Cup of Joe...

I love Trader Joes!  It's been getting some bad press lately about the names of some of its products.  I say baloney!

Orange Slices...

I came across a free tutorial on painting orange slices - it looked interesting so I gave it a whirl.

Another page done in my COVID-19 art journal.

The First Step is the DREAM...

I have a collection of "stuff" which I purchased over time, never used, used only once, etc. you get the idea.  I'm sure we all have piles of "stuff" hidden away in our studios.  Digging through the "stuff," I got an idea.

Mixed media journal page.  Background comprised of torn page from book of poetry.  Vellum "Quote Stacks" the inspiration for my painting.  I wasn't sure how to attach the vellum to the page then noticed a roll of Provo Craft "Terrifically Tacky Tape" - that did the trick!  Love, love, love the way it turned out.

First Spread...

The first spread in my latest journal.

Safe At Home journal...

I'm still surprised by the reaction of many to wearing a mask in public spaces.

COVID-19 is real and deadly dangerous!

First Things First...

I'm always looking for something to keep me occupied during COVID-19!  I love making journals and decided to challenge myself to make one out of whatever was hiding in my studio closet.  

I haven't eaten oatmeal for quite some time.  A few years ago though I started out EVERY day with a bowl.  I would buy jumbo size boxes of Quaker Oats at Costco.  The cardboard is very sturdy.  I saved the boxes thinking that I would use them one day - a brilliant idea for a substrate that can withstand plenty of abuse in my art-making.  I really have no direction at the moment - just letting it happen!

the boxes

cut to size (7x6.25)

Sand down the printed side of cardboard

decide on placement of holes and punch out - these will be used for the binding

after adding two layers of gesso on both sides of the "pages" -

 allow to thoroughly dry then weigh down with bricks to flatten

add several layers of acrylic paint on both sides in relatively neutral colors - allow to dry

The theme is "Home is Where the Art is" - this scrap cardboard will adorn the front cover

front cover

front cover complete (maybe...) - the real fun begins on the inside - this will take a while but with the pandemic keeping me indoors so much, I have plenty of time

Low Tech Retro

I was looking for some inspiration for an oil painting this morning.  I remembered the old phone that was in my childhood home for years and now sits on a bookcase in my studio.  It was my "aha" moment of the day.

I believe in waste not want not.  I scrape off "salvageable" oil paint from my palette and store in the freezer - works for me!  Get some incredible neutral grays that way too.

Best Buds...

A small painting in oil (5x7) - it's been fun to just paint and not draw beforehand.

Painting Small...

Yesterday, I took a Zoom class with Amy Brnger.  It was fun.  Amy demonstrated her technique and provided us with a photo of a flower arrangement.  Then we were on our own.  I felt a bit intimidated.  I was still mixing my paints when the class was over.  I don't do well in a classroom situation.  I like to watch and think about the process.  This morning I bit the bullet and painted away on an 8x8 canvas.

Lillies and Hydrangea

20 Minute Challenge

Choose and mix 3 primary colors plus white; arrange still life; set timer for 20 minutes - PAINT!

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

My husband and I took a drive to Fakahatchee Strand on July 4.  It was a pleasant day for a drive.  It's located in a remote area of the Everglades about 41 miles from our home.  We didn't see any wildlife except for a couple of vultures on a tree branch.  There were only a couple of other cars at the park.  The road is quite narrow, rutted and uneven.  Obviously, we drove very slowly.

I only took one photograph - I liked it well enough to try painting a landscape - something I rarely if ever do.

My inspiration

quick sketch with oils

Finished piece

A Painting a Day...

I came upon the book "Daily Painting" by Carol Marine.  I love Carole's work.  Reading her book was the just nudge I needed to paint daily, paint small.   Best part is I'm painting over older work so except for the paint, the supplies are minimal.

I did these three in two days.  There was a lot of texture left over from the previous paintings which was a bonus.  I tried to loosen up my work - used the palette knife which is a lot of fun...you never know (at least I don't) what you'll get with one stroke of the knife.

Each painting measures 6x6x1-3/8.   Each will sit in a floating frame.  I've been giving a lot of my work away lately as gifts - in an attempt to thank those who make my life more enjoyable.  In this case, I'm giving each of my two cleaning ladies, Marian and Maria, a choice of one of the three paintings.  It's always nice to have a choice, don't you think?

Brush Cut II continued

This little girl is finished.  I'm very happy with the way she turned out.  I hope Laura feels the same way.

The colors in Laura's salon are basically gray and white, thus the colors I chose for her gift.

Voila!

First layer of paint

Arms made out of charms and beads

More paint, button boobies, spray gloss sealer