WA Softball - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

WA Softball - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

I recently finished this commission that was given as a high school graduation gift.  For the completed painting, the recipient's name was in the upper left corner but I used Photoshop to blot it out before posting.

I played softball in high school so this painting brought back some fond memories for me while I was working on it.

I get the nicest notes from folks who buy my paintings and I wanted to share what she wrote:

Hi!

I just wanted to let you know that ___ LOVED her painting! Her & her Mom were brought to tears, they loved it so much.

Thanks again for everything – you made her so happy!

"Cloud Shadows" - 18 x 24 inches - oil on canvas

"Cloud Shadows" - 18 x 24 inches - oil on canvas

Another larger painting.  My favorite part is the houses on the lower right corner.  I'm really loving this larger format and have enjoyed painting these cloud formations.

"Cloud Shadows" is an 18 x 24 inch painting on gallery wrapped canvas.  The sides are painted black so framing is optional.  $475.  Click the Buy now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to purchase a painting.

The Mod Squad - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas -SOLD

"The Mod Squad" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas

As I was painting, this, the old TV show, "The Mod Squad" popped into my head so that became the title.  Don't you see a resemblance between the middle bottle and Peggy Lipton :)   

Rolling In - 18 x 24 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Rolling In" - 18 x 24 inches - oil on canvas

I love spending time at the beach.  There is something magical about the ocean tides, the surf, the feeling of sand beneath your feet.  This is definitely my happy place :)

Cherries Three - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

"Cherries Three" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Back to painting some cherries - one of my favorite subjects.  (Also a favorite to eat!)  I love their shiny reflections and range of colors from an orangey-red to dark purple.

"Cherries Three" is a 6 x 6 inch painting on gallery wrapped canvas.  The sides are painted black so framing is optional.  $60.  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase by credit card or click here for other ways to purchase a painting.

Plums - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Plums" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

Plums are not one of my favorite fruits.  In fact, I bought these plums simply to paint with no intention of eating them.  (I gave them to a friend when I no longer needed them as a model).  Hopefully they tasted good as I picked them for their "paintability" (I think I just made that word up) and not for their "eatabiliy" (another new word, I believe).

I really like the composition on this one.  I think one of the tests of a good composition is that you can turn a painting in any direction and it will still look pleasing to the eye.

"Plums" is a 6 x 6 inch painting on gallery wrapped canvas.  

Bundle - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

"Bundle" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on canvas

Painting this asparagus was a real challenge.  I didn't want to paint every single stalk.  I started by painting the shape of the entire bundle and then gradually carved out some individual pieces.  I really liked painting the orange/pink rubber band that binds them together.  It has form so there is a small highlight at the top and a small shadow underneath.  Purchase info is below.

Congratulations to wazyboks@ec.rr.com who won my April give-away.  (I'm very curious to find out who this person is and where they live!)  I'll be giving away one of my matted original paintings.  You could be the winner next month...stay tuned!  To become eligible for my monthly give-away, click here to sign up for my mailing list.  Your information is always kept private and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.

"Bundle" is a 5 x 7 inch oil on paper painting and comes in a white, 8 x 10 mat.  $50  Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card or click here for other payment options. 

"Blue Bug" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Blue Bug" - 6 x 6 inches - oil on canvas

I've been quiet lately but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy!  I just finished a house portrait commission.  I can't post it until given the word by my client as it is being given as a gift.  Stay tuned....

I've painted this little VW bug several times and just can't get enough.  Whenever I see one, I always smile as it brings me right back to my childhood.  I remember when they were priced at $1999!  Such a fun and cool car.  

"Early Spring" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Early Spring" - 10 x 10 inches - oil on canvas

I'm lucky to live in a charming New England town with a beautiful town common.  This church, the First Parish Church United, sits on one side of the common and was glowing in the afternoon sun.  Because it is early spring, the trees are still bare and I liked the starkness of the scene.  I tried not to get too fussy with the details and think I managed to do just that.  I'm pleased with how this one turned out.  Purchase information is at the end of this post.

Ok, now for a little housekeeping.  In my last post, I asked you to come up with a name for my last painting of a wine bottle.  Below are the entries - thank you to everyone who chimed in!  I picked "Reflection" which was submitted by Paula M. I liked it because of the double meaning and it seemed to fit with the mood of the painting.  For my monthly give-away. I usually use www.random.org to select my winner but for March, I decided that Paula deserved the prize - an original that I painted of Plum Island marshes -- congratulations Paula!

