Thinking

This little girl had just that look that shows that children are wise. I don't know what she was thinking but I have a feeling it may have been beyond simple words.

Made in the Shade

Today I had the day off from cooking and I took the opportunity to take the two hour drive to Provincetown to paint and see the Egeli's. It was a great day. I love being there.

We had a beautiful model, named In....oops...I can't find where I wrote it! So, beautiful Russian model, if you see this, please drop me a line with your name and I will fix the description of this work on this post!

She sat in the shade and I was able to get a likeness of her that I was happy with. The light in the shade reflecting off of her skin was a joy to paint. I hope that I get the chance to paint her again this Summer!

The first photo was taken in my kitchen after the sun had set using artificial light (my kitchen bulb). It yellowed the entire work.

This second photo was taken in natural light. The colors are much closer to how the work appears in real life. It is much cooler in color giving you the feeling of what it was like in the shade.

The photos only can give an idea of the work. The actual painting is more of a combination of the two. My camera cannot capture the full range of colors so to me, the live works are always more interesting.

Hacker Street

Before I went for a walk with my sister, Maureen I had just under an hour to kill so I painted the view at the end of her street. The wind off the water was pretty cold but there were people wading in the water anyway. I wish that I had more time to paint this one.

Bammi and Miami

Alexandra went to Miami with me and Steve to meet his family. She was not feeling well but she ended up being a good sport and she really enjoyed the boat show.

I seem to enjoy the challenge of painting these little tiny portraits. Her face is just over an inch wide and when I was almost done, the panel fell onto my palette and I had to scrape off globs of paint!! All part of the experience!

Robert

Today, I spent some time making a new and improved pochade box and I bought Michael Graham paints in Boston last weekend when I went to visit my son James. I wanted to test both the paints and the box tonight and I did this while watching The Soloist so Robert Downey, Jr became the subject of tonight's study. The box worked fine and it is the smallest painting box I have made yet. The M. Graham paints are amazing. I really didn't think that it could make such a difference but they are hand ground pigments mixed only with walnut oil and I used walnut oil as a thinner...no turpentine and no fumes. I painted in my living room and there is no smell of paint. I will post photos of the new box on my other blog. My thanks to Mr. Downey.

Sizing the Engagement Ring

I had my engagement ring sized at Ustinov Jewelers by the owner, Randy. I became instantly attached to this ring as soon as Steve offered it to me on March 23rd so it was a little difficult to hand it over to be sized. Randy did a beautiful job, talked with me the whole time he worked on it and now I have no fear of it falling off! Thank you, Randy!
















This is a two inch square compossition sketch in my Moleskine pad.

5.9 X 5.9 inches Oil on Board

If you wold like to purchase this daily painting, please send your bid by e-mail . Start price is 150.00 US Dollars. The bidding will end in one week, April 9, 2010 at 8PM US Eastern Time. Please see Terms of Sale for details.

Shades of Green

A friend told me the other day that he can't see the color red. I wondered what the world would look like with no red. There would be no brown because to make brown you would need red. There would be no violet and no pink and of course, no red. So for today's painting, I left the red paint off my palette using only blue, yellow, black and white paint. I don't know if this is how he would see the fountain lady at Buttonwood Park near the greenhouse but this is how she looks with no red.

Emily and Ruth

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I said that I would use this journal to paint things from my daily life so what am I doing as a city girl painting elephants? Well, I live across the street from these two girls; Ruth and Emily. When I was in Grammar school I remember we only had Emily and we were told that we were getting a new elephant and that the children of the city were to name the new elephant by vote. That is how Ruth got her name. When my daughter was four, we moved into this house across from the zoo and she came to me saying there were elephants outside. I thought she meant in the zoo but she tugged me over to the window to show me that the elephants were walking with their trainer right across the street from our house!! It was very exciting. So yes, Ruth and Emily are part of my daily life.

Girl at Fort Phoenix

I loved the character of this girl. She gave me the impression that she was far wiser than her years. She was part of the wedding party and...(now I am just guessing at this part)... she was taking a break from it all with her Dad and sister. I really don't know if the man was her Uncle and if the girl was her cousin. It doesn't matter. It reminds me of being a girl...running around the cannons, and how good it felt on a "big" day in a fancy dress to suddenly not have to be so formal again.
5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Second Girl at Fort Phoenix

Fort Phoenix has to be one of my all time favorite places to go when I need to clear my head and have some quiet time. It has a nice beach, benches that look over the ocean and of course, the old cannons. It is a nice place to fly a kite, walk your dog or, as in this case, take wedding photos before the reception. This young lady was with a wedding party and she escaped from the photographers just in time to pose for me! I don't know your name but if you end up seeing this, thank you for being such a super model! 5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

The Green Pearl Earring

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I have the huge advantage that my daughter is an ever available model and that she is such a beauty. I used her today to study the planes of the head. I need to do more of this. I also want to study the planes of the hands. I may try that tomorrow. 5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Study of a Sargent

I am so glad to be back home and making my daily painting again. After my sculpting class I wanted to do a study of the face. I picked a John Singer Sargent painting to copy for my practice. He was such an amazing portrait painter. His work has influenced me greatly. So here is my little painting that I offer you for today. I hope you enjoy it!

