Nancy Everett Art Journal

Atlanta Fine Arts League Small Works Show

2011-11-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

Lots of small affordable art..... great for gifts or perfect for a small space or shelf in your home. The show is being hung today and runs through December 14. I have four small paintings there. Come check out the show!

Market Romas

2011-10-25T04:43:00.000-07:00

8x8, oil on canvas. This was inspired by my trip to Monaco last spring. Out door markets are such an explosion of color! It would be a great place to plein air paint. Too bad I didn't have my paints while I was there...at least I had my camera!

What You Talkin' About Willis?

2011-10-24T04:41:00.000-07:00

10 x 10 oil on gallery wrap. For some reason, cows always give me this sideways look. Maybe it is because they are sick of people photographing them and are on the verge of turning their back on us. The entire time I was painting this painting this title "What You Talkin' About Willis" was stuck in my head. His look and attitude reminded me of Gary Coleman on Different Strokes. When I told my 17 year old what I was naming the painting, he looked at me like I had two heads. I guess not everyone is familiar with that show (I am dating myself!). I started to second guess my painting title, so I lofted it out there to my friends (not giving them any background on what I was trying to convey in the painting). Everyone enthusiastically came back with so many creative titles, and many had something to do with his eye. "stink eye", "blink" and many more. I loved all the titles, but didn't realize that my original title really finished out the story of the painting for me. So...I went with that!

Lake Glow

2011-10-13T04:50:00.000-07:00

7 x 5 oil Playing with color while painting Lake Lanier!

Sunflower Solo

2011-08-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

12 x 12 oil on board. This painting will be up for auction next week at the Kudzu Artzone in Norcross. Proceeds benefit the art center. SOLD

Dawg through the Window

2011-08-20T05:17:00.000-07:00

Painted on an old window, this UGA Georgia Bulldog painting was done a fundraiser benefitting the Lambert High School Football program in Suwanee, Georgia. Our son is a kicker for the team! Georgia Bulldogs are dear to my heart, as that is where I got my degree in art. Our daughter also attends UGA as an accounting major. I also painted a window for her room at her sorority house. It looks great on a wall, as the color of the walls shows through the glass. Go Dawgs!!!!

Summer Sunflowers

2011-07-19T04:04:00.000-07:00

30 x 30, oil on gallery wrapped canvas. My friend Teena brought me these sunflowers from the sunflower farm in Cumming, GA. Such a wonderful place! It is a shame they are not available all year!

Onion Parade

2011-06-09T05:03:00.000-07:00

20 x 20 oil on gallery wrapped canvas. These are south Georgia sweet onions from a vegetable stand that I stopped at on my drive down to Thomasville last month. They apparently are the exact same things as Vidalia Onions....but I guess "Vidalia" is a trademark applying only to onions grown IN VIDALIA. Who knew? Vidalia isn't that far from where I saw these! I did purchase some. Wrapped in foil, with butter and Dales seasoning, then thrown on the grill....they are the best!

Market Carrots

2011-05-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

6 x 6 , oil on board. From the market in Monaco.

Dune Blues

2011-05-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

14 x 11, oil on linen board. I love the colors of the beach and water along the 30A stretch of the Florida panhandle. This is a view of the ocean through sand dunes at Alys Beach. I took some additional liberties punching up the color on this!

Yellow Tulips and Sunflowers

2011-05-18T04:58:00.000-07:00

16 x 20 oil. Oh...it has been a busy month. I have been out of town twice (lovely Thomasville for the opening of my show with two other wonderful Atlanta artists and Monaco). High School soccer playoffs, prom, another child coming home from college...all wonderful things but it has been hard to paint! In addition to all of that, our computer died and we got a new Mac. I know Macs are supposed to be easier, but I am still learning. Several of my artwork photos that have been edited in Photo shop are going to strange places on my computer other than Iphoto. (Any hints on this?)

