Painting of Pink Orchids in a Cobalt Blue Vase, 11" x 14" Oil on Board

"Orchids in a Cobalt Vase"



Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $125 USD plus $15 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

I've really been behind on my daily painting as a result of school. Seems I barely get home from Seattle, teach a class, and then I'm back on the road again. Here's one I squeaked out between homework assignments. Things ought to smooth out a bit once school is over.

Dogwood and Tangerine Painting, 15.5" x 18.25", Pastel on 2 Ply Cotton Rag

"Dogwood Daze"Currently NFS


Painting is becoming more and more of a challenge with the mess around me growing daily. We're into the third day of drywall and mudding. I'm told to expect at least three more before they plaster and paint. Sigh. I purchased the materials for my matting table today and hope to sneak into the empty studio space on Sunday when the workers are gone and put the thing together.
However, I did manage to get a bit of work done yesterday and today. My husband helped me move my huge case of pastels into the dining room (the drawers tipped forward, oh no!) and after I made some order out of the mess, I started this painting. It's a mixed media, actually. The underpainting is done in watercolor and then I've worked glazes of pastel into it. I've found that this technique works best on rag. While the paper is a bear to raise a nap on, once you do, the surface allows you to get multiple lazers of pastel in thin glazes. I'm entering this one in the Northwest Pastel Society members juried competition. They've advertised that it's an "anything goes" show for pastel so I'm hoping the mixed media flies. Wish me luck.

Yellow and Pink Roses Oil Painting on Gallery Wrap Canvas, 8" x 10"

"Jeraline's Vase"
SOLD



From the macabre to the romantic. This has been a strange week. This little pink vase was a thrift shop find by a friend. I never used it because, frankly, I couldn't figure out how. It's kind of small to hold a lot of flowers or even a bud or two. But I found it worked very well as a complement to the pink and yellow roses. I love this bright little piece. Hope you do too!

Peonies and Green Apples Oil Painting, 9" x 12", Oil on Panel

"Peonies and Yellow Apples"





I recently finished a commission of peonies and had so much of the color left on my palette, I decided to do another peony painting. I just couldn't see wasting all that luscious pink paint. The apples were green originally but I liked them better as yellow. They were left over too. Not anymore...I just ate the last one.

Peony Oil Painting, 6" x 6"

"Peony"
NFS




Today started with an early rise so that I could get my wrecked studio into shape for my students who were returning after the holiday break. What a mess! After about two hours I managed to get enough stuff moved around so that folks could work. I am so done with this whole waiting thing! I can't wait until the new studio is finished. You could hide a body in the old one.

After my students left, I got busy with Day Two of my commission but didn't wrap it up until dinner time. So for my daily painting, I borrowed one of the peonies from the painting and, viola! A daily painting. OK - so it's not for sale. But I did finish it in about the time I take to do a DP, so it sort of counts. Check in with my teaching blog later tonight for more about this peony and the painting as it develops.

"Arc of Orchids"
Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $99 USD plus $15 USD s/h
Or, send me an email



 Today was a better day sold some work and someone actually showed up to work on my studio! Hooray!! So, being in a brighter mood, I painted something to reflect my mood. It's been awhile since I painted Orchids. These colors are always a bit touchy to do. I want them bright, but not glaring. Hope I accomplished this. Enjoy! To see how this painting was done, click here.

"Mixed Bunch"
SOLD - 12/29/08



 Yesterday was my wedding anniversary and my husband and I spent the day in Victoria, B.C. It was a sunny 45 degrees and it felt really good to get out in the weather as it's been so cold and snowy here the past two weeks. But I only got back late today and so I didn't get into the studio until almost 3:00 PM. A late start for me.

I'm always so dismayed by how easy it is to fall out of practice. If I paint flowers every day, then I seem to have little difficulty in rendering them. But if I skip a week and paint a different subject, I find that I have to struggle to get them right. I need to spend some time during the week just practicing my brush strokes on roses. These proved to be a challenge for me today.

Oil Paint of Pink Rose and Golden Plums, 11" x 14" on Canvas Panel

"Rose with Golden Plums"
Click here to inquire about purchase.





It's been a pretty busy week here at the Spar homestead. Our local fair starts this week and I've entered some work in it. But mostly it's just been hectic getting all the paperwork and peliminary stuff for my upcoming show ready. I know I should be ready for this by now, but it just seems to be taking forever to do it all. I'll be soooo glad when it's all behind me. Honestly, some days just looking for a phone number can take all day!

Here's a piece I put together on the fly today. Hope you like it.