Happy Monday!

Take a look at the blue under paintings for three of my new paintings. Color with follow in a few days. Can't wait to watch them come to life!

Until next time...

Hello.

Here are the final two drawings. I may be taking a short break from the studio with Christmas upcoming. However, I should be back Monday to show some paint on these new pieces. Merry Christmas!

Until next time...

Good Morning.

Two more sketches to share. Both of these have great skies that I cannot wait to delve into.

Until next time...

Good Afternoon!

I'm not exactly sure where I left off last time and I know it has been quite some time since I have been on... but lets start from scratch! I am working on a series of 6 paintings that will be the first on my 2011 Collection, Wide Open Spaces. In this collection I want to bridge the simplicity and charm of Rural Riches with the animated skies that I've painted in the past. I want to get back to "Amy clouds" but hold on to the quiet ambiance that was so nice in rural riches. I am always looking for that ultimate escape, aren't I?! Here are 2 of the sketches to take a peak at. I'll introduce the other 4 as the week progresses. I am working on prepping canvases and under painting now. There will be plenty to explore in the upcoming weeks!

Until next time...

Good Morning!

We are continuing to follow some autumn scenes. I finished up the skies and tree lines on these two sister paintings. I just have the water and reflections left to finish. Each piece is 12 x 12". The finished paintings soon!

Until next time...

Hey there!

Here is a look at the final creek and tree line. I have not yet decided on a title for this painting but something will come to me soon! It is 36" tall and 24" wide. It has a very calming feel to it. Enjoy!

Until next time...

Hello!

The trees are coming to life! Next up... grasses and creek!

Until next time...

Good Morning!

Yesterday was a great day in the studio! I was able to solidify a few more smaller under paintings for fall scenes. Here they are laying out on the table to dry. Hopefully by end of week I'll be able to start color on these!

Until next time...

Hello!

Back in the studio, I am starting some more under paintings for autumn scenes. You may recognize the creek in this piece as the same creek from the last painting we followed. I thought that creek was very fun to paint and looked so good in the end that I used the same photo for this piece. I like the open space in this sky and wanted to mimic that feeling in the land below. I decided to surround the creek with just a few trees and thick brush to capture the feeling of wind blowing through the space. Can't wait to start adding color. A couple more days and it should be dry enough to do so.

Until next time...

Good Morning!

Last night, Chris and I delivered and hung "Autumn Creek Side" in it's beautiful new home! Here is a look at the painting hung over the sofa with the artist and the patron posing in front. We all look great together don't we?!

This week I am planning on starting some new autumn paintings that we can follow. Be back soon!

Until next time...

Hey there! Look at this... a finished painting! How beautiful is that?! I am very excited. I can't wait to see how it looks in the room it was painted for.

Until next time...

Wow, look at that grassy bank! That is pretty nice. Now we just need a creek. We'll get to see that soon enough!

Until next time...

Getting closer. It is looking very autumn isn't it? I have one more creek bank to infuse with warm color and then it is on the the creek.

Until next time...

Hi. Was caught in action again! And quite literally it seems... look at those arms! I'm in the studio today. More to come.

Until next time...

Hello. Had a couple days off but now there is more to see on the Autumn Creekside painting. We see more trees coming to life in this photo.

Until next time...

Good Afternoon!
Check out the beautiful golden maple (I think) that has just been found in our creek side wood line. I love it! More soon.

Until next time...

And the painting has started! I have finished the new sky. It was important to my patron that it was a happy sky. So, I went with some brighter light blues and kept the clouds fairly fair. I have also started on the tree line. It is a bit shiney looking in the photo but that is because I have to photograph downstairs. However, look at how warm it has gotten just with those few trees in!

Until next time...

Hello! It's time to add some color to the large commission. Take a look at the pallet. I cannot wait to use those wonderful warm colors in the fall trees. As I was out for my run this morning, I couldn't help but notice a bright blue sky and golden trees. It really put me in the mood to work on this painting today.

Until next time...

