Fresh fruit & flowers - Palette Knife

11x14 Palette knife Oil on linen panel

Details show the wonderfully thick paint

Amy and Susie in the ZONE!

 

Another shot of serious painters at work

The girls came to my studio garage to paint with me yesterday! We had such a good time painting a staged still life in oils in my space, with plenty of room for everyone to spread their wings and make a mess if that's what they wanted to do. I don't have people come to my studio often...it is my domain if you know what I'm saying... a place to let loose and make my own messes and believe me I make plenty of them!

Yesterday's objective for me was to paint a still life using only palette knives! A challenge that I wasn't sure how to approach but as the hours ticked by it just seemed to paint itself...some days it happens that way, but most of the time it doesn't. I'm very pleased with this painting at the days end.

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a beautiful day!

Camping and Plein Air Painting Weekend

8x6 Oil Aspen tree trunk study

Painting under the awning at camp

8x10 Oil Thomas Canyon Hike study - we didn't make it over ridge when my partners gave up on me.

My tired painting/hiking pals

After a long hike back to camp, a popsicle treat. Bailey pup was exhausted, not to mention my husband was too.

Painting my heart out!

8x10 Oil Thomas Canyon water study and my favorite of all the studies from the weekend

6x8 oil  old beaver pond area with a beautiful stand of aspens. I've tried painting this area so many times and believe me I'll be back there soon to try again. So many GREENS!

We had a wonderful weekend camping, hiking and of course painting this past weekend. Our puppy (Bailey) did beautiful with the change in lifestyle and having to be attached to the leash most of the time. She passed the test camping trip and we are looking forward to a week long camping trip to Wyoming in September.

Thanks for stopping by! Have a wonderful day :-)

Summer Aspens

16x12 palette knife Oil

This painting is very loose with lots of paint. I had a plan for this painting but as usual when I pick up the palette knife the paintings seem to go in a whole different direction. I am happy with this painting even though it wasn't quite what I had planned on. I will probably paint this one again with the brushes to see what will happen.

Hope you enjoy the painting. Thank you for stopping by!

Blue Pottery

11x14 oil on Raymar Panel

On a rare occasion I will have my Thursday painting friend come out to my place to paint. We are so comfortable painting in her little kitchen where everything has it's place that we don't change it up much....might mess with our Mojo! if you know what I mean. However a few weeks ago she came here and we painted some of the wonderful pieces of pottery that I own, each piece is cherished mainly for the great memories they hold in how I manage to collect them, usually while we're on a vacation.

I can see some things I would do differently now with this painting as far as the composition is concerned so I may set this up again and see what happens.

Thank you for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Rush of Yellow Lupine

8x10 oil on linen

I went out last week one day on a photo shoot and the wildflowers in this spot were spectacular. Spring was slow to arrive this year...actually I think it skipped us completely and now we are in our summer season. We are the lucky ones without the extreme heat, enjoying the 80 degree temperatures, LOVE this kind of summer.

Thank you for stopping by!  Yes, training the puppy has slowed me down a bit but I am sure enjoying her and the kitten. A whole lot of laughter at our place. :-)

Winter Symphony

Palette Knife on gessoed hardwood panel 13x18x1 1/2

Spring/Summer is slow to come to us this year. Strange weather indeed, so instead of waiting for the fall/winter to post this painting I decided to go ahead and post it now. A very lovely painting with lots of paint but there are some areas with very little if any paint that gives it the sparkle of sunshine glinting off the snow.

Meet my new assistants!

Bailey the pup

Jake the kitty

Bailey 6 weeks old

Jake 5 weeks old

When the work day is done the fun begins! 

Have a nice day! Thank you for stopping by.

Setting Sun

12x16 Oil on linen panel

 An appropriate post today, my prayers go out to those who have been ravished by the storms, the sun will shine again.

This is the scene from my back windows, a previous post was from the front porch. I don't mind so much doing the dinner dishes while I watch the sunsets unfold.

Hope you have a great day, thank you for stopping by.

Pretty White Orchid

16x8 oil on Linen Panel

I bought this pretty white orchid to paint a few months ago, it's gorgeous blooms have amazed me with how long they have lasted. I have procrastinated so long that it really is almost done now and I'm afraid with my indoor gardening skills it may never bloom again, poor thing. I think the painting turned out nice though and now I've saved the last blooms forever!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day.

Arroyo Vista View

8x12 oil on Linen panel

One of the views from my front porch, nice isn't it? Last year at this time I painted this scene and it was a disaster and is in the "burn me" box. After I finished this painting I dug out last years just for fun to see my progress. I had a wonderful laugh and gave myself a pat on the back, got one from my husband and daughter-n-law too!  Now I'm going out to Burn that Box! LOL

Here are a couple of paintings from the last 2 classes, I know some of you are interested in seeing what is pushing me outside of MY Box. Stacks of chairs and rusty wheels...stuff I would not choose to paint on my own but has helped in my growth.

 Have a great day! Thanks for Visiting!

Early Morning Shadows

10x12 Oil on Linen

On this spot of the road if you look the opposite way is a gorgeous breathtaking view of the glaciers in the Ruby Mountains, however, the little aspen grove behind me with the sun peaking through is what really grabbed me and begged me to be painted.

Here's to simple pleasures in unexpected places, especially here in the high deserts of Nevada!

Thanks for visiting!