Last Light

Day 19

This was the last of the light as the sun set.  It cast a warm light on everything just before it disappeared.

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Riverstyx

Day 18

There is a place near my house named, "Riverstyx."  It is deep in the woods of "Old Florida."  It was love at first sight for me.  I loved the cypress out in the middle of the river.  I will take you there again one day!

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Dance in the Sand

Day 17

Many of us have fond memories of romance on the beach.  I could not ignore this little gull as he was trying so hard to impress his lady.  They were so cute doing their little dance in the sand.  It was as if there was no one on the beach but them!

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Explosion

Day 16

Well, I guess if you have been following my art that by now you have realized I can only paint soft and subdued for so long and then I have to let the color loose!  The bigger the eplosion, the better I like it! I hope you enjoy this!  Have a magnificent weekend!

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Cloud Study 2

Day 15

I am loving the cloud studies.  It is so interesting the way the colors change in them.  

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Storm is coming

Day 14

It seems we have had our share of clouds lately.  I love the clouds and have wanted to study them.  So this is a beginning of those studies.  We live in north central Florida and we get rain from the Atlantic and the gulf.  This study was at the Atlantic coast.

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Standing together

Day13

By now you have probably figured out that I have been up to something....I thought I would like to do a triptych with these last 3 paintings.  The scene just seemed to call for it.  Each painting had to stand on it's own so I could post them separately but they also had to fit together.  It was an interesting challenge.

I liked the scene all together.

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Fall

Day 12

The mornings are getting a tad cooler and it is dark later.  Slight changes of color are starting to show.  You have to really look for them.  Fall is in the air.

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Remembrance

Day 11

September 11 is a day of remembrance for the United States of the thousands of lives lost by the horrific attacks on our country.  

I wanted to show my respect to the families that lost loved ones that day and the ones who are still suffering from that event so I did not want to post anything yesterday.  I wanted to be still and quiet and reflect.

I wanted to paint something with reflections, stillness and peace. 

May peace be with you.

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Birds in Flight

Day 10

I am still studying the marshlands.  It would be easy to study these all month and not get bored.  There are so many changes when the light changes.  I love the way the grasses move in and out at the shoreline and sway in the breezes.

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Glowing grass

DAY 9

I love going out in the pontoon boat and seeing all the changes in the shoreline.  This was a beautiful clear day and the grasses were glowing.

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Ode to Aunt Lamera

Day 8

I have been very blessed to have Aunts who were sweet, kind, Godly women who always put their family first.  A very special one was Aunt Lamera.  She lived in North Carolina when I was a child and it was always exciting when she came to visit.  She would share a new craft with all the ladies and girls every year.  She and I were very much alike.  In later years we talked on the phone...often...sometimes many times a day.  She went to be with Jesus last year.  I miss her every single day...often...many times a day.   We sleep in the bed she left me and have her lamp beside my bed.  Today would have been her birthday.  I painted this in remembrance of her.  My heart aches...

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River Refuge

Day 7

Google defines refuge as a place of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble. Also known as a healing place.  We spent the week of July 4th at Crystal River, Florida. Boating down the river toward the gulf was a place of peace and comfort.  The feeling floods your spirit.  Wildlife is everywhere. Palm trees are interspersed with oak trees and other flora. It is what I think of as "Old Florida."  My prayer is you experience that peace as you view this painting.

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Interwoven

Day 6

I thought this was a very interesting nest with the leaves interwoven into the structure of the nest.  Isn't it amazing that a little bird could do that?  This bird must be very experienced at nest building because she was very creative as she put her objects together!
Did you know that the male and female usually gather materials for the nest but the female usually does the building.  They usually collect the material after a soaking rain.  They bring beakfuls of fibers, grass, leaves and sticks traveling to and from the nest hundreds of times.  Finally they line the interior of the nest with soft grasses, straw or fibers to keep the eggs warm and protect them from sharp twigs or grasses.  Isn't that amazing?!
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And then there were three

Day 5

I am back on my bird's nest quest.  These little nest are really fun to paint when you think about the way they were constructed.  They have to be painted in the way they were constructed from the bottom up, doing the interior last. 

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Hope

                         Day Four 

The storm has moved up the eastern coastline but Florida is still in recovery mode. My Mother, brother and sister just received electricity back this afternoon, 4 days after the storm passed. Many trees were down on the lines and substations had to be replaced. Ninety extra lineman were brought in to help restore power.

This afternoon I am thanking God for His protection and provisions.  He is the Master Artist!

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Searching

                          Day 3

The storm has passed on up the eastern shoreline but thousands of people are still without power.

Please keep them in your prayers.

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After the Storm

Last night was a long night in Florida.  We were hit with the first hurricane in 10 years.  It skirted along the gulf coast leaving destruction and damage in it's path. More than 250,000 Floridians were left without power. Today the clean up has begun. Please keep the people of our state in your prayers.

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30 paintings in 30 days September, 2016 Day One

                     

Bird's nest

I have always loved spring when the birds have their babies. They work for days bringing one tiny stick at a time to lay the foundation. When they get to the center of the nest, they change the material to straw or small bits of things to make the nest tight and comfortable for their little babies.  New rabbits, calves and other animals are born. It represents new life, a new beginning.

I am excited about being in our new home, in a new location. I decided to use a bird's nest to represent our new beginnings.

