Landing Pad

"Landing Pad"

This huge sunflower grew outside my window this summer.  The window that is in front of my art table where I paint.  These little, tiny, super-cute finches would land on the giant leaves and seemed to peer into my window. It was a little distracting because I could never resist looking back at them. I do think some distractions are good for the soul ; D

Purple Face, Sore Body!

"Purple Face"

I am on vacation for the month of August.  Not traveling anywhere, but I am stepping off the art train for a bit to catch my breath and get energized for the fall and winter season of shows.  

"Kyle's Senior Parking Space"

I helped my daughter paint her senior parking space at Christopher High.  Down on the ground, bending and kneeling all day, I am sooooo sore! It was worth it though, loved spending the time with her and making art in an unusual space.  She wanted a vintage pattern because, she loves vintage things.  We made it say Robinson and painted it in the McCalls font.  The number is her birthday and you can't read it in this photo, but it is the "Diva Edition".  She also loves music, singing and theatre. Kyle, my daughter also designed and painted two other spaces for her art challenged friends.  I am amazed at how fearless she is when it comes to art or anything really.  I am a very proud mom.

Gilroy's Biggest Party!!

" 2013 GF Cook-Off Gift Painting"

Again this year my art was used to make prints  and given as gifts to the 2013 Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-off judges, contestants and sponsors.  As a perk my family and I are invited to sit at the cook-off stage and sample all the yummy dishes prepared by the contestants. It's really fun and an exciting event to be a part of.  It's an honor to have them print my art as gifts!

"Sample of  Some New Work"

This is some of the new work I created to sell in my own booth at the 2013 Gilroy Garlic Festival.  It's always an exciting show, hot, but exciting.  If you are attending, stop by my booth and say hi, #350 on the park side :D

It's All Berry Good

"It's All Berry Good"

I have to admit I go to the Farmer's Market more for subject matter, than I do for food, I end up with both so it's really a win-win! This combination of berries together and then inside the turquoise basket is just yummy.

Warm-Up

Warm-Up

I have been back from my vacation for about a week.  I was very inspired by all the beauty I saw and painted a little series on Point Reyes National Seashore, where I went. You can view these little paintings at dailypaintworks.com on my gallery page.

 I have to say I know NOTHING about sports, but I know I liked this figure and I wanted to try and paint his moves.  I drew and painted it very quickly and on gesso board, so it has a very spontaneous feel which is what I like about it.

Gone Fishing!

Gone Fishing!

I am so looking forward to a bit of a break and some alone time with my husband.  I think taking some time off to just be will be just what the doctor ordered.  The plan is to take in new sights and experiences and come back with lots of new material and inspiration for my art.  So see you soon ; D

JoAnne

"The Best Parents Ever"

My dad and mom on their 67th wedding anniversary.  Mike and I took them on a picnic to Asillomar state beach.  I asked them both how it felt to be married to each other for the past 67 years.  Glad that they both have such a great sense of humor, they both replied: "AWFUL!"! then my dad said : "No, I really love this broad!"  They are just the best : D

Goodbye to the Sweetest Month

"Bye February, See you in 2014"

February is the shortest month of the year, but as far as I am concerned it has the best holiday.  So I wanted to say goodbye to the sweetest month... until we meet again in 2014. I love the pinks, reds greens, chocolate browns and most of all... the love.

Black Bird, Blue Sky

"Black Bird, Blue Sky"

The photo of this painting is way darker than it is in person...I tried and tried and the photo  couldn't really represent it.  The colors are deep, but not dark.  The camera does that sometimes.  

This black bird was sitting on top of some boards that were on a roof.  Scoping the area for the droppings left by happy people with picnic baskets.  I seem to see them everywhere in suburbia lately.  I know they are pretty smart as birds go.

Jamming

"Jamming"

I loved the energy this dog had, tearing around the sand like a race car.  That's what the beach brings out in living souls...feelings of goodness and being alive.    I noticed after I painted this, that it has a  scrape on the board, from a sharp pencil mark.  Not too long ago I would have discarded the painting but as I looked at it, I thought,  it enhances the beauty of being created by a human. I am moving forward the longer I paint and I am seeing beauty in things that are not perfect and actually preferring them to not be.

