"In the Rough" Subscriber Price $55

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"In the Rough" (2.5x3")-090969
Today's painting is the final one from the Polasek Gardens mini-series that I've shared with you this past week. It's been an exploration of color, design, technique & a bit of story telling. I had wanted to write so much more about the light bulbs that go off as paintings are created. There will be a thought that seems so crystal clear that it couldn't possibly be fleeting. Then, when it comes time to write, it kind of vanishes into subconsciousness. I am still pretty heavy into color right now. When I lived up north, and for a decent few years after I moved to Florida, you couldn't twist my arm hard enough to make me even consider mixing the kind of colors that I have been lately. Everything had to be precisely what I had ever learned about a color palette for painting. There is a line that I try to be careful not to cross. I'm beginning to recognize it when I see it. For this, there's always yellow ochre or burnt sienna. These are good ol' earth colors that will easily lay things down some. It'll be interesting to see what mixtures occur during my family's 3 week road trip from Florida to Vermont. We'll be heading out a week from tomorrow. First leg of the trip will be historical touring in DC and Philly, then we'll be in VT for a week. Once in VT, I will be neck high in green, green, green & more green! Can't wait to doodle with a palette for it!
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"Red Roof at Dusk" - Subscriber Price $63

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"Red Roof at Dusk" (3x3")-090968
Time with my parents is always wonderful. They're both miracles. I only wish I had realized sooner than I did. I suppose that's always the way. They live in a little town called Eustis which is about an hour northeast of Orlando. Nearly 25 years ago, they moved down from upstate NY. At that time Eustis was nothing much but a ghost town out in northeast bumfield. Very quiet and relaxing. It's grown up leaps and bounds and there is more to the quiet charm now. With SO many wonderful houses and buildings, I've been inspired even more to visit awhile with painting buildings. So, more to come next week!
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"Red Roofs at Dusk" - Subscriber Price $63

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"Red Roofs at Dusk" (3x3")-090967
If you scroll down to mid-May, you will see a painting called "Red Roofs One". This painting is the second where I nudge you to see buildings in the image. Still not feeling 100% and am heading to my parents house for an overnight shortly, so once again, you get this very short story. More insight to come, I promise! Oh - I'm also working on nailing down a week in March for a workshop in Scottsdale, AZ. It should be announced here pretty soon. For those of you who have contacted me from the land of big skies - this will be your chance! I'll post the minute I know more. Happy Day!
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"Side Yard Garden" - Subscriber Price $55

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"Side Yard Garden" (3x2.5")-090966
I've been a little under the weather today, so the title of this painting pretty much says all I can muster up for now. The business side of things is also taking quite a big chunk of my mental energy, as you might have surmised by all my testing and trying. It's hard to please everyone - no, actually it's impossible to please everyone. But my goal is to create a correspondence that works best for the most involved.
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"Shropshire Orchids" - Subscriber Price $55

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"Shropshire Orchids" (3x2.5")-090964
Try saying that 3 times in a row! As with yesterday's painting, this was done on the Polasek property and inspired by a mass of long stem purple flowers from a close up vantage point - practically sitting in them. I asked my daughter Katie what she saw (my titling assistant). She thought it looked like a field of orchids. So, we researched online to see if there was any such thing as wild orchids. Sure enough; England has them. I could have used something more like Purple Long Stems, but Shropshire Orchids was decided on because of how fun it is to try to say.
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"Farmlands" - Subscriber Price $55

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"Farmlands" (3x2.5")-090963
Well, I guess it was more like 6 days off. Much needed, however. Today's painting was done outdoors during the Polasek Museum's paintout a few weeks ago. I have several more like it waiting in the wings to be posted. You can see that I've used a large, course bristle brush. It's as wonderful as the palette knife, but it gives a much different look. There is no medium in the paint, though, just like in my knife paintings. Once again, I am seeing and feeling the influence of all my past painting experiences, and I'm loving it! Oh what joy there is in this. I'm beginning to wonder if I ought to change 'contemporary impressionism' to 'abstract impressionism'. This would imply the more abstract quality to my work. Any thoughts?
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A Day Off..

..from painting, that is. I've finished the first half of the shipping. Tomorrow will be more of the same, along with some deliveries. It's also the last day of school, and an early day for the kids. It'll take some adjusting to, so the next few days will be sketchy as far as posting goes. But I'll be back very soon!

"In the Greens", Subscriber Promotion $47.50

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"In the Greens" (4x4")-090960
The last 12 hours:
Tonight (Tuesday) at midnight will be the end of my promotion. I have gained many new friends and followers. In fact, it's shocking to learn how many of you there are. Who new? Those of you who have been with me from the first year of this adventure may remember that I then referred to myself as a contemporary realist painter. You stuck with me when my direction started to change, and here you still are with open minds and hearts. We artists are a sensitive bunch, aren't we? This journey hasn't always been easy, but it's definitely been enlightening and rewarding. Your constant enthusiasm and positive feedback have helped guide me down a path that's right for me, for now anyway. I sincerely hope that all of my collectors find joy and happiness in their new paintings. Most everything is packaged and will be shipped tomorrow via USPS Priority (2-3 day delivery). Blessings to all!!
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"It's Probably Time" - Subscriber Promo SOLD

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"It's Probably Time" (4x4")-090956
This was painted with yet another playful palette. There's a landscape in there, but I think the greatest color influence was the bag of $4.00 t-shirts I got at Walmart over the weekend. They were just right for me - comfort, affordability & colors I would wear. I got two of each. You know what I always say, 'if you wouldn't wear it, you probably shouldn't paint with it'!
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"Red Roofs" - Subscriber Promotion - SOLD

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"Red Roofs" (4x4")-090955
You must click this link to see the painting in a new frame. It's a bit larger, and much brighter. Appropriate for summer, don't you think? These colorful palettes are really starting to grow on me. I've heard bright colors referred to as "candy so sweet it makes your teeth hurt". I felt that way too for a very long time. But after experimenting more with extremely brilliant colors I think I am better able to perceive them in reality. They are adding another new dimension to my work, and I like it!
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"Bluezy Swamp, II" - Subscriber Promo $33.75

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"Bluezy Swamp, II" (4x3") I've been neglecting my story telling, and I hate that! I have much to share, some of you like it, some don't. I figure it's easy enough to ignore the stories when you're not interested, right? Anyway...I'm moved in a swirly way by these swamp/marsh images. My tendency is to go quite angular; side-side and up-down. I get fuller range going in my shoulder this way, which I like. (As I've said before, my approach to a painting is so much like conducting with a wand. There's a solid beat and movement to the strokes). The swirlier strokes are much more sensual. Handled VERY loosely like the wrist & finger dancing that belly dancers do in the faces of their admirers. They mesmerize & seduce.
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"Bluezy Swamp, I" - Subscriber Promo Price - SOLD

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"Bluezy Swamp" (4x3") Have to run, but wanted to give you my latest. I hope you enjoy, there will be more over this weekend! Don't forget the current promo ends on Tuesday, June 4th. There are some paintings left, but not many!
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"Emerged" - Subscriber Promo SOLD

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"Emerged" (3x3") And this painting, of course, has much the same feel as "Emerging". As well it should since they were both on the same canvas board. In my mind, I am sitting in a kayak on a calm & cloudy day, enjoying the critters that pop up here and there. Frogs, turtles, fish - the usual suspects found in water. I've been thinking more about the feelings that have come up while preparing all of the paintings that have sold this week. 99.9% of them were done on location in the open air from the real world. Places frequented that are near and dear to me, and places that I'll never see again. There are a few that have come entirely from my head too. It seems that I can much more easily detach from the fantasy paintings. I now realize that I am far more attached to those inspired by nature. Hmmm - another little something to think on.
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"Emerging" - Subscriber Promo $31.25

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"Emerging" (3x3") This is one of the little workshop demos that I did for the students. It was raining, of course, and I kind of went about it by laying down strokes as I went along - without any reference (except what was in my head). One of the girls had asked about painting water, so that's what is shown here. I see a little stream emerging from a wooded area to join a lake. Not unlike many other plein air scenes that I do. Very traditional coloring here, right? I mixed quickly so that I could actually get a demo in before the rains came too hard.

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"Whiteout" - Subscriber Promo $31.25

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"Whiteout" (3x2.5") I can't wait to hit the hay tonight. Each new student I work with teaches me at least 1 new thing. This weekend I learned many new things. Not the least of which is using acrylic paint with extender medium to keep it wet longer. And boy, does it ever work! I can now tell the acrylic painters that yes, they can use it in my workshops. And I learned that there must always be a Plan B, C & D (at least). I really enjoyed a tiny crowd of 2. It was more like giving private lessons. There was far less structure to our time, and I let the girls direct me as much as they wanted. It was wonderful, and I've made 2 more friends!

The snowy effect in today's painting gave me a little change of pace, going from 'The Great Flood' of Florida rains, to the infamous 'New York Blizzard of 69'.

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"Windblown" - SOLD

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"Windblown" (4x3") The ability to quickly adapt to change is one of the keys that will get you through the door to happiness. It's also called acceptance. Both my students & myself seem to have managed that pretty well this last couple of days. Central Florida is really going under water. I had planned to pick the out-of-towners up and bring them back to my home-studio to catch up with what we missed out on yesterday. After driving through another deluge to get to them, we decided to avoid more shenanigans, and stay right there in Martha & Betty's room at the Homewood Suites. Perfect! I had NONE of my supplies. The only thing that came with me was my purse, and my pup. Thought we'd just be heading back to the studio. At any rate, this forced some quick decision making and buttering up the manager to get the OK for Sarge to come in. We had a wonderful, intense day of demo/instruction/art chat. They each completed paintings that were fantabulous! My favorite thing is to see the joy in a student whose light bulb I have just helped turn on :)

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"You Decide, Three" - SOLD

"You Decide, Three" (3x3")
Please join in on the fun! I love to hear what others see in my more abstract paintings. Make your comments and suggestions using the link below!

Guess I didn't pray hard enough. There was so much rain yesterday and so the day was essentially a wash. Literally & figuratively. But I must say we all kept a very stiff upper lip. By 2:30, though, we were tired of the fight and packed it in hurriedly so as to try and beat whatever wrath was to come. The clouds were low and just chomping at the bit to start funneling. This is a new record for me as far as dealing with the forces of nature. I decided to bring the class to my home studio, aka the 'converted' sunroom for today. Of course, the sun has just come out. Argh!!
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"Lilly Mirror" - SOLD

"Lilly Mirror" (3x3")
How luscious are these colors together??? Someone said on yesterday's post "YUM". There's a translucentsy to the paint in real life that really doesn't shine through in a photo or scan. It's the crimson, cobalt blue combo that gets the really rich warm dark purple. We're still on for this weekend's workshop - come rain or shine. It's going to be a smallish group, so we'll be able to enjoy the gardens & property of the museum underneath and inside of a beautiful breezeway. I must say, though, that I am praying for no more rain! Please, please...
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"Under Water" - SOLD

"Under Water" (3x3")
Florida is wet, wet & soaked! But we so needed the rain. As I've said before, painting on a cloudy day is a treat to me. I see more color, overall, during these conditions. As much as I love a bright & sunny day, it can be really contrasty. My eyes seem only able to take things in as dark or light, making it more of a challenge to successfully bring out colors that work together. As far as colorful goes, I'm most comfortable with purples & warm greens. I just love how they go together!
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"Enjoying Randy's Garden" - SOLD

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Thank you all for joining me during yesterday's crazy ride! Over 35 paintings have sold so far. Better yet, it seems I have many new collectors to whom my paintings bring great joy. Who could ask for more?

Become a subscriber to my blog to take advantage of this 2 week promotion! Just use the "JOIN" link at the upper right column to submit your email address.

During this first bi-annual promotional event, subscribers are eligible to purchase any of the paintings that are posted on this site at 75% off their original value. The promotional prices appear right after each painting's title. The offer also extends to SCSHISLER.COM, where you can view much larger paintings. Most of these come framed. Prices are between $200 - $500. Don't forget to look there too!

Prices range from $20 - $115 which includes a frame as available. Should no frame be available, a painting can be purchased at it's promo price minus the frame cost (which ranges from $5-$20 according to size). Please note - the price deduction is only for paintings that I can't provide a frame for; sorry!

Paintings will be marked as sold after payment confirmation is received.