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30 Paintings in 30 Days

I wasn't sure I could do the 30 Paintings in 30 Days challenge this time.  Last year was very difficult for our family with many challenges including a move.  I am excited to say we have new floors in my studio and I am finally getting it organized and functional.  I tried to just relax and enjoy this month of painting.  Some days I worked on composition, some days on paint application and then I moved into color combinations.  Overall, it was a fun month of exploration and I am excited to begin some larger works.
Thank you, Leslie Saeta for hosting this event!
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Color Explosion

This 30 day challenge I decided to work on color.  Every day I would turn the Hal Reed Analogous color wheel and see which colors I would use.   I would choose a dominant color,  add the analogous colors, the compliment and the discords.  Some of the combinations I liked, some I didn't care for.  The most important thing was I could see the combinations I might want to use for a larger painting.  This one I played with color and texture, transparent and opaque.  It felt like the color exploded on the canvas!
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Moonlight over the Waters

Many of the fisherman nearby go out at night.  It  seems like it would be a lonely job.  I wanted this painting to give that feeling of being isolated from all the activities of the city.
I am working on the play of opaque over transparent colors.
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Lavender and Poppies

I watched a meditation video with lavender and marigolds in it.  I decided to paint the lavender and add poppies instead.   I hope you can feel the gentle wind blowing through the field.
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Silver Waters

There are many springs and rivers in north and central Florida that have crystal clear water.  You can see fish swimming around and the rock formations and caves.  I was thinking of one of my favorite spots when doing this color study.  It is called Silver Springs.
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Red Mountains

Here I am attempting another color palette. This one is mainly red and red purple. I added cobalt to white for the skies.  I like the vibration of the reds and greens.
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Color Shapes

I am still playing with color shapes and values. I like the way the palette knife gives large shapes for the sky.
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Sunset over the Lake

As you can tell by now, I love watching the sun set.  It drops down so quickly and gets huge as it casts a glow over the water.
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Canoes and Clouds

There are so many lakes in central Florida, it is unbelievable!  This is one of the many near our home. We went there to celebrate my birthday last year.  There is a large beach to play on and swim in the water.  You can rent canoes for a ride out in the lake.  We cooked out on the grill. And as is par for Florida in July, it rained while we were there.
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Sun Glow

The sun has a beautiful glow right before it sets.  It looks like a big ball of fire.
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Last Lights

It is always fun to see the last slivers of light go away before the dark takes over.   I am still working with the palette knife and color combinations.
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Color play 2

Today I chose yellow and blue purple with adjacent colors of orange and yellow green. Then I added blue green and red purple. It is really interesting watching how the colors react to what it is placed next to.
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Color play

I am having fun playing with the complimentary colors blue and orange and their discords of yellow green and red purple.  It is amazing how the colors vibrate when placed next to each other.
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Sunset 2

I tried this little study matching the colors to our sunsets. Right as the sun goes down it has this beautiful orange glow.
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Sunset

I am still playing with colors.  I am seeing what colors vibrate next to other colors.  This was a fun palette knife painting.
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Palms

I started this little quick study with a palette knife.  I am not a palette knife painter and it seems extremely hard on this little canvas. I finally resorted to the brush when the canvas was almost covered.  The colors are way off but I could not get them corrected.  The blue is a lighter pale blue...but on I go.
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Early morning

I love the way the sun peeks up over the trees and ignites the fields.  These small studies give you a chance to try out different color combinations.
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Azaleas in January

Azaleas usually bloom in Florida in late February or early March.  I have never seen them bloom in January until this year.  We have several different colored ones at our new place as well as the common pinkish purple one called Formosa.  I had to go out and pick some for this study.
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Azaleas in January

Azaleas usually bloom in late February or early

Hole Number 9

I am continuing to work on value studys of large shapes. This is a golf course near my home.
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Color Study

This is the same composition from yesterday with color added.  I am trying to work out some interesting compositions with large shapes and simple values.
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Value Study

This is a little value study I did using the steelyard composition.  I added a figure in but decided I liked it better without it.  It reminds me of the quiet farmlands near where I grew up.
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Mr Pegleg

I have always been admired the skills of woodcarvers.  I knew from the first time I ever saw this carving that he and I would meet at the easel.  This was a fun little sketch done mostly with a palette knife.  He and I will meet on canvas again. I have some ideas about a larger painting done very loosely. There is a spirit that connects with him...a bit of a rebel!

Fruit study

I am thinking about a larger still life that has fruit and flowers.  I decided to try some color combinations to see if I liked them. I do like the warm colors against the cooler tablecloth. I want to think in terms of shapes and colors more than realism.
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Loosen up

The last three days I have used the same design and focused on different paint application.  Today I used only a palette knife. The challenge of doing this on a small panel is the knife gets caught on the edges of the panel holder and it stops you from following through with your stroke.  Also the tip of my small knife has been damaged and the larger knife was too large for this size panel.  Lessons learned along the way.  I am going into town this afternoon so I guess it calls for a shopping trip!
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Up the Stream

We have many streams and lakes here in mid-Florida.  You never know what you will see.
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Sunny Day on the Water

We are blessed to have sunny days and lots of water here in mid-Florida.  We love to be outside soaking up the rays!
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Bouquet of Roses

I most confess, i was working on a different painting today.  When it didn't work out like I wanted, I just painted this little quick sketch to have something to post. Even this one did not turn out the way I started it...some days that is just the way it goes. Tomorrow is another day!
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Dance of the Iris

I am always drawn to flowers in bloom.  There is something regal and majestic about Irises.  I love the way their petals move in the breeze, as if dancing.  I tried to juxtaposition the thin transparent darks against the thicker opaques to  get the effect of form.
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The Puddle Jumper

This is one of our precious little great grandsons.  He is so much fun to paint because of his very expressive personality.  This particular day we went outside to take the dog out right after it rained.  He was deep in thought as he walked through the puddles, hoping I wouldn't notice.

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