Red Shoes for Lily

on auction here

This painting is for a little 5 year old girl who after winning her battle with leukemia found out she needed a new heart. The proceeds are being donated to her fund to get a new heart. I grew up in the same neighborhood as her father although he probably doesn't remember me. Some friends of mine on Facebook started posting about this page Red Shoes For Lily and it inspired me to paint this picture of her little red slippers. This is the profile pic for her page you can find here. Please take the time to visit her page and like it. Maybe even post your own red shoes in support!:) 

Any fellow artists out there who would like to paint a pair of red shoes and donate the proceeds to her cause feel free! I tried to set up something up on DPW but because there are so many people in need they like to keep the charity they do more generalized. I understand that. If you choose to join in let me know so I can help promote your painting too and share it with Lily's family! :)

Thanks for your help

Jennifer:)

I'm a Featured Artist!

I woke up this morning to the news that I was chosen as the featured artist on

Artpromotivate! It's such an honor and I'm so excited! It's funny...just when you need it something

amazing happens! Little things like this keep me going. Thank you all for supporting me

on here through the years. This of you who have been with me from the beginning...I truly appreciate it! And I love when I get new followers too! I hope that I can at least inspire someone else to never give up on their dreams! I know I won't!

Peonies Bliss

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Here's my latest daily painting. Or, I should say...almost daily painting. I really don't know how

the other daily painters do it. I'm trying to get to the gym, make dinner, work on 

business tasks, and complete a presentable painting a day. I could probably whip out something

fast, but it seems the more I learn the longer I spend on a painting. I wonder if other artists

experience the same thing. Maybe I just like the process.

And here at The Rose Garden in Malevik

Lazy Lavender Afternoon...

available here

This painting is an 8x8 oil, on gallery wrapped canvas with painted sides, so it's ready to display! I tried to warm up the colors in this one so I used orange as a mother color. 

I also used a palette knife for most of it and an angled flat no. 6 brush here and there. 

I'm trying to discipline myself to paint at least one a day. These smaller canvases are 

perfect for that but I still need to work on larger ones too.

 So...we'll see if I can keep it up. I'm starting a commissioned piece right now 

with rich beautiful colors just in time for fall. After that trees:)

Back on the Farm

available here

His Majesty

8x8

oil on canvas

This colorful guy was inspired by some photos I took while on Kauai a few years back.

Did you know they have chickens (and roosters) running around all over the place there? I read that they escaped when they had a hurricane (I think it was in the 80's) and now they're wild. 

They seem to get along just fine on their own over there in paradise. 

I used a palette knife for the majority of this painting along with an angled flat no. 6 brush.

Thanks for looking!:)

A Warm Welcome Palette Knife Painting

A Warm Welcome
11 x14
oil on canvas
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It's been a while since I posted a new painting, and even longer since I've painted a door! It's not that I wanted to paint and have many ideas lined up, 

but have been focusing on my paleo diet, trying to get my auto immune problems under control. I researched a lot and have read that they have a tendency to progress to other one's, and I don't want that. 

I'm feeling pretty good and have much more energy, 

so I hope it's working. 

For this painting I used a palette knife for the majority of 

it and finished it up with a sharp angled brush for some details. I love the texture you get with the knife. I also tried to keep the colors on the warm side with a few complimentary ones here and there. 

Overall though, I was going for a warm, inviting feel.

What colors do you like to use or decorate with?

Studio News

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 I'm offering 

new giclee prints in my shop now. The quality is amazing and can also be printed on canvas if you'd like. Here's the link for ordering a variety of my prints on many different substrate. So please don't miss

my Studio Sale ending on the 21st of July...only a few days left! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I'm just going to try and stay cool and get through my coffee detox! I'm on the Paleo diet now for my autoimmune problems of been having these last 2 years. But in all my research I found a list of foods that mimic the gluten molecule so when I eat them my body attacks itself. I gave up gluten last year but am now giving up the other things on the list like corn, chocolate, and coffee! It's not easy...this is day one for the coffee and I'm lucky to even be writing this! 

I was going to post about my birthday weekend with my daughter but I'll get to that next time!

We had a wonderful time:)

Also, don't miss these other great Etsy shops joining in on the 10% OFF Christmas in July sale!

Here's a link to our Pinterest board for fun and easy browsing!

It's Christmas Time again...

this one is being revised:)

...Christmas in July that is! Join my shop and these other great shops from our Creative Trends Team for a 10% off sale! There's also a bonus coupon for November, if you purchase now. I don't hold sales very often; my next one won't be until Thanksgiving time, so...if you have had your eye on one of my original paintings now would be a great time to shop! I also have new giclees in my shop which are also on sale. The sale ends on July 21st but hurry so you don't miss anything. 

Here are the links to the other great shops participating in the sale-

EnzieShahamiriDesigns

ShopPretties

SweetChildJewelry

RevampReuse

EarthMotherMosaics

NoraJane

This week I'm also participating in the Party over at Cindy's blog My Romantic Home

Have a great weekend!

Sunflowers Painting!

being revised

My inspiration for this painting was the weekly challenge on Daily Paintworks! I was a day late but at least I did it. I've done a few smaller sunflower paintings but never one this large. I tried to keep the colors dark so that the sunflowers could be the star of the show! With all that sunshine yellow there's no need for any other saturated color, with the exception of the touches of the magenta "flowers" that I added in the end. But even the magenta is not pure. 

Fourth of July has come and gone so quickly. Now it's on to my birthday! Time really needs to slow down! Summer is my favorite season and it seems so short. In honor of my favorite month I'm having a Christmas in July Sale in my Etsy shop! The sale goes from July 11th-21st and I'm offering 10% off anything in my shop. Mark your calendars! 

Time flies and the next thing you know it'll be Christmas time again! 

