Back Shot and Geese..

hi, This painting is my "Canadian Geese", I used a pour for the background and came back into it and darkened some of the blues.. It looks like a lovely winter sky. You may have seen it before.

I can't do much painting... I have back problems and yesterday got an epidural shot in my back, I shouldn't have. I have the headache that you can get from that as well as being more sore and no better. My luck with medical procedures is not good. I shouldn't have tried. Now I have thanksgiving coming up with family visiting and I'm taking headache pain pills and grumbling and grumbling.. a lot... I did just lay in a wash on a painting. You can see where my priorities are. The laundry can pile up but I have to paint something. Anyway back to the recliner with the heat pack.. and no more shots for me.. never again. Sorry to grumble so..It will get better... Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.. talk to you Soon,Diana

This one, too!

Hi I just found out the date of the Copper Creation Holiday Art Show. Dec. 10th on a Saturday. It will be a wonderful time. I hope you can come if you are nearby.

Here(pictured) is my other entry in the ESAL show. Day Lily. Delivery is in the morning. I've been painting on the porch with Daisy today. A commission. Always a blessing. It was so nice and warm today, now we are getting a gentle rain which we need. talk to you soon,Diana

ESAL Member show this weekend!

HI! Well the class was nice. I had 5 students, Richard,Karen,Karen,Linda and Nancy. We enjoyed painting Christmas Cards. It's hard to believe it's almost time for Christmas.

This week is the Eastern Shore Art League Member show. It's held every November. Each member may enter 2 pieces of art. So I've chosen my Checkerboard Chicken(pictured) and Day lily paintings to enter. There are prizes and ribbons.
The opening will be Friday,November 18th from 5pm-8pm.The rest of the show will be Saturday Nov.19 from 10am-4pm and Sunday,Nov.20 from noon-4pm. This will be held at the Red Queen Gallery in Onancock,Va. I hope if you are nearby you can come to the show. It's always a fun time.
talk to you soon, Diana

Two Sketches for Christmas Card Class

Hi Here are two sketches I've done to prepare for my class this Saturday.(at Norfolk Botanical Gardens--check out the right side for more info) One is a male cardinal with holly and the other is an ornament with sparkly tissue paper. I will be doing more. I want them to be able to create a card for them to take and have copies made for their Christmas cards or holiday cards.First I will have them sketch these themselves.Then paint them and I'd also like us to accomplish a few little paintings to be made into everyday notes or even just as little paintings. I couldn't find any Winsor and Newton Iridescent medium here on the shore so I bought some acrylic iridescent. I've tried it out and it seems much the same. Well, I guess I'd better go start supper for now. It's already dark outside. I know my nephew is hunting deer.I just saw him go into the forest. I saw 4 white tailed deer yesterday. They were amazing! I prefer to watch them not hunt them. take care,Diana

Loss of a Friend,Guy Wilkins

My friend,Guy Wilkins passed away Saturday night. This is a photo of him taken by his buddy, John Shire. Guy was a wonderful person,friend,poet and artist. I was fortunate to have him as my friend. I hold his family in my thoughts and prayers.The world is not as nice a place nor will it ever be as bright and wonderful without Guy here in it. Guy now resides as he said "in the stars".(our hearts,my heart is broken.)


Notes from my journal-- June 2008,Eastern Shore Art League Meeting-- Guy was speaker that night. He did a demo and here are my notes.. now you know I'm not a writer but here are just the words I put down..as he was painting and talking..(He completed the painting-to me this captures the way he painted-boldly)==

Guy Wilkins-- wild human life = subject matter,4 children, daughter Sarah,children all paint abstractly all artists.
not to seek too many details-self taught-time is judge,
Van Gogh,Matisse-inspirations-
Seaview(Eastern Shore)coldest night in yrs was born
N.Y shows expensive, learned a lot
Will Burnett came to his show.
Did publicity for Norfolk(Chrysler)museum
25Th st. Chelsea August Show in NYC
Francisco Clamante
Barrier Island Museum-July Opening
paint everyday 60 days. 5 hours ea.day
Cedar St.
"I"m off my diet so what"=painting to go to NYC show
Tara
Paints 5 hours without looking up.
Loves foreign movies for inspiration
Johnny Depp movie
uses more brushes-flats mostly flats =his favorite
Liquitex,+Lucas- gouache
June 28Th-opening Barrier Island Center Museum
commercial brushes-then later refine with smaller
crayon draw
draw in yellow oxide paint-then come in
work around a subject with color(to dramatize or white)
sky-blue violet,brilliant blue (loves this color)-purple,
cobalt teal, turquoise deep,light permanent blue
seems to use mostly from tube instead of mixing
parchment over waves for white-softens-
ACTION-cobalt teal definition to sea add red,unbleached titanium,Flash into after dry boldly makes something happen, white effects for jump touches of white
For Sky AMAZING-Turquoise Deep
purple,brilliant blue,light blue violet, (Red =fav.color) Cad yellow deep yellow med.azeo,Different shapes,unity plus variety(leave lighter color on horizon)plans as he goes,angle to see for movement, studied a little drawing in Norfolk,Va.Speed=angle,circled where sun would go, sometimes after starts will go in with line work, leaving white for waves,working in surfers, added purple charged up color,backs up to check, odd#, drip adds to motion, change from warms to cooler, cad.red deep for surfboard, charge up on color to break up solidity of it, parchment/unbleached titanium white for figure, color likes builds into ocean, leaves white line for outline, occasionally splotching, dabbing with clothe, vertical stripes, finishes with poem he wrote just for this"Self Portrait" I'm just a human.

Grey Day

This is a small painting I did this summer,plein aire.It's looser than I usually paint which I like. I'm working on something I can't show you now.

It's a grey day.Cold and damp.

Yesterday John Shire,my friend and a great photographer, and I went over and saw Guy Wilkins at the Hospital. It was across the bay.Here is a photo of part of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. We cross this to go to larger cities,the Eastern Shore is mostly small towns,fields for farming,farms, and little fishing villages. This bridge is 17 miles long and has 2 tunnels. It's beautiful,we cross Fisherman's Island. Anyway we went to see Guy. He's not doing very well. It's not good. However he did recognize both of us.I got to meet his family. It was a long drive and drive home but I'm glad we went.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.talk to you soon,Diana

Ginkgo Leaves Painting

Hi, just a little Ginko Leaves Painting and a Maple Leaf Painting. The leaves are finally turning here and you can smell that woodsy dried leaf smell in the air plus it's turned cooler. I guess winter is coming. The sketch was done by my grandfather in 1934 and it's of my grandmother, his soul mate and wife,Sarah.I just found it today. Jack had given me his sketches and my wonderful watercolor box(he made) many years before he died. well I'll get the dishes to soak and then paint!~ ha ha.. talk to you soon,Diana