Monday, May 31, 2010

"Red Hibiscus" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN / Naples, FL


"Red Hibiscus"
© NORA KASTEN, 2010
Oil painting on gallery wrapped canvas  (6 x 6 x 1 inch)

Cantaloupe and red grapes on white linen, 14x11, by Maryanne Jacobsen

Cantaloupe and red grapes on white linen, 14x11-$395 with free shipping

I always promise myself that I will do more still life paintings. Then I never do them. Why? I can't say, other than it's a royal pain to do the set-up, get the lighting just right and figure out how to approach the painting. (from above, below,straight on, etc.) So I never do enough still lifes, even though I know they are the key to success for portraits, which I also rarely do.

Anyhow, this painting has been hanging in my dining room, but I just replaced it with something else, so now I am making it available for purchase. If you like it, just go ahead and use the Paypal button below.

A special thank-you to all the veteran's and families of veterans who have had the formidable job of protecting this country and its citizens over the years. Have a happy, blessed and safe Memorial Day.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $395.00 plus $0 s/h
Or, send me an email

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Daily Painting 1073 Big Work in Progress

I have been working on this for awhile now, I want to do some more tweaking and put in some birds. I think its 18 x 24 inches, its at the Art Bank and I am at home now. Its oil on hardwood plywood. Anybody want to name it for me? :o)



"Floral & Small Jar" Oil Painting by Artist NORA KASTEN / Naples, Florida


"Floral & Small Jar"
© NORA KASTEN
Oil painting on linen  (24 x 30 inches)  SOLD

"Goin' Fishin' on the Gulf Islands Seashore", 14x11, by Maryanne Jacobsen, oil on canvas, by Maryanne Jacobsen

"Goin' Fishin' on the Gulf Islands Seashore", 14x11, oil on canvas-$600

I think my memory is getting really bad. I honestly can't remember things well anymore. For instance, last weekend, as soon as I got home from San Diego, I painted this commission piece for a client:

I really liked the way that it came out, and today when I decided to do the painting of the heron above, I wanted to use the same palette. Unfortunately, I can't remember what it was! I knew I had restricted the palette to a warm and cool of each of the primaries, as well as a warm and cool green. That was it. So today I tried to do the same thing but obviously I didn't use the same colors.

I think from now on, I am going to record the colors that I use, so that I'll remember them in the future. For the heron painting above I used a really cool palette, and now I wish I had made it warmer. Anyhow, I wanted to do this painting of a great blue heron because they are such lovely , graceful birds, especially as they begin to alight, and also to keep the public aware of how important it is to preserve the fragility of the eco-system in the Gulf of Mexico. I did not look at the news today about the oil spill. It has been getting me really depressed so I decided to avoid it altogether. I hope somehow this will not be as bad as it seems to be right now.

Please use the Paypal button below if you wish to purchase this painting of wildlife , fragile sand dunes and the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. If you wish to seemore of my paintings, please visit my blog at PaintDance.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $600.00 plus $10 s/h
Or, send me an email


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Parasailor At Jaycee Beach


The stunning color and shape of this parasailor contrasted above the beautiful ocean boardwalk at Jaycee Beach in Vero was the inspiration behind this painting.
Had fun doing it

Seaside Grill Vero Beach


Picturesque "Old Florida" style seaside restaurant.
Just love this kind of scene.
12x16 Acrylic painting available, $350 unframed, $400 framed

Eco Trip, a Coastal Florida Oil Landscapes with Kayaks by Judy Batterson


I am very excited about this work because it captures everything I want to say in a painting. I was in a boat on the Intracoastal Waterway when I saw four kayaks pulled up next to an old rowboat beached on a island. The bright colors of the kayaks were dazzling on the white sand. I took as many photos as possible and then started sketching the composition. This was natural
ecological Florida being discovered and enjoyed by modern explorers! The painting took much longer to paint than I ever anticipated because I had to let the layers of the sand dry before painting each kayak. What a joy to paint coastal Florida in this way! I felt like I was "on the island" with each brushstroke. Painting size is 24 x 36" original oil on masonite.
For more Florida natural oil landscapes, visit my website at
www.judybatterson.com.

