Beginning of Winter and Studio cleaned up!

Oil on 8x10 Wrap Canvas
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I painted this a few weeks ago when it started getting cold. Then we had Thanksgiving, visited Scotland and Germany for a few days and got back last week. I finally got to my studio today and did a big cleaning, there's nothing like having a clean studio to make you want to paint! I painted the large picture of the horses yesterday and am going to hang it in my family room downstairs. I saw a print of it in a store in a different format last week and thought I could do something like that for my own!

Lemon on Dark

Oil on 8x8 Wrap Canvas
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I decided to keep today's painting simple.  I've been watching Quang Ho's DVD about painting the still-life and  have been loving it.  He is such a talented artist!

Eiffel Tower in the Fog

Oil on 10x8 Wrap Canvas

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My sister is a flight attendant and was in Paris yesterday when she took this picture. I thought it was just beautiful how the top of the Eiffel Tower gets lost in the fog.

Peaches on Green

Oil on 8x8 Wrap Canvas

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Worked on some more peaches today for my daily painting. I'm enjoying the daily practice!

Thank you all for the nice comments, I usually don't reply to each comment as it would take too long but I do appreciate the comments and I really look forward to hearing from everyone!

Clouds

Oil on 8x8 Wrap canvas
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This is my submission to the DailyPaintworks challenge for the week. The challenge was to paint the sky. I had taken this picture this past summer one day coming home from a walk. I thought the blue sky with fluffy white clouds was so pretty.

Peach Delight

Oil on 8x8 Wrap canvas
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I asked my daughter for an idea for a title and she came up with this one and I like it! The peaches are harder to do than I expected, I was scraping with a palette knife at one point! :)
I usually don't paint on the weekend but I was able to enjoy a couple of hours in the studio thanks to a low-key weekend...

Lemons

Oil on 8x8 Wrap canvas

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I've done apples and oranges, it stands to reason that the next one would be lemons!  The folds going down from the table were giving me issues this morning...I had to start over which I really don't like to do!  Well, I guess not many artists like to start over....that's brings up a question for my fellow artists:  how often do you find yourself wiping the whole canvas and starting over?  I have to remind myself not to get too attached to a painting and that's it's ok to wipe it sometimes..

Zebra Oranges

Oil on 8x10 Wrap canvas

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I decided to try different colors on a still-life today and only at the end, when I stepped back one final time did I think the towel underneath reminded me of a zebra..hence the name..

Polka-dot Kitchen Rag

Oil on 8x8 Wrap canvas
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I worked on another still-life today. I have to say that I'm really enjoying working on the folds of the kitchen rags and setting up the different compositions!

Two Green Apples

Oil on 8x8 Wrap canvas

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I find that I like to go back and forth between landscapes and still-lifes. Two very different subjects and yet both challenging. I guess I'll be doing a lot more still-lifes during the winter when the outdoor landscape is not as pretty. Although, snow can be very pretty. I guess it'll depend on my mood!

I'm happy to report that I will be exhibiting a couple paintings at the Richeson Gallery of Art in Kimberly, WI on a regular basis!  I'm very excited about that!

A Lavender Landscape

Oil on 8x8 Wrap canvas

The weather is getting cooler and I'm enjoying going through my pictures from Provence.  Here's another one of the beautiful lavender fields!

Bar du Real

Oil on 8x10 Wrap canvas

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We took this picture in Barjols which is the little village my sister lives in. I thought the pastel colors and the umbrellas out front looked very pretty. Little bar in a quaint village, just makes you want to take a break and have a cup of coffee!

Morning Glow

Oil on 24x24 Wrap canvas

$270

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It was early morning a few weeks ago, I was getting up and happened to look outside and was amazed by the colors in the trees.  The sun was coming up directly opposite this view and was illuminating the top of the trees and at the same time casting these very dramatic shadows.  I quickly grabbed my camera and took a few pictures as I knew it would be a great painting!

Fall Colors

Oil on 10x20 Wrap canvas

I was working on some ideas for paintings and then looked up and saw the beautiful fall colors outside. I knew I had to capture it before it was too late!