User error for sure, but all of the above have kept me from posting. After two days, I finally found this painting on my computer. I look forward to things calming down and getting back in the groove!

Lake Reflections

2011-04-28T04:33:00.000-07:00

6 x 8 oil on board

Cumming Sunflower Farm

2011-04-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

8x8 oil on gallery wrapped canvas. This little painting is from a wonderful sunflower field in Cumming, Georgia located at the corner of Majors Road and Atlanta Highway. It is usually in full bloom in June and the owner has an honor system for cutting and buying your own sunflowers. It is wonderful a place like this is not too far from my home! Available for purchase at http://www.freshpaintdailypainters.com

Off to Thomasville, Georgia today to deliver 21 paintings for an exhibit entitled "Bloom" at the Thomasville Center for the arts. The show opens Thursday and runs through mid June. Won't be posting for a few days........

Back Field in Motion

2011-04-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 pastel This painting was just accepted into the Cumming First United Methodist Church"s upcoming Festival of the Arts. This juried exhibition is a beautiful affair with artwork from over 190 artists.

Fighting For Attention

2011-04-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

8 x 8 oil on canvas. These tulips have lasted longer than most and I am glad they lasted long enough for me to paint them!

First Dogwood

2011-04-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

7 x 5 oil on board. This is from a Korean Dogwood tree in our yard. The leaves and flowers are slightly different from a traditional Dogwood.

Sunflower Field

2011-04-03T08:53:00.000-07:00

16 x 20 oil. This painting is from the Sunflower fields at the corner of Majors Road and Alpharetta Hwy in Cumming, GA. Every summer there are acres of beautiful sunflowers; such a spectacular site. This painting will be making the trip down to Thomasville, Georgia. The Thomasville Center for the Arts will open a new show called "Bloom" featuring three artists: Myself, Ann Rhodes and Liz Barber. This is also my inaugural painting on Fresh Paint Daily Painters. Please look for my work there...the next month it will be there "almost" every day (due to a few out of town trips scheduled)....then every day. Thanks for looking!!!!

First Hydrangeas

2011-03-22T04:16:00.000-07:00

20 x 16 on gallery wrapped canvas. Hydrangeas are some of my favorite plants. The variety of color that happens with each bush is always fascinating. I only wish they bloomed for a longer season!

Springtime Wisteria

2011-03-21T04:26:00.000-07:00

16 x 20 oil This is from the trees surrounding the course at Augusta National, truly one of the most spectacular golf courses anywhere! The Masters is not only a wonderful spectator sport for golf, but also a magnificent display of springtime flowers.

Asparagus Dance

2011-03-01T05:05:00.000-08:00

20 x 20, oil A new view of asparagus. Painted on a terracotta primed gallery wrapped canvas.

Orchid Song

2011-02-28T04:24:00.000-08:00

20 x 20, oil. A gestural approach to a simple subject. I had fun exploring other things than the orchid itself in this one.

Lake Lanier Bridge

2011-02-14T03:35:00.000-08:00

20 x 16 Pastel. This is from one of the parks surrounding Lake Lanier near Gainesville, Georgia. It was during the "drought" and a good bit of the shore was exposed due to lower lake levels. I did this on a prepared gator board with a terra cotta ground.

Georgia Barn

2011-02-13T04:39:00.000-08:00

24 x 18, pastel McDaniel Farm Park is a little piece of history, preserved behind the car dealerships near Gwinnet Mall. It is a lovely park owned by the county and a favorite place for artists to go and paint. This was done in my studio, but I have paited there several times. This is the backside of the main barn on the property.

Dune view

2011-02-12T04:16:00.000-08:00

12 x 16, oil Another painting from a fall workshop that I took with Colley Whisson. Normally, I would have done a much softer approach to this subject matter. I like how it turned out.

Cliff Side View

2011-02-11T03:51:00.000-08:00

16 x 12, oil on board. This was done at a workshop I took this fall. I often don't use a medium with my oil, but did here. I like the effect. We really punched up our values and it serves a reminder of how much more liberty you can take with this. To me, the truck should be traveling the other direction. It is driving right out of the painting.

