Can't win them all... or sweet victory...

"Win or Lose"  15"x11" oil on paper

I think I need a new model, no... I know I need a new model...

Gotta go... I'm kind of speechless tonight.  : )

-JanettMarie

"Mixed" It's day 29...

"Mixed"  15"x11" oil on paper

I was going to wait to post this then I thought why not, surely I'll go quiet again for a bit after Friday.

This flower doesn't know if it's a rose or a tulip! Like this flower, I have mixed feelings. I don't know if I'll keep going or if I'll stop!

Mixed...  good night...

-JanettMarie

Wow, this is 28 and only two to go, or thirty more...

"Tuesday's Rose"  15"x11"  oil on paper  -Sold*

I always thought a yellow rose meant "Friends", but I've learned from a friend of mine that it really means "infidelity". Here is the story:

Yellow roses express jealousy and infidelity. They may also evoke a finishing love. According to the legend, the Prophet Mohammed, while away fighting a war, was tormented by the idea that his wife, Aisha, was being unfaithful. He asked the archangel Gabriel for help. Gabriel suggested that when he returned home Mohammed should ask his wife to drop whatever she was carrying into the water as a test. If she was faithful, it would stay the same colour and prove her unconditional love. Mohammed finally returned from his battle and Aisha rushed to greet him, carrying a huge bouquet of red roses. She was surprised when he commanded her to drop them into the river, but obeyed and the roses turned saffron yellow. Eventually, Mohammed forgave his favorite wife but, for some, the yellow rose remains a symbol of infidelity." 
More recently, yellow roses have been associated with friendship, but this newer meaning was probably an invention by rose producers to promote this color, as no underlying legend or tale seems to corroborate this symbol. The original symbolic meaning being that of jealousy and infidelity be very carefull to whom you offer yellow roses as it may be interpreted as if you are saying: "I am not worthy"!

The site where I found this story has more stories about thee rose. Change is in the air! I wonder if this is the story Carolyn was telling me about. Hmmm...

Leave it to sisters. My sister Jane suggested today that instead of doing 30 paintings in 30 days that I do 60 paintings in 60 days. It's tempting, but I still have a few commitment to accomplish and my focus would definitely have to change. Maybe after April 26th I could try that. More food for thought.

Okay, I better stop now, this post is getting way too long. Especially for me!

Good Night...

-JanettMarie

"Orange Roughy"

"Orange Roughy"  8"x6" oil on canvas panel

Was a rough day for this painting today. I did a little experimenting, some good, some not so good, or maybe... just different.

Here is a view of the first part of my experiment. I used complimentary colors as an underpainting for this flower. I wasn't sure what compliment to use for the whitish background, so I used raw sienna.

under painting using compliments

Then, for some reason I got carried away with the gel medium that I was using and it seemed like the paint got really soupy on me. I had this before I broke out the painting knife!

Just before the paint knife came out.

I suppose this wasn't that bad, it just seemed a little boring to me, so I knifed it up!

I'm calling this painting number 25 of my thirty. Yesterday I painted twice, once in the morning for Cookies & Canvas and again later that night for Wine & Canvas. I posted the Cookies & Canvas painting on Leslie Saeta's site as painting 24. I decided being just one behind is still okay.

Oh, here is my "Cookies" painting from yesterday. Cute, huh? Sorry this guy is not for sale.

"Snow Friends"  14"x11" acrylic on canvas

How about a photo of all the painters last night? I'll tell you what, we had a great time!

Oh, that's my painting you can see in the monitors!

Hope to chat with you tomorrow.

-JanettMarie

"January Rose 3". -Sold

"January Rose 3"  15"x11"  oil on paper  Sold*

ahhh rose three

Two more roses... -both Sold

"January Rose 1"  14.5 in x 11 in  Oil on paper  -Sold*

The first of three rose paintings I started today. After seeing the photo of this, I may go back into it again tomorrow, we'll see. I didn't really use a live model for this, I used my larger brush and a no pressure attitude. Loose baby, loose.

Here is "January Rose 2" not quite finished, but it will be tomorrow!

"January Rose 2"   14.5 in. by 11 in.  Mixed media on paper

Hmmm, this doesn't look too bad maybe I'll leave it as it is....
I didn't leave it here it is finished...

"January Rose 2"  oil on paper

I discovered today that PV19 for Gamblin Oil paint and PV19 for Winsor Newton are different colors, I was taught that they should be the same. Someone has some explaining to do. And then, I go to the Gamblin website and they have PV19 for Quinacridone Red and Quinacridone Violet, goodness, guess I can't rely on the PV numbers anymore.

Winsor Newton PV19 and Gamblin PV19 with white added

Enough of that boring stuff, I'm going to sleep so I can finish painting these roses tomorrow!

Good Night!

-JanettMarie

PS:  I opened an Etsy Shop today, gonna give it a go with my small paintings.

