Winter Jacket

Acrylic on 9x12 wrapped canvas

I have been missing painting so much lately...we'll be in the new house very soon and I can't wait to have my painting room set up and get back to it! This is one of my favorite paintings I did last year, it's from a picture of my daughter when she was much younger.

Wisconsin I

Acrylic on 12x9 canvas panel

I finally got back to painting today! I have great landscapes from pictures I've been taking around here. This particular picture I took when a big cloud was putting a shadow in the field in front of me and the colors were just beautiful! It's good to be back!

Beach Bungalows

Acrylic on 24x18 wrapped canvas

Did this painting last year which now hangs in my sister's house.  I loved all the little beach bungalows with all their different colors.

Morrisville Barn I

Acrylic 14x11 on wrapped canvas

NFS

North Carolina has a lot of old barns like this one.  I think they have so much character!  I live in Wisconsin now but I haven't been able to paint because of summer vacation and no room in our temporary apartment!!  I can't wait to get back to it!

Abbaye de Senanque

Acrylic on 20x16 wrapped canvas

This is one of my first paintings with Catherine Martin at the Red Canvas in Apex, NC.  I've never posted it so since I'm not painting right now....

The Sea Shore

Acrylic on 16x20 wrapped canvas

NFS

Hi everyone, I'm back! We're in an apartment now so I'm not sure how feasible it'll be for me to paint but hopefully I will when the kids go back to school! This is a painting I did last year, my sister has it in her house.

Girl in Pink

Acrylic on 24x18 wrapped canvas

I did this painting earlier this year!  Such a sweet expression on the little girl.  It's hanging in my hallway at home.

We're off to France today and I can't wait!  Happy June to everyone!

Field of Lavender II

Acrylic - 9x12 on wrapped canvas

NFS

This is the second one of the Lavender Fields I did earlier this year.

Field of Lavender I

Acrylic 9x12 on wrapped canvas

NFS

Things have been crazy around here with everything that needs to be done with selling a house and moving...so I'm posting a painting I did this past year.  I love lavender fields and I'll be in France in a few weeks so I can't wait to take lots of pictures!!!

Hopper Lighthouse

Acrylic on 8x8 wrapped canvas

SOLD

I finished this in class today.  It was a reproduction of Edward Hopper's "The Lighthouse at Two Lights".  I enjoyed painting all the shaded areas and the sun shining on different surfaces!

Geraniums

Acrylic on 8x10 wrapped canvas

SOLD

I challenged myself to do flowers today.  I usually stay away from leaves because I find them so hard to do but I think these came out pretty good.  These are geraniums from my front flower pots, I find those flowers so pretty!

Pink Scarf

Acrylic on 10x8 wrapped canvas

This is my submission to this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge: a self-portrait!

I did make a few changes to the painting since I submitted to the challenge...I thought my face was a little crooked!!  I guess that's what happens when you try to not spend too much time on a painting!

Mud-Head #2

Acrylic 10x8 on wrapped canvas
This painting will be part of "The Red Canvas" small works sale in Apex, NC on May 7th

SOLD

I decided to try painting another "mud-head" but my own this time.  A lot of fun painting those, especially when you step back and you notice that it's starting to come together!

copy of Matisse - Girl w/ the green eyes

Acrylic on 24x18 wrapped canvas

Sometimes I get so inspired by a painting that I want to paint it just to have it!  This is the case with Henri Matisse:  Girl with the Green Eyes.  I think his use of color is just amazing and painting it was so much fun!

Old Barn in Morrisville

Acrylic on 24x18 wrapped canvas

This is a painting I did a few weeks ago but never posted on the blog and since I haven't had time to paint lately I figured I would post it now!  This is from a picture my sister took of an old barn close to where I live.  We have a lot of those old tobacco farm barns around North Carolina and I think they have so much character!

We're preparing to sell our house and move to Wisconsin this summer so I may not be able to paint as much as I would like to for the next few months.  I'm sure when we're settled I'll start painting daily again and from what I hear, Wisconsin has beautiful landscapes!

Morrisville Farm #2

SOLD
Daily Painting #25 - Acrylic on 11x14 wrapped canvas

I had painted this farm a few weeks ago but wanted to do it again in a larger format and a different orientation.  I love the calm water and the reflections in the pond were so clear.  It's very peaceful to me to look at a scene like this.