Path to the Garden Shed

2011-02-06T04:35:00.000-08:00

18 x 24, pastel. This is a garden shed in the wooded area of Smith Gilbert Gardens. I started with an alcohol wash on Kitty Wallis paper. I love working on this paper!

Figure Study/watercolor and ink

2011-01-30T09:29:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I have attended a figure drawing session. I spent this session doing quick sketches in a couple of mediums and styles. This was done in watercolor and ink. I like the look, but it leaves no room for mistakes with the ink!

IVAN /charcoal study

2011-01-29T14:40:00.000-08:00

This is a sketch done this week at the Thursday model/sketch group at the Atlanta Artists Center. Such a great group of artists that you run into there! I wish I lived closer so I could attend the figure drawing sessions more often!

Sunflower Pair

2011-01-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

5 x 7 Pastel on sanded la carte paper. I used to work on this paper all the time, but now I prefer paper with a tighter "grit" like Kitty Wallis paper. I found some of this while I was cleaning out my studio and have been experimenting with it. I am happy with this painting. However, I did another painting shortly after this one and dropped water on it....the sanded surface disappeared...and left a terrible spot. I guess that is why I have switched papers. I will keep this painting away from anything wet. Anyone have any favorite papers they like?

A Bucket of Begonias

2011-01-21T04:39:00.000-08:00

5 x 7 pastel on board. Begonias I photographed at McDaniel Farm in Gwinnet County. I brought in more turquoise into the painting because I love it combined with red!

October Hay Bales

2011-01-20T04:43:00.000-08:00

9 x 12, Pastel. This painting was done from a field on a farm just outside of Newnan, Georgia. Fall hay bales create a lot of interest to an often mundane landscape.

Sunday Sail

2011-01-18T03:22:00.000-08:00

9 x 12, pastel

Amaryllis Fest

2011-01-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

9 x 12, Pastel. A friend of mine gave me an amaryllis mid December and it not only bloomed once, but twice! Yesterday, I really wanted to draw this and started to really have fun with color.

Chattahoochee Blues

2011-01-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

30 x 30, oil This painting was started in my studio at home and finished at my Norcross studio. What a difference good light makes! I had a lot of fun with this painting.

Chattahoochee Morning

2011-01-13T05:59:00.000-08:00

12 x 9, pastel. I did this from a plein air oil painting that I did this summer. It was a hot summer morning and at first glance everything seemed so green. The more I got into the painting, the more "variation on green" I found. It was even easier to have more fun with the color when doing a painting from a painting!

Early Fall Reflections

2011-01-12T06:12:00.000-08:00

16 x 20, oil A view of Lake Lanier this fall on the way to Gainesville in Hall County. The leaves were just starting to turn.

Smith Gilbert Sculpture

2011-01-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

7 x 5, oil This is from the Fall plein air event at Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, Georgia. Many acres of gardens, woods and sculpture make this a fabulous place to paint. For some reason, I forgot to photograph this painting...so here it is!

Jerusalem Road, Cohasset, MA

2011-01-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

12 x 9, pastel. This is from a google view done from the Boston Area. The Virtual Paintout http://www.virtualpaintout.blogspot.com is a site created by artist Bill Guffey. Each month, he selects a new site anywhere in the world with a link to a google map to the area. Artists have the opportunity to view the location via the google maps camera (sorry that is probably not the correct terminology), freeze the view and paint the scene. It is interesting to see what is posted. Sometimes, I found it hard to find a view I wanted to paint. It is helpful to know a little about the area so you can go to an area with something interesting to paint. I spent alot of time "walking" some boring highways!

Pear Soiree

2011-01-09T04:09:00.000-08:00

14 x 12, oil Had fun playing around with color on this.

