Panama

This is Layla's (our younger daughter) summer straw hat. We had picked up one for her while we were in Amsterdam and she wore it everywhere, due to which it tore. So this summer we picked up another one for her from Joe Fresh. She loves her hats - it is very her! Thought I would paint it as it was a fashion related subject and fits nicely into my current theme "From my closet".  

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Panama 

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Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

(Via design is mine blog)

Scarlet Slingback

Can you dance in heels this high? I certainly cannot. These are my 30 mins shoes.........they stay on for all of  30 mins!! hee hee......Don't you wish all shoes could be super comfy yet look sexy?? What is the longest  you have stayed on heels?? 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Scarlet Slingback

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Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Yellow and Green

The China Market in Malaysia is one great  place to shop for shoes. They have streets and streets of shoe shops, most of them copies or backdoor pieces. I picked up this pair when we were in Malaysia in 2006. It is also a great place to shop for other accessories like handbags, watches, shades, etc. What is your favorite city to shop in??? 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Yellow And Green 

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Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Theme for this year

(Via Oh Happy Day blog)

Display your paintings

I have been contemplating how to make best use of the limited wall space at home to display my paintings. I love peeking into other artists homes and picked up this great idea via the design is mine blog. Since I am mostly doing 7x7 and 8x8 pieces this makes a nice setting. With this I can move the entire surface into the basement when not displaying the paintings and more importantly "No holes in the walls". I have a serious aversion to making holes in walls....am constantly asking D to put things up without knocking holes in the walls. He thinks I am crazy! I just don't want to damage a surface.........seems so wrong. Anyhow back to my display - you like?

(via design is mine)

D is going to build it for me....I like the frame around it - gives the paintings one singular border. Shelves allow me to interchange the paintings displaying the  more recent ones (the more I create the worse I think my older art is). This allows me to display my best work.

And did I tell you we are going all white in the living room.....its just the beginning of a wonderful new venture....watch this space.

Cozy nook

So I have a thing for cozy nooks...I guess that is the 'cancerian' in me. But from when I was little I was always looking for tight little spaces that I could curl up in with a good book and a mug of cocoa. I was very drawn to this photo which was featured on http://wideopenspaces.squarespace.com/ blog. I can almost feel the darkness envelope me...........snooooooooze.

via wide open spaces

Neapolitan

One of my favourite pair of shoes simply for its colors. Love the combination of dusty pink, cream and chocolate brown...........yummmm just like an icecream swirl. I wanted the entire palette of the painting to stay in the same range so did the background in similar colors too. Its fun getting the matching color just right. Hope you all have a lovely weekend. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Neopolitan 

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Sherlock Holmes - the movie

Having seen Sherlock Holmes I wanted to do a post on the fabulous drawings featured at the end of the movie during the credits. They are a fusion of movie shots, watercolor paintings and calligraphy. I am just so impressed by the work and then found out more about the company that did it Graphic Exchange. Their website features more of their other works too and each one a masterpiece. Enjoy the Sherlock Holmes pics below and if you haven't seen the movie - watch it!

Shine

I was nervous about painting this  black pair as black is such a weird color to paint - you either get it completely right or completely wrong. I did an earlier study of another black pair so I could figure out my way with this one and I think I got it right. I haven't actually used black anywhere, just alot of dark purples, and  blues. But its amazing how all these dabs of paint come together to form an image of my black patent leather Mary Janes. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Shine

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Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed

Caramel

Caramel custard is one of my favorite deserts especially the baked kind. Another new pair of shoes I picked up last week in my eternal search for comfortable shoes for work. I do spend quite a bit of time on my feet and have a low tolerance for discomfort (Manolo, Jimmy, Prada...take a hint). I am going to try out these shoes tomorrow. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Caramel

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Baby It's Cold Outside

This is our daughter's winter coat and I had so much fun painting this. I kept it very loose and wanted the background color to show through. This one I will not be putting up for sale but will be making prints to load up in the shop. If you are interested in a print then leave me a comment here. 

CLICK HERE TO BUY PRINT 

Outlaw

Cowboy boots must be bought vintage otherwise not at all! This was a pair D picked up at a vintage store. It was in mint condition and the leather was softened in just the right places. I think I captured the colors well including the little gold clips at the toe end of the boot. 

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Outlaw

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Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed.

Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite actresses and for that reason I like Natalie Portman from the current generation as she looks so much like her. Picked up this lovely pair from Joe Fresh, one of my favorite clothing stores.

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Hepburn 

CLICK HERE TO BUY  

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only.  Painting is sold unmatted and unframed

Lace Me Up

I was sitting at the easel contemplating what to paint when my older daughter suggested I paint my shoes since I have so many (!! not!!) so I took her advice and got out the grey pumps. Its a pair I haven't worn yet as I find the heel too high. I absolutely enjoyed painting the shoes....it was a good day....had all the creative juices flowing and got the shadows inside the left shoe right and all the highlights. This has led me to do a whole series called 'In my closet' and soon to follow are some more paintings of my shoes, the girls winter coats, D's  cowboy boots.....and much more.

Oil on Hardboard - 8 x 8 inches

Title: Lace Me Up

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only. Painting is sold unmatted and unframed

April

This painting comes framed in a floating frame with the canvas sides wrapped in black felt. Most of my older work is framed in floating frames and they give the painting a wonderful cohesive look. Lately I have been painting on panels / hardboard as I like the stiffness of the board and the smooth surface. 

Enjoyed doing this painting in Dubai and for me it was more about the colors than the detail of the image. 

Oil on Canvas - 26 x 26 inches

Mounted on a Floating Frame

Title: April

Mail me if you are interested in buying this piece

Apple 4

After my brief hiatus from painting it was great to get back into the studio and this was the first painting I turned out. I toned the hardboard with a lovely rust brown color which shows through the green apples and completed the whole painting using a large No.10 brush. Yesterday I painted a black & white photograph of D's Granpa Gaspar just as an exercise in values. And today started work on a landscape. Have registered at the Beaux Arts gallery for an oils workshop next month and quite looking forward to it.

Oil on Hardboard - 7 x 7 inches

Title: Apple 4

PLEASE EMAIL ME IF INTERESTED

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only.  Painting is sold unmatted and unframed

Return of the Ninjas.....no sorry Sinusitis!

The absolute worst thing about being sick with the sinusitis for 9 days is not being able to eat ice cream!!! kills me!!! and there IS lots of ice cream in the house!! oh when will I get well.......!! This has kept me away from the studio until today when I felt normal enough to go back in and quickly paint an 8x8 of a pair of green apples - enjoyed that so much.

Quote of the day

I like this quote. Going to pin it up on my studio wall. 

(found via Bryn Alexandra)

Bowled Over

These were the other vases I picked up from Value village and quite liked the muted colors of reds and greens. I do struggle with getting the mouths of the vases exactly right...spherical and all but I think I am improving in that area. The red vase had some beautiful reflections on the left side and I had fun painting them.

Oil on Hardboard - 7 x 7 inches

Title: Bowled Over

CLICK HERE TO BUY 

Click on the image to view it in a sample of frames

Frames and mats shown here are for display purposes only.  Painting is sold unmatted and unframed