"Making A Mark" -Sold

Happy New Year!!

This is a Maker's Mark Manhattan "up".

This painting was developed using a photo that was taken with a friend's iPhone. The actual photo was a little distorted, so is this painting and a lot of artistic license was used!

Please, have a great New Year's Eve and if you drink, be careful that you don't get too distorted!!

Best wishes for 2010!

-JanettMarie

"Red Shadow"

Red...  red ink... with light shining through it...  more reflection and a red shadow... remember "Dark Shadows" with Barnabas Collins.... eww......... not vampire blood...

-jM

"Not Sure"... yes! for sure "In the SpotLight"

A new title "In the SpotLight" I saw it this morning!

I made no changes, just added my jM- to the left side.

Just needed to sleep, guess my eyes were tired!!

Thanks Last Cup Of Coffee ,  I needed coffee!  -jM

This Red Delicious is not signed.... I'm not sure if it's finished.... I think the background and foreground need a little work.... I need to look at it again tomorrow... I may do more painting on it... when I sign this, I'll place the new image with this one here... so you can see...

Maybe the fact that this is #13.... no, that is not it, just a little more time...

This is how I feel about this one, would that be from my heart... I think so, my heart says, I need to work on this one a bit more tomorrow, with fresh eyes. Thanks.

-jM

"Rag Tag" -Sold

Yes, "Rag Tag"... I've never heard that phrase (if it is a phrase) before now.

I was searching for a title, when I asked a friend of mine, Arnolt, what he thought a good title would be for this pear and apple number 12, "Rag Tag" was his response, but I believe he was talking about the basketball game on the television, I don't think he was really paying attention to me. Rag Tag sounded good to me and.... it was from Arnolt's heart!! It works!
Rag Tag is like the Duck-Duck-Goose game, according to the nifty little dictionary on my computer. I can see it.

Today, while working on this painting, I'm still contemplating "from the heart". Seems to me, when something is done from the heart, it's more fun! Maybe, if you're happy, or at least in a good mood, from the heart is more fun.----Hmm..... I haven't done any paintings while in a bad mood lately either.... maybe it's the colors I'm using... Indianapolis hasn't exactly had a lot of sunshine lately .... again... Hmmm...

-jM

"Favorite Cup"

This is a painting of my favorite cup. (It's really Randy's, but I like the way it looks.)

I took a little different approach today, I painted, just to paint. I figured, it's my favorite cup, I'll just paint...  as my self takes me, no pressure....  weird?

I'm still thinking about painting "from my heart".

Can you believe it? No apple today!

"Golden Delicious-Number Eleven"

What exactly does "from the heart" mean?

When I google the phrase, I found that if an author is writing from the heart, it means that they are being sincere in their writings. If an artist is sincere in producing their work, what does that mean? Aren't we always sincere?
I've been thinking about this for a couple days now..... I know, not really very long and I'm sure it has crossed my mind before in various forms and phrases..... well, my niece received a manicure set for Christmas, she is 11 years old and she loves this "nails toolbox". Yesterday, she was giving everyone manicures and her cousin was helping out by giving everyone foot massages and pedicures. Quite a team those two, but watching them work, I'm pretty sure they were doing this "from their hearts", even if the polish went outside the lines.

 "paint from your heart".....   what does it mean....

-jM

"Number Ten" -Sold

Here it is, "Number Ten"...  apple that is...  This apple was not my first attempt today,  I actually "wiped" my first  painting. What did Carol Marine do the other day, 4 hours on a larger painting only to wipe it off. I didn't spend four hours, maybe two, but it seemed like four. The first apple was a Granny Green and I had cut it in half and made wedges out of the other half. The problem was it was an old apple and it was old inside... yuck... a little brown. I guess having a bad model is as good as a bad painting... no good painting was coming out of it. New apple, new painting and I tried not to get uptight about it and this is the result!

