#31: "For Sale by Owner", watercolor, 15" x 11"

Last night the Wednesday Night Painters met at Fisherman's Terminal for plein air painting. This bicycle and it's shadow on the deck of a run-down old boat caught my eye immediately. One of the painters in the group has been experimenting with drawing her composition using red paint. I decided to give it a try. It was a very pleasant evening standing in the sun on the dock making this painting. This is my last posting for at least a week. I'll be in Mexico. Hasta la vista! My Ray for the Day is "For Sale by Owner".

#30: "Mexican Pots", watercolor, 20" x 15"

In two days I am leaving for a week in Mexico. I painted these pots last time I was there. They remind me of the light and the warmth of Guadalajara. I will be taking my watercolors with me, but will not be able to post paintings. There will be just one more posting before I go. The Ray for the Day is "Mexican Pots".

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#29: "Sea Songs", watercolor, 8" x 6"

Most of the last year I sailed was on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. I sailed with Virginia and Jo. We had a very happy and playful boat. I wonder what became of Jo, the singer in the painting. I didn't have much time to paint today, so this little quickie is a bit over painted. Funny how that works. The Ray for the Day is "Sea Songs".

#28: "Happy at the Helm", watercolor, 15" x 11"

It was another perfect day in Paradise. We were leaving Moorea after a sweet morning swim, heading out for Tonga. This was about 21 years ago, and seems like yesterday. A dear friend is helping me edit the stories I wrote during this time. I am making paintings about this Grand Adventure, and am planning to compile stories and paintings into book form. It's all creative. It's all fun, though not without challenges. The Ray for the Day is "Happy at the Helm".

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#27: "Still Waters" watercolor, 15" x 11"

I still have boats on the brain. It really was such a beautiful, peaceful evening! The Ray for the Day is "Still Waters". You can enlarge these little paintings by clicking on them.

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#26: "Rowboat Guy", watercolor, 15" x 11"

While we were painting at the Wooden Boat Center the other evening this guy rowed by. I couldn't resist taking his photo....and painting him today. This scene is also very reminiscent of my sailing days. Our dinghys were our family cars. We went everywhere in them as we were usually anchored some distance offshore. Rowing a dinghy can be a very peaceful experience, as I have expressed in this Ray for the Day, "Rowboat Guy".

#25: "Peaceful Reflection", watercolor, 22" x 15"

Last evening The Wednesday Night Painters (I've been painting with this group for nearly 10 years!) met at the Wooden Boat Center. The late afternoon was warm, calm and peaceful.  The serene mood, beautiful shadows, and wonderful reflection of this beautiful rowboat captured my attention. It felt great standing in the sun and painting this scene. I just thought of another title, Rhapsody in Blue. In this painting my color palette is more restricted than usual. I kept wanting to add more color, but the painting wouldn't let me do it.  My plein air painting, Peaceful Reflection is the Ray for the Day.

#24: "Groceries on the Afterdeck", watercolor, 11" x 15"

In Tonga when we bought fresh fruit it was given to us in this basket woven from palm fronds. My paintings seem to be making me hungry these days. I think I'll go make lunch. The Ray for the Day evokes some very strong memories for me.....Groceries on the Afterdeck.

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#23: "Tea for One", watercolor, 6" x 8"

I love these dishes that I found at Ace Hardware store. They always delight me and make me smile. This could also be called Another Study in Elipses. I prefer to call the Ray for the Day "Tea for One". Now I think I will go eat the egg.

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#22: "Sunday Morning in Tonga", watercolor, 15" x 11"

Going to Church in Tonga was a delight. Firstly everyone dressed up. Virtually everyone wore an apron-like garment called a ta'ovala to honor the king. The walk to the Church was joyful, and once you got there the acapella singing was heavenly. In this painting I was attempting to capture the lively mood and the sunshine of the morning. The Ray for the Day is Sunday Morning in Tonga.