The right Tools for the Job

"The Right Tools for the Job"

I have so much new material from my magical day at Asilomar state beach last week.  It was a beautiful, warm, sparkly day.  Kids, dogs and lovers out in nature and enjoying being alive.  I love the kids especially, having the very best kind of fun, the free kind!  It's great for them to just get dirty and wet and dig in the sand.

Sea Glass

"Sea Glass"

I saw so many little kids, dogs and lovers simply enjoying nature and the beautiful white sand and sparkling water at Asilomar State Beach last Friday.  It really warmed my heart and gave me the nudge I needed to head back to my art room and paint what I saw and what I felt.  It pays to get out and about and be in nature, it just plain makes you feel good!

Wave Dodgers

"Wave Dodgers"

Watching the kids play on the beach the other day reminded me of the wonderful feeling I got as a kid running and dodging the waves.  Sometimes I could run away faster than the water could catch me, but it's fun to get caught ; D  I love seeing the kids on the beach having a blast, with nothing but a bathing suit!

Girlfriends

"Girlfriends"

I am looking forward to the paintings that are going to come out of my day at Asilomar state beach.  These little girls were so absorbed in what they were making with the wet sand.  Everyone comes alive at this beach, it's very sparkly and beautiful!

Asilomar Rocks

"Asilomar Rocks"

Yes it does, I visited this pristine beach for the first time this past Valentine's day weekend.  I had a glorious picnic with Mike, my husband..best man in the world!  I then filled an empty camera card with photos.  This is the first painting to come out.  I am sure there will be many more, it was a glorious day.

Lucy, Doing What She Does Best

"Lucy, Doing What She Does Best"

I find sometimes I don't have to go far to look for a subject.  Lucy my pug is always a willing model.  She loves to nap, and snore.  Anywhere there is a soft landing she will snuggle and make herself cozy.   This dog is asleep in a nano second,  I wish I could fall asleep that fast!

Say the word Love!

"Say the word LOVE..."

Yup, this month is the shortest month of the year, but it sure packs a wallop!  The love month, Valentine's day, it is my favorite holiday, celebrating love, it just doesn't get better than that!

Always Say Yes 2 Love

"Always Say Yes 2 Love"

This is my favorite holiday next to Thanksgiving.  Both of them involve eating a lot of things that you wouldn't get to eat every day.  Besides, what's wrong with love, everything is right with love, just sayin'!

Dutch Iris

"Dutch Iris"

Another still life courtesy of the grocery store floral department!  This time of year all of these little pre-Spring bouquets start popping up in the floral bins.  I'd say we are pretty spoiled rotten this side of the country, it's a sparkly, sunny day...a little crisp for us.  Eastern folks would probably call us whimps and yes we are, warm whimps!

Lean and Green

"Lean and Green"

I just can't help it, the shapes and colors of these green onions inspire me to create a painting!  The farmer's market is still going, even though there isn't as much as there is in the summer, I still find some great subjects.

The Beginning, The Middle, The End

"The Beginning, The Middle, The End"

I had this floater farm specially made by the man who makes all of my tiny canvases. Alex, of Pacific Coast Canvas, use to be a furniture maker and then went on to stretching canvases and making frames too.  These canvases are each 2" x 4".  I thought a series would go together well in this beautiful frame.  I won an honorable mention in a local art show and the judge commented that the presentation was really beautiful, so the prize should really go to Alex ; D

True Love, Say Yes, 2 Love

"True Love, Say Yes, 2 Love"

I really love painting little collections of mini paintings.  I enjoy painting subjects in a series. I like when  they are all displayed together and tell a story.  Then someone will purchase one from a series and there it goes!  It's all good, I'm having fun.  Especially when I think what is this month about and then I put some things together and paint them to describe the month, it's really fun! This one sold today at Fast Frame in Morgan Hill, one of the galleries I bring my monthly collections to, so that's always good!

Ocean View

"Ocean View"

I love that I can drive to the coast in about 35 to 40 minutes.  The way there is beautiful, so I don't even count the driving time.  It's easy to get my hit of the ocean then come home to where it's pretty warm.

