"Practice Makes Perfect."

"Practice does not make perfect.

Only perfect practice makes perfect."

~ Vince Lombardi

TOO HOT HOT HOT !

5.5" x 7.5" hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

A.F. Double Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

Signed and certified by the artist

Painting Options

matted w/ backing (in sleeve) $85.00 USD matted / framed / med- wood $105.00 USD art only (in sleeve) $80.00 USD

"Practice makes perfect." How many times have we all heard that while growing up? Studies show that unless our "practice" addresses our weaknesses and works to resolve those issues, we will get stuck on a plateau, no matter how much we practice. We may be good, but we will never be great. It has to do with breaking out of our comfort zone and actually occasionally working through uncomfortable issues, pushing our boundaries, even expecting to fail. I learn so much from my failures and I do it on a regular basis! Nobody sees everything I paint. Not even Jerry.

Today I purged about forty watercolor paintings and it felt pretty darn good! It was an intimate good-bye with an important learning phase of my career. I knew I had to rip them up in pretty small pieces though or Jerry would be rescuing them from the recycle bin. The first thing he said after he went through what I put in the container was, "You ripped up my favorite one!" Laughingly I replied, "Yes dear, I know. :-D"

Here's the second version of the demo piece

I'm planning to paint at this Thursday's event only in a larger size.

Which color scheme do you like better? Yesterday's or today's?

Thanks, your opinions are most appreciated.

X ♥  O

Sizzling HOT-HOT-HOT Painting Demonstration On Yupo Paper

"Don't be too proud to repeat yourself."

~ Robert Levers

For the past two days I've been practicing the subjects that I'll be painting at my sizzling hot painting demo this Thursday, August 15th at 7pm at the Hammonton Arts Center. 

The theme is HOT- HOT- HOT and HAC will host a "Salsa Tasting Contest"! Bring a sample of your favorite homemade salsa … hot, spicy, savory or sweet. Visitors will taste and vote for the "Golden Chip" award. To register call Carm at 609-457-7601. Don't miss out on all the fun and excitement!!

My nice new Robert Wood palette with new Utrecht brushes and paints,
sent to me by Legion Paper as part of next week's NYC demo compensation.
(Utrecht is now one in the same as Dick Blick.) I was VERY impressed with
their watercolor pigments. They are so thick, smooth and creamy! And
the best part is they are made in Cranberry NJ, USA, not far from here!

Last week I uploaded my files to Next Day Flyers for a new card with

YUPO PAINTING TIPS to give out at my demos and classes.

Here's a copy of it for anyone interested in giving Yupo paper a try.

Get Your Free Download Of The 12 Tips Here.

HOT HOT HOT !

5.5" x 7.5" hand painted watercolor on Yupo paper

A.F. Double Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"
Signed and certified by the artist 
• Sold

One of my favorite affirmations ...
"Repetition is the key to mastery."

Thanks for stopping by.

Your comments and emails are most appreciated.

X ♥  O

Living on Rainbows ~ SOLD

“Lots of people like rainbows.

Children make wishes on them,

artists paint them and dreamers chase them,

but the Aquarian lives on one."

~ Linda Goodman

Linda Goodman's Sun Signs

The Age of Aquarius an age that the world has just entered,

 believed by some to signal a period of peace and harmony.

Guess what my sign is!

No wonder I've lived my life dreaming and painting rainbows.

I've been lying awake nights trying to decide what to paint at my demo in NYC in a couple of weeks. (500 people are expected in the store on the first day - when I'll be there.) I keep hearing reassuring advice in my head from my various painting mentors; "Paint what you know, keep it simple, practice painting what you plan to paint, have a plan. Don't worry, even if you don't think it turned out, they will think it did."

So far, my plan is to do 2 or 3 paintings (or parts of paintings) during my two hour slot demonstrating a few different techniques.  I painted this "Rainbow Feather on Yupo Paper" as a demo possibility, showing a fun and forgiving, direct approach. It was done with no preliminary pencil lines. My reference was an ink jet print out of one I did a couple of years ago on 140 lb cold-press rag paper. It took me less than an hour to paint. Do you think it would be a suitable subject to use?

I'd appreciate any feedback, advice or opinions on my upcoming demo

from fellow artists or anyone who'd be generous enough to offer some.

*Special End of Summer Sale

for the month of August only

I'm offering any of my original paintings framed for the matted price!

