Wine Bottle painting for the Wine Festival

Yesterday we met at the Chambers Gallery to paint wine bottles for the Art and Wine Fesival next weekend on the 28th. Vicki,Gayle,Maggie and me! What fun!! We worked all day and I had painted 3! Good Grief! I had plans to paint more so I will be painting a few more this week. Vicki painted some lovely seascape ones but took them home so today when I photographed they weren't there. This last one is a fun one of Gayles, very abstract and Maggie's also in there, that tall abstract one they are beautiful. I love the colors in these. Mine are the crows and grapes. We will have them all around the gallery for sale the weekend of the festival! Something fun!
Lynn, we missed you!!!!

White House

24"x24"  oil on canvas
The last ime I experimented with painting Tonalisim I painted this painting.About 15 years ago. I have it hanging in my house because I liked the mood of it. That's the deal with Tonalism. It creates a mood. In this case I love pink and the dark of the trees and the pink of the foreground is pleasing to me. The white house being the focal point just makes me happy!

Small Vineyard

8"x10" oil on canvas SOLD!
This is another painting in the Tonalist method. Trying to keep color to a minimum and using a limited palette.

Tonalist Landscape

6"x6" oil on board   SOLD!
I am experimenting with a Tonalist pallette, limiting myself to a minimum of color pigment, Staying in a mid value range. Values are important here, saying very little while conveying a mood. For an extreme color enthusiast it is not easy to not lob in some orange and red! It's restraint, something I need to learn and practice. This is the first of many I plan to paint.

Morro Bay Bird Fair

This morning a lovely trip down the coast to Morro Bay. A beautiful morning!
 My sister Julie and my brother in law Kim  and I looked forward to the yearly bird fair and seeing our favorite pottery artist, Paula Teplitz and the wonderful collection of books and bird paraphernalia that this show provides.
 Beautiful hand carved birds, delicately painted, paintings, books and hand made wares. Telescope's, glasses and cameras for birding and even a salve for the bites and rashes you may receive while looking for your favorite bird in the fields and trees.
After ward a drive around the darling little beach city of Morro Bay. Great fun! I am inspired!

Family Ties

24"x36" oil on canvas                                A Family of Crows    

WINE BOTTLES

Very LARGE wine bottles! This was such fun! I painted with my daughter Heather at her gallery and studio in Del Mar California this week. These are painted on 30x40 canvas and 24x30 for the smaller one. They are in her gallery really wet (so much paint) and will hang when ready. What a great trip. Thankyou Heather!!
Heather Roddy Art Gallery  http://www.heatherroddyartgallery.com/

BERRIES and CREAM tote bag

19"x22" 5" deep. original oil painting on canvas tote bag. Fully lined with pocket.Leather handles. Functional art!

"MONET" tote bag

22"x19" 5" deep.Canvas tote bag with original oil painting.Functional art!
This is one of my newest tote bags. Fully lined with a pocket and leather handles.I've named it "Monet" because of the water lilies.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and wonderful Holiday! I'm wishing you now a very Happy New Year filled with blessings of love, health, wealth and profound happyness!

Afternoon Repast in Tuscany

30"x40" oil on canvas.
Yes, I did say I was getting back to my tote bags but I had one more painting I wanted to do. One last wine bottle painting. This is it!!!

WINE BAR

30"x40" oil on canvas
Well this was fun! Different!When I looked at the table in the light it looked pink. Loving pink as I do I decided to paint it pink and the back ground in a sort of sage green. I have been reading Cezanne and Matisse and gave the fruit bowl a sort of nod to them. This is it for now. I'm going back to the tote bags , I have a bunch more paintings and lots of new ideas for them!

Lunch With Matisse

30"x40" oil on canvas
Well I just have to say THIS was fun! I am getting back to my really loose brush strokes after all this time painting the birds and small tighter works. It takes a little bit of time to get loose!
I just loved using all this pink and red and yellow too. These colors are the new trend colors and pink is one of the top colors for 2011. I am very partial to pink and red so I am really excited to paint more pink!

Evening Repast

OK, this really is IT! I must start on another painting!! I like it now, I never liked all that dark background and since I had the lanterns in it seemed fun to make it into a nocturn.

Wine Painting

30"x40" oil on canvas
I'm still working on this. A few tweaks here and there. I like the festive subject matter.A bit of flash back on the right is something I fight on these over cast rainy days. I'll live with it today and finish it tomorrow and start another.It is very fun to be painting" BIG" again!

Back to painting BIG!!

All the Tote Bags are sold and Tilly's night gown finished and I got a call yesterday to paint some very LARGE wine bottle paintings!!I'm excited and I will post as I go along because these will take a while!
It is very overcast and cold here this morning at the coast and it looks like rain. I may have to move it all in to the house since the roof in my studio leaks!! Nothing is ever perfect is it? I am undaunted, I can't wait to paint! One more cup of coffee and out I go!!

TILLY'S Night gown and baby doll

Till's night gown is finished and I have to say, it was a labor of love but harder to complete than the tote bags! The doll took a morning but the night gown 2 days!! Geez! Oh well, I know she'll love it and that's what matters. Happy Birthday Tilly!

Tilly

This is Tilly watering the plants at GG's. Ok, back to sewing!

A Night Gown for Tilly

This morning I've cleared off the table in my kitchen( where I cut out my tote bags) to make a night gown for Tilly my great grand daughter!! She will be 3. She will get lots of wonderful gifts, toys and all manner of play things but a nightie from her GG Sue will be special I think. Pink rose bud flannel to keep her snugly in these cold evenings.
I'm making a little rag doll too with matching nightgown. This will be fun and a bit of a breather from the Totes!
Back to work in a few!

