Another GREAT Website for Artists

Here's a second really great website for anyone interested in learning more about painting:

www.svagrikfineart.com

I really liked that he includes lots of videos, along with his paintings, paintings of others, and many, many fine art tips.

Have a great day,
Cindy

Finished "Strut"

"Strut", 

12" x 16", oil on stretched canvas.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Cindy

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Hope this holiday is one spent doing what you love, with those you love.  Thank you for following my blog, and keep safe,
Cindy

Dude II

The first time "Dude" showed up, he was dressed in acrylics...this time, he's wearing oils.  From a photo taken at The Turtle Hospital in Jupiter, Fl..  Visiting this hospital of swimming pools was one of my favorite days ever.  Dude is probably back in his ocean home by now.

 "DUDE II"

Oil on stretched canvas, 8" x 10"

Do me a favor, .......,Have a great day!

Cindy

"Strut"

"Strut"

12" x 16" Oil on stretched canvas

This egret wasn't worried about me at all.  He struted back and forth on the bulkhead, proud as he could be.  Plummage a little past prime time, but he didn't care.

Have a great day,

Cindy

What a dot can do...

Before:

After:

Like jewelry for your painting....dots used sparingly bring depth and add interest....

Love 'em.  Painting is in process, and not worth showing the whole thing..

Have a wonderful day,

Cindy.

Brushes

Confession --- I own a lot of brushes.  Triple digit a lot.  About half of my brushes are past their useful life, but I just can't throw them away.  The remaining are equally divided between long handles, and short handles.  Of the long handled brushes, some belonged to my mom, easily recognized by all the paint on the handles. These are not used, they are treasured.  Half of the remaining long handles are WORN OUT, literally down to the nub, I use them to sketch out a drawing, or pick up random trash off my wet canvas, or the floor, or whatever.  The rest of the long handles are usable, some bristle hair, a few precious sables, and some artificial hair, flats, brights, filberts, rounds.  You can do the math, or you can deduce from all this dividing that I really need more brushes.  I know I do, I just can't part with any that have served me so long and I think a crisis situation may occur if I came home with any more.  What I need is a brush manufacturer who just produces the head.  Screw one off, screw a new one on. What's wrong with that?  The handle count would never go up!  I'm going to google that.

These are all special, and every painter can understand that!

I hope you have a great day,

Cindy

I'm Fine - No, really!

I snapped a shot of this little garden statue while in Key West last winter...isn't he cute?  He looks like he's had a shock, and is reassuring the poinsettia that he's just fine, really!

"I'm FINE, no REALLY!"

8" x 10", oil on canvas.

The photo was really dark and grainy.  I used photoshop to enhance the colors to the max, and it pixalated bright blue all over him....so I painted him that way.

To quote my husband, "today is your day to be brilliant"!  Make it a good one,
Cindy

Box of Blues

"Box of Blues"

8" x 10", oil on canvas board

What I like about this painting is the transparency at the edge of the water.  It was fun to try to capture in opaque oils, and I spent a lot of time trying.  I finally realized that for it to appear transparent, I had to paint what I saw, not what my brain was telling me!  Dah.  Also challenging was the reflected light bouncing back and forth between the side of the boat and surface of the water.  

Have a great day, ya'll!

Cindy

My Studio

My studio is pretty small, it is about 7 feet square, but it's functional, and I love it.  In the beginning, setting up a standard easel was out the the question, so I bought a small travel easel with collapsible legs.  It is easy to set up, and takes up little storage space.  Still, it hampered me.  It was not convenient enough. Leaving a wet canvas on it meant I had to be careful not to knock it over when using my computer or desk.  I searched the web many times looking for a reasonable, cost effective solution.  Finally, I saw a video of an artist who was painting a huge canvas propped up against a wall and inspiration struck.  I sketched out an easel that would be attached to my wall.  I know now, of course, that wall hung easels are commercially available, but I didn't know it then.

Here's my solution, carefully handcrafted by hubby:

and to show you the truth of my entire 7 x 7 studio:

my little bit of heaven!

Hope you make this day great,

Cindy