Day 16/30: "Dreams on Dexter"

"Dreams on Dexter"

8"x8"

Oil on Panel

$300

This morning I was able to go paint en plein air with a good friend of mine who is a fabulous watercolor artist.  We chose to venture downtown and paint the historic Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Dr. Martin Luther King was pastor from 1954-1960. There is a lot of excitement in downtown Montgomery right now!  Inauguration Day is Monday and the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March is coming up in March. Could this be the most amazing street in the country?  On one end the telegraph was sent that began the Civil War and on the other Jefferson Davis took the oath of office as the first president of the Confederacy on same steps that Dr. Martin Luther King addressed those who marched from Selma.

As a side note, it was really cold this morning.  My friend is a native New Yorker.  

She said it was cold.  If she said it was cold, it was cold. ;)

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1656615/dreams-on-dexter

Day 15/30: "Ode to June"

"Ode to June"

12"x12"

Oil on Board

$500

Oh, January.  I try to love you.  I really do.  

....but June.....you really are something else!

Cheering up a gloomy day (which has a beauty all its own, I know, I know!), with an ode to June.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click this link to go to my website:

http://barbaradavis.fineartstudioonline.com/works/1655658/ode-to-june

Day 14/30: "Lunch in the Gump"

"Lunch in the Gump"

12"x12"

Oil on Panel

$500

This one may take some explaining if you're not from around Montgomery.  I've painted today one of our most beloved restaurants, Chris' Hot Dogs.  Serving up hot dogs to hungry Montgomerians since 1917, this family-run restaurant is the oldest  in the city.  In the heart of downtown, it's a great lunch spot and you will find all walks of life there, elbow to elbow, greeted by some wonderful people!

What's "the Gump"?  Here you go:

Gump: N. (1) The center of Montgomery, Alabama, usually understood to be the land within the by-passes (boulevards) which encircle the inner city; (2) An affectionate self-deprecating term for the First Capitol of the Confederacy. "Let's go to the Gump tonight to see the Biscuits at Riverwalk." - from Lunch in the Gump's blog

(Further explanation:  "The Biscuits": Montgomery's baseball team; 

"Riverwalk": The stadium in which they play.)

Thank you as always for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click here for a link to go to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1654946/lunch-in-the-gump

Day 13/30: "Fleur-de-Lis"

"Fleur-de-Lis"

10"x10"

Oil on Panel

$450

I found the iris a difficult flower to paint, but I love a challenge, so while I have the blooms I will keep on trying.  I really want to have some variety in subject matter as I paint through the 30 Paintings in 30 Days series, but I don't want to be wasteful AND it is such a good learning experience to paint the same thing over and over.  I may do one or two more before I say good-bye to the iris.  

I am really interested in the fleur-de-lis and its symbolism, too, so I have that added factor in my painting choice.  

I love so many artists and varying styles of painting.  I see one and want to paint that way and then another and want to try his technique.  My goal is to have all of these loves come together to form my own style - without confusing myself.  That takes time.  I can be impatient with myself.  In the meantime, as I'm growing, I hope you enjoy watching the journey. 

Thanks for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavis.fineartstudioonline.com/works/1654348/fleur-de-lis

Day 12/30: "Pour la France"

"Pour la France" ("For France")

6"x6"

Oil on Board

The iris is the national flower of France and the basis for the stylized fleur-de-lis.  Its three petals are said to represent.wisdom, faith, and chivalry.

Praying for those three and for protection for our French friends and the whole world.

Thank you, as always, for looking. 

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1653474/pour-la-france

Day 11/30: "Alabama Bloom"

"Alabama Bloom"

8"x8"

Oil on Panel

$300

Another go at the camellias!  Oh, boy, I really love painting them!  Waiting now for reds and pinks to bloom, so I can do some more!  

Thank you very much for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click this link to go to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1652663/alabama-bloom

Day 10/30: "Survivors"

"Survivors"

8"x8"

Oil on Panel

$300

There are several reasons the camellia is my favorite flower.  One is their obvious beauty.  With colors ranging from creamy white to vibrant pink to deep red and all shades in between contrasting with the deep dark green glossy leaves, I am completely taken them.  

