Sneak Peek Friday

Inspired by my good blogger friend, Terri from Dimples & Dragonflies, I have been playing around with Picnik to show my art in a setting.

You can find the apple and pear duo here.

Once again, I am linking up with Studio JRU and all of you lovely Sneak Peek Talents!

Apple Pear Duo

I've been painting this duo side by side whenever I have a bit of free time which is rare these days.  One thing I loved was being able to let one dry and work on the other.   It was so fun to keep switching gears.  This sweet little duo would look nice in someone's  kitchen.

I love this brighter version, but maybe I'll save it for prints, because the original is not quite so bright.  perhaps...a teacher's gift?

Apple, 4 x 6 on board, sold

This is from the scanner...a better representation.

Pear, 4 x 6 on board, sold

I hope you all had a lovely Father's Day.  We barbecued pizza on the grill.    My husband has a healthy pizza dough recipe, and it comes out soooo yummy.  Our own firegrilled pizza.

Sneak Peek Friday

I had so much fun yesterday at our Thursday paint night.  My daughter, Kristen, is home from college for a short time and 2 of her friends want to join in.  We all joked about how I will be painting with her friends and she will be back at UCSB taking summer school classes. 

I'm wondering if this painting is too textured.  What do you think?

Once again, I am linking up with Studio JRU and all of you lovely Sneak Peek Talents!

Little Slices of Life

Another little piece of the "Slice of Life" slowly coming together.  

Originally, I was trying to paint a bird in a nest here.  You can imagine the tutu was the beginning feathers of a bird, but while erasing and sketching, I saw the head of  this ballerina and knew I could not have tried to paint her without a reference photo even if I wanted to.  So I just let her develop very slowly guided by intuition.     

Look how delicate her fingers look. 

All by listening to my inner voice... I think I like painting this way. 

Little Slices of Life

Here is another piece of my painting's progress.  There is another half to this that still needs to be figured out.  

So far, everything is acrylic over papers.  Instead of multicolor papers underneath, I stuck to red and yellow to see if I would like the effect.  When the red paper started peaking through to her hair, I loved it and just went with it.  Her dress shows some of that colored texture as well.

Sneak Peek Friday

In progress, mixed media painting

Now this is really a Sneak Peek at my latest painting.  I'm excited to show little snippets of my progress.  I started this painting by doing a value study, but when the painting started to take on a life of its own, I had to throw my value study out the window. 

I think it's smart to have a plan, but if everything is so planned out, then we would be doing paint-by-number.  So let's enjoy the process and be flexible to go with the flow and listen to your inner voice coaching you along the way.

Have a wonderful unplanned weekend. Once again, I am linking up with Studio JRU and all of you lovely Sneak Peek Talents!

Pull up a Chair, There's Plenty of Room in Here

Isn't it amazing at where our art will take us.  I have been painting for years but always alone in a little corner of our guest bedroom.

Since making a studio and taking over a whole room and breaking out of my little world and sharing my love of art, it has given me the freedom to grow in my art and in friendship with others who love art as well.

A friend of my daughter was in need of home and has taken up residence in our guest room.  She is in college and often studies in my studio while I work or paint.  What really surprised me is that she asked to paint along with me.  I laugh because neither one of my daughters, who are tremendous supporters of mine, were ever interested in painting with me.

Alyssa's first painting turned out beautifully and she confessed to me yesterday that she can't wait to start another painting.  Aawwh, I think she's addicted.  You all know how it gets in your blood and just becomes a natural part of your life. Another artist is born.  :)

In the meantime, she's been watching me struggle with the same painting as I paint and then strip off what I just painted over and over.  I think as an artist, at least for me, I would like to take it to the next level, move forward and not backward.  So, I'm pushing myself  harder to get to the place where I love what's in front of me, like this chair, for instance, a little area of the painting I love.