Carol Marine's Painting a Day

Strawberries and Milk

2012-01-27T22:22:00.000-08:00

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I did some work last year for Chinet, the paper plate company. I wasn't able to say much about it at the time, but I put the 4 paintings I did for them down below. I painted food, on paper plates (they added the edges of the plates around the food in photoshop). It was interesting. One of the things I painted was a fruit salad. We went around and around before hand about how it should look, and I finally cut the strawberries and they looked so cool! Anyway ... so I cut them for this painting and ... that's why? heh heh

Sweet Enough?

2012-01-26T23:21:00.000-08:00

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I had this same sugar bowl before the fire. I have found it again, many times over. I love it. David finished one set of studio shelves yesterday and amazingly I've already collected enough to fill the entire thing! I'll post a picture soon.

Into Blue Shadows

2012-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

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Several of you asked what it was I wiped after 6 hours. I was recently looking through some old photos from Germany and picked out a market scene I particularly liked. It was busy but I figured I could simplify it and make it work. Not.

The Water's Fine

2012-01-24T21:59:00.000-08:00

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Yesterday I painted for 6 hours on a larger painting only to realize it was a wiper. I hate it when that happens. My husband did his best to talk me down from the ledge, to no avail. Poor guy. For me the best remedy for this kind of mess is redemption, aka, to paint a keeper. So I returned to a familiar subject - orange slices.

Wowser!

2012-01-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

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What I have realized about these faces is - to get them super accurate (I mean, to get them to actually look not only like a human being but like a SPECIFIC one) is hard, especially with my loose style. I found I was getting tighter and tighter and not enjoying the process much at all. So when I did this one and the one I posted a few days ago, I gave myself permission to do whatever! I decided the photos were just a starting point, and I could run wild with my brush strokes. What followed was much fun for me! And I love the result and that's all that matters.

To answer a common question, no I don't do portrait commissions. Sorry. In fact, I don't take commissions at all anymore. If you've done them yourself you know they are no fun, and I consider myself very lucky that I can afford to turn them down. If you are looking for a portrait artist, my friend Susan Carlin is super-fabulous. Check out her blog too.

Breakfast Eggcetera

2012-01-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

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This is the last of the eggs for a while. What I liked especially about this one was the egg white pooling in the bottom of both shells. It's such a challenge to capture, but so satisfying when it works.

Goofiness

2012-01-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

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I have to admit I was a bit discouraged after my first round of silly faces, so I took some time off. Recently I revisited my files and did a couple that I am really proud of. I decided to sit on them for a while, but several weeks later I am still happy with them so I am posting them, and for sale too. If they don't sell I will be happy to keep them for my own collection. I figure it's a win-win situation.

Eggstra Full

2012-01-20T19:51:00.000-08:00

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This one has a similar theme to one I posted a few days ago, but with the added square-ish element in the background. Thank you all, by the way, for the comments the other day about eggsistentialism. I kind of get it now. : ) One person sent me a great joke:

A philosophy professorwalks in to give his class their final. Placing his chair on his desk theprofessor instructs the class, "Using every applicable thing you'velearned in this course, prove to me that this chair DOES NOT EXIST."

So, pencils are writing and erasers are erasing, students are preparing toembark on novels proving that this chair doesn't exist, except for one student.He spends thirty seconds writing his answer, then turns his final in to theastonishment of his peers.

Time goes by, and the day comes when all the students get their finalgrades...and to the amazment of the class, the student who wrote for thirtyseconds gets the highest grade in the class.

His answer to the question: "What chair?"

Egg Stack

2012-01-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

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I've been getting quite a few emails lately about my workshops. Although you can't see them all yet, I am booked already for all of 2012 and most of 2013. I also have a list, of about 60 places, that have asked me to consider scheduling with them in the future. I am happy to put anyplace asking on that list, but I make no promises. I am lucky enough to be able to be choosy with where I go. I am also planning to cut back in the coming years to 6 or 8 workshops/yr instead of the breakneck 13 or more I've been doing. I love teaching, but I also love my studio time, and lately I've been yearning for more of the latter.

Here are some answers to questions I get all the time: No, there is no secret list!! I post new workshops as I can and they tend to fill up fast. The best way to get into one is to watch for them and sign up right away. I don't handle the registration, so I don't know when there is a spot open, unless they tell me, which isn't often. I also don't know how long the wait lists are. And no, I will not keep lists of everyone who wants to be notified when I schedule a workshop in their area, sorry.

I am looking into cloning myself as a solution to this problem. : )

Eggsistentialism

2012-01-17T17:35:00.000-08:00

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I have to admit, my dad came up with today and yesterday's titles. I am not that clever. In googling how I might spell today's, I tried to refresh my memory (from college) about the meaning of existentialism. Apparently, perhaps due to paint fumes, I've actually gotten dumber since then. I couldn't make heads or tails from the few definitions I read. Anyone have a simple synopsis?

Bowl-Egged

2012-01-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

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I think you have to be from Texas or at least the south to read the title for this one right. I tried to think of a way to type a kind of pronunciation but couldn't quite make it. I hope it's clear enough.

Climbing Out

2012-01-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

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So, my mother looked at this and said "what are they?" I didn't even consider that the eggs might not be recognizable as such. But now that I think about it, I can see how it's much clearer when they're cracked open.