Back Field in Motion

2011-01-08T05:05:00.000-08:00

9 x 12 Pastel. This is a painting that I actually started in Breckenridge, Colorado during my time as an artist in residence this summer. It was sandwiched in with a bunch of things that I shipped back and I just now got back to finishing it. This was from a photo I took in Hawaii this spring. I must say it was hard to capture what I was after with my antiquated camera. That usually is a good thing, since my goal is not to copy anything but to use my photograph as an inspiration. I needed the photo just to make sure it looked like a koi! Who would have thought foreshortening needed to be thought of when painting a fish! I tried to capture the movement...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-07T04:34:00.000-08:00


KUDZU ARTZONE

A little bit of a late start........I have painted since my last posting in November, but haven't photographed any of my work! Every time I had a moment (of which there were few the past two months), the weather was too bad to take any photos. My goal for 2010 was to paint every day. I did not make that, but in all fairness I want to focus on the positive. I painted twice as much as the year before. I had a fantastic experience this summer as an artist in residence in Breckenridge, CO. I took two inspirational workshops and have joined several new art organizations where I have met new artist friends. I did not post all of my work on this blog, but most definitely attempted over 100 paintings. Not enough...but PROGRESS!

In October, I branched out and rented space at KUDZU ARTZONE in Historic Norcross. I realized when I rented the space that the last quarter of my year was overwhelmingly busy and perhaps would not have the time to commit to being there, but I took the leap anyways! There are always so many reasons why NOT to do things like this, but sometimes you just have to take the leap. I plan on fully rising to the challenge in 2011. My studio at home is not lit nearly as well as this beautiful space and there are no "non related art interruptions." It has been a pleasure painting with my new studio mates at Kudzu. I am looking forward to painting there more frequently in 2011 and hope to post twice as much this year as the year before!

Whatever your goals are for 2011, I wish everyone a successful and Happy New Year!!!

Hay Bales in the Field

2010-11-03T18:02:00.000-07:00

11 x 14, oil This was painted in Newnan, Georgia at the OPA plein air event last week. The fall colors were radiant!

River Color

2010-10-28T03:49:00.000-07:00

30 x 24, oil Another view of the Chattahoochee at Jones Bridge Park. I included the front sandy bank for color and interest.

Alys Beach Path

2010-10-27T04:33:00.000-07:00

20 x 16, oil This summer, our family had a wonderful vacation at Rosemary Beach, Florida. Every morning, I would get up early and walk east to the next beach...Alys Beach. Alys Beach is a beautiful little community with just 2 or 3 commercial buildings. Every residence is white stucco...giving it a very mediterranean feel. As beautiful as the path was to the beach, green, white and blue were the only colors you saw at first glance.....I felt it necessary to search a little deeper for color. I guess I found it!

Secrets behind the old barn

2010-10-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil Here is a painting I did this summer in Breckenridge, CO. This building was right around the corner from the Tin Shop. For some reason, I forgot to photograph it! This was painted on a bright red ground to compliment the color that I saw EVERYWHERE!

Every garden needs a touch of red

2010-10-24T04:49:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil Another painting from the Smith Gilbert Garden plein air event.

Bonsai Colors

2010-10-22T13:34:00.000-07:00

8 x 6, oil The past two days I have been painting at the Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, Georgia at their semi-annual plein air event. We had beautiful weather and the staff and volunteers at the gardens do a magnificent job with the event. The art will be on display and for sale in the gardens this weekend. One area of the gardens contains a number of bonsai trees. I could not resist adding more color than was actually there.

Chattahoochee River At Jones Bridge Park

2010-10-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

18 x 24, oil Painted in my new studio space at Kudzu Artzone. The light is so much better than my studio at home. There were also plenty of other artists there making for a wonderful day of painting.

Barn at McDaniel Farm Park

2010-10-11T04:26:00.000-07:00

14 x 11, oil I actually painted this before the larger one below. This was my third painting of the week and the other two had been 24 x 30. I really had a hard time scaling down the scene onto a smaller canvas. It did create a little different view, though.

