Daily Paintings in Pastel

snow globe daily painting

2009-12-05T14:17:00.004-05:00

7" by 7" daily pastel painting, unframed

I was going through boxes of christmas decorations and thought it would be fun to set up some still life scenes, and paint them of course.
This little snow globe cost me a $1 at CVS. The one I had before this cost me $10 and it was the same size and not much cuter. I made the mistake of leaving that one on the dash of my car in freezing temperatures. The company that made it didn't warn me that it could burst. . . which it did. I'm not usually one who needs logical warnings.

This was fun to paint and is bringing the holiday "spirit" in view. I've been a bit sluggish.

$110 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

There's still time to buy a painting for a christmas present! Throw in an extra $50 and I'll do the framing for you (make sure to include a note in paypal. I always frame with neutral colors and with simple frames to keep the focus on the painting.

Don't know which painting they'd like? I also provide Gift Certificates.

red paint can

2009-12-04T14:38:00.003-05:00

7" by 7" daily pastel painting, unframed

It's usually easy to decide the colors for a painting but a room in my house . . I get stuck, sometimes for years. My kitchen walls are greenish and I wanted a contrasting color on one wall. I've had samples patches of color up but I just couldn't commit. I finally decided to go for red. The paint dripping on the side of the can looked luscious so I took a photo of it before I closed the can and cleaned my brush.
On a different note I was comforted in hearing that Norman Rockwell worked from photos. The story goes that one day his photographer was dropping off some photos and Rockwell begrudgingly said something like "Oh great! More magazine work."

$110 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

new Geisha girl

2009-12-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

9" by 12" daily pastel painting, unframed
SOLD

This is a copy of a painting I did a few years ago. You can view the old one here.

My cousin and his wife in Holland wanted to buy the old one and I wasn't happy with it. It's a long story but I decided to paint a new one for them. I think this one is much better. I generally don't paint the same thing twice. I'm glad I did because I can see my improvement in the past two years.

Another thing I don't do too often is tell you about another painter. I thought I'd share a link to some of my favorite contemporary painters once in a while.

Neil Hollingsworth's oil paintings have inspired me since the first time I viewed his work online in 2006. I started posting my daily paintings at the about the same time he did.

I am in awe with his technique, precision and skill. Click on the image to the left to view more of his work. You'll be amazed!

espresso daily painting

2009-11-29T12:59:00.002-05:00

6" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed

Occasionally I don't blend my pastels and just focus on the shapes to get the impression of the object. This is an example of that. I'm more of a cappuccino girl but I enjoyed painting this while I had my morning coffee.
It's a beautiful day outside here in New England so the rest of the day will be spent storing the outdoor furniture I forgot about and taking a walk along the canal down the street from us in the state park.

$75 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

pink rose cupcake

2009-11-28T18:54:00.006-05:00

6" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed

It was a bit difficult to get started today mostly because I wasn't sure what to paint, so I searched my hard drive and picked a random cupcake photo to work from.

$100 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. My sister and her family came from New York and they all stayed overnight. We had a wonderful celebration!

I've been busy with web design work for the past week. I've designed a few blog banners and edited some php and css code. I used a wordpress template to design the sites but you'd never know because I recoded it. Now the owner of the websites can edit her site from the backend in wordpress without having to ftp. You can see them here and here. Once I get started with web design and coding it's almost like painting. It's so much fun that it's hard to switch gears. Yes, I'm a bit of a geek.

Anyway, while working I thought it might be fun and useful to create a site for bloggers who need some help with coding, image preparation and anything else that could be a potential question. I made a new blog with information that I learned over the years. Here's the link - Blogging Basics and More. I'm hoping to update it on a weekly basis.

No, it's not a painting but I just had to upload it. I was cleaning the pool deck and there was a wasp (I think it's a wasp) in a dormant state inside the umbrella. I carefully removed it thinking it might "wake up" but it stayed on the table unable to move. I had to run inside to get my camera. Feel free to grab this image if you have a use for it.

