Little Violet

4"x4"
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I don't know why, but this little dear's personality just isn't quite coming through in the photo, and that makes me sad- it's so very vivid in person! Ah, well.... it makes me happy anyways. Violets are the absolute dickens to paint- what is it about secondary colors?- but satisfying, in their own tiny way.
#1550

Two Violets in a Shot Glass

6"x8"
sold
Just a doodle- I'm still experimenting with the rough edges around a painting idea, it just looks so interesting!
#1549

Ballet Slippers

8"x8"
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My little angel's little worn-out ballet slippers. I love this painting! A composition like this makes a painting feel so three dimensional, and then little worn-out shoes have so much personality...
#1548

Little Pink Croc

5"x7"
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Crocs are such funny shoes... definitely in the ;so ugly they're cute' category. This was my daughter's first pair of 'big girl' shoes- probably because she could put them on and take them off again all by herself :)

Baby Shoe

5"x7"
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This is a portrait of my little Nugget's first shoe. Baby shoes are so much fun to paint!
I'm working on a page for my website, so people will be able to commission little shoe portraits like this one... wouldn't that be such a wonderful thing to have? Much better than covering them with gold spray paint and having to dust them all the time :) I'm thinking $30 +s&h for a 6"x8" single shoe portrait, and $60 +s&h for an 8"x8" double shoe portrait... and I'm working on one of her beautiful little ballet slippers for the double shoe portrait example, it's going to be gorgeous!
#1546

Cloud Study

6"x6"
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Trying some of my own clouds, because I liked painting Degas' so much :)
#1545

Degas Study

6"x6"
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See, this is why daily painting is so cool. I can see a beautiful Degas sketch on Pinterest, and because he's awesome but from a long time ago I can say ooh, beautiful, I've got to try that! Of course his was a pastel on sanded paper that was already that golden color, and I deliberately painted the panel that color to sketch over it.... but it is still a beautiful affect. I think part of the appeal is that the cloud is so nice and round, but with the edges of the painting showing, there's a very real reminder that you're just looking at an image.... I dunno. But that's what I'm thinking right now. And it's something I definitely want to keep experimenting with!
#1544

Pink Bow

5"x7"
sold
This was inspired by a friend's daughter, she is an amazingly beautiful little girl, with the softest brown curls ever- we went to Marbles Museum in Raleigh together and she had the cutest little pink ribbon in her hair, and I just had to try and capture that contrast- the pink ribbon and the soft, fluffy baby curls :)
#1543

Into the Light

6"x6"
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This is a sketch of my baby girl, running out ahead of me, through a door, and towards the sunlight.... I love her so much, her joy and her willingness to embrace life :)
#1542

Ball Jar

6"x8"
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Another one from my Mama's house :) I don't know where Dad found these things, but apparently this is an old Ball canning jar from like 1907 or something- way cool. And very beautiful, in its own highly functional way.
#1541

Olive Jar

4"x6"
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Jeffrey Hayes has done some absolutely breathtaking paintings- of jars full of olives, or I remember a couple of a jar full or orange marmalade- and I was over at my Mama's looking for something to paint, and decided to go for a jar of olives I found in the fridge. Glass and olives at the same time! Awesome! So now I want to try pickles... and jelly... and I don't know what all else. Such a cool idea :)

The Bluest Eye

3"x5"
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My sister :)
#1539

Tomatillo

6"x6"
sold
I guess this is a spinoff of the eggplant paintings... summertime nummies I've missed, and am looking forward to having soon! I've actually never painted a tomatillo before, I've always been a little intimidated by the textures, and intricacies in the husk, but I quite enjoyed playing around with it!
#1538

Pink and Yellow

5"x7"
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It is so beautiful outside... springtime is a wonderful thing. So here is one of my Nugget's little shoes from last summer.... I do love painting her shoes. Personality, and cuteness, and interesting textures and patterns, they have it all.
#1537

Walking Home

6"x8"
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Different critter from the same herd- the walking on a slight incline... decline?... makes for really interesting little cow-shapes, it's amazing.... animals are so cool!
Also, Nugget and I went to the Museum of Life and Science yesterday, and the cow in their 'farmyard animals' area had it's head through the stall and was mooing at everyone... of course my little girl was absolutely fearless and had me pick her up so she could poke his nose and say "got you!", but geez, those things are huge! I mean it's head was the same size as Nugget!
#1536

