1st in a Daily Painting series

 

Family Time

6"x 6" oil painting on board

 #1 

Well, here we go! 

I figure, if I announce to my corner of the world that I'm trying to create a habit,  I'll hold myself accountable... and I'll try my best to stay with it! I'm hoping to paint small, frequent paintings. I'd love to give myself permission to paint loosely... quickly and jump from subject to subject, and this feels like a fun way to do just that.. and a fun experiment to try!

I've known about the Dailey Painting movement, but I haven't felt the pull until recently.  There are so many incredible artists out there painting on the daily.  They report that they're learning so much, enjoying  the creating process again, and creating new opportunities around what they love to do... Yes, Yes,  and Yes! Sign me up!

As of now...I feel like the list of paintings I'd love to create is so long, that it kinda stifles me.  Which one to do first? Do I have time to create the image I have in my mind? Will it be a part of a group theme? Where do I store all these paintings.  I can get overwhelmed by the ideas and what to do next.  So painting  a small painting a day (or close to daily) gives me more room to experiment and get back to playing with paint.. not take things too serious and intimidate myself with each project.  So, that's my new goal.

Thank you for checking in and looking!  I appreciate your company.

Wish me luck :)

 

1971 Triumph Motorcycle

On my easel in the garage.... my 1971 Triumph TR6.  I'm painting a motorcycle of mine.  I grew up riding on the back of this motorcycle, going on rides with my dad.  Great memories of holding onto my dad...helmet...vintage goggles and summer rides. 

I still have a lot to do, but I'm making progress... this painting is 48"x 60" ...the biggest I've ever painted. I've always wanted to be able to roll a motorcycle in the house and have it in a corner like a beautiful sculpture through the winter.... this might be another way to enjoy a motorcycle in the living room.   

Thanks for looking and reading! 

The light at the end of the tunnel.

12" x 12"  oil on wood panel

I did it!  I got through February.   

It's the hardest part of living in Alaska for me...the month of February.  

Keep my head down and stay busy, try not to notice how cold or dark it is.  

Mentally, I start day dreaming about adventures away.

While I run on a treadmill at the gym, I crank the music and imagine....

body surfing in the ocean somewhere, trail running through the green woods,  

walking barefoot in grass, warm breeze brushing past the bare skin on my arms and legs.

I'm ready to walk out the door in a t-shirt again. 

Now it's March, and when I head home from my studio...it's still daylight!

When the sun is out...I can feel it! Sunshine is warm again!!

Here's something I painted a couple weeks ago, in the mist of my toughest month.

I guess I should be grateful for February... 

it's the month that I dream up adventures to go on for the rest of the year.  

Get myself out into the big, wonderful world.

What was planned this February? 

So far...I'll be plein air painting in Utah, visiting my sister in Colorado

 and hanging out in New York City.  

Thank you February 2017...

it was challenging as always, but interesting.

Thank you for looking!

and reading

Show Time

"Show Time"

24"x 24", oil on canvas

Did I tell you I was born in Las Vegas?  I was.  

Neon, music, live performances, fashion...it's deep inside me, 

and sometimes a little needs to come out.

I like circus stuff too.... clown paintings, I like velvet clown paintings.

Okay, confession is over.  You know too much.

Thank you for looking!  

"Speak Up"

"Speak Up"

11"x 14" oil on canvas

I just love old things.....and I absolutely love shiny metal/ chrome old things.

So, needless to say...gazing at this old microphone was just hypnotizing

 for me.  It makes me think of old theaters, velvet seats, popcorn and my date's hand on my leg

in the dark (public... but somehow private)  space.

When I'm in my own world, painting..... it's transporting.

Good stuff.....mini vacation. 

Thank you for looking and reading.  :)  

Flowers...

This is a detail of a larger floral painting I just finished.

I'm painting flowers for an upcoming show!

It feels great focusing my eyes and mind on color, warmth and nature waking up from 

a long winter of sleep. 

Spring is right around the corner....but in my studio, its already here!! :)

Thank you for looking....and reading!  :)

With Sprinkles Please

"With Sprinkles Please"

12" x 12", oil on canvas

Such a cheerful subject.   

I painted this about a month ago.  It was a fun little still life that I set up for a student, so I painted too  :)

Thank you for looking! 

Roses in Red

"Roses in Red"

12" x 12", oil on canvas

Flower # 8….. vibrant.  

Painting at night, with it dark outside, and dimly lit inside, except for the roses :)  I've been soaking up the saturated color, like a little bit of sunshine before bed.  

My son thinks I'm crazy…."why would you want to paint flowers everyday?"  with a confused look on his beautiful face.

"I love flowers!  It feels like sunshine in the dark winter"

Nodding in agreement, he walks off to his computer.

"Go paint flowers Mom!  Good job!"

I'm so lucky….

I love my family.  :)

Thank you for looking and reading!!  :)

Flower # 6

"Flower #6"

11" x 14", oil on canvas

Not a very clever title, but this is an oil version of the still life I set up yesterday.

Painting flowers and putting up twinkle lights outside :)

I hope your holidays are magical!

Thank you for looking in on my painting efforts! :)

Single Rose

"Single Rose"

8" x 10", oil on canvas

Oh man!!  This is floral painting #4!!  I'm officially on a flower roll :)

Which means…. I've painted a floral still life 4 days in a row.  

I'm kinda proud of myself.  I'll keep at it, see how far I get!

Thank you for looking!

Flowers….three days in a row!