At the Strawberry Patch

Daily Painting #24 - Acrylic on 16x20 wrapped canvas

Ok so it's not really a small daily painting but I did paint daily on it, does that count??  This is my son when he was much younger at the strawberry patch, I love his little outfit with the dinosaur on it!

Nice Drive!

SOLD
Daily Painting #23 - Acrylic on 8x10 wrapped canvas

This is my second submission to this week's DPW Challenge.  There were 2 pictures of the German landscape to choose from and I thought both pictures were pretty so I painted both!
Check out the other submissions! :  http://dailypaintworks.com/challenge

Winding Road

Daily Painting #22 - Acrylic on 8x10 wrapped canvas

SOLD

This is my entry to this weeks DPW Challenge.  I love the winding road between the trees!

Mud-Head #1

Daily Painting #21 - Acrylic 8x10 on wrapped canvas
SOLD

I've been reading a very interesting book:  Painting the Impressionist Landscape by Lois Griffel.  In it, she talks about "Mud-Heads" where you paint a person being illuminated by the sun from behind and therefore you don't paint any of the facial features.  I tried replicating one of the examples she had and let me tell you, the paint was clearly mud by the time I was done! I did enjoy painting it though.  I love figure painting because of all the emotion you can perceive from it.

Sailboat

Daily Painting #20 - Acrylic 12x24 on wrapped canvas

NFS

I've been working on this painting for the past few days. My dad and step-mom went on a sailboat cruise on this ship and I decided it would make a good souvenir for them. I love the big sails...makes me want to be there!

Field of Lavender

Daily Painting #19 - Acrylic 8x8 on wrapped canvas

I love the lavender fields of Provence, such pretty colors!  We're going there this summer and I can't wait to take lots of pictures to bring back and paint!
It's been a busy few days...the kids are on vacation, we had family in town, and birthdays!  I'm finally getting back to painting!

This daily painting is no longer available

View of Home

Daily Painting #18 - Acrylic on 9x12 canvas panel
SOLD

DPW Challenge - Help Japan Auction - Proceeds will go to Japanese Red Cross Society.  The theme of the challenge this week is anything that represents "home" and to me the view of the "Old" town of Nice, France means home.
Please visit the website if you're interested in bidding for this painting or to look at all the available paintings for auction.  All paintings are being auctioned of and will benefit Japan in one way or another.  The artists list which charity they will donate the sale of the painting to.

Topsail

Daily Painting #17 - Acrylic on 8x10 wrapped canvas

I just got back from a couple of days at the beach and just felt like painting a beach scene.  The clouds in the sky were beautiful and the waves are always so relaxing...

This daily painting is no longer available

Sugar Bowl

Daily Painting #16 - Acrylic 8x8 on wrapped canvas

This is my entry to this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge.  The challenge was to paint a white object on a patterned tablecloth and paint the appropriate reflections.  I chose a sugar bowl and added a couple cubes of sugar to the front just for fun!

Spring II

Daily Painting #15 - Acrylic on 8x8 wrapped canvas

Ah, signs of spring everywhere I look.  The Bradford Pears are blooming here in North Carolina and when you see them row after row, it looks like the trees have snow on them!  Very pretty!

This daily painting is no longer available

Spring Flower

Daily Painting #14 - Acrylic 5x7 on canvas panel

I was walking around the neighborhood with the kids yesterday and enjoyed taking pictures of all the flowers coming up for Spring!  I love this season...it's great inspiration!

This daily painting is no longer available

Tobacco Trail II

Daily Painting #13 - Acrylic on 6x8 wrapped canvas

Here's another one from the Tobacco Trail.  There's even my bike!

This daily painting is no longer available

Farm in Morrisville

Daily Painting #12 - Acrylic on 8x10 wrapped canvas

I remember taking this picture last year at the pumpkin patch.  The clouds were so dark and the fall colors were just stunning.  I enjoyed painting the reflections in the pond.  I think it's the first time I'm happy with my reflections!

