Painting winner!

Congratulations to Chris Henkel and Mary Ann Larssen of Virginia. They have won the painting in my painting giveaway.

Lonely blogger!! That would be me....

I am not getting a lot of feedback but hope there are readers out there that want to keep up with all the things that are coming out of my studio. So as an experiment and hopefully to gain some new readers, I am offering a FREE ORIGINAL OIL PAINTING. This is an evening sky painted on location at my house. It is 6 x 8" oil on panel. The first person to contact me at my email address canineart@windstream.net will be the recipient and I will even pay the shipping (in USA). I will be posting lots of paintings here, plein air, animals, whatever. Most are for sale, but every once in a while I will throw in a giveaway... so bookmark my site, watch it often and tell your friends about my art giveaway. I want to spread around the freebees so I won't award two in a row to the same person.

Have fun...... Yvonne

New whippet art

Just finished this watercolor titled "The Antique Chair". This little whippet looks like she is not sure if she should be sitting in this chair or not, but certainly looks beautiful in it. It is available as a limited edition print, 10 x 14" matted in 16 x 20" mat, signed and numbered for $50. plus shipping.

Something to share

A photo of me painting by fellow dog lover and photographer, Katie. Late in the day, Shenandoah Valley, and I am in my own little world. It is funny how absorbed you become in the painting process, whether outdoors or in the studio. Time passes without realizing. The actual painting of the painting is what gets me going. How to solve problems, how to put down on the canvas (or paper) your emotional reaction to the subject and how to convey that to a viewer. I hope I get it right at least some of the time. In the meantime, I will keep painting and enjoying the process.

The latest off the easel

A classically styled painting..... Russian Wolfhound (Borzoi) in a Landscape

This piece is 16 x 20" oil on gessoboard and framed in a lovely ornate gold frame that compliments it perfectly. It will be going to Vineland Gallery for display and sale next week. If you are near Southern Pines, NC, Kim Sobat of Vinelad Gallery would love to have you visit and see all the beautiful artworks featured there.

Me, well I have also been spending time painting plein air as well as in the stufio and have a few new little pieces to show for it. I am finding out what a learning process it is and know it will improve my skills in depicting landscapes, in seeing the true colors of nature, the effects of light and learning to simplify elements to make a memorable painting. That is my goal anyway! I read on the art board Wet Canvas, that it takes 120 plein air paintings under your belt before you really "get it." I think I have a long way to go.

Lots of News!!

It has been a very busy week!

First exciting news.... I am now showing my work at a lovely art gallery in Southern Pines, NC. It is called Vineland Fine Art Gallery and their website is http://www.vinelandfineartgallery.com/

Here are a couple of new oils that will be at the gallery. A Dark Horse is 16 x 20" oil on canvas, and Proud Sheltie is 16 x 20" oil on gessoboard. There will be several other pieces there as well, including some of my little plein air paintings.

Speaking of plein air paintings, I have been having so much fun lately going out "in the field" to paint. I have been to the new greenspace park in Cameron, NC, painting in my own yard, and I just spent a couple days in Virginia where I did some painting as well. I visited a friend who lives in the Shenandoah Valley and it is SO beautiful there I can't wait to go back and spend more time with my easel.

And to top it off, the painting featured in the last several posts has been SOLD.

The finished painting

Really got busy today and finished up the painting. I worked mostly on the lying down dog, did a few touchups on the sitting dog, put a glaze over the pillow with the picture on it to tone it down a bit and deepened the shadows on the sofa behind the dogs. I photographed it and then found a frame to fit just to see how it would look framed. I hope you have enjoyed seeing the progress and results and I have enjoyed sharing it.