McDaniel Farm Barn

2010-10-10T04:38:00.000-07:00

24 x 18, oil Another plein air painting from the workshop. This was painted at McDaniel Farm, which is part of Gwinnett Parks and Recreation. It is a beautiful setting with a farmhouse, several barns and fields. It is an oasis...surrounded by car dealerships and strip malls!

Early Fall on the Chattahoochee

2010-10-09T05:41:00.000-07:00

30 x 24, oil This was done en plein air at a workshop I took this week with Guido Frick. He was an awesome instructor and I feel like I got alot out of the workshop. I have never painted SO LARGE outside and while it presented some challenges it was so FREEING! I realized I could be a little looser with my small paintings as well. One of the challenges was having to use a regular easel instead of my trusty Judson Plein Air box. I weighted my easel down with a bag of rocks, but that did not prevent big winds from trying to set my canvas sailing. I was also not prepared for the sun shining through the back of the canvas, making it hard to see. This never happens when you work on a small canvas board. I draped my apron over the back of the easel to block the light...adding yet more oil paint to my apron.! Things got a little messy. A better solution would have been to put a piece of cardboard behind.

Chattahoochee River At Cochran Shoals

2010-09-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

12 x 9, oil. Yesterday I met some fellow members from the Atlanta Fine Arts League at Cochran Shoals along the Chattahoochee River. While I have painted at many other spots along the Chattahoochee, this location offered more places to paint than any park along the river I have been to. We met at noon, and the weather was perfect. It would have been interesting to have painted a little earlier. The color seems to drain out of a southern landscape when the sun is so high in the sky. I took some liberties and added a little extra color!

Contemplation

2010-09-21T04:34:00.000-07:00

8x8, oil I usually enjoy painting alla prima, but this little guy has been in my studio for over a month. Everytime I am working on another painting, I reach over and add some different color to him. I think I am done. A cow of a different color!

Western View

2010-09-20T03:50:00.000-07:00

4 x 6, oil It is no wonder so many landscape painters paint so frequently out west. The vistas available are so prolific compared to available views in the Atlanta area, where winding hilly roads keep the views so tight. This is another scene from a photograph I took while participating in the artist in residence program in Breckenridge. Such a small canvas! This is one I had lying around my studio. I must admit I don't think I will purchase any more canvases this small! It is hard to be loose in such a small space.

Beach Hut

2010-09-19T07:22:00.000-07:00

6 x 8, oil This is a quick study I did from a photo taken at Alys Beach of a small hut along 30A.

Lanier Summer

2010-09-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

18 x 18, oil Another Lake Lanier painting. This time I added Terra Rosa to my palette and really felt like it helped me create true Georgia landscape colors.

Kappalua Shoreline Colors

2010-09-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

12 x 9, pastel This painting was accepted into the ATLANTA FINE ARTS LEAGUE'S National Juried Show at the Abernathy Arts Center on Johnson Ferry Road in Atlanta. The show was juried by Margaret Dyer and has over 50 paintings from all over the country. The show runs through September 24.

Chattahoochee Light

2010-08-31T15:50:00.000-07:00

18 x 18, oil I am having fun playing with effects and composition with my earlier plein air work at the Chattahoochee River. This one is a little larger.

Sunflowers from Kelley

2010-08-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

18 x 18, oil . I had a luncheon at my house for some fellow artists that I paint with on a regular basis. It is so wonderful to get to know other artists working in your area. Everyone has different work, experiences and viewpoints to share. We can all learn alot from each other. One of the artists brought me these flowers. Thank you Kelley! They were my weekend inspiration!

Just a Few Poppies

2010-08-24T03:30:00.000-07:00

5 x 7, oil More flowers from my Breckenridge trip!

Just a Few Daisies

2010-08-23T03:20:00.000-07:00

6 x 8,oil Wildflowers from Breckenridge.

