trip out west..

We are flying out to Portland tomorrow to spend Christmas with our 3 sons, 2 daughter-in-laws and 2 grandchildren.. will be wonderful to get away from all the snow and the freezing temps.. i'll be back blogging in 2014...

Flower Lady on a Bike SOLD

I added the figure on the bike to this painting last week.  It is a painting that i cut down.  I like it better and like adding life to it. Flowers are nice but humans are better... ha.   the painting is watercolor and the figure is painted with Acrylic. i was pleased with the colors..

Finger Flowers SOLD

I painted this after a workshop in 2006. I painted it in Acrylics and used my fingers to paint the flowers.  Last week I reframed it and took it to the Holly Jolly show and a new friend from my book club bought it for her new apartment.  thrilled as i always loved it.                SOLD

A " Must See " SOLD

I have seen the term "A Must See" in the real estate ads..  perfect title for this.  I have done this house in several mediums before and did it yesterday in Acrylic.  Took the photo outside of Medford, OR. a long time ago .. the photo had a mountain in the background.. not a background for a flatlander.. Wheat field much more appropriate..

"How much is that Glass Thing in the Window??"

I don't think i ever posted this.. i painted it a couple of years ago and today i repainted the red, white, blue and green glass thingies. I painted this from a photo i took in Lincoln City OR, just down the street from Matt's condo @ a glass blowing studio.  I added the couple of shoppers and thought it was rather humorous. Have had a lot of comments on this painting.  Personally, i love it....  Acrylic on canvas..  In 2018 repainted and sold...

2013 Christmas exchange cards..

Time flies and it is time to paint little ditties for the card exchange that we do @ our Christmas meetings..  I have one more to paint. The Watercolor Soc and the Hjemkomst Art Group parties are soon.  These are Acrylic on "scrap" hunks of watercolor paper.. fun times...........

struttin' rooster SOLD @ RRFAS 2014

Painted this from a photo i took in Hawaii a few years ago. I am painting some "new stuff" for our Holly Jolly Christmas art sale/show next week.  Hope folks come and buy some presents for their Cool Friends.. dream on, right????   Anyway, this was fun.  I am enjoying my Acrylics again.  He looks good enough to eat, right??  

Cold Day @ the Coast Donated to a friend's fundraising event.

Donated to LLS

• I cut one of the paintings I did @ the Calvin's workshop.. I liked the sky, added more white to it.. Added the figures and they remind me of my grand kids frolicking on the beach in Oregon.

Walk the dog? Drink the wine? Ride the Bike? SOLD

Sold to Tanya.... 

Once again, my nieces and nephews seem to have the ability to take great photos that i want to paint. Loved this photo of my niece, Tara, and her sister's dog.  I painted the canvas bright orange and let a little of it show thru in places.  As i look at it now, the building in the reflection looks like a school bus..  good god..

Tree House Builder's Shoes GIFT

I am getting back to my Acrylic Paints.  My nephew, David, posted a photo of his retired work shoes on FB. I got permission to paint them as I have always loved painting foot wear, for some reason.  Background color was a dilemma so i went with all 3 color possibilities.  I got a little crazy following the laces around.

Early Morn @ the Lake Sold to Brita

I have painted these canoes a couple of times.. i think they are so neat. This is painted in Acrylic on a "Gallery" wrapped canvas.. i tried to paint morning fog but it looked a bit weird.  i don't think the red boat in the background is that red on the painting.. photographing acrlyic paintings is tricky.

Christmas on the Farm wedding gift

     Painted to fit a frame!!!!

I found this great antique frame in my closet and since we are having a "Christmas Art Show" and we are suppose to have some Festive Stuff in our show.. i always think of our farm out in the country with the "lights on the trees" that shined brightly from the highway..  This is painted in acrylic.

Jenna's Photo (commission )

I painted this commission over the weekend.. it was so darn cold outside and this is quite tropical feeling.  It is a request from my favorite little second cousin, Jenna, newly married.  I think she took this photo @ her sister's wedding last year and wanted me to paint it.. it was SO fun.  we didn't discuss a price, however.. eek.