Girl at Beach

I just returned from a workshop in NYC with one of my favorite artists Karen Jurick. She was a wonderful teacher and provided a wealth of information. Very motivating, I am excited to work work work! This is a small painting measuring 6" x 6"

Saturday, May 29, 2010

"Gulf Nightmare"-16x12, hideous, ugly, messy, gross paintings

"Gulf Nightmare", 16x12-$50

Is this what the Gulf of Mexico will look like when all is said and done? When the hurricanes start blowing this stuff from Louisiana down through the Florida Keys and over to Mexico, I imagine that it's bound to be a pretty horrific sight to see. I admit, that I'm really scared. I took out my anger and frustration on this piece of masonite. It's a mess- an ugly pitiable mess of a painting. Just like this horrible oil spill. IS there anyone out there who likes this painting, even though it's only $50? I doubt it. And no one will like the Gulf anymore either with all the dead fish and turtles and dolphins and manatees floating around in it, covered in thick black sludge.

When I moved to Florida in 2005 I was totally freaked out the first year by a bout of red tide that seemed as though it would never go away. There were dead fish everywhere on the beach and I couldn't go anywhere near the beach without getting a horrible headache and breaking into spasms of coughing. That's what red tide does to you. Thankfully, it only occurred in 2005, otherwise I don't think I could have lived here in Florida very long. That bout of red tide will be more like a picnic in the park compared to where this oil spill seems to be going. Here's a picture that I took in the summer of 2005:


I know a lot of people far removed from the Gulf don't care much about what's going on here. But when this mess gets picked up in the gulf stream and starts heading towards your coast, maybe you'll begin to feel my sense of helplessness, And when you start paying $40 a pound for shrimp, maybe you'll understand. And when this crap gets in the food chain and starts poisoning people maybe you'll care.

I don't care about the damage to the beaches as much as I care about the damage to the eco-system. Beaches can be replenished and cleaned, but an eco-system is fragile and inter-connected and the repercussions are mind-blowing in terms of the devastation this is going to do.

God is showing man that we are imperfect. So many humans have been playing God over the last 40-50 years and God has had enough. People have abandoned God because people think they are like GOD and now we see that we are just helpless, imperfect humans , continually failing and making mistakes. It's a shame.

Sorry to be depressing. Now you know what a great weekend I'm having. If you want to purchase this hideous painting, please visit my blog at Paint Dance.


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Friday, May 28, 2010

Daily Painting 1072 The Little Pink Water Lily

Its 5 x 7 inches, oil on masonite. This one was fun to do I loved painting the lily pads. $100.

Lynn Morgan Contemporary Pastel Landscape Painting


"Papeete Marche"

20" x 28"
Pastel on Pastelmat

"Sunny day on the Gulf", 12x9, by Maryanne Jacobsen, plein air, Florida, gulf coast, paintings of gulf beaches

"Sunny day on the Gulf", 12x19, oil on canvas, $150, plein air by Maryanne Jacobsen

Unless you live here year round, it's hard for people to understand the intensity of the light temperature here on the Gulf of Mexico in southwest Florida. Having spent last week in beautiful southern California, I can say with certainty that even though San Diego and Sarasota are not that far off in terms of latitude, there is a world of difference in the intensity of the sunlight. Southern California has a soft, cool, almost dream-like quality, while the subtropical light here is so intense that it literally hurts your eyes. I painted out on the beach yesterday, and after an hour my eyes hurt badly, even though I was standing in the shade. (When painting plein air, you cannot wear sunglasses.) Yes, I obviously pushed the color quite a bit in this scene, but that being said, the underlying reds and oranges in the foilage colors here in Florida are obvious to even an untrained eye.

IN a striking comparison, the hills and valleys in southern California at this time of year are drenched in soft cool pinks and dramatic purples from the statice and pink ice that grow wild almost everywhere and are used as ground cover. It's a remarkable contrast from my home. Although I must say that as an artist I would much prefer to paint plein air in southern California, since I can't have my druthers I may as well take advantage of our beautiful Gulf while it is still currently beautiful.

