Where I Stand Sunday

Not a very good tomato patch this season. They were supposed to be bigger. They received lots of sun, and we poured water to them every day.  They taste delicious, just very small.

These barrels are on car dollies, so they can be raced into the garage during imminent weather.  Never happened but maybe twice...good idea around here, though.

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing.

Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on.

If you'd like to join me by posting a photo on Sunday

of places you've been on your blog/photo hosting site/website, leave a comment on this post telling me

where I can find you/your photo and I'll add a link to my sidebar so others can find you.

WIP - Girl on Porch

Work in progress.  Small 6" x 6" canvas, working in oil. 

Old photo of my daughter - a little bit of work to do. 
One thing is certain, upon photographing your artwork, you really see where
to work next - not always obvious just looking at it on the easel.  Right now, I see more
areas than I thought I would.

A Painting for Today

"Little Shu - as a kitten"

8" x 8"

pastel on Wallis sandpaper

Purchase info on ETSY.

Finished Commission

"Baby Ryan"

11" x 14" pastel on velour

A Mini-Portrait for Today

"Cherokee Maiden"

6" x 6" pastel on Canson

Where I Stand Sunday

Sometimes - it's the very slightest things we do, that make our lives a lot easier, and when we finally get around to doing them - it's like "Duh??? Why did I wait so long to do this?" One of those small things - putting cinder blocks under my matting and framing table. So tired of bending over my work on the bench and after cleaning out the spider webs and dirt of these blocks that were outside, I planted them under the legs of the folding table and my back says "Awwww...(sigh)"

Working on faces right now. Here is one I finished of an artist/friend, Bev. Check out her work! After taking photos of my work, I always see something I need to work on just a bit more. See some things in this one, that need immediate attention, so you know where to find me now, back out to the studio!!

"Beverly"

11" x 14" pastel on Canson

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. If you'd like to join me by posting a photo on Sunday of places you've been on your blog/photo hosting site/website, leave a comment on this post telling me where I can find you/your photo and I'll add a link to my sidebar so others can find you.

Invasion of Turkeys

Turkeys on the hillside, Turkeys on the move,

Turkey in the treetop,


Turkeys on the groove,

Turkeys by the cherry tree, going gobble, gobble, gobble, all the way home!

THE END...

Newborn Pastel Portrait Progress

If at first you don’t succeed, try - try again! This is number 4. I think it is a GO! I added the chair he was sitting in and it works better on that right side. I am thinking this great dark brown mat…11” x 14”. The artwork is done on velour paper. It’s funny how sometimes pastel is so forgiving. About 10 minutes before I stopped, it wasn’t coming out AT ALL!!! And now, it’s time for a break, because it finally came together. Will be working more on it but I am sighing with relief, that it has made the turn of what I consider “making it”. Does your artwork ever tickle you a little that way?

It's hard to be satisfied with commission work...it's so subjective!

Work in Progress - Newborn Portrait in Pastel

 It's difficult to give a portrait a personality. This commission has 'one' fairly dated photo of a newborn to work from.  I am using pastel on burgundy Canson paper. This is my third attempt...finally got the likeness down, still working on the colors. The photo, although yellowed and ruined from being wet on a majority of the swaddling, allows me to make that part up as I go. He is also sitting in one of those upright plastic baby carrier/infant chairs, therefore I need to make a decision of what's going on on the right side of the painting, But if you were in my studio you would hear..."Nope, that ain't it...no, that's not it either." It leaves me to state, for those of you out there also painting commissioned portraits, I feel your pain if you are working from an "iffy" photo.

AND BTW - "this ain't it!!!" -photo was deleted...

A Painting for Three Days

"Tons of Flowers"

18" x 24"

oil on canvasboard

I am so used to finishing up in one day with 'daily paintings', this one presented me with an interesting feeling to 'hang in there'. I should have had more photos in the progression, but I get stuck in "painting mode" - forgetting all else. I'm hoping to add a big, thick gold (?) or whatever looks best frame...I will have to shop around for just the right one. The levels and colors are most true in this final photo.

Where I Stand Sunday

Walk through the large barn door

the sense that the world awaits

the familiar cozy, warmth -

the tunes begin.

One day - upbeat, another day - ethereal

the smell of paint medium

the north light gently bathing the latest piece

the brushes cleaned and ready

from the previous day's beating

stand here, sit there

switch easels

stand, sit

dance!

Another day in paradise!

Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life standing. Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on. If you'd like to join me by posting a photo on Sunday of places you've been on your blog/photo hosting site/website, leave a comment on this post telling me where I can find you/your photo and I'll add a link to my sidebar so others can find you.