Hawley MN paintout

9 of our Hjemkomst Art Group traveled 30 miles east to Hawley and had a paintout in the Blossoms Flower Shop there.  It was fun, lots of Christmasy and Halloweeny decorations around.  Excellent ginger cookies and hot cider to keep us focused. These are my little doo-dads that I painted.

"WE love a parade"

Once again, i am painting folks.. this is from a photo i took years ago @ a small town parade.. The watermelon t-shirt caught my eye at the time. Not sure if the background is too pale but i want the gals to be the focus and the most important.  Their chairs and hats were the best parts. 

I wasn't happy with a square format so I added more to it.. NOT sure if helps.  had fun adding little figures using the U and the W..  only those of us that watched Dave's video last week will understand..  Just another of my weird paintings..  so there!!! then!!!
2017..  did more fixing..   purple background changes things, for sure....

3/25/2019    Finally settled on a red smaller frame for this painting, i had to crop it somewhat..  i did a lot of stewing over this.  SO loved the gals and the memory of the 4th of July parade in a small town. 

Street Bike SOLD

I added a bike to an old street scene painting and framed it really neat ( a free frame, of course). It sold @ Uncorked the first night. I was there and met the gal that bought it and it was exciting.
SOLD

DownTown

Well, i seem to have paintings all over the region (Bismarck, Jamestown, Fargo, Moorhead).. Yesterday, i hung 20 of my favorite works @ The Uncorked on Broadway, in Fargo... they looked OK.. will be dragging my friends and family there for lunch or a glass of wine for the whole month of October. I'm dragging my Book Club there tonight. so it goes!!

Art @ the Lake # 6

This year, we "played with clay".. we each got 13# of fresh clay to work with. It was so much fun and everyone created wonderful stuff.  It was a surprise to us that after we formed our images, we had to hollow them out so when they are fired, they don't explode. They will be fired in a couple of weeks. If they are as wonderful i as i think, i'll post them again.
The weekend was a blast with lots of laughs, secrets shared and good food, plus having the creative juices flow.

Happy Mother's Day SOLD @ RRFAS '14

This is an Acrylic on canvas.  Used a photo i took one mother' day. I always wondered what Mother Nature thinks of those bright blue flowers, that are colored by a florist and by me....

Landscapes done @ the workshop

Aren't these beautiful? I really don't think I'll ever use a watercolor palette again. No saving the whites, no mixing pigments on the palette, just put it out there..  Only problem is, Calvin does it so much better..ha...
Thanks to the Cormorant Art Club for putting on this workshop.

workshop in August 2013

My Pal, Bobbie, and I are following the directions, as you can see. We had a great time at the Calvin deRuyter workshop in Cormorant Village. It was wonderful. We actually painted directly from the watercolor tubes with stiff brushes on 300# paper. WOW..

Old Stuff in a Museum Donated

RRWS members were invited to paint and sketch @ the Comstock House a couple of Sundays ago. They were having an open house event and it looked "so Cool" to have artists sitting in the yard doing their thing. I sketched the outside of the building and took photos inside and this is painted from one of the pictures I took.  There will be a reception and art show sometime in Oct featuring our work. Should be a classy affair.
July 2015 I revisited this and darkened the shadows. Oops,the photo is also darker for some reason

gossip girl

A sketch I did @ our Thursday Hjemkomst gathering last week.  Using a photo i took years ago of a couple of gals that sat in my chairs, in front of my tent, and just gabbed all afternoon.  I SO love drawing people.

Farm Yard Find (cropped) SOLD @ RRFAS "15

Here is the finished painting I started Sunday as a demo.  I love the watery looseness of the paint behind the truck and the crooked grain bin. I absolutely love this painting, altho I may crop some of the sky off when i frame it, which i do myself..
i do my own nails and i frame my own paintings.. NOT going to pay someone to do what I can do myself........ getting old & crotchety, huh???