Here are some photos of my kids last week in San Antonio. The space was great, and besides keeping me out too late every night, my kids were pretty great too. : )

Here they mostly all are (1 left early). We laughed, we cried, we learned a lot and generally had a lot of fun!! I am still catching up on email from the last week and a half, so if you've written me, I thank you for your patience!

Egg on the Edge

2012-01-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

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I am visiting my family for a few days while I'm here in Texas, before heading back to Oregon. I was busy all day today so I'll have to post about last week's workshop tomorrow. Meanwhile, here's an egg I painted while I was still at home. I was on a little egg kick, so expect more.

Trying On Bottles

2012-01-12T18:32:00.001-08:00

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Still alive ... teaching here in San Antonio ... worn out ... just enough wine ... going to bed. : )

Power Breakfast

2012-01-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

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This is my example painting for this week's Daily Paintworks challenge: the Paint Your Breakfast Challenge! I fibbed a little since I don't eat bread ... or fruit, actually. But I do eat plenty of eggs. In fact I wish I could have painted this morning's breakfast. It was called something like Phil's Cheeseburger Attack Omelet. Only in Texas. : )

Cozy Rosies

2012-01-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

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I'm heading out early tomorrow for Texas! I've got a workshop in San Antonio next week and I'm spending some extra time seeing my family. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Rose Rapture

2012-01-05T19:09:00.000-08:00

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The last time I tried painting roses I had a heckuva time. This time didn't seem easy, but maybe easiER. It seems no matter what I paint, if I squint, and paint what I see as I'm squinting, it usually turns out. This is especially true with roses. If you get bogged down in the details you get lost REAL fast.

Stacked Nearby

2012-01-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

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You've probably noticed I've been into stacking apples lately. Here I've added a rose to complexify things.

After my post yesterday my friend James said the table he mentioned is suddenly out of stock, so he looked up 3 others and posted links at the bottom of his post.

Race to the Top

2012-01-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

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My buddy James Coulter posted today about a still life stand he got recently that is much cheaper than my tripod. He says he spent $80 on it. So if you're looking for a cheaper alternative to what I posted the other night, this could be it. I'll post a link on my other blog too.

Apple Accumulation

2012-01-02T21:54:00.000-08:00

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This is daily painting number 1500. It kind of snuck up on me otherwise I would have done something to celebrate. We did go out to dinner tonight, coincidentally. And I had a big steak. I guess that works.

I was a humbug in my last post about the new year. I was just kidding. I meant to say - 2011 was quite an adventure - here's hoping 2012 is bit LESS exciting. : )

Nested Bowls

2012-01-01T22:53:00.000-08:00

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I just posted a ton of info on my New Beginnings blog about my new tripod and shadowbox. It took a lot of work so you'd better check it out. I mean it. Oh, and happy 2012 (grumble grumble). : )

Flipped Out

2011-12-31T16:42:00.000-08:00

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I did this painting for this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge - Change the Color. The idea is if you keep all the values accurate, you can really make the colors anything you want. I don't normally recommend changing colors - it is surprising how many things each color will affect - but it was a fun exercise, and I am surprisingly happy with the result. Here are a few process photos.

Cherries Contained

2011-12-30T20:21:00.000-08:00

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This is the last of the series and my personal favorite. Many thanks to Sarah for lending me the green bottle, which has complemented the cherries so well. And to my parents for giving me the confidence to pursue art in the first place ... wait, sorry I lapsed into my acceptance speech daydream. Heh heh ...

Coy Cherries

2011-12-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

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For my second in this series I decided to play around with stacking and a cozy, little grouping. It may look simple but I tried about 30 minutes worth of different combinations with the bottles in different positions and stacks, etc. Oh man. Often the simplest compositions are the most difficult to come up with.

Bird's Eye View

2011-12-28T23:07:00.000-08:00

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I did a series of paintings with bottles and cherries. This is the first one and arguably the simplest. Stay tuned for more.

Pink Reflections

2011-12-27T19:40:00.000-08:00

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I am so happy to have finally found cherries at the grocery store! Small, red and shiny - endlessly useful to the likes of this still life artist.

Disco Cherry

2011-12-26T19:02:00.001-08:00

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I found this cute little hippo at a thrift store near the coast. He's actually a toothpick holder - got a big hole in his back. But I thought he was perfect paired with this single cherry. They're on a date - doin' a little disco dancing while the hippo contemplates his next move.

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

Two Beautiful to Eat

2011-12-23T22:29:00.000-08:00

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We are having a lovely time here in Eugene, especially now that the rest of our little family has arrived! Today we did a lot of last minute shopping and I even managed to squeeze a painting in.

Orange Stempede

2011-12-22T22:14:00.000-08:00

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I've been experimenting lately with putting more paint down with each stroke. I like it. It has a more luscious look I think.

Orange Sensation

2011-12-22T00:25:00.000-08:00

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I found these lovely oranges (with leaves still attached) at our Market of Choice. I've never been able to find nice ones like these before and was super excited when I did. I envisioned them like a little band, up on their bottles to perform, with their leaves like fancy capes. You know, because all bands have ... capes ...

Radiating Reflections

2011-12-20T22:25:00.000-08:00

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I think reflections of colorful things inside a metal bowl are super cool.

