Lightning Storm over the Sea - aceo

I haven't painted much these past few days. Just can't seem to get into it. I want full blown spring to be here. It's mucky, messy, dirty and damp out right now. Welcome to my neck of the woods..."spring thaw". Hopefully that will last only another week or two and we can look forward to the crocus blooming and all my little song birds back soon. Enough whining...... Today I did paint this storm over the sea. It has a wild surf and just a hint of a lighthouse showing. As always you will find my aceos (2.5" x 3.5" paintings) listed on Ebay here

I won - Bird's Nest giveaway!!!

Sue Clark of Perpetualplum's Weblog was hosting a giveaway contest. All you had to do was enter your name to win a beautiful handcrafted bird's nest. They really do look like the real thing. She gives an absolutely fantastic tutorial on how to build these nests on her blog here.
Once again Sue...thanks for making my day :)

Lightning and a Message in a bottle?

I put these ones up quick today. Harbor Lights #2. An aceo (3.5" x 2.5") A lightning storm over the water. The lights of the city are reflecting in the water.

This aceo is the 3rd (and probably the last) in the "bottle" series. As the storm clouds seperate, the sun sets in the west. A bottle is washed up on shore. Does it have a message? Probably says "don't be a litter bug".

Both acrylic pieces are listed on Ebay here

Foxglove Humminbird Work in Progress - Small finished

It's snowing like crazy here today. It looks more like Christmas than it does spring. Not exactly inspiring for floral painting. After several attempts I am finally finished the small (8" x 10") Foxglove/Hummer painting. I re-painted the male several times before I came up with one that I liked. I wanted him to really "pop" in the painting because the sunlight is hitting him. The female is muted and "barely there". You can read all the details of this painting on the Ebay listing here

mermaid, fairies, and such oh my!!!!

I'm still trying to paint something else other than lightning or waves!!!!! So I joined the long line of mermaid artists and did this one. She is probably getting cooked because the light source behind her is from underwater volcanoes.

This one is a little boy fairy. What would a fairy play with in the forest? Fireflies of course!!! Both are aceo size (2.5" x 3.5") acrylics, but I have used ink pens on both. You will find them listed on Ebay here

or search under my name: Southshoreartist

Red Fox ACEO - Soft Pastel

This year I am determined to learn to use different mediums and dare I say it......stray away from storms occasionally LOL

Jenn (NennyO) gave me a beautiful set of soft pastels for Christmas. My brother used to do beautiful pastel drawings years ago. I am bound and determined to learn to use them also. This is my 2nd attempt at them. (The first was a rooster that has found a home somewhere else) It is aceo size (2.5" x 3.5") soft pastel and ink on sturdy 70 lb drawing paper. You will find it listed on Ebay Here

St Patrick's Day

May the good saints protect you

And bless you today

And may troubles ignore you

Each step of the way

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone

Lightnings storms, oceans, and moonlight

Did you ever put a message in a bottle as a kid? I wonder if anyone ever finds them? The whole idea of putting a message in a bottle must have originated out of somewhere but when? One of my daughter's caught an old coke bottle when we were fishing years ago. There wasn't anything in it but really yucky liquid. Any message there would have been about littering I'm sure.

The top paintings is a 4" x 6" acrylic painting done on sturdy canvas paper. It is a storm scene that has washed up the bottle.

The second is a calmer aceo (3.5" x 2.5") acrylic painting on matte board. Moonlight shining on the washed up bottle. Both are listed on Ebay here

Hummingbird/Foxglove WIP - Day 3

Just so you don't think I abandoned this project completely. Here is a photo of the smaller 8 x 10 piece I'm doing of the same subject. I decided I'd work on the small one first because I don't feel like screwing up the larger one yet. Once I get the hang of the flowers I will move onto the bigger painting. The foxglove are proving to be much harder than I anticipated. Still no birds in the painting. And lots more work to do on the blossoms. I think I've figured out the colours I want. Now to keep them uniform.

Hummingbird - Foxglove WIP - Day 2

I didn't get much done on the painting today. Real life kept getting in the way LOL. Boring things like laundry etc needed my attention.

I started on the Foxglove, but I have two colours in mind and am having a bit of trouble getting the shades I want. I've learned the hard way, that if you are having trouble....just set it aside for awhile. I worked on the 8 x 10 background for awhile instead.

Maybe I will have better luck on the weekend or I'll work on beading my moccasins some more.

Hummingbird - Foxglove work in progress

I have painted the background on the 16" x 20" canvas and started drawing in the floxglove. I think you can just barely make out the pencil marks. I lightly painted the outline of one flower stalk, but it is part of the background so it is not going to get any detail. Just vague shape and colour.

Now I've started the painting. I have put in the stems and started the buds. I also added some black at the bottom of the painting to give it a little drama and set off the light coming in from the top.

I'm also painting a 8" x 10" at the same time but am not going to do it as a WIP. I'll just post the finished product here when I'm done. It will basically be the same probably but with fewer flowers and birds.

WIP - Coming Soon - another in bird series

I am doing another 16" x 20" acrylic in my bird series. It will involve Foxglove and probably hummingbirds. I am about to start the background, so I will do this as a "work in progess". Photos will appear on the blog as I go.

Mermaid, Fairies and Fantasy

I thought today I should get away from my usual storms, and darkness....well not quite.. Still dark, but with a little different material. The first is my flower fairy. I don't paint figures very often. It's just not my thing, but I wanted to paint a bird of paradise and thought now was my chance to paint a fae. Both the flower and the fairy have the same colours. I painted the entire figure with white acrylic first and then layered thinned acrylic over it. It gives it a bit of a transparent look. A little magic for the fairy :)

This one is my usual storm (just can't get away from them) but with a mermaid in the mix. I was going to paint a fairy but I couldn't get the wings to cooperate so I got rid of them and turned her into a mermaid. (she shouldn't be flying with a storm coming anyway)

A little larger than normal for me. OSWOA size (4" x 6") on canvas paper. You will find both of them listed on Ebay here

What is OSWOA ( a copyrighted term for "original small works of art"~~ they must be originals and must be 4" x 6". anything else is not an OSWOA)

How are the Prairies similar to the sea? Ships and Storms

How are the prairies and the sea similar? The wide open spaces and the beautiful sunsets. Storm watching and dependence on the weather. I'm drawn to the sea, the same as I miss the flat land when I'm not here. Don't get me wrong...I love the mountains, but start yearning for open space when I am there. Give me a good old big sunset any day :)

Out of the Storm.....a 2.5" x 3.5" acrylic. Listed on Ebay here