Demo-ing @ Cormorant

This is me, painting a demo @ the Cormorant Art show yesterday..  i got so excited, first i tipped over my water then stuck my brush into my coffee.  The painting is loose and drippy but i am sure I'll tighten it up and make it mine..  i will post it when i finish.  The weekend show was wonderful. Folks purchased 70 of my greeting cards, can you believe it?? and i sold a painting.  Spent time with a lot of new friends and a few old ones..

Along the Fence 2 sold

I painted this demo @ the National Watermedia Exhibition @ the Hjemkomst a couple of weeks ago. It was fun as a lot of folks came to the show that afternoon to watch the demos and appreciate the wonderful artwork in our exhibition. 

fun week

Just got home from my home town, helping celebrate it's 125th birthday. The Arts Council sponsored a wonderful Art Show @ the library. Entries were from folks with connections to Langdon over the years.  It was really fun and special. Also attended a class reunion.. Not going to say how many years it has been since i graduated.. 

Busy Little Art Bee

June-July are the busyest art months..   Sent Paintings and Cards to the Pekin Show, Sent paintings to Langdon for their Art @ the Library, did a Demo @ the National Show yesterday, painting and making cards for the Cormorant Show that is in 2 weeks, will be doing a demo there also, hung 12 paintings @ Edgewood Vista this morning, have 10 paintings @ 7-day Clinic, was photographer for the 8th St Show and Sale last week and stood in line @ the P.O. for 45 minutes, today, to mail my entries to the Bismarck Square Foot show.  whew..  Love every minute..

"My Sister Got Married" SOLD

I entered this in the Pekin Art Show this year and it SOLD.. i had also entered it into the RRWS National Exhibition but it wasn't selected.  Apparently I hadn't added it to my blog.. so here it is.  I so enjoyed painting this. The photos I used for reference were of a dear friend's daughters wedding, altho I made up most the folks in the background.

Patio Shadow SOLD

Since we just spent a few days @ "The Lake" and am getting ready for a show @ "The Lake".. i decided to paint this using a photo i took @ "The Lake" a long time ago.  I so love these old metal chairs.  I really stuggled painting the shadow on the boards.  I don't want to talk about it............... 

 I framed it in a red frame.. colorful.



Sold @ Cormorant Show

Almost White Iris SOLD

SOLD to Brita .

This is the second entry to the BAGA show. I have painted this Iris before and kinda like the blue showing thru on the edges.  Our iris patch is in full bloom right now and it is too ***### cold to sit out on the patio and look at them..  Spring of 2013 sucks. 

Sunset @ the Farm SOLD @ Sweetdreams.. 1-14

I entered the BAGA 12"x12" show in Bismarck. This is one of the entries. Seems the farms i paint, always automatically end up looking like "where I grew up".. This is acrylic on wrapped canvas. I enjoyed attempting to make warm stripe and cool stripe in the landscape.



monterey bay in Acrylic gifted to Jandy

I enjoyed doing this scene in Pastel a couple of weeks ago, but the Acrlyic version is brighter and larger (16" X 20")  This is what i accomplished over the Memorial Day weekend.  This and going out for sushi.. otherwise, lazed about, as the weather was just plain sh---..    

I revisited this painting, mostly just changed the ski color. Oops I deleted the other one..

Showing my stuff

Last Thursday, I set up my art exhibit @ the Northern Home Furniture store, downtown Fargo, to help celebrate the first "Cork and Canvas" event of the summer. It was fun, altho we were on the far north end of Broadway with a lot of other "wine-giving" places for the fans to visit first.  I also attempted to change the title of the evening to "Canvas and maybe some Cork"..  no luck.
Sunday i will have a booth at the first Spring Arts Fling to be held at the Bluestem Center for the Arts in south Moorhead. It will be sponsored by Trollwood Performing Arts, The Arts Partnership and Moorhead Community Ed.  Should be a "cultural blast", in a good way.

