Wetland Gold, and others

I have been working on this for about a week, even took it in and out of the frame about six times and may have to again if the photo isn't good. I wish I could just say to some one Frame it this way! and then I wouldn't have to do it...but it is costly to have it done. I got permission from the photographer to use the photo and added the ducks...it is a little different from the photo but close enough I needed permission.

Ohio Plein Air Society annual Meeting with demos

Fantastic meeting! Carl Dalio did an amazing demo with a slide show. He is a great teacher with a exceptional sense of humor. That caused me to buy his video and sign up for his workshop at the OPAS(Ohio Plein Air Society)Competition at Lakeside Ohio in September. I have already watched the video and incorporated some of the lessons in my watercolor class to my students. Dance with the brush he says and all my future paintings will be dancing with the brush. Dance one color into another and let it paint itself. I love his limited palette and will attempt to use his colors for awhile and see how I like them
On another note the dentist loved the Morning Breakers and commissioned another painting of the Put-in-Bay area.
And I have had students in consecutive classes for three sessions now. And I was so glad to add some more techniques today to class.

Morning Breakers

This was a commission with a lot of free rein. Lake Erie scene for a dentist's office. I wanted something calming and pleasant. The area is around the wildlife center between Catawba and Toledo. I truly want to go back there this Spring when the wading birds are migrating. So I put in the darling little Sandpipers that run back and forth around the waves and I wanted a pleasant scene so I did a morning sky. The painting was a success. It will hang in a show in April in Mansfield, but the dentist claimed it and ordered another painting.

Moped Rental

This was a commission and a real challenge. I had done one before with just the scoot cars and the gift was well received and a friend of the owner saw it and loved it so the owner of the first painting commissioned another with the mopeds. He liked it so well that a print was made and given to the friend and the owner now has two paintings of the Moped Rental. It is an 8x10 oil. I blew the photo up to 8x10 and worked on spots of color, especially with the mopeds.

Goals

After reading my New Year's post, I realize I have been working on art but have not been painting so many hours a day. Must assign myself a schedule! I have walked the dogs most days but weather here is poor. a foot of snow, and high of 20 degrees most days. Today it is 11 degrees and wind. We are staying in. All my other goals are working. Why when painting is the priority it is done last or not at all? That is why I said I must set hours to paint or other things just interfere. Much easier to catalog paintings than paint!! This is the challenge...paint some every day, if only to put a drawing on canvas or paper!

Catalog of paintings

So much for promises. Can't believe I haven't posted. I have been working on art. Have inventoried all supplies, and am presently cataloging all paintings. I thought I would be done by now. This method will work much better. A page for every painting, with date started, support, size,medium,mat,frame and price at the top and listings of shows beneath. Previously had just listed on a sheet with name and size and frame. I have found that sometimes I never listed them or listed twice with a different name. Now I will start a sheet when I start a painting. This will work much better. So it has been a paperwork week.

Happy New Year

Ah, new beginnings. Today will plan future paintings and decide regular hours to paint. The last painting was one that finalized the jury process for Artistes de Studio Gallery online. I am thrilled.This qualifies as my fifth competition that I set as a goal the middle of 2009. So now to start over with goals.1. I paint 2-3 paintings a week, setting at least 3 hours a day to paint and two for planning,and paperwork.2. Enter 5 competitions and when I hit 5 continue!3. Read or listen to painting info or motivational material 30-60 min. a day. And 4. For fun and instruction have 2 painting vacations and 2 painting workshops. I can't wait to get started! I have also set a continuing goal of a 5lb weight lose per month to hit my final goal of a 20lb weight loss. This means walking briskly 30-40 min/day and continue my salad or soup at six and no white poisons, no red meat, little chicken, lots of fish and vegetables. I can do it as I have done it for six months and lost 20 lbs. Yea! 2010. It is going to be a great year!