Daily Paintworks- Homegrown

Click here to bid on this painting, 5x7, oil.

This is the extent of our apple harvest this year on our young apple tree- so far.  I had to wrestle them from my family's hands to paint them before they were consumed.  I'm going to see if I can get a hold of one of our peaches next!

Daily Paintworks- Blue Pot and Nectarines

Bid on this painting, 5x7, oil

Another small painting available on the Daily Paintworks site.  This was fun to do.  I like the mysterious quality of the dark shadows and objects emerging from it.  The challenge of the still life is in the set up, at least for me.  It's finding a composition that's exciting or interesting.  It's different from plein air.  Although both are painted from life, plein air is making the most out of what's before you and capturing the light. Still life is creating a scene before you, then making it come alive in paint.  It's all good.

Daily Paintworks- Three Nectarines

Bid on this painting, 5x7, oil

I have started doing some small daily paintings that I'm going to auction off from my site on Daily Paintworks.  This is a great site filled with terrific artwork.  The paintings I post on the Daily Paintworks site will be small (5x7 or 6x6 typically), will be sold ready-to-frame, and will start at $100 in a 7-day auction.  I'll also continue to post them here on my blog.  I'm so excited about this new challenge.  While daily painting is certainly not a new concept, and I try to paint or draw daily anyway, it is a great way for me to continue to grow creatively and technically. 

La Jolla Festival of the Arts

I'm going to be at the 25th Annual La Jolla Festival of the Arts this weekend, 6/18-6/19. Looking forward to it- it should be a nice weekend for art, with proceeds supporting a great cause. I'll be in booth 308, so if you're in the area, stop on by and say 'hi'. My Facebook site has a couple of coupons and promotions for this event- just follow the link, like the page, then go to the Fan Offer. Enjoy!

From the festival website:
"The purpose of the La Jolla Festival of the Arts is to raise funds that support sports and recreation programs for San Diegans with disabilities. Some of the programs include adaptive snow skiing, karate, wheelchair road racing, camping, wheelchair tennis, water skiing, quadriplegic rugby, therapeutic horseback riding, and art and education programs. We also fund rehabilitative programs for disabled veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. "

More Oaks from Warner Springs

Here are two more from our trip to Warner Springs. These two are painted at the intersection of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and the California Hiking and Riding Trail (CHRT). My husband and kids hiked up the PCT for a half-day hike to Eagle Rock, and I stayed and painted.
We really had great weather while we were out there. It seems like it could get hot in the summer, but we hit it just right.

Midday Beauty (top), 8x10, oil.
Strong, Shadows (bottom), 8x10, oil.

Oaks and Wildflowers

This spring we spent some time near Warner Springs, enjoying California the way it once was- before it was "developed." I love the oaks with their strong character and the carpet of poppies and other wildflowers. We had terrific weather, too- perfect for plein air. "Oaks and Wildflowers" 8x10, oil.

Beautiful!

That summed up the weather, atmosphere, and art at ArtWalk this year. People were out and about, tons of people, enjoying the weekend. Thanks to all who came by and visited with me, checked out the booth, and a special thanks to all of my new collectors! I hope you have found that perfect spot for your new painting.
It is so gratifying to know that these pieces are evoking a memory, or a feeling, or a smile in you, just as they do with me. And it is always humbling when you choose to bring one into your home. Thank you!

For those of you who missed ArtWalk, June brings more fun with the La Jolla Festival of the Arts. More to come on that, but I hope to see you there.