#21: "Funny Little Fish Pots", watercolor, 8" x 6"

While in Guadalajara recently I came upon this pile of quite amusing pots. This could be called Study in Three Hues, but I prefer to call the Ray for the Day "Funny Little Fish Pots". Now I'm off to the Edmonds Art Festival.
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#20: "Wasa's Galley", watercolor, 11" x 15"

Making this painting has been a real visit down memory lane. During my sailing days I lived on Wasa for about a year. I joined her in the Caribbean and ended up in Australia. I had the special talent of not getting sea sick. Wasa's galley was a special place for me. I attempted to never repeat a meal, even though the choices in our storage were limited. There are so many stories about cooking at sea that I could spend a whole day writing about them. But not today. This little painting captures the feeling of this galley for me. It was fun to paint. Wasa's Galley is the Ray for Today.

#19: "Farm Picnic Table Top", watercolor, 6" x 8"

Today I felt compelled to continue with another image of the Farm Picnic that I saw at the Garden Show. This very charming table top stirs me with memories that I am not sure are really mine. Perhaps they tap into some kind of collective unconscious. It is also a study in elipses. The Ray for the Day is Farm Picnic Table Top. 

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#18: "Squalls on the Horizon", watercolor, 11" x 15"

During my 3 years of sailing I did many ocean crossings of 30 days or more. Mid-ocean was one of my favorite parts of that adventure. Every day was beautiful and every day was different. Many times we would watch the squalls moving about the perimeter of our ocean wilderness. Seeing them on the horizon was gorgeous. (Being in them was not so much fun.) I have a feeling this painting is the beginning of other paintings of cloud formations. The Ray for the Day is Squalls on the Horizon.

#17: "Shadow in the Window", watercolor, 8" x 6"

My 90 year old Dad lives in an enchanted cottage with his two cats, Sugar and Shadow. Yesterday as I was leaving his home I looked back and saw Shadow sitting in the bedroom window. I could not resist the photo op, or the urge to paint it. So the Ray for the Day is Shadow in the Window. 

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#16 "View from Casa Maya", watercolor 9" x 12"

Okay, so today I am fudging just a little. Yesterday I had many obligations, and today I am leaving town for a couple of days. I couldn't stand to be blogless for so many days, so I am posting a painting I did a few weeks ago while in Mexico. For the 10 days I was there I did make a painting a day. This was the last day of my time there. I was sitting on the front deck of Casa Maya (casa of a friend of mine) and looking to the Northeast. Mi gusto Mexico!!!
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#15: "Farm Picnic", watercolor, 8" x 6"

I guess I have picnics on the brain. Tomorrow evening we are having a picnic barbeque....in spite of the rainy and cold weather! Last year at the Garden Show I saw this old fashioned garden with a picnic set up in the backyard. It reminded me so much of my Grandmother's garden that it brought tears to my eyes......and inspired me to re-create it for my friends (as well as in this little painting). The Ray for the Day is Farm Picnic.

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#14: "Aukland Bird Lady", watercolor, 15" x 11"

While I was spending a few weeks in Aukland N.Z. during my sailing days I would often see this woman feeding the birds. She was always dressed very creatively. The Ray for the Day: The Bird Lady of Aukland. I feel concerned that these Sea Stories paintings may become a little too "sentimental" or too illustrative. Yet these are my memories and are burned in my memory in these particular ways. Perhaps it is a sentimental journey....and wants to be just that. It will be interesting to see how they evolve. I do feel very sweet feelings for this Bird Lady.

#13: "Tea in Sydney Harbor (in Wasa's cockpit)" 15" x 11"

Today I am continuing with a series of paintings called "Sea Stories". In September I will be featured artist at Parklane Gallery in Kirkland. I am doing a very personal series about a 3 year sailing journey I was on. I returned from that journey 20 years ago this Fall. It is time I commemorated that adventure. I have also written a number of stories about that very amazing experience. I will be self-publishing those stories with some illustrations from this series of paintings. This is a scene from the cockpit of the sailing yacht Wasa while we were anchored in Sydney Harbor. The Ray for today is 15" x 11".

#12: "Scissors Happy", watercolor, 8" x 6"

The rain has been incessant today. In spite of it I had a great time with a dear woman friend, and came hope inspired by the scissors on my studio table. It's "Scissors Happy" for the Ray for Today.

#11: "A Pair", watercolor, 8" x 6"

So what does a painter paint when she is addicted to her blog and doesn't have a great idea and has a busy day? Pears, of course. So my Ray for  the Day is this "Pair". I didn't promise a great painting every day....or even a good painting....just a painting. Gotta go do lots of stuff.