Monterey Bay Gifted (add on to purchase)

Painted all day Saturday with some RRWS friends.. It was a "pastel" day . I haven't worked in Pastel for about 25 years and had given my pastel supplies away a few years ago. (I kept one small set)  I enjoyed doing this and hate to think about getting all excited about pastels and going out to buy them.  Food for thought.. 

Across the Street for Coffee

I have been working on this painting for awhile, using a photo I took 20 years ago, i think it was in Carmel, CA... what a challenge to paint interlocking reflections.. i enjoyed the process.. not sure if i like the painting.. rather busy... but it sure looks like it was painted by Madame Judi Koehmstedt.

Hats and Gloves SOLD @ Holly Jolly Show

At the last RRWS meeting we did a "paint around" .. where artists paint a couple of minutes on a painting, then would move to the next painting and paint a bit and move on.. I brought this setup of my old hats, purse, scarf and gloves..  I drew it with cobalt blue filled brush .. The best parts are the gloves and the green hat, 'cause i did it quickly @ the meeting.  I painted the rest when I got back home and got more detailed, as usual. 

After the "Calvin" workshop, i took this out of the frame and dabbed @ it with paint directly from the tube. I covered up that horrid red scarf with "interference red" which has a sheen. Mucho better...

FMVA Big Art Show

The reception for the Big Art Show was a huge success tonight.  My cranberry bars were a hit and i met some really nice folks..  One of them bought my painting "In the Van Gogh Zone"..  Kinda made my day, my week, my month.......... I so love the Fargo/Moorhead Art Community.......... 

Library in Moorhead

I hung 13 paintings in the Moorhead Library today. Way in the back, by the magazines..

"Ode to the Front Porch" SOLD

Seems i am going for the "cute factor" again.  I have been sketching these houses from photos i have taken over the years.. ALSO, i had a 10" X 20" free frame to use, ( I can not tell a lie )...  i had fun painting this and have always wanted a front porch to sit in and watch the people go by.  The green house is in my home town of Langdon.  It caused some concern, if i remember right...



SOLD @ Edgewood Vista 5-14

share to paint Tulips SOLD

RRWS sponsored a new workshop.. For those of us that paint and love it, we had an opportunity to bring a friend and let them share our supplies. We all painted tulips of sorts.  It was really fun.

"Back Yard, Small Town" gifted

I scrubbed an old workshop demo off this watercolor paper and Icould visualize some buildings.. The clothes line was a bonus.  i used mostly my Qinacridone paints for my warm oranges and golds. They are wonderfully glossy and transparent. The old building on the left reminded me of the old garages folks had in their back yards, usually housing an antique car or truck.

cropped and re done..  why not???

In a Van Gogh Zone SOLD

I have posted this painting 3 times.. i love it but it needed some more done. (posted April 12 2010) I added "starry, starry night" emblems to a darker sky.  Whenever i remove an older painting out of it's frame and mat, i get the urge to redo it.  or remodel it. or update it. whatever, huh???  Sold @ FMVA Big Art Show

Lone Truck # 2 SOLD

A friend gave me a sheet of hand made paper which was quite thick and had alot of texture. I also got a new watercolor brush.. this is the result of my 2 new entities... 

Seems the blog people are changing things again...

Sold 12-13 @ Holly Jolly Show

    This week i hung 11 paintings @ the 7-day clinic, here in Fargo, then.  My daughter, Beth, works there and the walls were bare ( except for some ugly hobby lobby brown things)... nasty..  anyway, they look cool there and i hope the patients and nurses appreciate them.  I also entered the Women's Perspective Art Show with my painting "Play with the Big Boys".. the theme of the show is Ritual, so i changed the title to "The Ritual of Pinochle".. My painting was "mentioned" in the Forum write-up yesterday.. that is something.

"Done Farming" GIFTED

I painted this during last weekend's blizzard. Maybe the weather effects my mood in a painting, I'm not so sure.  Reference for this was a photo i took @ our farm, I think, the day my parents moved "to town".  Dad's tractor looked quite lonely out back among the many trees that my Dad planted over the years.  Memories..