Bonfire of the Vanities

Recently I googled images of Magnolia Gardens in Charleston, SC, because I thought I would like to do another painting of the azaleas.  To my  horror, the painting I did of the bridge in the gardens almost a year ago was in the page of images.  It is so primitive looking.  I was embarrassed, but also relieved that I've improved.  I've learned from Mark Weber and Lynette Hayes, and I'm grateful I've had the opportunity to do that.  I've put several of the paintings I've done in the past year in a pile to be gesso-ed over and used again as canvases.  Here are a few things I've done lately.  The Pineapple Gates and Reflections are the finished paintings that I showed in progress earlier.  Maybe in a year, I'll look back at these and think, "Oh, that's embarrassing."

Pineapple Gates, Charleston, SC

Hawaii Temple

Reflections and Fallen Leaves

Mt. Timpanogos Temple

Poppy Field

I never did like the paintings I did of Mt. Timpanogos for my sister, LaNell, so I never gave them to her.  I just finished this poppy field for her that I like much better.  I'll deliver it to her when I go to Utah next month to get Meredith from school and into the Missionary Training Center.  She's going on a mission to Norway!

An Exhibit in a Hurry

I was scheduled to exhibit for the LCAA in March, but I really did not have enough pieces ready.  So, I thought," I'll add photography."  I have been taking some pictures around town for a book project, so I digitally manipulated some of them, added pastels (so now they are multimedia pieces!), and put them with some paintings I had or have been working on, and I had an exhibit featuring Leavenworth.  It was too easy.

So Many New Things to Learn

I did another painting based on a photograph from the Hubble Telescope because I saw some that Mark Weber did and hoped that  he could teach me how to see it his way.  I learned so much about applying a ground, under-painting, applying paint thickly to the surface, and brush stokes.  I wish I had a picture of the gesso-ed ground, but here is the under painting and the finished work.

I Just Kept Doodling

I kept thinking of all the things that I could doodle on, and I ended up with a "collection" that I am going to put in the shop at Scrivners.  I have gift tags, cards, a bowl and I framed a couple of the original pieces. It was fun, and will be a little experiment in marketing.

I've Been Doodling

2013

This year started almost exactly as last year.  The kids left after Christmas--including Meredith who went back to school--I was was left wondering what to do with myself.  This time it is for real because Joseph and Megan--and Matthew--all have jobs that will keep them busy where they are, and Meredith will be going on a mission to Norway for 18 months as soon as the semester is over.  That means I cleaned out the basement, again, and organized my workspace so I could start all over again in the new year.

 I'm working on two very different paintings right now.  Neither of them is finished, but I'll post them in progress just to see what I've got going.

I'm working on the Pineapple Gate in Charleston, SC, for my class in Kansas City,

and I've started an abstract painting in a workshop that Lynette Hayes (from the local artists association) is offering.

Hopefully, I'll be able to post the finished works soon.