Salt and Pepper

Salt and Pepper

oil on board

6 x 9

This was actually one of my very first daily paintings... I was so tentative, and hadn't yet let myself surrender to the process. I remember how my confidence grew with each small painting... not to say that each painting got better than the last, but just that I continued to grow as an artist as I learned to tackle each problem presented before me. Kind of like living one's life - dealing with what is put in your path, and somehow learning, and growing along the way.

Bag Lunch

Bag Lunch

oil on board

10 x 8

This is the ultimate painting of stuff inside of stuff... except you kind of have to stretch your imagination to conjure up what might be inside the bag. This painting actually goes back to my high school art teacher, Mrs. Jackson. I remember her telling me that it didn't matter what I drew in my sketchbook - that it was all about the process, the learning. She said it didn't matter if I just crumpled up a paper bag and drew that, as long as I was "seeing". This one's for you, Mrs. Jackson!

The Silk Scarf...

Seashells and Cork

oil on board

5 x 7

This scarf, a gift from my sisters-in-law after a trip to Mexico, has made it into numerous paintings. There is just something about the changes in color from alizarin to magenta to violet to blue! It is irresistible! I paired it this time with some items found while walking the beaches on the East coast.

Memories of Home

Memories of Home

oil on board

5 x 7

Still on the whole "painting things inside of things"... this glass ornament sits on my fireplace mantle, a gift from a friend years ago. It never did make it to my Christmas tree, as I loved the small shells inside and wanted it on display always as a memory of the East coast. This small painting was a challenge, as I really had to let go and edit my brushwork so as not to get caught up in the detail of those tiny shells. The toughest part was the last few strokes, where I had to have faith that I would not ruin the piece with the addition of the highlights on the glass. This painting just makes me feel good!

Garlic in Mesh Bag

Garlic in Mesh Bag

oil on board

5x7

Continuing with the idea of things inside of things, I took this bag of garlic from my kitchen and set it up in my studio. The subtle color changes of the cloves were a challenge, but once again I enjoyed painting the mesh bag.

Stuff in Stuff...

Bag - O - Beads

oil on board

5 x 7

As I got going with the daily paintings, I found I was really drawn to things inside of things - things in glasses, things in bags, things in cups... for whatever reason, this appealed to me. The painting "Bag - O - Beads" was not going to look this way originally. I was taking the beads out of the bag to put in a glass jar to paint, when I was struck by the interesting shape of the dollar store bag the beads came in. Once again, there was the beauty in the unexpected. A pleasant surprise that turned into a lovely painting!

And so it began...

Losing my Marbles

5 x 7

oil on board

I have been a painter for twenty years. I have learned through endless trial and error, books, magazines and workshops, but in November, 2009, I embarked on an adventure - "30 Paintings in 30 Days". Now, this may not seem like a huge endeavour, but although I devote a great deal of time to creating art, I also have a full-time day job and four children. Thirty paintings in the same number of days was a massive undertaking that required a great deal of dedication and discipline... it was certainly worth the effort! I learned more in that thirty days than I have learned in the past three years. I was thrilled to see my brushwork, color mixing and editing improve dramatically. Most of all, I learned the value of daily effort toward the improvement of my craft. And so the focus, and sometimes, addiction, began...