March 29 - Rabbit, Spring

"Four-footed Spring Bird" I looked out the window of my studio today, and on the top step going down to the barns was this furry visitor to my bird feeder, sunning himself until he caught my eye. I usually trap these fellows and take them to the park down the road in the new development, because it is devoid of wildlife except for these relocated bunnies. This was fun to paint with a limited palette of cobalt, raw sienna, rose madder, Payne's gray, green earth and cadmium yellow light, with titanium white.

March 28 - Skoal - Horse Shoer, Quick Repair

"Skoal" Amazing what you can do when there are four guys scraping your ceilings and tons of noise are coming from your home. The house smells like wet laundry, the ceilings are beautiful, stuff isn't back where it belongs yet, but I had a lot of fun focusing on the back pocket of this shoer. This is a 12 x 16 oil on linen, and is from the San Juan Capistrano arena, where they held a major show a while back. The painting is also known as "Quick Repair" $500

March 27 - A Path

"A Path" Tomorrow there will be construction workers throughout our home as we redo the ceilings, getting rid of the "popcorn" texture, and I'm going to (hopefully) be holed up in the studio. Since I have a commission to do, and want to do some more smaller pieces, I hope I can handle the confusion and noise. This is a 12 x 9 oil, done in preparation with lots of textural brushmarks, perhaps indicative of the visual invasion tomorrow? But like all paths, there's always a new view in a few steps. $100

March 26 - Canadian Cat

"Yes, I'm Warm, Thank You" I was offered this delightful image of a Canadian cat, cozy in mohair, and asked permission to paint him/her.  I'd not seen such a nice image of a cat all fluffed up in something so cozy, and just felt I had to paint it.  The source material for this was also so good, I changed hardly anything--perhaps the expression a bit, making the cat a teenager.  When I have to do details like this, I prefer my acrylics, as the layering of colors allows for infinite details and corrections.  This is a 5 x 7 acrylic on gallery wrap; it sold the minute I sent it out to my daily paintings email list. The Daily Paintings Email List.

March 25 - Baby Goats!

Yesterday I went over to my friend's house in Hemet and picked up our newest milk goat, and she has two kids that came along with her. It made me remember just how adorable baby springtime animals are, so tonight I came in and looked through many, many images of goats that have been born here, both Alpine and Saanen. This Alpine doeling became a great milker, like her mother. The adult goats in our herd wear Swiss bells and the soft ringing music as they roam the pasture is melodic. I could spend hours watching the kids leap and run with pure joy. Original oil, 6 x 6 inches, on gallery wrap canvas--ready to hang. Already sold, sorry!

March 24 - Spring Daffodil and Wine Glass

"Spring Daffodil" (and the wine glass). A sure sign of Spring is here.  I picked one of the daffodils from the planter in the front yard and brought it in and put it in one of our wine glasses.  No ordinary wine glass, my folks bought a set of six of these deep blue-violet blown-glass vessels with the brass bands while on a trip in Mexico. I was along on the trip, done right after I graduated from high school, so these are pushing 40 years old.  I've always loved them, as the glass bulges out through the holes in the brass, making a grand tactile feel not possible with clear stemmed traditional glasses for wine.  The daffodil shows you the scale of the glass, which holds about four ounces.  This is an acrylic, 6 x 4 inches on gallery wrap (no framing needed). $100 

March 23 - Garlic

"Garlic" Why not? Onions and the companionable garlic, substance for all Italian dishes and bane of werewolves. Shopping is a treat when I can buy things like this common cooking ingredient, and pick just the right one that will be preserved forever, and safe until the next batch of spagetti sauce! This is an original oil on gallery wrap, 6 x 6 inches. I'll put it on ebay later this weekend. $100 if you can't trust you'll get it.

March 22 - Layers (Onions)

"Layers (Onions)" I received a very kind email from a listmember who is newly engaged to be married, saying that my onion paintings are statements of how people reveal themselves to one another, taking the layers off slowly to finally get to the most piquant part of themselves. This 4 x 6 acrylic is done for her, to celebrate the layers we all have. It is already sold.

March 21 - Molly and Daisy Commission Portrait

"Molly and Daisy" I had mentioned that I've been working on commissions, and this is the first of two that are coming off the easel. It is a composite of several photographs taken by someone other than myself, but I am able to design a workable composition and make a decent go of it. This is a 20 x 16 portrait, and it gives me a great deal of pleasure to do work like this. As it is a commission, it is already sold.

