30 Day Collage

This is a collage of the my 30 Paintings in 30 Days.  I've had to work small to get one done each day,  so I'm looking forward to painting a few larger pieces in February.  I also have a few requests for dog portraits from friends and family, so I'll be posting those as I get to them.  I plan to continue painting each day in 2014 so I'll be posting many more paintings throughout the year. 

Spring Planning

I realized in the middle of this painting that it probably looks like some sort of wierd alchemy experiment to folks that don't garden... and, perhaps it is at that!  This is the time of year I pull out seeds gathered from last year's gardens along with seed catalogs.  It's the time of year for clearing land, burning, plowing and planning for the spring.  The days are getting longer at last!  This is sadly the last day of the 30 day challenge... what a great start to a new year!!!  More paintings to come...

Snow in Georgia

I didn't really have a choice of what to paint today... we don't get snow very often in Georgia.  This is an old Sycamore tree up near the barn.  It's actually dead and we probably should cut it down, but it looks really cool.  Today is day 29 of the 30 day challenge. 

Houseboat on Lake Hartwell

I painted this houseboat today because I liked the reflections and wanted to give that a go.  I was also very excited this morning that this was my last landscape day in the 30 day challenge.  I picked landscapes as my week 4 theme and this is the last day of week 4 (I struggle with landscapes).  Ironically, it is snowing outside my studio window and getting prettier by the minute.  I'm about to head outside with my camera... tomorrow may be another landscape day.  

Lake Hartwell Island

I tryed a different approach today, because I'm getting frustrated with tight landscapes.  In addition, I didn't have a lot of time for painting today.  I decided to use only a huge brush and pallet knife.  It was a lot more fun.  I'll need to look at this again several days from now to know what I really think about it.   This is day 27 of the 30 day challenge... only one more day of week 4 and landscapes!

Last Warm Night

This was painted from a picture I took back in October when we had a cookout on a lake island.  It was literally the last warm night of 2013.  We lucked out because a front rolled in right as the sun was setting.  We had hoped to repeat the experience before the year was out, but the weather did not cooperate.  This is the first time I've attempted a sunset, and after seeing the photo of the painting, I'm planning to go back and work on this some more.  It was a good color challenge.  I'll repost the update before these 30 days are up.  

Dylan on the Beach

I've been struggling with landscapes this week, so I thought I would sneak a dog into a beach landscape today.  This was painted from a photo taken on a cold winter day on a South Carolina Beach.  Dylan likes the water even better when it's frigid (particularly when there is a ball involved).  I liked painting the reflections on wet sand and will have fun with more of that in the future. 

Fishing Time

This is a scene from the South Carolina coast.  It's a dog friendly place so we travel there as often as possible.  This lady is a regular at low tide.  This is day 24 in the 30 day painting challenge.  I'm struggling with water landscapes this week. 

Lake Hartwell Island Hopping

This was painted from a photo taken last summer.  Far too often, we start out fishing and end up swimming off some island.  This is one of our favorite camping islands.  I started this painting on a canvas that I had already applied a dark ground to.  I enjoyed the painting process a lot more, because it forced me to use thick paint and to jump into the colors and contrast quicker.  I prepared another canvas today so that I can try the technique again tomorrow. 

Foggy Cove at Sunrise

This is a view I treasure.  Our farm backs up to lake Hartwell, and we wake up to sunrise on the lake each morning.  The photo this was painted from was taken on a cold morning when fog was still sitting on the lake.  We are starting week 4 in the 30 day challenge.  I'll be painting water landscapes this  week.  I have trouble with landscapes so this week will be painful.  It's also very cold, so I'll be painting from photos we've taken on the lake and at the ocean rather than "en plein air".     

3 brown cows

These three cows are painted on a 6X8 gesso panel.  This is day 21 of the 30 day challenge and the end of week 3.  My theme this week was farm animals.  Tomorrow is the start of week 4 with a new theme.  To view the auction for this painting click here.

Nubian Goat

This little nubian goat is painted on a 6x6 gesso panel.  This is day 20 of the 30 day painting challenge.  If you'd like to bid on this little goat, click here.

Pink Nose

I liked this little girl's looks because of her pink nose.  I painted her this evening after returning from an out of town trip.  I'll get a daylight photo of her tomorrow to get a better representation of her colors. 

#2 Mouser

This is our #2 mouser, Nancy Annie.  She is Wesley's sister and has identical facial markings, but looks like a completely different species otherwise.  She was also a feral kittie, but adapted very quickly to the food bowl.  Her painting is also up for adoption at Dailypaintworks. 

#1 Mouser

Wesley is the #1 mouser on our little farm.  He was a feral cat that our neighbor caught for us when he was 5-6 months old.  We sent him to the University of Georgia with my niece for several years.  When they graduated, my niece went on to graduate school, and Wesley, like a lot of college kids, came back home to live in our basement.  We have no complaints as he keeps the field mice out of our basement and dramatically reduces the population outside from sunrise to sunset.  Wesley's painting is up for adoption at Dailypaintworks.  