Reflecting Persimmons

2011-12-18T21:33:00.000-08:00

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My buddy Sarah gave me these lovely persimmons right before I left last week for Illinois ... which is where I met my latest batch of troublemakers. We were a bit cozy in the space, which worked out since it was especially cold outside. Here they are acting like good little artists:

And below is my entire group of kids. Can you tell which one gave me the most trouble? But really, it was a great group! We had a lot of fun, despite Kristen's antics. : )

Red Bowl

2011-12-17T21:28:00.000-08:00

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You'll never believe it - the best flight I could get back from my workshop in Illinois was via LA, then Seattle, and THEN Eugene. Ack! It's been a long day. I'll wait until tomorrow to report about the workshop. Meanwhile, here is a painting that includes a special red glass bowl I got from my Grandma recently. She is on my mind today.

Dressed for the Season

2011-12-13T19:22:00.000-08:00

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These bananas were feeling awfully left out with all the holiday cheer going on all around them. They demanded a shiny ball.

I am away teaching a 5-day workshop in Aurora, IL, in case you thought I had dropped off the face of the earth. I've got a very interesting group. One keeps falling out of her chair and tripping over things in the class. Another is covered head to toe in paint at the end of each day. The others just wine about how I make them work hard. Come to think of it - this is pretty normal.

Fall Dishes

2011-12-09T21:40:00.001-08:00

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I've been doing so many paintings with white in them lately, I decided to see if I could make it work with ALL color! I don't think I've ever done this particular combination of colors before, and I'm diggin' it.

Balancing Act

2011-12-08T19:50:00.001-08:00

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We got our new silverware from IKEA, and the side benefit is they make great props! They have lovely shapes, even from the end. As for my other props, I find myself getting mostly the same basic stuff again. I already have 7 different white cups and several little white plates. I had this exact glass pourer before, and of course you've already seen a few of my new bottles and jars. I have my eye out for different stuff, of course, but I seem to be able to endlessly compose with cups, plates, fruit and silverware.

Troglodytic Tomato

2011-12-07T20:53:00.001-08:00

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This is a new size for me - 5x7in. I saw a student recently painting something horizontal and I thought - why on earth have I been doing squares, exclusively for so long?! Duh.

And regarding the title, sometimes I look up words in the thesaurus so both words start with the same letter. Silly, I know. Troglodytic means someone who lives a secluded life, who is unaquainted with affairs of the world. Maybe the tomato wants to live that way, but it sure looks lonely.

Angelic Slices

2011-12-06T21:29:00.001-08:00

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I found this ceramic angel at the thrift store recently. I had to start over twice to get the proportion right, but once I did it was a blast to paint!

Hide Behind Stacks

2011-12-05T21:02:00.001-08:00

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Someone asked how I get the reflections at the bottom. I have a big piece of glass - just regular glass - that I put in the bottom of my shadow box. I tape the front edge and only handle it from that end so I don't cut myself. I generally put down my cloth or paper first so I have some color or something underneath. In this case I had a gray yellow behind and white underneath.

A Jarring Accident

2011-12-04T21:46:00.001-08:00

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We spent most of the day painting ... the house. The living room is now a lovely yellow, and the kitchen terra cotta red. Is it a coincidence the colors are exactly the same as in the last house? Then this evening we had some friends over for dinner. This is my excuse for not having added any links yet to my blog roll. I am going to add a few tonight and more tomorrow.

Nutcracker Balls

2011-12-03T21:39:00.001-08:00

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I apologize in advance if the title of this piece offends anyone. I couldn't possibly have been expected to resist.

It has taken me almost 3 months to get around to this, but one of things that happened right after the fire, when suddenly my blog was changed under my feet by blogger, was my blogroll (my list of links to other artists) was erased and lost forever. When I revamped my blog I made a short list of artists off the top of my head and stopped there. I've been meaning to ask - could you please email me with a link if I had you listed before? It may take me a while to piece it back together again. Please don't think I took you off to be mean, or if I take a while to add you back for the same reason.

Just Leafing

2011-12-02T21:59:00.001-08:00

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I NEVER experienced a fall in Texas like this one here in Eugene. The leaves have been absolutely spectacular. And there are still quite a few of them hanging on. I found this one on the way home from Jacob's bus-stop and HAD to paint it. It was orange on one side and mostly red on the other side, hence the awesome glow.

Holiday Spirit

2011-12-01T17:55:00.001-08:00

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I found these little (snow?) people at the thrift store last week. I was trying and trying to arrange them with this gold ornament sitting on the ground, to no avail. It was (yawn) so boring. I decided they were going to have to do some work for me and hold it up between them. And you know? they didn't even complain afterwards.

Just One Volunteer?

2011-11-30T21:53:00.001-08:00

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Some of you may have already heard I'm writing an instructional book! If not, I am. I had hoped to get it out at the end of this year, but the fire pushed things back a bit. I am shooting now for next summer, but will be happy with the end of next year. I was keeping it under wraps until I was at least halfway through, which I now am.

Dramatic Stacks

2011-11-29T21:39:00.001-08:00

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I went to a figure session tonight and lo and behold there was a naked tomato! It was shy so it undressed behind stacks of cups and refused to come out into the light. Ok, really, our model tonight was a good-looking African American guy, not shy at all. After the first break he didn't quite make it back into the same pose. I tried to change my composition accordingly, but I just ended up making a mess. So I wiped it off and called it lesson learned.

