Farewell to Summer

This is one of my favorite houses on Kure Beach, NC.

Settled In

We've made our final military move to Ft. Bragg, NC, and we are very glad to be here.  It is close to home (Charleston, SC), so we have been busy scooting down there looking for houses or lots or somewhere we can live when my husband retires.  One of the best things I've done since moving here is attend a workshop by Debora Stewart.  She is a phenomenal abstract artist.  Since then, I have been keeping and abstract art journal.  I felt like I needed a starting idea or inspiration for this small, daily work, so I decided I would look for something in my daily scripture reading that impressed me.  Here's my painting from yesterday,

". . .God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles." Mosiah 8:18

Here are a few more from my journal.

Shoshone Falls

I had a great time painting Shoshone Falls for my friend, Lori.  She and I met as freshman roomates at BYU a loooooong time ago. I loved learning how to do the water.  I worked from photographs for this painting, but I hope someday I can see this in person.

Peeled Orange

I decided to participate in the paint and draw together challenge this month. I could have worked on that orange flesh forever, but I decided I had to just stop.

Czech Castle

This is a castle in the Czech Republic that we skipped over to for lunch one December day when we were living in Vilseck, Germany.  I painted it to participate in the snow challenge on Daily Paintworks.  It was a fun day. Here are some photos of what it looks like on the inside.

Merry Christmas

My nephew got married in the Salt Lake Temple this month, and so I decided to paint him a picture of the temple with the Christmas lights.  When I started it I was not sure I would be able to pull it off, but I really like it.  I've enjoyed looking at it this month an feel like it does pay tribute to the Savior as the light of the world.  I'm a bit humbled by that.

The Marsh--again

I just love the marsh, so I painted it again.  This time the colors are a little more subtle and, I think, a little more natural.

A painting a day has been eclipsed by holiday preparations.  Merry Christmas!

Glass

I've seen several paintings online that use glass in a still life and have been been interested in trying my hand at it.  It looked hard, and it was a little tricky, but I think I'll try it again.  I'd like to master it.

The Frankfurt Temple

I did this painting for a friend of mine who was married in the Frankfurt Temple.  It's a surprise, but I'm pretty sure it will remain a surprise even though I've posted it on my blog. It was a challenge to make the greens interesting since, with the roof, there is so much green in this painting.

Seagulls on Edisto Beach, SC

Often when I ask my husband, "What does this painting need?" he answers, "You should paint a bird in it."  So, when he saw this painting he liked it immediately.  "Finally," he said, "you painted some birds."

Tomatoes

I really enjoyed shaping these tomatoes with brushstrokes of color.  It seemed like less work than it did to paint some tomatoes from my garden from a photo that I took a month a go.  That surprised me.  I thought a photo would always be easier. (The basket is a sweetgrass basket from Charleston, SC)

Green Pepper

I was so excited to see that there are peppers still growing in my garden! Soon after I started painting this it seemed that it was not going to work out at all.  I just threw caution to the wind and put down bold strokes.  Voila!  It looks a little Van Gogh-ish, and I like it.

Mont San Michel at Night

Painting a night sky was difficult.  I'll have to work on it again.  But I loved painting the lights on the city.

Lemon on a Plate

I did this early this morning because I have limited painting time today, and I want to be as "daily" as I can.  It was harder than I expected--and it turned out a bit Cezanne-ist.  I'll have to try a lemon again another time.

It's Been a Very Long Time

I'm just going to post some of the paintings I have done in the last YEAR AND A HALF since I've posted anything.

Just in the last couple of months I have become interested in the daily painting movement.  These next paintings are small (5x5 or 6x6) and were mostly done in one sitting--around and hour or two.

Workshop

I took an online workshop from  Richard Robertson and painted this:

I've also joined the online program, Virtual Artist Academy and the recommendation of Richard Roberson.  I'm hoping to move forward by learning more in depth the fundamentals of painting.