A Commissioned Piece

No money involved, but Ruby asked if I would paint a picture for her room. She wanted an octopus and the colors of navy, aqua, and orange. I am giving it a try.

watermelons

I am pleased about the finished work - so much that I signed it. 

It is a 12x12 oil painting now drying in the studio.

Today we are open. I will be there soon. 

On the Easel

My plein air class has ended, and though I loved going to the various pretty places, I have determined that I do not want to paint outside. It is really hard to go to a place you have never been and without doing much assessment focus on one thing to paint. Not to mention the variable weather conditions. I am going to stick with studio work for now. This is what I worked on today.

4th Friday

A good 4th Friday. Most of us sold something. Me? Two photographs. I love it when someone likes what I have done enough to buy it. But not only do we sell art, we have great music like these jazz guys tonight.

girl with a camera

I was asked to take photos of the winners of a student art show that was held this evening. Of course I did. No great pix turned up in my camera, but I guess they will serve as a memory if the kids want them. Here is one that only you and I will see.

happy to say...

that my painting sold!
The one of the young man in costume for the Cats performance.
I felt it captured both the actor and the character he portrayed, and I hope he, if his family bought it, will enjoy it a long time. The play was wonderfully performed by the children's theater here.
It was not one of the first to be sold, and I was thinking of all the life lessons to be learned in the event it did not sell. But there are learning opportunities with the selling, too!

Pix from the tidal pool

on the easel

I had an 8x10 canvas that I had painted with bright green acrylic for some reason, so I thought I would use it to oil paint over. I found this photo that I thought would be compatible, so here goes. As you can tell, it is one of my favorite subjects. Mixing paints and coming up with the right color is a challenge. I will try to subdue the colors this weekend.

My Cat has left the building

The twenty or so artists who painted the "Cats" performers turned their artwork in today, and they are hanging in the lobby of the theater. They are adorable! What a great idea!
Honestly...I was pleased with the way mine turned out, and so was the subject who saw it today. Bustopher was a different sort of Cat, a larger, older, more dignified character, so I tried to paint him that way. Now I must start another painting. I have learned to take time and try to paint the best I can. It is a lot of work!

today's demo

Teacher Kevin is using the iPad for his reference photo in this painting of ocean waves.

to do list

At the ArtWorks, we are preparing for an art show. It will be the second we have hosted since I have been there. It takes a lot of work, the heavy kind.
On Wednesday I will be helping to hang the art. Hanging has become an interest of mine over the past year, and I hope I know enough to do an adequate job.
Then I will help with the reception on Thursday. I can usually do food without any worries!
There will be visitors in and around from Thursday to Sunday, so I spent some time cleaning my studio today. Another thing I have learned is that making art is messy.

an arty life

This morning was the third painting at the beach class, and we broke from Wrightsville and went to a tucked-away harbor on Carolina Beach. We set ourselves under a shelter/gazebo where the unexpected cold winds of May whipped us. I finally had the good sense to find a sunny spot out on the dock with a view I enjoyed, but I only sketched. I did take many pix of boats, though!
Here is one of the artists at work."

Earlier this week after lots of little changes, I finished my "Cat." It isn't too bad. I just hope it will be sort of dry by the time it is hung. In a couple of weeks when I attend the play, my painting and the paintings of the thirty other performers done by my fellow artists will be hanging in the lobby for sale.  I am so glad I chose to participate in this fun project.