#46 "Church Lady", oil, 20" x 16"

And so...it is finished....at least for now. My first portrait in oil paint. I have never felt particularly interested in either portraits or oil paint! Never say never. So my friend and colleague, Joanne, and I have decided to set up some more sittings and keep practicing with oil paints. I find myself wondering what I really want to paint with oil. Trucks? Boats? Interiors? Chairs? All familiar subject matter for me. While I'm figuring that out I will learn more by reading, looking and doing more portraits. At least you won't have to see this one again for awhile. The Ray for the Day is "Church Lady."

#45 Not there yet....but close

So today I worked on this portrait some more. Now I have gotten the hand, intensified the colors, and lost the face. Soon I will have it. Since I have not been a portrait painter, or an oil painter it's all learning curve. Oil paint is so much fun to use. I am having fun. Am obsessed. Can't wait to work on this some more.  The Ray for the Day is .... not there yet, but close.

#44 "Grand Old Girl", watercolor, 20" x 15"

I met this wonderful old truck this past weekend up near Duvall. My husband and I were checking out a retreat center for our annual Summer family gathering. We found our place at Mosswood Hollow, and also this grand old girl. I couldn't wait to paint it. I'm sure I'll paint it again. I did this last evening in my Wednesday Night Watercolor Consortium, a group that has been meeting for nearly 20 years. Today I will work on the oil portrait that I started. The Ray for the Day is "Grand Old Girl".

#43 Not done yet, but having fun.

So I'm obsessed with learning to oil paint. I went back to Joanne's today and worked awhile more on this portrait. Tonight I'm going to see Ned Mueller do an oil painting demonstration at Parklane Gallery. It will be interesting to see what this painting becomes. The Ray for today is that I am not done yet, but having fun.

#42 Another new beginning, oil, 21" x 16"

Today I went to my friend, Joanne's, studio to try my hand at oil painting. I have painted in many media, and made monoprints and worked with photos, yet this is my very first time to paint with oil paint and brushes! It was so much fun. Oil paint is so creamy and delicious to work with. Joanne hired a beautiful friend to model, set up an easel for me and squeezed out these gorgeous oil colors and we worked side by side. Joanne made a really gorgeous painting. I made a pretty good start, but need to work more on this. I can hardly wait 'til I can go back and try to improve this painting. When I feel it's a better painting I will post it again.I have no idea how far I will go with oils, but I'm not ready to stop yet. Tomorrow night I will go to an oil painting demonstration and learn some more. The Ray for the day is another new beginning. 

#41 "Adrift", oil bar, 11" x 14"

Remember last Friday when I started a small oil bar painting of a row boat as a demonstration for a 2 day oil bar workshop? Today was the last day of the workshop and I completed the painting. My student nearly completed hers, and was very happy with her painting and with what she learned. I'm thinking of offering further workshops in oil bar and watercolor. The Ray for the Day is "Adrift."

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#40 "Jason's Birthday Present", watercolor, 12" x 9"

Every once in awhile someone wants me to paint a picture of them or of their child. This is the most difficult sort of painting I ever do. I find myself dreading and being afraid of starting the painting. I feel it is a "can't win" situation. Especially since my favorite subject matter lately is close ups of stuff......preferably old worn out stuff. Anyhow, I could not turn down this woman who I have known since she was 4. She and her man are both very attractive people, inside and out, but one of the "dreaded" assignments. Somewhere along the line after I had written her that she should not expect a likeness and I don't do portraits and all the other caveats I could come up with, she wrote me an email saying "we know what we look like.....we just like the way you paint and would like you to paint it." How lovely is that? Her confidence in my work freed me to make this painting. I hope she will be happy with it. The Ray for the Day is "Jason's Birthday Present."

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#39 "Back to Boquita Beach", watercolor, 22" x 15"

On this snowy, cold day in March (yet) I desire to return to Mexico. Boquita Beach is the beach very near our casa where we walk and sit and nap and swim and order goodies from the palapa beach bars. You can rent an umbrella with table and chairs for 60 pesos (around $4.00 these days....or a little less) and spend the day surrounded by Mexican families. Many bring coolers full of food and drink, and maybe a boom box playing the ever present musica of Mexico. Many aunts and uncles and grandmas and kids and grandkids gather around to laugh and talk and play the day away. Lots of talking and laughing. Do we do that with our families? The Ray for the Day is "Back to Boquita Beach."
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#38 a new beginning in oil bar

It's been a couple of years since I have painted with oilbars, because I have been concentrating on watercolor. A woman who has seen my oilbar work has been asking me for some time if I would be willing to give her instruction in the use of them. Finally yesterday we got together for the morning and we each started a painting using this very interesting medium. At some point in the making of an oilbar painting the piece becomes too oily to continue to work on. At that point you need to leave it for a few days to allow the oil to form a skin, then you can begin to layer color on top of color. This little rowboat painting now has it's first layers of color. Next friday we will work on our paintings to begin to develop them further. Tune in next friday or saturday to see where this little rowboat painting is headed. The Ray for the Day is the beginning of an oilbar painting.