Shutters in Provence

Oil on 8x10 Wrap canvas

SOLD

I've been going through some more pictures from our trip to France and came up on this one taken by my sister.  She takes the best pictures.  Blue shutters with geraniums in pots are so typical of the region, no wonder I love those flowers still!

Barjols

Oil on 10x8 Wrap canvas

SOLD

 My sister lives in a little village called Barjols which is in Provence, France.  Very quaint town with little shops, the town butcher and a couple bakeries.  We spent some time there last summer and this is from one of the pictures.  I love spending time in the villages in that area, so typical of southern France.

Grand Tree

Oil on 30x40 Wrap Canvas

 $400 

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I went large this week, I decided to put this easel to the test and I loved it!

I was so inspired by this huge tree casting the shadows onto the grass that I just had to paint it.  It was a beautiful park with the water and the grand trees everywhere, just a wonderful place to be.

Overcast

Oil on 8x10 Wrap Canvas

Will be at Arts Unlimited Exhibition in April, 2013

It's overcast and cool today and I thought the colors looked so clear and bright especially with the very calm water.

Fresh Tomatoes

Oil on 8x8 Wrap Canvas in black wood frame

$65
Price without frame: $50
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 I worked on some more tomatoes this past week, I'm really enjoying working with them and especially the kitchen rags underneath!

Juicy Tomatoes - Step by step

Oil on 8x8 wrap canvas in black wood frame

$65
Price without frame: $50
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I have been enjoying tomatoes a lot this summer. A house not too far from mine has them for sale in their yard and I've been stopping by every couple of days. I had forgotten how much home-grown tomatoes taste and look so much better than from the grocery store! Enjoy those fruits and vegetables while  you can!

I decided to take some step-by-step pictures as I was loving the complementary colors of red and green!

Down Stream

Oil on 8x10 Canvas

SOLD

 While I was painting at a plein air workshop a few weeks ago in Milwaukee, I was asked to do a commission. I was very flattered and excited to see what I could do. I'm pleased with the result and I hope the owner will enjoy it for years to come!  The name of the boat is "Down Stream"....very fitting I think!

The Traveling Chicken in Wisconsin!

Oil on 8x8 canvas

I just finished posting my painting of the Traveling Chicken on the Traveling Chicken Blog. If you aren't familiar with the project, check it out, it's a porcelain chicken that is going from artist to artist, experiencing lots of adventures and getting painted at the same time! Very fun!

On a different note, the kids will be going back to school next week so I can start painting again!!!! What a fun-filled summer we had but it's time to get back into a routine. Happy start to the school-year everyone!

Chloe

Oil on 8x8 Gallery canvas

NFS

I painted this for my sister whose cat passed away a few weeks ago. She was part of our family for 19 years and will be missed.  Chloe was a little ball of fire, she had spunk and she loved her mommy like no other cat I've ever seen!

The Harbor

Oil on 8x10 Gallery wrap canvas

SOLD

I went to a plein air workshop on Friday in Milwaukee with painting instructor James Hempel and a group of artists.  It was the second time I painted in plein air which was nerve racking and exciting at the same time.  I spoke to a lot of very nice, supportive, and interesting people who would stop by to look at what I was painting.  It was truly an experience I will never forget and reinforces the idea that it's important to step out of your comfort zone to grow as an artist.
We were at the McKinley Marina and Lagoon in Milwaukee, a very beautiful area which reminded me of growing up in the south of France and spending summers on the sailboat.
The title of this painting was the name of the sailboat and also very fitting for painting a complicated scene.  I was thinking I would get a couple of paintings done during the day but ended up only working on this one.

Riverside Park

Oil on 8x8 Gallery wrap canvas

We walked in Neenah, Wisconsin this past weekend and they had this beautiful park overlooking the river with boats and a dock.  It was really beautiful and it made me want to take my painting stuff and set it up right there!  I had to settle for taking pictures and doing it later as we were with family and we opted for ice cream instead.

Tree Lined

Oil on 8x10 Gallery wrap canvas

SOLD

The row of trees on either side of the road were beautiful with their cast shadows on the road. This is from one of my pictures of the Chateau des Alpilles in St. Remy last summer.

