Painting an Heirloom - Motivation Monday

Painting an Heirloom

I love painting furniture,

so last week I painted a piece that's been in my family

for years,

and the scene has also been

 rolling around in my brain for years.

 

This is a cedar chest my uncle who is 87, made for my mom when he was in high school.

My mom would have been 90, so this piece is about

 70 years old.

We had a huge rain storm 2 weeks ago and water got in our basement where this has been.

So, I thought it was a perfect time to take it out to my studio

and get started on it.

So after all the sucking up water with shop vacs, carpet cleaning, removing and replacing baseboards, and running industrial fans for 72 hours,

I emptied it out and we took it out to my studio.

I had it sitting up on a table so it was almost at eye level.

 

It's a large cedar chest and I cannot remember a time this wasn't in my home. 

 My mom gave it to me about 70 years ago when she moved to Florida.

 It has been painted all sorts of colors over the last 70 years or so.

 

 And here is a close up of the finished product.

I guess this proves that we're never too old to be useful.

We're never too old to try something new.

We're never too old to shine!

And this 70 year old cedar chest does shine!

If you would like to learn to paint in acrylics?

Click HERE to go to my website,

scroll down to the bottom and sign up for the FREE Daisy Painting Class. 

Thanks for stopping by today!

Happy Motivation Monday to ya!

 

 

Day 12 - Karter

Day 12 - Karter

Figure Painting 101

One of my goals during the challenge,

was to do figure painting.

I've never painted figures before.

I'm terrified of painting figures.

But today was THE day.

This shows toooo bright,

so

I tried again.

 

 

And this is toooo dark.

So it's somewhere in the middle.

 

My grandson Karter is a swimmer, among other things,

and going to swim meets is something I love to do,

but parking is always a nightmare,

and the chaos is almost unbelievable.

Fun, but crazy!

 

I took this photo last year when he was 8.

He is a great swimmer and swims on relays with much older boys and boys that swim year round.

 

Anyway,

tomorrow will be another figure painting.

 

I am totally exhausted from this,

and I need to go take a nap,

or eat a brownie,

or eat a brownie and then take a nap!

I like that idea.

 

Oh and by the way,

it's not for sale.

 

Blogaversary Update

 

I just drew out a name for my online iris painting class for my blogaversary.

 

Hope you're entered.

 

If not

Scroll back up to the top on the right hand side and put your email in the box that says

(wait for it)

"Subscribe To My Blog"

(get it - Blogaversary)

Put your email in the box and then when you receive an email asking you to confirm you actually did sign up,

confirm it.

Then you're in and there's nothing more to do.

If I draw your name out of my virtual hat,

I'll send you an email with 

"NO Joke! YOU WON!"

in the subject line.

Answer me in 24 hours and you get the prize.

 

 

Day 4 - Ocean Moonlight

Day 4

Ocean Moonlight

 Ocean Moonlight

Acrylic 10" x 10" 

$75 (during the challenge) Free Shipping

Here's wishing I were at a beach somewhere.  

I've loved working on clouds and skies lately and I put them together with another of my favorite subjects, the ocean.

I always love hearing the ocean at night 

and I can almost hear it.

 My Blogaversary

September is my blogaversary

and I'll be giving away a lot of art

and 4 of my online iris painting classes 

and the very last gift I'm giving away

is one of my full art courses.

All total I'm giving away over $800 worth of goodies.

And I want you to get in on the fun 

and win something.

Please sign up by scolling to the top right hand side

and enter your email in the box to subscribe to my blog.

(If you receive my blog in your inbox, you're already entered.)

Then you'll get an email confirming that you did sign up.

You need to confirm before you are actually entered.

Thanks so much and good luck! 

A Week Of Cloud Painting

Cloud Fascination

I have always loved the beauty of the sky,

the clouds,

the colors,

the drama.

It's one of the reasons I wanted to learn to paint.

I wanted to paint beautiful clouds.