"Flowers 3"

16" x 20" , oil on canvas

Sold

Okay…somehow I've managed to paint flowers three days in a row.  I was walking my dog this morning and was thinking ….what if I challenged myself to paint flowers everyday for a month?

Of course, just saying that is almost a jinx for me.  I'm really great at convincing myself of things I should do daily….then conveniently forgetting all about it by day three or four….7 tops!  

But maybe….painting flowers each day would be cool.  I love looking at them.  I'd love to experiment with painting them different ways.  I'd love to get better at painting them.  They make me feel great in the dead of winter during Alaska's darkest months….  

hmmm…… maybe I'll paint flowers everyday ...until who knows when.  :)

Thank you for looking and reading!!

I talk to myself a lot….it's nice thinking I'm talking to someone else on these blog posts! :)

Flowers...

"Flowers" 18"x 24", oil on canvas 

sold

There was a time when I thought that I never wanted to be a "flower painter".  For some unknown reason in my mind, it just seemed like a cliche that I didn't want any part of.   Be careful of the things you pronounce with strong emotion.  Because it means you have strong feelings about them….which means... they mean something to you, deep down.  Kinda like the kid on the playground that is accused of liking someone….and they protest loudly how much they DON'T like that other person!  

Well, there you go.   

So now I daydream about florals…heavy clumps of luscious petals,  dripping with color…alive with beauty.  I know I'm excited about something when I want to paint it on the biggest canvas I can find! 

I just went thrift store hunting for different vases, cups and containers for beautiful flowers to nestle into…. for me to enjoy looking at for hours, while I paint.  It seems like the best of both worlds…. having flowers to enjoy and exploring how to paint them in a way that brings a painting to life in front of me.   

Thank you for looking!  ….and thank you for reading!!

August Show….

"Michael's 66' Bug"

36" x 36", oil on stretched canvas

This Friday... August 7th from 5pm-7pm will be an opening reception for a collection of my paintings at a wonderful place in Anchorage, AK called

Modern Dweller's Chocolate Lounge.

There's a wonderful, big wall that I get to display my paintings on …for the month of August :)

Also……these people make their own chocolates…they are amazing…

and I'm going to have some in a couple days!!  

Maybe come see some paintings in person…and have a truffle while you look :)

Thank you for looking!  

Little Sheds

I have been having fun plein air painting this summer.  

Sometimes, picking the perfect spot takes more time than the painting part….kinda silly really, there's great stuff to paint everywhere…but when I have the choice of it all, I get kinda choosey.

This is a great spot not far from home…a lake with small sheds along the shoreline, looks like a small village to me, and the sheds are colorful…and for me, that's all the more fun!

My plein air system is made by an artist in Arizona, James M. Coulter.

I love it.  I bought the medium sized box. It's quick to set up and take down, it all fits in a duffle bag….I have a nice amount of mixing space for my paints….it works well for me!  Here's the sight where you can find more specific information and even order one for yourself, if you like!

http://artboxandpanel.com

"Sheds"  12" x 16", oil on board.

Thank you for looking!

Italy.....sigh.....

My trip was wonderful...2 weeks in Italy painting and playing.........and eating.

I'm ready to look for property for sale over there...haha...that's what happens when I really enjoy myself..... I start looking at the real estate market and imagining myself in a whole new setting.

I'd have a Vespa, that's for sure......one of the oldies, painted in a pale bluish green color.  I'd make pasta and use fresh vegetables from my garden, with olive oil on top.....and I'd eat warm, fresh picked plums everyday......sigh.....

Okay, I had a great time.  The other artists I went with were sweet and funny, their spouses...sweet and fun....the artist that was teaching the workshop, great!! (Darrell Anderson....amazing artist....you should check him out)

I had a dream the night before we started painting....I was struggling with an animal......it was trying to bite me....it wanted to harm me. At the end of the struggle and dream....I escaped.  The next day, I began painting in a way that I've always wanted to paint.....loose...juicy.....with my heart, not my mind.

I love all the paintings I came home with!!  I love them!! 

I needed to go halfway across the world, be with new people in a new place to find this.

And to think, it all started this January with a daily picture calendar about Italy....too cool!!  

This was painted on the side of a small road, in Montisi, Italy......in all fairness, most of the roads are small over there.... 

I'll post some more Italy paintings soon.

Thank you for reading and looking!

Flowers

"Fresh Flowers"

oil 16"x20"

I used to love painting from my imagination.  Now, after a few years of painting from life and what I see in front of me, I wonder if I can go back.  There is an amazing artist named Jill Carver.....she said  "artists should be poets and not journalists".  I love that simple statement, it says so much....and it speaks to me and what I'm hoping to accomplish in my own art.

I want my paintings to be poetry....

If I only paint what I see, am on on the right track?  That's my question to myself lately.

Thank you for looking....and reading.

"Free Spirit" .... as a painting progresses.....

"Free Spirit" 

 oil,  8"x 16"..not sure, but close

I want to paint a larger painting of this one.  

This is a small study...colors I want to use....layout, that kind of thing.

I took pictures along the way.  Not usually something I do, but did it this time.  

I love the look of the painting progressing...so I thought I'd show you.

I love these skull paintings.  Looks modern to me but I love the symbolism and ideas

 of spirituality that can be hinted at.  

Thanks for looking!

Who.........Me?

"Who......Me?"

10" x 20" oil

Do you ever feel like this?  Like you have a spot light on you and a big arrow pointing at you?

Put on the spot in some kind of way?  I do sometimes, I guess that's why I painted this.

It's kinda fun to play with my thoughts.....put them into form and then paint it.

Cathartic.  

Thank you for looking :)