Only 2 1/2 days left - take the survey in the sidebar for a title

to my August 12th painting...scroll down. Thanks!

Day Three of Floral Painting

After having coffee with fellow artists in Downs, Ks. this morning, was back in the studio to further the large floral I am painting.  I just finished the chrysanthemum petal ID…will be working on more of the light and shadow and subtle pinks and blues that appear in the petals.  Working this large, one can sure use a lot of paint.  Wish there was an artists’ supply store close by, I dread waiting over a week to get my order from art supply catalog places…guess I could plan ahead…but hey, I’m an artist.

Day Two of a Painting

Yesterday, I tinted an 18” x 24” canvasboard (large for me) with a red oxide and cad red mixed acrylic and then I sketched in the flowers with a dark and filled in areas of the darkest darks.  Today, I started filling in the local color of each flower and area using a photo as reference.

I am painting this in oil.  I continued carefully working to create that wonderful light that is coming into the arrangement from the left.   As you can see there are tulips, freesia oops, I think they are Peruvian lilies, roses, greenery and chrysanthemums (ha, I missed that word during a jr. high spelling bee once – second runner-up and I will never forget how to spell it!)  Have a ways to go yet – the upper left half (minus the green stems and leaves) is coming along.  It’s a good thing I stopped here, because I need to analyze the gray tones of about 3/4 of the chrysanthemum in the lower right.  It is in shadow of the tulips and roses.  Hope to keep posting the progress.

A Day Like Any Other – A Dachshund Narrative

 

I think I will just sit here and watch you - while you watch your noon soap opera, mom.

Wait, I think I hear something!! Should I sound the alarm??

Oh, OK…maybe it’s just the breeze or the overhead fan.

I guess I will continue with what I do best.

"Morning Perk" oil painting for today...

Finished today..in oil, 6” x 8”. This one was the most fun I have had in a long time (not that I don’t enjoy it all the time) I tried to paint this one before…but it quickly became a disaster. Today, I decided to take it slow to see the reflections and try to figure out what they were. The fridge is in there, and my arms – taking the photo of the coffeepot.

I can’t arrive at a title, so I have put a survey in the sidebar of the possibilities. If you would like, you can vote for your favorite, or leave one in the comments. (OK, Bev already came up with a way catchier title..so if you like this one, make a comment ...

"Coffee Now, Perky Later"

and another great one just came in from Stephanie -

"The Perks of Home"

Let me know in your comment if you prefer one of these to the poll (4).

Thanks for your participation in the poll for the title of this painting.

"Morning Perk" was the most popular choice.

Thanks! Become a follower, too!

Painting is NFS.

Two Paintings for Today

Sometimes, if I have been away from the easel - I have to warm back up, so I have done some quick oils in the last day and a half. I think I am ready for some more serious work, now!

"Just Down the Road"

6" x 8" oil on canvasboard

"Wolf Hybrid" - 9" x 12" oil on canvasboard

Where I Stand Sunday

It was back in November of 2007, I ran across Lynn's blog. She is a very cool fiber artist. She invited me to be a part of this series "Where I Stand Sunday" with her and a few other bloggers. It's amazing what the WWW has to offer because from that leap, I met another blogger who has become a great cyberfriend. We have emailed one another, shared similarities and differences and she, also, is an "out of sight" fiber artist. My fellow "Where I Stand Sunday" bloggers live in Michigan and one lives in NYC. Leann and her hubster Mark from Michigan, visited out West last week and wouldn't you know, their travels allowed them to swing through our area. We finally got to meet in person. Anyway, this morning I stand with (I could call her - "BFF") Leann!! We are doing our Sunday post together (she's on the left), SO....how cool is that?
Check back often this week, I am in "mega painting mode"!!!
Where I Stand Sunday is an ongoing photo essay examining the different places I spend my life "standing".
Too often we take for granted the everyday places we spend our lives walking on.
The ground we tread on has its own stories to tell.

Where I Stand Sunday

Even country dogs need exercise...especially since they have to be "penned" against the elements of other dogs, animals, varmints, people...this dog is referred to in the 'kenneling world' as "dog aggressive". He came that way, we tried many ways to change it, to no avail.

We went for a 3 mile walk around the "section" - saw no humans or cars or farmers - or quite luckily neighbor dogs, however saw evidence of big cat, coyote, deer, turkey, and spooked up 4 pheasants.
He loves being able to run, but stays close. He's a great pointer. We never have had him in a hunting situation. Wouldn't want to.
He is a pretty insecure dude and very highstrung - comes with the breed.
A trainer once told us, "He's no Alpha!", but he is our special dog.
We love him anyway.