#37 "Hot Wheels", watercolor, 6" x 8"

The artist reception at TPN last night was a wonderful success! Thanks to those of you who showed up (you were many), and if you couldn't make it but would still like to see the show you can view it on work days during work hours anytime until the end of May.

While in Mexico we do much of our shopping and business in the small village of Santiago near our casa. The scenes on the street are always colorful and enjoyable for a visual person like myself. This motorciclete parked in front of a tienda selling rugs, serapes, hats and other things caught my eye. It is just the kind of subject I love to paint. Just looking at this painting reminds me of how wonderful it feels to be in hot weather! What is it about vehicles that turns my crank? Anyway, the Ray for the Day is "Hot Wheels."
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An Announcement and an Invitation

This coming Wednesday, from 5:30 til 7:30 there will be an artist's reception for this 4 person show at TPN Walls (The Production Network) at 1000 N. Northlake Way. I am proud to be in this show and think the venue is terrific. The best way I can tell you to get there is to go south on Stone Way as far as you can go and then turn right (west). You will be in Industrial Fremont, between the Burke-Gilman Trail and Lake Union. TPN is on the right and well marked. I have 14 paintings in the show, all inspired by my love of all things old, used and rusty and my 3 years of hitch-hiking on sailboats. My book, Sea Stories, will also be available at this reception. There will be snacks and libations. My posting for the day is my invitation to you to join me at TPN.

#36 "Hot PinK', watercolor, 8" x 6"

Bougainvillea grows verdantly and vibrantly around Casa Amanecer. The colors range from deep burgundy to soft salmon. One of my favorites is called Supresa (surprise!) and is a mix of white and pink. On my recent visit we went to the nursery and purchased even more bougainvillea for our yard, plus other beautiful tropical plants, some that will climb on our terrace arbor, some with leaves the size of elephant's ears. The plants in the nursery were so beautiful and exotic that we stayed a couple of hours just wandering and exclaiming even though it was very hot and very dusty. We left drenched with sweat and covered with dust and very happy. We always have sprigs of this vibrant flower around the house. This particular sprig of hot pink was in a little vase we bought in Tonola on our whirl-wind trip for finding furnishings. The posting for the day is "hot Pink".
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#35 "Crittur Companion", watercolor, 8" x 6"

Every crittur needs a companion, right? So the posting for today is "Crittur Companion".

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#34 "Colorful Crittur #1", watercolor, 8" x 6"

This colorful fellow and his companion (later post) live on the kitchen walls at Casa Amanecer, along with the occasional live one. These little sculptures are common and can be purchased everywhere. Our critturs, however, were collected when we were on a whirlwind trip around Mexico collecting furniture and folk art to furnish our casa. We had a blast going from Guadalajara to Tonola to San Miguel de Allende to Dolores Hidalgo. We were visiting the furniture and folk art factories where we met the artisans, had great adventures, and made new friends. On the outskirts of Dolores Hidalgo we stopped at a roadside ceramic factory and, among other treasures, we found our kitchen pets. The posting for today is "Colorful Crittur #1".

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#33 "Morning at Casa Maya", watercolor, 8" x 6"

So my heart still lingers in Manzanillo and basks in the sun. It's mornng here at my neighbor's house and we're about to sit down to share breakfast and some conversation. It is "Morning at Casa Maya".
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#32: "Lucky Potted Plant", watercolor, 8" x 6"

It's been way too long since I have blogged. Since my last entry I have been to Mexico three times, overseen the remodel of a casa we own with a friend in Mexico, self published my book "Sea Stories", opened (and closed) a two person show at Parklane Gallery in Kirkland, moved my Dad to assisted living, and other life happenings that have pushed blogging to the bottom of the list. While spending the past month in our Casa Amanecer in Manzanillo Mexico I made several small paintings. I will be posting them over the next few days. These little paintings are all typical scenes in and around our casa. This potted plant sits on our front terrace, under a palapa roof, with a view of the Pacific Ocean and Juluapan Peninsula. "Lucky Potted Plant".

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Los Lomas Del Mar

It is hard for me believe that I have neglected my blog for so very long. Since last I posted I've been to Mexico twice, moved my Dad to assisted living, self published my book "Sea Stories", opened (and closed) a 2 person art show at Parklane Gallery, overseen the complete remodel of a home in Mexico that we own with a friend, and several other major life happenings that have crowded blogging to the bottom of the list. During my recent month long visit to our Casa Amanecer in Manzanillo Mexico I painted several small paintings. Over the next few days I will post those paintings. This one is a view of a hillside near our casa entitled "Los Lomas Del Mar".
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