Another reason, is their bloom time which is amazingly in the coldest and most dismal days of the year. That's why I gave them this name.  Scanning the brownish gray landscape for color, you can find these brilliant flowers popping up in yards all over the South.  I think of them as nature's Valentines because of their pinks, reds, and whites and the time they bloom.  

And last of all, they are the state flower of Alabama.  I'd say we made a good choice.

By the way, here's my very first camellia.  LOL!  From my 2nd grade Alabama History notebook:

Thank you, as always, for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting (but not the drawing from my Alabama History notebook...HA HA!)  please click on this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavis.fineartstudioonline.com/works/1651227/survivors

Day 9/30: "Lean on Me"

"Lean on Me"

8"x8"

Oil on Panel

$300

Ahhh....the blessed peace of something to lean on.  That's what this still life said to me.  

I hope it says the same to you.

Thank you for looking, as always.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click on this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1650695/lean-on-me

Day 8/30: "Roses & Pears"

"Roses and Pears"

8"x8"

Oil on Panel

$300

I made it through the first week of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge!  A trip to the grocery store for more subject matter and a delivery of fresh canvases and I'm all stocked up and ready to tackle the next week.  

I fiddled with this one more than I wanted to, but I hope you like it and thank you, as always, for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click on this link to go to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1649468/roses-and-pears

Day 7/30: "Mississippi Autumn"

"Mississippi Autumn"

10"x10"

Oil on Panel

$450

I can't believe a full week has gone by already in 2015!  Day 7 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  I decided to use another reference photo taken with my phone as we traveled through Mississippi in November.  It was so pretty.  For the longest stretches, there were sloping planes with vibrant trees and I was just a happy passenger!  

Thank you for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click here to go to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1648406/mississippi-autumn

Day 6/30: "Mississippi Woods"

"Mississippi Woods"

10"x10"

Oil on Panel

$450

Ever since I traveled through Mississippi in mid-November, I have been wanting to paint from the photos I took from the car window (I wasn't driving!).  The autumn landscape was just beautiful and it was the perfect time to see it.  In our neck of the woods, the peak color is just before Thanksgiving and it did not disappoint this year!  

At last! Time today to take a look at these photos, paint, and 

offer the 6th painting in the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click the link below to go to my website:

http://barbaradavis.fineartstudioonline.com/works/1647323/mississippi-woods

Day 5/30: "Local Color"

"Local Color"

10"x10"

Oil on Panel

$450

Nothing warms up a winter day for me quite like painting scenes of summer and one of my very favorite things to paint is the Montgomery Curb Market full of summer's produce.  The colors, texture and people never fail to give me inspiration when inspiration is lacking.  

Here's another for Day 5 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge!

Thanks, as always, for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click here to go to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1646729/local-color

Day 4/30: "Downton Day"

"Downton Day"

6"x6"

Oil on Board

$175

It's the day I've been waiting for!!  Day 4 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge?  Nope, Downton Day!!  My obsession for the next few weeks begins tonight with the premiere of season five of Downton Abbey!  

This is the third year I've done the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge in January and it's become my habit to feature a cup of tea on Downton Day.  Pour yourself a cup and enjoy this evening!

Thanks for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click on this link to go to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1645835/downton-day

Day 3/30: "Two to Tango"

"Two to Tango"

4"x4"

Oil on Board

$125

Revisited the cherries again while I have them available!  I love doing a series like this, especially when the paintings are all the same size, because they really start looking great together.  

Thanks for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click on this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1645314/two-to-tango

Day 2/30: "Étude de Cerise"

Étude de Cerise

4"x4"

Oil on Board

$125

For the second day of the daily painting challenge, I chose to go back to an old favorite since they were in the grocery store yesterday!  I love them and love to paint them so it's two for one!

It's always a challenge to try and paint the reflections and see what really isn't red at all in them; so much of the color is really almost a purple-black. 

You may see this subject again!

Thanks for looking!

