Take time for a break...

Okay that was a deceptive title... in reality, I have broken a leg and found that keeping up with most tasks this week to be somewhat more difficult. So I took time off for the break...oh, you get it, right? In the meantime, here is a little watercolor of acorns on the deck. Fall has arrived. The weather is wonderful. Enjoy the days ahead!

Portraits and birthdays...

This is my husband's and daughter's birthday. When Doug was 40, I painted him in a three piece suit and tie and hung the sample portrait in the board room of our office. In recent years, he hit another milestone, and I suggested we do a more casual portrait. He said,"Yes, but this time paint the real me...the beach bum!" Well, although he grew up on the coast of Carolina, he hasn't lived there permanently in over 50 years! But one day, the light was right, the pose was accidental, and everything fell into place. This is a 40 x 30 oil portrait... I have as a sample in my studio now. Our children said it was "so Dad...in his story-telling pose." The Son of a Fisherman...

Drawing - college prep class...

Back in Raleigh I met with my college prep class tonight. These are all high school students 14 to 17 years old...all such talented, interesting kids. What a great bunch! I wish I could have more time with them. Tonight we worked heightened charcoal drawings from white statuary with single light sources...a great way to begin good habits. Here is the 15 minute demo I did...and a wall of most of the students' work tonight. Loved it. Looking forward to next week with everyone.

...so much for nearly daily posts...

All season I have been filling you in on travel and activities as they happened. This month there have been some family events with the older generation that needed a great deal of attention. Painting, business, communication has virtually stopped for the past two weeks. Things are on the upswing now. I will be leaving Florida to return home to Raleigh, my husband, my studio, my activities early this week. But right now I am watching the most beautiful sunset over Clearwater bay on the west coast of Florida and can finally feel the juices flowing to start working again. This is a 20 x 16 oil painting still life I did here some time ago. A view of one of my mother's tables with pearls, teacup, and Italian mirror. Elegant. Quiet.

Beach Beauties and Blogs...

A wonderful artist friend, Mike Rooney, the North Carolina coastal artist who encouraged me to start this blog, offered to share some notes about using blogs in the art business. I am the speaker at the Pastel Society of North Carolina program this coming Saturday ( a week from today) and plan to include his information in this presentation. He's a great guy...just got back from painting in Cape Cod. You need to check out his site at http://mikerooneystudios.blogspot.com/
And so in his honor I am going to run this 5 x 7 oil of a beach beauty digging mussels one more time...
$150.00/ $9shipping/ NCSTx

Ballerina backstage...

This theme was helped along by a lovely young ballerina who posed for me in my studio. We had the opportunity to try a number of things including this 7 x 5 oil painting of a Ballerina on a Box. I love the backstage work. So many wonderful shapes and colors to play with...

Reflecting...

Do we love these little 5x7 oils of ballerinas because of their pensive qualities? Or do we love their poses because they are consumate athletes and are as graceful at rest as they are on stage...