Happy Halloween!

Well, well, well, Betcha thought I was gonna post a picture of me in one of my many costumes!
This is the image we are working on for the Friday Paint-a-long, the image is called Blanca. The top image is the actual photo I took of a white rose growing in my Grandma's backyard. The bottom image is my rendition of the same rose. Instead of painting lovely grays, I chose to paint with colors and many of them.

The actual painting is getting ready to embark on a journey, crossing the Atlantic to her new home in the United Kingdom.

My Little Piece of Heaven

Here's my wonderful workspace. Haven't spent as much time up there as I'd like but that will come in time. People say when they hear I'm an artist, "Gee how great your life must be, you get to paint all day." If that were only the truth!

This has been a hectic week on many accounts, won't bore you with the details, but just wanted to see the place I want to spend more time in, just painting away the hours. I'll be back soon...

Finishing the Koi and Planning for the Next

I really cropped this image to give it a great sense of directional movement. This painting is very different from Fiesta as there is a definite focus, and not all the fish are in focus. I don't want the painting to be as "dark" as Fiesta, and now it's time to finish. I have a few people interested in this completed painting, and I want to start on the next big painting. This picture was taken October 2006, and I've recently made the time to get back into it.

I am getting real close to the finish. I have more to add to the large yellow fish in the upper right corner and then the two fish that are blue & white - I really want to add to their darks and not have them read too blue. I have the darks to work on in the water, but at the same time I don't want the water to get any darker. I want this to be a brighter painting.

This photo shows a couple of my favorite things from Rome. The Trevi Fountain is just to the left and you can just see a corner of it at the left. Smack dab on a corner two angels are holding a wreath of flowers over a medialion which has a picture of Mary which took my breath away. The way the sunlight hit them and all the hectic pace of life happening right at their feet. What was so amazing to me is that people walked by and didn't even see them! Look at the bottom of the photo and see the wraught iron fence? It is in front of an old church, look closely and you'll see ton's of little locks that are locked on themselves in clusters onto the fence itself! The locks have initials on them like WH + RH with heart shapes. So it appears to be a couples promise. I love the image but not for a painting.

Here is how I've decided to crop the image to make a fun painting. Just enough of everything to give you a sense of the place, I love the shadows that are cast and can hardly wait to get started on this one.

I love this image and it's so different from anything I've done. I was out with Joyce Faulknor and we were in the wine country scouting out places to paint. We stopped at this unusual place in Sonoma, and out in the back were doors of all kinds and other collectables and in a corner tucked away were these three dollys, all different colors and kinda in the shade, it looked to me like they were having this secret conversation. I loved the colors, the fun of listening in, but I especially love the shadows.

Jump in with both feet

OH-My cousins, Andi, Debra & Karen have been the inspiration behind this blog. All are creative through and through, so it's time to "post" my thoughts too. The Header photo of the Toad is special to me, as I saved it's life from the pool in our Villa in Italy. I scooped him up and set him free.

This is the view from my bedroom in the Villa in Lucolena, Italy! Lucolena is in the distance, we all were serenaded hourly by the bells in the tower. Can't wait to get back to Italy.

More to follow....