SUN FLOWER Tote Bag

19"x22.5"x5" oil painting on canvas( from my stash of past paintings).
Just put the finishing touches on "Sun Flowers "this morning. The rooster cut out and sewn on just completed it for me and makes it fun!

TOTE BAG Sunday on the Lake

New Bag finished this morning. Also included a picture of the lining with a pocket and a crochet flower at the closure. This bag measures 19"x23"x5" Still waiting for those pesky handles and it's slowing me down some what but still I persist!!
300.

TOTE BAG " house"

22" long and 19" wide 5" deep.
original oil painting

New tote bag with rolled leather handles. All canvas and double sewn for strength. Completely lined in white quilting with pocket. I've made several new ones but waiting for handels to arrive! SOLD!

TOTE BAG

22 1/2"x18"x5" Oil painting on canvas   SOLD!
This is one of my older  paintings( Manet) that I made into a large tote bag. It is fully lined in rose fabric. This one is made differently than the other one. All stitching is on the out side. Really having alot of fun with these!

TOTE BAG

17"x19" x5" hand painted canvas tote bag fully lined with rose fabric!

Yep, something new I'm into! Using my old paintings for bags.This was just plain fun! Starting another today!

PUMPKIN

6"x6" oil on board  SOLD!

I'm back to painting still life from life. Putting a set up together , placing a light next to it and painting the subject. I started with something simple. I wanted to paint light and shadow as a sort of practice piece.I got this little pumpkin at the farm stand and I loved the shape and color. It was fun, I felt a bit rusty but I'm happy with the result.  Tomorrow another challenge!!

KING CROW

8"X10" oil on canvas
For being the head of the family, a good father and mate and for loving and being a good friend, he wears a golden crown. It is good to be king!

Little House

3" tall. Hand made, handbuilt and glazed earthenware clay. These little houses have sold.

Little houses under the tree or on the mantle for Christmas and all year round.
These little houses are all different and a fun addition to your Holiday or anytime decor!10.ea

Piqueassiette Crosses

3.5"x2.5" and 4.5"x2.5" handcut tiles and glass on earthenware clay.Sealed with grout and sealer. These little crosses have sold.

Little crosses for Christmas. I'm starting my ornaments early!These are sweet on the tree and also to hang on the wall year round.They also make thoughtful gifts and special tied onto a package. 10.00 each.
I will be adding more as I make them.

VINEYARD

6x6 iol on board
limited palette, very fun to paint a quick loose, sketch of a vineyard.

VINEYARD

6"x6" oil on board
We have many , many vineyards here in Cambria and Paso Robles, there may be hundreds. Going around to take photographs and make sketches the vistas are just seemingly endless. They are just beautiful and change color all year and then  cut back to start again. We have several beautiful wineries and wine tastings and of course our big festival coming up in January!!!

SeaGull

6"x6" oil on board
Lots and lots of sea gulls here along the shore. This is the sea bird that everyone knows. I have always loved them, they are smart,clever and resourceful.

The EGRET

6"x6" oil on board
We have so many Egrets here and especially right after the rain. The streams and open fields fill with water and all of a sudden there they are! So beautiful with their glorious white feathers and beautiful white wings. Come on rain!!

Chamber Party

Well, what fun!! the mixer at the Chamber of Commerce with all the shop owners and friends of the Chamber. The picture of the poster as it will be displayed through out Cambria to promote the very exciting Wine Festival.
A picture of the basket with our booty and Vicki Greene is holding the little wine glass with the date and announcement of the festival.
Vicki, painter of the seascape portion of our painting and Gayle owner of the Chambers Gallery  ( not affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce) toasting our big win.
It was so much fun to see old friends and meet new. The big party, celebration, wine tasting, dinner and poster signing will be January 28th, 29th and 30th, 2011. You have to come and share in all the fun!!!!

ART and WINE FESTIVAL

16"x20"  We Won!! Vicki Greene and I entered our painting in the Chamber of Comerce Art and Wine Festival Poster Contest.Vicki is the seascape painter and I painted the vineyard and foreground. We thought it expressed Art and Wine.
 This is always a big party in Cambria with wine pouring and sampling, raffle's, dinners and party's!
Vicki and I are happy and proud to be a part of this always fun filled event.  Gayle Sewels Chambers Gallery will be a hub of celebratory fun during the festival!Come and see us in January and get a signed poster!!

Vegetable Stand, Santa Rosa Creek Road

A trip to the vegetable stand this morning. My friend Gayle and my sister Julie have taken a little road trip to the back country here to pick up fresh vegetables. I wasn't able to go until now as I have been away. All I was told is that the tomatoes are like candy! That was enough for me. Fresh picked tomatoes!! 5 for a dollar is what the sign said and avocados 50 cents each! It's an honour system. She has an iron piggy bank that you put your money in. When I arrived she and a worker were laying out pumpkins, all sorts, big and small, tall and squatty. I bought a tall one, beautiful! Just had to share my harvest with you!!

KITCHEN PAINTINGS

My kitchen. I've been having fun this morning, adding paintings to my cupboards in my kitchen. The painting over the sink is by my grand daughter Elizabeth. I've always hung paintings everywhere but the cupboards "were bare" so up they went. I keep adding and soon will be out of space!My kitchen is tiny, it's a little beach cottage,early on meant for vacationing.It's cozy!

FACES

9"x5" handbuilt,handpainted and glazed earthenware clay.
Oh yes, there are more!

FACES

9" x 6" handbuilt,hand painted and glazed earthenware clay
More faces!! More fun!!

FACES

10.5"x5"  Hand built, handpainted, earthenware clay with glazes.

Oh yes, there are more! Fun is fun and fun is NOT done! Are you smiling now??