The Good Old Days

The latest assignment in the painting class I am taking was to do an abstract based on some pottery shards.  I was very uncomfortable doing this project and felt I was floundering the whole time working on it.   The Good Old Days is what I called it because that's what is reminds me of, days of my youth.  We were supposed to add texture, which is not very visible in the photograph.  The bright yellow band is textured, painted in bright iridescent gold acrylic.  The patterned area is patterned antique tissue paper.  The bulk of the painting is in oils painted on a 18x24 stretched canvas.  I will probably paint on it a little more when I get the time but it is basically finished.

Gazebo

Last week, I was able to get out to the Botanical Gardens on a really lovely day.  I found a nice spot in front of the butterfly meadows that had a view of the gazebo .  Running parallel to my view was a fence that I relocated.  Behind me was a very large magnolia tree so I couldn't step back and evaluate my painting.  I noticed the fence's perspective was off when I got home and did a little correction, but much to my dismay, not enough.  Anyway, here is the result.  Painted on a 9x12 linen panel.

Old Point Comfort

Last week I was able to get out to Fort Monroe.  Ft. Monroe was recently released from the military which makes for easier access for painting.  While there, I noticed lots of potential painting spots!   I did a painting of the lighthouse there.  This spot is known as Old Point Comfort, called such by the early settlers of Jamestown.  The lighthouse was built in 1803.  There are houses sitting very close to the lighthouse which I chose to ignore.  I wanted to concentrate on the lighthouse exclusively.  Anyway, it was the second painting of the day and I was tired!  It was painted on a 9x12 canvas board.

Cupcakes

Today is my sister's birthday so I painted her a painting.  She baked these cupcakes about three years ago and I snapped a photo of them.  So now she has a painting of the cupcakes she baked.  They are painted on a 8x10 stretched canvas.

Spring Break

This week has been spring break from my painting class.  It was nice for two days this week so I went out to paint.   On Wednesday, I went to the Botanical Gardens cause I figured that some of the flowers would be in bloom.  I wasn't disappointed; I found this bed of daffodils.
Painted on a 6x8 canvas sheet.









Yesterday it was windy with winds gusting up to 30mph.  I didn't want to stress my new easel so I went inland where the winds were supposed to be less.

I ended up next to the dismal swamp and the Dismal Swamp Canal which is part of the Intercoastal Waterway.  I hadn't been there since I was a child, which was a long time ago!  The winds were there as well but the easel did fine (it didn't get blown into the canal!).  This one was also painted on a 6x8 canvas sheet.

Work Still In Progress

I said that I would post a photo of the last painting as I worked on it.  Well, we were given more time to work on it.  So, I still haven't finished it!    Anyway, here's the painting as of last week.  We've been on spring break so I've been painting other stuff.  Back to school next week.