#10: "Tootsie Pops", watercolor, 8" x 6"

For Joanne, who said "why don't you paint your Tootsie Pops?" They were fun to paint. I ate the last chocolate one while I was painting.

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#9: "Stargazers Again", watercolor, 8"x6"

The stargazer bouquet is still beautiful. I felt divided between doing my Daily Ray or going out to work in the garden. Which to do first? Painting won......so now I'll go out and work in the physical garden. Me, the not-the-flower painter just can't seem to paint anything else right now. Must be the season. 

#8: "Stargazers", watercolor, 8" x 6"

When a woman bought a painting at the Kirkland Artist's Studio Tour recently she asked that I deliver it and bring my husband with me for dinner at her home. Last night we made that delivery and had a most fabulous evening. The home was filled with wonderful art, the dinner was artful in every way, and the conversation rich and deep. As if that wasn't enough......at the end of the evening she shared that she would be out of town for the next couple of weeks, so would like us to take this glorious bouquet of stargazers with us! I really don't think of myself as a flower painter...but there you have it. The Ray for the Day is "Stargazers".

#7: "Still Crazy for Coleus", watercolor, 8" x 6"

Today is again a garden day. After planting a few more annuals I just had to check the coleus to see if they've grown any yet. Not much....but I know from experience they will get huge. They thrill me. Aren't I easy? At this stage am getting so that I am eager to do my daily painting. I'm also working on a way to mount them on canvas and finish them with a wax medium. So the Ray for Today is "Still Crazy for Coleus". 

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#6: "Happy Hostas", watercolor, 8" x 6"

Today I went to Daniel Smith's paint factory for a tour. It was really interesting to see how paint is made. It has been done the same way for hundreds of years, though DS has added a few modern devices. (No one was sitting around grinding and mixing by hand. However, the labels on DS's paints are still put on by hand!) We saw a number of very beautiful new paint colors. Serpentine Green really caught my eye, so I had to buy it and run right home and try it. I usually mix my own greens, but this one seemed special. Therefore....Happy Hostas is the Ray for Today. 

#5: "Poppin' Poppy", watercolor, 8" x 6"

Since I've been gone a couple of days I should rename my blog "A Ray a Day....usually". It's a goal. Not a law. I've decided not to make any rules for myself regarding this blog. Just follow my feelings, ideas and instincts. I've never been much of a flower painter. Trucks and industrial objects have drawn me more. But. Hey. It's Spring!!! And our garden is gorgeous, verdant and simply popping with color. It's what is happening for me at the moment. So my Ray for the Day is Poppin' Poppy. Couldn't help myself.

#4 "Coleus Madness", watercolor, 6" x 8"

Okay, so I'm a coleus-holic! With 200 other people I attended the Wells Medina Nursery "opening night of coleus", and ran from table to table snatching up the most exotic and colorful plants. Putting these varieties into pots is like making paintings with fabulous  color, texture and shapes. I look forward to watching them flourish. Also, I was informed that my previous image postings are toooo large. I hope I have learned to resize my files and make them more suitable for blogging. Thanks to Barbara who emailed this tip to me.

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#3 "Tape Tower", watercolor 6" x 8"

So I'm sticking with my Studio Stuff while I am continuing to learn the language of blog. I keep waiting for a sunny day so I can get some good strong shadows. I have, however, become intrigued with the subtle shadows that are cast from my studio lights which are coming from several directions. So A Ray a Day #3 gets posted.

"Brush Bouquet", 8" x 6", watercolor Day 2 of a Ray a Day

Day 2. I had several major interruptions (including the delivery of a new sofa) during the painting of this small piece. I'm beginning to understand how my life gets in the way of my painting. But....I did it, and look forward to tomorrow. Still overpainting. 

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My first daily painting! Done on May 21, 2008. This series will be called Studio Stuff. This painting is called "Paint Pile". It is 8" x 6". I am learning to find my way around my blogspot.  I can't think very philosophically yet...just mostly figuring out how to do this. It is hard for me to paint small. I tend to overpaint. I will be working on keeping fresh, making the right decisions (or living with the decisions I make) the first time. I look forward to this process becoming second nature.

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