This daily painting is no longer available

Skaneateles II

Daily Painting #11 - Acrylic 8x8 on canvas panel

I'm really into landscapes these days!  I found some pictures that were stored on my computer for future use and got inspired!  Here's another picture from Skaneateles, NY.  Such a pretty area!  The picture was taken by my sister-in-law, Katherine.

This daily painting is no longer available

Lincoln Portrait for DPW Challenge

5.5x8.5 Graphite Pencil #10

I did this as part of the Daily Paintworks Challenge.  It was a fun one!

Tobacco Trail

Daily Painting #9 - Acrylic 8x8 on Canvas

I was trying something new today.  I want to get away from too much detail so I challenged myself to use a #6 bright paintbrush and nothing smaller!  You just can't get into details with that kind of brush!
This is from a picture I took on the Tobacco Trail when I was biking with a good friend of mine.  It's so pretty with the huge trees and the sun shining through...

Skaneateles Lake

Daily Painting #8 - Acrylic 5x7

I took this picture last year when we visited family in Skaneateles.  The view on the lake is just magnificent, just a beautiful area.

This daily painting is no longer available

Allison

Daily Painting #7 - Acrylic on Canvas board 5x7

This was a picture I took of a little girl at the strawberry patch last year.  She had such a sweet expression and she's got beautiful light red hair.  I just felt the need to paint her!

This daily painting is no longer available

Spring! daily painting #6

Acrylic on Canvas board - 5x7

Ah, trees are just beginning to bloom for the coming Spring...I love this season and am thankful for this warm day in North Carolina!

This daily painting is no longer available

Taylor - #5

Acrylic on Canvas board - 7x5

This daily painting is no longer available

Mother and Child

Acrylic - 24x18 on canvas

This is not a daily painting, just something I've been working on.  It's inspired by a picture I have of my mom holding me as a baby but I changed things and added others...

Zippo Challenge - Daily Painting #4

Acrylic on Canvas - 8x8

I finally got around to the challenge this week.  You could only use Ultramarine Blue, Burnt Sienna, and white.  It was fun to see what you could do with such a limited palette!

This daily painting is no longer available

Daily Painting #3

Acrylic - 8x10 on Gesso Board

I'm finding out that daily painting takes a lot of time!  I am having fun with it though.  I finished this bowl of strawberries yesterday.  I painted it on gesso board which I loved because it's very smooth as you're painting and it looks shiny...you don't get that from a canvas!  I'll be painting more on those although I'm going to have to find some smaller ones, this was is 8x10 and a little too big for daily painting.

Daily Painting #2

Green Apples - 8x8 Acrylic on Canvas

Daily Painting #1

I love the little porcelain jar which looks so delicate next to the strawberry.  This is the beginning of my path to daily painting.  I have gone back to acrylics and decided that I would try oils when I have a better ventilated area and also when I'm not already learning so much!
Acrylic on 6x6 canvas

This daily painting is no longer available

Rose Challenge

Oil 6x6

Well...this was a challenge indeed!  I am posting this for the Daily Paintworks Challenge for the week.  I think it was my 4th try.  I had never painted a rose before AND I'm trying oil instead of acrylic.  At least it looks like a rose!

This daily painting is no longer available

Carol Marine Workshop

I just participated in a Carol Marine workshop for 3 days this weekend.  I absolutely loved it and learned so much!!!  I have so many plans and ideas on how to continue on my path as an artist.

I am posting some of the paintings I did during the workshop but please note that they were timed exercises trying new things and I did not have time to finish them to the level I normally would.  I can't go back and fix them because I have decided to try oils for a while and I have already put my acrylic paint away!!!

Acrylic 8x8

Acrylic 8x8

 Acrylic 6x6

 Acrylic 8x8

Acrylic 8x10

Limes and Limes!

2 8x8 - Acrylic

This is the new Carol Marine challenge for the week.  Paint the same item in 8 different little squares.  I thought it was interesting to paint the same item so many times!  Oh, there was a time limit of 10 minutes per square!!!  It was hard to put the paintbrush down after the timer went off.  Very fun!

Just Sitting Here

Acrylic 8x10

I participated in a Daily Paintworks Challenge that Carol Marine is doing online.  There's a photo and everybody posts their painting of it.  Very fun to see the same picture in a lot of different styles!  Check it out if you're interested!:
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Challenges

Lemons!

9x12 Acrylic