I haven't been all that successful painting clouds until recently.

I've spent this past week painting clouds every day,

study what I painted,

critiquing what I painted,

learning from what I painted.

This video shows my latest efforts

as I tried to paint a monochromatic but dramatic sky.

I added the surf to the painting because it told me to.
Paintings often tell us what to do next.

Early Surf

Acrylic on 11" x 14" on a stretched canvas, unframed 

Don't forget to sign up to receive my blog in your inbox
at the top right hand side of my blog.
Then you'll be entered to win anything I give away
and in September I'm giving away a ton of stuff.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day 

Can You NOT Talk For 5 Days?

NO TALKING!

For 5 Whole Days!

In April I started having trouble with my voice.

It was raspy at first, then hoarse, and then almost non existent.  

I went to my family Dr., who tried something that didn't work,

I went to an ENT who tried something that didn't work,

and then I went to a voice specialist who found the problem.

I have (had) a lesion on my right vocal cord.

It's no bigger than the head of a pin,

but it kept me from being able to talk.

So Friday I had surgery to have the little bugger removed.

And while they were in there, they found a cyst that also was removed.

I'm not in pain but part of the recovery is 

no talking for 5 days. 

I'm a talker folks, so this is hard.

But I'm doing it!

The hardest part is in the morning when I first get up,

because I forget.

But by Tuesday I should be able to talk.

I will probably have to have several weeks of speech therapy because my vocal cords are pretty screwed up right now,

but hopefully I'll be able to talk more normally after that.

So now you know why I haven't made any more single subject classes or any free videos.

Looking forward to getting back at it in a few weeks.

So. . . you ask, how is this part of Motivation Monday.

Because, we CAN do hard things,

and not talking for 5 days is pretty daggone hard for me.

Doing HARD things is an every day deal for me,

because most of you may know,

I'm not the healthiest horse in the barn.

But, really, no talking for 5 days may be one of the hardest things I've ever had to do,

but my family loves it.  (hehe)

Forcing yourself to do something that's hard,

but that's good for you can be very hard,

but the pay off is great.

More on that later.

But I am still painting so here is my latest work.

  This is the background I did on an 8" x 8" panel.

I loved the colors and the looseness of it.

I flipped it to the other side when I painted on it, 

because I wanted the dark side on the bottom and the lightest part on the top right. 

Then I wanted white daisies on all that color,

and then I sort of covered it all up.

 

Oh well!

I still like it and I hope you do to,

because I'll be giving this one away for my August painting.

 

If you haven't signed up to receive my blog in your inbox,

what are you waiting on?

 

I give away a FREE painting every single month

and in September I'll be having my blogaversary

and I'll be giving away a lot of great art,

including one pretty good sized painting.

 

So scroll on back to the top and on the right hand side,

put your email in the box that says "Subscribe to My Blog".

 

And if you don't mind, please share this with your friends who you think might be interested in learning about art, how to stay motivated for anything with my Motivation Monday posts, and to be in the proverbial hat for a free painting.

 

 This bad boy is heading out to Gayle in Lebanon, Ohio on Monday.

 

I painted this at the boat dock in Carrollton, KY.

You could be my next winner,

but not if you don't get signed up.

 

Congratulations Gayle.

 

Click HERE to view my online beginning painting course and single subject class.

 

Life Changing Events

Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?

It's not often easy,

and it's not often kind,

Did you ever have to finally decide?

Yeah!  I'm a child of the 60's

and I had to finally decide.

 This fun, cute, even spunky little art gallery,

will be closing it's doors for good,

Saturday, December 19.

I know, it's sad, but it is what it is

and I can't make it otherwise.

I've had a really great time though,

teaching many children and adults

all about painting.

I want to thank all  my loyal customers 
for coming into River Run Gallery
and painting, drawing, and shopping
from the bottom of my heart.
I have so appreciated your support and friendship!