"As I was Saying"

"As I was Saying"   6"x6"  oil on masonite panel

It's that one little leaf hand on the right that makes this rose seem like she's trying to explain something to us. This girl is a tough one to photograph, those reds and pinks are on fire!

I went to sleep at like 1 or 1:30 AM last night (morning) so when 5 o'clock then 6:30 AM came around, I think I opened one eye then closed it back up until 9 AM. Yes, I got my 8 hours, I seem to need that much sleep, so that means I didn't make it to the early morning paint with Lisa Daria (in spirit, Lisa lives in Massachusetts). Regardless, I did commence painting once I woke up and this is what I painted! I painted over that "wiper" from yesterday. I put oil on top of that acrylic I was using yesterday morning. 

This is painting number... I'm going to say 16! Yes, on track. Where is 15? Aahh... remember I told you that I painted W&C last night? Well, I taught again tonight and I was able to photograph my painting from last night, "Life is Good" and my painting from tonight, "Two Palms". Jackpot!! I'm ahead one painting of the 30 paintings in 30 days!! Oh man, I should really sleep in tomorrow, or not. Hey, I'll get back to you and let you know.

Good Night for now...  : )

-JanettMarie

PS:  Here is "Life is Good"... 

"Life is Good"  16"x20" acrylic on canvas -Sold

And... "Two Palms"...

"Two Palms"  20"x16" acrylic on canvas -Sold

Thinking Spring

"Thinking Spring"   6"x6" oil on masonite panel

What day is it? Oh, January 14th, that means this is painting number 13, because I am still one day behind with my 30 paintings in 30 days. All good.  : )

This painting has three different or new elements that I introduced to my process/painting:

1)  Today I bought a tube of Winsor Newton permanent rose oil paint, sweet color. 

2)  I was inspired by Patti Mollica to use a larger brush, so I used a #10 (3/4"), yesterday I used a 1/2" brush, Patti used a 2" brush in her example but her canvas was a tiny bit larger too (8"x8" really a tiny bit).

3)  The panel I used is a smooth surface as opposed to a texture of canvas. The surface was actually quite slick. I have three more of the smooth panels, I'm going to try using acrylic on one tomorrow.

Well, The skyscraper didn't get painted today because I knew this little rose would not wait for me.

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

Good Night...

-JanettMarie

PS:  Thanks Myra, Hilda, Carolyn and Char.

"First Yellow Rose". -Sold

"First Yellow Rose"  8"x6" oil on canvas panel

The fun/frustration of painting something unfamiliar, what a challenge. Challenge is good. Painting along today, I was recalling when I first started painting the apples, they were not that familiar in the beginning either, so I'm reminding myself to be nice and be patient and to "do another".

Number 11 of the 30 in 30 days.... today is the twelfth day, still only one day behind!

-JanettMarie

Two is Okay...

"Above One"   6"x6" oil on canvas panel

"Above Two"   6"x6" oil on canvas panel

I think I have these mixed up as far as which one was on my left and which one was on my right. I painted these at the same time. I thought... "why not", I've painted several at a time before, remember the acrylic on paper with the apple and the coffee cup series. This was very, I want to say "freeing", is that a word?

Here is the rose I worked from, it was a bit unhappy because I had not taken care of it. I tried to make appear a bit more happy.

Unhappy model...

I couldn't help to not think about Georgia O'Keeffe while painting these close up flower images. She was all about that.

I missed the post yesterday, oh well, every once in a while may be better than every day any way, yes?

Maybe I'm crazy, 

-JanettMarie

Time for a change...

Rose Three  6"x6" on canvas

Wow, I think I need to start from the beginning again. This rose was so open there is so much going on I'm just overwhelmed!

This is three, today is day four, I bet I'll get two out tomorrow. We're supposed to get snowed in here late tonight, so what else will I have to do tomorrow but paint?

It is time for a change, don't be surprised if the next painting is other than a rose...   : )

Fun is good!

-JanettMarie

Do Another... ---Sold

Rose Two- 6"x6" oil on canvas panel

Another try at a rose painting. I have the underpainting to show you...

I'm not sure how I can go from here to up there, but I did.  I wanted to paint this rose simply like a Morandi, then I thought "How would Van Gogh paint a rose?", I ended up with this. Go figure, no, do another!

-JanettMarie

First little post of the year 2014 -Sold

6"x6" oil on canvas panel

This is the first painting of the year for me and the first painting of my 2014, thirty paintings in thirty days challenge with Leslie Saeta.

Believe it or not this painting took me a long time to do. I had to clean up my home studio first, then I had to figure out how to set up my studio for still lives again and on and on and on....

Now, I've been watching Qiang Huang paint roses for the last couple days and decided to give it a try. This is the first. I started this painting and got really picky. Then I remembered I usually have fun painting and I wasn't having fun, so I changed my attitude, finished this guy and I will try again tomorrow!

Do another, that's what I tell my students, that is what I tell myself today.  : )

Happy New Year!

-JanettMarie