Fruit Stand – 4″ x 8″ Watercolor & Sharpie

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
– Vincent van Gogh



Fruit Stand – 4″ x 8″ Watercolor & Sharpie

I did this little painting for the WDE over at WetCanvas.  Lisilk provided the photos to paint from last weekend.  I was able to squeeze this one in before we went to Oklahoma City to spend some time with my mother-in-law.  It was a lot of fun!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  For the last seven years, we’ve been having dinner with our friends, Jerry & Teresa.  There is usually 30-40 people there and they serve dinner off the truck rack in Jerry’s shop.  Little bit of hillbilly heaven!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

About Vincent van Gogh

The Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh worked as an artist for only ten years, but he had a profound and lasting effect on the art world. He was born in 1853 in Zundert. He briefly became a minister but was dismissed for caring too much about his impoverished parishioners. His brother, Theo, was a close friend and supporter. He only sold one painting during his lifetime. He is known for his heavy brushstrokes and strong colors. He died in 1890 of suicide.

Best Friends

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
– Vincent van Gogh



Best Friends
6″ x 9″ Watercolor

This is done from a photo by Catherine at WetCanvas.  It’s the first time I have been able to participate over there in a long time.  This painting will be part of my art licensing collection called “Patchwork Puppies”.  I only have 6 weeks before I go to the Atlanta show, so I am working like crazy on my mockups.  Fun! 

About Vincent van Gogh

The Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh worked as an artist for only ten years, but he had a profound and lasting effect on the art world. He was born in 1853 in Zundert. He briefly became a minister but was dismissed for caring too much about his impoverished parishioners. His brother, Theo, was a close friend and supporter. He only sold one painting during his lifetime. He is known for his heavy brushstrokes and strong colors. He died in 1890 of suicide.

Masters Study – Van Gogh Portrait of Joseph Roulin

“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain;  If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain, Or help one fainting robin Into it’s nest again, I shall not live in vain.”
–Emily Dickinson



Masters Study – Van Gogh Portrait of Joseph Roulin
2.5″ x 3.5″ Gouache on Art Spectrum Colourfix

This is my third Van Gogh study.  The other two are here and here.  The original Van Gogh painting is here.

Looking back at these, reminds me that I should do more.   The other Masters that I studied on ATCs are John James Audubon, Edgar Degas, Edward Hopper, Emile Bernard, Fernando Puiqaudeau, George Seurat, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, and Paul Gauguin.  Can you imagine? 


Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830. She attended Mount Holyoke Female Seminary in South Hadley, but severe homesickness led her to return home after one year. Throughout her life, she seldom left her house and visitors were scarce. The people with whom she did come in contact, however, had an enormous impact on her thoughts and poetry. She was particularly stirred by the Reverend Charles Wadsworth, whom she met on a trip to Philadelphia. He left for the West Coast shortly after a visit to her home in 1860, and some critics believe his departure gave rise to the heartsick flow of verse from Dickinson in the years that followed. While it is certain that he was an important figure in her life, it is not certain that this was in the capacity of romantic love—she called him “my closest earthly friend.” Other possibilities for the unrequited love in Dickinson’s poems include Otis P. Lord, a Massachusetts Supreme Court Judge, and Samuel Bowles, editor of the Springfield Republican.  More on Emily Dickinson here.

Masters Study – Van Gogh’s Yellow House

“First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.”
–Epictetus



Masters Study – Van Gogh’s Yellow House
2.5″ x 3.5″ Watercolor & Gouache ATC

This is a crop from the original painting.   I really enjoyed these little studies.  Here is a link to the original painting.    I’m off to Muskogee now, to go fly! 

Weeeeeee!

Epictetus (Greek: Ἐπίκτητος; AD 55–AD 135) was a Greek Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia (present day Pamukkale, Turkey), and lived in Rome until banishment when he went to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece where he lived the rest of his life. His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses. Philosophy, he taught, is a way of life and not just a theoretical discipline. To Epictetus, all external events are determined by fate, and are thus beyond our control, but we can accept whatever happens calmly and dispassionately. Individuals, however, are responsible for their own actions, which they can examine and control through rigorous self-discipline. Suffering arises from trying to control what is uncontrollable, or from neglecting what is within our power. As part of the universal city that is the universe, human beings have a duty to care for all fellow humans. The person who followed these precepts would achieve happiness.

Masters Study – Vincent Van Gogh

“Can anything be sadder than work unfinished? Yes, work never begun.”
– Christina Rossetti



Masters Study – Vincent Van Gogh

2.5″ x 3.5″  ATC – Gouache on Art Spectrum Colourfix

When I first started painting, again after a 30 year absence,  I joined an ATC exchange on WetCanvas where we studied the Masters.  I learned so much in this swap, because I have no formal art training.  I understood why they were the Masters while I was studying their paintings.   I did these in early 2008.  Since I haven’t been able to paint much in the last few days, I thought I would share some of these ATCs.  The original Van Gogh painting is here.

I had a great lesson with my new flight instructor yesterday.  I have renewed hopes for actually getting my private pilot’s license.  YAY!

About Christina Rossetti

Christina Rossetti, the Victorian era English poet, is known for the melancholy themes in such poems as “Goblin Market” and “When I Am Dead.” She was born in 1830 in London to Italian-born parents. Her father was poet Gabriele Rossetti and her brother was the painter/poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti. She rejected two marriage proposals because, although she loved both men, neither shared her religious devotion. According to her brother, she wrote effortlessly and rapidly. She died in 1894.

Technicolor Kitty - November 30, 2009

"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together."

– Vincent van Gogh

Technicolor Kitty

Watercolor

5" x 7" Greeting Card

Today is my birthday, so my husband and I have a lunch date and an appointment with a flight instructor. ( Oh My! Did she say flight instructor?) Yes, I'm going to learn to fly. Did I mention that my 50's are my favorite years, so far? Life is a great big gift, just waiting for us to revel in it every day. I hope yours is a good one!

About Vincent van Gogh

The Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh worked as an artist for only ten years, but he had a profound and lasting effect on the art world. He was born in 1853 in Zundert. He briefly became a minister but was dismissed for caring too much about his impoverished parishioners. His brother, Theo, was a close friend and supporter. He only sold one painting during his lifetime. He is known for his heavy brushstrokes and strong colors. He died in 1890 of suicide.