5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Bust in Egeli Studio

I left my house this morning at 8 A.M. in Massachusetts and arrived at the Egeli's house and studio in Annapolis just before 5 P.M. I got the tour of the studios and the house. After dinner, I wanted to paint so they offered me the studio. It was so fun to be in this huge studio with giant paintings and plaster casts and replicas of human skulls and beautiful vases and staging for sitters. It felt like Christmas and I did not know what to paint. Then I saw this peaceful man frozen on an antique hutch. So he is what I painted. 5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Eddie in My Back Yard

I am lucky enough to have Eddie Dillon as one of my very good friends. He is the one who cut a year's worth of panels for this blog. He is songwriter and musician and he is giving me a solo performance in order to be my model today. He is multi-talented having just finished his first novel. He also performs a live theatrical show about growing up in an Irish family and his adventures as an American-Celtic performer. You are a sweet and valued friend. Thanks, Eddie!

5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Downtown New Bedford

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Downtown New Bedford holds a lot of memories for me and the fondest are from childhood. My sister, Maureen and I would walk downtown to wave hello through the basement window to the women who sewed there. We would buy five cent erasers in the shapes of animals at Star Store. We would go the chapel to confess our sins and we would go to the library to take out new books and watch silent black and white movies such as King Kong and The Phantom of the Opera. The Star Store is now the art school for The University of Massachusetts so there is a new and thriving art community there now. This woman held an art portfolio as she walked William Street over the slate sidewalk. 5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

The Gondola Ride

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Providence, Rhode Island is about 40 minutes from my house. It is a very dramatic city bursting with great places to eat, great art galleries, a very giant mall for my daughter's pleasure and WaterFire! WaterFire is held twice a month in the summer and it is a huge event during which, large fires are lit at intervals down the center of the river. There is classical music pumped from the buildings, there are street entertainers and there are the gondolas! So romantic!

5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Mossy Moran

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I went to the Kinsale Inn in Mattapoisett tonight for a good hot dinner, the company of friends and to listen to Mossy Moran. He is a wonderful Celtic Musician and has a lovely voice. I could not stay long. I left at 8:30 to dash home and paint this for today's post. I know that these little works are just a training ground for me and that I use them to sharpen my skills and as a discipline but sometimes the tight time limit leaves me wanting to add more, to make the likeness more accurate, to finish the work just a bit more. But this is all good. It forces me to be decisive and get the most basic elements down as quickly as possible. If it were a painting a week I would be tweaking it for seven days!

So thanks to Mossy for giving me permission to use him as tonight's model and for my friend, Aoife Clancy who told me that I should go tonight and see him play. It was a very nice time...next time I will paint and post first so that I can stay a while longer.

5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

The Shell Seekers

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This is an oil study that I did today of a Father and his daughter . They are part of a commission of a family portrait that I am starting this week. I am trying to familiarize myself with the subjects a bit before I start putting the whole family together. They are on a beach in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts. I let them be as natural as possible and I like the way that turned out. It allowed me the chance to observe their personalities and how they interact with one another. Such a sweet family... I am enjoying every stage of this commission.

5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Judah and Teddy

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When I was little I had a stuffed animal dog named Henry. We went everywhere together that was allowed. I could not bring him to church and I could not bring him to school. This is Judah with his good friend Teddy. They are leaving church together. Lucky for both that bears can now go to church. Judah still has to leave him home for kindergarten...I think! Do they allow bears now in Kindergarten? 5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale)

Robert Costa Plays One Sweet Guitar

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This painting is of my nephew, Robert. He played for me for the first time at my house. Singer/songwriter Eddie Dillon was there, too. We were all impressed. The songs he wrote can be found on his new album that he just released with his group, Driven Wind. I think when I sketched this, he and Eddie were improvising an incredible duet for us. He is going to be coming back down to New Bedford in November to perform. I am very excited for him! 5.9" x 5.9" / Oil on Panel / 15cm x 15cm

Purchase of this daily painting may be done through contacting my email . Each daily painting is $150 US plus applicable tax. (Please see Terms of Sale) Here is a publicity photo of musician, Robert Costa. I love this one!