Picky Pig

2011-11-28T17:04:00.001-08:00

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I borrowed this very cool pig from my little friend Ellie. Ellie is 2, and honestly I'm not sure she understood why I was taking her piggy bank, or if she even noticed. Do you suppose that is terribly ethical of me? Would it make things any better if I add a few coins to the bank before I give it back? Or does that just add insult to injury?! Thank you, Ellie!

Pear Love

2011-11-27T18:43:00.001-08:00

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I borrowed this bunny from my friend James. When I first started painting every day I did a few stuffed animals and then completely forgot about it. Now I remember why I enjoyed it! I will be on the lookout for some good animals at the thrift store next time I go.

Tomato Quarantine

2011-11-26T21:17:00.001-08:00

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I just got the test copy of my new book - a collection of 100 paintings from 2011 - and if I do say so myself, it turned out great! It had a couple of typos so I fixed those and now it's ready to go. Check it out!

preview/order

Pear Migration

2011-11-25T20:23:00.001-08:00

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Today, Black Friday, instead of joining the shopping masses, we drove out to the coast with the idea of taking a photo for the Marine Christmas card. It turned into a complete disaster because SOMEONE (I'm not naming names) forgot not only the tripod, but the memory card as well. It was a gorgeous day, and we consoled ourselves by collecting rocks. Ok ... it was all me, dang it - I forgot the stuff and I collected rocks. My poor guys.

Treasure Hunter

2011-11-23T20:56:00.001-08:00

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I don't do a whole lot of paintings that are predominantly dark, but when I do I usually have trouble photographing them without glare. Especially here in Eugene and today since it rained all day. Not that I'm complaining. I will try again tomorrow and repost the photo. Meanwhile, I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!!

Hysterical Hen

2011-11-22T18:31:00.001-08:00

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More glass balls - I'm really diggin' these things. And the chicken again. I don't know why I love her so but I do.

Cups and Shiny Balls

2011-11-20T18:45:00.001-08:00

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In the spirit of the approaching holiday season I decided colored glass balls were in order. It is amazing to me that Thanksgiving is in FIVE DAYS! What happened to this year?!?

Over-enthusiastic

2011-11-19T21:40:00.001-08:00

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These guys jumped in the glass before they were properly juiced. Whazup?

Check out our new couch and a little snow.

Orange You Tempted?

2011-11-17T19:32:00.001-08:00

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I am endlessly fascinated by the light coming through translucent objects like these orange slices. This painting will probably go in my next collection of 100 paintings book, vol. 3. I am working on it now. I should have it ready right before Christmas.

WORKSHOP - Dec 14-17, 2012 in Easton Maryland. Register with Easton Studio & School

One Helluva Party & Red Sweater

2011-11-16T20:19:00.001-08:00

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Last night I went to another figure session with Sarah. Our model had some mega dreadlocks, and a fuzzy red sweater. About an hour into the 3-hour pose I started over. I decided on the second try to experiment with wilder colors in shadows. The part I'm happiest with is the suggestion of a hand. I find I spend about 2/3 of the time on the face and 1/3 on the rest (ha! - just read that was Sarah's experience as well)!

Click Here to Bid - 8x10in

And below is the belated group photo of last week's Sedona kids. It was a really fun group!

Protecting the Nest

2011-11-14T20:46:00.001-08:00

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Red eggs? Yes, I thought it was funny too. But you don't mess with a nesting chicken.

So my favorite response to: How many artists does it take to change a lightbulb?

Answer: None. We can't afford a new lightbulb. We just paint outside instead. : )

And if you're interested in hearing more about my run yesterday, check out my New Beginning blog.

Following Green

2011-11-13T19:48:00.001-08:00

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So I survived the 6 mile race, (whew!) and am here to report (will post about the run tomorrow). My class in Sedona last week went swimmingly. Ok, aside from the force fed wine and dessert. The first day we woke up to snow. This was the view from my hotel balcony:

The snow eventually changed to hail, and everything melted by the end of the day ... except for way up high in the mountains. It was a good day to be inside painting.

I always seem to forget something when I travel, and this time I forgot my camera. So I had to settle for iphone pics. Above are my kids slaving away. And below are some of the paintings produced, including 4 of my demos (sold), one row up from the bottom.

We took a group photo, but it was with a better camera than mine and is being emailed to me - will post later. So I'll end with a very serious question: how many artists does it take to change a lightbulb? My kids and I were brainstorming an answer. Please tell me your ideas and I'll post some good ones tomorrow, including our favorite from last week!

Free the Others

2011-11-12T20:56:00.001-08:00

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I am back from Sedona but not quite rested enough yet to do a good recap of my class there. I had to get up at 3:30 this morning to catch my flight. Tomorrow I am scheduled to run in a 6-mile race with my new friend Sarah and I am really hoping my body is up for it. If I am still alive tomorrow night I will post pictures about my most recent gaggle of kids.

Pig in Shades

2011-11-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

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Apparently I've created quite a reputation for myself. Everyone seems to think I'm some kind of wine guzzling party gal. I have no CLUE how you might have inferred that from what I've written here on my blog. No clue. So here I am in Sedona and my kids not only ply me with wine each and every night, they keep me out WAY past my bedtime (sometimes until 9!!!) and even pour hot fudge sundae's down my throat. What a horrible life I lead.

