My fantastic challenge group of painters!

I am so grateful and fortunate to be part of this group of fantastic artists!

This months theme was "memories "

Hop over to the blog to see the post-

Here's to a wonderful, joy filled, productive and peaceful 2015!

Paula Villanova

Page Railsback

Peggy Bruno

Kelley MacDonald

Pamela Copeman

Jody Regan

Mart sheehan Winn 

"Christmas Memory "6"x8" watercolor and collage on paper

My oldest daughter Markie is always the one who puts the angel on top of our tree. This year both girls were home- 23 and 26. We still do the same traditions, and there are a few new ones as well.

Tomorrow is New Years Day and  Markie will take the train back to NYC. Maddie leaves on the 5th to return to Nashville for her second semester of grad school. Sigh. Al, Winnie and I will keep the home fires burning and enjoy our memories, and look forward to the next time we gather together. 

I have decided not to do the 30 in 30 challenge this January- nothing is really resonating in me theme wise, I want to see what happens on its own-after a rest.

Happy New Year to you all!

Another Christmas Commision- sign- 14" x 24 " isn

This is a sign I painted for a friend- a surprise for his wife. The wood is a thick slab of mahogony- it's quite heavy!  Michele's pottery business is taking off and I am happy to be a part of it!

This month I was commissioned to create a piece by a friend and neighbor, Stephanie Limbert, to be given to her husband this Christmas. This photo was taken in the studio .The bird was a beloved pet and family member. The setting Lake George. It's 30"x40" acrylic. I'm so happy to know it was well  received !

I hope everyone has an amazing Holiday- whatever you celebrate- this is the time of year to to rejoice! These guys are not in my yard now- no snow yet...which makes for safer travels.

Thank you all my loyal followers- I have a new idea brewing for January's 30 paintings in 30 days... so stay tuned- but in the meantime- enjoy!

Solstice Lanterns

I really feel like I've celebrated the solstice this year. I brought all the stuff to make theses lanterns at the Marshfield Boys and Girls club, and today I made them with kids and adults at the Art Complex. Very easy to make- we did crayon resist paintings or sumi ink washes on rice paper , then wrapped around a cut-up seltzer bottle and fastened with washi tape. Battery candles of course! 

Hoppy happy!

I haven't posted in a while- been working like mad on 4  different commissions - this has been a busy month!

I made these small clay critters and have been selling them at Local Pottery- lots of fun. If you haven't been check it out! They have a new location on rt 53 in Norwell- in the back of Village Gardens. GORGEOUS!

Museum door magic

Last week I painted these doors as part of the Duxbury business associations annual "holly days"celebration. Lots of other businesses decorated their doors- it's a contest! It was so fun- reverse glass painting is cool.I used a japanese print as my inspiration.... To go with our "Asian Connections" exhibit at the museum.

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving- wherever you are. I am so grateful for you guys!

Alphabet poster!

Poster is printed, signed  and ready to go!

They are 18"x24" and will fit in a ready made frame.

The price is  $25. plus $5. shipping and handling. I mail them rolled up but if you are local I can put it in an acetate bag with a piece of mat board.(see below).

Thank you to my friend Marie Flaherty who helped me tweak the design. Here's a picture for scale. Thanks Winnie!

Lino Cut Workshop!

This past weekend Holly Berry, printmaker from Maine- gave a wonderful workshop at the Art Complex. I have never done a two color print- lots of great information and she was wonderful. I can't wait to have her back! Every one in the workshop was fun !  I wish I had photographed their work- it was amazing. Here's

mine- 5"x7"- I might do it again  larger. It is a portrait of the Alden House studio.

Marshfield ornament

This is the ornament for Marshfield  this year! Brand new building behind Roche Brothers.

Soon the ups guys will deliver them and the glittering and packaging elves get busy. I love sparkles!

openings in Art Class tomorrow

I'm teaching tomorrow in my studio-
6:30-9:30
$30. inludes all materials .
I have a short lesson prepared on one point perspective. and then you can  paint whatever you would like!
Email me if you want to come.

GJWP Challenge "Neighbor" 6"x 6" acrylic

This months Girls Just Wanna Paint theme was Neighbor. I re-visited a gratitude watercolor painting I had done in 2013 and painted it in acrylics. I added a paperboy and a dog. The boy is tiny- and not sure it works... but it was fun to pretend I was a bird looking down. Click on the link above to see all the girls paintings. Sometimes not everyone can post by midnight on the last day of the month ( indeed a challenge!) so check back from time to time as we update. We also have added an interview of one of the members and will be posting those mid month. We are in our 6th year of this challenge and going strong. I love all the other painters who are in it and also the former members- and feel so blessed to be part of it. Thank you to Kelley MacDonald, our founder and fearless leader!

