGH! The next day, I finished it up. That was the fun and easy part!

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Will post number #105 tomorrow!

Three Fog Paintings

Ok. Back again in my catch-up mode. Next 3 (drum roll, please........!)


#100 - Fog I (DPW Fog Challenge)

This was painted for the weekly challenge. I gessoed the canvas panel a couple times with a lightly tinted gesso (with purple and umber), then sanded in between to try to smoothen it a little. As you can see from the picture, it didn't work that well. Something you might not be able to see in the photo is that the water is a hint warmer than the sky. I used cerulean and raw umber, and alittle sap green for the tree line. Oh, and obviously (and mostly) titanium white. A fun, maybe 10-15 minute painting. :)

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#101 - Fog II 

The fog was a fun challenge, so I had to do another one! This one took longer to photograph than paint! 10 minutes to paint, 1 hour to photograph! haha
Same palette as first one. No pure white.

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#102 - Fog III

Ok, so I had to paint one more fog painting that day. This challenge was just too fun!
Thanks, Leanne! :)

I ended up getting a lot of comments on this one. Sometimes when you paint something, you don't know whether you really captured what you were trying to capture. Apparently, I did on this one. Ya just never know!

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What?! October?!

I know that summers always whiz by, but September? It's been over a month since my last post, and I really have no excuse. I just lost that entire month. While I keep thinking I'm going to get out on the lake for one more swim, the leaves are changing color before my eyes. True, I've been busy, but I HAVE managed to paint about 15 small daily paintings since my last post.

Below are the first 5 of them (#s 95, 96, 97, 98, 99). I'll post the rest over the next 2 days. Then I'll be caught up! again!


#95 - Lemons For My Water

Getting back into my warm-lemon-water-first-thing-in-the-morning routine!

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#96 - Slice of Sunshine

Wow! This was a lot harder than I thought it would be! And it still doesn't look back lit. I should probably try it again another day, when I'm seeing better. Instead of painting what I was seeing, I seemed to be trying to paint a lemon. Do you know what I mean?

Anyway, that's my excuse... and I'm sticking with it!!

And for those artists that nail back lighting every time, I'm open for some pointers!! Thanks!

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#97 - People Watching People (Crowd-Of-People Challenge)

What a challenge for this week's challenge!! Whew! Before I do a small figurative piece again, I'm going to learn how artists paint these small figures and make it look so easy!

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#98 - Decision

I did this study today on a 5x7, because I'm actually considering painting this image on a 24x30 canvas (with a different background). I may have truly lost my mind! lol

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#99 - Lake Shea

I wanted to paint something different today, and on a larger scale than most of my daily paintings. This one is 16x20, and took me about 4 1/2 hours. The reference was from MorgueFile. I don't think Ive ever painted a waterscape -- and only a handful of landscapes -- so decided on this one. The foggy mist grabbed my attention. Because this is a "daily painting", I'm keeping the price lower than my larger show pieces.

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Morning

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#094

First cows ever for me! I always enjoy paintings of cows by other artists. In fact, I love them... cuz I love cows. Don't most people, really?  For me, it's the eyes, especially --  those eyelashes!!  And their gentle, sweet expressions ... that look. Awwwwwwwwwww......

If it weren't for last week's daily painting "cow" challenge, I probably wouldn't have painted these. Thanks DPW! I like 'em, and they were fun! Moo

Oranges II

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#093

Painted two of these on the same day, trying to loosen up. HA! ...Not so much. (First one was posted on yesterday.)

Oranges I

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#092

Last week I painted three paintings of various pear poses.... quickly. This is an exercise I keep doing because I'm always trying to loosen up the "stiffness" in my paintings. It went pretty well - last week - so decided to try oranges today with the same "attitude". Well, all I can say is some days ya have it, and some days ya don't!  (But it's ok; cuz as Stuart Smalley would say, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and, doggonit, people like me!")

Instead of three paintings, I was only able to finish two, and didn't have near as much fun as last week. The second of these will post tomorrow. :)

Pears III

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#091

My hurdle is ALWAYS to stay loose!! This is the third painting from my afternoon exercise in just that. This one took about an hour. It was an interesting practice because my paintings actually loosened up as I painted, instead of getting tighter. I love it when that happens! 

This calls for a celebration! 

Happy Friday, and Cheers!

Pears II

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#090

This is the second one of the three pear studies I painted in an effort to loosen up. The first was posted yesterday, the third and loosest (is that a word? lol) will show up tomorrow.

I love painting pears!!