I do prefer to use Paypal, but please contact me directly first. You won't need to worry about actually having an account with them. I will send you a "money request" once you've informed me of your choices. It will have a direct link to a page where you can pay securely with a debit or credit card - even if you don't have a Paypal account! Paypal is a smooth & secure transaction, plus it makes sales tracking much easier - not to mention taxes! : )

I am quite certain there are details that I've missed, so please let me know of any errors or inconsistencies in my marketing.

AND FINALLY, HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

•• Clearing-Studio Event Begins Today •• SOLD

First off, I can't say how grateful and overwhelmed I am at the positive response I've had from all of my blog subscribers over the last 3 years! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

If you haven't already subscribed, you best do it now to become eligible for these soon to be posted prices! Just use the "JOIN" link at the upper right column to submit your email address.

During this first bi-annual promotional event, subscribers are eligible to purchase any of the paintings that are posted on this site at 75% off their original value. The promotional prices will appear right after each painting's title. They'll be posted by 9 AM (EST). This offer extends to my more formal site, SCSHISLER.COM, where you can view much larger paintings. Most of these come framed. Prices are between $200 - $500. Don't forget to look there too!

At 10 AM I will start to check my email about every half hour to take care of inquiries and sales on a first come, first served basis.

Prices range from $20 - $115 which includes a frame as available. Should no frame be available, the painting can be purchased at it's promo price minus the frame cost (which ranges from $5-$20 according to size). Please note - the price deduction is only for paintings that I can't provide a frame for; sorry!

Paintings will be marked as sold after payment confirmation is received.

I do prefer to use Paypal, but please contact me directly first. You won't need to worry about actually having an account with them. I will send you a "money request" once you've informed me of your choices. It will have a direct link to a page where you can pay securely with a debit or credit card - even if you don't have a Paypal account! Paypal is a smooth & secure transaction, plus it makes sales tracking much easier - not to mention taxes! : )

I am quite certain there are details that I've missed, so please let me know of any errors or inconsistencies in my marketing.

AND FINALLY, HAPPY SHOPPING!!!

"Pink Skies at Night" & Clearing-Studio Event News! - SOLD

"Pink Skies at Night" (7x5") So often the sky is just too beautiful to do it justice. Artists paint sunset scenes all the time, but I think there are actually very few who pull it off without any air of kitsch - myself included. Not meaning to offend anyone here - just speaking my truth. It's not that the quality and skill are lacking. Maybe it's just that it's been done over, and over, and over. I still like to try to throw some bright pink up there once in a while. Just to see if I'm even close.
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Subscribe now to receive a special offer that will only be available to "Sally Shisler - Studies & Stories of Daily Painting" subscribers. If you and/or anyone you refer to me subscribes by midnight tomorrow night (EST), you will receive added values on any purchase made during my "Spring Clearing-Studio Event", which will begin on Tuesday morning!

Just enter your email address in the "Join" box you see at the right. Couldn't be easier!

"Kindling" - SOLD

"Kindling" 090914 (7x5") This view is from the wooded area at my in-laws' property in west Florida. It's full of interesting vignettes of what used to be, and what now is. Here we have a pile of sticks near one of my father in-law's old sheds. I don't suppose he uses it to start fires, but that's exactly what I would do if it were me!
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Subscribe today to receive a special offer that will only be available to "Sally Shisler - Studies & Stories of Daily Painting" subscribers. If you and/or anyone you refer to me subscribes by midnight tomorrow night (EST), you will receive added values on any purchase made during my "Spring Clearing-Studio Event"!

Just enter your email address in the "Join" box you see at the right. Couldn't be easier!

"Trailing Off" - SOLD

"Trailing Off" (3x3") More of the latest - just a bit more abstract. I will be announcing a sales event on Monday, May 18th. The offer will be made to all my "Sally Shisler - Studies & Stories of Daily Painting" subscribers. If you subscribe by Monday morning, you will be offered huge values on any purchase made! Just enter your email address in the "Join" box you see at the right. Couldn't be easier!
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"Further Down the Stretch" - SOLD

"Further Down the Stretch" (6x8") You can tell I'm pushing this, can't you? That's OK - gotta dream big if you want to get anywhere. I hope you can start to see the influence from the Cape Cod School of Art. So many wonderful artists came from there. Lois Griffel, Henry Hensche (who tookover after the original found, Charles Hawthorne), Camille Przewodek, my favorite of the moment. This ain't easy - let me tell ya. So many things to be careful of and to balance out. I'm not yet making deliberate decisions about which colors, what direction, how much contrast, shape direction... Soon, I hope, I will start to get the hang of it. I SO wish I could take a workshop from one of the girls mentioned above. It's not in the cards though. This scene is just as the title says - a bit farther along the red brick road of yesterday's post.
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"Finding the Red Brick Road" - SOLD

"Finding the Red Brick Road" (6x5") Last week at the Winter Garden Paintout Reception I met a couple who asked if I was familiar with Ocoee's (my town) old Main Street. Funny thing is that I drive by it every morning, but never caught a glimpse of the historical sign that marks the site. They suggested that I do some paintings of the old brick road and the forested areas surrounding it. I think it was an informal request for a commissioned painting. Not sure yet, but I'll be doing paintings there none-the-less. It's a haven of space that hasn't yet been taken over by developers - though I have a sneaking suspicion that it will be soon. For now, Sarge can romp safely, and I can enjoy my time there!
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"Tagged" - SOLD

"Tagged" (3x3") What I love about these itty bitties is that they are so intimate. This little portrait of a cow took more of my latest experimenting with color and a brush. So many artists do an incredible job at painting these gorgeous creatures, and I had to have a crack at it. I am still loving the bristliness of the brush strokes and the ease with which they allow you to create atmosphere. That's a tricky one with a knife. I should probably try this very same painting with a knife sometime though (at least as an exercise in madness...). Contact me for purchase info.

"In Back" - SOLD

"In Back" (5x5") I've been asked what happened to my palette knife...don't worry, it's right here! It's just that I've had a hankering lately to try a bristle brush dipped into the heavy globs of paint that I use with my knives. Tried it out yesterday, loved it, and am now experimenting with it's intuition to marry the colors that make up the painting. I used my usual pre-mixed palette, but was still able to apply the paint relatively directly. The coarse hairs of the brush create the color vibration that really make this kind of painting exciting. What do ya'll think? Contact me for purchase info.

Also - this weekend's workshop will be held at the Polasek Museum in Winter Park, instead of at my home/studio in Ocoee. Please visit the links in yesterday's post to see more about this beautiful museum and sculpture gardens. I am scheduled for 3 days, Th - Fri - Sat. If you can't make all 3 days, the cost is $100/day.

"Garden Apartment" - 104.40

"Garden Apartment" (12x12") Guess what this is? A bristle brush painting!

The first annual Winter Park Paintout at the Albin Polasek Museum was a wonderful success - for all parties! Last night at the gala, the museum sold over 40 of the exhibited paintings. That must be about 1/4 of what was hung. Half of the proceeds go to supporting the museum's budget for the coming year, which is built entirely upon donations and membership fees. I'm happy to say that 5 of my 9 paintings sold to a new collector, and half of the sales goes to the museum's budget. Wow - not bad. My demo on Thursday was a great success too. There were probably about 20 in the audience, plus several more who came through in tours. I have a healthy list of new artists added to my workshops. What's more is the Polasek museum has given us the privilege to teach workshops on the property!! So - I am hoping to relocate my May workshops to the Polasek.
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"Unfinished" - 33.75

I'm writing this in the midst of an extended Hannah Montana craze going on with my daughter & her two friends. She turns 10 today - a milestone - and she had a sleepover last night. I didn't know much about Miley Cyrus before, except that her dad had a popular country song or two back in the day & that she had her own show. But from what the girls told me, I actually started to feel some excitement as we made our way to see the child star's new movie. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie & I have a new appreciation for this talented little girl (she's just 16??). As we sat there watching with big grins on our faces, I snuck a peak at the three of them in all their young girlish glee. If they only knew the complete joy that's ahead of them as they grow up. Best friends, fun secrets, hair & makeup and style trends. Sock hops, proms, first dates & boys. College (I hope), the parties that come with it, first love & graduation. There's SO much waiting in store. I couldn't help but shed some private tears. Katie & I have come a long way since we came into each other's lives 4 and a half years ago. Every single pull and tug we've had, and there's many to count, has been worth it. Tonight's post is precious to me. This 'unfinished' painting is the miracle of my life. I was forced to walk away just a short 10 minutes in so that we could make the movie on time. I set my knife down promptly, got dressed, brushed my hair, put on some earrings and called for the girls, all the while thinking this is my priority; the painting can wait. What a complete and true blessing!

"In the Air" - SOLD

"In the Air" (4x4") Here's another study on white houses and bright skies. I'm pushing to reach a new level in my compositions of recognizable things, and also in my color use. I'm trying to let the colors (with their differing hue, intensity, opacity/transparency, etc.) do the job of creating contrast. I love how this one came together with it's small area of clarity surrounded by less defined shapes. Once again, these latest paintings are studio work. I think the old 'noodling' habit will always be waiting in the wings, doing push-ups and getting ready to take over the studio. Rats....I just have to stay strong and keep doing what I know is right for me!
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"The Growing Season" - SOLD

"The Growing Season" (3x3") Me o my o me o my...
Is their a limit to how much crankin' we can do here? I thought I could be done with it after the 'writing it all out on paper' thing. I almost posted it here, but then thought better of it. I am completely baffled at how to get good photos of my paintings from the camera to the computer. Completely!! Maybe there's something wrong with the camera. It seemed everything was fine before. The colors in this painting, and the last, are most lovely in real life. But they are just not translating here. Come to think of it, I AM painting with far more saturated color these days.... Anyway, I am happy with the work, but SO wish I could show you better.
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"Mellow Yellows" - SOLD

"Mellow Yellows" (2.5x3") Been a busy weekend - but managed to get this little painting off my mind and onto the canvas. Another from a road trip sketch. This post is a simple request that any of you who believe in the power of prayer to keep my mother-in-law, Nancy, in your prayers. She's near and dear to us and will be facing some tough challenges as she adjusts to a new way of life. Many thanks to all of my followers.
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"Early Morning Haze" -150.70

"Early Morning Haze" (10x12) There's a lot to tell about this painting. But I have to rush off to a pilates class at the moment. Be back soon to tell the story...

...okay then... It's exactly 12 hours later, and I wish the pilates class would have lasted that long; at least I wouldn't feel like I wasted the day away. I've been frustrated with ongoing camera & posting woes. I've spent literally hours trying to post something that matches the real colors of this painting. I think I finally have it, after some color tweaking in Photoshop. I still have plenty of thoughts to share, but I am pooped and my back is howling at me to find the heating pad. So, the back wins. More tomorrow!

This painting reflects what went on in my studio over the last two days. Here are some of the differences & discoveries, for me/for you (a la Randy Jackson of AI)... I've been working in the studio for the past several weeks due to time constraints and a terrible back. I dreaded it, believe me. But it's been eye opening, and taken me back to why I paint outdoors. I'm still working on creating the same degree of excitement and passion, but so far it's lacking. Working from photos just kills it for me. I feel handcuffed to the reality of the photo, and there's nothing I hate more than feeling stifled. Although I'm in a converted sunroom where the sense of the outdoors is near, I'm distracted by not going outside, which makes it hard to focus on the studio work. Without having the set-up/break-down component, I fuss around for that extra hour doing things I know I have no business doing. Namely - killing the painting. Having said all of that, somewhere inside I know the studio work is invaluable to artistic growth, which I feel I also need.

Early Morning Haze was done from sketches I worked on during our last road trip out towards Tampa/St. Pete. So the general feeling was still there with me - quite different from photos. Somewhere along the way, I decided to turn the direct palette knife approach (which some of you saw yesterday in my first post) to rework my usual look, searching for a softer feeling with color blending on the canvas. I feel I landed on my feet, but the fussiness caused mucho anxiety. It's kind of cool to find a method of creating hazy conditions, and I will find ways to use both the direct & the 'scratchy' strokes in my next studio painting.
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"It's Close" - SOLD

"It's Close" (3.5x2.5") Summer, that is. Actually, for us here in Florida, it's pretty much already here. We had nice soaking thunderstorms today. Sorely needed. But we're still getting the crispy blue skies that tend to occur more in the spring and fall than in the 'dog days'. The way the blue reflects so brilliantly into everything is amazing. I'm enjoying these color adventures. And, I have a 22 lb. box of paints just waiting for me to dig into. I can't wait to play!Contact me for purchase info.

