Daily Painting Still Life, "White Clam Shell"

"White Clam Shell"
5X7
Oil on Linen Panel
Available $130.00
I want this!

This is a little white shell I brought back from a trip to the beach some time ago. There is something so wonderful about sea shells. I never get tired of looking at them and noticing all of the intricate designs.

Daily Painting Landscape, "Make Hay II"

"Make Hay II"
12X16
Oil on Linen Panel
This is a redux, in case you think you are having deja vu. There is some glare on this photo...sorry. Wet paint, you know. The linen gave this one a more subdued feel, as opposed to the canvas support on which I painted the first version. Found a frame with a wheat motif which seemed to bring it together as a theme....thought you might like to see it framed.

I plan to enter this one into an upcoming show..if not sold there, it will be available here. The other 16X20 version is available as well. I want this!

Daily Painting Still Life, "Classical Pears & Grapes"

"Classical Pears & Grapes"
12X16
Acrylic on Linen Panel
Available
Contact to Purchase

Anti-oxidents for you today....I must need some because I am really exhausted the past few days. For a few weeks now I have been spending a great deal of time using the other brain on cyber logistics and the other necessities of being an artist such as; looking for affordable frames, preparing supports, studying techniques, etc. (and don't forget playing with Bosley. woof woof) I am currently working on another painting to enter into the "Natural View" guild show...it's a redux and new version of a landscape that I've painted and shown here before, so when that it finished I will be looking for new subject matter for Painted Plums, this blog. Will be back ASAP..

Daily Painting Watercolor, "The Littlest Clown"

"The Littlest Clown"
3X4
Watercolor on Paper
Licensing Collection

This is pretty much how I feel today. I finished the calligraphy and all of the little meal cards. Spent two solid days on that project, glad to be finished with it, and now I have no oil painting to sell and am wondering why I do such silly things. Few people really want to pay for the time and expertise it takes to do calligraphy, unless it's the White House Correspondence Office, and I'm not THAT good. I'm good, but not THAT good. This project was gratis anyway and done for a good friend. It's a great skill to have and I do love to do it, but can't say it has kept me in clover. Sometimes the occasional wedding project will come up when you spend days addressing envelopes. Those envelopes eventually get thrown away. Ugh.

I've thought about becoming Cyrano De Bergerac, writing love letters with my beautiful hand in calligraphy and, at least then, some love-struck recipient is likely to keep the hard work I've done in a treasure chest for the rest of their life. What do you think?

Daily Painting Calligraphy, "Placecards for Flo"

"Placecards for Flo"
Panache Pen with black ink

One of the other things I do....calligraphy.

There is a grand lady who is greatly loved by her family and friends and she is turning 85 this week. She was born to a poor family in Iowa, was raised just out of the depression years, married a guy who was a Medical Illustrator for the University of Iowa, had two children, and worked most all of her life in the fashion industry. One of her children died when he was 13. Her husband died a few years ago and she has come here to live with her daughter who happens to be my best friend in town.

On top of all of the other things mentioned above, she is beautiful, gracious, generous, and lovely. In fact, as I was thinking of her while doing the calligraphy today, I realized she is one of those very rare people who simply does not have a bad quality. I can't think of one. How many of us will be thought of that way when we are 85?

Now why is there a cow among the placecards?? Well, the menu is varied. The cow ( is just a prototype not finished yet, and there will 13 of these) will be joined by some chickens and some fish. I am handpainting these little cards to sit by each person's plate so the wait-staff will know where to put the correct meal. I am hoping this little piece of art by the plates will help create a festive atmosphere and also, it's one little gift I can give to our birthday celebrity to make her party special. This tiny little project is taking a couple of days...between this and Bosley, it will be a few days before I can get back to an oil painting. Stay tuned!

Daily Painting Landscape, "Make Hay"

"Make Hay"
16X20
Oil on Canvas
$575.00
Contact for Purchase

Click to enlarge

This is the second painting of the farm on New Hope, from photos I took just before the land was purchased for a large church project. So this was the very last gathering of hay at this farm. The house is a bit farther off to the right and just out of this scene. This time I just wanted to think about the way the farmer left the hay rolls, some lined up in rows at the edges of the field and some were left lying where they were gathered.
Shredded wheat..for very large cows.

Daily Painting Illustration, "Merrier Terrier"

"Merrier Terrier"
6X6
Acrylic on Paper

The last of the four dogs. Whew.
I think the most fun part of this was figuring out how to make the four balls different and yet a design to go with each dog's breed. Not sure I succeeded at this. and this guy doesn't look as "Merrier" as I think of him. I think all of them actually look as if they are waiting patiently for someone to come and get that ball rolling.
Anyway....sometimes you just have to get something out of your system. I did.

Daily Painting Illustration, "Ball and the Jack"

"Ball and the Jack"
6X6
Acrylic on Paper


The third of the dogs with play balls, this one is a Jack Russell with a red, white and blue design on his ball.

Daily Painting Illustration, "Cocker Soccer"

"Cocker Soccer"
6X6
Acrylic on Paper

The second of the dog illustrations. My challenge was to do them all in the same color scheme of black and white with gold and red. When you see all four of them together they make a collection to eventually be hung on the wall as a set.

Daily Painting Illustration, The King's Ball

"The King's Ball"
6X6
Acrylic on Paper


I've done a series of four dogs ready to play, each with a different ball that reflects their personalities. This is the first one.

Daily Painting Nature, "Mr. Toad"

"Mr. Toad"
6X8
Oil on Canvas






and below:
Preliminary Sketch for Mr. Toad

This is a portrait of one of our backyard friends. He was hopping about late one evening last fall when we heard Bosley making his funny little "woof woof." This is Bosley's way of telling us there is something here he doesn't recognize and we should come look. Bosley was just lying there, a quizzical look on his face, with his nose pointed right at Mr. Toad. I'm sure Mr. Toad was totally scared to death. He was very puffed up and looking as if he was trying to turn himself into something fierce, unsuccessfully. I brought Bosley inside and grabbed my camera, waited for Mr. Toad to regain his composure and took his picture. I thanked him for the privilege and wished him good evening!

Our local guild has a juried art show each year in March at the Schiele Museum of Natural History. It's usually a wonderful show to view with many interpretations of nature from artists residing in four surrounding counties. Mr. Toad is going to try to enter the show. Wish him luck!!