Thankful

Thankful Oil on gessoed board 5"x7"

$150

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I just finished a wonderful workshop with the fabulous artist and teacher Dreama Tolle Perry. This is the first painting I have done since that workshop. She is a former watercolorist as am I, and her method is to paint the first layer of the painting with transparent oils. Yes, there are transparent oils. Then, withoust waiting for the first layer to dry, you start right in with your regular paints-some opaque, semi-opaque, or even transparent. It's a really fun way to paint. As a vegetarian I look forward to Pumpkin Pie as my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner. My daughter, Lauri Norman, makes a delicious Pumpkin Chiffon PIe and of course we have it with plenty of real whipped cream! You can email me for the recipe!

X4 Zorn Cow

4" x 4" Oil on Panel
$75 
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This painting was done using the Anders Zorn Palette: black, yellow ocher, red oxide and white. It was fun, and amazing simple to use only 4 colors. I did sorely miss my cadmium yellow however!

Birdx2 Hungry Birds

Day 3 of Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

9"x12" Oil on arches 140lb paper

Well, I've learned a lot so far! I thought I would take this period and experiment with different surfaces, media, etc. and so far I have. I thought that would be quick and I wouldn't be invested in "perfectionism." Turns out that Every one of those differences is more challenging than I thought! It takes even longer to figure out what surface to use, what experiment to try, how to use different media(acrylics drove me nuts) and even how to compose in different sizes. I still think it will be a valuable way to grow, however I may only try one change per painting instead of 3 or 4 at once.

BirdX Bird Feeling Alone

9"x12" Acrylic on Arches 140 lb paper

 

Having fun with experimenting and using different materials. This was painted on top of an earlier brightly colored non objective acrylic painting. I have been reading Finding Your Visual Voice by Dakota Mitchell. One of the questions she gives for consideration is about whether your vision and inspiration is from internal focus(imagination) or external focus(physical world.)  Many artists are somewhere on the continuum between. My passion is for the beauty of the earth and reverence for life so my paintings usually are on the external side of the continuum however I have dreams of crossing over at least to suggestion and mystery, depicting the great mystery.

Loose Cow

 6"x6" Oil on Board
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I'm starting the Leslie Saeta 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I haven't painted in a week so I'm glad to have a push. These cows were painted quickly in an attempt to loosen up. I think the photo lighting could be better.  Next in the 30 day series I'm going to use some fun ways to create paintings like color transfer, stamping, and even acrylics. I've been reading my Edward Betts books. Now there was a creative soul.

Fairmont Cows

 

5"x7" Oil on Panel
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I am inspired to paint more loosely and use thicker paint so I'm painting some small quick studies. I just received 2 Cow Calendars from Roos Schuring. They are just amazing so I got out my cow photos and started painting. These cows were in the mountains of NC near Asheville.

Off to Class

 

A classic scene from a photo I took many years ago. I'm currently reading Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth which is all about building Cathedrals-one of his longtime interests.

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Sunday Call

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6"x6" oil on panel

Driving around the Duke quad past Duke Chapel on a Sunday morning all was quiet and this gal was enjoyingthe quiet and the outdoors.

Duke Chapel

6" x 6" Oil on Panel

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I got the idea to paint this from Leslie Saeta when she painted the tower at Notre Dame. I live only a couple of miles from Duke Chapel and enjoy seeing it peeking out above the trees.

Qiang Huang Workshop in Cary NC

Just finished a wonderful painting workshop with Qiang Huang at the Waverly Artists Gallery in Cary. What a privilege to be taught by this very accomplished artist right here in the Triangle. I didn't have to travel to Austin TX where he lives.
Qiang is a very fine artist and also a superior and giving teacher. He had the best set up for viewing his demonstrations that I have ever seen!

His teaching of the basic principles of painting, composition, value, color, brushwork, and edges, are applicable to all media. Qiang went around to each student several times a day and gave instructions according to the students level. He is planning a painting workshop trip to his native China for this fall. Check out his blog to see his beautiful work and also for future updates about the China workshop
.http://qiang-huang.blogspot.com/

Excited

Today I am excited to announce that I have started teaching an oil painting class here in Durham NC. Class is Wednesday afternoon, 1:30 to 4:30. We talk, have a lesson and then paint with supervision in my glass walled living room.

