Into the Light

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel

This is a scene from Florence, Italy that I have painted before with no success. The two main people remind me of my in-laws, which is why I gave it another chance. My favorite part is her striped shirt, and the way her hand goes back.

Market in the Trees

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel

A few weeks ago my husband and I drove over to Spokane & Coeur d'Alene to explore their Saturday markets for reference material. We found the one in Spokane to be fairly underwhelming. This is a scene from the one in Coeur d'Alene, which was nestled in the trees. It made for lovely ambience, and cool shopping, but fairly dark photos. I was thrilled when these two stepped into the light!

Out for a Stroll

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel

It takes me about 3 to 4 times as long to complete a painting with people in it than it does for other subjects. People are tough. Even though I suggest them, I have to get every mark in the right place. I mean, not that it's perfect, by any means, but we know what people look like, and we can tell at a glance if something is off. So I have to do a lot of careful considering while I paint. It only looks loose.

Look at This One

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel

I wish I lived closer to the beach so I could go out regularly and get pictures of scenes like this. Alas. I guess it'll just have to be an excuse to take more vacations. Poor me.

Mom Needs Shade

Click Here to Bid - 6x8in. - oil on panel

This little girl was entertaining herself with a dance while her mom took a snack break in the shade of the pier. I picked the reference with the best pose, and then had to move her over a bit so she didn't line up in funny ways with the posts. It was challenging, but I'm happy with the result. : )

Water Bottles

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel

This is another one from Southport, NC. Mom fully knows the importance of everyone drinking enough water.

Which Way, Honey?

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

This was just outside the visitors center in Southport, NC. I just loved the poses and the colorful clothes, and how they were lit. It's almost like they were posing just for me! I did make up the flowers on the bush behind them, but it goes, right? : )

Time to Gossip

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

I loved these two mature women walking the dog (at the beach in NC), far more interested in their juicy gossip than the dog.

Family Time

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel

Here's a sweet little family at the water's edge. I had to combine a few photos to get the poses I wanted, but I think it was worth it. I love how the water looks green when it's about to wave. : )

Hunting Treasure

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

A lot of the people at the beach were collecting shells. This actually made it easier for me to take photos without them getting suspicious. These two kiddos were especially engrossed. I loved the gestures.

Wave Watchers

Click Here to Bid - 7x5in. - oil on panel

Here's another one from my NC beach trip. I loved the kiddos the best. I always had my camera set to a multi-shot capture because they move so fast (in the next photo this kid was crouched to jump). This way I can choose the pose I like best.

Time to Reapply

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

When I got home from the beach someone asked me if it had been crowded. Normally I would consider crowded a negative, but I happily answered "yes!" Not that it was packed, but there were definitely people everywhere you looked. Happily. : )

Cool Tootsies

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel

And finally ... here is my first beach painting! This is from a recent trip to North Carolina - a little vacation after my workshop in Apex. I spent hours and hours walking along the beach snapping photos. It was like heaven for me - the people, the water, the reflections!

The Busker's Dog

 

Click Here to Buy for $400 - 10x10in. - oil on panel

This is a slightly larger piece I did recently of a scene I came across last year in Freiburg, Germany. There were quite a few small, awkward things happening in the reference photos, and I used my ipad and an art app to try out alternatives before and while I was painting. For example, the guy on the left was standing right at the edge of the ground shadow, so I moved him forward a little, which involved changing the shadow on his shoes, among other things. I thought the painting would be about the buskers, but when my husband saw it he said it was about the dog. Which, in hindsight, is perfectly obvious.

Bored on a Bench

 

Click Here to Buy for $200 - 6x8in. - oil on panel

Here is group of bored teenagers in Florence, Italy - probably waiting for the rest of their group. I'm just happy to see they aren't looking at their phones!

Florence Spotlight

 

Click Here to Buy for $300 - 6x12in. - oil on panel (click image to enlarge)

This was painted from my favorite reference photo from my last trip to Florence, Italy. I admit I stood there and waited for people to pass through the shaft of light until I got the perfect shot. But I was also waiting to paint it! Why? No idea. So here it is. I kind of completely love it.

It's Getting Warm

 

Click Here to Bid - 6x6in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

This is another scene from Florence, Italy. These two were walking through a main square, and I just happened to catch her taking off her red rain jacket with the sun shining through bits of the other side.

Someone Look it Up

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

It was gray and/or raining for a lot of the time I was last in Florence (so much that my flight home was delayed because of flooding!). I tend to prefer sunny scenes, but ended up getting a lot of more subtle references that I never would have gotten otherwise. And I just love the reflections of their shoes on the wet sidewalk.

Purse Shopping

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - oil on panel - starts at $100

No, we can never have enough bags. And in Florence there are about a million stores the specialize in them. So it's quite impossible to come back from there not having bought at least one. I speak from experience.

Window Shopping

 

Click Here to Bid - 8x8in. - Oil on panel - starts at $100

This is another little city-scene from Florence, Italy. I was there teaching a workshop this past spring and am finally feeling motivated to tackle some paintings. I knew it would happen eventually. I try not to push it anymore. There's a time for everything.