March 20 - Draft Horse Halter Class

"Morning Halter Class" At the Draft Horse Classic in Grass Valley, they always have the halter classes (conformation classes) in the mornings. I enjoyed doing this 5 x 7 on board oil of the early morning light on the horses and handlers. If I have the patience, I may do a larger painting. This one is sold.

March 19 - Sunshine and the Field

"Sunshine and the Field" Back in 2000 I was on location south of Fallbrook, California, and painted this field scene with less than stellar color--it was, well, bland. I have brought in my new color knowledge and made the landscape sing. 12 x 16 oil on board.
  $275

March 18 - More Red Onions

"More Red Onions" The yellow onion went into tonights meatloaf for dinner--at least part of it. So these two sweet red onions are left, and I pushed them together as cosy friends and swept them onto a 4 x 6 inch canvas using acrylics. This one is sold.

March 17 - ONIONS!!

"ONIONS!!" How fun to have a plate of red and yellow onions... the plate was trasluscent green glass, on a redish cloth. This was a setup that my students used on Tuesday, and I painted it (different cloth color) for today's painting. This is an oil, also only 5 x 7 inches. I like the fact that the plate tips a bit, giving some subtle tension to the image.  And of course the oils make such a rich feel to the surfaces.
  Do you recognize that yellow Spanish onion?  Yes, I still haven't used it in a winter stew yet.  I painted it in acrylics on February 10! $100

March 16 - Detail Man

"Detail Man" Folks not familiar with the horse industry might not know the significance of folks like this fellow and hundreds like him, who are the real backbone of what goes on in the show ring and race track. Men, and women, who work in the stable area cleaning tack, cleaning stalls--to me they have great value, and I honor them by painting their portraits. And besides, they are very appealing!
Original oil, 12 x 9 inch canvas, available for US $385.

March 15 - Matilija Poppies, Oil

"Matilija Poppies, Oil" Another of the same subject, this time of a long-ago set up when I was in a workshop with Joyce Pike. She taught me the importance of brushwork, and for that I am forever greatful! So from Los Osos to today's painting, many years have gone by. This is a 7 x 5 inch oil of a subject that was done several years ago in acrylics. This one is sold.

March 14 - Floral Study, Oil

"Floral Study, Oil" I occasionally take the same subject matter and do two paintings, one in acrylics and one in oils. this is a 7 x 5 inch oil of a subject I have done in acrylics. It is interesting to see how the two media handle the same imagery. This image is sold.

March 12 - Stoneware Jug

"Stoneware" My Mom has owned this little stoneware jug, and then gave it to me some years ago. It has been tucked up on a high shelf, and when I was going through some things, found it. I enjoy painting simple objects with complex brushwork. Original oil, 6 x 6 inches. $100

March 11 - Fruit Medley

"Fruit Medley" I received a nice email from an artist I admire, asking if I would do a 9 x 12 still life. This one's for you, Bob! Original oil, 9 x 12 inches. $225

March 10 - Winter Cowboy

"Through the Woods" REvisiting the snow scene of a couple of days ago, I decided that a rider would be a good focal point on this odd sized 12 x 10 canvas, scheduled for the Cattlemens' Western Art Show April 7-9.

March 9 - Single Rose

"Joan's Rose" Even with dropping my laptop and sending it to the Mac hospital, I can still do these daily paintings! But I couldn't post it for a day, since I mislaid my ftp access. Oh, technology!. Original oil, $100
This one is sold.

March 8 - Snowy Path

"Snowy Path" It sure was a lot of fun to go to Hemet and do a demonstration for my friends and artists in this nearby city. I decided to do pines in snow, since I'd also started a smaller, similar painting in the studio. This one is 20 x 16, and might yet get some "tweaking" after I look at it in the studio for a few days. Original oil, $300
Pending SALE.