The painting was done with mostly palette knife and has nice impasto throughout. If you wish to purchase this painting, please visit my blog at Paint Dance.

Hope you all have a very happy Memorial weekend.


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BALLET X's THREE - MARK SCHWARTZ



Ballet X's Three
22 x 30 inches,watercolor on paper - $325.00
one of a kind
shipping is free worldwide
click on images to enlarge
feel free to email me with any questions
www.highheeledart.blogspot.com

Ballet X Three is a celebration of movement and color,three ballet shoes cascading down the paper in sequence and formation.



For more information:


MARK SCHWARTZ
SHOE ART
ART SHOES
WHIMSICAL PAINTINGS OF SHOES

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Ofu Island , 16x12, oil on linen, by Maryanne JAcobsen


"Ofu Island", 16x12, oil on linen, $600, with free shipping and handling in the US

As I have half-halfheartedly followed the news about the so called "top kill" of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I tried to get my mind off of things by listening to Susan Boyle's lovely CD (which I rec'd as a Christmas gift), as well as painting something far away from the Gulf of Mexico. This painting of Ofu Island, which is part of American Samoa in the South Pacific, near Hawaii, was the result. Ofu Island is part of America's national park system. If you wish to purchase this painting, please contact me at maryannejacobsen@aol.com, and I'll send you a PayPal invoice.

I hope you'll visit my official website at Maryanne Jacobsen Fine Art, or my blog at PaintDance, to see more of my original oil paintings.

TWICE - MARK SCHWARTZ




TWICE
22 x 30 inches,watercolor on paper - $295.00
one of a kind
shipping is free worldwide
please click on images to enlarge
feel free to email me with any questions
www.highheeledart.blogspot.com

Twice takes the platform sandal in all it's glory and ramps it up a notch!
I am big on color here and it shows in this particular piece!



MARK SCHWARTZ
SHOE ART ART SHOES
WHIMSICAL PAINTINGS OF SHOES

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Daily Painting 1071 Nice Sail on the Indian River

Its oil on hardwood plywood, 8 x 10 inches. $300.

http://lorisart.blogspot.com/

ONE ANGEL , ONE SHOE - MARK SCHWARTZ



One Angel,One Shoe
18 x 24 inches,watercolor on paper - $325.00
one of a kind
shipping is free worldwide
click on images to enlarge
feel free to email me with any questions
www.highheeledart.blogspot.com

I have spent most of my career working in Italy and seeing some of the most amazing churches in the world. the Angel theme for me is a natural,it gives a much more modern twist to the modern shoe of today,looking up at the ceilings in the magnificent cathedrals I always imagined and Angel fluttering along carrying a shoe, here it is.



MARK SCHWARTZ
SHOE ART
ART SHOES
WHIMSICAL PAINTINGS OF SHOES

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Oil Painting "Violets With Lemon" by Artist NORA KASTEN / Naples, FL

"Violets & Lemon"
© NORA KASTEN
Oil painting on linen  (8 x 10 inches)  SOLD

Lynn Morgan Contemporary Pastel Landscape Painting


Along the Bas Corniche
Pastel
20" x 28"

Lynn Morgan Contemporary Pastel Landscape Painting


Sunset at the Grand
Pastel
21" x 27"

MY CLOGS - MARK SCHWARTZ



My Clogs
16 x 20 inches,watercolor on paper - board - $250.00
one of a kind
shipping is free worldwide
click on images to enlarge
feel free to email me with any questions
www.highheeledart.blogspot.com

My Clogs is painted on Arches paper that is backed by a thin board so it has
a rigid feel to it , the blue,yellow and orange finish give it a nice "pop" and
this piece will brighten up any area that you display it in.


MARK SCHWARTZ
SHOE ART
ART SHOES
WHIMSICAL PAINTINGS OF SHOES

Equine Art by Sharon Guy






















Getting Ready, Oil on canvas, 9 in. x 12 in.

