It's a girl!

Private Collection

When my sweet niece, Hailey, was born, her parents gave everyone a box of chocolates. The pink ribbon and the tiny gold, baby carriage announced the arrival of their new little girl. Now, I am not terribly sentimental about material things, but when it comes to my nieces and nephews, I totally am.  I love to save all of their little trinkets, but it is my auntly duty, right? I think so!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend! Stay warm!

Garlic Squared

Available for Purchase

Well, the Thanksgiving leftovers are gone, life is getting back to normal and it is time to get back to work, right?

I've been practicing painting garlic again. And I reworked my previous garlic painting. I almost never work on a painting after the initial session, but for some reason, I couldn't stop myself with this one. I think that I like it better now, and I hope you do, too.

I hope your week is off to a great beginning! Happy painting!

Happy Thanksgiving from Texas!

We've enjoyed a snowy pre-Thanksgiving week. I couldn't resist riding along with my sweet husband to feed the calves and, well, to play in the snow!

The snow has almost all melted now, and it is beautiful out.  And I am feeling very thankful for my family and my friends. I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

See you soon.

Homework

Available for Purchase

You know those paintings that just seem to paint themselves?  Well, this wasn't one of those!  I am not sure why I struggled so with this little painting yesterday, but I did.  I finally just called it quits after about 4 hours. Today is a new day, though.  And I am looking forward to getting back in the studio. Life is good.

I hope you're having a great Sunday!  Happy painting!

Local Color: Persimmon Square

Available for Purchase

It is cotton harvest time on the ranch, and I couldn't resist picking a few of the bolls for painting.

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful week and the lovely colors of fall.

No Where But Texas

I am so excited to be participating in the fifth annual Artists of Texas Dallas show. The "No Where But Texas" show opens at the Dutch Art Gallery on November 2, 2013 and runs through January 11, 2014. My paintings to be exhibited are:

"Summer Sweet"

and

"Overboard"

If you are in the area, I hope that you will stop by and see the show!  Have a great week!

Pomegranate Study

Private Collection

At the market yesterday, I found the prettiest pomegranates. You may be seeing more of them, because they are so fun to paint!

I hope you're having a great week!

Tenmoku Cap Bottle with Shin Oak Leaves

Available for purchase

I picked up this little shin oak branch on my morning walk. We are beginning to see a bit of fall color here. It definitely feels like time for the World Series!

I hope your week is off to a nice beginning!

Split Mallet Jar with Garlic

Private Collection

I had such fun painting this morning.  My little office/study truly is my "happy" place.  Now, I am off to winterize our yard.  It is a gorgeous day, and I want to get out and enjoy the sunshine.

Happy Saturday!

Cobalt Mallet Bottle with Mission Figs

Available for Purchase

The past few months, I have been posting a few process shots (see below) of my paintings on Instagram.  It is fun to get feedback from the creative community there, and it is even more fun to see all of the wonderful artwork that is posted.  If you are using Instagram, I would love to follow you.  And if you would like to follow my posts, my ID is d_mcdowell.

Have a great weekend!

Temple Bottle with Red Onion and Crape Myrtle Berries

Available for Purchase

This is another beautiful bottle from Jury Smith's Bottle and Bowl collection.  It sparkled like a tiny gem in the early autumn light.  Such fun to paint!

I hope you're having a wonderful week!

Top o' the Muffin

Muffins always make me think of Seinfeld's muffin top episode.  Or maybe it was more the muffin stump episode?  Either way, I miss that show!

Have a great weekend!  Enjoy the return of football!

Sun Ripened Tomato

Private Collection - New York

A very sweet neighbor shared his tomato crop with us, and they are so good!  I love to grow flowers, but I can't grow a decent tomato to save my life.  Thank goodness for generous friends!

I hope you're having a great week!

Amber Mallet Bottle with Muscato Grapes

Private Collection

I loved painting this beautiful amber mallet bottle from Jury Smith's Bottle and Bowl website.  It was fun to see our landscape reflected in the highlight, and it seemed to pair perfectly with the black, muscato grapes.  (Which, by the way, are quite tasty!)  