March 7 - Cream Roses

"Friend's Roses" Returning to the studio laden with the generosity for which she is well known, Joan knew I had planned to paint roses, and in she comes with these wonderful yellowy cream blossoms.
The original oil is 20 x 16, and was done from a small set up with the roses in a vase that my folks received as a wedding gift back in 1942. I will always look at them seeing more than just the colors and brush strokes, and even though they may leave my life to adorn the walls of a collector's home, I still know a part of me is in the painting. $300

March 6 - Mallard Ducks

"Just Ducky" Fun to do a small one again, and this Mallard pair were seen on a pond near our local wineries.  I had fun tasting the wine, however the ducks were enjoying courtship!  Water is so much fun to paint.  All those colors and the reflections, too!  A 5 x 7 oil on gallery-wrap canvas, $100.


This one is sold.

March 5 - Reenactment Man, Walking Tall

I spent this morning finishing up this fellow for the lesson page--don't have a title for him yet.  You can see what I've done to finish up the painting by comparing it to yesterday's image.  I also included a detail shot of his head and torso below. 

I think I will take him up to Cattlemens next month, and might spend another couple hours on him, making some corrections.  Sometimes the paint just goes where you need it to, and some other times, what seems easy on reflection is going down the wrong road! Still, US $550 

March 4 - Work in Progress

This is a work in progress for a lesson page on how I do paintings, the lesson and commentary to be added to the elinart site soon.  The image you're getting tonight is the fourth in the series of instructional images, and shows the painting at the point where I'm finding edges to fix and define.  To get the painting to this point, I went through four major steps--1. division of space--the relationship of the figure to the background space and rough lay-in, 2. Large color shapes to define mass in the figure, 3. defining shape to create the illusion of three dimensions, and 4. beginning the details and finding edges.  It shows how I paint big to little, and don't overwork areas.  The boots and lower third are the most unfinished at this point, and I hope you can see how I work into a painting by comparing that section to the upper areas. To get to this phase, took about 50 minutes.  Please write if you have any questions about the procedure.
  This is a 20 x 10 oil, and hopefully will be good enough to take with me to Cattlemen's, April 7, in Paso Robles, CA.  I sure enjoy painting these re-enactment men who seem to have eyes that bore right through you...

March 3 - Lake Sunset

"Sunset over the Lake" AFter Norco's art reception, I came home and painted this memory of Hawley Lake and Arizona, last October. I talked up the trip for 2006 with several people, and won awards on my artwork! Original oil, 9 x 12. $300

March 2 - Sunset Evening #5

"Sunset Evening #5" I enjoy working with the subtle cloud colors found in sunsets and sunrises. This 12 x 16 oil is one I worked on earlier, but it wasn't ready for display until now. $200

March 1 - Apricots

"Apricots" I went to the grocery store yesterday, and eyed the imported fruits and vegetables, so far out of season, and saw some really nice looking apricots. I bought only two, as the price of $4.99 per pound was way over my budget. I long for summer apricots! A 6 x 4 oil on gallery-wrap canvas, $100.

February 28 - Fantasy Man

"Fantasy Man" I paint characters sometimes, and some times those characters are similar to the fantasies I carried around as a young woman.  Who among us hasn't had some inner perception of the embodiment of strength, resourcefulness, and mystery?  Today I created one of those fellows, and I have to smile at those memories of a "few" years ago!  Back in those days, I read a fictional novel, "Many Rivers to Cross" and the hero in that western romance (Bushrod Gentry) came to life as a 6 x 4 acrylic on canvas, today under my brushes.  
  This cowboy didn't make it to ebay, it already

February 27 - Organic Pear

"Single Pear" A quick study of a Bosc pear, usually a very bland colored fruit. I hope you like the life in this one, it reflects the rich flavor as I did finish it off after this painting was done! Original acrylic, 4 x 4 inches, available for $100.

February 26 - Santa Ana Riverbed, California

"Santa Ana Riverbed" This painting is specifically painted for the Norco Western Art Show and is one I'm quite happy with, as it has been "sitting in my head" for over two months. It is of the Norco River Trail System and if you look closely, you'll see the rider on the other side. Original acrylic, 15 x 30 inches, available from my recent paintings page.

February 25 - Englemann Oak

"Oak Shadows" The second painting from being on location , this one focusing on the dappled shadows beneath the large coastal live oaks and Engleman oaks. What I like about this piece is the way the distant oak is framed by the branches of the near one. Original oil, 9 x 12 inches, $200.