"A Garden Dream" - SOLD

"A Garden Dream" (2.5x3") It's kinda odd. I'm not a girl who spends any time with make-up, hair, jewelry or clothes (OK - profile photo was one of our engagement pictures). But with my paintings it's a different story. I find it very hard to send them out in public without at least some kind of lipstick on. There are those of you who are adamant about a painting standing on it's own. There is strong merit to this, in some cases. To me, a purchasing audience should see a painting in a well selected frame. It makes their decision easier, and puts the final touch on. As to this painting - a little bit fussy for my taste! Contact me for purchase info.

"Hike To Valley Spring" - SOLD

"Hike To Valley Spring" (3x3") This little painting recalls my time in Texas last summer. I made the trip to paint my submissions for the 2008/2009 Nomadas del Arte Plein Air Invitational & Exhibit (currently on display at the Southwest Gallery in Dallas). Invited artists had to paint in one of 6 designated southwestern states. Texas was a no brainer since painting pal Carol Marine (surely you all know Carol) lives in Austin. We camped at this park for a few days and nights and had a truly fulfilling time; painting and art talk! This particular day though was hotter than hades. We were full of spunk on the way up, despite all of the equipment. The way back down was a different story with exhaustion & dehydrated silence. Thank God for the lake! We dove right in; nearly with all our equipment still in tow! Contact me for purchase info.

"Safely Rest"- SOLD

"Safely Rest" (3x2.5") Oh this yellow! I'm in love with it. This is one that will definitely be painted larger as well. Perhaps tomorrow. I've got to get these colors down before they're all dried up. As many of you already know, I mix every last drop of paint that goes on my paintings. So each mixture is entirely unique. I may start with 2 basic colors, say sap green and flesh. This gives me a very nice soft warm green. From there I might add some of my sunny day sky mixture of white and bits of cobalt. Or perhaps instead add a little bit of lemon yellow to get to my 'baby grass' color. I spend tons of time mixing. Sometimes I don't know where I'm going with it, but I press on until I get something that I think will work.
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Artists: Two new local (Orlando) three day workshops have been added for the month of May.
These will be in-depth study of color mixing and practice with the palette knife, working either plein air or from photos of your choice. I will be doing demos and presenting a slide show, or two, of artists who have inspired me. The cost for each is $300; with half serving as a deposit to secure your space. Please email or call me if you are interested. Many thanks to all of you who so enthusiastically follow my work!
The first will be held from Thursday, May 7th - Saturday, May 9th at my home/studio in Ocoee. We will paint some inside, and weather permitting, some outside. There is enough room in the session for 3 students.
The next workshop will be from Friday, May 22nd - Sunday, May 24th at Hal Stringer's home/studio in Winter Park where there's room for up to 5 students. Hal also has provisions for us to paint indoors or out.

"Clearing Peace"- 31.25

"Clearing Peace" (3x3") This was fun. As you can see, I'm leaning back towards realism. Well, not realism (for sure), but as my husband would likely say, "At least you can tell what it is!" The abstract phase proves to be invaluable - at least to me. I am better able to make decisions that are not all about feelings, but instead are based also on experience. This is clearly a must for artistic growth. If you have read any of my artist statements over this past few years (probably the current one even), you know that this knife adventure (sounds like serial killing...sorry) was driven entirely by spirit and excitement. Good thing that it was! Not sure I'd still be doing it otherwise.
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"Color Families" - SOLD

"Color Families" (3x3") Wow - this is downright youthful. I was feeling playful and colorful! Ya think it might have something to do with the movie we watched last night with the kids??? "The Cat in the Hat"! I recommend it to anyone - with OR without kids. It's a riot.
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"In the Spotlight"- 31.25

"In the Spotlight" (3x3") After spending so much time the other day in Montverde, first scouting and then painting, my mind is all over the beauty of the hills. I wasn't able to get outside for painting today, so this is from memory. And besides, there's a certain point into a plein air painting when the chemistry of spirit and recall take the place of what is actually there anyway. I'm so happy to be able to paint this way today! It's a far cry from the days of tight, slick medical illustration pieces done for magazine publishing. (My computer takes care of that for me now.)
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"Florida Hill Country" - SOLD

"Florida Hill Country" (9x8") There are a couple of local central Florida towns whose names try to fool the stranger into thinking that mountains actually exist here. Mount Dora was the first town I lived in after moving here from PA. Montverde is a town near where I live now, west of Orlando. Both of these Lake County areas are unbelievably gorgeous. But Montverde definitely takes the prize for being the most reminiscent of the scenery I so adored up north. The place I pulled over for this painting was convenient enough to find, but remote enough that I didn't see a single person or car all afternoon. Heaven!! The air was like perfume with the spring greens just living their lives to the fullest. Sarge was happy, I was happy - I will definitely go back again soon!
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"A New Season" - 25.00

A New Season (3.5x2.5") Seems a little strange to use an un-square frame that's gold instead of black. Though it's nice to brighten things up for spring! This is another calming little piece for me. It's a safe place, you know? Tomorrow's post, however, will be quite the opposite with more color and higher contrast. Stay tuned!
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"The Magic of Spring" - 70.00

The Magic of Spring (9x11") Guess there's no mistaking the palette here. It's a painting I did on the way back from yesterday's demo. I seem to do a lot of 'pathfinding', and it's dawning on me why this is. With limited time, I often end up pulling over onto side roads where I'll park somewhere relatively safe, but still close to the road. It's really convenient to just hop out of my van, throw open the back door, and set up right there on the spot. Though I'd much rather scout painting spots on foot, I must say that having the car right next to me is helpful when I'm rushed. I had planned to go home and lounge for a bit after the work day, but the evening was too lovely to waste an hour of on catnapping!
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"Quiet Visitation" - SOLD

Quiet Visitation (11x14") Wow - what a day! Hard to believe I actually did as much as I did. The other day, I got a call from an artist friend of mine asking if I could step in to do a demo that he was scheduled to do, but couldn't. SURE! No problem... I always love the chance to gush about what I do. There must have been at least 30 artists present. I was stunned when I got there. They had this cool setup (second photo in - notice the feet...) with a mirror overhead so that the audience could see what I was doing. I decided to bring along the painting,"Sand Lake Comfort", that I had done at the Wekiva Paintout a few weeks back. It was a good demo piece because I truthfully wasn't happy with the cool blues in the foreground of the first one. Decided I wanted to go more warm overall. Everything went smoothly, and I ended up with a painting that I like better than the first one. I like the title better too. The original painting "Sand Lake Comfort" was named for the building that's in it. It's actually a restroom at the trailhead of the lake :)
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"Lyrical Evening"- 31.25

Lyrical Evening (3x3") There isn't a thing in the world that purple can't cure. Any & all shades, it's held the highest rank among my very favorites for as long as I can remember. This was a tribute to it - three loud cheers for purple!!!
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"Too Tropical" - SOLD

Too Tropical (3x3") Well, the land of the large was brief! I fell off the wagon, and back into mini-world. I just can't tear myself from them. Maybe it's an 'addiction'. I think it's a comfortable place for me to be right now. The colors were an experiment with the Henry Hensche Cape Cod School of Art theories. I got Lois Griffel's recent book and have been devouring it. The information is very good, though can be quite technical and intense at first pass. This many colors all at once is kinda scary for me, but I wanted to try. Ultimately, the end result was "Too Tropical" for my taste. I figure if I wouldn't wear it, I probably should steer clear of painting with it!
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"The Far Shoreline" - 93.75

The Far Shoreline (12x9") Oh no... I SO miss my minis! This is a 'portion' of my final demo from last week. Yes sir - I had to do it again...the dreaded crop. Everyone needs a haircut every now and then, don't you think? This was my first experiment in translating one of the tiny paintings into something larger. I found that the process of recreating simply does not make the same impact as the original. Not for me, anyway. What I do enjoy in this painting is the palette. The teal is perhaps unrealistically zingy. But I don't think it takes anything away from the overall effect next to the warmer and lighter grays. Continue on with the 3" babies, or forge ahead with gusto back into the land of the large? I'll pray on it.
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March Plein Air Knife Painting Workshop - 2009

All of the things I learned from my group have taken me back to my own beginnings with a knife. Verbalizing my own method for 4 days in a row has really validated the process for me. I've realized just how much my body plays a part in the painting! One day, after demos, I made the rounds and did my best to force the students' bodies to move more freely, almost like tai chi. Most were happy to let me move their arms around hovering over the canvas (one of the students called this shadow drawing??). I held them from behind and guided their movements so that they could get the feel of expression. Of course, there were those who were less comfortable with that (who could blame them...), and their application became more tidy and stiff. No matter - everyone has their comfort zone.

The four day time frame made the experience simply magical for me! Two days just aren't enough to make even a small dent in the knife painting process.

I am absolutely thrilled with the progress that each student made. But I have to give Cathy the prize for the most transformed. She went from tidbits of paint (the size of my little pinkie nail) to huge gobs!!! I'm SO proud of her! Here are the photos I have from my own camera. There were more paintings that I didn't get to, and I'm hoping that participants will email me theirs.

Again - thanks to the 8 that shared the week with me. I'll be instructing again soon, so stay tuned!

"Iris Family" - 103.00

Iris Family (14x18") Today was wonderful! I do tend to get nerved up before my workshops, but as soon as the day arrives I feel a huge calm. It's the anticipation that gets me every time. There's a committee in my head visiting every possible scenario. The day went so perfectly that I couldn't have wished for more. 8 very talented, eager students ready to get right to the next level because of their experience. I am posting today's demo along with a few snapshots of the day. I was so busy making rounds in the afternoon that I didn't get to take any pictures of the group "exercising" their arms. Maybe tomorrow.........zzzzzzzzzzzz
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Workshop Week

I'm buzzing with anticipation and excitement! There are 8 excellent artists signed up for this week's workshop. OK - a little nervous too. But the day has come and I'm off to Mead Gardens to get set up. We'll have gorgeous weather - low 80's, and partly sunny. Couldn't be better. If I can muster any energy, I'll post something each day. Otherwise, I'll be back on Sunday. Wish me luck!

"Gentle Greens"- SOLD

Gentle Greens (3x3") - 090962 It's no secret that green can be a tricky color - particularly when you are painting landscapes. The key is to mix a variety of greens to use. What our minds are trained to think green landscape looks like, does not always (and close to never if you ask me) translate aesthetically. Believe me - I have met with incredible challenges working on this. It should be a whole graduate course in and of itself! PS - holding off on You Decide Two so we can see about recruiting a few more players.
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"Dancing with the Trees"- 31.25

Dancing with the Trees (3x3")OK - I feel like letting ya'll decide again! This composition breaks out of the one that I seem to have favored a little too much lately. Hard to believe I just noticed that. At least I know what I like, right? But it was time to do something different. So here it is. Can't wait to hear your stories about what this is to you. Please play along!
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Pat Meyer wins the title! I think this is perfect; it describes both the actual scene that I painted from, and the color vibration. Thanks Pat!

"Sunlit Yard"- 31.25

Sunlit Yard (3x3") When painting a picture, at what point does an artist stop responding entirely to their reference and begin responding to their painting? For each painter and each painting, it varies. I use the plein air landscape as my reference. The more experience I gain, the quicker I begin responding to a painting's qualities instead of the landscape by itself. For instance, the small blue patch in this painting does not represent what was there. I "responded" to the other shapes and colors. It was an urge! Contact me for purchase info.

"Hill Avenue"- 31.25

Hill Avenue (3x3") Just playin' with colors here. Love the mustard against the dark magenta. It's so juicy! The bottom post is from the Wekiva Paintout. It was painted very quickly because I had limited time to devote. No matter, really. My best work comes from urgency. It's the quick decisions and application that capture passion in a painting. There was another, but honestly, it was not my best work. Contact me for purchase info.

"Sand Lake Comfort" - SOLD

"Evening in Wekiva"- SOLD

Evening in Wekiva (3x3") It's good to be back, though 4 days of "retreating" in GA was wonderful! I slowed down so much that today wasn't particularly as productive as most. I felt like a soundtrack sounds when it's played on a ridiculously low speed. Anyway - I'm posting the mini that I did there. I hope to post the others tomorrow night. Enjoy! Contact me for purchase info.

Oh - I have had several cancellations for next week's 4-day workshop (Wed - Sat) in Orlando, so there are 2-3 spots that I'd LOVE to fill! You can come all four, or any combination of such. Email me if you'd like more info.

