"Avalanche Lilies"

Our hiking group went to Spray Park on Mt. Rainier on Thursday, and it was spectacular! Aside from the beautiful views of the mountain, there is a gorgeous alpine meadow and one of the most majestic waterfalls I've seen. I came home with 4 avalanche lilies in my water bottle (I know, you're not supposed to pick them...but is it forgable if you imortalize them in a painting?). I did this one first, and then a composition with just one flower that I'll post tomorrow.

I spent a lot of time today getting set up on ETSY and ZATISTA, 2 sites for purchasing art online. The Zatista site has a 5 day approval period, so I won't be up and running on that for a few days. I posted the same 5 paintings on both so that I can evaluate which site is the most effective. The posted price is $90 plus $10 shipping, but if anybody local wants to buy one, I'm sure I can arrange a "drop".

"Barely Touching"

A quest for a new color scheme led to this painting. I really like the colors; must remember this palette. As for the composition, I was taken with the play from the upper middle shadows to the spoon and then to the cup handle (which has its own shadow on the vase).

There's a new art gallery on Alki Beach, next door to Cactus. It's called "Alki Arts" and the street address is 2820 Alki Ave SW Seattle(web www.alkiarts.com) Check out the hours before driving there; they open late and close late to coordinate with the activity on the street. I have 3 of my daily paintings and one larger painting there on consignment.

Jed's on a backpack trip, so I have more time to paint. I take advantage of these opportunities to paint more than one a day so that I will still have something to post when other commitments leave me with nothing to show for the day.

"Still Life with Purple Flowers"

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This is the final "Morris Graves" painting that I'm submitting to the show at Rock/DeMent Visual Art Space. It was taken from a portion of a work that is at the Woodside Braseth Gallery. As with all the Graves paintings I've seen, there are no shadows cast on the surface- yet the objects still appear grounded somehow. I decided to go with the "no shadows" idea- it worked for me with this painting.

"Plate of Peaches"

I am especially pleased with this painting. I wanted capture the fuzzy character of the peaches without attempting photorealism; I think I succeeded. This also went together fairly quickly without revisions; that's what I hope will happen someday with all my paintings. In the meantime, I learn from all the corrections and attempted improvements. I've been looking at the archives of some of the daily painters who've been doing this for years. The difference a thousand or so of these little babies can make is striking- as well it should be! I'm excited to see what it will do for my art if I just stick with it and trust the process.

"Sidewalk Vendor"

This is one of the Morris Graves interpretation paintings. This one is 20"x24". If you look at his painting,you can see the ghost of individual cloths below each group of fruit. I really like that feature, and I played it up a bit with subtle shifts of color. I also added shadows and highlights because I thought it enhanced the composition.

"Wheelbarrow"

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My friend Jo Moniz is working on an encaustic for a show paying homage to painter Morris Graves (1910-2001, American Expressionist, Northwest School). She is finding it to be a fun challenge. I decided to follow her lead and try a little Morris Graves myself. This is my take on his Wheelbarrow painting. I also started a couple larger paintings that I plan to finish today. I'm enjoying taking inspiration from his ideas and exploring my own interpretation. I plan to enter these paintings in the "Morris Graves Centenary Invitational Exhibition" which will take place August 3-28 at Rock/DeMent Visual Art Space 306 S. Washington Studio #104 Seattle.

"Free Ride"

I had the most productive painting day ever today! Yesterday I was bummed because I was out of commission all day due to getting "Euphorbia milk" in my eye. I was deadheading the plants, and I wore gloves because I knew the milk was poisonous, but who knew that it could squirt some distance- maybe 10"?????? My eye was seriously burning all day. Today, after rest and countless eyedrops, I'm much better; I'm very happy with my painting day!

I produced 2 decoy paintings because this is another prop I need to return to my Mom. I also worked on some paintings I intend to enter in a show with a "Morris Graves" theme. This is the first time I've painted larger than 6"x8" in months- and it was very satisfying. I will post these paintings when they are dry enough to photograph.

"Curious Crow"

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I have to take advantage of using this metal crow before my Mom insists I return it to her. This is the first time I've painted this little vase. I like the spiral design, which theoretically I could add to any object, but there's something more appealing about having it actually there. I really like the shape of the vase as well.

"Kettle and Cake"

The last of the cupcakes- for now! The prop is looking less than fresh and I'm a bit tired of the subject for the time being. On to something else.....

"Better Together"

Yet another cupcake painting. one more tomorrow, and then that's it for awhile. It's been fun exploring the possibilities for this one cupcake. If I were a more disciplined person, I'm sure I could come up with another dozen ideas- but I get impatient and want to move on to something else.

"So Good Together"

When my props have an "expiration date" I have to take advantage of their availability. Besides, it's kind of fun paintingn cupcakes. Here "Mr. Cupcake" is featured with a glass of milk alongside. Tomorrow's painting will be the same theme- but with a difference. Tune in tomorrow....

"A Cherry On Top"

Another take on the cupcake.....

