Avocado Blue - Still life oil painting - 6x6

Travel day to Denver! We're stopping in Denver and then driving to South Dakota (any tips for how to not hate car rides are welcome :) I miss Denver! so I'm happy we get to see it for at least a little while.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Carpinteria Bluffs IV - California Daily Landscape Painting - 6x6

We leave for our 4th of July trip to South Dakota tomorrow, I'm excited because I've never been there, and hopefully I'll get some good reference shots for later paintings. I'm not sure what to expect, but I hear there will be buffaloes and pheasants, and possibly thunderstorms. If there's a thunderstorm I'll be a happy for the whole trip.

As for blogging, I've painted ahead so there will be new paintings for the rest of the week...and I am so tired now!

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Sun in the Salt Marsh - California Daily Painting - 6x12

I got to see In the Heights at the Pantages Theater in LA this weekend, I feel like I've been waiting forever to see it! It was worth the wait :)

Today's painting is another view of the Carpinteria Salt Marsh, with the sun breaking through the clouds... only two days left of June, hopefully the gloom is almost over!

Oil on cradled panel, 6x12 inches, 3/4" deep

SOLD

Carpinteria Bluffs III - California Landscape Painting - 12x12

This has to be a super quick post today because the sun is out and Zach has stopped working for the moment! Time to go to the beach!

Oil on hardboard panel, 3/8" thick, 12x12 inches

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The Edge - Carpinteria Bluffs Landscape Painting - 4x8

I found this little 4x8 canvas in my stash of painting materials and decided it would be perfect for this colorful little scene.

Oil on canvas panel, 4x8 inches

SOLD

Also my new business cards came in! I don't live in Denver anymore so my last ones were a little outdated. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. I also made magnets that I can include in packages I ship out. Yes, I was having fun with vistaprint the other day :)

Carpinteria Bluffs II - Daily Landscape Painting - 6x6

Another painting of the bluffs today. I decided that mountains aren't really my favorite thing to paint....but I love trees and and this scene has a big one :)

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Summer Lemons - Daily Still Life Painting - 6x6

I was working on another commission today, these lemons really brightened up my mood, it's so dreary outside!

Oil on deep stretched canvas, 6x6 inches

SOLD

I ordered an easel a few weeks ago and when it arrived I was hesitant to assemble it. Luckily I live with an engineer, who offered to do it for me. During the process this is what I heard from the other room:

"this is the hardest thing I've ever done"

"if you can put this together you should get an honorary college degree"

"I need a bigger picture"

"I have extra pieces, why does it need springs?"

"this is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen"

...that's why I didn't want to do it.

These are the only instructions it came with:

They make no sense at all. When I said I wanted to put them on my blog, Zach responded "your blog? or failblog?"

But in the end I have an easel, thanks love :)

Carpinteria Bluffs - Original Oil Painting - 6x12

I was a little nervous to paint the bluffs. I feel like it's a hot topic around here, and I didn't want my first attempt to be horrible :) But I really like this one. I love when a painting turns out well and was fun to paint. I love how the fields around this area are an orangish color, it makes a nice contrast with the ocean and the blue sky.

Oil on panel, 3/8 inch thick, 6x12 inches

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We have a winner!

Thanks to the Random Number Generator for making the drawing easy, it would have been awful to have to put 175 numbered scraps of paper in a hat :) Congratulations Amanda! And thank you to everyone who took the time to enter, it keeps me motivated to do more of these :)

The Night Light - Daily Oil Painting - 6x6

I'm switching it up a little this monday morning, sometimes I forget that it's fun to paint night scenes. I really like how this one turned out, I wish I could have captured the actual colors used in the dark areas in this painting. I didn't use any black paint, so there's more interest in these areas than what the camera is showing :)

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

To view this item in my shop click here
SOLD

Greta's Windmills - Dutch Landscape Painting - 10x10

I finished this commission yesterday. I'm always nervous about commissions, but I really like how this one turned out, hopefully the buyer will too.

My husband and I are taking a fourth of July trip soon, which means I have to really get painting if I want to participate in the upcoming SCAPE show. I was counting on showing the few paintings I had from the last show, but they sold yesterday! I'm happy about that, but now I'm kind of stuck. I feel like I lost so much time from this move, but everything's unpacked now, and we have internet too!