A big thank you to Cornelia who sent me a replacement pig (the brother to the small one lost in the fire). I painted him here with my cool new shades from Target.

Farmers Market Tomatoes

2011-11-05T20:38:00.000-07:00

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Today we visited the very cool Saturday Market here in Eugene. It happens EVERY Saturday (yay!) and involves booth after booth of veggies, crafts, clothes, food, etc. It was raining a little and cold, but these Eugenians don't seem phased by weather one bit.

Tomorrow I fly to Sedona for my next workshop. This time I'll remember my computer cord so I can post occasionally while there.

Fall Arrangement

2011-11-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

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This is my very first, official, non-demo, from life, still life painting since the fire. It's in honor of all the stunning fall color we have here in Eugene. I mean literally we drive down the streets and say WOW! every 2 seconds. I am told it's more stunning than usual and has lasted longer, and it's because there is less rain than usual. I just hope we didn't bring the drought with us!!!

Floppy Hat

2011-11-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

I had to start over twice with this one. It was tough. But I loved this face with the big eyes and subtle light. I think it was the subtle light that made it difficult.

Miranda

2011-11-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

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And now for something totally different! Last night I rediscovered the joy of painting the figure from life. I hadn't done it since college, but when my new Eugene friend, Sarah Sedwick, (check her site for her version of Miranda) invited me to the weekly session, I couldn't pass it up. And you can bet I'll do it again. This is 8x10 inches. Since it's my first one I'm starting the bidding low (for the size).

Radio show TODAY!

2011-11-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I completely forgot to tell you - David and I are going to be interviewed today on Artists Helping Artists about the fire and art and DPW, at 9AM, PST. If you want to listen live, call in and ask a question (646.915.9243), or listen to a recorded version later, here are the links. We are honored to be their guests again.

Front Room

2011-11-01T23:23:00.000-07:00

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I stayed at a bed and breakfast recently in Massachusetts with a friend. It was a really cool old house, beautifully decorated, with great light! And to top it off the breakfast's were amazing! It was called the Baird Tavern, and this was the front room.

Mr Scary

2011-10-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

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Happy Halloween!

After the Rain

2011-10-29T20:41:00.000-07:00

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I took some liberties with this image. I saw this tractor ... is it a forklift? ... in Maine last year when I was painting with Colin Page (a truly fabulous plein air painter!!!). It rained for almost all of the 2 days we painted, but cleared up finally on the last afternoon. I was walking around and shot a picture of this, but the sun wasn't coming through the clouds as I suggested in this painting. A little artistic liberty never hurt nobody. : )

Ribbet

2011-10-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

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Jacob found this frog for me last spring right outside our Texas house, on a box I used for shipping. He sat still for a surprisingly long time while I took picture after picture. What a cutie.

Cozy Cows

2011-10-27T22:59:00.000-07:00

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Here are a few cows I photographed forever ago in Germany. The light was perfect! What I need to find is someone with cows here in Oregon. I would love to get out in a field with animals (any kind really) and take pictures all day. I've wanted to do this for a while.

Many thanks to those of you emailing me about workshops!! I appreciate the help.

Model A

2011-10-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

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I couldn't lose with this old car. I found it in St. Augustine last week in the same spot I had found another old one I painted. As with the faces, the "eyes" make it - don't you think?

On another note, I have a request I am a little embarrassed to make. I had all my workshops written down on paper calendars because they were much easier to see at a glance than on my computer. Unfortunately my calendars were lost in the fire. I think I have remembered all the ones I didn't have listed already on my blog, but if I have a workshop scheduled with you in 2012 or 2013, please email me. Thank you!!

One Eyed Don

2011-10-25T19:35:00.000-07:00

This time I am including the reference photo, for your benefit, and mine, apparently. I see now that I painted this WAY too dark. I installed a florescent light above my easel and today I took out 2 of the 4 bulbs because I had a feeling I was painting too dark in general. Lesson learned.

Faith Surprised

2011-10-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Above is my interpretation of Faith Te, one of our Daily Paintworks featured artists. And below are pictures of my kids in Jacksonville this last week. It was a good group, kind of quiet actually. I told them they could chat during the demos but they insisted on watching ... of all things!

Below are my demos from class (all sold). I thoroughly enjoyed doing still lifes again and am looking forward to doing more once I get set up. I am having to replace everything in my studio and have made some interesting discoveries so far, which I will be sharing shortly.

And below are all my kids from Jacksonville. Someone always asks after I post these pictures - why not more guys? Honestly, I don't know. Maybe they are afraid of me? Don wasn't (orange shirt, below).

I've had several inquiries about purchasing this painting, so I decided to go ahead and auction this one.

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Cactus Time Out

2011-10-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

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I always seem to forget one thing every time I travel, and this time I had a big oops - I forgot my computer plug dealy - the thing that keeps my computer charged. Now I am home from Florida and catching up on email. Please forgive me if you've written and I haven't responded. I also have gotten quite a bit of email recently - which I appreciate GREATLY - but if you didn't ask a specific question I probably won't respond. Please don't take offense - if I respond to every one I won't have time to paint. Please know I read them all and LOVE the support and comments!!!