A groom gets a polo pony ready at the Lakewood Ranch Polo Club. Whenever I go to watch a polo match, I take some time to walk over to the grooming area and shoot some photos. This was a challenging subject to paint. The light and shadows are dramatic. I like drawing and painting all types of horses, but scenes with grooms working on their horses has been my most frequent subject lately. Visit my website at Sharon Guy Art.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Escape! a Whimsical Fun Mini Oil Painting by Judy Batterson


This 3"x3" mini oil painting is just for fun. I got the idea from a travel magazine and had some fun with it. How do you escape from working at your computer week after week? Press the escape key! This would be a great one for a desk. Just imagine escaping to a tropical paradise, lounging under a palm next to aqua blue waters. Ahhhh, escape! My real Florida natural landscapes are found on my website, www.judybatterson.com.

"The Dancing Tree at Red Lake" by MAryanne Jacobsen, paintings of Venice Florida


"The Dancing Tree at Red Lake", 12x16, oil on wrapped canvas- Special price!-$150

I decided to try to paint today out at the beach, but I am still feeling pretty lousy after being sick last week while we were in California. All in all it's not a bad painting, but in my current state of mind, I know it's not one of my best either. For that reason I have priced it well below my usual pricing structure for paintings this size, so if you like it, you can take advantage of the special price.

Here is a picture of the scene photographed:

Now you tell me that it doesn't look like that tree has rhythm!

For people familiar with Venice, Florida- Red Lake is right off of Casperson Beach. It is the canoe launch beach into the intracoastal and many people fish there as well. I've painted this scene before since I just can't help but admire a tree that is (was!)a dancer , too!

If you wish to purchase "The Dancing Tree at Red Lake", please use the Paypal button below.

Please visit my blog at PaintDance to read more about my daily paintings, or visit my official website at Maryanne Jacobsen, Fine Art, to learn more about me.

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $150.00 plus $10 s/h
Or, send me an email


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Daily Painting by Sally Shisler, "Audrey's Table"


"Audrey's Table" (12x12")-201050
I have to admit that this is the first painting in quite a while that I have felt, finally, a bit of a breakthrough with. I think most of you who read this blog are artists, so I'll go ahead and share some of where my head was at during the whole thing. First off, this is a commission piece based on Grapes & Creamer (two posts down), so there was that - oh my god, can I do it again, fear. Then, because the painting needed to be bigger and I didn't want to paint the objects larger than life, there was the fear of trying to set up a flushed out still life that made any sense. I had to really put my mind to the test. There are artists who can happily spend hours setting up their still life scenes. I'm not one of them, mainly because I already spend oodles of time mixing my colors. And probably too because I'm not really very good at it. Then there's the studio lighting issues. Another thing I suck at and worry over. yada, yada.... I finally got my prep done and started into the work of painting. Every single time I paint, I get to a point early on where I trick myself into believing that somehow I have miraculously made it to the finish line much sooner than I thought I would. Hmmm - boy, after finishing this piece, I see how much more work I probably needed to do on a number of my old pieces (maybe even most of them). At any rate - working alla prima has always been my thing. I have totally avoided going back into paintings once I feel I've exhausted the possibilities they have. I think it's partly due to impatience, but largely to do with immaturity in my ability to visualize how to go about developing a painting further. I knew I needed to push myself with this one; slow down; ask questions; fix mistakes; alter color; reposition highlights, etc... And also keep some degree of freedom in the strokes. 90% of this is done with brushes. Though I intended to do the whole thing this way, I did bring the palette knife in just a bit on the table.

It may be a day too early to tell, but right now I feel I've done the very best I can to bring this painting to it's resting point. I do see a few things that could be changed, but I feel that old fear demon creeping up on me again, and I wouldn't be able to cope with ruining what's there. Besides, the client LOVES it!