Tubbs Meadow, Pembroke- 22"x28" acrylic on canvas

This is my 2014 Pembroke ornament…I decided to paint it big this time! Tubbs Meadow is on Monroe Street- I had never been there before and truly loved it! I made up the cranberry bog- there haven't been berries there for years.

Feeling a little Dingy

This photo is very popular with my students!I've done this 3 times. Bottom 3 are mine. the rest are my awesome students!

Fruitful!

These are 12"x12" acrylic on panels that I have prepared with swirls of fiber paste.

They are for the upcoming show "Feasts and Festivities" at South Shore Art Center in Cohassett.

Dillon Gallery: Feasts and Festivities: Small works by Gallery Artists (works under 12" x 12" with food and festivities theme—sold off the wall)

Faculty Feature: Bill Flynn

OPENING RECEPTION: October 24, 6–8 pm

Bill Flynn is the faculty feature that night- he was my favorite teacher at the Museum School a million years ago.

Wicked Famous!

It is fun to drive by my lighthouse on the way to work. Madeline has put the rocks and sand on the island  and today I saw shells and starfish on the base. I love it! Here is an article that came out in our local paper..We are both standing in the rain on a drab day- but I love Madelines expression!

Lake memories and a busy weekend of home improvement!

This is a watercolor from September on serene Lake Watchic in Maine . My dear friend Tori has a beautiful old rustic camp/cottage on this lovely lake. She has done some large gorgeous acrylic paintings of the lake. I enjoyed being there and painting with her.

This past weekend we helped my husbands sister Chris in New Paltz, NY, build walls and hang insulation in her basement. There were 7 of us working - we removed the old paneling and strapping and got the whole room framed and insulation stapled up. I did some rigorous demolition and learned a lot about building walls ! Karen (below) Al's  sister, and I worked as a team. It was actually a lot of fun and I love how my husbands family helps each other out. Chris fed us well and we enjoyed fires out on the deck at night.  Below is Karen- she wouldn't take that tool belt off!

On Sunday I snuck away for a little

 hike. A short walk up the street from where we were there is an aqueduct that carries water to NYC from the Catskills. I followed it up to the mountain where is disappears underneath...I attempted to climb the little mountain but the path was a little hard to follow- I turned back not wanting to get lost ( and felt guilty not working! ) but it was so pretty there I had to get out of the basement for a bit!

This aqueduct. I wasn't really supposed to be there but apparently no one enforces that...

A pretty barn across the street- the colors were beautiful! New Paltz was packed. Leaf peepers everywhere!

The woods. Deer everywhere!

The views...

I love the fall. The light is so beautiful. Colorful gumdrop trees along the Mass Pike on the way home. Mmm. Now I want some apple pie...

Giant Zinnias 11"x14" acrylic on canvas board

They cried-"paint me!paint me!" so i did.

All together now!

I'm working on a poster of this- and playing with different colored borders on each square, background color, etc. I am not a very good graphic designer so that's difficult for me... so in the meantime here's what I have so far. Stay tuned for what I eventually come up with!

Re-do... A is for Anteater

I decided to re-do the letter A. When I started this series I wasn't planning on doing animals, so the A for artist  didn't quite mesh with the rest...

I'm not a huge fan of alligators so I went with the anteater....these guys are really strange. They have no teeth as their diet consists mostly of ants and termites. OMG that tongue!

Expression 22"x30" acrylic on watercolor paper

This is for the Girls Just wanna Paint challenge- the theme is "expression"
It was fun to paint big ( ish) after all the little 6"x6" 's....
See all the paintings by clicking above....

This was fun to paint! Sort of meditative...this is for the four corners of the alphabet. Hope to have it done tomorrow- I am tweaking a few of the paintings. lightening, etc...

I'm so glad to have done this series. Thank you Leslie Saeta for hosting  these kick butt challenges- its fun to see what others do too!

Z is for Zebra!

Tomorrow I will finish this challenge by painting some sort of rosette to put in the 4 corners of my 30 paintings in 30 days grid. I will make a poster and put it up for sale-I might try Etsy for that. Possibly a book too!
It has been a challenge but mostly fun and I really love getting up early and doing the daily painting-  now I plan to work on bigger pieces.
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions guys!