#14 - Another Rock

Available at for sale, click here for details.

April 30th, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  I got a late start on this one today, and almost decided not to paint at all, but this chunk of amethyst was calling me.  It was fun painting something with a bit more color in it.

#13 - Two Pointer

Available for sale, click here for details.

April 29th, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  Today I got a second truckload of composted manure for my gardens from some friends out in the valley, visited with a Great Horned Owl family and painted this antler.  Yup.

#12 - Turquoise Vein

Click here for purchase details.

April 28th, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  This is another one of those subjects that might only be recognized by some.  The fact is, I tried to paint this little chunk of beeswax today, twice, and in the end I wiped them both off and settled for painting a rock.  Beeswax is apparently really hard to paint, at least for me.  At least I had a special rock to paint, some Manassa Turquoise I found myself, in its natural state, as a vein in some host rock.  I like the thick paint I ended up with.  Maybe I'll get back to the beeswax some day!

#11 - Too Early Wild Plum

Click here for purchase details.

April 26th, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  Everything is just starting to think it's Spring, and the temp is going down and there's snow in the forecast.  I'm hoping the rest of these and all our lilac buds make it through the week!  Winter never gives up around here.
I painted this today after planting something like 160 onions, watering said onions and other stuff, picking rhubarb and turning it into canned rhubarb vanilla syrup, just another Saturday in Costilla.

#10 - What are they? (Wasp Nests)

 Available for Sale in my Etsy Store.

April 25th, 2014: Oil on Board, 6" x 6".  I'm hoping these are recognizable to most, or maybe they don't need to be.  I think this may be my favorite one so far.  And "Yay!" for new brushes and panels I don't have to cut, sand and prime myself... the wonders of the modern world!

#9 - Pine Cone Refined

SOLD!

April 24th, 2014: Oil on Board, 5" x 7".  Another pine cone, and this time it went much smoother than last.  I also experimented with warmer and darker background colors, which I think I'm liking. 

#8 - Raven Specimen

Buy me on Etsy! 

April 23rd, 2014: Oil on Board, 5" x 7".  This particular specimen has been stuck on our fridge for years... I don't remember where it came from, but I'm pretty sure it's a raven feather.  After washing up brushes and scraping clean my palette, I picked up a brush, made some last minute changes and almost ruined the whole thing!  Remind me to just let it be once I've decided it's finished.

#7 - Spring Forage

Buy me on Etsy!

 April 22, 2014: Oil on Rice Paper Mounted on Board, 5" x 7".
Can you tell what I found today?  First for painting, then for dinner! 

I promise was still being productive!

So, I haven't done a daily painting since Friday.  I really needed some weekend time, not for relaxing "What's that?", but I was busy framing some art and working in my garden, among other things.  And today, we had to do our errand day in town, a once a week, all day, extravaganza of procuring supplies which leaves little time for painting.  I guess I'm shooting for 4-5 daily paintings a week, which leaves me with a (sort of) weekend and give or take a day during the week depending on what comes up.

I wanted to give you something pretty to look at anyways, so here's the under painting for a more involved piece I'm working on.  It's from an old photo of my Dad, who passed away a few months ago.  It's just something I wanted to work on for myself.  I'm really liking the under painting so far and already I can see his likeness in it, so often this first stage is my favorite part of a painting.

Hopefully, I'll be back to the daily paintings tomorrow!

#6 - Tulips Rock

Buy me on Etsy! 

April 18th, 2014: Oil on Paper.  Our friend, Joe, came over last night for dinner and brought this tulip plant.  It was so perfect, I thought it was ideal for painting.  Now I'm not sure if I should keep it to paint again, or plant it (the option I'm sure it would prefer)... dilemma of a painter/gardener.
P.S. And, I just realized I could sign a painting by scribing through the wet paint.  Total epiphany!

#5 - Silver Rings

Buy me on Etsy! 

April 17th, 2014: Oil on Paper.  Struggled through this one, but I actually really like the finished painting.  Some of my favorite rings from the jeweler boyfriend... why do I keep picking these seemingly simply, but deceptively complicated subjects (or is that just everything)?  Funny thing, the background looked white to me until I pulled off the tape to reveal the white paper around it.

#4 - Messy Sprouts

Buy me on Etsy! 

April 16th, 2014: Oil on Paper.  Okay, so this painting a day thing is not as easy as I thought it would be, and I'm starting to wonder how I'll find time to work on larger paintings amidst all the other daily chores I need to get done.  It's been a long time since I painted from life and I'm finding it to be challenging, especially when I'm trying to work fast.  Feeling a little discouraged but still determined, and I have discovered that these little paintings do seem to grow on me and what I hate upon finishing I learn to like after a day or two.   

#3 - Ponderosa Offspring Vessels

Buy me on Etsy! 

April 15th, 2014: Oil on Paper, 6" x 8".  I started this one before lunch, and therefore, thought I would get it done with time to do something else productive this afternoon... but no, it took me ALL afternoon.  Apparently, pine cones are not the simplest of subjects.   

#2 - Unlocked

Buy me on Etsy! 

April 14th, 2014: oil on paper, 6" x 8".  I was supposed to put this padlock away somewhere, but instead I painted it and procrastinated finding a place for it.  I still have to figure out where I'm going to put it...

#1 - The Boring Apple

Buy me on Etsy!

April 13th, 2014: Oil on paper, 6" x 8".  It seems like a lot of other daily painters have started with an apple for their first painting, and I just happened to have one lying around.  I can say this is probably the quickest painting I have ever finished and not a bad start.  It's not even that boring.