I hope you have been doing well.  It has been a crazy summer here.  Some wonderful blessings and some difficult life events.  I will write more about that later, but it felt really nice to have a day in my studio to just paint.  There is something so therapeutic about pushing paint around on a canvas, isn't there?

Take care and I will talk to you soon!

Still Life with Asparagus

After four, blissful days of rain and cool weather, the sun is shining brightly here again. I can't believe that it is already the middle of July. Summer moves so quickly!

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Daddy's Boys

Private Collection

These little boots belonged to my husband and his two brothers.  The toes are scuffed, and the heels are worn.  You can tell that they were well loved by all of the boys.

Summer Sweet

Okay, the slice of cantaloupe smelled even better than the Oreos. I'll bet it tastes better, too!

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Overboard

I finished this painting just as the afternoon light began to fade, so I am posting late.

It was 106º here today. Even Rodeo looked hot. Whew!

I hope you're having a great week!

Currant Events

My very talented friend, Kim, made this beautiful bowl years ago. It has the prettiest glaze of pinks, blues and violets mixed with warm, earth-toned colors. The painting's background looks a little too dark on my screen. It is a deep brown and not black. The rest of the painting photographed well. One day, I hope to master the fine art of photographing my daily paintings. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

I hope your week is off to a great start. Stay cool!

Cookies and Creme

Private Collection

Nothing smells as good as a homemade cookie, but let me tell you, Oreos run a close second! My studio smelled so good this afternoon. I vow to paint cookies more often!

Have a great weekend!

Still Life with White Grapes

Last night's thunderstorms have given way to sunshine and warm temperatures. I painted this study yesterday. Today, it is time for perfecting the art of puttering around in the garden. Mowing. Weeding. Watering. Life is sweet.

I hope your Sunday is a relaxing one!

Tea Bowl with Lemon and Lavender

This little tea bowl is from The Bottle Shop, and it was so fun to paint! I am still experimenting with glazed textures. It is interesting to paint a tiny glimpse of our landscape in the highlight.

My country garden has suffered during our recent years of drought, but the lavender is in full bloom right now.  I love its sweet smell. Definitely, one of life's simple pleasures.

Have a great weekend!

Still Life with Vintage Pie Bird and Cherries

This little pie bird belonged to my Mom.  No cherry pie seems quite complete without it.  It is one of my favorite treasures.

I hope you are having a great week!

Tea and Thunderstorms (Sold)

Private Collection

Cozy and calm in my studio this afternoon but very stormy outside.  We (Rodeo and I) spent a little quality time in our storm shelter.  Mark came home and saved the day.  He is our hero.

The image is an accurate representation of the painting, but the background isn't a flat black. I just can't seem to capture the soft light change from left to right. I will try again tomorrow. Perhaps the morning light will be better?

Baseball for Tyler

Private Collection

This is my second painting from Abbey's workshop. Painted in natural lighting, the little baseball provided good practice for me. Whites, shadows, highlights...all of the things that trouble me. Abbey makes them all look so easy! I am still thinking about her magical brushwork, and I will forever. If you have a chance to attend one of her workshops, please do. Her incredible talent, gentle nature and fun sense of humor make for an unforgettable experience. It was a great week!

Content

I am having so much fun at Abbey Ryan's Sedona workshop this week! Sedona is breathtaking. My workshop-mates are all talented and so friendly.  And what can I say about Abbey? I could sing her praises for hours, but in one word?  Simply put, she is amazing. I'm pretty sure she has magical powers.

I hope you're all having a great week!

Little Cutie (Sold)

I love the little changes that occur from the beginning to the end of a painting. The light changes, and the fruit/flowers seem to have a mind of their own. A sliced apple will begin to brown. Tulips dance. And as I learned last night, orange peels twist, turn and begin to boogie  shrivel. It's one of my favorite aspects of painting from life.

I hope you're having a great week!

Southern Exposure (Sold)

Usually, I paint in my little studio with north light streaming in the window.  Today, however, I set up my plein air easel and painted in our dining room. The southern exposure creates the prettiest reflections on the table. I've tried photographing them, but it just doesn't capture the natural glow.

