"Heavy Metal"

This is the last painting of the year. It took me 3 days. I feel happy about this one. The abstract shapes in the lower left corner and the solid realistic presentation of the metal object have a good contrast and a smooth transition. My colors have be more on the light source colors instead of obvious object local colors. I want to submit this painting for the 2015 OPA National Show. So please wish me luck.



This year I have done 125 paintings, and taught 23 workshops. Recall the year that will pass in a few hours, I feel satisfied. 2014 has been a super busy and difficult year, full of challenges and frustrations. However, I did feel happy and rewarded, especially the support from all of you - my dear artist friends. At this special moment, I want to wish all of you a Very Happy New Year. I will see you in 2015.

WE BEGIN AGAIN!

Another year is before us! What will it bring? What do you hope for? Any thoughts??

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

"Brass Kettle"

Click Here to Purchase



Back home late at the Christmas night, I did this painting in the morning of 12/26.



Every time I came home from a trip, there always are overwhelmingly amount of chores waiting for me. (Sounds familiar?) I decided this time that painting is the absolute priority. I will paint without listening to phone messages, without open the mailbox, without checking emails, ..... even without any idea of what to paint, even without the desire of wanting to paint. Just throw any object in front and paint mechanically.



It sounds insane, but it is absolutely necessary. Our living environment has been deteriorating day by day. So many things have mercilessly hijacked our time, energy, and well being. We must take abnormal actions to make this short life meaningful.



You have got my message. Go to your studio and start to paint right now.

Photo suite 157 -- against the Tuscan sky

Schoolism Holiday Sale!

Save $100 on all Schoolism online self study classes!

I'm proud to offer Designing with Color and Light: http://www.schoolism.com/school.php?id=22

And Environment Design: http://www.schoolism.com/school.php?id=26

Merry Christmas from Zion

Merry Christmas to all of you. I want to thank you so much for giving me so much support. I wish you happy and joy at this holiday season.

Merry Christmas!!

Sign of the week

Banner

This painting is going to be made into a banner/flag and will be hanging on a light pole with other banners from different artists, down town New Bern, NC. This is a street a block away from the historical Tryon Palace, where a TV crew are filming "Sleepy Hollow".

This banner will be going up for 10 months in 2015.

Rough Model Paint-over

Photo suite 156 -- ready for Christmas

Double Arches

Song is doing her usual yoga exercise in an unusual place.

Sign of the week

at the School of Art

April and May hearts

- 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 -

"Demo at Sedona 2014 2" --- Sold

This is my 2nd demo painting at Sedona.



After the workshop, my family and I are taking a vocation. We have visited the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, and we have just arrived at Moab, UT.

Christmas paper decoration

These handmade paper print sets from Mettaprints are amazing! Perfect for a store window, lobby, Christmas party or your living room. They can also be made in a number of other materials that you can find on their website.



We love different Christmas decorations like these. Can you imagine having one of these items at home or just a large space decorated like a fairytale landscape?

Innocence

I just finished this a week ago. I worked from photos I took in my rose garden of a yellow Knockout rose. Watercolors from DS and Maimeriblu on Arches 300lb cold press paper.

Charcoal Study

Photo suite 155 -- retro Santas

"Pansies"

I did two paintings between my workshop teaching trips in December. This is one of them. When the time is fragmented, and too much going on. Very often painting will be the first event to be sacrificed. But now I must try all my might to paint, even though I don't have time to do it. So I did it.



I have arrived at Sedona. I will share with you my demos soon.

Word Verification

I have had to do the word verification each time I post a comment now. Has anyone else had to do that? I checked the settings and it is on No and yet I am getting that...just checking to see if anyone else is having troubles

Little Girl In The Window

This is the final version of my latest card and giclee. It is from a painting that I did in 1986. The first version that I did a few weeks ago was smaller with sharp edges around the oval. In this latest version, the image has been enlarged and the edges softened. I like it much better. I want to get 5x7 giclees made

and place them in 8x10 double mats to sell. I have had many customers asking me for images of my older work. I found another one that I want to make into cards and giclees too. I have been way too busy getting ready for Christmas to start a new painting.

New Class in Progress!

I'm spending every free moment working on my new Schoolism class!!

Christmas Elf Give away

Another give away for you and because it's almost Christmas you can win this super cute Christmas Elf!



The Christmas Elfs from the Danish Signe Blomquist are made of untreated oak wood and are available in 3 different sizes. Together with our blogfriend Accessorize your home we're offering you a chance to win the middle size Christmas Elf from 15 cm!



What do you have to do?

- Leave a comment why you would like to win this Christmas Elf

- Follow Accessorize your Home on Instagram

- Follow Accessorize your Home on Google+



We will announce the winner next week.



For more beautiful and special home accessories of mainly Scandinavian brands visit Accessorize your Home!

"Peony - Demo at San Antonio 3"

I have not painted peony until this one. I confronted my challenge in front of a group of enthusiastic artists. These flowers were overwhelmingly complicated. I wasn't very confident I could do it. The result wasn't bad. I kept reminding myself: I am not painting flowers. I am painting shapes and forms, lights and shadows.



Now I have enough galleries willing to show my work. While I was feel happy, I feel more worried. I have promised too much more than I can possibly deliver. Oh! boy, what should I do now? Like an Ostrich, I bury my head in the sand.

"Demo at San Antonio 2014 2" --- Sold

This is my second demonstration at Coppini.



I have another news to share with all of you: the Greenhouse Gallery in San Antonio has accepted my art and wants to show my paintings. I am honored and feel very fortunate to be represented by three nationally very well known galleries: InSight Gallery, Trailside Galleries, and Greenhouse Gallery. At the meantime I am humbled. I know the status of my art. So many further developments are needed. I need to work even harder to learn, to progress, to paint better.

Save $100 on my self taught online drawing course!

1 week only, save $100 on the self taught version of my online portrait drawing course! More info and enrollment here.

I also have a session of the fully critiqued version begining January 26. More info and enrollment here.

Photo suite 154 -- December pumpkins

"Demo at San Antonio 2014 1"

This is my demo number one at my San Antonio workshop. I want to thank Coppini Academy of Fine Arts for organizing this workshop, and thanks to all the artists who are attending this workshop.