Summer Delights revisited

Summer Delights, pastel floral still life, 16 x 20, NFS

I'm submitting this again. For some reason it did not show up on the main page of my auction. This won a First Place in the pastel floral category at the North Clackamas Arts Guild Annual Show at the end of September. It is the first pastel that I've completed. I really enjoyed painting with pastel which was a big surprise for me. For some reason I have avoided pastels in the past. I plan to do more in the future.

Taking a Break

My computer decided to act out so I am taking a break until I can get it back on track.

See you soon — I hope.

Lavender Field & Farm

Lavender Field & Farm, 8 x 10, oil on panel, starting bid $135

This is the Jackson School Lavender field on Old Jackson School Road in Hillsboro, Oregon. It is just a few miles outside Portland but it seems like a hundred miles. It's such a rural, quiet  setting. This is the second painting I did that day. The first one was posted Oct. 1,  and it won a First Place in oil landscapes at the annual North Clackamas Arts Guild last weekend.

Melody in Purple

Melody in Purple, 6x6, oil on panel, $75

This is the first plein-air painting from the Lavender fields. I thought I'd try just a small one first. There were poppies growing around the edges of the field. It was a really hot day, close to 90-degrees. Luckily, there were a lot of trees lining the road, so, guess where I parked my easel to paint?

Summer Delights!

I hadn't planned on taking a vacation, but I guess I did!

For the first time in a few years I was able to take the time to visit with out-of-town family, travel to the coast and a few other places. While I was plein air painting for the Oregon Lavender Festival I discovered I really enjoyed painting outdoors. I took a couple of plein air classes and a couple of pastel classes too. In between all of that was a few sessions of painting the trim on the studio (has it really been 5 years since I finished building it?), building a fence and catching up on yard work. Whew!

Somehow, I managed to get a few paintings finished in the studio. The North Clackamas Arts Guild had their annual show last weekend and 2 of my painting won awards. The first pastel I have ever finished won First Place in the Pastel Still Life category.

Summer Delights, pastel 16x20, NFS

One of my Lavender Festival plein air paintings won a Third Place for Oil Landscapes. I felt honored to have this little painting receive an award as there were over 100 Landscapes entered in this category.

Talk About Quaint, oil 12x16, $245 unframed

I'll post the rest of my Lavender Festival Paintings over the next few days along with a few of the other paintings I've been working on.

My goal for the next couple of months is to get back to painting more 6x6 daily paintings and some larger works also.

Blessing in Blue

Blessing in Blue, 24x18, original oil on stretched canvas, SOLD

(click here for larger view or to bid on painting)

I painted with some friends this spring and the studio had this little window—isn't it great?. Another friend contributed the statue of a saint, maybe St. Francis, I'm not sure. It was fun to paint this still life and we all had such a good time. Painting with other artists is great because I learned so many neat and interesting new things. Thanks Kat and Jody and the rest of the gang.

Lost Lake

Lost Lake, 18x24, oil on stretched canvas
auction starts at $395

(click here to view larger or to bid on painting)

Lost Lake is another large painting from last winter. A quiet scene — a lake that is the headwaters for a small stream and a snow covered mountain watching over the valley.

First Cast

 First Cast, 18x24, original oil painting on stretched canvas
auction starts at $395
(click here to view larger image or to bid on painting)

Here's another large painting from last winter—another painting about stillness and tranquility. What could be more peaceful than that first cast from a boat on a quiet morning?

I'm Back

Still Life with Oranges, 18x24, original oil painting on canvas, $395

(click here for enlarged view or to buy on painting)

I can't believe I haven't posted for 20 days! I spent over a week in the lavender fields plein air painting. I had so much fun with all that purple! I was rushing so much to get them all framed and submitted to the Lavender Festival show in Yamhill, Oregon that I forgot to take photographs of them. They will be in either the Coldwell Banker Professional Group building or Cusick Picture Frame in Newberg, Oregon for their First Friday Art Walk, August 3, from 5 to 9 pm. Drop in if you are in the area, I'd love to meet you.

After the Lavender Festival I decided to go out and do some plein air painting. I've discovered that I love painting outdoors. There are no distractions, like cats that need to be fed and plants that are begging for water. So, I can focus on just painting. And strangely, it doesn't bother me to have people look at my "not finished" paintings. As soon as I photograph them I'll post them.

I'm posting a larger size, still life painting that I did last winter. I really like  the way it turned out. It has a quality of stillness and timelessness.

Off to the Lavender Fields!

I'm participating in the Lavender Festival Paint Out and have been out in the lavender fields for a number of days now, painting my favorite color—purple! I am a truly happy camper. It's been roastingly hot, but luckily there has been enough shade for my palette and canvas and a little left over for me.