Hiroshige

2009-11-23T18:24:00.002-05:00

This is an acrylic painting that I did some years ago for my sister. The size is about 6 x 4 feet. It took me a long time to finish and she was very patient with me.
It's a copy of Ando Hiroshige's "Rain-Storm at Shono" which was actually a color woodblock print. Having worked in graphic arts I know how time consuming his work must have been. You can see an image of the print here although I think the colors are off. The one I used was in a book.

I submitted it today to Following the Masters painting challenge which I participate in frequently. Challenge Nine was to paint something by a master artist you are inspired by. From what I've read Hiroshige was not considered a master in his time, but if Van Gogh chose to copy one his paintings I think it's safe to assume that he was master enough. Not that I really care. I've always loved his work which was much more colorful than his contemporaries in Japan.

mystery tree

2009-11-16T22:11:00.004-05:00

7" x 7" pastel painting, unframed

Another painting for our Play on Words blog.
To read more about the inspiration behind this painting please visit the blog that my husband Gary and I share. You'll also be able to purchase it there.
Any ideas what phrase this represents? Share your guess in a comment at Play on Words.

Mason Jar with Marbles

2009-11-14T15:08:00.000-05:00

7" by 7" daily pastel painting, unframed

You may already know that I have a collection of marbles. I bought this mason jar full of marbles on EBay. It was quite a steal!
I set up this still life yesterday hoping that the sun would shine through the studio skylight today but it didn't. Light is the most important factor as a painter. It makes me want to move to a sunny state on days like today. I'm still pleased with the outcome.

$120 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

coffee press daily painting

2009-11-12T13:57:00.003-05:00

5" by 7" daily pastel painting, unframed

I set up this still life last winter in a cardboard still life box and took photos of it which I saved. I really like the composition. I used red fabric for the back drop and a colorful fabric under the objects.
What is so interesting to me is that the painting frequently looks better than the actual still life set-up. It took me a while to realize this. Once I did I knew I didn't need to limit myself to beautiful objects because the painting is what gives them beauty.
Now I'm inspired to set up some more compositions in my cardboard box.
I'm also ready for a really good flea market to buy more props. If you live in Massachusetts and know of any I'd love to hear from you.

$110 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

blue teapot

2009-11-11T13:10:00.002-05:00

'Tetley Tea Time'
5" by 7" daily pastel painting, unframed

Every day, 2 times a day, at the exact same time each day, my parents have tea time. It's an old Dutch tradition which has remained theirs as long as I can remember.

The tea is always in a teapot under the flame of a tea light.

I haven't appreciated it lately until after I finished this painting. There's something nostalgic about it in our technologically driven culture.

The original paintings hues are slightly different. My scanner doesn't like to give me the cerulean hues I always want. But it's very close.

$110 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

6 marbles daily painting

2009-11-09T13:48:00.001-05:00

6" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed

Sometimes I check my hard drive for photos which I never got around to painting. I came across various compositions I took last year of marble groupings.

I bought a few batches of marbles in mason jars off EBay.

Working small scale can be hard on the eyes and hands and sometimes my back. I'm toying with the idea of working large scale again just to give myself a break. Besides, I think it would be awesome to paint some larger than life objects.

I was inspired by a Chuck Close documentary last week. If you've never seen his work live and admire the work of photo-realists, I highly recommend finding his work somewhere.

$100 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

lobster roll

2009-11-07T12:59:00.004-05:00

6" x 6" pastel painting, unframed

Another painting for our "Play on Words" blog. To see Gary's drawing that inspired this painting and for purchasing info please visit the blog.

Tonight we'll be going to the first anniversary of the gallery that offered to represent my work - thanks Matt. I always want to go incognito. That's impossible if the gallery owner is there or if you invite friends. One of these days I will find a way.

creamy pink cupcake

2009-11-06T12:55:00.003-05:00

6" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed

I love painting food, especially cupcakes. When the comments imply that salivation was a response I feel that I've accomplished my goal.

I had to think about what colors to use for the icing shadows. I started with a complimentary green underneath the reds and pinks which worked out well.

The weekend is almost here which means I'll have more focused time to paint a detailed work while my husband slaves away at the stove. He's taken that job on the weekends so I can stay in the studio.

$110 including shipping and handling. in the US. Please email me for international shipping rates.