I hope your week is off to a great beginning!

Spring Sale!

My Daily Paintworks Gallery is in need of a spring cleaning!  So, I've decided to offer the above paintings at a reduced rate for the month of May. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, please visit my gallery or click on the Spring Sale gadget. Thank you!

Collage

I have been participating in Leslie Saeta's 30-day challenge this month. Each day, she posts a quick 30 minute marketing challenge for us to complete.  For today, we were supposed to create a collage of our paintings via iPiccy. It is a very user-friendly website for photo editing. This simple collage took only a few minutes to complete, and it was free. You can't beat that!

Have a great Sunday. Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Iced Water with Lime

Winter is my favorite season, but painting limes has put me in the mood for the long, slow days of summer, porch parties and playing in the flower bed.

Have a great Thursday!

Two and a Half Limes

I love the scent of freshly cut limes.  Definitely, a pleasant way to practice "seeing" and painting green.

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Happy Hour

Nothing says "Happy Friday" quite like an icy, cold margarita, eh? I hope yours is a relaxing one. Let the weekend begin!

Brown-eyed Peep

The store shelves are filled with sunny marshmallow Peeps, Easter eggs and a rainbow of jelly beans. It can only mean one thing. It's here! Spring!

Signs of Spring

Many years ago, my little niece gave me the ceramic bunny box.  I would always try to stash tiny treasures for her in it.  Mostly sweet treats but it was a fun secret hideaway for us. Some times, it's the littlest things that hold the biggest place in your heart.

I hope you're all having wonderful weekend and a happy St. Patrick's Day!

Flesh Tones and Onion Skins (Sold)

Recently, I read that if you want to get better at mixing and painting realistic flesh tones, you should practice by painting onions.  At the market, I'm always attracted to the pretty reds of apples, strawberries, cherries, etc.  And I've been giving onions the slight.  No more, however, I was completely charmed.  They are really fun to paint!

I hope you have a great Thursday!

Abiquiu Bowl with Apples

I found this handmade bowl at a little shop in Abiquiu. It is imperfect and irregular. And I love it. It is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Have a great weekend!

Winter Reflections

I am trying a new, softer light (Chromalux A21) in my shadowbox this week.  It is supposed to provide a natural, balanced light.  This was my first session with it, but I really loved the reflections it created on this little silver bowl.  

There are still a few huge drifts in the yard, but most of Monday's snow has melted.  I'm looking forward to a long walk in the sunshine.  Rodeo may have to dodge a few mud puddles, but it will be worth it.  I hope you're having a great week!

The Basket of Apples (After Cezanne)

Two very sweet and talented painters, Karen d'Angeac Mihm and Azra Iqbal, have started a new blog entitled Painting from the Masters.  As the title suggests, the blog is dedicated to the study of the fine art masters.  Each month, they will select a painting for us to explore via paint.  Cezanne's "La corbeille de pommes" was chosen for February.  This was my first attempt at copying a master painting, and I barely squeezed it in under the wire.  I have to say, though.  It was so much fun!  And interesting to read more about Cezanne.  I am looking forward to March!  If you would like to join us, please do!

The Bathing Woman Challenge

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge. Carol supplied a wonderful reference photograph for everyone, and there are a lot of great entries.  I would like to try painting this again on a larger canvas. It was a really fun challenge.

In other news, a beautiful snow fell overnight. I love this time of year. And Rodeo, too. We had a great walk this morning through the snowflakes.  I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Tea and Sunflowers

The sunflowers were purchased at the grocery store and have brightened the past few chilly days.  We've finally gotten a little snow in Texas and are so thankful.  I am hoping for more before winter's end.

I hope you're having a great weekend.  Stay warm!

Valentine's Eve

I hope you have a wonderful holiday tomorrow.  Happy Valentine's Day!

January's Fruit

After wiping my canvas panels for several days, I finally have a finished painting to show for my efforts.  Whew!

I hope you're having a great Monday!

Boxed In (Sold)

The Cuties practically painted themselves. I wish every painting could flow so easily. I hope you're having a great Wednesday!