This painting is the last one from BTF (before the fire). My plan is to return to the faces for now and probably resume still life as well by the end of the week. I have to admit I really enjoyed doing still life demos at my workshop this last week ... (will post photos soon)

Two tongues

2011-10-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

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Real quick before I talk about what I learned from these 2 faces, I want to ask you to please consider taking part in the DPW Every Mother Counts fundraiser! There is a very interesting story behind why we are doing this now, and it involves one of the most popular blogs in the world! So if you're an artist, this is a great way to get your art seen AND donate to a very good cause. Read more on the DPW blog.

Now, I did the bottom face first, but am happier with the one above. The light was quite harsh in the one below, and a lot of the detail was washed out/lost in the light area. Plus, after doing the one above, I found that a child's face looks much more ... childlike, when the edges are softer - duh! I was really playing around with color on the one above - maybe too much - but it was fun and I love how the eyes turned out. I am coming to realize the eyes are the most important part of these little paintings.

Reflecting Love

2011-10-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

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Thank you all so incredibly much for your kind comments!! As usual I am overwhelmed by the love, support and virtual hugs. You all have wrapped me in a giant, cozy blanket and it is just what I needed.

Now I am off to Florida to teach all next week. One thing I didn't think about when we moved to Oregon was how many time zones I was away from the East coast, and how many hours it would take to get there! Oh man. So while I lurch across the country tomorrow, please enjoy my second to last before the fire painting. I'll post more faces soon.

Whatever!

2011-10-13T21:31:00.000-07:00

I received a funny kind of gift this morning that made me think all day. I debated sharing it, and finally decided, if nothing else, maybe some of you have had the same experience. It's long, so if you have a minute ...

Posting these silly faces has been a big leap for me. Heck, doing them has been a leap. So when I received my first comment this morning on my first post, I had some pent up anticipation. It said "I think your foray into funny faces is misguided." I like to think I'm a strong person, but deep down I am enormously sensitive. So my first response, one minute after trying to laugh it off, was to cry. Because, of course, it is my worst fear that this is a terrible mistake. And this confirmed it exactly.

As the day wore on I went through a series of emotions. Maybe stages of grief? At first I came up with all the reasons this person was wrong and I was right. I was angry at anonymous - I mean who did they think they were?! And how cowardly to post such a thing without a name attached! And then I became incredibly depressed - what if I have to paint apples and only applies for the rest of my life?! The whole time I felt incredibly sorry for myself.

And then, hours later, I thought, ok, so one person thinks this is stupid, and they happen to be the first one to speak up. And maybe lots of people think the same. Maybe everyone does. That doesn't change the fact that I was inspired to do this in the first place, and have wanted to for a long time. And I enjoy it.

Here's my reality. I've been doing still life almost exclusively for five years. One almost every single day. I got to the point, right before the fire, where I was drawing a blank in the studio. A BIG one. I decided I needed a break, and a hobby. So I started making jewelry, just for fun, on the side. In fact I was in the middle of a beading party with my friends when we evacuated. So in addition to everything else I lost all my jewelry making supplies.

Right after the fire everyone asked "so when are you going to start painting again?". But I didn't want to, so these questions just made me nervous. About a week later it suddenly occurred to me that I could paint something different, if only for a little while, and the first thing that popped into my head was silly faces. It's an idea I've had countless times before. I figured it would give my apple brain a break and time to get re-inspired. I was finally excited to paint again!

The reason I called this anonymous comment a gift? Because it made me think about ME for a change, and what I need. I need something new, a change of scenery. However, it also made me think about my family. Starting over is expensive, so I have to keep an income flowing in for us. So I decided to keep doing the faces, as a learning experience, for me, not for sale, but do still lifes too (as soon as I get my new heavy duty tripod and shadowbox - a couple of weeks), and maybe some other stuff as well.

I figure, the faces can only get better. And maybe someday I can sell them. I am already learning a TON! I will be happy to share what I learn and will gladly accept tips from those more experienced with this subject.

The moral of this story? Don't let the opinions of others discourage you from trying new things.

Elvis Impression

2011-10-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Here is the first of my silly face series! I want to make very clear right from the start, these are NOT portaits!!! I'm not going for absolute likeness - I'm going for silly. If you recognize this person or it is you, please drop me a line with the name. And thank you - thank you so much for those of you who've sent me images. I've got some really great ones to work from, but will always accept more. Please email me your silly face.

Shipless

2011-10-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

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You'll never believe my luck! Someone wrote to me after my last post and said they had an entire set of these ship-guys (just like what I had) and is looking to get rid of them!! Thank you, Lilly!

Where's My Ship?

2011-10-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

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Don't you hate it when you wake up in the morning and your dang ship is missing? I can identify with this captain. I found him at a thrift store near my folks a couple months ago. There was a whole set, all wood, all different, and after painting this one I asked my mom to buy the rest and ship them to me. Unfortunately, they got to my house right before the fire. I did paint this guy twice - I'll post the other one tomorrow.

Cactus and Water

2011-10-09T19:57:00.000-07:00

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Water with your cactus fruit? I don't know - it seemed like a good combination when I painted it.

I did finally get to paint today. I need to figure out the good spots around my house for photographing my paintings, and then I'll start posting my silly faces. I've done 2 so far and I am pretty stoked. It's good to be back!!