Bend in the River

2010-08-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

12 x 9, oil Another plein air painting of the Chattahoochee River. It was really starting to get hot as I was painting this!

Sunflowers and Stripes

2010-08-21T04:52:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil I painted this is the studio at the Tin Shop. I had very little there to use for the still life, but had brought the fabric for tables for the reception. I thought it added a graphic contrast to the setting. I tried to have fun with this and painted it on a bright red canvas.

Chattahoochee Glow

2010-08-20T03:10:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil Last week was the Chattahoochee River Paint Out - a plein air event in Roswell, GA. I missed the deadline for signing up, and was also really too busy to have painted all three days. I stopped by one morning and painted for a few hours. It was beautiful early...this was my first painting and the mist was still on the river. Fortunately, I was standing under a bridge, so I had a little shade. I painted this over a terra cotta underpainting. I understand that next year they are moving this event to the fall. Good idea! 95 degree heat and 100% humidity is a little hot for plein air painting!

View from Tin Shop

2010-08-19T03:36:00.000-07:00

5 x 7,ink The Tin Shop was one block off Main Street in the arts district. This was my view after walking out the front door.

River Study

2010-08-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

5 x 7, watercolor and ink. Another view of the Blue River running through the center of Breckenridge.

Boreas Pass Road

2010-08-17T03:19:00.000-07:00

12 x 9, pastel A pastel painting, done from my watercolor study.

Heading Down Boreas Pass Road

2010-08-16T03:16:00.000-07:00

7 x 5, watercolor Road just on the edge of Breckenridge that heads up the mountain.

Church View

2010-08-15T04:45:00.000-07:00

5 x 7 watercolor and ink This is the backside of the Episcopal Church in Breckenridge with the mountains in the background. It is a beautiful little church.

Flowers Along the Path

2010-08-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

7 x 5, watercolor and ink

Breckenridge Wildflower Study

2010-08-13T04:42:00.000-07:00

7 x 5, watercolor and pen and ink. There are wildflowers EVERYWHERE in Breckenridge. It is just so beautiful there. These were along the Blue River running through the middle of town.

Breckinridge Mountain Study

2010-08-12T04:39:00.000-07:00

7 x 5, watercolor and ink. Another view from the center of town.

Blue River Study

2010-08-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

7 x 5, water color and ink. The Blue River runs right through the center of Breckenridge.

Alma's Only Bar Hotel Cafe

2010-08-10T12:22:00.000-07:00

5 x 7, ink and watercolor. Alma is just over the mountains, about 30-40 minutes from Breckenridge. It really resonates forgotten gold rush. Just a few buildings in a more "open" space than Breckenridge. I did this study from a photo. I loved the purple color of the building...and every thing that seemed to happen there..according to the sign!

Back from Breckenridge!

2010-08-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have been on "hiatis" from blogging the past month. I am finally back from my wonderful artist in residence time in Breckenridge, Colorado. I spent every day painting and also taught a workshop on how to use photographs as a tool...not a crutch for landscape painting. Thanks to all my artist friends that gave me advice on shipping my paintings and supplies out to Colorado! Everything arrived safely and was waiting for me when I got to Breckinridge. It was wonderful to be in such inspiring surroundings and have the opportunity to work in the studio every day. I know that that time will serve as an inspiration for much of my future work!

Lahaina Blues

2010-06-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 oil. Ready to sail in Lahaina! The ocean colors there are so magnificent. I only wanted to capture one boat in the painting. I used the flag and the dock to offset the fact this boat is smack in the middle of the painting. I hope that corrected the composition.

Backlit Valley View

2010-06-21T04:44:00.000-07:00

20 x 16, oil Rocky Mountain National Park in all it's glory...although I added the stream :)

Backdeck Geraniums

2010-06-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

20 x 20 oil. Yes, these are on my back deck and I wanted to paint them before they started looking bad from this 90 degree heat!

