Boys Night Out

16 x 20 oil on canvas

I was able to use my desktop today - just a fluke I'm sure.  It's down more than it is up these days!!!???  This is a painting of mine that was chosen for the Cedars Juried Art Show this fall.   I just love doing my figurative and am thrilled when others appreciate them too.  Most people gravitate toward still life and landscape paintings which I just don't really like to do very much.  I'm beginning to get back into my papier mache figures that I did many years ago but that I also enjoy very much.

If I'm successful and my computer works, I'll post some.  I want our people in the Heartworks program at Stewpot to be able to make them but I need to work out a few kinks beforehand otherwise it gets REAL messy!  Stewpot is a faith based community service organization that benefits the homeless and disadvantaged people in the Jackson area.  We do art projects with them each Tuesday and it is so enriching to my life and so many others.   I've met some wonderful, loving people I might have never known and consider them my friends.

Untamed, Unnamed

11 x 14 oil on linen

This started out as a celebrity portrait that went nowhere so I made it into a redhead (love painting red hair).  The celebrity will remain unnamed - she had her mouth open in photograph showing a full set of teeth and her head cocked back.  I made a major mess of it, gave up and improvised.  I rather like the finished look - a little wild looking!

Night On The Town

18 x 24 oil on stretched canvas

This is an older painting that I re-imagined in a new ensemble!  The previous one was a plain white dress which never appealed to me because there just wasn't enough color to make it pop!  I like it much better now.  After posting however, I see a few adjustments I need to make - I always see flaws when I post pics of my paintings and most of them get revisions.  I also need to figure out how to photograph larger paintings.  They never look as clear to me as the smaller ones.

White Roses

14 x 18 oil on gessobord

This one was tough for me since I'm not experienced with florals.  I learned a few things while working on this one though;  I like to stretch myself trying things that aren't so comfortable.  I love flowers, I just get lost in all the intricacies of their petals!!!!

Window View of Italian Countryside

16 x 20 oil on canvas panel

A landscape that I've been working on.  The photo reference for this was from a friend who lived in Italy for a year or so.  This was the view from her apt. window in Aviano, Italy.  I would love to go to Italy in the near future to see all the beautiful scenery.

NOLA After Dark

Beginning

Midway

12 x 16 oil on canvas

New Orleans after dark.  I thought I would post how I saw the painting from beginning to finish.  I still have some tweaking to do but overall I'm fairly satisfied.

D D and Edward

9 x 10

This is a commission I completed for a surprise Christmas gift.  The recipient has received it now so I can post--a special beach experience for a grandfather and his grandson.  

Sidewalk Cafe II

11 x 14 oil on stretched canvas

This is what I've been doing instead of Christmas baking and wrapping packages.....  I have been wanting to try this as an abstract figurative and am fairly pleased with it although probably not completely finished.  I might tweak it a tad more.

Champs!

11 x 14 oil on stretched canvas

This was created after my first attempt of the day - a Santa Claus face - ended in a total wipe-out!  I used a little artistic license on this picture, a championship baseball team from Mississippi.  I moved players around and deleted a few.  I wanted to just do a value study of the players and the photos had lots of contrast in them.

Christmas 2016

It's that time of year again - getting Christmas ornaments ready for an auction in November.

Jolie

8 x 10 oil on canvas panel

Worked on this one yesterday and finished up on her collar today.  This was a fun one to paint.  Dogs are such good subjects!

Back Bay Re-Do

12 x 16 oil on linen

This one took some re-working and I like it better.  I have been re-working quite a few of my older paintings lately.  Mistakes stand out more clearly when I go back after a year or so and review.  Some I leave alone but most I try to enhance/improve (alas, some can't be be helped!).

Tweet Chatter

11 x 16 oil on linen

I've worked on this one off and on this week and have enjoyed playing with all the whites and grays.  Lately I have been working on a very large (for me as it's a 30" x 40") painting and I have discovered I just don't enjoy painting big.  First it takes too much time and it's difficult for me to add little subtle strokes here and there--everything is magnified!!!!  I was glad to get back to a size which is more comfortable for manipulating paint.

Mustangs - Study

12 x 16 oil on stretched canvas

This was submitted to the Daily Paintworks Equine Challenge today.  I enjoy painting horses in motion and try to stay loose.  They are beautiful creatures and I tried for looseness and just had to make myself quit.  

More Koi

8 x 10 oil on canvas panel

Trying to paint with a palette knife is like trying to paint with all thumbs to me!  I am forcing myself to practice with it and this is my result.  I have a  LONG way to go!

American GI

12 x 16 oil on linen

One I've been playing with the last couple of days.  He has had several transformations as far as color goes.  I don't know why pictures of people smoking interest me?????  I know during WWII the Army gave the GIs free cigarettes when they were in combat.

Through the Woods

12 x 16 oil on panel

Another cover-up - nothing much else to say about this one--still attempting landscapes occasionally.

Last Dance

12 x 16 oil on linen

More dancers....I will probably fiddle with this one some more - not satisfied still.   I didn't want to show facial features initially and think I overdid it so not sure at this point where this one will end.

Stampede

12 x 16 oil on stretched canvas

Started this today as a study for a much larger painting, possibly 30 x 40.  I don't usually paint in a large format so I wanted to try it out in a small version initially.  I plan to keep it abstract.

Zippy Doo Dah Parade

14 x 14 oil on stretched canvas

Quick study of drummer in the Zippy Doo Dah Parade held around St. Patricks Day every year in the Jackson, MS Fondren area.  The photo was taken at dusk so there wasn't much color or detail to work with so I just mainly painted the two or three values I could see.  I am having trouble photographing my paintings these days because my iMac is not reading my camera card - don't know what that's about so I am using my iPad to photograph and I can't hold it steady enough to get a clear photo.