Stenciled Table with Annie Sloan Paints

This is my maiden voyage with the Annie Sloan Chalk paints.

 I painted the table in Old White in about 30 minutes or so. 

I then added Duck Egg Blue to the leg areas and stenciled 

the top along with some elbow grease sanding for the shabby chic look.

I haven't waxed it yet and still deciding if I should put the dark wax.
This stencil with the numbers might have been a bit busy but no problem---
I can just paint over it and pick another stencil.

Really fun and turned out cute! 
Next ---on to the upholstered side chair.  Yikes!
I'm gonna paint it-- fabric and all!

Oh my goodness--Annie Sloan Chalk Paints!

I went to an Annie Sloan Chalk Paint workshop yesterday to learn how to use this fabulous paint for furniture. I have always wanted to paint furniture but never wanted to do any prep work beforehand. Well, this is the paint that will do that. No prep whatsoever. We painted these sample boards with the easy techniques.  The paint colors are yummy (I bought way too many!) but I am going to try this and see what happens. So maybe I will switch from painting canvases to painting chairs and tables!  Maybe I will even paint some pears and poppies on them too!

This is Lucy

She just looks like a Lucy to me. I am having so much fun drawing the girls for the upcoming online class. I am even teaching myself a few new things. It's really fun for these girls to emerge as you draw them and each one will have a little personality. Lucy happens to be one that looks you right in the eye.
Most of my girls have a name and the name just pops into my head when I see them. She looks to be about 7 or 8 years old I think. Hi Lucy!

Drawing the Girls

Even though I am trying really had to be an oil painter, it is just so fun to stop and go back to some collage and mixed-media techniques. This is a girl I drew for the class, "Drawing the Girls," that I am having a ball filming.  These girls are actually how I doodle. You will find them everywhere.  They are on scraps of paper, napkins, paper tablecloths at restaurants and even all through my Bible. I like them to be "looking into the Word."  I do this sometimes in church but I can listen and draw.  Actually it helps me to listen.  I never could sit still. I will go over this technique in the class. (Collage--not the drawing in church technique!) Ok---back to filming!

I couldn't resist...

Gouache Resist!  Jane Powell, from Random Arts in Saluda, NC posted this tutorial. And I just had to try it. If you have the supplied, which I did, then you should try it. I was so excited when I ran the India Ink under the water and the image emerged.  So fun. You must try it!

Drawing the Girls

I am starting to film my new online class, "Drawing the Girls."  God willing, it will open the middle of March but then again we know about those best laid plans! It might be April. So far it has been fun brushing up on my drawing and coloring skills for these fun girls.  I drew her today and tried a couple of hair colors for her as well as a few techniques for coloring the faces.  I draw these faces every time I am waiting or anything or listening to something. It's the way I doodle.

Chop

This is Chop. He belongs to a precious little girl named Bailey.  Chop was lost at the mall but was miraculously found much to Bailey's relief. Bailey's grandmother asked if I would paint chop---so here he is.  He is enjoying posing with the pretty flowers.

Glenorchy

For my painting today for 30 Paintings in 30 Days (in which I am very behind!) I decided to paint from a Richard Robinson workshop. I love Richard's paintings and his teaching methods. I always learn something when I do one of his workshops.

The Bridge

I got together with my monthly painting buddies and we painted this bridge form the book, Problem Solving for Oil Painters by Gregg Kreutz. This one was really detailed and complicated with on the background colors but it was fun to paint and even more fun getting together with my buddies.

Charleston Pink House

Charleston Pink House
Oil on 9x12 panel

This is Day 8 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days.
It really is a challenge to paint everyday. For me it's more about finding the right composition or photo than the actual painting of the painting. That's the fun part. Finding one that inspires me is the challenge!

Lazy Day in Venice

Lick Skillet Barn

*sold*

Covered Bridge--30-30 Challenge

This is actually the second time I have panted this bridge thinking that it would work out better the second time. I do think this one is better than the first one. It was a beautiful photo from Paint My Photo site

this is Day for of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days.

Leslie Saeta "Two by Two" 30-30 Challenge

"Two by Two"

I just love sheep because their faces are just so precious.  I named this one Two by Two because two reasons. They could be coming into the ark or they could represent witnesses that Jesus sent out. They were challenging to paint. Anytime I have to paint white it's a challenge.
Day 3 of 30-30 Challenge

More info.

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's Eve!  I have been busy but tried to stop and paint a few things inbetween the busyness. It's nice to slow down now and concentrate on my art goals for 2014.  I don't usually make resolutions but I do want to continue to paint and try to constantly improve and maybe do a few more online classes. I always enjoy doing those and I have a few ideas.

This is day two of 30 Paintings in 30 Days by Leslie Saeta. I missed day 1.
It's always good and to do this challenge and see everyone who is participating.
Here is a little birdie that is 6x6. I love to paint birds. They are sweet little things.

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!