Scary Cherry

2011-10-07T21:08:00.000-07:00

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I apologize for not posting this past week. We have been running around like chickens with our heads cut off in the never-ending (it seems) task of starting over from scratch in a new house. I hope to get back to regular posting soon. Meanwhile I am almost ready to start painting again. I keep thinking I can paint and then realize I am missing something important. The last order of supplies will come tomorrow while we are in Portland making an IKEA run.

See pics of our new house on our New Beginning blog.

Whiskey or Tea?

2011-09-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

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The second part of this title, which I thought of when I painted it (weeks ago) is "No Contest." But that cherry's already had enough, don't you think? The rest is for me. : )

We finally made it to Oregon. Check out our New Beginning blog to read about it and see photos.

Folded Stacks

2011-09-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

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Did I mention I found one cup in the rubble? It's the middle one in this stack. It's a little scorched, but I'll be glad to add it to my new collection.

Meanwhile, we are near Sacramento tonight. Read about getting here on our New Beginning blog.

Pink Ribbon, Blue Nose

2011-09-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

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I've started a new blog - A New Beginning - to post about our trip to Oregon and restarting our lives there.

Meanwhile, I'll keep posting here every few days with the remaining paintings I have from before the fire. Here's one of a pig I am very sad to have lost. I didn't even find the pieces of him in the rubble. Hopefully I'll find another one day. I hope to be up and running with the silly faces project by the 6th. If everything goes right we'll close on the new house on the 5th. I've gotten some really fabulous faces already - thank you to everyone who's emailed them!

A New Beginning - a blog

2011-09-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

I just started a new blog - A New Beginning - where we will record our trip to Oregon, and beyond. I'll post links here sometimes and I'll put a permanent link over on the right. More soon ...

Pushover

2011-09-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

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This lovely wooden duck (gone now) was given to me by my buddy Don, in California. I enjoyed painting it. And speaking of gifts, I want to say THANK YOU SO MUCH to all of you who have sent art supplies, gift cards, books, music, emails, etc. We are so incredibly grateful for the support. I can't say it enough. And many thanks to all of you who've sent funny face pics already. We've been running around tying up loose ends, and will be until we leave, so I won't be able to paint again until the 6th of October. But I can't WAIT to get started on my new project. I have so many wonderful images to work from. Please keep sending them.

Yesterday we went to visit the old "house". I posted some photos on the building my studio blog - the last chapter of that one. I dug through the ashes and found a few still life objects - none useable except maybe one cup. I also found my little travel turp can, shown below. It was sad but we are glad to have seen it. It proved good closure for us. Now on with the adventure!

Orange Overflow

2011-09-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

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I have a lot to report, but I'll start with a recap of the workshop last week. It was good for me to be busy, and as I said in an earlier post, my kids were very patient with me. As a thank you, I promised them I wouldn't complain about them. So I'll complain about driving in MA instead - it's crazy! I got lost more times than I can count because of my stupid, borrowed GPS, poor signage and bad directions, and almost hit another guy in a rotary because he was being an idiot. (breathe) Here are my kids being awfully studious:

Below are my first couple of demos. I had to borrow all the props, panels and medium (thank you guys!), but in the end everything turned out ok.

Below are my kids and me in the middle. You guys were fabulous - thank you so much for everything!! (more below)

I am home now and have started fixing my blog. I decided to run with the lighter background. I even put in a new header - check it out. I haven't retrieved all the "stuff on the right," and I'll need some help with that (more later). Also to report, while I was in MA last week David (hubby) was in Oregon finding us a new house, in Eugene! We will be leaving this weekend with the camper and car. It should take us about a week to get there. I'll post pictures when I get there. Tomorrow we'll be seeing our old "house" for the first and last time. I hope to find some little memento in the ashes. We'll see. More soon ...

Reflecting On Orange

2011-09-16T03:54:00.000-07:00

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First of all, the style of my blog has completely changed and I have no idea why. I'll fix it when I get home. Second, a quick update on my class here in Massachussets. They got a little testy these last few days since it's been fairly hot in our studio (that and the push-ups didn't help), but it should be better now that it's cooled off. I can't complain too much about them though because they've been very gentle with me and my new ... "homeless condition", they even laugh at my fire jokes (because I told them they had to so I didn't feel so pathatic). So all-in-all they are a good, supportive bunch. I will post photos soon.

Lastly, I want to unveil my new idea and get some feedback, and hopefully help. I've been wanting to paint people for a while. I've done a few figures, and some small portraits, but I have this hankering to do a whole series of small, silly faces. I figured it would be perfect for the time being since all my props were lost, and I don't have a shadow box, light, studio, etc. I want them to be cropped close and silly, kinda like my self-portrait below (reposting this in case you missed it the first time). So, if you would like to help, please send me photos of yourself, your kids, your grandkids, your friends, anyone, making a silly face. It would be best with no flash. Natural light is good, so go outside. Stick out your tongue. Get silly. Then email me the file. Thank you so much!!!

Considering Everything

2011-09-11T18:42:00.000-07:00

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I pulled everything together enough to make it to Massachusetts to teach a workshop, which starts tomorrow. It's late and I need to get to sleep, but I wanted to write real quick and say - things are ok. My husband and I are planning to relocate to Oregon. To read more about it check out the Daily Paintworks blog.