Peggy's Point, Halifax

2009-11-05T14:17:00.005-05:00

6" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed
Peggy's Lighthouse
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Painted for the Virtual Paintout challenge.
It was easy finding an image on Google maps with this one, probably because Nova Scotia isn't that populated.
I tried to keep this minimalist in my approach.

$100 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Different Strokes Art Challenge

2009-11-03T14:03:00.005-05:00

6" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed

My interpretation of Different Strokes from Different Folks art challenge.
I had limited time to paint today so I decided to abstract the subject as much as possible. That can be quite a challenge for me since I tend to focus on detail. Fun piece and I'm happy with the colors.
Thanks to everyone who commented or emailed on my new blog. More is coming!

Good news! If you live in or near Massachusetts I will be part of a group show at the Preservation Framer Gallery in North Attleboro, MA. on Saturday, November 7th. Thanks to Matt, some of my paintings will be displayed regularly on the walls and of course, available for purchasing.

$100 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

crab cake and new blog

2009-11-01T21:45:00.004-05:00

5" by 7" daily pastel painting, unframed

My husband Gary and I have a new project. He loves words and I love to paint. Read about the inspiration behind this painting on our new blog, Play on Words Art. There's more to see than I've shown you here.

$120 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

avocado half

2009-10-29T13:27:00.007-04:00

5" by 7" daily pastel painting, unframed

My favorite fruit, especially in guacamole! I just finished making a batch. Here's Alton Brown's recipe from foodnetwork. It's the absolute best recipe I've ever found.

$100 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

clouds and fields

2009-10-27T13:32:00.004-04:00

10 1/2" by 18" daily pastel painting, unframed

Another landscape painting on Canson Mi Tientes paper. I abstracted this painting a bit more than the last post.

$210 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

big sky

2009-10-23T15:56:00.007-04:00

12" by 21" daily pastel painting, unframed

The last two paintings I did inspired me to continue with landscapes for a few more posts. I used black Canson Mi Tientes paper which is a lighter paper and I haven't used it in years. It holds much less pastel particles so I need to be careful with my application. This was a fun piece.
I'm thinking of going more abstract with the next one.

$230 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

impasto landscape

2009-10-22T14:51:00.003-04:00

6" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed

A little experiment for the limited time I had today to paint. It's impasto in that the pastels are laid on thickly.
For those of you who are waiting for more of my traditional realism please stay tuned.

$80 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

Dutch country road

2009-10-21T13:54:00.007-04:00

7" by 6" daily pastel painting, unframed

Inspired by Following the Masters art challenge which is a Van Gogh theme. I was born in Holland and visited often when I was younger. This is a typical country road scene in Holland. Although it does not look like a Van Gogh, I worked on emulating his bright colors and loose strokes.

$100 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

sunflowers, SALE and commissions

2009-10-20T10:56:00.009-04:00

8" by 10" daily pastel painting, unframed

I used a different board than usual so I needed to loosen my style a bit on this one. Before I started I took a look at some of Van Gogh's sunflowers for inspiration.
Oh . . I just noticed today that Following the Masters blog is having a Van Gogh art challenge! I guess I'll paint one more in the sunflower theme. Fun!

I'm taking commissions now for the holidays - $110 for up to an 8" x 8", the subject of your choice including dog portraits (no people portraits at this time). You can view samples of my dog portraits here. Please email me with your ideas!

$140 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

burst of sun

2009-10-19T12:53:00.003-04:00

8" by 8" daily pastel painting, unframed

Another sunflower painting. The next one will have greater detail. I'm working my way up ;-)

$110 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

sunflower

2009-10-18T16:04:00.003-04:00

8 1/2" by 8" daily pastel painting,unframed

It's rainy and all the colors outside are beginning to mute. Soon winter will be here with it's grays and starkness.
A flower seems appropriate to brighten up the day.

$100 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

red fan

2009-10-05T13:20:00.003-04:00

"Serenity"
12" by 36" oil painting, gallery wrapped and painted on the sides

I've been working in oils lately mostly because I've had a need to work on larger paintings. The reference for this painting is a hand fan of which I have a collection. The original fan has detail work on it which I left out because I wanted to abstract it enough to give the feeling of serenity.

$380 with free shipping and handling in the US. Please email me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.