#21 and #22 Paintings and my Student's Watercolor Exhibition

Hello Everyone, Today I am posting # 21 and # 22 in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. It has been a bit hectic at times getting a painting done each day, but because they have been small, it is doable! The one above is of a pretty brown crockery bowl filled with decorative gourds. Both it and the one below were done in water soluble oils on 6 x 6 gessoed panels and to photograph them is difficult because they are square. So in both photos a part is not shown.

"Window in the Tropics"

I taught 14 students this summer in a Watercolor class. Some went on vacation a few weeks, but normally, there would be 10 or 12 there each week for 12 weeks. They were all beginners in watercolor, although some had painted before with oils or acrylics. So today, you will see their show!

Here we are before the show started. They brought cookies to serve and each one painted 5 book marks to give as gifts to our guests. I will show some of them tomorrow . I have lots of photos to share, but today we will get started by showing you only some of them. You can click on any one of the photos to get a closer view.

The exhibit was held at the Peace Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall. It was amazing how many works they created in the twelve weeks. The way I teach is not for them to copy what I have done. I would demonstrate what technique we would be doing and the subject matter, such as flowers, and talk about aspects of painting and then they were urged to create their own individual painting. They did a super job every time!

Here are some of the crowd enjoying the paintings.

If you enlarge this, you can see them a bit better.

At first, I intended to mix up every one's work, but then several of the artists wanted to group their own together, so we did so and it was probably easier for people to know who did what. We had each artists name in front of her table. The ones on the rack were mixed together, however.

One of our sessions was painting animals and trying for character above all else. 

They did a round painting, which was lots of fun, and they learned how to make a pleasing composition in the round.

One of the ladies also started a sketch book for watercolors while she was on vacation (above)

I want my students to know that they were awesome and I enjoyed each one of them very much. I was truly amazed at how much they accomplished in 12 weeks and look forward to our next session starting in January. If you do not see your work here, ladies, you may see it tomorrow, because I still have lots of photos to share!

So I hope you have enjoyed the exhibit so far and I will be posting more. Have a great day!

Paintings # 19 and 20 and Yummy Scones

Hi Everyone, Above is # 19 in the 30 day painting challenge. We are now 2/3 through and only 10 more to go! It has been a great learning and practicing experience. I meant to only paint flowers, but somehow just veered off the chosen path into some other things and it has been fun! 

I couldn't resist painting these pretty tomatoes before eating them! Maybe soon I will get back to flowers!

Yesterday, Carolyn on Aiken House and Gardens posted her great looking Oatmeal Scone recipe and I had to try them. They were awesome. You can check out her beautiful blog at http://www.warrengrovegarden.blogspot.com/or just go on Google and search for Aiken House and Gardens. You won't be disappointed.

My scones don't look as nice as hers, but they tasted so good. I will be making them often.

Thank you for sharing, Carolyn.

Hope you have a happy Fall day!

Painting #17 and 18 and Photos

Hi Everyone, 

My favorite models were these delicious McIntosh Apples and this is painting number 13 in the challenge. I had just washed them and the beads of water were still clinging to them. I loved how this painting turned out.

Number 18 is "Key West Cottage". It was one of those paintings not planned, just done. I just sat down with no preconceived idea and started painting, not even knowing what the subject matter would be. It was a HAPPENING!  I am chuckling as I write this, but that is how I painted this one. At first, it looked hopeless, but it finally shaped up. Not my favorite, but it is o.k

Going through my camera to see what I might have shot with hopes of painting, I found a few interesting things. This bull, for instance. Doesn't he look sweet...I didn't get too close to find out.

This kitty, on the other hand, does not look too sweet to me, but he was. I was at a park, plein air painting and he accompanied me all the way! Nice company.

 

This might be "a worried look" or maybe just a "what are you doing look".

These flowers on the fence could work for a painting....hummmm.

This last one was taken in Micanopy. It is not a toy, but a real abandoned truck peeking out of the vines.I took this photo from the car. Wish I had gotten out and taken more, but maybe I can paint from this in the future.

I messed up and left this painting  off and I have already shown you the apples before. Very hard to keep up with the numbers. Anyway this one was really #17. This one turned out really well, I thought, and was fun to paint.

Rainy Day, 2 Paintings, and 2 Batches of Cookies

Hi Everyone, Above is number 15, yesterday's painting for the challenge. It is actually one I had painted earlier, but I hated it, so I redid it and added more intense colors, more shadows and just cleaned it up a bit. It looks much better. 

Here is number 16, today's painting. I actually did it yesterday and am trying to stay ahead of this challenge, in case I get too busy one day to paint! But today it started raining after I got home from the pool and doing those great water exercise that I love, so it is a fine day to just be home and in the studio. I am working on tomorrow's painting and also made some cookies to take to the quilt group tomorrow.