Upon receiving your order,
I will email you to find out which color frame you prefer.

 ~~~~~~~~~Rainbow Feather ~~~~~~~~~

• SOLD

As always, thanks for stopping by!

X ♥  O

Four Pairs of Pears in Watercolor on Yupo Paper

"Fruits like having their portrait painted.

They seem to sit there and

ask your forgiveness for fading.

Their thought is given off with their perfumes.

They come with all their scents,

they speak of the fields they have left,

the rain which has nourished them,

the daybreaks they have seen."

~ Paul Cezanne

I see that a lot of the daily painters online are painting fruit, especially pears. This got me thinking that I have never painted them before. It's hard to believe, but true. This was a fun little series, painted from life with a playful attitude and a sprinkling of experimentation. I can see why people enjoy painting them. Their gestures are expressive and their personified silhouettes can be quite endearing. After a couple of days of the cats rolling them off the table they aged rather quickly.

The Perfect Pair
Pear Study #1

Ready to Roll
Pear Study #2

Middle Aged Pair
Pear Study #3

7.5" x 5.5" hand painted watercolors on Yupo paper

A.F. Double Mat w/ Backing in sleeve - 8" x 10"

 Signed and certified by the artist

Painting Options

matted w/ backing (in sleeve) $85.00 USD matted / framed / med- wood $105.00 USD art only (in sleeve) $80.00 USD

Buy Pear Study #1, 2 or 3 from this button.

I will email you to find out which pairs you prefer.

*Special End of Summer 2 for 1 Sale

for the month of August only

I'm offering a pair of these pear paintings (yes- 2) for the price of one!

Upon receiving your order, I will email you to find out which pairs you prefer

Thanks for stopping by!

Pairs of Pears in Progress

I hope you have a pear-fect weekend!

X ♥  O

Sunny Summer Sunflower on Yupo Paper

"The first week of August hangs

at the very top of summer,

the top of the live-long year,

like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel

when it pauses in its turning."

~ Natalie Babbitt

SUNNY SUMMER DAYS

Signed and certified by the artist.

~~~~~~~~ 

See purchase information here.

The weather here has finally cooled off a bit and we haven't had any rain for two whole days! The summer is speeding by faster than ever. I can hardly believe that tomorrow is the first day of August. The past couple of months have been a very busy and happy time for me. 

In addition to my demo at the Dick Blick Grand Opening event scheduled for 2 - 4 pm on August 22nd in NY, NY, I'll be doing the Third Thursday Art Demonstration at the Arts Center in downtown Hammonton, NJ on August 15th from 7- 9 pm.  It's Yippee For Yupo - with a Hot, Hot, Hot Salsa theme! It's a free demo and salsa tasting event. What a great combo! Open to the public, it is sure to be a fun and entertaining evening. Hope to see some of you local people there.

I will also be holding a Yippee For Yupo - Watercolor Painting on Yupo Paper Class - at the Hammonton Arts Center every Saturday during the month of September. Participants will discover a looser, more forgiving way to work in watercolor. This fun class will be a  jump start to watercolor for beginners and can add excitement and variety to the skill set of more accomplished painters. I will provide a link as soon as class information is posted on their website.

Below are a couple of the work-in-progress shots I took while painting "Sunny Summer Days".

First a background wash was added, wet- into - wet.

The second step - adding the stem and petals.

And a little tidbit unrelated to art - Yesterday I placed 36th out of 10,000 entries in a slot tournament at Borgota Casino in Atlantic City, NJ. My prize was $150. in slot dollars.

Not that exciting of a prize, but Jerry and I were very pleased with my placing! 

Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by. I look forward to your comments and truly appreciate every single one! 

X ♥  O

Hello New York City!

On Wednesday, I took an Amtrak Train from Trenton NJ into New York City to meet with the folks who are sponsoring my painting demonstration on Yupo paper in Chelsea next month. It was quite an exciting ART ADVENTURE! The BIG APPLE has changed quite a bit in the past fifteen years since my last visit to the David Letterman Show. I took my point and shoot so I could share some snaps with you.

Coming out of Penn Station,
I stepped into a dreamlike alien world.

Honking cabs, whistles blowing, heavy traffic,
people shouting, commotion and noise
from every direction.

From inside the cab, everything seemed
to be in fast motion, except the traffic of course.

Looking for something familiar,
I was momentarily comforted by this sign.

The conference room at Legion Paper in the
impressive 11 Madison Ave. building housed
many displays of the art and specialty papers
they represent and distribute.

I met with the VP of Marketing,
Marc Shotland, and was given
the Legion Paper grand tour.

Corey Ginsburg, Marc Shotland
and Jon Kaufman
escorted me by foot to the new
Dick Blick Store at 6th Ave. & 20th St..

The store looks small from the outside,
but is awesome and ginormous downstairs.
It's an artist's Mecca - every art supply
you can possibly imagine and then some.

We met with Steven Shutler, the store
manager. I gave him plenty of my new
postcards and business cards to hand
out and two of my framed Yupo paintings
to use in the store window display.

We picked out the supplies I will use for my
demonstration on Thursday, August 22nd. I
am looking forward to trying out the Dick Blick
Watercolors. I have used their acrylics in the past
which were of very high quality.

After being treated to a wonderful lunch,
I strolled around the Chelsea area on my own,
just taking in the sites. I liked this shiny new
cute pair of scooters.

 

And of course I had to stop by the doggie day
care window. I guess these guys were having
a time out. The whippet was being bad and was
chewing on the fence.

These two looked like seasoned veterans and
seemed rather bored with the whole day care scene.

It started to get hot and my feet

were getting tired, so I headed

back to the train station a bit early

to wait in air conditioning.

All in all, it was a really great trip. The guys at Legion Paper treated me so well, I felt like a celebrity.The trial run proved to be so beneficial before my big day next month. After all my fear of the unknown anxiety, it really was A PIECE OF CAKE!

So if anyone reading this is in the NYC area, come see my Yupo painting demonstration at 650 6th Ave. NY, NY, 10011 on Thursday, August 22nd, from 2 - 4pm. It's the new Dick Blick Store's Grand Opening Event and there will be lots of great deals and giveaways! Yippee for Yupo! (pronounced You-Poe) It's an exciting, looser, more forgiving way to work with watercolor!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great weekend!

X ♥  O