We just returned from a sunny weekend in Eastern Washington (a good weekend not to be in Seattle, we hear) and tomorrow morning we have guests from England arriving and staying 2 days. It will be fun, but it probably means no time to paint- and I have posted everything I've painted thus far. There will probably be no more posts until Wednesday.

"You Guys Wait Outside"

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This is the final version of a painting you've seen before (it now lives in Denmark, so I couldn't revise it even if I wanted to). The tomatoes never changed much, but I had trouble determining the best background. I am happy with the final results.

We're going camping near Wenatchee for a few days, but I plan to post again on Monday. I have one more painting that hasn't been "up". I need to get busy!

"Strange Company"

The odd cup in the foreground was a thrift store find. It really is a curious little thing. I like the interplay of shapes and the limited palette. Could be it would work better as a square, lopping off the top 2". Any feedback on that idea?

'Cupcake"

My friends left some cupcakes in my refrigerator, and I almost NEVER have cupcakes here, so I took advantage of the opportunity to paint one. I decided to make the whole painting "chocolatey". Yummm! Don't think I'll eat it though. Too much eating and drinking for the last 10 days. I'm afraid to step on the scale.

"Springtime in Seattle"

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I just returned from the airport, where I dropped my Danish friends who have been visiting us for 11 wonderful days. We did all kinds of fun things that I would tell you more about, but this isn't a personal blog; it's about my art, so I'll talk about the part that pertains to this painting. My friends asked me to do a little demo so that they could see the process behind the paintings. It was the first time I had done one, and I wasn't really nervous, but it was a bit strange having an audience. The painting came together rather quickly too; maybe because I didn't want to waste their time with dinking around I was very deliberate and decisive in my work.
This painting and 2 others will be living in Denmark. I hope to visit them soon!

I entitled this "Springtime in Seattle", though my the Danes pointed out that it is actually summer. That's right, isn't it?! We had such a wet and wintry spring!

"Eggplant Invasion"

There's something projectile-like about this eggplant that inspired the name. I originally had painted the foreground bluish, but I found it to be too much saturated color. I'm much happier letting the warm colors of the eggplant and the plate shine against the muddy greens of the peppers and the foreground surface.

"Alpha Eggplant"

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This little painting lives in Kansas now. It went home with a friend who was visiting her friend here in Seattle. The painting began as an exercise in Carol Marine's workshop, and got changed around a bit when I got home. I like the way the smaller eggplants appear to be sidling up to the "Big Daddy".- or maybe "Big Mama"? Hard to tell with an eggplant.

In about a week I should have a functional website. It will feature all the daily paintings as well as my Asian series. I will publish the address when it's ready.

"Play With Your Food"

It struck me that in using food as a painting subject, I was in fact playing with my food- a "no-no" most of us recognize from childhood. Yes; I know there are times when it's inappropriate- and I hope I am mannerly as I should be at those times, but I sure am having fun playing with my food!

"Spring Peas"

I really enjoyed painting these pea pods. What an interesting little contraption a peapod is, with that row of peas inside, each attached by a neat little thread. There are lots of pods left on the vine. That means more paintings.

I'll be out of town for 2 days, showing my Danish visitors the wonders of the Olympic Rain Forest and the Pacific coastline. I'll post again on Saturday.

"To Each His Own"

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I love these little dishes that we use for wasabi when we eat sushi. They are just the right size so that each cherry can have its own bed.

"Just Floating"

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This is actually an "old" painting from my workshop with Carol Marine. I reworked it a bit when I got home- but not much. I haven't been painting much, as I have guests visiting from Denmark (and I'm having a great time showing them around), but I did manage to paint some pea pods yesterday. Now I need to be home at the right time to get a good photograph.....

"All Together Now"

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Most of my paintings are comprised of cool colors- blues and greens- with a little pop of red, yellow or orange. I wanted to try one with mostly warm colors. I enjoy challenging myself to break habits and inclinations. These little paintings provide the perfect opportunity for experimentation.

"Brown Eggs"

I bought some brown eggs the other day, and wanted to be sure to paint some before they all got eaten.

"Growin' Me a Money Plant"

I've always liked these weeds that some call "money plants". The challenge was to see if I could indicate the little seed pods without defining them too specifically. I'm happy with the results. I also like the spoon in the water.

I went to Stephanie Hargrave's opening at Patricia Rovzar Gallery (www.rovzargallery.com) in downtown Seattle yesterday. If you get a chance to see that, it's a great show. Stephanie does fabulous encaustic work, and this time she's done some very large pieces as well as some using more black and red- higher contrast- than usual. As powerful as they are, however, it's hard to compete with the beautiful layering evident in her softer palette paintings.

"Standing Guard"

I went to my mother's house and borrowed some items that I thought would be fun to paint, among them this metal blackbird. I thought it had an attitude of protection toward this pear; thus the name "Standing Guard". I got a little loose with the colors in the bird, but I like the abstract effect of it. I'm eager to try another composition and palette with the bird as the central figure.