  

I have shared this recipe with you before, but it is worth repeating for those of you who didn't get it. They are Oatmeal Sugar Cookies and  I got the recipe in Minnesota from my husband's niece who got it from her mother in law. I have made it a lot and everyone loves it!

1 cup shortening

1 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cream together well, then add :

1 beaten egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together 1 and 1/2 cups flour, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp.salt

Add 1/2 cup oatmeal. Chill dough. Roll into walnut size balls. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar.

Bake 350 degrees about 10 minutes. 

This batch is called Cracker Cookies

Line a cookie sheet (with sides) with foil. Spread with saltine crackers, side to side, not overlapping.

Boil 2 sticks butter with 1 cup sugar for 5 minutes. Pour over crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread with 1 package of peanut butter chips. Spread them with a knife, as they melt. Place pan in fridge until cool and cut into squares or just break into pieces.

Both recipes make a lot and both are yummy.

Well, I'll be back in a couple of days to share my newer paintings and whatever else might be in the works....I am getting ready for a Fall bazaar, too, you know!Keep busy; that's my motto! Hope  you are keeping busy, too, and above all, being creative!

Two Paintings and Sunflower Saturday

Hi everyone, Today I will show you #13 (above) and # 14 (below) for the painting challenge. It has not been too hard to get them done.After all, they are only 5 x 7 which is very small. I consider this challenge sort of like taking a class. It is a learning or practice experience. I am using water soluble oils because of being allergic to turpentine and linseed oil, so I am using water and a bit of walnut oil. It works well. I can't wait until the challenge is over and I can move on to a really large oil painting! And get back to my watercolors, of course, for I truly love watercolors!

I was really pleased with the apple painting. I washed some McIntosh apples and noticed how some drops of water just sat on them, so I had to paint them! It was fun. The next fun thing will be to make an apple crisp for dinner tonight!

My sunflowers are all gone now, but they were so pretty and told me that Fall was on the way! I always think of Fall when I see sunflowers....not summer. Maybe it is because Fall decorations always contain Sunflowers! 

Most of the time they want to drop their heads because the seeds are quite heavy.

Some are on the yellow orange side and some are a brighter yellow. There are many, many varieties. I think next year, I will plant lots of them, staggering the times planted to be able to have blooms longer.

Have a happy weekend!

Paintings # 11 and 12 and Owl key chains

Hi Everyone, here are my Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 daily paintings for the painting challenge. They are small, but still have a lot packed into them. The still life is called "Green Pots" and I tried to do a loosely done painting with interesting arrangement of shapes and colors. As you know,  a painting is more than just subject matter....it contains many elements of art, including shapes, space, color, line, value, etc. Click on the paintings to enlarge and see details.

This painting was inspired by photos taken in Key West. I love the colorful homes there with shady porches among the Palms.

In my "spare time" (???) I am making crafts for the church bazaar and also for another Christmas craft show held in November. I designed some felt owl key chains and at night when I am resting and watching a bit of T.V., I am sewing these. Busy hands, etc..........

Have a great day and Think Fall!

More of Micanopy, a Huge Moth, and two paintings..

Hello Everyone, Here are some more photos I took in Micanopy, pronounced Mic-an-o-pee, an Indian name. It is a historic town in central Florida between Gainesville and Ocala. That is the Herlong Mansion above at a different vantage point. It is a gorgeous old place with a beautiful oak staircase inside and lots of beautiful woodwork, original floors, etc. 

The grounds are lovely and this is a vine covered gazebo in the side yard, The little carriage house we stayed in is just beyond this and you can see a bit of it.

The mansion and gazebo from the side. There are 3 floors of guest rooms in the house and there are rumors that it is haunted by a ghost or two. I can't confirm this and have stayed inside on the first floor twice before, but heard no ghosts!

An old church building in Micanopy that is for sale. I think it might already be converted into living quarters. Note all the Spanish moss in the oak tree, which is typical in Florida.

A few miles away from Micanopy is the little historic town of McIntosh. This Victorian house is there. I love both these little towns; McIntosh is more residential I suppose. Micanopy has many antique stores and other shops to visit.

As we entered the Mansion to check out on Sunday, on the door frame was this gorgeous moth! I told the proprietor and she was so excited, grabbing her phone camera and taking numerous photos of it.

I did the same. It's reflection is in the glass window pane. 

Now I need to show you paintings number 9 and 10 of the 30 day painting challenge. The floral above is called "Snuggling Blooms" as they are packed so close together in the vase. I love both hydrangeas and zinnias and they are pretty mixed together.

This one is called "Red Cottage" and is from photos taken in Ireland. Hope you like therm! You can see all the artists' paintings in the challenge on Leslie Saeta's Blogspot. Have a look!