Harry Sandler made a comment yesterday, about how hard it is to do one piece a day. Harry, this is my 100th post, but my 80th small painting.....  my first post was November 10, 2008 and it was not a 6"x6" painting, but one of my Blue Moon Series and it is 18"x14". That seemed small at the time! Yes, it is not easy to do a painting everyday and post everyday. Like a fellow artist said to me, "Keep at it!"

-jM

"An Attractive Pair"

Well, it's not an apple, it's a pear. Does that count toward 100 apple paintings?
I think I asked myself that last time I did a pear. It is a red pear.... no, it's not an apple.
Aren't they a nice looking couple though?
They kind of look like a twosome, one taller than the other, yet they have similar shape. Interesting.... I bet they are going to dinner and a movie! They may be holding hands....

-jM

"Delicious Gala" -Sold

This Gala apple looks like a Red Delicious to me. I think that is why I was drawn to this apple, I like the taste of the Gala, but the shape of the Red Delicious.... hmmm... two different senses satisfied! Do you suppose that the grocery store put the wrong label on this apple? Maybe it's really a Red Delicious! Regardless, this is also number 9 of 100..... counting down....

Okay.... do another.

-jM

"Apple Sunday" -Sold

This is my eighth apple painting, only 92 more to go, not too many more!

This apple got pretty abstract on me today. I've been reading a book, Alla Prima: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Direct Painting by Al Gury and I think I have painting thoughts in my head. Like in golf, after one takes a golf lesson, then you go play, you may have "swing thoughts" that will mess with your game that round. It's tough. 


Okay... do another!!


-jM

"Christmas Spirit" -Sold

Must be something about the holiday and Christmas and red.....


This is the painting that I thought about doing more to today, but that didn't happen. 
Looking at it with fresh eyes this morning, for some reason I think it's okay.... so... I thought...  I'll just do another one and I'll try that technique on the next one! How about that!?!
It is Friday after all......


-jM

"Suzie and Her Coffee"

Suzie and Her Coffee is a little rough around the edges.... maybe it's from a rough night before!

Worked on a couple paintings today and intend to finish them up tomorrow. I was going to photograph one of them, but it's too dark now.... guess that means I can add a little more to it tomorrow. I think that is it's destiny, as I was hesitant to post it today.....  cool......

-jM

"Ahhh Nutcracker"

Open and say "Ahhhh...." I think that is what this guy is doing.. wait!

That's not it! He's a Nutcracker Man!

Actually, he's not even that. I like to check my spelling in this cool little dictionary that I have on my Mac and I ran across "Nutcracker Man". Here is what I found... the nickname of a fossil hominid with massive jaws and molar teeth, esp. the original specimen found near Olduvai Gorge in 1959... hmmm.... maybe he is a Nutcracker Man.

-jM

"Black Coffee, White Cup" -Sold

You know that clothing store White House-Black Market? Well, here is "Black Coffee, White Cup"!

Just the basics please, maybe a little sugar, to jazz it up!

-jM

"Pajama Claus" -Sold

A little Santa Claus in his PJ's for the holiday's.

This little guy was started about a week and a half ago, but I never got back to him until today. I was hoping to have him for the Holiday Exhibition, I had too many distractions.....

-jM

Stutz Artist's Holiday Exhibition-Wow!

Wow, what a busy couple of weeks. We had our annual Stutz Artist's Holiday Exhibition last night and we did get some coverage... Wow... check out this blog by Lesley Weidenbener called The Design File. It's wonderful and I know she had a great time, I did!
It is truely amazing to me that these little paintings are being noticed...they're little, but everyone loves them... that is what is keeping me going... Thanks everyone!!!

I'll be back to painting sooner than I know, I promise!!
Besides, I have a new board to fill and the little guys keep finding new homes! Thanks!!

-jM

"Another Survivor"

The little yellow flowers are surviving the mild frost we have had here in Indy lately. Each time I find one, I think "Oh, this is probably the last time for the little flowers", but I keep seeing survivors. Less and less total flowers, but survivors, no less.