Using Photos for References

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As I mentioned in my previous post, I use different resources for my paintings. Some of it comes from imagination, in that I make I might put some wildflowers in the foreground or change the shape of tree so that its more pleasing to the composition. My florals rarely look anything like my references. I might buy a bouquet of lilies and use them as reference for sunflowers, or add another vase of roses that wasn't exactly there in my set up. I also like to play up the colors. But I usually have some photos to use as references. Sometimes the worst photos make the best paintings. This painting is an example of this situation. Here's the reference photo for this one. This is all I used...nothing else, but my memories of cruising down this beautiful road last year...too long ago, I might say! 

We were driving when I took this shot, so it's through a windshield and a little blurry (I sharpened it). I pumped up the colors a lot and discovered the trees were just starting to bloom (or at the end of the bloom...not sure). I was drawn to this photo, out of the 100's I took) because of the beautiful winding road with the shadows crossing it. I also liked how the sun was coming through at the end of the road (light at the end of the tunnel!) I had to crop a lot so the road hit at just the right spot. 

I have always been drawn to roads and paths. They represent the future to me and I love the idea of the light at the end. One of my favorite things to do is to take a slow drive in the beautiful country we live in. I'm usually the lucky passenger so I get to snap shots like this one to capture that time for future reference. I've also just discovered how to take a picture on google maps so the world is just a click away! I think I'll "visit" San Francisco via Google Maps. I have a few shots I took on my phone so they might suffice but it's nice to have more choices at my fingertips. 

Happy 4th of July to all of my American friends! 

This marks the countdown to my birthday in 10 days!

I always say I'm not going to celebrate anymore but still get excited when its 

approaching. July is definitely my favorite month!

 

Jacarandas in Maui!

Upcountry in Bloom

Here's my latest painting of the Jacaranda trees in Maui! I just love the color of these beautiful trees! I was in Maui over a year ago now and we drove all over the beautiful countryside in search of these trees. I went down this exact street but it didn't look like this. The trees weren't blooming...and everything seemed a little dry. I was lucky enough to have discovered a wonderful photographer from Maui on Facebook. His name is David Schoonover. I contacted him to ask if I could use his photos of the Jacaranda trees as reference for a painting. He said ok! He actually ended up being from a town not far from me! It's such a small world. I was so glad I asked him! I didn't want to copy his work but use it as a reference so I went on Google maps and took a tour through Upcountry on Maui until I found the same street. Believe me, it took a while but it was fun! I found other paintings I want to do later.

google maps reference

I just discovered another resource for photos that are ok to use. Richard Robinson gave the tip on his website. It's called, appropriately, "Paint my Photo", and has many photos that members have uploaded for other artists to use. My ideal would be to bring my easel to Maui and plop it down right in front of that tree and paint the day away...but reality sets in, and until that day comes, I'm happy to have these great resources and gracious photographers available to me!

Pink Fields of Tulips!

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16x20
oil

I love fields of colorful flowers and when I saw the photography of Steve Phelps I knew I just had to paint them! These are beautiful pink tulips in Washington. Steve has been following my

art on Facebook for a while now and about a months ago he posted one of his gorgeous photos on my

page and said that my art had inspired his work! It is really an honor to inspire another artist and I was thrilled when I asked if I could use his work as reference for a painting. Well this is what he inspired me to do! I just love the creative world of art! I've met so many really nice people.

Hydrangeas!

this is a commissioned piece 

24x30

oil on canvas

I just complete this large hydrangea painting for a client. I've never painted them before but it was fun! I love hydrangeas. They remind me of vintage gardens. My mom has one in her garden, growing in a pot. It actually looks similar to this one, but more pinks. I love all the varieties there are. 

I'm off to town for some shopping, then I'm going work on a few new paintings of trees...Jacarandas and more! 

Have a great weekend! 

Roses and Cherries 2...maybe 3

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I just completed this commission for one of my awesome collectors! It's a 12x12 canvas. I did one very similar to this one a few years back on an 8x8 canvas. I just bought some larger square canvases and can't wait to get started on them. Now,  I just have to decide what to paint on them.

I have one more commission I'm working on for a client. It's a large hydrangea painting. I'll share it here with you all when I finish it. I hope everyone is week and enjoying the weekend!

The weather has been pretty hot here so I've been inside for the most part. Heat seems to really bother me now. I need to live somewhere where the weather is moderate year round. That would be Southern California. Now if I could only get my husband to follow me there! 

Oh well, I guess I'll just stay inside for now.

Poppies All Around!

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These beautiful poppies are blooming in many gardens all around town. They don't last long so I've captured them in paint! I lost some of the variations in the reds in this photo so I'll try to get a better photos a little later.

I drove to the nearest big town yesterday to buy ink and food and had to make a detour at the rest stop, after waiting for almost 40 minutes for road construction! It's a two lane highway, over the mountain, and they've been working on the road, straightening out some of the switch back turns, so that big rigs can drive back and forth from the coast. I didn't mind the turns and they say it's only going to cut the time by 10 minutes. All was calm, though, after I stopped and took in this beautiful view of Whiskeytown Lake. It looks different every time I see it, and is always spectacular! It would be nice to live on the lake and paint it everyday with the changing light. The views are best as you drive by at 60 mph...I can't figure out how to stop and get a good shot without risking my life on that dangerous highway! This will have to do.

Have a great weekend! 

What will you be doing to kick off the summer?

There's a giveaway going on!

available as a print

For a chance to win any 8x10 print from my Etsy shop just pop over to Melissa's blog, So About What I Said...! Melissa was so kind to host this for me! I hope you find her blog as much fun as I do and that you continue to follow her interesting, heartfelt posts. Please enter for a chance to win by commenting on her blog! Thank you for your support!