17- Mile Drive, Pebble Beach Oil on Canvas

17- Mile Drive    Oil on Canvas 15X30

I finished this painting a while ago and I'm just getting it posted.  The view along 17- Mile Drive is absolutely beautiful, and we have been there many times.  Last time we were there, I took lots of photos to use as reference photos.  The photo I used for this painting was actually four separate photos that I merged together to get this panoramic view.

WIP Pebble Beach- Oil on Canvas

Since we started the relocating in July, I haven't done much painting to speak of.  The only painting I have worked on at all is this 15X30 oil of a photo I took at Pebble Beach- on the awesomely beautiful 17-Mile Drive.

While going through the nightmarish process of packing up everything and trying to downsize at the same time, painting time was pretty much nonexistent.  Along with packing, I needed to pare our home's contents down enough to fit into a 1500 sq ft beach house, from our previous 3100 sq ft.  Now that I am seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and no longer living surrounded by moving boxes, I hope to make my art a priority again!

While I was getting ready to move, I did find time to get to my weekly painting class now and then- and this is what I was working on.  Now that I live further away, I will not be going to that class as often- but will still get there whenever I make the trip to see family.  Anyway, enough rambling.  I am hoping that by posting this, I will be back to painting and blogging on a regular basis again.

Sea Shells!

oil on canvas 8X10

oil on canvas 5X7

These are #37 and #38 of my 100 Paintings Challenge.

http://www.100paintingschallenge.com/

  I was taking my time and in no rush at all since I have a year to do this challenge- well, I guess I really need to get with it or I will be passed up very soon by a participant that is on her second 100.  Should this worry me?  Maybe I should just let it happen and continue to have fun!  I am enjoying the challenge because all of the artists participating have different styles and there really is much to learn from the experience.  So- back to the easel!

100 Paintings Challenge #32, #33

 oil on canvas 5X7"

Oil on masonite 5X7"

These are the last two paintings I posted for the 100 Paintings Challenge.  Every time I am ready to post, I get stressed out.  The blog suggests that you stick with one medium instead of trying to "master" more than one.  When I started the challenge, I had intended to just use my watercolors.  I have been taking some time with the oils also, and when I paint with oils for a few weeks, I don't have new watercolors to post.  Why waste the oils and not count them?  They are still paintings that I am painting, and learning from.  Many/most of the main ideas of painting are shared between mediums such as perspective, value, shadows, etc.

Well, as you can see, I did decide not to discount the oils I have been doing since they are definitely learning experiences.  Some of the other participants have included sketches, pen and ink, acrylic, and watercolor- so why not oils and watercolor?  Why must I over think everything, anyway?

Now that I have had my morning stress, time to enjoy my coffee and crossword puzzle!

Another Still Life- Cherries!

I am finishing up the still lifes and other small oil paintings I started last week. They are a great way for me to have fun while working on my skills with reflections, light and shadow, etc. My favorite part is at the end when I add things like water drops and highlights. The champagne/sorbet glass with cherries is almost done. Need to wait for the paint to dry so I can add a little shine to the side of the glass. I will post it when it is done- I will wait a day to be sure I don't end up ruining the under layer of cherries. I painted the single cherry on a 4X4 canvas and the glass of cherries is on 5X7 gessoed masonite.

Thanks for visiting and thanks in advance for your comments!

Sheryl

Works in Progress X 12 - OR Complete Lack of Artistic Focus!

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d3ccd6252d36d9156baa9e9/pop?ref=pr_treasury

This last week has been a good one- at least in the area of my painting! For starters, I sold one of my watercolors- wish I could say that happened every week! Also, I finished some watercolors that I actually LIKED when they were done, and at this moment I have 12 small oil paintings in progress. The frosting on the cake- I woke up today to find one of my watercolors in a wonderful Etsy treasury!

First, I want to explain the multitude of wet canvases in front of me. I love to paint in oils, but once you get to a certain point in the painting- you need to sometimes let some paint set before putting more layers (shadows for instance) over the first layers. It is also a good way for me to concentrate on certain aspects of my painting that I think may need more work (practice, practice). Some of these are on canvas, some are on masonite and they are in various sizes- all fairly small. I don't tend to start watercolors the same way- just a few at a time at most!

Thanks for looking- I hope to have some finished oil paintings to post soon!

Sheryl

"In The Garden" Oil on Canvas- Finally Finished

Well, I finally finished the oil painting of my tree roses that I started many weeks ago. I am a slow painter, but not that slow. I only work on it when I go to my oil painting class once a week. I have been with the same painting group for many years- since college. I had to give it up for the years I lived in New York, but now that I am a mere 2 hour commute away- I get to go! Same instructor, and same group mostly. The group is mainly women in their 60's to 80's- we have all aged in the almost 30 years since I joined. I am not in my 60's- barely into my 50's- and once a week I get to feel like the kid and that is awesome. Yesterday, I went to class and finished up some details like the water drops and the light splashes in the leafy area. Then, I got to hear the words we wait for Gary to say- "time to sign it". Woo Hoo!

The painting is painted from a photo of one of my tree roses in my nicely maturing (third year, best so far) rose area of my gardens. I have another photo of the same rose bush that has a bird nest tucked into the branches and I really think I need to paint that also.

Thanks for looking!

Sheryl