These Boots were Made for Painting

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard
$100+s/h

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A bit of of a change! I bought these booties just to paint. They were a  knitted sample for a new cotton yarn in a local craft shop. I loved all the bright colors, so bought them home hung them on the door handle in my studio with the thought of setting them up to paint. This is as far as they got...I loved the shadows!!

Farm Girls

6"x8" Oil on gessoboard

$100+s/h

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Changing it up again...sheep this time! Love these woolly farm girls and the way they stand and stare. I used a limited palette of raw sienna, burnt sienna,yellow ochre, ultra blue and white. It's a whole lot of fun  painting their coats and trying to get that woolly look!! I have another one coming up...stay tuned!

First Sales for 2016

A happy start to 2016. Two lovely ladies came to my studio and bought these paintings, it was so good to meet and talk with them and to know where my work is going to live! That is the BEST thing about my job, I get to meet the nicest people!!

Buds in a Jug

6"x8" oil on gessoboard

$100+s/h
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Bright beginnings for the New Year...Wildflowers I picked while I was walking along the beach. I started this before Christmas and had trouble with the yellows...there IS a lot of it!  The flowers, the body of the jug and the handle, I was yellowed out!! After a few days off from painting I decided to finish it.. the background is not quite as bright as this in real life though. Sometimes the camera just doesn't do what it should!  I'm not that comfortable painting bright...I favor softer colors and neutrals...for all that, it was  good to get out of my comfort zone!! I hope everyone had a happy Christmas!

Hello World

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

SOLD

This is Harper...my friends granddaughter.  I love the happiness of this shot, she is such a sweet little girl! I was out of my comfort zone with this one but still enjoyed painting it and it was good to loosen up a little!
Just a thought!!!
Often people think being an artist is just fun....ha...it is and it isn't, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes!

Yellow Daisies

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

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I picked a few of these small daisies and just plonked them in this vase to stand on my window ledge...but decided to paint them first. I like the shape of this small vase and I find yellow a difficult color to paint sometimes, so thought it would be a good challenge for me...and It was!!

Another very nice surprise..."Olive Snack" was selected for FASO's Fav 15% in theApril Boldbrush Competition....I can't believe it! That is the second one, It is really encouraging! 

Daisy Love

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$100 + s/h
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More daisies! I really love the white ones...well... anything white really!! This set up actually started out as a full vase of daisies until I got my viewfinder out! I started cropping in and this composition really appealed to me.

My smaller paintings are still taking a back seat until I finish bigger ones for a joint exhibition in October. 

Three finished...another three to go!!

It's All About Glass

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard
$100+ s/h

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Time for a bit of a change! I like the difference in the size and shape of these bottles. I love the blue with the green and the marbles too.  To top it off they are standing on my glass palette...my favorite thing to use when painting still life. So it really is... all about glass!!

The Waiter

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

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Ordinary People

I particularly like painting people going about their daily lives, like this young guy getting plates and cutlery ready to serve customers in the restaurant.

This is the last day of the 30/30 challenge and I have completed 20 paintings! I would like to have done 30 but it was impossible with house renovations going on. It's been hard at times going out looking for people to paint, but the upside is that I have become much more observant!!  I enjoyed doing figurative work and learned so much... that was the reason I took part, so I'm pretty pleased with what I achieved!

Deco Dancing

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

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Ordinary People

This is another couple enjoying the Art Deco festivities here. It's great to see ordinary people dressing up and having a great time celebrating!! Thanks again to Jules for the photo! I have loved doing these paintings in this challenge, especially because they are all everyday people!

Dressed for Art Deco

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

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Ordinary People

An older couple out strolling during Art Deco week... I liked that they were both dressed in cream!! Thousands of people from all over the world come here and dress up to celebrate the 20s and 30s. The festival runs for a week every February with hundreds of events. Pretty much something for everyone!! The color is not so good in this one, it looks better in real life!

Lifeguards

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

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Ordinary People

These guys will soon be on our beaches again, summer isn't far away! They really do a great job of keeping people safe...most of them are volunteers and it's a huge commitment to take on!! This is number 15 in this challenge so I am now a week behind...not sure I'll catch up now!

The Painter

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard
$90 with display easel
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Ordinary People

I found this guy painting a big shed door down near the Marina the other morning. I loved the shadow!! I'm well and truly behind...I think it's about three days now!

Pay Day

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

SOLD

Ordinary People

I'm sure everyone likes this day! There is almost always  someone at these automated teller machines no matter what time of the day! How times have changed!! This is number 12 in he 30/30 challenge, 18 to go!!

Morning Stroll

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard
$90 with display easel
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Ordinary People

I saw these two taking a stroll along the beach one morning while I was walking my dog. The green jacket caught my eye! I'm still able to keep up with this challenge...two more days until chaos begins and I have no kitchen for a few days!! Not fun!

Art Class

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

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Ordinary People

This is another one of the ladies in the art group I go to each week! I kept it simple and left out the table  where she kept her paints and palette. I was running out of time and it was just too much detail for a painting this small!!

Morning Catch

 
8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

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Ordinary People

I live close to a marina and usually come across a fisherman when I'm out walking...  this one had been out in his boat early and  was stringing up his morning catch!!  

Rubbish Day

8"x6" oil on gessoboard
$90 with display easel
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Ordinary People

What better way to take the rubbish out on a dull rainy day! Shoes off, trousers rolled up... and not a young person either...loved this when I saw it!!! This is day 6 in Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 day challenge, so far so good! I have managed to keep up. Learning figures and skin tones is good practice, it's all new for me!

Spectator

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard

$90 with display easel

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Ordinary People

One of the many spectators on a balcony at Art Deco Weekend. Every year in February our city celebrates it annual festival. Thousands of people dress up in 1920's -30's fashion and over 40,000 people flock from all over the world into Napier to see it transform back in time and enjoy this iconic event. Thanks to Jules 'Suspended Time In Photography' for allowing me to use this image!!

Art Buddies

8"x6" Oil on gessoboard
$90 with display easel
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Ordinary People

 

I'm a bit late posting this, I ran out of light to take a photo. These two ladies discussing this work are from a lovely art group I paint with every week. It's always nice to get out among like minded people instead of being stuck away in a studio!

Bender

8x6 Oil on gessoboard

This is a commission for a birthday present...I hope Julia likes it! I love birds and Galahs are so colorful!  These colors were difficult to get right and the photo is not quite how it should be either. ( I hate it when that happens!) It looks better in real life. It is the only painting I have been able to finish since we moved...hoping that will change in a day or two!!