Flamingo IV

Flamingo IV

The last in the series of Flamingos for now. Each measuring 10 x 20 inches they are made to be in pairs although they can be bought individually. If you notice two face right, two face left. 

Art class is almost over at the Art Center and so will children's summer classes be finished for me!

I can then work on the program for Atelier class at the Eastern Shore Art Center for the Fall. The classes will be on Tuesdays after school, starting in September. What is Atelier? The word means studio in French and it is an anything goes class. We have done painting, recycled art, wire art, 

paper mache, sculpture and so much more! I look forward to an exciting fall with the little ones!

I am also preparing for Fall classes with ESILL, Eastern Shore Institute of Lifelong Learning. I am offering a beginning Watercolor class, An intermediate Watercolor class, 

Beginning Acrylics (or Oils), and continuing Acrylics. The classes start in September as well. Look for their flier to come out shortly!

I will also be teaching again at my church, Scripts & Strokes starts on Monday's in September as well. Add in a couple of shows, 100 days of paintings, and life is rocking here at the 

Raccoon Retreat Studio!

Flamingo IV, Acrylic on canvas, 10 x 20

Day 18 of the 100 days~100 paintings 2017 

Too Many days to count! 22 to be exact!

"Satisfied", Acrylic, 12 x 24 canvas, Day 68 of the 100 Days

"Baby Turtle", Acrylic cigar box, Day 69

"Bubble Shell Minis"Acrylic 4 x4s Day 70

Mahi Mahi, Cigar box Acrylic Day 71

Pelican , Cigar Box Acrylic Day 72

Nautilus, Cigar Box, Acrylic Day 73

Redfish, Cigar Box, Acrylic Day 74

Starfish, Cigar Box, Acrylic, Day 75

My Point of view, Cigar Box, Acrylic, Day 76

Red Sky at Night, Acrylic 4 x 12 Canvas, Day 77

Great Grays, Cigar Box, Acrylic, Day 78

Surf Strut, 12 x 12 Acrylic on canvas, Day 79

Artichoke Study, 5 x 7, Acrylic on canvas Day 80

The path well Taken, 16 x 20 Acrylic on canvas Day 81

Painted with Scripts & Strokes class, based on Micah6:8 Walk Humbly with your God

Middle Bay 1885, 20 x 20 Acrylic on canvas, Day 82 

Bubble Shell, 12 x 12 Acrylic on canvas, Day 83

Turtle Walk Starfish, 12 x 12 Acrylic on canvas, Day 84

Starfish Study I, Acrylic on canvas 12 x 12, Day 85

Starfish Study II, Acrylic on canvas 12 x 12, Day 86

Starfish Study III, Acrylic on canvas 12 x 12, Day 87

Starfish Study IV, Acrylic on canvas 12 x 12, Day 88

At the Bottom of the Sea, Acrylic on canvas 15 x 30, Day 89

Finally caught up to today! This one has been done for a while although I tweaked it just a touch. It actually is intended to hang lengthwise as you can see from the name in the corner. I love painting them and will never tire of the lovely starfish. Starfish take me back to the Phillipines when I was little, my parents scuba diving below me and Tony in the Bonka Boat. One day, I saw a starfish on the bottom, and Tony free dove to retrieve it for me. It was the most glorious blue I had ever seen.We took it home and placed it in our ant bed to clean it out. Several weeks later, we dug up our treasures and I was disappointed to find my lovely catch was not even a hint of blue! I insisted in my childish mind, to paint it back to its original color. It graced my bedroom for many years. I think it may even be packed with my parents collection in the attic, Some day, I will dig all of them out, and properly display the shells for everyone to see again.

Fall show season begins this weekend with our first one in Daphne, Alabama. I am worried about the weather, but God has a plan.  I know he will take care of the crazy life we call art here in the Raccoon Retreat Studio.

Coya Costa Pathway

     Coya Costa Pathway is another of the one a day paintings done with my class at the Eastern Shore Art Center. My students usually paint 16 x 20's and I will demonstrate on a larger canvas so they can see the techniques to paint more efficiently. My canvas was 24 x 30 ~ 1/3 larger than the students.

Coya Costa Pathway~ 24 x 30 Acrylic on canvas ~Day 93 of the 100 days

Beached at Goa

        

                                  This painting is more of my typical type, featuring beaches. Beached at Goa reminds me somewhat of the Phillipines, because I remember the boats pulled up on the beach. My parents would dive both during day and night. The night dives were my father exclusively because my mother wanted to see the sharks coming at them while in the water. The sharks were not overly aggressive, just curious. The only problem with curiosity and a shark is that there are large teeth involved! Hence, Mom let dad dive with the rest of the crew at night. Night dives were the best for lobster hunting as I recall and sometimes really big fish would come in as a result of my fathers expert shooting with a spear gun.
                            
                              I spent many happy days on the beaches in the Phillipines. When we first started going to Subic Bay, I was very concerned that the local children did not wear clothing. Their freedom was contageous and eventually after several trips, I too shed the layers of exterior covering. (However, out of some sense of modesty I kept my underwear on! I was only 7 years old at the time!)

                              More about my adventures on the beaches at a later date.

"Beached at Goa" 24 x 36 Acrylic on canvas $295.00

Serenity

I am wishing I was feeling serene right now. I am 1 week away from 5 weekends of shows ranging from Biloxi, Mississippi to Pensacola, Florida. I am still trying to create one painting a day, work on the house in Fairhope and run our local Daughters of the Nile chapter (I am president this year, an office I never would have taken on 3 years ago if I knew what my art career would do!).
Fortunately, the first show is here in Mobile and basically just a small forerunner to the big ones to follow. It will be a chance to work the bugs out of the show, wrap my head around travel, camping, set ups, break downs, selling, calculating, inventorying, talking, promoting, packing, unpacking, framing, mats, cutting mats, etc. etc. etc.......
I am getting tired just thinking about it all.
This is the life I have chosen~the life of an artist and I love it!
Serenity 5 x 7 Oil on Canvas SOLD

Tequlia Sunrise I &II

These trees are always such fun to paint! I had leftover paint from the classes I have been teaching and did not want to waste, so here we are with bright happy color!
My children have no appreciation for these "play" paintings. (I love to show my wild side every now and then. They call it t-shirt art) I usually call it sold!
I had a pair of 15 x 30's of this type that sold last year at two different shows! These are much smaller 6x12 deep edge canvas. I am sure they will find a home. Otherwise, they may have to stay with me!
They can be purchased for $50.00 each or $90.00 for the pair. SOLD