This is day 3 of week 3 in the 30 day painting challenge.  Wesley is one of week 3's farm animal paintings. 

Spotted Girl

This spotted cow lives nearby, but doesn't quite look like this girl.  I rearranged her spots to get a better composition.   Today is day 2 of week three.  This week for me is farm animals in the neighborhood. 

Spotted Cow

This black and white cow is painted from a cow in the neighborhood.  It is painted on a 6X6 gesso panel.  This is the beginning of week 3 of the 30 day challenge.  My theme for this week is "farm criters".   This painting is up for auction on  Daily Paintworks.

Pucker Up

This is the way my dog Dylan looks right before he smacks me with a big sloppy kiss.  I'm sad that this is the last painting of week 2 in the 20 day challenge.  This second week for me has been a dog a day week.  It's allowed me open up to some silly content, which has been very fun.  Next time I do a 30 day challenge, I may just do 30 dogs.  If you'd like to bid on Dylan, he's available for adoption on Daily Paintworks. 

Opie in his Sweater

This is Opie in his Christmas Sweater enjoying a few goodies.  His favorite time is meal time, so I thought I would paint him doing what he likes best.  He is part of a series of paintings for week 2 of the 30 day challenge.  This is day 13.  This painting is ready for adoption at DailyPaintworks.  If you'd like to view the auction or place a bid, click here.    

Old Soul

This old soul was left on our farm when we bought it several years ago.  He wasn't the best guard dog (other than his food bowl), but he turned out to be a great friend.  His name was Pooh Bear.  He's painted on a 6X6 archival panel.  This is day 12 in the January 2014 30 day challenge.  If you'd like to place a bid on Pooh Bear click here.

Catching Waves

This is my dog Dylan at his favorite spot on the planet.  We take him to Hunting Island in South Carolina as often as possible to play in the waves.  This is day 11 in the 30 day challenge.  This is painted on a 6X8 archival gesso panel.  If you like to bid on this painting click here.

All Dressed Up

This is a painting of my sister's pal, Scout.  She has an extensive wardrobe and always looks like she's just applied a fresh layer of eye liner (although, I'm told it's natural).  This is day 10 of the 30 day challenge.  It's also day 3 of week 2 which for me is a "dog a day" week. 

Yak Yak

This was painted from one of my favorite photos of Medea.  She was very sassy.  This is day 9 in the 30 day challenge... also day 2 of week 2 which is dog-a-day week. 

Day on the Lake

This is a painting of the best dog ever, Jason.  The photo this was painted from was taken several years ago from a day we spent on the lake with him and his sister.  I didn't do him justice in this so I'll have to try again.  This is day eight and week 2 in the 30 day challenge.  My theme this week is a dog a day.

Orange Juice Factory

This is day 7 in the 30 day challenge.  This week, my theme was "stuff to drink".  Today is obviously, fresh orange juice (with a few strawberries).  Next week my theme will be "a dog a day".  That starts tomorrow!  I have this painting on auction at Daily Paintworks.  If you'd like to view the auction or place a bid, click here.

Cold Day for Bourbon

This still life was inspired by the really cold weather. We don't pull out the Blanton Bourbon often, but reaching single digits in the south is a great excuse. This is painted on an archival gesso panel. I apply a layer of varnish once dry. This is day 6 of the 30 day painting challenge. I hope you enjoy viewing this painting!

I have this painting on auction at Daily Paintworks.   If you'd like to view the auction and/or bid, click on this link. 

Tea and Cream

I painted this painting from a different perspective to force myself to deal with multiple circles in a composition. It is painted on an archival panel. I apply a layer of varnish once dry to preserve the bold colors. This is day 5 of the 30 day painting challenge. This is up for auction on Daily Paintworks.  If you'd like to place a bid, click on this link.

Olives and a Twist!

This is Day 4 of the 30 day challenge.  This painting is painted on a 6X8 archival gesso panel.  I went a tad smaller due to some commitments later in the day... didn't help... still took about the same time as it would to paint an 8X10.  I've put this up for auction on Daily Paintworks.  If you'd like to bid, click here.  

A Toast to the New Year

Here is what's left of our toast to the new year.  We opened a bottle of champagne outside by a warm fire and watched the local fireworks.  This is day 3 of the 2014 January 30 day challenge.  If you'd like to bid on this one, here's the link.

Little Green Teapot

Day 2... so far so good.  This is one of my favorite teapots that I bought from a local potter.  I decided to jump to the other side of the color spectrum today after painting a red teapot yesterday.  If you'd like to bid on this one, click here for the auction. 

Little Red Teapot

This is my first painting in the January 2014 30 day painting challenge.  I'm choosing a different theme each week.  This first week will be an assortment of beverages.  I wanted to work on balancing reds and oranges today.  I added the green teabags for a splash of contrast.  I'll be placing these on auction at Daily Paintworks.  To check out active auctions and/or to bid on this painting, click here.