WINE BOTTLE NAMES
Anticipation
Big Red
Bottle a red (ala Billy Joel)
Call Me a Cab
Dreams and Desires
Eve of Bordeaux
Eve of Cabernet

For the Right Occasion
I'm being followed by a wine shadow!
In no ones shadow
Me and my Shadow
Mommy's Little Helper
Red Bliss
Red, Red Wine
Reflection
Still Corked
Stress Reliever
Shades of Red to Gray
The cheese stands alone
The Pick-Up
The Shadow
Time for Reflection
Unlabeled
Waiting for Good Dough
Whine No More
wine me up
Worth the Wait

"Early Spring" is a 10 x 10 inch painting on gallery wrapped canvas.  SOLD

Reflection - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

"Reflection" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

Since my previous wine bottle painting sold at the Westford Package Store, I decided to paint another one to fill the empty spot.

I thought long and hard about what to name this painting and have drawn a blank.  I posted it on Facebook and asked for suggestions.  Here are the responses:

"Me and my Shadow"
"Waiting for Good Dough"
"Worth the Wait"
"Mommy's Little Helper”
The cheese stands alone
 I'm being followed by a wine shadow!
 bottle a red (ala Billy Joel)
 Stress Reliever
 "The Shadow"
"Shades of Red to Gray"

Ok, now it is your turn!  What would you name this painting?  I'll announce the winning name in my next post.  

This "Reflection" painting  is a 12 x 12 inch oil on canvas painting.  The sides are painted black so framing is optional.  $125.  Click the Buy Now button below o purchase using a credit card or click here for other payment options. 

"Cooper" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Cooper" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

First off, congrats to Valerie B. who won my give-away for February.  I'll be sending her one of my original paintings from my "30 Paintings in 30 Days" that I completed in January.  Each month I give-away a prize to someone on my mailing list, to sign up and become eligible, click here. 

This is a portrait of our rescue dog Cooper.  I went a little wild with the colors since I was only painting it to please myself.  This kind of reminds me of a Leroy Neiman painting with its vibrant color and loose brushwork.  I did this on a whim after my daughter posted a picture of Cooper on her twitter account.  I just liked his expression and wanted to capture it on canvas.  I've painted Cooper probably 4 or 5 times so there is no chance the family will ever forget him! 

As a reminder, I accept commissions for pet and house portraits.  More information and pricing can be found by clicking here.

"Shoulder to Shoulder" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas - SOLD

"Shoulder to Shoulder" - 12 x 12 inches - oil on canvas

Recently, the Art on Main gallery has been reaching out to other local businesses to expand our reach into the community.  We just teamed up with the Westford Package Store, a family owned business that has been in town since the 1950s.  They recently expanded their space and asked if we wanted to hang some artwork in their venue.  I've never really painted liquor bottles but figured this would be a great subject for their walls.

I'm not much of a drinker (unless you count water and tea), so I had to raid a friend's liquor cabinet for some sources of inspiration.  Bottles are really, really hard to paint.  It is really hard to make them symmetrical!  I felt like a needed a glass of wine after finishing this one.  Lo and behold, a few days after the hanging, I got a call that the painting sold right off the wall at the Westford Package Store.  How cool is that?  

Art on Main is having our monthly open house on Thurs, March 6 from 5 - 8 p.m.  The Westford Package Store is providing a sampling of their wines for our patrons.  We will also have some traditional Irish music provided by 2 members of  Sligo Trad.  So, if you live in the Westford, MA area, stop by!

"Good Day Sunshine" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

"Good Day Sunshine" - 8 x 8 inches - oil on canvas

I haven't had much studio time since I made an unexpected trip to help out my Mom.  One of the side benefits was that I missed the recent Nor'easter that hit the east coast.  Even though I missed the storm, I'm not really looking forward to digging out my car when I return home!

I live in an older section of Westford where most of the houses are quite old.  Many have intricate molding and interesting architectural details that I just love.  These two houses sit side by side and I've passed them many times; they are always a source of inspiration.  This painting is really all about the luscious snow.  I think this painting has been in my mind for a long time.  I want to do more!

I struggled with coming up with a title for this painting.  Since there has been so much Beatles talk lately with their 50 year anniversary coming to the US, "Good Day Sunshine" popped into my head.

"Good Day Sunshine" is an 8 x 8 inch oil on canvas painting.  $125.  Click here to participate in the DailyPaintWorks auction. 

"Heartstrings" - 7 x 7 inches - sea glass collage - SOLD

"Heatstrings" - 7 x 7 inches -  sea glass collage

After my painting marathon in January, I decided to put my paints away for a bit and create another sea glass collage.  The basic principles of putting together a collage is not very different from creating a painting.  I spend a long time working on the arrangement and trying to achieve a nice balance of color and form.  Once again, I added some wire to give an extra punch to my creation.