February 24 - Sylvan Meadows, Santa Rosa Plateau

"Morning Rocks, Sylvan Meadows" I went on location again, with a painting buddy, and the morning light in the open space of the Plateau is rich with the illusion of moisture. This is a quick study, 12 x 12 inches, $200.

February 23 - Polo Ponies

"Morning Chukkar" Today's painting is a memory of the winter polo matches in Indio, ongoing from October to March. Original oil on gallery-wrap (painted edges), 4 x 6 inches, $100.
This one is sold.

February 22 - Old Eucalyptus

"Impending Change" Today's painting was done on location as I was getting new tires on my truck. I walked into a nearby field and saw this 80+ year old eucalyptus tree with a hawk's nest in it, and since it is sitting on soon-to-be-developed land, its days are numbered. The distant hills of Sun City are in the background. Original oil, 9 x 12 inches, $200.

February 21 - Revision of Lake Evening

"Revision of Lake Evening" Today in the studio I worked over several canvases, and the one that provides the most learning for students is this one. If you'll compare the one on February 3rd, you'll see the original plein air study. Original oil, 5 x 7 inches, available for $100.

February 20 - Sunset

"Sunset Riches" An absolutely gorgeous day today, after the rain of last weekend. The sunset was spectacular as well, so what could I do but paint it? You betcha! Original oil, 4 x 6 inches, available for $100.

February 19 - House Plant

"Young Pothos" It was late when we returned from a date together, my husband and I, so I picked a simple subject--the Pothos house plant that sits on my kitchen sink. With care and feeding, it will grow to envelop the pot hanger above the sink! Original oil, 6 x 4 inches, available for $100.

February 18 - Sunset Pack String

"Off the Ridge" Another painting for the Cattlemen's Wester Art Show, this 24 x 18 oil hopefully will catch the eye of a new collector. I used it to demonstrate some color ideas in the workshop I taught today also.

February 17 - Young Girl's Love of Horses

"You've Got A Friend" I was sent a photograph by a member of the Equine Art Guild, and finally made the time to do this 9 x 12 oil painting. I just loved the idea of the young girl going through the angst of being a teenager, and the only animal that seems to understand is her horse. Available for US $350

February 16 - Prairie Homestead

"The Home Place" A sky, a warm fire and a windmill on the flatlands of the midwest. Original oil, 6 x 12 inches. Not for sale at this time--going to the Cattlemen's Western Art Show in Paso Robles.

February 15 - The Red Cars, Los Angeles Streetcars

"The Red Cars" On location at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, I painted this Red Line street car today. The Red Cars have an interesting history in Los Angeles, the streetcars from Pacific Electric that serviced the city until bought out and retired by... yes, the oil companies. That's why Los Angeles has auto freeway gridlock today instead of an efficient electric streetcar system! Orginal oil on rigid canvas, 9 x 12 inches. $300

February 14 - The Guide

I painted this one for the Cattlemen's Western Art Show, an invitation-only event for the artists, and one with historically good sales, on the first weekend in March in Paso Robles. This is an original oil, 20 x 16 inches, and depicts a memory I have of a fellow who would go hunting every year with a guide into the Western mountain ranges.
Not for sale until after the first weekend in March (if I still have it.)
I also finished "The Crossing" (below), and have updated that image, not here, but on my dailypaintings.com web site, under February's archives.
Have I mentioned how much I love to paint?

February 13 - Hard Boiled

"Hard Boiled" Free-range chickens and a hard boiled egg on the taboret tonight. Original oil, 5 x 7 inches. Available for $100

February 12 - Full Moon

Did you see the moon come up tonight? We have had nothing but clear skies--no rain-- and today was 72 degrees. So what better to paint, thinking about my friends and collectors on the east coast in a snowstorm, but our palm trees and the houses below us. Original acrylic on gallery wrap, 6 x 4 inches (no framing needed). Available for $100

February 11 - Araucana Egg (Chicken)

"Araucana Egg, Broken" It's been a few warm days and the chickens are waking up out of their winter doldrums, and an egg appeared! I decided to celebrate its arrival by capturing the fresh, high yolk in this daily painting, original oil, 6 x 6 inches on gallery-wrap (no framing needed). Available for $100 on ebay.
Please click HERE.

February 10 - Spanish Onion

"Spanish Onion" The realism of acrylics comes through with this depiction of a recent shopping excursion. An original acrylic on gallery wrap canvas (painted edges)