New Romantic Floral

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Wouldn't this piece look great in a cottage chic, shabby chic, romantic style home? I think it would also look great in a beach home too, even traditional decor. Framing it will change the direction it can go. I see all kinds of possibilities. The inspiration for this painting came from my recent trip down the hill to Trader Joe's. I don't always pick up flowers but I saw they had lisianthus and had to have them! The roses were also beautiful and came with a few stems of alstroemeria. I used lots of texture achieved with a palette knife and love the way the glass turned out. I think I'm getting better! This one's my new fav right now but I've already started on a new hydrangea piece. It's a 20x20 so it's not small. This one isn't small either. It's 16x20. You can find all the info about it by clicking on the link right below the image.

Inspiration Overload

available here

Can there be such a  thing as too much inspiration? I'm not really sure what's been going on with me these last few months, but I'm trying to work through it. I get so inspired to paint but then hesitate because of too many choices and the thought of out doing my last piece. I don't want to regress!

I just got back from a whirl wind trip to Southern California. My mom and I traveled to see my sister and attend my nieces high school graduation. It's a long, long drive and we did it in one day. The following day was spent recovering and wasn't helped any with a sleepless night. We enjoyed one spectacular day in Laguna, where we had lunch at Las Brisas, overlooking the beautiful Pacific Ocean (my home), followed by more inspiration at a few galleries. I was pleasantly surprised at the down to earth feeling I got from the Art Directors/Owners of the few galleries we stopped in. I had thought they would be stuffy and indicating. I was so wrong. Since this was a spur of the moment idea, I wasn't prepared to introduce myself as an artist interested in representation. I did tell them I was an artist so they would waist too much time selling to me, but they still took time with me even after finding that out. Anyway, this little excursion left me with a new goal. I think I would like to seek some representation down there. It's probably a big dream and nothing more but I'm just "putting it out there" to the Universe. I had pieces in local galleries but have never tried to get in anywhere else. I might never try but it's on my mind now and will soon be on my Dream Board.

prints and more available here 

The whole trip left me yearning to be back home at the beach even more than ever. We were there for such a short time, busy with family (not complaining though. It was great to see them) I didn't even get to put my toes in the sand. While we were having lucy we met a daughter visiting her father who lived in Laguna. She had grown up there and like me misses the ocean, a lot! As soon as they finished lunch she changed into her suit and went for a dip! I should have brought mine with me. I'm on a new mission to move to Oceanside-San Diego, somewhere around there. Huntington Beach would be my first choice but it's quite pricey. My guy is 55+ and I'll be 45 next month so we qualify for the retirement communities! haha I'm happy for that! Now...I just have to get him to go along with me. He's  not from California originally so doesn't have a love for it like I do, and would actually like to move away.

available here

So, back to my art. I think I'm going to focus on figures and flowers and go large! That's one thing a gallery owner told me. Large is the way to go. I will still be offering smaller pieces too of course and I'm sure I won't be able to help add a landscape in there, but will also be trying to create a body of large pieces, like in the 40x60 range. They may be shipped, rolled and then need to be re-stretched if they are going over seas but as long as they're staying in the US shipping is doable. So I'm off to create my new Dream Board and order some gigantic canvas!

I will write about the angel and her significance in my life in my next post. 

Where Did May Go?

work in progress

Where did May go? It happens every year. I wait for Spring and Summer and they fly by! I remember this even as a child growing up in Southern California. Yes we did have the best weather but i still waited for the perfect beach weather. We had what they call, June Gloom, where the marine layer stays along the coast, never burning off. July was my favorite but that could have something to do with the fact that it's my Bday month! But the weather was always the best late summer, early fall. The water warms up to a nice temp, and the nights stay warm. What great memories I have of that time of year. The night blooming jasmine fills the air and swimming at night was not out of the question. 

Good times. 

This piece I'm currently working on, of Catalina, brings back some wonderful memories. But now I'm once again, scouring the internet for a way to move back down there (well, I kind of always do that). I'm not sure if it's a case of "the grass is always greener", or if it's because that's where I was born and raised and nothing compares to it. Whatever it is, it keeps me drawn to painting its beauty of never endless inspiration. 

I just purchased my first pochade box and am planning on getting out and painting the world…that's my plan at least…we'll see. I have a french easel but it takes so long to set up, I'm hoping that the ease of the pochade box will make it so I have no excuse. I tried to make one myself but it never quite came together. I think the box was too heavy, anyway.

This painting of Avalon on Catalina, CA is not from plein air painting, but from a great reference photo from Ivy Faulkner of Palos Verdes Pictures. I'm friends with her on Facebook and have admired her photos for quite awhile now. When I saw this scene, I knew I had to paint it, so I was thrilled when she said yes to my question of using it for reference. I cropped it a little tighter and added the bougainvillea, which really sets it off. I'm really liking this one… I can just imagine the ocean air and warm sun on my face. It's an 18x24 oil, so is taking about a week to complete, but I'm enjoying every minute of it. 

sold

available soon

 This piece was done on mistake and will available soon for purchase. It's a 9x12…I was supposed to paint an 8x10 and don't know how I mixed that up. Anyway practice is always good, right? I still need to retake the photo with my good camera and then get it listed. If you're interested before then, it's a 9x12 oil on stretched canvas.

So now I'm off to paint more! I will be continuing my painting every day but am taking a week off soon! Can't wait to get some new inspiration photos on my trip! Have a great June!!!