'Constructive' criticism is welcome! Of course, so are good things :)

Please contact me for purchase information at scshisler@gmail.com If you would like to become a subscribed member to my personal blog,
"All in a Painting Day's Work", simply enter your email address in the join box on my blog's home page. As a member you will receive special values on your purchases. And, periodic subscriber promotions give members the opportunity to enjoy my paintings in real life at even more affordable prices!

CASCADE AND FADE - MARK SCHWARTZ




Cascade and Fade
15 x 20 inches,watercolor on paper - $295.00
one of a kind
shipping is free worldwide
click on images to enlarge

www.highheeledart.blogspot.com

I am always looking for new ways to express the shoe,with this piece I wanted the shoes to seem as if they were fading and losing some of there lines and color in the process.
Almost as if they were under water and breaking up. This is the reason I only work in watercolor and inks,they give me the freedom to take the shoe and push it further and further.




MARK SCHWARTZ
SHOE ART
ART SHOES
WHIMSICAL PAINTINGS OF SHOES

Oil Painting "Roses, Roses, Roses" by Artist NORA KASTEN / Naples, FL

"Roses, Roses, Roses"
© NORA KASTEN
Oil painting on linen  (40 x 30 inches)   SOLD






Sunday, May 23, 2010

Daily Painting 1070 Royal Poinciana Seaside


Here is what I have been working on for some days now. The painting is oil on hardwood plywood, 22 x 32 inches. $1800.


Pastel Painting "Bougainvillea Bouquet" by Artist NORA KASTEN / Naples, FL

"Bougainvillea Bouquet"
© NORA KASTEN
Pastel painting on sanded board  (24 x 18 inches)  SOLD


NORA KASTEN WEBSITE
NORA KASTEN BLOG

SHOES AS IDEA - MARK SCHWARTZ




Shoes As Idea
45 x 53 inches,watercolor on paper - $1450.00
www.highheeledart.blogspot.com
One of a kind,signed
click on images to enlarge
shipping is free worldwide

Shoes As Idea is a wonderful collage of shoes in a bath of color and burst of light!
This is a fine example of my work and a fine example of my shoe art!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Beauty at the Beach-Venice, Florida, by Maryanne Jacobsen

SOLD
"Beauty at the Beach- Venice, Florida, 9x12, oil on Raymar panel

This painting was done with both brush and palette knife and the colors are much more vibrant in person than the photo depicts. I've painted this scene before , en plein air, but even if I hadn't, I'd be able to paint it with ease, since I know it almost as well as I know my own name.

I have really come to look at our Florida beaches in a whole new light since this tragic oil spill occurred last month. Sadly, I confess that I have taken my beach for granted. I have even complained about the harsh intensity of the light and heat and humidity, and I feel guilty about that now. I have had the pleasure to visit many gorgeous beaches throughout my life, including the lush and tranquil beaches with aquamarine waters off the beautiful Caribbean islands , to fragile coral lined beaches in western Mexico with rugged mountains as a backdrop. The never-ending drama of California beaches never ceases to amaze and inspire me, from beautiful Coronado Beach in southern San Diego, through fashionable La Jolla with its tranquil coves, to artsy Laguna with its jaw-dropping cliffs, and north through the central coast through heart-wrenchingly beautiful Big Sur and up and up and up. Yet, somehow I always find my heart returning to my own little piece of paradise, right here in unassuming Venice, Florida, where beaches are never crowded and simple folks who could care less about designer sunglasses and fancy T-shirts happily sift for shark's teeth in the company of graceful egrets and great blue herons. The birds in southwest Florida are gorgeous- from the roseate spoonbills with their unabashedly pink feathers to the tall, red-headed sandhill cranes who mate for life and roam the streets right along with golf carts and disoriented turtles. Our Southwest Florida beaches are also a very special place for sea turtles. It is here that many species of sea turtles migrate every 20 to 30 years to come back to their birthplace and lay their fragile eggs. Only one egg in a thousand ever makes it to adulthood anymore. A few weeks ago I was out with my family fishing on the Gulf and a loggerhead turtle the size of my dining room table swam by, followed by a friendly dolphin who stuck his head up right next to the boat, hoping we would be one of those folks who would break the rules and throw him some snacks. We weren't, but we waved at him anyway. My heart breaks as I think about what this calamity will do not just to our beautiful beaches, but to all these incredible creatures of the sea and air. The feeling of helplessness just grows, as does this horrendous tragedy to our eco-system. People think that if they don't live in the Gulf, it won't affect them. I've got news for those people. Our seas are all inter-connected and the hideous effects of this catastrophe won't just stop in the Gulf.