Here's to the survivors in this world... that would be all of us!!

-jM

PS: Happy birthday Julie!!

"Susie Single" -Sold

I forgot that I hadn't posted this one. It's the last itty bitty painting that I did over a week ago.
The frost is killing off the flowers, so this may be the last of the wild one's for a while..... what next?

-jM

"Just Me"

This little Susie just wanted to be alone.

This panel is 8" x 6" and will be on display for the Holiday Exhibition at the Stutz, November 20th.

-jM

"Sister Susies" -Sold

Susies.... I've always liked the Black Eyed Susies....
Still working with the tiny brushes.
Leigh asked me if the brush had just one bristle in it... well, I guess it has two or three : )

-jM

"2nd Itsy-Bitsy Daisy" -Sold

Another small, small painting. You know, the more times I do these, it doesn't seem too bad. Yesterday though, late in the day, I just had to paint on a bigger canvas... so I did, 6 foot by 4 foot, what a difference! Bigger brush, more paint, more movement. Wow.... it was good.

Have a great weekend!!

-jM

"First Itty Bitty" -Sold

This baby is small!! Well, it's 3 inches square, that is small relative to a 6 inch square. Silly me I thought it would be easy, you know, it's small! Well it was a little tricky... I managed.

This is a small flower I found along side of the road, not sure what it is called but it did remind me a little bit of a daisy. Baby Daisy, that is what I should call this one!! Okay, settled... "Baby Daisy" : )

-jM

"Lost Love"

This couple of roses has been hanging around my studio for a while now. Here they are... from one point of view...

-jM

Happy Birthday Grandma Meyer : )

"Floating Olive"

From far away this olive looks like it's floating... nothing wrong with that right?
This is a rescue painting, I've been inspired by Robert (Bob) Burridge to fix paintings that have gone astray on me.
Some artist's will "wipe" their paintings, some will burn or destroy them. I have done both of these actions in the past. I have also "rescued" a few paintings too. This one has been rescued.
Oh... Robert Burridge offers a workshop that helps you fix your disasters.

-jM

"Carmel Meets Apple"

You know... not all apples are created the same-- This apple is a Honeycrisp from Michigan and it is a very round apple, compared to like the Red Delicious that is more angular and usually more tall than it is wide.
After this one, I decided I wanted another shaped apple to paint, so this one is history... I ate it... gone... devoured... it was good... tart... reminded me of the farm I grew up on... we had apple trees, the apples were tart.... by the way this is #7...

-jM

"100 mph martini" -Sold

This painting is another view from the top or looking down onto the top of the martini glass.
As I was cleaning up this still life tonight, I raised the light back up away from the glass and the light change again. I liked the difference and thought... I'll have to try this again ... although it may have been a combination of the window light being darker too, because... when I finished this painting it was a bit darker outside. Hard telling.

-jM

Artful Lens

This is the 3rd image I have for the October show "Artful Lens" , I think I have been so busy with this that I haven't been able to focus when I try to do a little painting. I keep wiping them away. Guess I'm too tight or something.... I'm going to try again tomorrow... stay with me!


By the way, I have no title for this image... so far I have been calling it Number 3, but I know it's much more than that!

-jM

"Apple Tip" -Sold

Okay, this was fun. It is "Fun Friday" right?

Painting late in the day again, although not as late as the pair painting. I worked on getting my other process, printed. It is printed! Now I am free to expand this new series for the October debut! Cuttin' it close... : )

Another apple this is number 6... I believe, yes, number 6! Still a long way from 100....

-jM

"Pair Promise" -Sold

This may be a late night post but here is my painting for tonight. The model was so cooperative.
I worked more on yesterday's piece, I have a bit to do yet. Were there's a will there's a way!!