I'll be back after the Festival this weekend. With a number of paintings of Oregon's Lavender Fields.

See you soon!

Egg cup and shells

Egg Cup and Shells,  5x5, oil on gessoboard,

SOLD (click here to view this painting)

This little painting managed to hold it's own against many larger still life paintings in the Portland Fine Arts Guild competition earlier this spring. It received Honorable Mention—not bad for a little 5x5!

Guarding Spooner Creek

Guarding Spooner Creek, 6x6, oil on stretched canvas, $75
(click here to buy this painting)

Let's travel from Eastern Oregon to the Oregon Coast! Whenever I visit the coast I have to stop and take a photo of these rocks. There is something about them that says endurance and steadfastness. They are in Lincoln City in the area that we used to call Taft, just north of Salishan. The area has marshes around Spooner Creek before it enters the bay.

Smith Rock Morning

Smith Rock Morning,  6x6, oil on gessoboard, $75
(click here to buy this painting)

This is the small study that was the basis for the larger Rock Climbers' Morning which I posted yesterday. I'm really intrigued by the little sliver of light on the hillside just past Smith Rock.

Rock Climbers' Morning

 22x28, oil on stretched canvas, $450

(click here to buy this painting)

Oregon's Smith Rock State Park is a coveted rock climbing destination for many of the world's rock climbers. This view is looking east with the Crooked River in the valley next to Smith Rock.

To Let: English Cottage in Woodland

oil on canvas, 18x24, $395
(Click here to buy this painting)

This is another painting I entered into the Lake Oswego Festival of Arts last weekend. It's based on the small painting I posted on June 8. The little thatched roof birdhouse has been a favorite of mine for a long time. What could say "English" better than a thatched roof birdhouse?

Sunflower Duet

 watercolor, 8 1/2"x12 1/2" image—14"x18" mat/frame, $135

(click here to bid on painting)

The Lake Oswego Festival of Arts Show was last weekend. I entered five pieces, four oils and one watercolor. The watercolor is titled "Sunflower Duet" and has a double mat: dark green with a sliver of white. I'll have to take a photo of the artwork with the mat and post it tomorrow.

This One's for Mom, 6x6 oil on gessoboard, May 23rd blog, SOLD

I also entered two of my small blog paintings: "This One's for Mom," a daffodil; and "The Sky is Falling," three little chicks. I'm happy to announce that the little chicks found a good home. They had won two second place ribbons in two miniature shows this month.

The Sky is Falling, 6x6 oil on gessoboard, SOLD

I'll post the other paintings over the next few days.

Getting Ready for a Show

I've been preoccupied this week with getting ready for the Lake Oswego Festival of Arts Show. I'm entering five pieces—two larger oil paintings, two small oil paintings and one medium size watercolor. You are invited to the show if you're in the Portland Metro area. They say it is the largest unjuried show in the West—last year they had over 1000 artworks in the show.

So, that's my excuse for a few days of not posting. I'll get back in the swing of things in a few days.

A Nod to BFF

(click here to bid on painting)

$75

These little bobble heads make me smile. I'm sure the three of them have been Best Friends Forever! They are just goofy enough to keep my 'inner child' happy. Don't we all need a little of that in this day and age?

Tom's Garden Shed

(click here to bid on painting)

$75
What a garden shed! Only Thomas Jefferson could come up with a design like that. He must have seen some beautiful sunsets from this perfect viewing spot.

Tom's Garden

(click here to bid on painting)

$75
One of the items in my bucket list was to visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello garden. A few years back I accomplished that goal. What a treat to walk the same paths that Thomas used so many years ago.

Pretty in Pink

(click here to bid on painting)

$75
The only thing I don't like about the iris is that it's only around for such a short time. Usually a pink iris is not a very dark pink, but this one has a really deep color. You would think that if they can hybridize one this color that they could create many more with deep shades, but alas, that hasn't been true. So, I enjoy this one when it blooms.

Foxy Glove

(click here to bid on painting)

$75
Don't you wonder who came up with these names? And just what were they thinking? I love foxgloves and always let them go to seed. Then I take the stalks and sprinkle them over my flower beds — kind of like a fairy wand. Then I just sit back and wait for them to bloom next year. The last couple of years we've had such mild winters that some of my plants are 3 or 4 years old and have a half a dozen or more blooming stalks. Talk about heaven!

To Let, One Room English Condo

(click here to bid on painting)

 $75
What could say "England" better than a thatched roof bird house? I was so happy when I found this little treasure.