Garden Glow

2010-06-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, pastel I am not sure what type of flower this is! I love the center of this flower, so I took a picture of it during the Smith Gilbert Gardens paint out. It was in the woods, but light was filtering through the trees on the flower making it "glow".

Kappalua Shoreline Colors

2010-06-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

12 x 9, pastel View from the top of the cliffs on the Kappalua Trail, looking down on the ocean. It was so windy that day...maybe 60 mile an hour winds. I had a hard time holding my camera still!

Hydrangeas from Helen

2010-06-02T05:19:00.000-07:00

11 x 14 oil. These were just picked out of my garden from a bush that I transplanted from my mother in law's yard. The colors of all the flowers on this bush were so different. I wanted to paint them in a glass vase and try and capture the reflections in the glass.

Kappalua Morning

2010-06-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

8 x 8, oil. Every time of day was beautiful in Hawaii and there were always clouds...somewhere! They never seemed to affect the weather. It was always a beautiful day. These clouds were hanging over a distant island...I think it is Molokai.

Kappalua Trail

2010-05-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

12 x 9 oil. Just back from 9 days in Hawaii. So beautiful! I didn't have room for my paints, but did take my camera. This trail went along the coast over some cliffs near our hotel. The wind was so strong...maybe 60+ miles an hour. I could barely hold the camera still to take any pictures! Plein air painting would not have been an option.

Colorado Alpine Tundra

2010-05-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

9 x 12 oil. This is from the Rocky Mountain National Park along Trail Ridge Road. Rocky Mountain National Park may be one of the most beautiful, unique parks in the US. There are so many different types of scenery there. Trail Ridge Road runs through the park and climbs to 11 miles above the treeline in an entirely different ecosytem. It is the highest continually paved road in the United States. There were parts of the the road where there were no guard rails and I must say it made me a little nervous! Marmots and Elk roamed everywhere. The vegetation and tiny flowers were so unique. There was an absence of trees, which almost makes this look like I left something out!

Advice on Shipping Artwork?

2010-05-14T04:12:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have any good recommendations for shipping 8-15 pieces of artwork long distance? I have gotten advice from other artists ranging from get a crate to drive it out there yourself! This summer I will be in Breckinridge, Colorado as a resident artist for two weeks...(a very long way from Atlanta!). Driving out there is simply not an option for me as I can not afford the extra time away from "football, soccer, and getting our oldest ready to go back to UGA" I checked online for crate options and got a ridiculous quote of $1400 one way! No way! Has anyone ever sent a bunch of work via crate? My other option is to box it up myself, which I may do. I am new at this so if anyone has any advice I would appreciate it!

Resting Spot

2010-05-14T03:44:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil This is from the Smith Gilbert Gardens but it was done in my studio prior to the plein air event...as a warm up. I played around with a new surface: pre-primed gesso board. I primed the whole board first in red. This surface takes some getting used to. It really sucks up the paint. I do like the fact that it is sturdier than a canvas board for plein air painting. I am not a fan of priming my own boards because I hate sanding!

Snowball Bush

2010-05-13T07:28:00.000-07:00

9x12, oil. The Smith Gilbert Gardens plein air event was such an inspiration to me and I feel like I grew a little in the "plein air department". Past events have always yielded results that I was not 100% happy with. In retrospect, one of the things I felt went wrong with my plein air paintings was that they were all the same value. This is partially due to the fact that I often was painting with sunlight on my canvas, without any sort of umbrella to shade my work surface. I couldn't see what I was doing! Additionally, my focus on capturing light is one that I am starting to pay more attention to...which I think helped me a little on some of my recent plein air work. I decided to pull out this painting from the Buford paint out a year ago. I punched up the lights and the darks and I like it better. I also simplified the background. I mainly enjoy painting ala prima...getting things done in one or two sittings to keep it fresh. Sometimes, it can be freeing to re-visit things a year later with a new approach!