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, you can use this link which takes you to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1644252/etude-de-cerise

Day 1/30: "Yuletide Camellia"

"Yuletide Camellia"

4"x4"

Oil on Board

$125

Here I go a-blogging again with a renewed commitment to doing so in the new year!

Honestly, I feel like I am talking to myself when I blog sometimes, so I just sort of gave up on it.  Anyone else feel that way?  Nevertheless, I have decided to do the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge again organized by artist Leslie Saeta.  It's such a great way to kick off the year; shake off the post-holiday inertia and get moving!  

I'll ponder over what to focus on as far as subject matter goes tonight since I just decided today to participate.  I have made a commitment to paint at the very least one landscape, one still life, one figurative work, and one small portrait every week, so that's a good place to start!  

Thankfully, I did this small painting this afternoon, so I'm not behind!  

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click this link to go to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1643817/yuletide-camellia

Thank you for looking and reading!  HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Primaries & The Blue Plate

I've been working furiously on a steady stream of commissions.  I am very thankful for the work, but yesterday I was just about to bust to paint simply for painting's sake! 

I've been watching my hydrangeas for weeks observing the growth of the pale green buds, counting them to see just how many big beautiful lavender blue blossoms would soon be ready to arrange and paint!  Then, well, disaster struck in flower-land.  We had the house washed Tuesday morning and the chemicals from that damaged those beautiful buds and turned them an ugly brown.  So yesterday, dodging raindrops which I hope rinsed & refreshed them enough to revive them, I picked the two that were in bloom with only brown tinged petals and they become my subject for the the painting in the upper right hand corner.  

I added my favorite blue and white plate to the mix as I have on a couple of other paintings this spring & realized that I had a pretty nice grouping of the primary colors!  

"Something Blue"

12"x12"

Oil

If you are interested in purchasing this painting, please click this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1466976/something-blue

Thank you, as always, for looking!

"Sunday"

"Sunday
16"x12"

Oil on Linen

Working still today on loosening up, leaving things alone, not losing the sketchy quality that I love while still refining things that I want to....it's a narrow little road to walk on. Today, though, I was also painting with someone in mind.  The birthday boy....Vincent Van Gogh.  Yes, if he was still with us, he'd be 161 today, March 30.  So many things he taught us artists - living with rejection, with no sales, lack of respect, but also with great joy, a love of color, a love of nature, love of creating!  

I love his story because of his great passion in spite of his circumstances!

"I would rather die of passion than of boredom!" 

- Vincent Van Gogh

Springing Back to the Blog!

It's been awhile since my last post.
(I wonder how many other blog posts begin like that!)

I've neglected it, I know.  Sometimes I think I'm the only one reading it! LOL!  

Okay, enough of that!  

Here's what I've been working on this week: loosening up!

I bought some beautiful red geraniums...well, not red exactly, 

but that gorgeous "straight-from-the-tube-cadmium-red" variety. 

My challenge was also to not make it too "straight-from-the-tube-cadmium-red", you know?

So, here was the first one.  A little on the tight side, huh?

...and here was the second one.  Closer to what I was aiming for.

...here's the latest one.  Getting closer and I'm really starting to l.o.v.e. painting this geranium.  

I think painting the same thing multiple times is a great way to learn.

So, there will be more!  Added bonus....they look really good in my neutral colored kitchen! :)

Thank for reading and looking!

Before the Spring

"Before the Spring"

18"x18"

Oil on Canvas

Between Valentines Day and spring on the horizon I have been provided lots of beautiful flowers to paint. Whenever I have fresh flowers on hand, I like to paint them and paint them until they are just falling apart, so lately it's been white roses and coral tulips over and over!  Tulips, as you know, have this neat little thing they do....they move all day long.  They open and close and they droop down and perk back up and keep the painter guessing what they'll do next.  I tolerated their bad behavior, though, because they're just so pretty and cheerful and make me think spring is closer than it probably is.  I love them for that.

Thank you, as always, for looking!

If you are interested in this painting, please click this link to take you to my website:

http://barbaradavisart.com/works/1395703/before-the-spring