Oil on hardboard panel, 3/8" thick, 10x10 inches

SOLD

Breaking Through II - Carpinteria Landscape Painting - 6x6

This painting doesn't really portray my usual color palette... the sky is much more pastel-ish than I would usually prefer. But that's how the sky felt that morning, so I guess I can't complain.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

lucky week

I didn't even realize it but I was on the front page again this afternoon. A lucky week indeed!

Breaking Through - California Landscape Painting - 6x6

I love love LOVE painting in my new studio. It's so wonderful to have space again! I was drawn to paint this little scene because there were such interesting colors as the blue sky was finally breaking through that stubborn marine layer.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

$49

To view this item in my shop click here

Carpinteria Salt Marsh III - Landscape Oil Painting - 12x12

Today I'm playing the "where can I possibly photograph my painting without a glare" game. It's my least favorite part of moving to a new place. I think I might have better luck on our patio later in the day. But this will have to do for the moment, it's much prettier in person. I gave the canvas a few extra coats of gesso before I started which gave the painting an interesting texture.

We don't have internet set up in our new place, so for now I'm driving back to our temp apartment to blog. Thanks for all those entering my giveaway :) I love reading all your comments. It made yesterday a much better day, unpacking was horrible, but the worst part was trying to get Charlie, my giant orange cat, who I swear is nothing but muscle, into his carrier. Let's just say I can no longer wear one of my shirts because it's torn and blood stained... I also have quite the battle wound on my torso.

Oil on stretched canvas, painted sides, ready to hang, 12x12 inches

SOLD

Giveaway!

I've chosen this little lemon in a blue bowl for my second giveaway. I always get good feedback on my lemon paintings, and they sell pretty quickly, so I thought maybe someone would like to win one :) I had so much fun with the last giveaway I couldn't wait to do another, so here it is:

Citrus Blue

Original oil painting on museum quality Ampersand Gessobord panel

6x6 inches

How to enter the giveaway:

1. Just leave a comment on this post to let me know you looked around a bit :)

2. For an extra entry become a follower, and then leave a comment telling me you're a follower.

3. For a third entry you can tweet, blog, or Facebook to let your friends know about the giveaway.

This giveaway will last for one week,

I will announce the winner on Tuesday, June 22.

What a great day :)

I spent a little over 9 hours unpacking today, I didn't take a break until Zach called because I had locked him out of our temp place. But it's really feeling like a home now :) I unpacked and organized the kitchen, finished the bathroom, hung the shower curtain, papered the drawers, hauled furniture upstairs...then back downstairs, hung all the clothes up, unpacked the living room, all I really have left is my studio. Most of our boxes are gone too, the lady who took them kept saying "I really appreciate this" "thank you so so much" ...are you kidding? you just cleaned off my patio, I feel like I should be paying you! :)

I was also featured on Etsy's front page this morning. It's so much fun when that happens, my shops views go through the roof and all the extra shop hearts and sales are fun too :)

Beyond the Shore - California Coast Oil Painting - 6x6

Well all of our stuff is officially inside our new place. The move went super well! Zach bribed some coworkers (with pizza and beer) and they had everything moved in less than two hours, amazing. And after a long day of moving and then unpacking and then....dumpster diving, for our ottoman legs that got thrown out, a shower never felt so good. And I got seven responses to my craigslist ad last night, people want our boxes, yay!

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord panel, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Moving Weekend!

There won't be a painting today since we are very busy moving into our new place! Hopefully I'll be all set up to start painting again on Wednesday. Although I've worked ahead a little to post tomorrow and for my new giveaway which starts on Tuesday. I plan on having the whole house unpacked and organized by then, since unpacking is one of my favorite things...or maybe I'm just compulsive... but I probably won't go to bed tonight until I physically can't unpack anymore.