Koi Club

8"x8" Oil on Board

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I love Koi, they're so colorful and they love to stick together! These koi were at a zoo in south Florida.

Going Upstream

6"x6" Oil on Museum Quality Panel

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I love marshes. I used to stop along the bridges in Georgia, get out of the car and take pictures. Of course, I envied this boater out on the water.

100 Shelter Dogs #33 Buddy

4"x4" Oil On Board

$100 ($25 goes to Animal Rescue)

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I picked up a brush instead of a palette knife today! Also tried a new looser style of painting and I enjoyed it a lot!

Spring Hope

4"x4" Oil on Museum Quality Board

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Wow, this one was so hard to photograph; rainy day, etc.  I know Spring is all mixed up this year; trees in Duke Gardens are already in full bloom and tonight we're supposed to get heavy snow! I always love it when the irises come up!

Sea Bear Play

4" x4" Oil on Museum Quality Panel

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Polar Bear  in the Central Park Zoo having fun!  Another palette knife painting for Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days Challenge.

Winter Roost

6"x6" Oil on museum quality panel

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Today I was in a funk; couldn't decide what to paint, even if to paint, Going around and around looking at all my photos. Finally I saw this one I had always wanted to paint but I had envisioned a large painting. Anyway, I just grabbed a 6"x6" black gessoed panel and sor of attacked it with my palette knife and a wipe out tool.Had FUN and I kinda like it!

Looking for Love

6"x6" Oil on Museum quality panel
$150

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This is a great white egret I photographed in the everglades. During breeding season the area around their eye becomes bright green and they grow special plumage -long white skinny feathers not visible in this view. It is always challenging to paint a white animal or bird and mix all the different nuances and shades of white for shadows, curves, sunlight. This is another palette knife painting for Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge.

Guy Bird

4"x4" Oil on Museum quality panel

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She's looking at him but he's playing hard to get! Palette knife painting # 10 for Lesie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I'm planning to switch soon to a new brush I bought for Dreama Tolle Perry's Workshop.

Ladybird

4:x4: Oil on Museum Quality Panel

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Another palette knife painting for Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days.

Rabbit

5"x5" Oil on museum Panel

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Day 8 of Leslie Saeta's 30 painting in 30 days Challenge. Oops, I missed day seven and I hope to make it up soon. Still painting with only the palette knife. Sure does save on Gamsol!

Sea Bear SOLD

4"x4" Oil on museum quality panel

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Day 6 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days Challenge. I thought I couldn't do this one with a palette knife but I'm pleased at how it turned out! Saw this guy in the Central Park Zoo.

Two Koi

4"x4" Oil on museum quality panel.

$100

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I finally found all my original koi photos. I was reduced to visiting pet stores! This is another palette knife painting and day 5 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge! Good thing she did this; been a little lazy lately but this has got me going! Thanks Leslie.

Chickadee at Feeder

5"x5" Oil on museum quality panel

$125

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This chickadee was looking around to make sure it was not threatened! This is day 4 of Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days Challenge. 

Balcony Buffet

4"x4" Oil on Museum quality panel

$75

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I put pine cones stuffed with peanut butter, apples, watermelon and other fruits on my balcony and always had squirrels and various birds visiting my buffet!

Everglades Marsh

5"x7" Oil on panel

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Day 2 in Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days. Again, this is an all palette knife painting! It's harder for me to paint palette knife paintings as small as this one. I hope to keep doing the first 15 with a palette knife, then switch to a brush.

Taking Off

 8"x10" Oil on Board
$200

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Here's the first painting for Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I'm enjoying practicing painting with only a palette knife!  I saw this great egret while in the everglades and I was thrilled to capture his take-off with my camera. I was so busy getting the phot that I failed to notice a gator lurking-probably the reason he took off so suddenly!