I decided to call this piece "Heartstrings" because of the small heart-shaped piece of glass in the upper left corner.  

Art on Main is having our monthly "Wine and Nibbles" open house tonight (Thursday, February 6) from 5 - 8 p.m.  If you live in the Westford, MA area, stop by to say hello!

 

30 Paintings in 30 Days

30 Paintings in 30 Days - The Wrap Up

Well.  Here they are.  All 30 paintings in the order that I painted them.  The red dot means the painting has sold.  Click here to view them online.

The last time I did a 30 paintings challenge, I was completely burned out by the end of the month.  This time, interestingly enough, I feel energized and inspired!  I'm looking forward to starting some larger pieces.  As always, I learned something from each painting and continue to grow and sharpen my skills. 

With this challenge, I was much more prepared and organized which made the challenge much easier.  There is so much more to do than simply painting!  Each painting must be photographed, cropped, uploaded, etc.  Some day, my "team" will take care of all those details for me...ha!

Regarding the pricing, I kept these paintings  affordable at $30 during the month of January.  I will extend the pricing through Sunday February 2, and then will likely put any unsold paintings up for auction on either eBay or DailyPaintWorks.

I want to thank everyone who sent along encouraging comments along the way and to those who made purchases.  Painting is a very solitary activity and I'm so glad I have a way to share it with all of you.  Thank you!

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 30 - Kitchen Sink

"Kitchen Sink" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

My theme for the month was "Everything but the Kitchen Sink"  - all food-related items from my kitchen.  My friend, Maria Bennett Hock, suggested that I include the kitchen sink and make it the final painting for the month.  I loved her suggestion so here it is!

I started with a bright blue background and left bits and pieces of blue poking through where I didn't cover it completely.  I just love that!

Tomorrow, I'll have a wrap up of the complete month and share some thoughts about my painting challenge experience...stay tuned!

I'm offering special pricing for the "30 Paintings" challenge where all paintings are priced at $30 for the month of January.  I wanted to make it affordable for anyone to purchase an original piece of art.  The paintings are presented in a white mat that fits into any standard 8x10 frame. 

"Kitchen Sink" is a 5 x 7 inch oil on paper painting and comes in a white, 8 x 10 mat.  Click here to view and/or bid in the ebay auction.

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 29 - Standing Guard

"Standing Guard" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on canvas

Day 29 of the challenge.  I can't believe tomorrow is January 30 - where did the month go?

This is the only painting this month that I got a little creative on the title.  They just reminded me of two soldiers standing guard together on the edge of my sink.  This is a very monochromatic painting so I added some bits of color here and there to spruce things up.

Half of the challenge paintings have sold.  Many thanks to those of you who made a purchase -- I appreciate it!  Click here to see the paintings that are still available.  I will keep the $30 price effective through Sunday, February 2.  

I'm offering special pricing for the "30 Paintings" challenge where all paintings are priced at $30 for the month of January.  I wanted to make it affordable for anyone to purchase an original piece of art.  The paintings are presented in a white mat that fits into any standard 8x10 frame.   

"Standing Guard" is a 5 x 7 inch oil on paper painting and comes in a white, 8 x 10 mat.  Special pricing $30 for the month of January. Click the Buy Now button below to purchase using a credit card or click here for other payment options. 

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 28 - Utensils - SOLD

"Utensils" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

I learned something new while painting these forks and spoons.  I think metal looks better when you add a note of warmth.  So, you can see the beige and tan accents which compliment the grey-blue ones.

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 27 - Red Pepper Jelly

"Red Pepper Jelly" - 5 x 7 inches - oil on paper

I had no intention of painting this jelly jar.  I was gallery sitting at Art on Main for the afternoon and had come prepared with a reference photo on my tablet.  When I fired it up, I couldn't load the photo!  Ok, plan B.  I rummaged through the refrigerator and found this half eaten jar of jelly. This was a challenge to paint with the shiny, translucent jelly so I really had to concentrate!

I'm offering special pricing for the "30 Paintings" challenge where all paintings are priced at $30 for the month of January.  I wanted to make it affordable for anyone to purchase an original piece of art.  The paintings are presented in a white mat that fits into any standard 8x10 frame. 

"Red Pepper Jelly" is a 5 x 7 inch oil on paper painting and comes in a white, 8 x 10 mat.   Click here to bid in the ebay auction.