"Pondside"- SOLD

Pondside (3x3") Just a quickie here...getting ready for my GA trip. Had a blast painting at the paintout and seeing my painting buds. Wish I could have done more; oh well. MUST GET THAT R&R! See you next week...
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"Crooked Lake East"- 31.25

Crooked Lake East (3x3") The match to yesterday's. I forgot to mention that a year and a half ago (yikes), I painted the first ever of my HUGE paintings from this spot. No surprise that these minis have the same names as the biggies,"Across Crooked Lake". I hadn't looked at this post in a very long time, so it's kind of fun to read where I was at in my process back then. Looks like I was just committing to the idea of being an impressionist painter. And now, yikes, I know I'm on the fence between impressionism and abstract expressionism. By the way - the large ones are still available, so for any of you looking to cover massive wall space, these would definitely do the trick!
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"Crooked Lake West"- 31.25

Crooked Lake West (3x3") Blues aren't my favorite colors - except for Prussian. I LOVE prussian! This color study serves as notes for evening/nighttime painting. The peachy color compliment hitting the tree trunks works well against it as the last light of the day. My posting this week will likely be spotty. I'm participating in the annual Wekiva Springs plein air paintout until tomorrow, then heading up to northwest GA for a little r&r.
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"Driveway Pinks"- SOLD

Driveway Pinks (3x3") I'm really not a girly girl, but I do love my pink! Especially in contrast with it's greenish compliments. And, of course, I love my plum colors too. The combination is kind of sophisticated. As an outfit, it could read elegant professional; sultry temptress; stylish gym-goer...But it's best to be careful not to overdo. When that happens, I think I'm running the risk of tactlessness.
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"Inspiration"- 31.25

Inspiration (3x3") I really love this one. It's very calming - just as the setting was. I've talked before about 'painting as conducting'. They both have rhythm and movement. Notes come off the fingertips of an orchestra conductor as strokes of color come off the fingertips of a painter.
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"Florida Scrub"- 31.25

Florida Scrub (3x3") It's one of a kind, and can still be found in areas that, so far, have been salvaged from development or fire. The better part of it is no higher than a tall person. When I feel I MUST walk through, I kind of close my eyes and hope for the best. Sarge has had the rattlesnake vaccine, so he's relatively safe. From what I gather, it's not been made for people yet :/`
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"Montana Dreaming"- SOLD

Montana Dreaming (3x3") Kind of like 'California Dreaming', just a bit northeast. When I finished the painting, which I did at one of Sarge's favorite romping grounds, what came to me was - fall in the mountains of Montana. Not exactly mounds of weathered grassy fields, is it? But it's fun to be able to use artistic license to come up with either.
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"Dusk Reflection" - SOLD

Dusk Reflection (3x3") JUST a reflection is sometimes much more powerful than the scene AND it's reflection. I felt that this was the case for this evening study. It takes a bit of figuring out - even if it were super realistically rendered. A little puzzle that once is solved, puts your mind inside the view that focuses well below the horizon line.
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Again, thank you Tom, Leslie, Linda, Pilgrim, Stephanie, Kim, Lynette & Maxine for your comments on "Night in Town"! I enjoyed the experiment so much so that I'm thinking of continuing it somehow. I'll keep you posted!

"Night in Town"- 31.25

Night in Town (3x3") Titles undoubtedly go a long way towards coaxing a viewer's recognition of a painting's subject. I've wondered here before if my viewers see anything close to what I'm seeing and putting down on canvas. Since I'm not sure if I actually HAVE many followers of these recent small paintings, I'm going out on a limb. I would love to have some of you share your reaction to this one - good or bad. What do you see? I'll push it a bit further... if you don't see anything at all recognizable, maybe you could share how the painting makes you feel. Interpret the colors; the stroke shapes & textures; the movement, etc. It's a big favor to ask, but I'd love to get a bit more input if you have the time. Thanks - have a super weekend!
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"Sparkle"- 31.25

Sparkle (3x3") I liked this painting a lot when I finished it, and I could have lived happily with it just as it was. But when I added that tiny little sparkly reflection where the water meets the rocks (OK - middle right in the large dark squarish shape...see it?), it really came to life!
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"High Noon Sky"- SOLD

High Noon Sky (3x3") It feels wonderful to find resolve and finish in even the simplest of paintings. Has anyone ever said to you "keep it simple, stupid"? Believe me, I've heard it more than once! There is a lot of truth to this advice. If you can receive it as constructive criticism, you will find that it gets you through the most difficult of situations; both painting ones AND life ones.
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"Pan's Delight" - 112.50

Pan's Delight (12x8") This spring (April 28th - May 3rd) about 25 of us central Florida artists will be participating in the first annual Winter Park Paintout to benefit the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. Some of my favorite local plein air painting pals and I (Cynthia Edmonds, Sally Evans & Tom Sadler) were together on the beautiful grounds the day before we had to submit our respective poster competition paintings. Guess we all work best under pressure. It's always fun to paint with these guys. Our styles are so different. I keep telling them that we need to try a chinese fire drill of the plein air painting sort where we each spend half an hour on each other's paintings. It'd probably do all of us a world of good! This piece turned out OK. Like with the cactus painting "Greeting the Day", I'm really dissatisfied with the photo of it. I MUST spend tomorrow researching a better way - maybe someone more experienced in shooting artwork could suggest a filter or something.... Pretty please!
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"Spring Cheer - II"- 31.25

Spring Cheer II (3x3") In these last two paintings, the little white flowers remind me so much of Queen Anne's Lace, which, as far as I can tell, isn't actually found in the wild here in Florida. I don't know much about them, but I do remember them all over the places that I lived and visited in the Northeast. They have long stems with a flower at the end that is like a giant snowflake with intricate little parts. My nose remembers a gentle sweet and musky smell to them that mixed wonderfully with the smell of freshly mowed grass or hay. They are definitely one of the outstanding features of my childhood memories.
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"Spring Cheer - I"- 31.25

Spring Cheer I (3x3") This is a great study in what to leave in, and what to leave out. I am starting to see a reliable pattern in the shape, size, color and texture combinations in my own work. It goes without saying that when successfully combined, they are what makes a good painting. I haven't broken it down yet into more detail, but I will share the info as I analyze it more. It used to be good enough for me to just "feel" a good painting. But in order to continue growing, there has to be some knowledge of why a thing works, and why it doesn't. Abstract paintings never used to speak to me AT ALL. But lately they are shouting at me!
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"Greeting the Day"- 250.00

Greeting the Day (14x18") I've been riding myself pretty hard for the past year to reach a new level in my work, as many of you already know because of all my venting about it! This painting is quite different from my usual, which is a step in the right direction. I was able to indulge in green & yellow paint variations - a scary area when you're painting from nature; I brought the eye level down to experiment with different shapes and less sky; in the foreground I tried using less value contrast and more color; I'm sure there's more, but that's what comes to mind right now. I'm relatively happy with the result, though I see room for improvement. The painting seems to read very well from a fair distance without any distraction from the knife strokes. The shapes and colors of the cactus give the eye resting points among the busier prickly stuff and the intense brightness of the sunrise. But when I'm up close on it, the knife strokes give me a little trouble. You can see this if you compare the thumbnail to the enlarged view. So (note to self), I need to start experimenting with knife sizes, shapes and stroke character.
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"Just Beyond"- SOLD

Just Beyond (3x3") I am totally loving these little guys with their abstract, but recognizable shapes and colors. I don't know - maybe I see the actual subject matter so easily because I'm the one in front of the scene. I have to laugh when I ask my family what they see when they look at my paintings. My daughter knows right off the bat. Her brother just says "it doesn't look like anything", and my husband is somewhere in between. I've been trying to bring the eye level down to explore more of the earth and less of the sky. Though I do LOVE a sky painting!
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"Peeking Through"- SOLD

Peeking Through (3x3") Ahhh - we had a gorgeous weekend of perfect weather down here in Florida; the painting was great. I spent some time painting at Polasek Museum in Winter Park, preparing for an upcoming plein air event that will happen this April. Paintouts are so invigorating! The pressure is always on to perform and produce enough to exhibit at the end of the week. Just the kind of conditions that I feel most inspired by. Thank you to everyone for the kind and supportive comments you've been leaving!
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"Partly Cloudy"- 31.25

Partly Cloudy (3x3") It's been so COLD here in Florida! Didn't see the weather for the country, but someone said it's warmer in Colorado. Today promises to shape back up though - 63 degrees. I'll take it! I'm heading out to the Polasek Museum here in Orlando to do some painting for an upcoming exhibit that will be on display here in April. Whatever I paint today will be submitted for a juried poster competition. The winning painting will be used to advertise for the week long paintout event happening on the grounds of the museum. Beautiful gardens!
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"Firebush" - SOLD

Firebush (3x3") In a couple of days, I'll be finished with the submissions I've been working on for upcoming exhibits. And boy are they colorful! Much more so than usual. This painting must have been a precursor because of the boldness. Bold can be beautiful! OK - I just had to ask my husband to remind me of how the real saying goes. He says it's "bald can be beautiful". Maybe it's "bald IS beautiful".
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"Rainy Day" - SOLD

Rainy Day (5x5") It's a kick to paint in the rain! The soft sound of the raindrops is very soothing. It's also a nice change of pace from super high contrast conditions. You have to have the patience to mix a few different shades of gray that are very near in value and that lean to warm and cool. While I hadn't planned for it to look like it was raining (seemed hard to do...), I think it actually does here.
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"West Orange Lean To"- SOLD

West Orange Lean To (5x5") Back when I could actually roller blade with all my equipment on my back, I did many paintings off a bike trail that passes through several of the local towns. This is an area where I bring Sarge (my devoted canine companion) to run free without distraction from any nearby activities involving other people. This building just stands there - no sign of any recent use. It was a good subject on a cool, clear day.
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"Pine Pair"- 31.25

Pine Pair (3x3") I'm nearing the end of my compositional searching. If you didn't catch the start of this series, I have posted 2 weeks worth of images of which most were selected and cropped from larger paintings that didn't seem to say what I had intended as a whole. This has been an invaluable lesson in composition and a celebration of oil paint and palette knife!
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"Compliments"- 31.25

Compliments (3x3")
Since greens are very sensitive, they won't hang around amicably with just anyone. They're at their best side by side with complimentary color mixtures that are as complex as they are. If you look closely, there are at least 2 different colors of green, one warm and one cool, that are the same value. The value of the coral color matches them too. You can see this by squinting down at the image. The lightest and most saturated green is next to the darkest burgundy. This is my favorite couple - they just sing when they're together!
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"Baby Grass Hillside"- SOLD

Baby Grass Hillside (3x3")
I'm now back to the landscapes - hills, trees, sky, plains, grass, etc. I've been working on larger paintings for exhibits and preparation for my next gallery hunt. Here's what I'm reminded of after focusing on smaller works for a while: to me, a "successful" palette knife painting can appear deceivingly simple. It's just as easy and perhaps even more tempting to fiddle around in applying the paint with a knife as it is when using brushes. I must always remember that the size and movement of the knife strokes are what defines my painting approach. There shouldn't be any noodling during the process. The hard part is mixing harmonious colors BEFOREHAND (most times taking at least an hour to give it justice), selecting the right size knife to achieve the most direct application, and planning what direction I'm going to pull or push the strokes. If this isn't done fairly succinctly and intentionally, then I end up with muddy quicksand that's been stomped around in - AND I'm very unhappy!
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"The Tovar House" - SOLD

The Tovar House (3x3")
This is the last of the St. Augustine paintings. The Tovar house is next to the González-Alvarez House, which is the oldest surviving Spanish Colonial dwelling in Florida. The site has been occupied since the 1600's and has been open for tours for 116 years! It's so interesting to see how folks lived way back then.
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"Ghost Tours"- SOLD

Ghost Tours (3x3")
"Ghost Tours" is across the street from "Bolero". It's one of many places that host guided horse drawn carriage tours through downtown St. Augustine. I'm not one to spook myself on purpose, so I decided it was enough to just paint the building.
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"7 Bridge Street" - SOLD