Glorious Gothic

(click here to bid on this painting)

$75
Isn't this a delightful Gothic? I took a photo one spring when the dogwood tree was in bloom along with 2 rows of apricot colored tulips lining the front walkway. I'm so glad I did because now it has been painted gray and the fancy white grill-like railing on the upper deck is gone.

Shh . . . He Can't Find me!

(click here to buy this painting)

$55
You see, they're playing hide-and-seek. Lemon hid in the bowl and now Orange can't see her. At least that's the story.

The Boy's Pond

(click here to buy this painting)

$75
Isn't this a great place for my grandsons on a hot summer day? Of course, putting the boat in the pond only happens after all the chores — collect the eggs, feed the chickens and take care of the lambs first!

Vintage Air Stream Dream

(click here to view this painting)

SOLD
Airstream Travel Trailers really speak to our national obsession with the American Dream of hitting the road for the wild places. They look like little space ship, shipping containers. For some reason it reminds me of Lucille Ball and hubby in the old movie, The Long, Long Trailer — even though that was a different style of trailer. It conjures up images of adventure! Maybe with a few laughs along the way since I come from a family tradition of rock collecting.

'64 Mustang with Hoodie and Hat

(click here to view this painting)

SOLD
For some reason the tarp over half the broken windshield with the hub cap on top looked like a hoodie with a hat. This is my grandson Quinten's long awaited for project. He's in seventh heaven. I'll have to paint a portrait when it's up and running. Good luck Quinten.

Smith Rock State Park Sagebrush

(click here to buy painting)

$75
This is the eastern ridge of Smith Rock State Park. The pathways have an abundant supply of sagebrush which always looks so exotic to this Willamette Valley artist. Don't you love the color?

Terrebonne Hiking

$75
I have family members that live in beautiful Terrebonne, Oregon, across the road from Smith Rock State Park. Climbers come from all over the world to test their skills on these rocks(click here to buy this painting). The view in this painting is the back side of the rocks.

The Sky is Falling

The Sky is Falling, 6x6, oil on panel, SOLD

view this painting)
It's no wonder that these little chicks might think the sky is falling. Their three predecessors did have the sky fall on them in the form of a great big hawk that swooped down from the sky! This trio is thriving under the daily care and watchful eyes of my two very capable grandsons.

Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive, Ah, ha, ha, ha, Stayin' Alive

(click here to buy this painting)

SOLD
This rooster started prancing back and forth, right in front of me. Suddenly he started looking like John Travolta and the chorus "Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive, Ah, ha, ha, ha, Stayin' Alive," started ringing through my head.

Hanging Out at the End of the Alaphabet: Tulip and Weigela

(click here to buy this painting) 

 (click here to buy this painting)

$75
Don't they look like great pals? Just hanging out together. Which is a great idea because their names are at the end of the alphabet so they'll be at the end of the line.

'Tween Tulip

(click here to view this painting)

SOLD
The parade continues with a series of tulips. The first one seems to have turned her hearing off—just like a kid in the 'tween stage!

This One's for Mom

(click here to view this painting)

SOLD
My Mom loved spring time and especially daffodils. This one celebrates every one of the 90 springs she enjoyed to the fullest. This one is for you Mom.

Two's a Crowd

(click here to view this painting)

SOLD
Two's a crowd and this is the second in my daffodil series. My spirits always lift a bit when the daffodils start to bloom. Alas, they only hang around for a few weeks until the tulips come to town.

Blue Monday Lemon

(click here to buy this painting)

$55
I couldn't resist painting this Meyers blue label lemon. Between the blue label and the bitter lemon I decided it had to be a blue Monday.

Sunday Morning Cheerfulness

(click here to buy this painting)


$75
Daffodils make me smile, from the inside. You know that sunshine in on the way, and all the other flowers are lining up for the parade. That's what I call happiness.

Purple Onion Upstarts

(click here to buy this painting)

$55
These were such beautiful little purple onion starts that I couldn't resist painting them. One was so eager to get started that it couldn't resist sprouting. I think spring has sprung.

Nana Nana Fo Fana

(click here to buy this painting)

$95
Remember that old song—The Name Game? For some reason that song was going through my head while I painted this study of bananas. And, then it got stuck in my brain and rattled around between my ears for the next week! It was fun painting bananas though.

Upstaged by Cutie, Again!

(click here to view this painting)

SOLD
Doesn't she look like a Rock Star with arms outstretched in the ultimate embrace of the audience?

By the way Carol Marine, thanks for giving me the daily painting bug—I'm having so much fun!

Welcome

Join me on my daily painting journey. I'm excited about this new artistic path of finishing a painting every day — or just about every day. With the small paintings, usually 6x6 inches, the end product can be viewed and admired, or judged, the same day.

I'll be posting my blog and then auctioning the paintings on the Daily Paintworks website.

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