Art Gazing

Lots of my favorite painters frequently paint people looking at art in museums. So I thought I had to try it. This is me at the Art Institute of Chicago gazing at (actually can't remember who) and wondering just how he got those lines so straight. Must have been some sort of straight edge involved but with oil paint--??? Just don't know...

I will be taking a blog break for Christmas so I just want to say

Merry Christmas!

Sending blessings to everyone!

And Happy New Year too!

Poppies from Down Under

I love poppies and I thought this photo from Paint My Photo was an interesting composition.

They were fun to paint.

More info here.

Here is the photo below.

Graphic Tulips Still life

8x8 oil on Wood Panel

Here is a fun oil painting. Actually it was more difficult with oils actually because drawing the dark lines around the objects was hard. That's why this type of painting definitely is easier using actylics. But I did want to try it will oils.  Actually if I just wait a day or so then I can define with a dark line but I am impatient.  This of course has an Angus flair although I would never put the lines like he does because that's his thing.

Here is my reference photo that I set up.

Anemomes

Oil on 8x8 Wood Panel

Here is my interpretation of the photograph below from Paint My Photo. I thought it was a nice photograph layout.   I am really not a big lavender lover (except to smell it--yum) but I do seem to use those colors often. Maybe I like it more than I think.

Cherry Spill #2

11x14 Acrylic on Panelli Telati Panel

It was such a good composition that I decided to try it with some different colors. What, you've never had purple cherries??

Cherries Anyone?

This is a 9x12 mixed media oil. I started with a black gessoed canvas.  It's interesting that now that I am experimenting again with acrylics, oils are easier. Go figure that?? I guess it's just whatever you get used to.

I painted the sides too:

And here is my reference picture from Paint My Photo.

And I still want to give a shout-out to Angus Wilson for making it fun for me to paint again! I enjoyed his workshop here in Jacksonville. Such a nice guy.

Floral with Eggs

 

I am an adventurer. 

I don't really like to hike or rough-it in the outdoors or even take long flights into unknown countries.  But I am still an adventurer. But my adventure is with paint, color and textures and what it can do on a canvas. I love using oils but I love acrylics and watercolor too. Acrylics can do what oils cannot do and visa versa. The artist adventurer in me wants to explore all the worlds of paint.

Under this 8x8 acrylic painting is a product that I love called Wood Icing.  It is a molding paste that

dries quickly and adds texture. You can see the texture in the background of this painting.

Of course this painting has a Angus Wilson flair since I am fresh off of taking his wonderful workshop. And the reference photo is from a great little painting DVD by Craig Nelson.

Poppy Paint-over

I have been doing some cleaning out at the studio and I come across these old paintings that I either painted in watercolor or acrylic.  This one was a watercolor that I adhered to a box that I built awhile back. On a whim this morning I painted over it with oils and a palette knife. It didn't take long and it was fun. So here is the result.

Fun White Tulips

These white tulips a la Angus were fun to paint. I had this deep edged canvas and was never able to come up with something to paint on it. But after doing Angus workshop I think I found just the thing.  FUN!

The Robin

As you can see this is quite a different style from my post from yesterday. I like to paint this way too. I think that I will just be one of those experimental painters who paints in all different styles. I know that everyone is suppose to find "their voice" or style of painting and maybe someday I will but right now I am just enjoying learning different styles.

Angus Style-ish

I worked on this painting some more from my workshop. It looked like this. As you see I really punched up the colors and did some other stuff. This style is a far far cry from my oil painting style-- but it is just so much FUN!
Angus certainly has his great style but his methods and plans are what I was interested in knowing. Even though his style looks free and fun it is completely planned out with the colors and design before he starts to paint. This is 18x24.

Angus Wilson Workshop

Oh man, did we ever have fun in this workshop this past weekend! Angus is so easy going and funny and watching him paint these wonderful paintings was really exciting.  Now I know how he does it! Just check all (most) of those oil painting rules and inhibitions at the door and come on in and have fun. I say that there were no rules but there still are the basic drawing rules, and some shadow rules---and some color rules too but ---- it was all quite freeing! Now, can I be that free??? Well, I guess we'll see!

Angus Style

I have completed 2 fun days of the Angus Wilson painting workshop. One more day to go. He is one of my favorite painters and painting in his style is really fun. But as with all new styles, it will take a lot of practice.

Lotus Flower

      

 I just painted this from this picture. I started from a black background.

I changed the colors up a bit so it would stand out more.

Graphic Tulips

These Tulips came from a tulip image in my brain and was painted very quickly.  I like simple images and might pursue more of these graphic simple paintings. They are fun.
This is oil of 6x6 panel.

Pears of Color

I am always experimenting with  oil paints and I have always loved to start from a gessoed black canvas and go from there. I wanted to make this colorful and bright with strong brush strokes and try not to lick it so much. This image was chosen as the "Pick of the Day" on Daily Paintworks for their Facebook page. That was a thrill!
This is an 8x10.

Poppies and Fruit

I do love poppies and you know how much I love to paint them. I also am particularly fond of this vase so I use it a lot. I have been painting using photographs and it's nice to paint a still life again. i do see what all the experts are saying about painting from life. You have so many more colors to look at. Sometimes a photograph fades out the wonderful mysteries that belong in the shadows.