The artists in River Run Gallery

will begin to move their art out of the gallery 

on the 18th and 19th,

so,

if there's something you've had your eye on,

NOW would be a really good time to come on it

and get that wrap, purse, photograph, jewelry

or painting.  

All garden stones are 50% off

and all paintings are30% off.

I have a great selection of earrings that are 20% off.

And for those of you who want to learn 

how to paint from the ground up,

I've created an online beginning painting course, with the absolute beginner in mind.

Click HERE to give it a look,

(no obligation, you're just browsing).  

Our website at www.riverrungallery.com

will come down, December 15

and our blog will come down sometime 

before the first of the year.  

But on a happier note, this blog will continue

as I continue painting and creating

and teaching beginning art classes.

I plan on putting together art camps in the summer,

although I'm not sure where,

it might be out at our farm.

And I will continue giving away a painting every single month,

so get your name in the hat by clicking on the link below.

November Painting Giveaway

 

Click Here to Enter for a FREE Painting

Let's not be strangers.

Stop in to see me before we close December 19,

and then,

open up my blog posts or newsletters to see what's going on

in my little corner of the art world.

Finally,

I have some fixtures and signage I'm selling if you're local and 

would like a pretty good deal on it.

Just let me know.

Feeling Vulnerable

Hanging Your Art

For All The World To See!

How nerve wracking is that.

If you're an artist, can you remember the first time you approached a gallery or hung your art for the first time?

I do, and it was nerve wracking.  

River Run Gallery is hosting a Benefit Student Art Show,

where my student artists agreed to hang their art so the public could come in and vote on their favs with their cold hard cash.  

As you can see, many people have come in and put their money where their mouth is.

 

All the art with the large numbers is from students of classes I've taught.
 

 Look at all the varieties of art that has been painted.
 

 It has been so much fun teaching so many people from age 4 to about 82.
Most have never painted before.  
All wanted to learn to paint.
Most were nervous to come and take a class.

They overcame that fear and then they brought their art to hang in a gallery,
have people they might not know look at it and judge it by putting money in a cup with their number on it.

No FEAR there!

 I am so proud of them, their work, and their gutsyness.  (Is that a word?)

  Thank you so much artists,

for overcoming your fear and helping to raise money.

All the money raised from this art show will be given to

Carroll County Animal Support.

They do a tremendous amount of volunteer work for lost, homeless and unwanted animals in Carroll County.

The goal is to raise $150 which will be used to spay one animal.

Congratulations to Darcel Klopp who won one of my calendars and Holly Frye who won three of my note cards.  

There are two categories, adults and children, and the artist who raises the most money in each category receives 5 tubes of acrylic paint, and the second place winners receive a free class.  

Thanks again! 

30 in 30 wrap up

30 in 30 Wrap Up

and what I learned.

This is not all 30, but I couldn't get all 30 on one. 

You have to be smarter than the template or program and I obviously am not.

Anyway, I learned a lot from this challenge.  One of the things was perspective finally started to come together during the challenge.  One of my favorites is the motorcycle because of the buildings in the background.  All of a sudden how to get the perspective correct came to me, after much study, practice and observation.  Then I did the city scape and after several failed drawings I realized where my error was and was able to correct it and paint that painting.  The boat brought it's own form of perspective issues, which I began to understand and was able to see clearly how to paint it.  I had a breakthrough while painting the bright red and yellow carnations and daisies.  The carnations and all its ruffles had always escaped me, and then after studying the actual flower I again saw how I could do it.  

Learning how to see is huge to an artist and I learned this more during this challenge than ever before.  I still have so much to learn about observing and seeing, but I feel like I opened a door to know how to do it and know what I'm seeing.

Thanks so much for following along during the challenge.  If you have a favorite I would love to know what it is. Just leave it in the comments. 

All the paintings will be on display during the month of October with an opening reception, Friday, Oct 3, 4-8 p.m.  If you're in the area, please stop by for food, friends fun and art.

You're the best.