7 Bridge Street (3x3")
Again; St. Augustine. This scene looks towards Matanzas Bay from one block in on Bridge Street. It was still raining at this point, so this too was done in the car. Gray days are fun to paint. I've heard that a gray day is actually brighter than a sunny one. It doesn't seem possible to me - can anyone confirm that? At any rate, the palette is much less saturated than usual. Low contrast conditions create a bit more of a challenge than those with higher contrast. You have to really employ the best of your other skills to compensate and attract the attention of your viewer. Speaking of the word "viewer", I find myself stumped when it comes to a suitable word for "one who looks at art". Viewer sounds kind of impersonal to me, maybe even voyeuristic. Someone looking at a book is a "reader" and a person listening to music is a "listener". Along those lines, I guess "looker", "seer", "spectator", or even "watcher" would seem to suffice. All of these words are neutral and don't suggest anything good OR bad about a person's opinion of the art piece. (I guess neither do reader or listener of their book or song). But "viewer" still bothers me. Does anyone know of a better word for it? I like "appreciator", but that of course implies that the person is liking what they're seeing! :)
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"Windy Flight"- 31.25

Windy Flight (3x3")
Same day in St. Augustine as the painting "Bolero". Cold, windy & raining. This was an exciting experience, to say the least. I learned that if you are prepared with your supplies, you can paint quite well in the driver's seat of the car. "Windy Flight" and the next 3 paintings were all done while I was parked in no parking zones, or in the middle of the very narrow and old streets. When a car would come up behind, I would have to circle the block and return to the same parking spot to keep going on the painting. I do love an adventure!
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"Wild Iris" - SOLD

Wild Iris (3x3")
Just a flower getting a little afternoon sun in it's natural environment. Sometimes keeping it super simple is the best!
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"Home"- SOLD

Home (3x3")
This little building brings me a sense of comfort, peace, security, warmth, and quiet happiness. It's cradled by lush woods along the back while it's front faces the rest of the world with humble confidence. While it isn't actually my home, it does represent what home feels like to me!
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"Southern Sky Thunderhead, 1" - SOLD

Southern Sky Thunderhead, 1 (3x3")
There was so much to consider with this image. I love it because of the colors, the distribution of shapes, the contrast of smooth knife work vs. more textured, and the movement of the knife strokes. All of these things are very important in my work, but the balance of stroke sizes and textures is big for me. The strokes are like long and short musical notes in a song. The textured passages create tension and the smoother ones bring release.
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"Holding On" - 40.00

Holding On (5x5")
This started as a portrait of an orange tree, but as I considered the design of the image, it became more of a portrait of just an orange. The last one to go! When I look at the painting under darkish conditions, the wispy little bright spots of sunlit grass blades (lower part of the painting) seem to sparkle in excitement and in awe of the fruit. Kind of like fans in the front row/floor of a rock concert.
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"Winter Memory" - 43.75

Winter Memory (5x5")
Do you see what I see? I ask my daughter this a lot. It's incredible to ask another person to tell the story for you. I'm so envious of artists who live up north and enjoy the variation of color with the change of the seasons. So, from time to time I like to pretend that there is actually snow and cold air conditions around me. I grew up in central NY and spent 4 years going to college on the St. Lawrence River - so I have seen my share of winter wonderlands. This painting was done outdoors here in Florida. What I do is exaggerate what's actually there; insert memories of places I've been that have left their impression.
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"Across the Road" - SOLD

Across the Road (3x3")
...from "Around the Bend"'s view. The original title for this painting was "In Memorium". These paintings were done at the cemetery where my husband's father is laid to rest. I was never certain that he was comfortable with the title, so I felt it was best to change it. As I've said before - cemeteries bring me great comfort. During the day, anyway. Not sure it'd be my favorite place at night!
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"Around the Bend" - SOLD

Around the Bend (3x3")
Ok - I'm gearing up, I think, to post a long series of paintings that I did last year. As I said in yesterday's post, the right frame gives a painting four walls and a roof. Of course, the "right" frame is totally subjective. Today I found these wide molding frames with 3" square openings. Just about perfect for this series. I have posted many of them before, but not in this frame. More important is the fact that most of them have been cropped. Selecting a portion of a larger image is an exercise in and of itself. Many of these paintings I had grown tired of as they were. Having looked at them critically so many times seemed to circuit my brain to think they were weak. But spending the time to search for resolve within them was entirely cathartic. I recommend it to anyone who finds themselves stuck in their work. I hope you will enjoy seeing them!
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"Bolero" - SOLD

Bolero (7x5") I tell you what - it sure was refreshing to break away from the greenery and work on buildings! This too was done during the Crescent Beach Paintout in St. Augustine. In case you didn't already know - it's the oldest city in our country. Pretty cool, no? This downtown view is looking south down Aviles Street at it's intersection with King Street. "Bolero" is a boutique that sells what I believe is lingerie. I didn't go in. The weather was atrocious, blasting rain and wind. This is one of 5 that I painted right in the driver's seat of my car. Not a bad set up at all! Contact me for purchase info.

I thought I'd go ahead and mention my workshops again. I am holding a 4-dayer here in March. Also, if we can fill the participant list (only need 3 more...) for the Ireland workshop by the end of January, it will not be postponed until 2010. Sure would be nice to see Ireland this year! See the Workshop Links at the right. Email me with any questions!

"On the Way" - SOLD

Hi all! It's good to be back at blogging again. I can't believe that it's been 6 months. Yikes. I have been painting; just taking some time to mull over the merits of online exposure vs. gallery exposure. Turns out that if you do it right (whatever that is...), you can find a way to make them work together. I have just signed on with my first gallery here in Orlando, and am very excited about it! The Comma Gallery represents some of the finest local talent - many of them close painter friends of mine. I'm honored to be a part.
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On the Way (14x11") Today's post was done during this year's Crescent Beach Paintout in St. Augustine, Florida. It was late on a day in October, and the light quality reminded me so much of the kind that you get up north late summer/early fall. The colors are a little be off the norm for me, but they were fun to work with!

"Arte y Pico Award"

Thank you Robin Cheers for naming me one of your favorites through this "Arte y Pico Award"! I am passing the award along to the artists below, in no particular order : )

Rick Daskam I found Rick through Chris Greco. His art is an inspiration and his friendliness and help are wonderful!
Chris Greco and I have emailed back and forth since the start of the daily painting rage. He's an incredible painter with a style that I envy; very similar to the talent of Rick.
Rules if you choose to accept...
Larry Moore Larry is definitely one of the top painters here in the US. I admire everything about him and once thought I could paint like him if I tried hard enough. Not so! At any rate, he's also a very encouraging teacher. Nothing critical or uppity about him.
Lisa Gloria I've just found Lisa. Wow! Her painting style reminds me of my favorite artist, John Singer Sargent. So much life and intimacy in her paintings.
Tom Brown Tom paints with a solid understanding of color, composition and form. His trees are kickass!

The Origin of The Arte y Pico Award
The designer of the award puts it like this..."The Arte y Pico Award has arisen from the daily visits that I make to many blogs which nourish and enrich me with creativity. In them, I see dedication, creativity, care, comradeship, but mainly, ART, much art. I want to share this prize with all those bloggers that entertain and enrich me day to day. Doubtlessly, there are many and it will be hard to pick just a few."

Rules if you choose to accept...
1. Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award through creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogger community, no matter of language.
2. Each award should have the name of the author with a link to their blog.
3. Award winners have to post the award with the name and link to the blog of the person who gave them the award.
4. Show these rules and the paragraph (above) explaining the awards origination.

"Mount Dora Marsh" - 65.00

"Mount Dora Marsh", Plein Air, 8x9" by SC Shisler, ©2008
I painted today from the property where my wedding was celebrated. Lake Gertrude is surrounded by homes of well-to-do folks, so there's plenty of professional landscaping and yard maintenance. Still, bits and pieces of marshy areas can be found. They remind us of what came before. Each one seems to complement the other, so kudos to the pros for marrying the two. Of course, I have no idea what all the maintenance chemicals might be doing to the water and the ecosystem of the lake. Hmmm....
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"Hills of Wolf Branch" - 43.75

"Hills of Wolf Branch", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This view comes from church property on top of a hill in Lake County. There are incredible views from this piece of land. Churches are far and away my favorite places to paint. It feels safe with so much peace and alone time!
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"Land for Sale" - SOLD

"Land for Sale", Plein Air, 12x9" by SC Shisler, ©2008
In Lake County Florida, where my parents live, you can still find beautiful pieces of farm land that used to grow citrus. Many farmers who held out to save their land after the deep freeze many years ago are now having to sell in order to stay afloat. One guess as to what will come of it....development, of course!
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"Blue Velvet River" - SOLD

SOLD
"Blue Velvet River", Plein Air, 11x8.5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This painting was done with brushes. The first in well over a year. The river was so smooth and velvety that I knew I wouldn't be able to do it justice with a palette knife in such a small format. It was so calming. A very comfortable place.

"Christmas in July" - SOLD

SOLD
"Christmas in July", Plein Air, 3x2.5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
In this journey of painting combinations of what's in front of me as well as what my intuitions say, the story wanders all over the place. It's definitely not snowing here in Florida right now, but the cool lighter colors against the warm darker colors ended up looking like a frozen scene to me. It reminds me of a lakeside hike I used to walk with my first dog, Bradel, back in Pennsylvania. Can't say how many times I've longed to try a snow scene. I've attempted it with the white sands, but it just never looked convincing. I think this color combination works.

"Firebush" - SOLD

CLICK HERE TO BID...
"Firebush", Plein Air, 4x4" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This painting was posted in a smaller format than I have used for all the others. Looking back, I think that posting them so large takes away from the immediate viewing experience. You want to be able to take it all in without getting lost in the up close minutia. Though I know the details are fun to look at. Any feedback on this would be helpful!

My illustration background told me to create a bright highlight somewhere in this painting, but there simply wasn't one. I felt it was important to resist the urge and let the painting's other strengths carry it.

"Taken Flight" - 25.00

"Taken Flight", Plein Air, 3" x 2.5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
There are a number of things that I mull over while I paint on gray days or at dusk...
1. Without the use of strong value contrasts, how risky is it to proceed and am prepared to face disappointment
2. If the risk is worth it, I'll have to work out an effective palette of warm and
cool grayed down hues to achieve a convincing scene.
3. The application of the paint
a. size of the strokes
b. shape of the strokes
c. direction of the strokes
d. color of the strokes
4. Can I successfully pull off any amount of realism at the expense of the abstract
qualities - or vice versa?
Of course, 3 & 4 are part of any painting I do, but I'm learning that the more I paint in low contrast conditions, the more I like it. There are lots of advantages.
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"Marsh Stream" - 43.75

"Marsh Stream", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Another study of color and shapes! Pretty straight forward...
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"More Gray Days" - 43.75

"More Gray Days", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
What struck me with this view was how dark the background tree-line actually was. All rules say that as things recede in space, they appear lighter and less saturated in comparison to everything else. So this makes me second guess the skill in my observation. But ultimately this darker, almost Prussian blue (which I mixed with cobalt blue, yellow ochre, cad yellow and ultramarine blue), just seemed to work with the surrounding colors.
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"Farm Stream" - SOLD

"Farm Stream", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
More and more I see the abstraction in my paintings. Most of are probably saying "duh". But my work used to be very literal, then it loosened up some as it became more impressionistic. Now it could probably fit quite nicely into the class of abstract art. My mind fights with this some as being an impressionist seems much more romantic. Again, I think it's because my focus right now is really on the basics. Besides, I've heard it said that behind every successful realist painting lies a successful abstract one.
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"Bad Hair Day" - SOLD

"Bad Hair Day", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
I'm not a native Floridian, so I can't say for sure, but it does seem like there are lots more varieties of the small and medium sized palms than these taller ones that reach high into the sky. The tall, skinny ones around here don't allow for easy access. I'd kind of have to set up in the middle of the road to get the view I'm after. But they just amaze me! Their trunks are wispy thin and when it's windy out their fronds look like wild, messy hair. I had to do a bit of visualizing with this view, but it essentially captures the feel I was after.
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"Bluford Ave" - SOLD

SOLD
Another evening out on the big town of Ocoee - yippee! Actually, I do rather like my little town. It's a transitional place with it's finger on the pulse of both today's and yesterday's worlds; but still it's small. This is another one done from the gazebo near city hall looking out towards the main road, Bluford Ave.
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"Morning Coffee at Central City Market" - SOLD

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"Moxie Lake Cattails"- SOLD

"Moxie Lake Cattails", Plein Air, 10x8" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Another trip across the street; this time with all of us, including Sarge. Colors change a lot at night. After right around 8pm, the LIGHT doesn't change much (except after it's dark, of course), but the COLOR changes drastically.
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"Tree & Grass Series" - SOLD

"Tree & Grass Series", Plein Air, 2x3.5"" by SC Shisler, ©2008
There's something very alluring about "babies" of any kind. I had kind of dismissed the possibilities of working small with the palette knives I use, though I now think I short-changed myself. I'm in love with this series of minis. They are 2x3.5", and sweet as can be. I was able to get even more focused on color selection and shapes without detail. Making quick decisions with just a bit of paint , and having a blast. It was hard to name these paintings because although the landscape was the initial draw, the colors and shapes took my mind right over.
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"Clearing at Dusk" - SOLD

SOLD
"Clearing at Dusk", Plein Air, 3x2.5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
So, it finally started to clear right at dusk - hence the name of the painting. I loved the way the pinkish sky reflected off the wet streets. The air was very heavy and musty. This is one of my town's residential areas, just across the street from city hall. I painted under the gazebo, which made a fine shelter from the down-pour.
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"Cool Breeze"- SOLD

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"Raining"- SOLD

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"Raining", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Once again, it was raining during the time I had to paint. It's tricky to get a decent painting when there's no value contrast. But I do like to work with grays. I had some more of the colors that I had used yesterday, so that saved me some mixing time!