-jM

"Good Day of Golf"

Hi Everyone,
Whew, I have been busy with stuff, you know... stuff...
This image is the beginning of a new process that I am working with in a larger format than the "Little Paintings".
I won't stop doing the Little Paintings, I just have a goal for this new process and images I am working on. It is a show in October at our StutzArtSpace Gallery and I am one of the artists that will be using photography as part of my artwork/process.
A lot of you may not know that I did major in photography when I went to art school. I was 15 hours from completing the painting major, I just said "enough, I can paint without a certificate". Well, that is what I'm doing now more than photography, painting.....
I'll get a painting to you tomorrow, I already have a model!! : )

-jM

"This Girl is Good!" -Sold

This is Fun Friday! At least that is what I've declared for my painting today.

I didn't have a subject in mind today as I was just looking at a couple of paintings I had done a number of years ago that were fun, so here she is, a "player". That is what the golf community calls someone that is really good playing the game of golf!

Happy Friday!!

-jM

"One Olive" -Sold

One olive... a bird's eye view.

I was playing around with the lighting today and ended up using a flash light to illuminate this one! Different lighting, different point of view, different...

Oh, this is a gin martini, I'm looking down from the top!


-jM

"Silly Sunflower"

Little 5"x7" painting today. A little diversion from the 6"x6" squares I've been doing.

-jM

"Monday Martini"

Nuff said!

-jM

"Three's a Crowd"

These two tomatoes came from Randy's patio garden. I had them sitting on the window ledge in the kitchen. They looked like they were kissing. I thought about calling them kissing cousins but then the tennis ball entered the picture... so, three is a crowd in this case!

-jM

"Oranges and Lemons Scatter"

Whew, what a day. Busy and a little bit scattered!

This painting is not one of my best efforts, I was busy rearranging my studio this afternoon, so I started this pretty late. I think I have the studio set up a little better now. Yeah!

The flower is one I bought from Ace Hardware and the label just says Oranges and Lemons... so... Oranges and Lemons Scatter, maybe it does have another name... I'll check it out!

This flower warrants another try...

-jM

"Floating Flame"

Today, I used two new colors in my palette, quinacridone violet and torrit grey from Gamblin. The little flower in this painting is a phlox from my own yard. The word phlox has a modern Latin origin and denotes a flame-colored flower, and from Greek, literally is "flame". Thus, after all of that, "Floating Flame". I almost went with Floating Phlox because the flower is floating in this brandy snifter, but Flame is so much more fun. : )

-jM

Gray value thoughts

One of my new artist friends has been working in the grayscale mode this past week. One of the photos she worked from she put in photoshop and changed the color to grayscale to compare how close she was coming to "getting it right" in her grayscale study. This made me curious about the paintings that I've done in the past. Here are two that I've done and I've put them in the grayscale mode from photoshop. Interesting is all I can say right now. Thanks Bobbi!
Here is a link to Bobbi's blog and her gray scale studies: Bobbi Heath's Almost Daily Paintings

-jM

"Iron and Apron" -Sold

It's the little sprinkle bottle with it's apron on and ready for ironing.
Today I was going to paint another little flower, but Randy wouldn't let me take one from the flower garden at the hospital we were walking by after lunch.... so we have to settle for the house chores. Guess he is feeling guilty for my plucking flowers from other's gardens.

Ooops! -jM

I'm only taking them from places that have a lot of flowers!! You know, where one missing won't be noticed...

"Day Meets Dusk" -Both Sold

"Day Meets Dusk" or is it "dusk meets day"... hmmm... tomato or tomato, wait! you couldn't hear me say that could you? I hope you know what I mean : )

This was a nice little project to work on on a rainy day. Just like my younger days when we would go to Grandma and Grandpa's cottage for a week in the Summer. On a rainy day, we would get the crayons and coloring books or paper, and color and draw and it would rain, rain, rain. I don't mind the rain, although, we have had a lot of it, it seems this Summer.


I added a little more to this Baby Blue Moon from May 27th. Now it is a mixed media painting. Hey, I did that painting on a rainy day too! Funny.................

