Sunset Over the Next Ridge - Oil Pastel

"Sunset Over the Next Ridge"       Oil Pastel, 6x8"

$95 plus shipping

Purchase Here 

Here at "Paint Like Nobody's Watching," I have been showing paintings I did awhile ago but never blogged about.  In a comment about the painting on my last post, my friend Carol asked, "How many others are you hiding away?"  I just loved that comment!  Because I am having fun showing work I've been keeping to myself.

I plan to paint again this coming weekend.  Last weekend, my art time was spent at an assemblage workshop with Leo Monahan.  I have mentioned Leo before.  He is quite the phenomenal artist.  His main medium on his website is cut and folded paper, but he also works in collage and assemblage.  Assemblage is "art in boxes," made with found and saved objects.

Leo's students are taking a series of workshops on design thinking, and later on color, eventually making us worthy of learning the techniques of cutting and folding paper.  I have to tell you, I am realizing that far more important to me than the subject of the particular workshop with him is the opportunity to observe how Leo thinks as an extremely creative person.  What a privilege to spend time with this amazing artist!  You want to see someone get a group excited about an old, run over, rusty car part, spend some time with Leo!  Not kidding!  :)

Check him out www.leothecolorman.com

Oh, almost forgot, about my own painting above!  This is a scene from my own neighborhood!  The true, blue ridge...

Thanks for being here... 

Another Oil Pastel Painting

"Splendor"      Oil Pastel with Gouache underpainting   6x8"

 $95 plus shipping

Purchase Here

Show and tell!  This is another one I painted a long time ago and failed to blog about.  Painted from my own photo, I really enjoy the combination of oil pastel on top of gouache and plan to do more with the same method.

Stay snug, everyone :-) 

Pieces I have Never Blogged About

"Tree in the Field"    Oil Pastel, 6x8"

$95 plus shipping

Purchase Here 

I have a lot of pieces that for various reasons I never blogged about.  Now that I am on a blogging roll, I thought I would show you some of them while I am continuing to work on the ones in progress.  At least, I think I didn't show these.  Memory may fail here!

This one was painted some time last year.  I had painted it years ago in soft pastel, then again in colored pencil, and this time in oil pastel.  I used the soft pastel as the reference for the other two pieces, and the soft pastel was painted from my own photograph.  

If anyone can think of a better title for this piece, please let me know.  I have always thought of it as "Tree in the Field."  There might be something a little more creative that would work!

Our marketing guru, Leslie Saeta, says all pieces of the same size need to be the same price, because it is too tough to explain to the public why different pieces of the same size may have different prices.

So I'm going to explain to you.  I am going to find it easy to explain.  The "art world" may think I am unjustified charging more for this one, but I feel quite justified.  Because: I am attached to this piece.  I've had it for awhile, and it's going to take a little more to get me to feel good parting with it. 

As the artist, I think I need to feel good :)   Feel free to disagree with me and tell me why you think I'm wrong :)

Love you guys....Meredith

Things I Thought I would do During this 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Nicola's Bluebells"              Oil Pastel, 6x8"

$75 plus shipping

Purchase Here

  

I enjoyed painting this oil pastel so much...the slipperiness of the medium was really fun after all that (sticky) acrylic painting I've been doing lately.

A few things I thought I would do:  I thought I would do more Oil Pastels, I thought I would paint on black gesso, and I thought I would try my oil paints again.

I have some boards with black gesso ready to go, so we will see what this week brings.

The oil paints may have to wait till February! 

Happy Painting, everyone! 

And thank you, Nicola B for the use of the photo that inspired this painting...

Staying Relaxed During 30 Paintings in 30 Days-Jan. 2016

"Painted Fields"    Acrylic, 8x8"

$125 Plus Shipping 

Purchase Here

Well, I got so relaxed about this whole thing that I forgot to post my last painting to Leslie's blog until today!  I think that's great.  Focus on the painting process, that's what I say...

Thanks to Steve Lyddon at Paint my Photo for the use of the photo which inspired this painting!

And thank you all for being here...

Lost Count, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

"The Chill Ahead"    Acrylic, 6x6"

$75 plus shipping

Purchase Here

Well, it seems Winter has begun here, so I couldn't  resist painting the chill...

Today I finished two paintings, progressed on one, and may have taken a third past the point of no return.  We'll see--I'll look at it again. 

Yesterday, I went to a meeting of the Appalachian Pastel Society and a design workshop with Leo Monahan.  At the workshop, we used collage as the format to practice our design sense.  Leo is an amazing artist, and cut and folded paper is his medium.  I am very tempted to learn his medium, but to do so, he requires students to take a series of design and then color workshops first.  

Needless to say, no painting yesterday.  But plenty of art!