Annecy on the Water

Oil on 12x16 Gallery wrap canvas

SOLD

My parents are from this town in France called Annecy.  It's in the Alps about 1 hour from Geneva and is a great place in the winter for skiing and also in the summer because of hiking and swimming in the large lake.  The downtown is very quaint as it has canals that run through the town and little bridges all over.  Very beautiful town, I would highly recommend a visit if you have the opportunity.  This picture was taken by my sister, Audrey, during one of her visits.

Topsail Sunset and new easel!

Oil on 11x14 Gallery wrap canvas
$85

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This is a sunset we had on our vacation at the beach in Topsail Island, NC.  The house was on the sound side and we saw some beautiful sunsets!

Below is a picture of my new studio easel!  I've been wanting one for years and finally got it, needless to say, it's been a pleasure painting.

Poppies

Oil on 8x10 Gallery wrap canvas
$50

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My sister-in-law took this picture of poppies, she actually took a few pictures of them and I felt so inspired to paint them, I just love these flowers. I may use this to do a larger painting.

Morrisville

Oil on 8x10 Gallery wrap canvas

$50

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I painted this landscape a couple months ago and since I haven't been home to paint lately, decided to post it again! I love doing reflections in the water, it gives such a peaceful feeling.

Sketches from the Beach

Sketches on paper with watercolor pencils 

 I did some sketching during our vacation at the beach. I really liked working with the watercolor pencils, color just brings life to a sketch! We're still on vacation but I can't wait to get home and start painting again!

Hope everyone is having a great 4th of July!

Shady Spot

 

 Oil on 10x8 Gallery wrap canvas

I'm still working through my pictures of the grounds of the Chateau des Alpilles in St. Remy in Provence.  The grounds had these gorgeous huge trees that must have been hundreds of years old, they were just very impressive and very beautiful.

On another note, it's summer time and we're going on vacation!  I won't be blogging for a few weeks and when I get back, I know I will be excited and ready to get back to painting!  Hope you're all having a great summer!

Grand Hotel

 

 Oil on 8x10 Gallery wrap canvas 

SOLD

This is another painting from St. Remy in Provence.  The hotel which is called Chateau des Alpilles is beautiful and I loved the sun coming through the gigantic trees and making all these shadows on the ground and on the front of the hotel.  It's a very old grand house with tall doors and beautiful interiors.  In the evening, they set up tables and chairs right in the front courtyard and serve dinner.

Sunset on the Water

 

 Oil on 10x8 Gallery wrap canvas
SOLD

This is a commission I did for a friend of mine for Father's day.  This was from a picture taken on one of their trips.  I think the colors of the sunset reflecting in the water are just beautiful!

On another note, the kids are on vacation now and I'm wondering when I'm going to have time to paint...it'll be so easy to get busy with all the other stuff going on...I'm going to have to set a schedule and I haven't done that in years!!!!  Anyone have any suggestions?

Juried show at the Richeson Gallery

House in Lavender Fields
Oil on 12x16 Gallery wrap canvas - Framed
$175 Click here to purchase from my Gallery

 

Village in Provence II
Oil on 12x16 Gallery wrap canvas - Framed
$175

I'm so excited that these two paintings have been juried into the first annual "Women's Art Liberation" show at the Richeson School of Art and Gallery in Kimberly, WI.  Proceeds will benefit the Harbor House a Domestic Abuse Program.  The exhibit will be open to the public July 10th, 2012 to August 24, 2012.  If you're in the area, make sure to check it out!  Also, if you're a woman artist over the age of 18, there's still time to enter!  Deadline is June 20th.

Canal du Midi II - Step by Step

Oil on 8x10 Gallery wrap canvas

SOLD

This is from another picture of the boat vacation through the canals in Provence. I thought it would be fun to post the step by step process of the painting.

Beaufort

Oil on 11x14 Gallery wrap canvas

SOLD

A friend of mine's parents live in Beaufort, SC and have this beautiful view from their backyard. I loved painting the huge tree and imagining sitting in those Adirondack chairs relaxing!

Champs de Coquelicots

Oil on 8x8 Gallery wrap canvas

SOLD

I associate certain things with growing up in Provence and fields of Poppies is one of them. I love looking at these flowers, so simple and so beautiful.