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!

Red, White and Blue

SOLD

This is my submission for the Daily Paintworks fundraiser to benefit the survivors of Hurricane Sandy.  The news reports have been heartbreaking.  In time, they will recover and rebuild from this terrible challenge.  For now, though, they need our support.  Thank you for your help.

Zippo

Yesterday, I was looking back through some of the DPW challenges, and I ran across Michael Naples'  "The Zippo Challenge" from last February.  The rules were very simple -- a limited palette of ultramarine blue, burnt sienna and titanium white. Michael achieves the loveliest neutrals in his paintings, so I was intrigued to try this one.  I learn so much from each one of these challenges.  I am going to try to go back through and catch up on some of the ones that I've missed.

On a side note, does everyone's Blogger Dashboard look completely different today? If you know of a way to go back to the old format, please let me know, okay?  The new version is freaking me out a little bit!

Happy painting!


 

Happy Valentine's Day! (Sold)

SOLD

This little box of Godiva chocolates is going into a basket of goodies for my sweetheart of 30 years.  The box was wrapped with the prettiest red ribbon tied into a beautiful rose.  How could I resist painting it?  I hope I have better luck resisting the temptation of this holiday's delicious treats.  

Also, this is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge.  Click here to see all of the wonderful entries.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Eggshell (Sold)

This is my entry for The DPW Painting Challenge posted by Ann Feldman.  Ann is a wonderfully talented artist, and I was excited to see this challenge.  I have such trouble with painting white in oils, so this was a great learning challenge for me.  And it was fun, too!

The Ten Minute Challenge

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge: The Ten Minute Challenge.  When I attended Carol Marine's workshop at Wenmoh's Ranch last March, this was one of my favorite exercises.  I should do it every day as a warm-up to painting.  My apples tend to get worse instead of better, but it is a great reminder to squint and simplify.

Sunshine and Butterflies

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks: The Simplify Cute Challenge.  It is by no means representational of the precious little girl featured in Carol Marine's photograph, but it was an interesting challenge for me.

It is windy and cold here today.  And I am loving every minute of it!  I hope you're all having a great week!  

Shadow Play

This is my entry for this week's DPW Challenge:  The Hand Challenge.  I found myself wishing that my palette included yellow ochre and burnt sienna.  With the six colors I use regularly, mixing the flesh tones was very challenging.  I need LOTS of practice!

I hope you're having a great weekend.  Happy painting!

Afternoon Snack

"Afternoon Snack" is my entry for "The Help the Children of Africa" Challenge.  Thank you to Carol and David Marine for drawing our attention to such a wonderful cause and for providing the forum in which we can all participate.

In other news, it is raining in Texas!  I have puddles in my flower beds.  Life is good!

I hope you're having a wonderful week!

Pigskin Revue

I had more fun with these two little pigs than I care to admit.  So fun!  They are my entry for the Daily Paintworks: The Pig Challenge.

Also, I would like say to that my thoughts and prayers are with Carol, David and Jacob Marine.  On Sunday, they lost their home (and Carol's new studio) as a terrifying wildfire swept through their subdivision near Bastrop, Texas.  The good news is that they are all safe.

Jennifer, a close family friend, has organized a fund to assist them immediately.  Please click here for details and give what you can to help Carol and her sweet family get back on their feet.

Stand Oil Glow

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge:  "The Paint What You Paint With Challenge."  I like to use Gamblin's stand oil in my painting medium, and I love it's beautiful amber color.

Have a great evening, everyone!

Old Mill Challenge

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge.  I'm a little behind with my painting this week, but I have all day to spend in the studio.  Yay!  I hope you're all enjoying a wonderful week! 

The Upside Down Challenge

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge submitted by Carol Marine.  With each of these challenges, I learn something new, and this one was no different.  Thanks, Carol!

Dreama's Kitten

This is my entry for last week's Daily Paintworks challenge posted by Dreama Tolle Perry.  This little kitten ate my lunch, but I have a weakness for all things furry.  So, I couldn't resist trying to paint such a sweet subject. 

I hope you're all having a great weekend! 

Checking Messages

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge.  Linda Popple chose the photograph for this challenge.  (Thanks, Linda!)  She is a wonderful artist, daily painter and fellow Texan.  If you have a chance, please stop by her blog and say hello.

Chicken Little - SOLD

Previously, I've spoken about white being my nemesis.  So, when I saw the Daily Paintworks challenge for this week, I felt exactly like Chicken Little.  I mean, come on...white?  And a chicken?  The sky is falling.  The sky is falling!  But you know what?  It was so fun to paint!  I think the black gesso was the key.  I love black gesso! 

Aren't you loving the weekly challenges?  I know.  Me, too! 

Oh, and I wanted to mention the film "Vermeer: Light, Love and Silence" to you.  If you're a fan of his work or even if you're not, I think you will enjoy it.  It's wonderful. 

Have a great evening!

Under the German Sun

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge.  The challenge was to paint a landscape using one of the two photographs posted by Carol Marine.  She took both while traveling in Germany, and they're beautiful.  I would like to try painting the other one tomorrow.

I received my light box in the mail today.  I'm looking forward to experimenting with it.  We've had such windy weather as of late, and it makes photographing oils outside almost impossible.  Hopefully, the light box will help.  Cross your fingers for me!

I hope your week is off to a pleasant beginning!

Tie-Dyed Teapot

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge.  Since beginning my daily painting journey, I've learned a lot about myself.  One, my taste in dishware is too fussy.  And two, my taste in fabric is too plain.  I strugged to find a simple, white object and a brightly patterned cloth.  In the end, the teapot was a $3 find at a local thrift shop, and the fabric is one of Rodeo's bandanas.  You know what they say about necessity?  It's true!

A Rose for Valentine's

This is my entry for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge.  Qiang Huang challenged everyone to paint a rose, and there are so many great entries.  If you haven't had a chance to visit the DPW site, please do.  The site features some of my favorite artists, and the challenge pages are interesting, too.

The Ten Minute Challenge

After being under the weather for the past few days, it was really nice to be painting again today.  And the Daily Paintworks weekly challenge seemed like the perfect exercise. 

It has been snowy and cold here today.  After last night's howling winds and blowing snow, we have 3-foot drifts in our yard, and a landscape painted in white.  My husband went out early this AM to clean our walkways, and he thoughtfully cleared a little path in the yard for our dachshund.  Rodeo, however, would have nothing to do with it.  He preferred to run and jump through the drifts...blazing his own trail through the freshly fallen snow.  Animals are so smart, aren't they?  They instinctively know to seize the moment.

I hope your week is off to a great beginning, everyone.  Stay warm!  And take time to run through the drifts.