Basking in the Light

Basking in the Light - today was anything but, we had the full compliment of snow, sleet and now freezing rain. Cats are bored, they go out to sit on the back porch and end up crouching under the chairs watching the birds feed in the feeders. So far they have not wanted to venture out into the elements and pester the birds.

I did finish the painting I posted last week with the red glass but I cannot get a good photo today. So I'll let it dry and scan it in a few days. Above is a pastel of Ember on the bed, taking a little cat nap.

I work from photos that either I or my husband take. He kindly lets me use some of his, especially any cat photos he has. I have a Sony Cybershot that I can slip into my pocketbook and keep with me at all times. At least this was the plan, I am going to work harder at taking more photos, I don't know how many times I have seen a great painting as I am riding around or out for a walk. It's not like I don't have the camera, it's getting into the habit.!!

Renewal - A New President

Today is a day for renewal, a new president and for me a celebration of hope for my country. Tonight I am going to work on my painting and watch TV, I have been listening to the speech and peoples reactions all the way home from work. So now, I will settle in for the evening and join the rest of the country to watch a piece of history that was made today.

Working on a snowbound weekend

We had an extremely cold and snowy weekend - so I went into hibernation, stayed home and painted. This is an oil on a 5" x 7" board and as you can see I am still plugging along. I have learned alot working on this piece, most important, simplify the reflections that you see in the glass. At first I tried to paint every single detail that I saw and became lost. After a while I would stand back or leave the room for a while and do something else. I noticed when I returned the detail that I was fussing over was not even important and that the general shapes seem to work better at conveying glass. I am going to work on this again tonight and will keep you posted.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!! I had a great Christmas and a snowy and frigid New Year. It's been a little tough to get back in the saddle again after all the festivity of the season but it is time to get back to work. I will say that I truly enjoyed the holiday this year, I splurged on our tree and even though it has to be small to fit the space that we have it was beautiful and I spent many evenings on the couch watching movies and enjoying it. I have not made any New Years resolutions, I am simply going to work hard, stay open to learning as much as possible and try to keep a balance between working with oils and pastels. I am going to try to finish more pieces this year which will mean working in a smaller format ( 5 x 7). hmmm - did I say no resolutions?
The above detail is from a larger oil painting from a few years ago. Well, here is to a fresh start, a new year, glad to see the last one go.