Steer

6"x8"
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Today I wanted to paint a cow. Or a bull. or a steer. I didn't get close enough to check the undercarriage, honestly, but he/she/it was very agreeable about posing in the beautiful low sunlight, so I went with it :)
#1535

Kermit Egpplant

6"x6"
sold
I am going to make sure to get some more of these little guys when they come into season- they're just so cute! I've been scared to paint one, since variegation can be so hard to pull off... but it's worth it :)
#1534

Black Beauty Eggplant

5"x7"
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I GOT it! You know how in certain feelings there's this, I dunno, vibe of size, weight.... you can feel the heft of the object no matter the size of the painting? That's a tricky thing to pull off, but I believe I got it here! Yay!
#1533

Fairytale Eggplant II - Balance

5"x7"
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Eggplants are so much fun to paint :) I'll be able to do more seasonaly stuff soon, I hope... North Carolina in the winter means a lot of greens, winter squash, and sweet potatoes. But now that it is warming up.... asparagus is up in my backyard, and potatoes, and the rasberries are growing so fast! And we're having a nice springtime rain, but I'm taking Nugget swimming this afternoon anyways, and I can't wait!
#1532

Fairytale Eggplant I

5"x7"
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Ok, so I was thinking 'what is something I really, really miss painting from summertime?' and the answer that came to mind? eggplant! this is one of those super-cute miniature ones, too :)
#1531

Gazing Up

5"x7"
sold
Same girl as yesterday, rotated a bit.... :)
#1530

Aura

4"x6"
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There! Told you, not a horsey :) Strange little fairie girl with tangled blonde hair instead.... I'm telling you, the best thing about doing daily paintings is how much you learn, you know? I never would have tried anything like this on a "real" painting, but just look at the feel of the light? and that wonderful pyramid of her hair makes the best shape....
#1529

Dapples

5"x7"
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Same approach as yesterday.... and don't worry, if you're tired of the horses it'll be something different and brand-new tomorrow!
#1528

Grazing

5"x7"
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With this one, I wanted to continue with the horses and so I picked up a daily from a couple of weeks ago and spent a while refining it further, and playing with the contrasts. Happy.
I'm feeling ok, and it is amazing what antibiotics will do when they're really needed- my Nugget is much better today :)
#1527

Winter Coat

6"x6"
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Blech. The baby is still sick (we took her to the doctor's today and he said she has bronchitis, and now she has an antibiotics prescription, poor thing), and now I'm sick.... thankfully, this little bit of marvelous fuzziness was started yesterday, and I just needed to do some detail work today. Don't you just love that coat?

The Perfect Bite

5"x7"
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Sorry, can't stop to chat- my poor little princess is sick today and needs more cuddles....
#1525

Sidelight

5"x7"
sold
'nother horsey :) I love the contrast in this one! that long, low sunlight makes the most beautiful shapes....
#1524

Tall Grass

5"x7"
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I'm going to do some more horse paintings, I believe. Beautiful animals, and so much more cooperative about posing than most people are....
#1523

Puppy

5"x7"
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This is my Nugget's puppy, Sparky. And gosh, painting black fur is ridiculously hard! Like, can I buy a pelt and just collage it in next time? Please?
But the good thing is, every time you paint something you're getting better at it.
#1522

Reliquary VI - Padlock and Green Silk

 9"x12"
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This is another piece in my reliquary series, but I am totally proud of several unique aspects of it- I've never seen anyone wrap their box in silk like that, especially in a painting, and I love the way it feels! Of course, in order to do that effectively I had to hold the edges of the box back from the edges of the canvas, which is totally different for me, but look at how it pops once it is in a frame!
I got the padlock- a gorgeous, heavy antique one- from Broomfields Gallery up in the mountains the last time I dropped off new paintings with them. And now I'm off to see if they're got that new website up and running yet, because if they do that'll be a must-share.
The painting itself is in Bull City Art and Frame in Durham, though, so if you're in the area you should totally stop in and see it! I dropped this one, Marble Portrait I, and Windowlight- Apple off there the other day, but I've got them up on etsy too, for those of you who like too far away to come see :)
#1521

Eye

4"x6"
sold
allright, this is a tiny little painting, but I'm really grooving on all the little subtleties, so I'm having blogger show it all big :) eyes are amazing, the shininess and the contrasts and the way theu're set in your head....
#1520