Shaded Backyard Pond

2010-05-12T04:10:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil Yet another painting from the Smith Gardens plein air event. There was simply not enough time to paint all the beautiful scenes around me. I did take a boatload of photographs that I will be working from in the future, but I have to say the plein air bug really bit me at this place. It was the perfect place for a fair weathered plein air painter like myself. So many beautiful spots....in the shade! This pond was loaded with Koi, but I chose to not include them in this painting. There was so much going on at the edge of the pond that I wanted to capture, I felt like the koi would fight with the rest of the scene.

Springtime Gala

2010-05-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

8 x 8 oil. Another painting from the Smith Gilbert Gardens. I was standing under a tree in the middle of a section of the garden heavily planted with beautiful iris and daisies. Very Monet like! I hope to visit the garden in another season to see what is blooming then. This painting had a bright red underpainting, which was perfect for this scene.

Perennial Path

2010-05-10T13:34:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil. Another painting from the Smith Gilbert Gardens Plein Air event in Kennesaw, Georgia. Such an inspiring place and I had no idea it existed before I participated in this event.

Meet Me Under the Dogwood

2010-05-09T04:17:00.000-07:00

7 x 5 oil. Another plein air painting from the Smith Gilbert Gardens in Kennesaw, Ga.

Azaleas Along the Path

2010-05-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

9 x 12, oil This was done at the Smith Gilbert Gardens Plein Air Event in Kennesaw, Georgia. What a lovely place!

Dogwood Trio

2010-04-29T04:05:00.000-07:00

7 X 5, OIL These are from a Korean Dogwood tree in my yard.

Red Poppies Against a Purple Wall

2010-04-28T06:17:00.000-07:00

11 x 14, oil More fabulous flowers from Breckinridge.

Flying Pig on Wheels

2010-04-23T04:54:00.000-07:00

8 x 8, oil. This is from my pig collection. Yes! I inherited my grandmother's pig collection. They are all under 4 inches tall. This is actually a newer one that I added. I bought it in Ohio at an art show.

Tin Shop Breckinridge

2010-04-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

16 x 20, oil The town of Breckinridge, CO hosts an Artist in Residence program and this is where the artists live and work. I have been selected to participate in this program and will be there July 18 - 28. Last summer, our family vacationed there and found this quaint building during one of my morning walks. The artist in residence at the time was a fabric artist and she kindly shared her experiences there and gave me the information to apply to the program. My husband encouraged me to apply. I submitted an application last fall and just recently found out that I was selected. There will be an opening reception to view my work. The studio will be open every day for several hours for visitation while I work. I will also be teaching a landscape workshop. I am very excited to be participating in this wonderful program and am looking forward to again visiting this beautiful place!

River Colors

2010-04-16T04:45:00.000-07:00

16 x 20, oil A raging river just outside of Breckenridge, Colorado. This painting was done with an acrylic underpainting of Napathol Red.

Chattahoochee River View ( #7 in series )

2010-04-13T04:56:00.000-07:00

11 x 14 , oil. This is done from a plein air painting I did standing just below the Buford Dam, near Buford, Georgia.

Big Step Up

2010-04-12T03:44:00.000-07:00

11 x 13, pastel . I have been back and forth working on this for over a month and have decided...to be done. I was initially attracted to this scene because of the possibilities of color patterns in the barn and grass. I think there is a little too much going on here!

50 Calle Presidente Artiles Bonanos, Canary Islands

2010-04-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

8 1/2 x 11, pastel. This is from a new "blog challenge" Virtual Paintout ( http://www.virtualpaintout.com ). Karin Jurick had it listed on her Different Strokes for Different Folks Blog. Every month, a place in the world is picked and a link is provided to Google Maps. You can explore the streets of the selected location and pick a spot to paint. This month was the Canary Islands. I don't usually do street scapes, but thought this would be an interesting challenge. I had some samples of different colors of UART pastel paper and thought I would experiment with a dark blue background.