So, in the meantime, I can only continue to paint my lovely little beach near Sharky's pier, and hope and pray that God will save our fragile eco-system from the mess that is spewing from the floor of the Gulf.

If you've read all this, thanks for allowing me to vent. To see more of my paintings, please visit my blog at Paint Dance, or my website at Maryanne Jacobsen, Fine Art

Neptune Beach, Jacksonville, Florida
















Sunrise, Neptune Beach, Oil on canvas, 26" x 18"

Here is another painting from my February trip to Jacksonville for a half marathon race. I painted a lot of sunsets and sunrises in 2009 and 2010. Lately I've been moving on to other subjects for a change. Neptune Beach was a fun place to stay. I liked walking by the high dunes and tall grasses. Seeing a sunrise over the water instead of a sunset was inspiring. I live in southwest Florida and I've watched the sun rise over a nearby pasture on a few early mornings. My website is at Sharon Guy Art.

Calico Scallop and Shark Tooth, a mini Oil Painting by Judy Batterson


From a series of 3" x3" mini-paintings of shells at the beach, this shows a calico scallop shell and a shark tooth at the water's edge. The tiny canvas is on wood stretchers and the painting wraps around the sides. It sits on a small wood easel. For more Florida landscapes view my website at www.judybatterson.com.

Starfish, a Mini Oil Painting by Judy Batterson


From a series of 3" x3" mini-paintings of shells at the beach, this shows a starfish at the water's edge.
The tiny canvas is on wood stretchers and the painting wraps around the sides. It sits on a small wood easel. For more Florida landscapes view my website at www.judybatterson.com.

Sand Dollar and Baby Conch, a Mini Oil Painting by Judy Batterson


From a series of 3" x3" mini-paintings of shells at the beach, this shows a sand dollar and baby conch shell at the water's edge.
The tiny canvas is on wood stretchers and the painting wraps around the sides. It sits on a small wood easel. For more Florida landscapes view my website at www.judybatterson.com.

WRAPPED - MARK SCHWARTZ



Wrapped
15 x 20 inches,watercolor on paper - $345.00
one of a kind
shipping is free worldwide
click on images to enlarge
www.highheeledart.blogspot.com

I love mixing the shoe with other objects,here it happens to be the neck of a guitar.



MARK SCHWARTZ
SHOE ART
ART SHOES
WHIMSICAL PAINTINGS OF SHOES

Oil Painting "Plumbago In Stemware" by Artist NORA KASTEN / Naples, FL


"Plumbago In Stemware"
© NORA KASTEN, 2010
Oil painting on linen  (7 x 5 inches)

Friday, May 21, 2010

McKee Garden Girl

This is my most recent plein air painting completed on location at the beautiful McKee Garden in Vero Beach, Florida where I live. 24x12 on stretched canvas, available framed or unframed

THREE DOWN - MARK SCHWARTZ



Three Down
16 x 20 inches,watercolor on paper - $285.00
one of a kind signed
shipping is free worldwide
click on images to enlarge

www.highheeledart.blogspot.com

Three down is a classic example of my work,I took the same shoe and repeated it three times in a flowing cascade of color and lightness.

Oil

"Zinnias & Peaches"
© NORA KASTEN
Oil painting on linen  (24 x 36 inches)  SOLD

Daily Painting 1068 Long Nose Butterfly Fish



Its oil, ACEO size, or Artist Trading Card on gessoed watercolor paper. 2.50 x 3.50 inches. I am not going to put a price on it, make me an offer you can email me here: lorartbus@aol.com
Whoever gives me the best offer I will send a paypal bill to and the painting is yours.