-jM

"Pontentilla Only Three Goldfingers"

I keep looking at this one. I did it a little while ago... I did it when I was doing a lot of very lonely paintings... like the ones with just one flower or apple. I want to say one object, but the vessel that the flower was in is actually two things, but together as they are, they do become one.
I started reading Greg Albert's book "The Simple Secret to Better Painting: How to Immediately Improve Your Work with One Rule of Composition" a short time after I painting this pontentilla. Well, I feel I have broken some compositional rules and I haven't been able to bring myself to posting this painting.
Today I decided it's okay, there is something to be said in this lonely painting... maybe I was going through my "Artist Lonely Time"... : ) I've thought about adding to this one, but... I want to keep moving ---> forward-
-jM
PS: Oh, did I say I also wanted to post this or something, to let you all know that I am still here. Today, one of my fellow artist friends "Susan" told me that the planets are all aligned or out of alignment, in such a way that logic and intuition is all messed up... That may be where I've been lately.
Logic...
Intuition....
: ) Have a good weekend!!

"Steamy Competitors" -Sold

A friend of mine brought this old General Electric steam iron and the Coca Cola sprinkle bottle to me.... ummmm, seems like two months ago, to try my hand at painting this subject.

Well, it has taken so long to get fired up to paint these items, maybe it was all of the reflections, or maybe it's subconscious, these are antiques right? Who irons anymore?!

I finally tackled these two objects and this is the result.... so far... I know I'll have to do another!!

-jM

"Cone Flower"

Lately, I've been reading about the mental side of of golf and tennis, and believe it or not I received an email about the mental side of painting. About feeling, and seeing and trusting... Also, I've been looking at paintings from Picasso for some reason... Anyway, this little painting is a result of just looking and feeling the flower. As I held this flower in my hand I remembered the way it looked when I first plucked it from the garden, I held it to the canvas and looked at the shadow it cast and from that I produced this. I'm not sure what I think about the painting, but I did enjoy the experience.

-jM

"Black Eyed Susie"

This little "Susie" was living in Carmel's Central Park, living with all the other wild flowers, thanks Carmel.

I love the Black Eyed Susan, it reminds me of all the good times I had as a kid, growing up in the country. Riding my bike on the quiet country roads, the wild strawberries, all of the great scents of the fields and crops and everything!

-jM

"Bottle Rocket" -Sold

A preview of a fourth of July blast!!


This little girl is a perennial that we bought from Costco earlier this Spring. I thought they weren't going to make it this year, but with all of the rain that we've had this month... boom! here they are!! I don't remember the name of the flower, so bottle rocket will have to do for today.

Flowers are a crazy subject if you paint too slowly... I had "Bottle Rocket" positioned facing me more, and she was twitching and twittering. At first I thought it was the air conditioner blowing on her, but she would move when the air turned off. Then I thought maybe it was my eyes and these new glasses I have... and then later, I realized that she was turning toward the lamp I had illuminating her. I guess she was searching for the sun on a rainy day too!

-jM

"Potentilla Goldfinger"

This is another version of yesterday's rescued flower. Now, don't laugh at me, but I found out why I thought I lost the excitement in my paintings--my paint brush lost it's excitement. When I was halfway through with this painting, I switched to a new brush... What a difference! ---- OMG!

I'm still going to try to push yesterday's idea... time.

-jM

"Rescued"

I "rescued" this yellow flower from the golf course today. This one won't be hit by a stray golf ball or stomped on by a foot of the owner of a lost ball, or even run over by a run away golf cart!

I did a little something different to this painting today. I added graphite at the end. I guess I felt there was some energy missing.

The next painting, I'm going to push this idea a little more. I almost didn't do the graphite on this one today, but then I decided now was as good as time as any. I didn't push it as far as I could, but now I'm ready... Watch out!!

-jM

"Church in Gaylord"

I finally finished this one... remember this?

We were back in Gaylord this past May and I found a chance to re-photograph this little building on a sunny day. It certainly made a big difference.

-jM