Prize Pumpkin

Can you tell I'm ready for fall? My husband and I went for a nice country ride on our motorcyle with some friends yesterday. We were celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary and our good friends were celebrating their 28th. We went to Sedalia, MO to The Wheel Inn diner which is facing the wrecking ball soon. It first opened in 1947 and this is it's 60th anniversary as well as the end for this establishment. They will be widening the highway and the building has to come down.

It was a long, but beautiful country ride on the way to enjoy our last hamburger there. They are famous for their GuberBurgers (burger with peanut butter on the bun). My husband loves them, but I've never been brave enough to try that combination.

I have to say that I really got inspired as we passed orchards and wineries on the way there and back. I'll have lots of new ideas to refer to next week when I start my next painting. For now, here is my latest that I listed this week on eBay.

Pearl's Pooch

"Pearl's Pooch" would make a great companion piece for "Mirabelle's Cat," which ends this evening on eBay. The frames look great together as well. I don't usually have people in my paintings, but sometimes I like to try something different so my work doesn't become monotonous. Both paintings have eggshell crackled and antiqued finishes. These two paintings come ready to hang, but would also look great hung from large satin ribbons.

Mirabelle's Cat

This week I decided to paint on a smooth surface instead of canvas. It leaves me the option of antiquing and crackling to give an aged appearance. I found the frame for this painting at a local yard sale. It was an odd size, therefore, the picture is 7 inches x 10 inches. I love old folk art portraits and I decided to incorporate one into this folk art landscape.

I was busy with our high school class reunion this week (graduated many moons ago) so I needed something simple to paint. I listed this painting on eBay and it ends on Sunday, August 25th.

Bake Shop Folk Art Painting

Bake Shop

While doing a trade show in Rhode Island a few years back, my husband and I went to Mystic Seaport. I took a picture of the bake shop there as we strolled along the brick and cobblestone sidewalks. Since this canvas is square, I had to make a few changes so it's not exactly like the same. Therefore, I didn't name it the Mystic Seaport Bake Shop. Also, the open sign in the photograph stated that it opened at 9:00, and I being the early bird that I am, decided that is was much too late for a bake shop to open. So, now the time in this painting states that the bakery is open at 6:00 am.

With temperatures here still blazing in the upper 90's, I decided it should be an autumn painting with pumpkins and falling leaves. I loved the cobblestone sidewalks and brick streets of this quaint village. They are so much fun to paint, though time consuming.

I have fond memories of those trips to Rhode Island and then traveling to the surrounding areas. I'm constantly taking photos of old villages, buildings, cottages, ships, whatever I can use for reference for my folk art paintings.

This painting is done in acrylic on a 12 inch x 12 inch canvas that is 1 1/2 inches deep. The scene wraps around the staple free edges. These look great on a wall or can stand on a shelf.

This painting is being offered for sale on eBay this evening at 8:00 central.

I'm not sure what my next painting will be, but I'll be starting it as soon as I finish this blog. Keep watching! I add new paintings weekly.

Cottage Retreat

This is the autumn painting that I promised for this week. I ran outside and took pictures of my neighbor's house and ran back to get started. I made a few changes, re-landscaped, and now it's finished! I will be listing it on eBay this evening. I will also be using it later on eBay as an example of the "House Portraits" that I paint on commission.

This lovely cottage has a bright red door decorated with a cone shaped basket full of ivy. Pumpkins are artfully placed on each side of the entrance. A decorative lamp can be seen in the window between the pretty white lace curtains. Potted flowers are placed by the black wrought iron furniture on the brick patio. The pretty plump pillows are an invitation to sit and read while enjoying a hot cup of tea. Autumn leaves gently fall from the tree and form a blanket of vibrant color on the ground below.

Parts of this folk art painting are primitive and yet other areas, such as the entrance and garden funiture, are full of details.

Autumn is on it's way!

Hi all!

As I sit here typing the temperature outside is still in the 90's at 9:00 pm. The wind is blowing fiercely and I'm hoping it's blowing in some rain. I can tell by the looks of my cone flowers, as they start to lose color and turn brown that fall is on it's way.

So, my next painting, starting tomorrow, is going to be a 16 x 20 autumn folk art painting. I love starting paintings of the coming season. It gets my mind off the grueling weather outside and reminds me of what's to come.

This is a new painting that I listed on eBay this week.