I still haven't made it through all my email (I have about 700 more to go, and that doesn't include Facebook messages). I continue to be absolutely blown away by the kind words, stories and support flowing in. It's almost made this experience ... easy? Ok, not easy, but WAY WAY WAY better than it would have been otherwise. Ya'll don't even know how much you've helped. Really.

As I mentioned a week ago, I managed to salvage all my small paintings, so I'll post until they run out. I have an idea formulating for what happens after that, and I'll run it by you in my next post. Stay tuned ...

Update

2011-09-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

We have been stumbling around like zombies for the past couple of days, gathering up the essentials for living, after hearing from a neighbor that his friend went out to confirm our house is completely gone. And so many others as well. As far as we know the fire is STILL burning. We are incredibly fortunate to have a "home" still, even if it is 24 feet long and about 8 feet wide. And as so many others have said, we are incredibly fortunate to be alive, and to have each other.

David and I (and Jacob, 6, who is fine, by the way, and has been a real trooper through this whole thing) have been blown away - more than words can express - by the emails and comments and phone calls and offers of support, and not to mention the generous and completely unexpected fundraiser ... I have tears in my eyes just writing this. It means more to us than I could EVER express. We feel so incredibly loved.

As of now we have a place to live, and all the essentials. I will be teaching in Massachusetts next week and then we will begin figuring out what "next" means for us. We are seriously considering abandoning this tinder box we call Texas. I will keep you posted.

Again, thank you all SO SO SO much. Words cannot express how much your support means to us through this hard time.

Before the Fire

2011-09-04T21:27:00.000-07:00

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Today I have some pretty serious bad news. We're about 95% sure our house burned down. At around 2 this afternoon a neighbor came by and told us there was a forest fire very close and we needed to evacuate. We didn't really believe her until we went outside and saw the huge billowing orange cloud just down the street. So we grabbed a few things and hit the road.

What on earth do you grab when you think ... maybe ... your house will burn down??? I grabbed:

1. my computer
2. my purse (with new iphone)
3. some clean underwear
4. all my small paintings

My husband also had the very good idea to drive both vehicles, and pull the camper while we were at it, just in case. So now we are camped at an RV park in Austin and have been listening to every bit of news we can come by. They say our neighborhood is completely gone. So we are pretty sure. They haven't contained the fire yet, and since there are multiple other fires burning at the same time around Texas, taking up all the other fire-fighters' time, they aren't even sure when they'll be able to put it out. They say about 300 houses have been lost, so far.

The good news is, we have fire insurance. I'm trying to think of more good news, but that's all I got. Oh, I got my little paintings out, so all the auctions are still good. And I was even ahead, so I can still post for a couple of weeks. Meanwhile I'll be searching for new brushes, panels, paint, etc. Not to mention a new studio.

Bowl of Sunshine & Tomato Lover

2011-09-03T19:14:00.000-07:00

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UPDATE: Unfortunately the painting below is no longer available - I didn't take any of my larger paintings before the fire...

The painting below is 12x12 inches, on gessoboard. I am putting it in the Daily Paintworks, Help the Children of Africa auction. They say hundreds of thousands of children are starving because of the current drought. I know it's half a world away, but children are children. If you can help by donating or bidding they would be very grateful!

Chaperoned

2011-09-01T17:29:00.001-07:00

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See, the flower and the apple are in love, but they can't be trusted alone, so the brown bottle is chaperoning. And what's the fork there for you ask? Uhhhh...

Nothing To See Here

2011-08-31T18:37:00.000-07:00

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What are these sneaky flowers doing with this innocent apple? The flowers look sweet but their showiness is suspicious to me. Why are they making so much noise, I wonder. And what does the plate have to do with it all? Hmmm....

Hogging the Spotlight

2011-08-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

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With these flowers I was really trying to suggest the 3 dimensions with some fairly broad strokes first, and then redefine them from the outside. I feel I've gotten a little too picky with them lately. I love the loose feel of them.

Piled in a Corner

2011-08-29T18:37:00.000-07:00

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When I was in college I had visions of doing paintings of things in a corner. I know, kooky huh? I think I did one and then moved on to other things. I am now revisiting this concept. I decided for a pile of apples one "wall" needed to be red. I love the feel of it.

Empty Bottles

2011-08-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

Click Here to Bid (100% will be donated to the American Red Cross for the children of Africa)

David and I have just launched a new fundraising Challenge on Daily Paintworks. Similar to the Help Japan Challenge, for which we raised just under $30,000, this one helps the children of Africa, who are dying by the hundreds of thousands in the midst of a devastating drought. You don't have to be a member of Daily Paintworks to participate and 100% of all proceeds will be donated. Please help if you are able, either by submitting work or bidding. Thank you!

Fractured Bottles

2011-08-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

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I am away visiting family for the weekend. We stayed up too late last night chatting (and drinking wine, of course) and I didn't have the wherewithal to post. So here is a belated post of one of my favorites of late. I especially love what you can see through the bottle in the foreground.

The Kitchen Sink

2011-08-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

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This painting has everything except ... you guessed it, the kitchen sink. I have to admit, it is sometimes quite difficult to come up with new titles, especially after 1,420 of them! My husband helped with this one. Thank you, sweetheart!