"Portrait of a Peony" - SOLD

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"To Inks Lake" - 112.50

"To Inks Lake", Plein Air, 14x11" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This piece was done right on the picnic table of our campsite. By this time I was wiped out from mass exposure to the elements, and just needed a simple setup that wasn't too far from comfort. The design is very much like yesterday's post. There's something about this composition that keeps attracting me. I'm not entirely convinced that I buy this essential, but I recently read that a painting's design should read from left to right like we read writing. I wasn't aware that I do this, but from my recent work, it seems to apply. From now on I'll keep it in mind while developing movement for the painting.
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"Blue Goose Blues" SOLD

"Blue Goose Blues", Plein Air, 14x11" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Just back from Texas and off a whirlwind plein air adventure with Carol Marine. The original intent for my trip was to do the two required paintings that will be submitted to the 2009 Nomadas del Arte exhibit. But so much more came out of it. Things far more important than two paintings. First off and very importantly, I made a new friend. Despite a few key differences, Carol and I have a very similar family life and really relate to each other's daily routines. She amazes me with her fine balancing act. We hashed out many of the usual artist's trials and tribulations (mostly mine right now...) and I actually had somewhat of an epiphany in the process. We immersed ourselves in the rolling hillsides of Texas for two whole days; fought intense heat and gusting winds; swam when we needed to; ate quantities of ice cream and bonded as women and artists. My paintings continue to be ho-hum right now, but with so much else gained from the trip, I am a happy camper! This painting was done near her home in Austin on a dead end side road. Had it been spring, those blue bonnets would have actually been there.
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"Waiting on You" - 112.50

"Waiting on You", Plein Air, 14x11" by SC Shisler, ©2008
It has been another longish while since I've posted. This past 4 or so months has frankly been a rough time for my painting. In fact, it's the first time that I've hit this kind of wall with creative block; regression even (it feels like). I know intellectually that this is part of the path, but it's felt like somehow I unknowingly went left at the fork in the road instead of right. There are many things that have surfaced in recent attempts; things that have enlightened me even further about what painting is for me. Guess what? It all goes back to the basics. Duh... the further I get away from the basics, the worse the paintings get. Color choice is complicated once you get away from the fundamental hues. That's where I started to realize how much I still have to learn about painting. I've felt really passionate about things thus far, and that has carried me happily to this point.

But I'm beginning to realize that this trying phase is critical in my growth and development as an artist. It's the passion that brought me to this beautiful place. It'll be the time tested lessons that lay the foundation and build the infrastructure, and a fine balance of each will round out it all out to create a comfortable and safe place to pursue life as a painter. At least that's the way I see it today! Whatever gets you through, right? Tomorrow I'll be on my way to Texas to stay and paint with Carol Marine and a few other fine painters in the Austin area. This should really help me around the corner! I can't wait to return home and share my adventures with you.
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"The Evening's Haze" - 43.75

"The Evening's Haze", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Last night was peaceful with a soft haze in the area that I painted. It's gotten really hot here in Florida, so the only reasonable time to paint is early morning or evening.
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"Southern Sky Thunderhead" - SOLD

"Southern Sky Thunderhead", Plein Air, 9x12" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Nothing like lightening filled storm clouds moving quickly up from behind to tap you into the heat of the moment. My focus here was obviously capturing the form of the cloud in the distance. I already knew this, but in tonight's work I realized just how important it is to restrain myself from detail in a good deal of the painting. There were a number of strokes that I put down, then took off, ultimately deciding that less was more. Please contact me at scshisler@gmail.com for purchase information about "Southern Sky Thunderhead". Contact me for purchase info.

"Off to Orange Ave" - ON REQUEST

"Off to Orange Ave", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Encouraging and uplifting news that comes in the knick of time..."Warming Up" made it as a May finalist in the online Raymar Competition that I enter frequently. Perhaps this will jump start my creative juices and get me on the road to recovery. I'm ready for the next level of skill and awareness in my work. I'm not sure if these last two posts show me that new level but I'll keep on keeping on...
Please contact me at scshisler@gmail.com for purchase information about "Off to Orange Ave".
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"Unseasonal Grove"- ON REQUEST

"Unseasonal Grove", Plein Air 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
The first attempt after a month away from oil/palette knife painting does not make for an easy breezy day. But it's been good to step away and make some assessments on where I'm going with all of this. I see some glaring things that stand out; elements (or lack there of) in my work that need hashing out. In the interim, I've tried a little of this and a little of that (pastels, brushes again, watercolor...). Maybe if the pastels came affordable and in all shapes and sizes I would have spent more time with them. But ultimately I still come back to knives. My gallery pursuits are under way and I've reworked my official website, scshisler.com. Hopefully it looks OK. With an upcoming trip to Austin TX (where I'll be painting with 3 amazing daily painters, Carol Marine, Robin Cheers and Virginia Vaughn, I have GOT to get it together. This trip is my one and only chance to paint my submissions for the Nomadas event.
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"Incoming" - SOLD

"Incoming", Plein Air, 9x12" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Good news today! I'm posting this again after learning that it has been chosen as a finalist in the March Raymar Competition. And also because it's been a few days since I've painted. I've been working on letters to Florida's House Subcommittee's reps to urge them to vote no to this egregious piece of legislation called the "Orphan Works Act of 2008". If you haven't heard about this yet, please check it out!! It's imperative that we use our collective voice to take a stand!

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"Flewelling Ave", Plein Air SOLD

"Flewelling Ave", Plein Air, 4x4" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Many a day I have only enough time to paint scenes from my own front yard. My neighbors are always curious about what I'm up to. The girl next door came over to take a peek at this one and very plainly said "I can't tell what it is"! I used to get frustrated to the point that I'd hammer away trying to create an identifiable image, just to kill it in the end. You may not be able to see what's here, but today I'm OK with that.
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"Dream at Twilight" - SOLD

"Dream at Twilight", Plein Air, 11x14" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Dreams are wonderful because they are our very own.
While I painted this wide awake, it's overall ambiance is definitely a dream state. I've been fiddling around with colors, trying to go outside of my comfort zone. Not only "trying", but definitely getting there (good or bad...). I'm finding more and more of a departure from painting the scene in front of me too. While I work, my attention is pulled away from my reference and sucked inside to focus on practicing balance in color, contrast, design, harmony, movement... And so this painting actually is a dream.
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"Afternoon Visitor"- SOLD

"Afternoon Visitor", Plein Air,11x14" by SC Shisler, ©2008
I wonder what it feels like to the tiny critters that get stuck to the paint.
At least they have a chance to be immortalized, right? I usually wait for the painting to dry some, and then pick them out with tweezers. This mosquito landed in a perfect spot and I'm not convinced that he should go. I usually avoid putting in any kind of wildlife because I can't seem to pull it off without it looking hokey. I couldn't have picked a better spot had I deliberately meant for something to be fluttering there. To me it looks like a butterfly. I did this painting as a demo on the afternoon of workshop day one. See below for more about the weekend!
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"Blessed Day" - SOLD

"Blessed Day", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
I've finally made it up the Florida turnpike a ways to do some exploring.
This area is beautiful from the road, but even more so once you're off on a county route searching for your spot. I had problems deciding where because I also had Sarge with me and wanted him to run free but safe. I finally found my post at one of the town's churches. As luck would have it, the minister moseyed out to see what was up, and I got an unexpected (but welcome) prayer session to start my day. Doesn't get better than that!
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"Prairie Lake, Cleared" - SOLD

"Prairie Lake, Cleared", Plein Air, by SC Shisler, ©2008
Ironically, there's a beauty to the bareness of this land now.
Once thick with oaks, now barren and waiting for the new community to settle in. (I wonder how many new houses we really need. There seem to be so many suitable ones available in well established neighborhoods. Are there really this many new people? I'm the older home kind of person - love to create of a vision of what it could be with a little TLC and elbow grease.) At any rate, the new view is marvelous for admiring the eastern sky.

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"Scarlet Way" - 112.50

"Scarlet Way", Plein Air, 11x14" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Summer or winter?
Well, neither really. Technically, spring. This is the west facing view from the road that my parents live on. It's the best view for sunsets. They live in a retirement community that I find VERY peaceful. It has a heavy, slow and smooth essence. I'm not saying that folks at retirement age are heavy, slow and smooth, (though they could be...) I'm just saying the place is restful! I noticed a long time ago that my colors are always on the cool side. I'm thinking maybe this week I'll try and force some warmer pieces, just to see what happens.

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"Sister Palms" - ON REQUEST

"Sister Palms",Plein Air, 14x14" by SC Shisler, ©2008
I painted last night from a location that is under development. It was an awesome experience. I had my mind set to capture the 7:30 pm light and the view of Lake Apopka. This time of day is always intensely fleeting, and so it's full of excitement and wonder. I had Sarge with me (always my greatest pleasure for him to romp while I paint), and we spent an hour enjoying the time. There were storms brewing all around us, but not on top of us (unusual to watch from a high up point of view). The foreground part is the newly cropped area with a forest of trees down. Plenty of grasses though, and the occasional bush. Palms in the background leading down to the lake. More and more I'm making things up as I go - colors and content. It's the feeling that I'm after, and this felt really good! Contact me for purchase info.

"Turquoise Oak", Plein Air

"Turqoise Oak", Plein Air, 3.5"x 2" by SC Shisler, ©2008
For more information on this series, please read blog notes from 3/30 post.
Please contact me at scshisler@gmail.com for purchase information about "Turquoise Oak", Plein Air.

"Purple Oak", Plein Air

"Purple Oak", Plein Air, 2x3.5"" by SC Shisler, ©2008
There's something very alluring about "babies" of any kind..
I had kind of dismissed the possibilities of working small with the palette knives I use, though I now think I short-changed myself. I'm in love with this series of minis that I tried over the weekend. They are 2x3.5", and sweet as can be. I was able to get even more focused on color selection and shapes without detail. Making quick decisions with just a bit of paint , and having a blast. It was hard to name these paintings because although the landscape was the initial draw, the colors and shapes took my mind right over. Please contact me at scshisler@gmail.com for purchase information about "Purple Oak", Plein Air.

"Ochre at Dusk"- SOLD

"Ochre at Dusk", Plein Air, 11x14" by SC Shisler, ©2008
In a perfect world, I would leave things alone when they appear finished to my husband.
But every now and then I will go ahead and mess around because I've lost perspective, and there's still paint on the palette to play with. I'm reposting this image (see below for the first) because yesterday I felt it needed cropping to make it stronger. Today I feel the whole image is stronger after having messed around just a bit more. I've made all of the sky a flat warm gray, and it doesn't pull attention away from the foreground. If you look at it real itty bitty, you can start to see a landscape there. Most of my pieces (maybe all of them really) have to be viewed at a distance to appreciate. So I've also posted a tiny version so that you can see what I'm talking about.
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"Lake County Sky I", Plein Air SOLD

"Lake County Sky I", Plein Air, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Had to punch out a bit of time today in between taking care of the folks (mom's back home now) and picking up the kids from school. It's a gorgeous day here today, except for the crazy cold wind. I didn't get out until noon, and I think high noon is always the hardest time of day to nail down an engaging image. Did my best... Hoping to do some purple field blossoms tomorrow. Please contact me at scshisler@gmail.com for purchase information.

