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.

30-30--Apples on Green

I am doing Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days.
It's for the month of September and it's just a great way to make yourself paint something everyday. I try to do that anyway but it's fun to post it on her blog with all the other wonderful painters who have signed up. Many of them I have come to admire.  So here we go!

This one is oil on 12x12 panel.

Hey Y'all!!

Well, I guess summer is about over and it's been a busy one but it looks like my September is going to be even busier. But I have been painting or at least trying to. My new endeavor is to paint some children--facing the other way or partial face. Even the partial face is a challenge.
 This is little sweet Gabe from my church.  I ask him to turn around so I could take his picture and I do think he thought that was a little strange. But like the sweet kid that he is he turned around and the sun caught him right in the eyes as I caught his picture. We were all at a beach party for our pastor's 60th birthday celebration.

Maybe I will give this to his sweet mother. It's just practice so---and there are many miles of brushstrokes to go before I am feeling comfortable with the oil paint. It's getting better though.

I will "BEE" on vacation for a little while...

Meanwhile...
I know I haven't posted anything in a while but I have been really busy with several things. I have been making books. This is one that I wrote several years ago and never published it. So I put it in Blurb and made a book of it. It is really cute.

But goodness gracious--the prices including shipping are too high! I guess it's because it's full color but this is surely not an option for this little 20 page book.
Here is the inside. They really did a great job but it took me hours to format it to their specifications.

But here are the Blurb links to the book and the eBook for your iPad or iPhone.


So, as I said I will be taking a little bloggie break but still busy with Lollapalooza classes, making books and visiting grandchildren.  I will see you all soon!!!
Hope you are enjoying your summer!

Hughes Easel

 I have been saving my money to buy myself this fabulous Hughes Easel because at the touch of your hand it moves up and down and side to side. I have a back that doesn't like for me to stand up too long at a time so I have to sit down and stand up, sit down and stand up while I paint and this easel allows me to adjust the painting whether sitting or standing.

YAY!

 

 Here are my guys putting it together. No problem!

 

 "And I helped!"

Sugar Pot

Yesterday was our monthly art buddy painting day with my buddies, Rynda and Betty, and we again painted from our current favorite painting book, Problem Solving for Oil Painters by Gregg Kreutz. We choose an interesting painting from the book, read what he says about it and then attempt to paint it. It is a great exercise to "paint what you see" and just basically log in brush time. The more brush time---the better painter you are. This sugar pot was actually quite a challenge because of the shapes and the lights against the darks as well as the darks against the darks. All in all it was fun painting together since each one of us paints in a different style and interprets it differently. If you are a painter, find some buddies to paint with. You... and they will benefit from it!

More of Lori's Tulips

My buddy, Lori, is a very good photographer and here is another shot of her tulips that I painted today. Painting glass is tricky for me. My mind says to paint the glass where really I should just paint the reflections. It's a test in painting colors and shapes that you see with your eye and not think in your brain.  I fractured it a bit which gave it a more distressed look.

Julie Ford Oliver has a tutorial on Daily Paintworks to show how to fracture. I love her paintings.

Sweet Little Gigi

I have been wanting to paint little Gigi for a while now. Gigi is very old and is working on her 9th life now. She lives next door to my studio and her owner, Sarah, is such a sweet neighbor that I thought I would try to capture Gigi for her. Gigi doesn't come outside much any more but this time she was having a nice little rest on her favorite chair. She posed for me. I am certainly not a cat person only because I am allergic to them but I do love Gigi. When it dries I will give it to Sarah.

"Lollapalooza One" Brag Book

Well, I just have to brag on my very talented

 and creative  "Lolla" students!!

 I want to share some of their

 fabulous "Snippet Journals!"  

Michelle LaPoint

June Taylor

Janie Husband

Jane Ellen Kimball

Raine Phoenix

Pam Osburn

Teri at Quinceberry

Joyce Cook

Margot Bigelow

Aren't you impressed!?

The New Brown Vase

11x14 Oil on Panel
Buy it HERE

Sometimes when you are waiting at the hospital there is nothing left to do but go shopping at the gift shop.  There are treasures to be found there. I found bracelets and little zipper pouches made by Kelly Rae Roberts (if you don't know who she is you should google her) and this fabulous brown ceramic vase.  I just had to get it so I could bring it home and put it into some still lifes. It has a cute little ceramic flower on the top of the handle but the leaves covered it up. 

I hope all of my "Lolla Sisters" are having fun spraying their journal pages and having a big time.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions at all--- or you can do that in the Question and Comment section within the class.

Waiting Doodle

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day holiday! This is a little doodle in the composition notebook as I was sitting and having to do some sitting and waiting these past few days. Thank goodness for the enjoyment of the doodle!

Image taken with my iPhone.