How's everybody doing??  Me, I'm quite relaxed about the painting, don't care about the count, and am enjoying myself and learning as I go... 

In Search of Brilliant Post Title--30 Paintings in 30 Days

"Winter Sunset"  Acrylic, 6x6"

I have to say that I really like this painting, but I also see its flaws...so I am posting but not putting up for sale on DPW at this time.  I may work on it some more or I may repaint it.  Or I may call it done and just keep it!

Keep up the good work, everyone!  And thanks for Watching...

Learning a lot Painting for this 30 Paintings in 30 Days...

"Sweet End of the Day"   Acrylic, 8x8"

$125, plus shipping

 Purchase Here

 Yes, I'm learning a lot about how I want to paint during this 30 in 30, but right now, I am too tired to tell you about it!  I'm not sure if the title of this painting is directed more towards how I feel right now or towards describing the painting...

 

I'm doing this challenge a little differently this time.  You may have noticed I skipped a couple days of posting.  Basically, I have about 7 paintings started.  As I get interested in one above the others, I will take it to completion.  I have another one completed that I will show you tomorrow.  Of the rest, I am not sure how many will see the light of day, but I am very interested in this way of working, for reasons I am...you guessed it...too tired to explain right now.

I admire how my friend Sandra is doing her 30 in 30 blog posts, explaining what she learned from each painting.  Unfortunately, some of what I learned today came from working on a different painting, so it wouldn't really make sense to you in this context, anyway.

But I am bursting full of the new possibilities I am seeing in my acrylics!

Thank you for the outpouring of support I received in my call for help for my friend Julie trying to learn how to post to her new blog from her iPhone.  You all were incredible, and Julie is now posting and is busy redecorating her blog.

Thanks for Watching... 

Making Artwork PLAY with Oil Pastel for 30 Paintings in 30 Days, Day 3

"Mind's Eye"    Experimental--Oil Pastel with Acrylic, 5.5 x 5.5"

Opening Bid $40

Bid in the DPW Auction

This one was pure play with my Oil Pastels.  Do you ever want to just see "what would happen if...?" That's what I was doing here.  And full disclosure, this was one of my paint-ahead paintings!

My friend who is new to blogging is having trouble posting to Blogger using her iPhone and/or iPad.  Anyone able to shed any light for me to pass on to her?   The comment section would work or if you prefer to write me privately, here's how to reach me.  Thanks for your help.

  

And thanks for watching...

Looking Forward to 30 Paintings in 30 Days

SOLD this month to a good friend. Thanks!     (Acrylic with Palette Knife, 10x10")

This one was painted the summer before this past one.  I sat in a cemetery near my house, probably with a dog, and painted the view across the road.  I paint there often, but I remember this time well, from looking at this painting.

I am posting this painting because I paint more than I post, and I want this painting to be a reminder to me to post, don't just paint!  With the 30 Paintings in 30 Days coming up, I want to get more into the habit of posting to my blog and DPW.  I don't know if I ever posted this one to my blog, but I am quite sure I never posted it for sale on DPW.

30 Paintings in 30 Days begins January 1, and I would like to ask my artist friends if they are participating.  I have a new local artist friend who is going to be joining us.  At last check, she did not yet have a blog, but I am sure she will have one by the time the challenge starts.  I am sure my online art buddy Carol will be there.  I don't think she has missed one yet.  

Who else?

My goals for this Challenge are simple--I will be using acrylics and oil pastels and I will be experimenting with techniques I have in mind for both.  I will be making life a little easier for myself by allowing myself to use photos from Paint My Photo.  Up till now, I haven't wanted to use other peoples' photos for reference, but I am finding it liberating.

One reminder--I always say I am "along for the ride."  I have no intention or expectation of painting a full 30.  Between having a full-time job and other consuming (art related) projects I am focused on, I am not going to put that kind of pressure on myself. 

The idea is to get into the studio more, experiment, and have fun!  No pressure, including no pressure on myself to paint a certain number.  

The other intentions I always have for myself are to meet new artists, see great art and to be a cheerleader for friends, old and new, who are participating!

Best wishes, everyone...

Using Photos by Other People as a Springboard for Painting Looser

"Night Light"

Acrylic, 6x6"

Bid in the DPW Auction

Loosening up and finding freedom in using a photo supplied by someone else.  

I always thought it was the wrong way for me to go to paint from a photo I didn't take myself.  How much fun I was missing out on!  It's a change of mindset for some reason--I feel less concerned about re-creating what I see and far more interested in using the image as a springboard to explore certain elements of art.

I extend my thanks to Viacheslav on Paint My Photo for the reference photo which was the inspiration for this painting. What an amazing feeling to paint from a photo provided by a photographer in Moscow!  Since I opened my mind to other peoples' photos, the world is literally opening up for me...