I am going to my "One on One" training session at the Apple store today.  I am excited,  I have so much to learn.  Then it's home to face getting prepared for my taxes ; /  I was not born to do paper work and numbers! 

Happy Camper

"Happy Camper"

Took a drive to the coast last weekend and spotted this little camper parked right at the edge of the ocean.  Talk about a perfect view!  It's Super Bowl Sunday and my house is going to be full of people and food.  I not a sports fan, but every one surrounding me is.  I think I will hang out with my sketchbook and see if I can get some drawing time in, free models!  Anyway...GO NINERS!!!!

Need To Powder My Nose

"Need To Powder My Nose"

I saw this  siamese cat on the porch of an older suburban house.  She looked very regal and was good at ignoring me.  She seemed only interested in how she looked and felt at that moment, she knows it's her porch, her house after all!  I wish I could have got a decent picture of her beautiful blue eyes, but she didn't feel like letting me so I took what I could get ; D

California Dreaming

"California Dreaming"

I really have a thing for these little California bungalows, with their orange trees bursting with fruit.  They are so nostalgic and charming, I want to paint a series of them.  I am excited about the upcoming year and what it holds : D

"Wednesday's Tulips"

Another subject I grabbed from the floral department of my local grocery store.  I know it's not a complicated subject, but I like painting flowers and it felt good to grab these and come home and paint them, yes it did.  I decided that starting in 2013, I would not be posting seven days a week on Dailypaintworks.  I will continue to paint everyday, but I wanted to take some pressure off of myself.  I have been feeling like a bit of a hamster on a wheel and that's not good.  So I figure, quality is better than quantity ; D

Little Umbrella Flowers

"Little Umbrella Flowers"

I am not sure what the exact name of these little flowers is.  I think they are called Snow Drops or Dew Drops.  They are so cute though and they are very tiny and delicate looking.  They are the first top pop up in my winter garden. They sure make me feel good on a gloomy day.

Spring Preview

" Spring Preview"

Even though I live in California, it has been raining a lot and we are experiencing pretty cold temperatures we are not use to.  Lots of whining going on from us lightweights.  It's suppose to be cold and rainy, it's January! Then I go to the grocery store and see all the little promises of spring popping up in the floral department.  I love how cute and fresh the Dutch Irises are, inspiring everyone who peeks at them to yearn for Spring.

Pink and Red

"Pink and Red, Valentine Colors"

I can't help myself, I have painted Gerber daisies so many times.  When I see flowers in these colors and it's January, and I'm looking forward to the love day, well they get painted, again ; )

Bin There

"Bin There"

I owe a lot to the local farmer's market, all of the shapes and colors are just there for the taking. I get so inspired  hanging out with farmers. I was busy this weekend painting some other veggies that I am taking to a local winery for sale, Solis Winery in Gilroy.  They know their customers  like to taste and people who like to taste like to cook, so they asked me to paint some foodie paintings, which I love to do! Will post them in the next couple of days.

Eye Candy

"Eye Candy"

At the local farmer's market beautiful veggies, fruits and flowers flow.  It is one of my favorite places to visit.  Today there was a really cool little band and I took lots of photos of people enjoying the really good vibe.  I hope to mine some fun paintings from them.  My husband Mike shops for dinners, I go for the photo op ; D

January Sky

"January Sky"

When the sky treats me with dramatic clouds I can't help but be amazed by them.  They are just so beautiful it's hard to re-create them with paint, but I try ; D . 

I am winding down my mellowness and about to get very busy again as I need to get new inventory to the places that carry my work, it's a good thing, need to get moving.

Thursday Morning, January

"Thursday Morning, January"

I am still trying to kind of chill, I don't know who I think I am! I still feel a little burned-out from a very hectic 2012 and I am easing into 2013 slowly.  One of the reasons I decided not to join in on Artists Helping Artists 30-day challenge, is I didn't want to have any pressures on me in January.  I want to paint, but I don't want to HAVE to paint.  So I was relaxed today when things in my world went south and I realized I wasn't going to get the painting hours in I hoped for today.  I decided to to relax and roll out an older painting that I have always been fond of and still have.  I gave it a new title and chilled ; )

Powell and Market

"Powell and Market"

I received an e-mail this morning from my favorite artist, Karin Jurick. Karin has started a new blog answering artists questions, and doing a basic, this is how I did it, demo.   How great is that!  I love her work and the lesson today helped me to do this painting.  I tried to just paint the shapes and leave the tiny details for last.  I have a long way to go, but each painting I do gets me closer.  Karin's art is so inspiring that any time I see one of her paintings I want to run to my studio and move around some paint!

