Citrus Colored Nudes. New Watercolor Paintings

The past few weeks I have had the privilege of working with some of my favorite models.  I've also had several requests for more paintings in the citrus colored palette that I explored early last year.  So...I have some new lovely ladies to share!

These were both created from the live model.  I used orange, lemon, fuchsia and red watercolors on 12" x 18" Archival Wallis Paper.  The paper is actually designed for pastel, but I love using it for light watercolor washes.

You can view these paintings in my Etsy shop here

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81600554/reclining-female-nude-in-citrus-colors

http://www.etsy.com/listing/81600138/original-watercolor-painting-of?ref=v1_other_2

I also did three more vertical pieces, base on some photos of another model from the previous week.

Art Print Block! Petite Artful Accents

I am so excited to offer a selection of Fine Art Prints mounted to ready-to-hang blocks in my Fine Art on Etsy shop!  There is only one of each available at this time, so don't wait...

"Pensive" Art Block

(I hope to make more in the future!)

"The Center Ring"

See the whole art block selection!

Amazing Artist Loses Her Studio in Texas Fires

I have come across Carol Marine's blog several times in the past, getting fully absorbed in her lush paint strokes and glorious color.  I was devastated for her to learn that her whole house in Texas, and her studio, were engulfed by flames only a few moments after they were warned by a neighbor that the fires were very, very close.

I hadn't seen Carol's work in a little while, and while reading about her plight and investigating her site, I found that she and her husband are the ultimate creative couple.  She paints, and teaches, and markets her work.  He builds the perfect shelves for her studio, the ultimate canvas support, or the exact light box she needs to help her make her visions come to life.  They also recently took the next step in making Carol's business thrive - they developed a platform to sell her Daily Paintings on-line, that allows Carol to continue to auction of her popular paintings without getting bogged down by the fee structure of Ebay.  This is obviously a couple that continues to strive to be successful in a time where success is eluding many others.

Carol has mentioned that she is committed to her current teaching schedule, in spite of their devastating loss.  I was inspired by her paintings before, but now I am even more in awe of this couples' commitment to each other, their level of perseverance, and the example they set for the rest of us to work, work harder, and work smarter.

I hope you take time to explore Carol's work, maybe leave a few words of encouragement on her blog.  Obviously her work has inspired thousands, as the donation set up by her friends has already raised over $18,000 for the family.  This money can not replace all of the paintings, memories, and objects they have collected over the years, but I am sure that this outpouring of positivity will be giving them a great start on building a new future together.

Can't write. Painting!

I can't believe I haven't updated my blog in three weeks!

August has been a very productive month for me in my studio.   With both kids in school most of the day, I find myself painting for long stretches of time, sometimes 4-5 hand-cramping hours.  And that is in no way a complaint - it's fantastic!  I get completely sucked into the paintings that I am working on.  My current body of work, in addition to the custom portraits that keep me busy and engaged, are really special and are demanding a great deal of my focus.  I am pushing myself to really take the pieces as far as I can, the best way that I can, using the best painting language possible.

I am not sharing the series yet...but I promise to do so - soon!!!

But what I can share is this lovely 2 hour oil painting from last Wednesday night.

The panel is 11" x 14".  I did not tone or prep the panel before we started, and I am not going to fill in the white areas now, either.  I like the loose quality of the paint and the intense moments of color on her figure, especially the two shoulders.

My son Jack and I participated in the first "Chalk Art" competition during the Marietta Square Art festival this weekend.  While the competition has a few kinks to work out, they had a great group of young artists participating and I think it can be a wonderful addition to an already vibrant show in the coming years.

Jack had so much fun drawing.

It didn't take long for the 6-yr old boy to take over.  Soon his goal wasn't to just draw but to see if he could turn the front of his hands, the back of his hands, and his entire legs blue!  He went home in his dad's car.

I find that now that I have several hours a day in my studio, away from the house (which includes the laundry, the dishes, the gardening, etc) that I am really enjoying my time with my family much more.  I'm finally allowing myself to accept the fact that I am not a 24 hour mother.  I have to continue being an Artist, and I have to find the time to be in my studio creating for several hours at a time.  And this balance is helping me become a better artist AND a better mother.  I can spend my weekends enjoying family time, without feeling like I am neglecting my painting.  I am lucky, too, that both my children enjoy school, and want to go.  That helps!

Sorry about the long stretch between posts...if you miss me, come and hang out on my facebook Art page!