Tequila Shot VI

5"x7"
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Silly me, forgetting to post yesterday.... don't worry, I'm back again! Yay, tequila!
#1519

Windowlight - Apple

8"x8"
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Something pretty and nummy this way comes.... I do so love painting apples. Especially ones that obviously want to be painted :)
#1518

Half Moon - Day

4"x4"
sold
I do so love and admire good paintings of the moon.... and I believe I may have actually pulled it off in this one! Day moons are awesome. And much easier to get reference photos of than when it's up at night... though that'd be more dramatic, if I can ever pull it off.
The other night I took Nugget out to see the moon, and she insisted on climbing up on my shoulders, saying "Look! The moon! Baby climb up get it?"
#1517

Grazing at Dawn

5"x7"
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The inspiration here was two cows, quietly grazing, with long shadows and that early morning fog behind them. Peaceful and pretty, you know?
#1516

Horse - Silhouette

5"x7"
sold
I am not entirely sure why, but I am loving this painting! I think it is because the sense of light actually came through, that is the trickiest thing....
#1515

Peacock

5"x7"
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Dudes, it has been a long, long, long day. But tomorrow should be a nice, friendly, hang out at home and paint day, so that'll be good. Hugs and peacocks all around :)
#1514

Peahen

5"x7"
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I am so glad that the neighbors have a flock of peacocks that come over to visit our bird feeder! Granted, it's meant for a different sort of bird.... and I still haven't figured out how to get ahold of one of those feathers... but they make me happy anyways. And Naomi loves chasing them :)
#1513

Marble Portrait I

6"x8"
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I do so love painting marbles :) As you can most likely guess from the title, I believe I want to do some more like this one....

Country Store

6"x8"
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This is from an old, old reference photo of mine that I loved but was intimidated by, and then forgot about.... and then rediscovered right here in the middle of being fascinated by twilight paintings. It might have been a little too much to tackle in a daily painting, I'm not sure.... but I really enjoyed it anyways. And learned a lot. If you like it, though, let me know soon because I think I'll be returning to this one!
#1511

Front Porch Light

6"x8"
sold
Trying another twilight painting! Yesterday was so incredibly beautiful that I went outside to paint for a bit.... took some creative liberties with the image, though, because the clouds were too much for me to try to put in a plein air piece! Don't worry, I got reference pics, and this way the focus is on the cozy little house.... and the one star in the sky :)
#1510

Little Green Grape

4"x4"
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#1509

Eye Contact

5"x7"
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so..... is this one super cool, of have I gone over some weirdness deep end with it? I honestly cannot tell!
#1508

Blue Sky

5"x7"
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Continuing with the pics of the donkeys... anyone know what a baby donkey is called? I keep wanting to say jenny, but I'm pretty sure that's not a donkey, but the opposite of a mule...
#1507

Little Burro

5"x7"
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I drove out to Apex last weekend for a meeting with the 'executive commitee' about the Spring Whimsical Women Show- it was fun as always, and it will be a really exciting show, but I drove past a wonderful little group of donkeys on the way there and back! I got out and took lots and lots of pictures, which makes me happy :)
There were also some sheep in there, gorgeous critters with curled-around horns, but they were stubborn and wouldn't come anywhere near the fence for pictures. And then when I climbed the fence and tried to stalk them around the muddy pasture (in my flip flops, of course, hoping that no one in the farmhouse would notice, or if they did that they wouldn't come out and yell at me), they ran off! Little stinkers....
#1506

Iris Bud

4"x12"
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Remember the yellow one I did like this? I thought I'd try another, but this time do a soft, warm wall color and a dark, cool flower bud :)
#1505

Orchid Arc

5"x7"
sold
Gr... why couldn't I get proper pictures of today's and yesterday's paintings? Oh, well, they still look great in person. Especially together :)

Orchid Buds

5"x7"
sold
Nothing to say this evening... in a weird mood :( It's been a quiet, productive day so I don't know where this is coming from, but it's producing some nice painting....

Looking Glass

9"x12"
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This painting only exists because of my daughter- she really walked into my studio holding up a hand mirror just like this! It was such a strangely beautiful idea that I knew I had to do a painting of it... I love how her hands came out, and the fact that the reflection in the mirror was so abstract, and the soft halo of her curls....
#1502