Hello! Here is the final look for the under painting for the big piece we have been watching. It looks wonderful so far, doesn't it? I am still waiting for a couple stubborn spots to dry and a large chunk of time to get going on the colors. I can't wait to start adding in the rusts, golds, and burnt oranges in to the trees and shrubs. It will be a beautiful autumn day when all is said and done.

Until next time...

More trees!

Until next time...

Good Afternoon!
We've got more trees! What is interesting about picking up where I left off a couple weeks ago is that I'm feeling a little more relaxed with the painting now. I find myself softening some of my earlier brush strokes - which is fine, I like the effect better. However, it just adds proof to the fact that I am quite the moody painter!! Also, the first batch of paint on a piece this big makes me nervous for some reason. Once I get into it more, I realize I'm on the right track and the piece flows more freely. It's really starting to develop its character now. How exciting!

Until next time...

Today I have been working on the 48 x 60 creek scene. I need to finish the under painting very soon. Here is an idea of scale when it comes to painting such a large piece. Granted I am not the tallest in the world and the painting is on the easel, but look at the size of this thing in comparison to me! Very exciting.

Until next time...

Hello! I thought I'd share what I was actually drawing yesterday in my mug shot. This will possibly be a scene painted on 6 ft long old saw blade. How very interesting and wonderful would that look? I'm very excited about the prospect. Meanwhile, I can continue painting on the big commission we started looking at earlier in the month.

Until next time...

Hello! Boy, it's been a whirlwind of activity since the last I've checked in and not a whole lot of that has happened in the studio, unfortunately. However, I'm back and I'm ready to continue what I started, as well as start some more! I have finished my arts festival schedule for this season. That means it's painting time again! On the agenda I have commissions, autumn scenes, and a running painting. Can't wait to delve right in. Above, I am working on a drawing for a special commission. As you can see, my assistant got a bit bored and fell asleep! It is fun to have her undivided attention! More soon!

Until next time...

Good Friday Afternoon!
I'm about to head out for a show or two but I thought I'd end the week's blogging with a look at the finished willow tree. I love the movement in the tree as if it is blowing gently in the wind. This paint is very fresh so you can even see a little of the wet sheen in the photograph. Time to dry!

Until next time...

Good Afternoon!

Here is a look at some tree and grass progress for our creek scene. This piece is actually inspired by a creek on this particular patrons land. There is a lovely path that leads back into a creek bed area. The idea to use this creek as the subject of a painting came to mind when looking at "A Favorite Spot" in my booth. We are combining our favorite attributes from "A Favorite Spot" with this specific creek and making it autumn in season. We are looking for those warm rich tones in this piece. More soon!

Until next time...

Good Day. The last couple times we have been looking at the progress of the willow tree commission. I thought you may be curious on the progress of the creek commission as well. Here I have started on the under painting and have gotten the sky and creek laid in. I have declared today a full day of painting so here I go. More soon!

Until next time...

Hello! Welcome back! My trusty and hardworking computer decided enough was enough last week and crashed, so now I am finally back with a new computer and something to look at! We were following some commissions when I last wrote and I am still working on those. Here is the second piece I wanted to share with you. This will be the first willow tree we have followed but I can really see me enjoying another someday. Willows always remind me of going to my Grandparents house when I was younger. They had two huge willows side by side that grew so large that we would play house under them and we each had our own room! It was fantastic. My patron for this piece has some special memories for her willow I am sure because it was a special request. I get to mix colors for it today. More to come!

Until next time...

Hello. Here is the drawing for one of the commissions I am working on. This piece will be 48" high and 60" wide. That's BIG! It will be lots of fun but lots of hours are ahead on this painting!

Until next time...

Hello! As we are following commissions now, here is the final look for the winter scene commission we have been following. It turned out amazing! It is 20" tall and 24" wide. This patron already has the same hill and tree in summer time. How fun it will be to hang them in the same room together. The studio is a hopping place right now. 14 days until my next show and commissions already started. Crazy but wonderful!

Until next time...

