Adam

Well, I don't do portraits very often, but I attempted a portrait for a friend of my husband.  Very challenging!  This is third portrait I have done in the past three years.  It is painted on a 12x12 stretched canvas.  Haha, and I'm about to start another one for a Christmas present!  I am going to try and paint many of my Christmas presents.  Hopefully people won't mind!

First Plein Air Knife Painting

Friday, while most people were braving the malls, I went to the Botanical Gardens to paint.  I am really going to have to start Christmas shopping sometime soon!   But not while there is a nice day to paint!!!  I thought that there would not be many people there, but I was wrong.  I thought I would try the skills I learned in one of the workshops I took and tried painting with the knife on location.  This was quite difficult!  And the results weren't the best (but a fun time!).  But anyway, here it is.  It is painted on a 9x12 canvas panel.

First Knife painting

This past weekend, at the Art of the Carolinas, I took a knife workshop.  This is the result.  I have never been attracted to knife paintings before, and I am still not.  But the painting was very fun to do and maybe I will do some more!  This painting was painted in about 45 mins!  on a 9x12 canvas panel.

A Long View

Here's the first one I did at the Pinkum Garden event that was put on by the Charles Taylor Center in Hampton.  The Pinkum Gardens are private and are located in Carrolton near the James River Bridge.  The sun was really sparkling on the water which I didn't quite capture. Those brown marks in the water is an old pier.  This event was October 8th of this past year.  It was an enjoyable time as they all are!  It was painted on a 9x12 canvas panel.

Art of the Carolinas

This week I have had the pleasure of attending the Art of the Carolinas in Raleigh.  The workshops began Thursday and the trade shop began Friday.  What a time I have had!  I signed up for six workshops and already have attended five of them.  The last one is tomorrow and Monday I head for home.  I have been exposed to many new techniques and I am anxious to play around with them at home.  The photo shows the workshop I attended tonight, "The Cape Cod Underpainting Method" instructed by Mike Rooney (in the hat).  I actually took three of the workshops from Mike.  I have my last workshop tomorrow.   The workshops began Thursday and the trade show began Friday.  The trade show is amazing.  It is difficult to refrain from spending because the prices are unbelievable.  I will certainly try to attend next year!

Fountain With Palm

This is yesterday's painting from a trip to the Botanical Gardens.  Yesterday's trip was intended to be studies of simpler objects but I ended up painting this fountain.  This is one of my first attempts at painting with a knife other than a few stabs here and there.  Haha, it looks like August's earthquake re-arranged the right side of the fountain base!  This painting is a combination of brushes and knife.  It was painted on a 9x12 canvas sheet.

Tomorrow I am off to Raleigh for four days at the Art of the Carolinas!  I am excited and hopeful of gaining many new painting techniques.  I signed up for six oil related workshops.  I will be returning next Monday ready to test my new skills!

Autumn

Yesterday it was a really beautiful day so I found a few hours and went to the Botanical Gardens to paint.  I found a nice spot next to the lake and this picture is the result.  It was panted on a 9x12 canvas sheet  oils.