Willow House

This is an 8x10 of a cottage house that I liked on the site Paint My Photo. I always have to give them a plug because of how great this site is for painters who don't do lots of travel of plein air painting.

Here is the original photo with my drawing cross marks:

I didn't put the people in as you see but actually that might have been interesting to do that. Now that it has dried for a day maybe I will go back and put them in.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/martha-lever/willow-house/175239

Shine Your Light

Since our previous nasty weather we have had for the last few days this seemed appropriate today with our beautiful sunny fall weather.  These are "Chunky Versals". Hope your light shines today too!!

Libba

 This is Libba. She is 10 years old and lives in a small town in south Georgia. Her mother and daddy never have to lock their doors at night and she frolics in the woods, rides her bike on the safe sidewalks and plays with her friends all day. They play until dusk until she hears the faint chiming of  the big iron bell summoning her to supper.  Life is good for Libba. She is happy.

It's Raining Poppies

While I have been trying to be an oil painter I have been having script stamp withdrawals. This was suppose to be just a plain 'ole painting of two poppies but when it was finished it was so boring. (This was also a day where I threatened to quit oil painting altogether---I have painting days like that. But God's mercies are new every day!)
So, the next morning I decided to try to save it and to add some stamp texture on it. It was really not that difficult, you just have to wait till it dries a bit. But I did discover that I could use my Sennelier oil pastel set (finally found a use for that dang set!). I  added some brighter colors with the oil pastels and rubbed a white one on the stamp and spritzed it with Gamsol and it stamped pretty well. Anyway, I think I jazzed up the boring poppies. So maybe I won't quit today.
This is 16x20 on Ampersand panel.
23 days until Angus Wilson Workshop.

Mosaic

I thought I would make a mosaic with some paintings. It was fun!

Blog Party Winner!!!!

MONICA !!!

You have won one of my free classes from

CREATIVE WORKSHOPS

Congratulations!!!!!

I sent you an email!

Original Fuzz

 

 Peruvian Guitar Strap Pre-sale

from

Original Fuzz

Hey y'all! Well, I said I was going to keep the class giveaway up but I wanted to show my son's new company and their pre-sale on their new guitar straps. 

Son, Zach, is a lawyer, but has left the law profession to pursue his dreams of being an entrepreneurial musican/businessman. Their company was selected to receive investment monies as well as mentoring for business acceleration from "One Spark"

here in Jacksonville.

Check out the pre-sale and if you have a guitar player in your family

it would be a great Christmas gift. And there is only a limited number of 100.

They have other cool stuff for guitar players too.

OK--now back to my Creative Workshop

GIVEAWAY

Thanks so much y'all!

Creative Workshops has moved--Win a Free Class!

Hi y'all! Blog party!  Yes, you might even know but Creative Workshops (where I have 9 online classes) has moved to HERE!  It is so exciting and the site looks fabulous! Gail has done a great job!!

SO to celebrate--I am giving away a free class from my nine classes to a winner that Mr. Random.org will pick on the 29th so just leave me a comment on this post AND don't forget your email so I can contact you. At that point you can tell me which class you would like when you win. Find my name in the teacher list and click on their link and--
Start a' pickin'! 

Here is some more information about the new Creative Workshops:

We now have our own dedicated website, store and blog for Creative Workshops. You

will find us over there with doors held wide open in happy, smiling greeting. Our website

has links all over the place for you to find just about any kind of information on how

everything works and for purchasing classes.

And classes are what we are all about: Inspiring those with artistic yearnings, or

imparting knowledge of a technique that is new to someone else, who hadn't thought of

doing something quite that way. We never know how a class may impact someone.. but

impact we know they do, because we've heard from you!

A few highlights about Creative Workshops:

1.  Available online 24/7 to fit your schedule. You can watch videos as often as you

want, when you want. AND ipad access!

2.  You get instant access with your receipt to any Open class you purchase. No

waiting for us to send you an invitation, no more confusing membership to join.

3.  All video content is available from the first day a class opens so you can work at

your own pace. Doesn't matter if you are a turtle or a rabbit!

4.  Once a class opens there is no take down date to worry about so no pressure to be

done by a certain date. If a teacher must retire a class (very few do) we give you 6

months notice.

And here are some other Creative Workshop teachers participating in the blog party you can choose from to win a free class!!!

You can go to each blog and sign up!

Sara Naumann                http://www.saranaumann.com/blog/

Cat Kerr                        http://inthelightofthemoon.blogspot.com

Jodi Ohl                         http://www.sweetrepeats.blogspot.com

Nancy Lefko                http://www.nancylefko.blogspot.com

Cathy Bluteau                    Http://cathyb.typepad.com

Mechelle Harrison            http://mechelledesigns.blogspot.com/

Elizabeth Johnson            http://windandhoney.blogspot.com

Liz Miller                            http://ehub35.webhostinghub.com/~artful23/category/blog/

Terri Heinz                        http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/

Kerr Pelto                          http://kerrlligraphy.blogspot.com/

Lori Vliegen                        elviestudio.blogspot.com

Diana Frey                        www.dianafrey.blogspot.com

Marilyn Harris-Mills       www.marilynharrismills.com

Nellie Wortman                www.earlymorningthoughts.typepad.com

Gaye Medbury                  http://www.creativeworkshops.typepad.com                  

Ann Butler                          http://www.creativitystirsthesoul.com/

Dawn Meisch                        onceuponatangle.com 

Gail Schmidt                    http://www.shabbycottagestudio.net

  a free class!