Morning Fog II - Carpinteria Salt Marsh Oil Painting - 6x6

I really like how this painting of the Carpinteria Salt Marsh turned out. I love how every time I look at the marsh there's different colors peeking out, it makes it fun to paint again and again.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Here's a shot of my new studio! I painted there today :) There's an amazing breeze that comes through that window, so I'll never get lightheaded from paint fumes again. It's the best room I could ever ask for :)

Santa Barbara Courthouse IV - Original Oil Painting - 6x6

I moved all of my paintings over to our new place, I had so much fun filling up those shelves! My new studio room is so nice I never want to leave it :)

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches - SOLD

To view this item in my shop click here

Also, if you have a Trader Joe's near you, you have to try their Spicy Soy and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips. They're full of fiber and omega 3's and they're delicious!

The Indignant Pear - Still life oil painting - 6x6

I feel like the left pear is a bit enraged about whatever the right one just said...but I don't think the right one knows it.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord Panel, 6x6 inches.

SOLD

I was just finishing up this post when I looked over and saw this:

"Sorry, did you think this was your bed?"

Morning Fog - Carpinteria Landscape Oil Painting - 6x6

Just another foggy morning. I'm really enjoying painting the actual clouds, but I miss painting the shadows that sunlight brings, sometimes without them things just feel a little dull to me. But I usually like things really bright...so maybe this just brings it down to a normal level :) I am fond of how this one turned out.

I'm also working on a painting for another giveaway, it should start next week!

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Corona on the Counter - Still life oil painting - 5x7

A different sort of still life today, not my usual subject or setup, but I like it!

We painted my new studio yesterday, it's not easy to cover bright green with off white, but I love it and I can't wait to move in!

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 5x7 inches

SOLD

Orange and Blue II - Still life oil painting - 6x6

I love painting these bright little tangerines, and I love how they look next to our blue dishes. I find orange to be a tricky color to paint with (just how yellow is a tricky color) it's not always as opaque as I want it to be, but I think these little guys turned out all right.

Oil on gallery stretched canvas, sides painted, ready to hang, 6x6 inches

SOLD

In Between - California Beach Landscape Painting - 5x7

The sun was out long enough for me to grab this :) It's another view from the Carpinteria campgrounds. I really enjoy painting the reflections that this little estuary gives.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 5x7 inches

SOLD

Aloha - Hawaii Landscape Oil Painting - 10x10

A little break from cloudy scenes, I dug up this reference photo from my last trip to Hawaii. I usually finish my paintings in one uninterrupted sitting... I had to leave this one for a few hours in the middle, which made it much more difficult to finish.

In other news, we found an apartment! Or townhouse I guess. It's so perfect! It even has a garage, and an outside room for I don't know what. It has a large built in desk for Zach to use since he had to leave his in Denver. And the extra bedroom already has tons of shelves where I can store my paintings!

And I finally got on the front page on Etsy last night, first time ever :)

Oil on hardboard panel, 10x10 inches

SOLD

June Gloom II- Carpinteria Landscape Daily Painting - 6x12

Another foggy morning, but the sun has come out now, just in time for apartment hunting.

Oil on cradled panel, 6x12 inches- SOLD

To view this item in my shop click here

June Gloom - Carpinteria Landscape Oil Painting - 6x6

Well June gloom is officially here, right on schedule. I already miss the sun, clouds are so boring when they don't do anything, like thunder or rain. Maybe I'll just have to learn to like painting fog.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

The Baby Avocado II - Still Life Oil Painting - 6x6

Here's another painting of that baby avocado, I really enjoyed the color combination so I had to have another go at it.

I'm also featured in this gallery exhibition, be sure to check it out, there is lots of great art, and you can vote for your favorite piece or pieces at the bottom.

Oil on Ampersand Gessobord, 6x6 inches

SOLD

Memorial Day Weekend - SCAPE art show

What a busy weekend! Living in a tourist spot makes holiday weekends a real adventure, it was like we were living at Disneyland...only without the rides and characters. My oldest friend was also here for the weekend, I've known her since we were 8. And she brought her two year old little girl, who is just the cutest thing that's ever existed. There was also the SCAPE "Art Along the River" show Saturday - Monday. It was a much bigger event than I expected it to be, and there were so many artists! It was a little intimidating but I tried my best to be brave. I guess it wasn't that scary, and I even won an award, 2nd place in the representational category, and that painting sold later on in show.

if anyone is looking for awesome frames, I got these at pictureframes.com. They're very nice quality and it was SO easy getting the artwork to stay inside. I'll definitely be ordering from them again.