Art Values, Values Art

"Art Values, Values Art"

I wish this photo was better.  I am without my camera right now as it is being repaired.  I am taking photos with my iPad, which is cool, but this photo came out a lot darker than in person. I really like this painting, because I had fun painting it. and it's a challenge to paint art.  I payed attention to the values in the paintings and Mike, my husband, truly values art. So that's the title.  Mike supports my art career,  in fact, if it weren't for him I probably wouldn't have one.

Wild Pets

"Bringing Home the Bacon"

There are always tons of differant types of birds in our backyard.  We supply them with running water, lots of native plants and plenty of seed. Our payback is getting to watch them and having them around. This Robin made a nest with her mate in our rose bush, right in front of the window to our backyard. We watched the whole process of them and their brood.  She was one good mama, I'll tell ya.

Big Fatties

"Big Fatties"

These are thigh builders. They look so good and it takes a few minutes for them to disappear from the pink box.  It can take years or maybe never, to disappear from your thighs.

I am really trying to get back into my groove, except everywhere I look in my house there is a mountainous chore for me to handle.   I am trying to whittle them down little by little. I think if I could just get the big stuff out of my way I could get back to my normal schedule of painting. When it comes to housework and bills, I procrastinate.  When it comes to painting I am ready to go. If the universe is listening...I need a housekeeper!

Still Horsing Around!

"Vintage Sixties Gals"

I had lunch with a very special lady today and well just goofed-off, like I'm on vacation. Oh, yeah, I am on vacation!  It's hard to take one when you are a happy artist.  Everyday at work is cool, so a vacation is weird.  I do need one though. This year has been fast-paced so it's great to get a slow down and just chill. This is a re-run painting, but I kinda like it and it's a girlfriend painting and I had a girlfriend day!

Horsing Around

"Dreaming Big"

I have been having dreams lately about painting big.  The majority of my paintings are miniature sized, which I love because I love finishing the work in one painting session.  I have some medium and large sized blank canvas waiting for me.  For the rest of this week though  I am just horsing around and having fun.  I put a lot of miles on my brushes this year and I really need a break. Fun little paintings that have been rolling around in my head, I need to let them out!

The Only Willing Model in the House

"The Only Willing Model...Me"

The day was very grey, very rainy, very cold,  I had to paint! I decided to try painting a self-portrait just for fun.  I needed to play, especially after all the Christmas commissions I had done.  I decided it would be just for me and I wouldn't post it, that way I could feel loose and free.  Mike, my husband, said he really liked it and urged me to post it.  I trust him the most of anyone, he is kind but always tells me truthfully what he thinks about my work. So, here it is : )

Mike at the Cantor

"Mike at the Cantor"

I thought long and hard about joining the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge with Leslie Saeta  and her  Artists helping Artists blog.  I already do try and paint daily, but I thought January would be a good month to give myself a break.  I have been doing one or more project after the other since last year and I think I need to let up just a bit.  I don't want to feel like a hamster in a wheel. So today I played.  

This isn't the painting that came out but it really felt great to paint and not worry about posting it.  It was a self-portrait and my husband loved it so I think I will live with it awhile and then decide if I want to share.  For today, this is Mike.  The love of my life and the best person in the world to visit a museum with.  He loves to look at art,  he his a great supporter of the arts...I love him.

First Paintings of 2013

 "In and Out"

"1169 Fernside Drive"

My first two paintings of the new year.  The koi fish is a subject I am always drawn to. I love their movement and how their colors are so vibrant, what a sensuous fish!

The house painting is where I first lived until I was five.  I always thought about it and I remembered every room and how it felt to live there.  I always remembered the address.  I think it was drummed into my head when I was little, in case I got lost around the neighborhood.  We were free as kids to play outside in front, go to neighbors houses and run down the sidewalk. The early sixties was a sweet time in the suburbs where I lived.