Salty~Paint & Pals

Salty is another of the Paint & Pals classes I have taught this week. I taught this class last night, Monday so it will count toward the Monday post. This finally catches me up again on my paintings towards the 100 Days~100 Paintings.
Salty 12 X 16 acrylic
Donated to Ginger Woechan's fundraiser for this weekend Saturday September 19th, 2009~6 pm until? I will be at the fundraiser at our "New"Mobile Paint & Pals location Picadilly Square this weekend after my show at the Holiday is done and packed up! This fundraiser promises to put the FUN in Fundraising!

Van Gogh's Cafe Scene~Paint & Pals

This is the other painting I worked on last Friday night.
Again, it was a great experience working with the group getting ready for a wedding the following month. Alexis, the owner of Paint & Pals, donated the canvas for both of the paintings .
Van Gogh's Cafe Scene~Paint & Pals 16 x 20 Acrylic
Donated to Ginger Woechan's Fundraiser this weekend.

Beach Umbrellas~Paint & Pals

Those who know me know that I work for Paint & Pals as one of their instructors. Last Friday, after working at the house in Fairhope, I made a frantic trip home to take a shower and run to the studio to teach for a bachelorette party. I had a really great time, and this painting is one of two I painted. It was an interesting experience, trying to keep two groups of women focused and painting. We still did not get out of there until 10:30!
Beach Umbrellas~Paint & Pals 16 x 20 Acrylic
donated to Ginger Woechan's fundraiser this weekend.

King of the Golf Cart

Chris and I were out bike riding during our Keys trip and found this gorgeous bird. I actually heard him before I saw him on a back road near a restaurant we were planning to eat dinner at that evening. I also found an Osprey with a nest high in a pine tree nearby.
This Blue Macaw was out just sitting on a golf cart munching on fruit it had been given for a snack. He was curious about us and I was certainly willing to photograph him.
Animals are one of my favorite things to paint because of their innocent qualities and ability to be natural while being photographed.
"King of the Golf Cart" 8 x 10 Oil on Gessobord SOLD

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

Raspberry

This Raccoon shows how we felt after dealing with Government regulations. Because we will live in a 130 mph wind zone, we must have a roof that won't come off. DUH! The last thing I want during a major storm is to have my roof make a fast exit!
We have consulted with the Building Inspector for Fairhope (who by the way is great to work with!) He told me we needed a structural engineer to work up plans for the re~build. Keep in mind we still did not know if the building was sound enough to save. This week we contacted two engineers~one I don't think was happy that we were talking to another(I think he thought he had the job locked in!) They both told me the building was sound and the cracks I was concerned with were not going to be a problem. After getting engineering lessons from one, and much enthusiasm from the other, We are happily getting plans drawn up that use our original ideas to put a new block wall in back,(EXPANDING my studio by four feet! Hurrah!) We also will be putting a Porch all the way across the front of our little bungalow. This means we have all new construction to tie the roof on with!
This also means I am now in search of Masonry/Concrete workers. More phone calls...................
Raspberry 8 x 10 Oil on Gessobord SOLD

Red Sky at Night~Sailors Delight

I don't know if you've heard the old saying, Red Sky at night~Sailors Delight.....Red Sky at Morning~Sailor take warning. This is such a good indicator of weather that all sailors remember this warning and take heed. While the photo is somewhat dark compared to the actual painting, the intensity and richness of color is really there. The sailboat paintings are really fun to paint and remind me of the sea.
I am working on the house tomorrow and meeting with structural engineers to determine if we can feasibly (and financially) save the little house. I really hope so, the structure would be heart breaking to tear down after all the work that the owner put into it so many years ago. Not to mention the solid week and 1/2 we have put into it ourselves cleaning it up! Anyway here's hoping for a red sky at night as far as the Raccoon Retreat goes!
Red Sky at Night~Sailors Delight 16 x 20 Oil on Canvas $125.00