"Out Back of the Artist's Studio"- SOLD

"Out Back of the Artist's Studio", Plein Air, 12x8" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This painting made it into last year's month of May "Raymar Competition" as 1 of 12 finalists chosen by Don Demers.
As you can imagine, I was thrilled! I am still comparing the brush work pieces with the palette knife, and I know I have some followers that prefer the former. Honestly, I doubt there are any brushes planned any time soon.
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"English Cottage Garden", Plein Air SOLD

"English Cottage Garden", Plein Air, 12x8" by SC Shisler, ©2008
In the spring of last year
I painted with the Central Florida Plein Air Painters Assoc. as part of the annual Winter Park Tour of Gardens. Each painter had their own home/garden to paint while visitors made their rounds. It was an overcast day, and I worried then about the light conditions. This fountain made a perfect focal point to what might otherwise have been a ho-hum painting. I don't worry about overcast days anymore. In fact, they are a welcome challenge!
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"Early Evening Shadows" - SOLD

"Early Evening Shadows", Plein Air, 12x8" by SC Shisler, ©2008
And another...
I painted this piece on a whim in the back of the school that my kids go to. It was a time when the youngest was in kindergarten and I took the back circle around to pick him up. Not anymore, as he's in 1st now!
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"Ambiguous Pair" - 43.75

"Ambiguous Pair", Still Life, 8x6" by SC Shisler, ©2008
I'm posting another that is "pre-palette knife" from just about a year ago.
...
This too is one of my favorite brush pieces. It was actually chosen as the cover piece for the Osceola Center for the Arts annual Arts Magazine. I will likely run older posts for a few days because my mother is sick in the hospital, and I'm staying with my elderly father until she's up and at 'em again. Contact me for purchase info.

"Portrait of a Rose" - SOLD

"Portrait of a Rose", Still Life, 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
It had been a little while since I gave this a go...
This past Sunday I set up inside Trade Winds (the Winter Park shop where I exhibit and work part time) and painted this small floral portrait during the art festival. I painted another as a commission piece right afterwards, but didn't manage to get a photo of it before it left me!
Contact me for purchase info.

"Lavender Evening II" - SOLD

"Lavender Evening II, Plein Air", 8x12" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This weekend was a whirlwind time at the annual Winter Park Art Festival here in central Florida.
I wasn't actually in the festival itself, but I did feature my work at Trade Winds International Home Collection, where my painings are exhibited and also where I work part time. 3 solid days with a decent sized crowd! Not bad for business. Today's post is my last smallish piece from the paintout. It was a second visit to the same site that "Lavender Evening I" was painted.
You can check out the larger pieces that I did, "Warming Up" and "Wekiwa Springs Sand Lake" on MY WEBSITE.
Contact me for purchase info.

"Pastoral Peace" - 112.50

"Pastoral Peace", 11x14" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Actually, maybe THIS was my favorite painting!
What I love so much about painting "impressions" is that I get very emotionally connected with the scene that has captured me. It's quite like fleeting intimacy.
Contact me for purchase info.

Lavender Evening I - 48.00

"Lavender Evening, I", 6x8" by SC Shisler, ©2008
Third night of last week's paintout the sky was a beautiful lavender.
I had powered through a larger painting, and still trying to catch myself up after having been sick and out of commission the day before. The passing of daylight is always the best motivator when you want to free yourself up. Contact me for purchase info.

"Artist Cabin" - 43.75

"Artist Cabin", 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This painting was done from the very same seat as yesterday's, except with a quarter turn to the left.
The view trails off into more of a woodsy area where the pine trees give the scene a coolish cast. Incidentally, my paintings are very "impasto", which means thick paint. The photos of the paintings show small shadow areas from where the raised areas of thick paint casts shadows.
Contact me for purchase info.

"From Quiet Corner"- 43.75

"From Quiet Corner", 7x5" by SC Shisler, ©2008
This past week I participated in a week long paint-out at Wekiva Springs here in Florida.
It was a great week of painting, camaraderie and more breakthroughs! I spent many recent months focusing on much larger paintings after discovering my impressionist palette knife passion. Maybe sometimes you have to go to wild extremes in the other direction before you can teeter back to what's realistic. Once again, necessity was the mother of invention for me on Friday. I reluctantly picked up a 5x7" canvas and my smallest knife, then went about my impression of the scene before me thinking I would struggle with the slim color choice I had left on my palette. I couldn't have guessed from looking at my palette that these colors would work. But I believe they do, and I am thrilled with this new discovery. Contact me for purchase info.

"Fishermen's Paradise" - 275.00

"Fishermen's Paradise", 24x20" by SC Shisler, ©2008.I'm not certain that ALL fishermen would call this paradise, but for the ones that I see here regularly, it qualifies.
No one actually showed up to fish tonight, which is odd because it was a warm spring like day. I had a dream last night of a painting that I must do soon. It came from nowhere that I can identify, but I'm in search of it. I didn't spot it this evening and since the day was coming to a quick close, I set up and went about this scene.
Workshop Reminder: April 2008 will mark my first workshop experience, (as an instructor that is)! There will be room for about 8 students and there are already 6 that have more or less committed. Please contact me at scshisler@gmail.com for more information. The exact April weekend is yet to be determined, but I am aiming for the 12th and 13th.

"Indian Summer's Eve" - SOLD

"Indian Summer's Eve", 36x24" by SC Shisler, ©2008. This piece was done a few weeks back in preparation for my exhibit at the Gallery at Avalon Island, running through February 15th. It was a warm evening and I set up to paint in the park across the street from our home. Katie and Dan were playing on the playground nearby. It's a beautiful place to paint where I can kill 2 or 3 birds with one stone. VERY convenient! The sun was setting over these trees and the backlit foliage was gorgeous. Shadows were quickly growing longer and longer as the day turned over. I loved my palette on this one. Very subdued with numerous gray hues, some soft olive green, and some pale pink.

Workshop Reminder: April 2008 will mark my first workshop experience, (as an instructor that is)! There will be room for about 8 students and there are already 6 that have more or less committed. Please contact me at scshisler@gmail.com for more information. The exact April weekend is yet to be determined, but I am aiming for the 12th and 13th.

"Chartreuse Delicacy" - SOLD

"Chartreuse Delicacy", 24x18" by SC Shisler, ©2008. This piece was done yesterday during a demo that I did for the Central Florida Plein Air Painter's Association. It was a drizzly, cold day, but perfect painting to me. We huddled under a cluster of bushes, and everything progressed nicely. This was a "dry run" of sorts... getting ready for the workshop that will happen at the Corse Gallery and Atelier in Jacksonville, May 2nd & 3rd. It's a go! I'm now taking reservations, FYI. I really liked how this turned out. This is a crepe myrtle tree whose remaining leaves appeared to be in a very fragile, delicate state.

"East Meets West" - SOLD

Perhaps you thought I'd hung it all up! Quite to the contrary, as all of December and into January my time has been devoted to preparing for a show that was hung last week. The reception was Thursday evening at the Gallery at Avalon Island in downtown Orlando and I had wonderfully encouraging feedback on my palette knife work. It's incredible to see the fruits of my efforts all hanging together. I'm very grateful for the opportunities that just seem to keep falling into my lap. I think I'd mentioned before, but maybe not... I've been invited to participate in the
Nomadas del Arte Paintout and 2009 Exhibition. This event involves 200 artists painting in their selection of 6 southwest states: Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. We have all of 2008 to complete two paintings for the March 2009 show in Texas. I can't wait to head out west! So this painting, done in Florida, kind of evolved into my vision of the southwestern landscape. It's the largest so far, at 36x48" not including the frame.

FYI - The show will hang until mid-February at the
Gallery at Avalon Island; 37 Magnolia Street - corner of Pine. Hours are Tues. - Sat. from 12-6pm.




"East Meets West",36x48" by SC Shisler, ©2008.

"Summer Interlude" - 300.00

Many of you may remember the study for this piece from a few months back. It's been waiting to be posted, just had to get it out of the show it was recently in. The best compliment I've ever had the honor to receive was for this painting. There was a woman admiring it from afar. She came closer to have a look, then moved back again and said to her sister "It's just like a dream". My model Debbie and I have a wonderful creative chemistry together. She's a writer/poet model, and a good friend! What more could an artist ask for? Each painting I explore with her seems to send the message that I'm after. What a blessing.


"Summer Interlude",20x16"oval Figure/Plein Air by SC Shisler, ©2007.

"On a Sunday Afternoon" - SOLD

This is another scene that we visited in Zephyrhills over the weekend. My husband spent some much needed "alone time" at the nearby VW festival, while the rest of us enjoyed the afternoon at the Veteran's Memorial Park. Appropriate for the day, right? If my father in law's prodding would have persisted, there would have been a huge flag included. Maybe that would have been a better image for the day. But I couldn't get my mind off the ibis that were grazing so peacefully all afternoon.



"On a Sunday Afternoon", 24x36" Alla Prima Plein Air by SC Shisler, ©2007.

Study for "Grandad's Drive" - SOLD

We visited Zephyr Hills over the weekend. My husband's parents have a nice piece of land with huge oaks and a host of other trees, bushes and blossoming plants. I love spending time there. With so much history and lots of old photos, I get a real sense of the roots there. Grandad was the first to make the place home. He lived well into his nineties and then left this legacy to my mother in law. Yet again, another few acres or so of land that is being swallowed up by the surrounding development.



Study for "Grandad's Drive", 16x12" Alla Prima Plein Air by SC Shisler, ©2007.

Study for "Where the Groves Were" - 112.50

We're certainly enjoying cooler weather - rated a 10 by everyone! It's simply gorgeous painting weather, and I've been scouting new land to picture. As many are, this too is close to home. The downtown part of Ocoee cannot be further develeped (I don't think anyway)! This field has remnants of the old groves that were here long before the development of the outlying areas near the town. Sarge was with me, sans leash, but was well behaved when a town cop pulled up to see what I was up too. Thankfully! I usually don't get asked to leave once they see what I'm going.




Study for "Where the Groves Were", 16x12" Alla Prima Plein Air by SC Shisler, ©2007.

Study for "Fall on Cardinal Street"- SOLD

Two blocks over from us there's a street full of trees that have these gorgeous coral colored blossoms on them right now. A special feature of fall in Florida. Not at all sure what they are, but they're a pleasure. Particularly with this refreshing cool weather we're having here right now. It's just like I remember September's up north. Difference is there won't be any snow right around the corner. The kids and I went over to the new playground that faces Cardinal Street. They horsed around while I painted. Then I enjoyed a swing with them.




Study for "Fall on Cardinal Street", 16x12" Alla Prima Plein Air by SC Shisler, ©2007.
Purchase Link

Over the Weekend

What a gorgeous weekend it was! The weather was perfect. Thanks to all of you who stopped by to browse, it was a pleasure to meet you and I hope that you will stay tuned on a regular basis. Please remember that you can view more of my artwork at Tradewinds in downtown Winter Park (318 North Park Avenue - 407-622-0211). Additionally, I will be having a show at the Gallery at Avalon in Orlando from mid-January through mid-February.
For the several artists who inquired about workshops - I will hold the first of three for 2008 sometime in March. Since it is my first one ever, I will need to know who's committed to attending. I'd like to get 10 participants signed up by the middle of February. The cost will be $150 for a Saturday and Sunday workshop. I will be demonstrating and teaching my approach to plein air painting with palette knives. We'll do this in one of the Florida State Parks in the Central Florida area - probably as close to Orlando as we can get so as to accommodate anyone who might come from out of state and into the airport here.

Once again, thanks so much for all your support and interest. Hope to see you soon!

PS - I'm pleased to announce that I have been selected by invitation to be a participant in the 2008 paintout and 2009 "Nomadas del Arte" Show out west (www.nomadasdelarte.com). I'll be runnin' with the big boys..... I hope I can keep up!

"Sophie for Jo" - SOLD

And here's Sophie...Lily's sister. More below about commissioning...

For those of you who are interested, commissioning a portrait of your furry family members is quite easy. Just put together a few of the best photos of your pet and email them to me. What defines "best"? To translate the image into what I consider a successful portrait painting, I prefer to use photos that have been taken outdoors in natural light (sunlight). The position of the sun is best when it's light hits your pet at an angle from the left or right. The portraits are 10"x8" vignettes of your pet's head and a bit of the neck/chest.

The price for a pet portrait (one subject) is $225 and includes shipping and handling. Order now for Christmas!

"Lily for Lo" - SOLD

Just so you know I'm still painting daily! This is a portrait of my niece's little girl Lily. Lily's older sister Sophie will come next. For those of you who are interested, commissioning a portrait of your furry family members is quite easy. Just put together a few of the best photos of your pet and email them to me. What defines "best"? To translate the image into what I consider a successful portrait painting, I prefer to use photos that have been taken outdoors in natural light (sunlight). The position of the sun is best when it's light hits your pet at an angle from the left or right. The portraits are 10"x8" vignettes of your pet's head and a bit of the neck/chest.