I'm so excited, my photo is going the correct direction this time!! This is a photo of me finishing my first 10k race. I've done several half and full marathons but never thought about how much funner it might be to run fewer miles! I ran for a great cause though. We were supporting the Children's Hunger Alliance. Make sure those kiddos get the food and nutrients they need.

So now it is back to the studio. It has been quite a while since I've been able to spend some quality time painting. Now I have 4 commissions to be working on so I'll be painting quite a lot in the next few weeks! We will following a couple of those commissions because they are very fun and I can't wait to share the progress on those.

Until next time..

Well, I tried to wait out the system to see if it would figure out why my pictures keep posting sideways, but evidently I didn't wait long enough! So, our heads are turned again! Here is the latest shoreline painting I have to share. It is called Whispering Grasses. I am in Chicago now for a show in Glenview. If you are in the area, please stop by!

Until next time...

My apologies for the sideways photos. I cannot figure out how to fix it so I suppose we'll have to turn our heads for now. This is a finished look at "Distant Shores." It was one of the under paintings we saw earlier. It is 11 x 14". Enjoy!

Until next time...

Well, it looks like we are observing this one sideways! Not sure why but we'll just go for it. If you cock your head to the left, you will see that I have played with a colored sky. This is actually for a commission I am working on. It will eventually be a winter scene with a skeleton tree just beyond the hill side. I will keep you posted. Meanwhile, I think my shorelines are about ready for their next layer of paint. Can't wait to get back to them.

Until next time...

Good Morning! We have been having some fantastic skies the past week or two. There have been "Amy clouds" all over the place!! The other evening I had a blast photographing an amazing sunset outside our home. We are looking at one of the photos I got. I can see this becoming a painting in the future, can't you?!

Until next time...

Here is a final under painting in the shoreline series I have been working on. Unfortunately, they are not drying particularly fast right now so I will have to pause on this series for a few days. I will just have to work on something else I have started! Always so much to paint, so little time!

Until next time...

Good Afternoon,
I am continuing my shoreline series with this piece. It is 11 x 14 and I think I will call it Whispering Grasses. Both the grass and the clouds seem to really be playing in the breeze in this scene.

Until next time...

Hello!

It's under painting time! I have a series of 4 smaller shoreline pieces sketched out and ready to under paint. Here is one of them. On my walk along the beach, I discovered a log washed up on shore. It was interesting watching the water react and break around it. I also saw some fantastic clouds that day on the beach so I am incorporating those as well. Next...

Until next time...

Hello!

Enjoy "A Lighthouse View," the freshest paint in the studio! Check out how the reflection follows the waves near the bottom. I didn't notice that so much in the original photo but discovered how very cool it was when I was painting it! I am now deciding my next move. I have more shorelines I want to work on as well as a new barn or two. I also started some more Hocking Hills a while back that I didn't get the chance to finish. So many great opportunities! Whichever I do, I will keep you posted!

Until next time...

Good Afternoon!

Finally, I am back in the studio a little bit. I could not find the photo I took before I left of this piece in progress, so I took another one today before I started painting on it again. All that I have left is the waves in front of the light house. I was so close yet so far away! Lets see how far I get today.

Until next time...

Hello from Lake Michigan!

While I was at the Krasl Art Fair it was recommended that I see the light house I was painting from the north side (I was painting a view from the south side) where you could see more beach as well as the light houses. So, upon that recommendation, yesterday I headed to out to find more wonderful shorelines to paint. I think I got a couple more really nice photos and a nice sun burn! Way, way in the distance behind me in the left photograph, the St. Joseph North Pier Lights can be seen. We are following the progress of one of those lights currently. Tomorrow I will show that progression so far.

Until next time...

Good Morning!

Here is the second shoreline painting I have finished. The two pieces are nearly dry and are ready to head to Michigan with me today. The third painting is finished all but the water. I may paint at the show and finish the water there tomorrow. In any case, I'll show you the third painting as soon as it is finished! Have a great weekend!

Until next time...