GOOD LUCK!!!!!
 PS---I will be out of town for a week so I am just going to leave this page up so no one will miss the opportunity to sign up.

Tom Brown Barn

I do like to do Tom Brown's little affordable tutorials and I thought this barn was fun. He makes it easy---well not easy, but he makes it doable using his limited color palette.

Pumpkin Stack-30-30 challenge

I am still attempting to paint everyday for the 30 30 Challenge. This is an 8x10 from Paint My Photo.

This is an 8x10 and here is the photo.

Autumn Walk

I just loved this photo from Paint My Photo.
This is today's painting for Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 Days. I am behind and will get even further behind since I will be out of town for several says but when I have an hour or two I love to paint from this site. This is an 8x10. Love the duckies.

More Fall Trees

I am certainly into fall colors. This is a 6x8 and it is another wonderful photo from Paint My Photo site.
I left the original picture on my computer at home so I will have to post the photo later today so some back and visit later if you would like to see what I painted it from.

Purchase information HERE

Bucky in Tuscany

Bucky surely likes to pose and I also think he likes the smell of oil paint.
This is a painting I have been working on for several days which turned out harder than I realized. After too much fiddle-faddle I just stopped before it turned into Lego Tuscany. :)) It's probably one of those where I should have stopped a couple of days ago because this one is not loose. Although I have been painting with oils for over a year now I do still feel that I am a newbie especially with landscapes where perspective and buildings are involved.
 Here is the final painting.

44 Days 'till Angus Wilson!
I am really looking forward to his workshop here in Jacksonville. I adore his whimsical way of painting--and I am ready for a little whimsical.

Fall Trees

Here is today's painting for Leslie Saeta's Challenge to paint 30 paintings in 30 days. I was out of town for the weekend so I missed a few days but I am going to try to paint everyday this week if I can.

This is a 6x8 on a Ray Mar panel and the image is from Paint My Photo.

Pretty Trees

I love painting trees in a landscape and my goal is to not get too detail-y. Details are fine but my goal is to paint everyday so I put a one hour time limit on it.
This painting is from the Paint My Photo site.
And again, I have to say think you to the makers of this wonderful site.
See this painting on Daily PaintWorks.

Time for Pumpkins

I love fall and even though it's still hot here in Florida I do feel like fall is in the air. This is another painting for the Leslie Saeta 30 Paintings in 30 Days. This painting is from my favorite site, Paint My Photo. 
It's so nice to have found a site where you can search for photos and find just about anything you want to paint. Love it!
Purchase information HERE.

Colorful Greek Pots

 30-30 Challenge
I really do appreciate the people from Paint My Photo because if you attempt to paint everyday then sometimes you need a little photo help. Especially copyright free---and free free!  Here is the original photo from that site. Thank you, Ruth Archer, for such a paintable shot!

Home Sweet Home--30-30 Challenge

This is a little $20 tutorial by Tom Brown that I enjoyed doing. Every one in a while I like to take some of his classes. he is a good teacher I do like the way he paints. He breaks it all down so that anyone could paint it. it's not quite a simple as he makes it look but it's fun.

Pretty and Grungy

This was an experimental collage mixed media in oils. It was fun to do. Not sure if I want to go back to that look but it was fun to revisit! This is my offering today for Leslie Saeta 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.

Snow Capped

I enjoyed painting this one and it turned out ok but it was a challenge. Every painting is a challenge but even in the challenge it's always fun to see what comes out in the final panting. This is an 8x10 from Paint My Photo site.

Wildmill in the Distance--30-30 Challenge

I love old windmills and this one from Paint My Photo was just a wonderful photo. As you know I am do the Leslie Saeta 30 paintings in 30 days for the month of September. It really is a challenge but since I have found the site with the copyright free photos it has really freed me up. I would much rather paint my own photos and I will try and do that also within this challenge. But for today this windmill called me.
It's a 6x8 and if you want it you can purchase it here.http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/martha-lever/windmill-in-the-distance/164937

30-30 Challenge--Red and Orange Tulips

This is a little 6x6 of some tulips. I love tulips and I love to paint them. This photo is from the site
Paint My Photo. This is a wonderful site that has all sorts of copyright free photographs for people to paint. They actually want you paint the photos rather than charging you $200 or more to paint one!
iStock Phots etc
It's nice for a challenge like this one where I paint everyday and sometimes my own photos just don't float my boat that day.  All they ask is that you try to post the link the original photograph from the site. I have been searching for this link and I can't seem to find it. But I will be more careful for any ones that I post in the future from this wonderful and very generous site!
Here is the original photo.