Pears I

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#089

One of the primary reasons for my joining Daily Paint Works was to loosen up my style. I've noticed I've gotten too tight again, so today I quickly completed 3 paintings. I equate time with looseness (tho I know that isn't necessarily true). The thing I try to do is not give myself time to start obsessing over a painting; so, for me, fast does equal loose(r).

This painting was first. The other two will follow tomorrow and the next day. Surprisingly, the paintings got looser as I went. Normally, they get tighter.... for me.

In The Beginning

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#088

The hand-made clay olive oil pitcher (it's probably actually called something else...?) is one I bought at an art show this spring. I love the smooth feel and shape that it has. I named this piece "In The Beginning" because everyone knows that if you start any dish with some good extra virgin olive oil, fresh basil, and lots of garlic, you just can't go wrong!

​It took me two days, and multiple frustrating attempts, to get a photo of this that looked even half way decent. I have a terrible time getting a good shot of darker paintings. Sorry!

Takes All Kinds

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#087

This one came out nothing like I thought it would! But here it is, anyway. Thought about throwing some garlic cloves in there too, but decided on "onions only." Kind of like a photo of you and the kids, minus the cousins. :)

Quiet Invitation II

Currently On Exhibit

This is one of my paintings that will be showing at the "Reflections" Exhibition for Women at the Quinlan Center in Gainesville, Georgia; August 20th through October 10th. View exhibition opening, gallery photos and more online here or at qvac.org. Thanks!

Keep Up, Harry

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#086

This is one of those "just for the heck of it" paintings. I saw this couple during my last visit to New Orleans.... I ran into them a few times, actually. She was always leading the pack, talking to people, buzzing in and out of shops, absorbing the city. Her partner (let's call him Harry), just... kept... up. He really didn't seem to be too interested, or too bored, or to be entertained, or amused. He was just keeping up. I got the impression that he'd defintely had lots of practice at it.  :)

Five O'clock Somewhere II

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This is not a daily painting. This is a painting I started over a year ago, left sitting in my studio, and just recently finished. I painted most of this in a day, and was really on a roll. It was almost finished, then I stopped to run out and meet my husband for an impromptu dinner date! Oh, the date was awesome and it's great to be spontaneous, but really. It took my so long to get back to this that I never could get back in the "feel" or "zone" of this thing. Now I really don't care for it, but am sick of painting over and over again what little of it I had to finish.  I've painted a similar piece before and it just flowed onto the canvas like it painted itself. Don't you love it when that happens? 

Lesson learned:  Next time when I'm in the "zone" and loving a painting, I'm not walking away from it until it's finished!! Sorry, honey! I'll take a rain check!

Blue

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#085

A few years ago, I did a small series of paintings inspired by the lives of those who are homeless. I sold them to donate the proceeds to a homeless shelter.  That was not my only intention. I also wanted to help us all (the buyers of these pieces specifically) remember these folks. The life circumstances that lead to homelessness are as touching as the images. I remind myself of that always, and make a point of showing kindness when the opportunity arises.

When I came across this photograph in morguefiles, I had to paint him. This was a quick painting. I tried to keep it spontaneous and heartfelt, and resisted the temptation to over-correct or tighten it up.

Three Grannies

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#084

Ok... So I've been out on vacation for about two weeks. But it's been a month and a half since my last post!! What the heck?! There's really no excuse except that summer's really been flying by! And it's been a fantastic summer so far. Lots of time for friends, and lots of time on and in the water, either kayaking, tubing, or pontooning -- All my speed, by the way.

Because I have so much catching up to do, I'm just gonna spread out my last 10 daily paintings over the next week of so, starting with this one.

Hope your summer is going great!!

Cheers!

Sketch With Whites

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#083

One more for the shadow box! Really enjoying using it. If you don't have one, it only takes a little time to make, costs virtually nothing, and it's easy! I explained mine back on post #079. You should try it, if you haven't!

Bisque With Oranges and Mint

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#082

Another shadow box painting. I haven't had very many views of this on my daily painting site. Wondering if it might have something to do with the fact that the pitcher is bisque. (A pottery that hasn't been glazed and fired again, so it's dull, almost powdery looking.) Maybe viewers expect highlights, so it doesn't look right to them. Or maybe it's just too ordinary or boring looking overall. I'll never know, but I like it.

The spearmint was picked from my deck. Love, love, love fresh spearmint. Put it in my water everyday and just keep filling up the waterbottle over and over until I've had a gallon of it. A sprig of mint lasts through all of that. Cinnamon sticks are another great thing to add. Even fresh ginger. It makes drinking all that water everyday actually enjoyable. Cheers!