The price for a pet portrait (one subject) is $225 and includes shipping and handling. Order now for Christmas!

At work...

"Quiet Corner on Park Ave North" - SOLD

This weekend was Winter Park's Fall Art Festival. There were tents all over the central park area and oodles of people out to enjoy the gorgeous weather and the fine art. I was not a participant of the festival, but I did set up to paint right outside of Trade Winds (my representing gallery). I always enjoy the added challenge of people watching me paint. Once again, my friend Debbie did an awesome job sitting for me. You've seen her before in "Summer Interlude". Still preparing several more large paintings for some upcoming shows, but will likely hold off on posting until after they are over; like mid-November.

"Quiet Corner on Park Ave North", 24x18" Alla Prima Plein Air by SC Shisler, ©2007 (082-2007). Purchase Link

A quick update

I'm here and still painting! It's been a busy fall with show preparations though, and all the paintings have been quite on the large side. Today's post is the card I designed for this weekend's Winter Park Fall Art Festival. I'll be right outside of Trade Winds painting. There are over 30 of my paintings inside the shop. Come on down if you're in the area!

Study for "Hill & Center Oak" - SOLD

Yet another scene I have the pleasure of passing several times a day. This oak is a beauty, and backlit by the morning light it has a halo of sorts. Also love the long foreground shadow and the hazy background. It's starting to cool off here, and while the haze sure is pretty, it'll be nice to be able to breath again!

Study for "Hill & Center Oak", Alla Prima Plein Air; 20"x16"; O/CB; (080-2007).

Study for "Late Summer Interlude"SOLD

Debbie's a good friend of mine whom I've wanted to paint for such a long time. This is going to be a larger painting and it was absolutely crucial to work out some potential scenarios in a small study first. I'd had the colors imprinted on my brain, but needed to find a good pose. It'll take a few days to consider some different ideas with the composition and placement of things. She's not at all so frail looking in real life! I find working small harder and harder. You only have a tiny space to get things perfectly perfect! Suggestions are welcome...

Study for "Late Summer Interlude", Alla Prima Figure; 10x8"; O/C; (079-2007). NFS.

"Study for Garden of Rest" - 84.00

The reason the last post is NFS is that I painted this scene over it after scraping it all off to at least salvage the paint! It makes for a great gray. I'm happier with this one. Again, an adventurous undertaking since it started pouring buckets at 7:45 last night. I'm beginning to accept that there really isn't a perfect set-up. Each session has it's own conditions and you really just have to go with the flow of your surroundings. So glad I haven't run into a snake yet. This area is where I run Sarge every day. It's beautiful and peaceful - next to a cemetery. One of very few spots of solace here.

"Study for Garden of Rest", Alla Prima Plein Air; 12X8"; O/CB; (077-2007).

Study for "Binion Road Fields" - SOLD

Yet another scene that I pass by pretty often. Had to set up on the side of the road to get it, and it was pretty hectic with cars and trucks zooming by. I find that distraction useful, actually. Like other sensory input, it forces me to focus even more on what I'm trying to do. I wish I could filter out distractions when I'm doing other things too, but painting seems to be the only activity where I can. I think I'm starting to subconsciously make better decisions about colors, values and composition. A definite move in the right direction! Though there are still some bad days....

"Study for Binion Road Fields", Alla Prima Plein Air; 16"x12"; O/C; (076-2007). SOLD.

"Across Crooked Lake" - 1000.00 as a pair

I went about the larger version of this painting by nailing two 3'x3' canvases next to each other on on my kids' treehouse deck. The intention was to have two separate paintings, but a continuous scene. This is the largest painting I've ever done. Yay! For all of you who have been urging me to paint larger - here it is! Thanks for the nagging. I'm very pleased with what I've been able to do. As y'all may have noticed, my style is evolving. In fact, perhaps I fit better into the category of impressionism now. I'm using palette knives almost exclusively, and there's a reason for it. Aside from loving the results, the knife work fits every aspect of what I need to do. I'm finding it very important to be absorbed and excited about the process of painting. If I've labored over it for too long, the painting simply dies.

"Across Crooked Lake"; Framed Plein Air; 36"x72"; O/C by SC Shisler, 2007 (075-2007) or separately as.....
"East Across Crooked Lake"; Framed Plein Air; O/C by SC Shisler, 2007 (075a-2007)
"West Across Crooked Lake"; Framed Plein Air;36"x36"'; O/C by SC Shisler, 2007 (075b-2007)

"West Across Crooked Lake" - 567.00

"East Across Crooked Lake" - 567.00

"East Across Crooked Lake"; Plein Air; O/CB 36"x36".

"Summer Between 2nd & 3rd" - 450.00

Katie starts 3rd grade on Monday; Dan starts 1st. This painting was done with full-on heart and soul, as you might imagine. We were at Washington Oaks Garden State Park today (south of Crescent Beach), and had the whole oceanfront to ourselves, except for the occasional passerby. Facing all the elements that challenge me to do my best work (I think, though I might complain alot about each of them on occasion) ... time constraints; windy conditions; hot as hell; mid August sunshine....and of course, two very special little ones who God has blessed me with. I am happy with my work this week, and was pleased to hang 4 paintings that I'm proud of.

"Summer Between 2nd & 3rd"; Alla Prima Plein Air; 20x16"; O/CB by SC Shisler, 2007 (074-2007)
Please contact for purchase information: 877-720-1380 or scshisler@gmail.com

"Moonrise on Mint" - 103.00

What an incredible day painting. I did 2.5 paintings. The first was hung already at the show. This one I did late this evening. Saw this mint green house and had to give it a go. Loved how the rooftop colors were so close to those in the night sky.
This painting will be for sale through the gallery that's hosting the event, Island Fine Art. The gallery will be open each day for viewers to see how the artists are coming along and progress can also be seen at the blog site for "Crescent Beach Paintout".

"Moonrise on Mint"; Alla Prima Plein Air; 12x12; O/CB by SC Shisler, 2007 (073-2007)
Please contact for purchase information: 877-720-1380 or scshisler@gmail.com

"Where She Lives" - 84.00

Day one of the Crescent Beach Paint Out in St. Augustine Florida. Hot day! Found shelter in the breezeway of a downtown church. This woman came over to see if it was her house that I was painting. Turns out her house is just across the street in the distance.

"Where She Lives"; Alla Prima Plein Air; 8x12; O/CB by SC Shisler, 2007 (072-2007)
Please contact for purchase information: 877-720-1380 or scshisler@gmail.com

"Dusty Rose"; Alla Prima Portrait-SOLD

Dusty is Sarge's (my Vizsla) girlfriend, and apple of my good friend Cathy's eye! I've owed her this portrait for over a year, but am really glad that I waited. Had I done it earlier, the brushwork would have been less expressive. Funny thing about Vizslas is their coloring. They are a solid mid-value rusty hue - allover! Toenails and nose included. Quite like the gray Weimerainer (sp?). I really need to do one of Sarge soon.

"Dusty Rose", Portrait; 11x9"; O/CB by SC Shisler, 2007 (070-2007)

"Feminine Wiles"; Portrait-SOLD

Jo is one wild and crazy gal with an out of this world personality - seriously (as Jo would say)! What an experience it was to meet and paint this free spirit. She's FULL of vitality and has a relentless passion for life. I knew I had to paint boldly to honor her.

"Feminine Wiles", Portrait; 14.5x9.5"; O/CB by SC Shisler, 2007 (069-2007)

"Portrait of Kyle"-SOLD

Last Saturday I participated in an art event at the Maitland Art Center - pARTicipation, to be exact. It was an exciting day where patrons offered bids of money in exchange for time with their chosen artist and also the resulting product. The proceeds all go to the center, and the artists get much needed exposure and advertising. I had 3 patrons bid for my time and a portrait. This gentleman, Kyle, was my second sitter. He had intense eyes - the right more so than the left, even in natural lighting. But I set him up to emphasize this feature with a plan to exploit the drama of it. Comments and critiques are certainly welcome. I'm not decided on whether it's finished or not. Backgrounds can give me trouble and I'm thinking maybe this one is problematic.

"Kyle", Portrait; 10x8"; O/CB by SC Shisler, 2007 (068-2007)

"Purity & Passion" - SOLD

And demons too! Yikes - I think I've had my fill of clear vases for a while. It's a worthy challenge, but I'm finding it incredibly difficult to capture an accurate "impression". This type of symmetry always trips me up and tempts me to revert to my illustration mode. I am preparing works for a new venue that I've been invited to display at, and am having to beef up the still life selection. These roses are what was left of my Mother's Day bouquet from my husband and kids. BTW - "Hang Down Earrings" large is under way! Hoping to finish this week.

"Purity & Passion", Alla Prima Still Life; 8x6"; O/CB; (064-2007).
Please contact for purchase information: 877-720-1380 or scshisler@gmail.com

"Cardinal's Choice" - SOLD

This was a passion piece - the kind I like the best. There isn't a thing I don't love about painting outside! I skate by here every time I'm on the West Orange Trail, and now that I'm skating in the evening, this is the treat I get. I actually had to skate to it last night with all my painting gear and easel in tow. Skating is alot harder with 20 extras pounds to carry around. But I made it there and back without falling. It even started to rain for a bit. My focus was the colors in the sky and clouds. They were the most magnificent pastel colors - like all our sunsets here in Florida.
"Cardinal's Choice", Plein Air; 16x12"; O/CB; (063-2007).

"Portrait of a Peony" - SOLD

It felt GREAT to be painting once again. Of course, this isn't what I had planned to do ("Hang Down Earrings" is on deck) , but a good warm up anyway. Very girly, isn't it? Peonies are my favorite. I've never seen a real peony bush in Florida, and so this had to be from a silk flower. I will be doing several more of these, as I'm preparing to deliver to a gallery next week.

"Portrait of a Peony", Alla Prima Still Life; 8x6"; O/CB; (062-2007). Please contact for purchase information: 877-720-1380 or scshisler@gmail.com

Follow Your Heart

You can see from my sagging eyes and fried chest that it was truly a magnificent weekend for plein air. I'm still trying to catch up on my sleep! Our campsite at Fort Desoto Park served as my home base for the 3 days. I've decided that sleeping on the ground without some kind of air mattress is not for the over 40 population. That aside (along with a left-behind sack of essential painting gear, bird droppings and a squirrel with incredibly precise bull's eye aim), I managed to complete 3 paintings. Fort Desoto is a gorgeous area with beautiful Florida scenery. (And it's rated as one of the top parks in the US for camping, etc.) There were 30 artists who participated in the weekend long paintout, and 90 paintings that were hung at "Alla Prima Fine Art Gallery" in downtown St. Pete. I am pleased and proud to report that "Afternoon Sparkle" received an Award of Excellence from artist/juror Molly Schmid (Richard's daughter). What pleases me most about the honor is that the painting was without a doubt a work of God. I had already completed a rather self indulgent 20x16" canvas on Friday morning, and was feeling satisfied enough with the results to call it a day. I planted myself beside the bay water to enjoy the breeze and lull of the afternoon. Pretty soon the compulsion to paint set in. There were actually a few moments of rationalization where I tried to talk myself out of it since I was so tired. But I figured a small canvas was manageable. I ran to get my brand new paints and brushes (replacements for the left behind) and painted with all of my instincts and sensitivities - with complete abandon, actually. So I see now what they mean when they tell you to follow your heart. Check back for posts of the artwork towards the middle of May.

"Shirley's Antiques"; Alla Prima Plein Air

Downtown Winter Garden has a host of visual delights that inspire. It's unique shops and boutiques bussle with busy shoppers and the West Orange Bike Trail cuts right through the middle. Shirley's Antiques is kitty corner to the historical museum. The mint green of the building kind of brings it front and center to all the rest. In my last post, I mentioned the importance of finishing in one sitting. This image painted itself quickly - before the sunlit side of the building got lost in shade. I think I'm going to make a vow right this minute to NEVER revisit a piece. At least for now....

Shirley's Antiques; 12x10"; oil on canvas board. This painting will be exhibited in my upcoming solo show, "Daily Paintings", at Stirling Sotheby's International Realty in Orlando.

2009 Workshop Schedule

Into the Light- SOLD

Another creation from a photo - after a LONG photo session with the model to capture just the right light quality through the window.