"A Degas Moment", 14x11, oil on linen, paintings of dancers, ballet, young dancers, pink, tutus

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"A Degas Moment", 14x11, oil on linen

I painted these dancers awhile back- maybe 8 months ago. Although I was pretty happy with the painting at the time, I also knew it needed some refinement.

Today I took it out and worked on it most of the day. I softened edges, increased contrast in areas that were focal points (the dancers) and simplified the fireplace, which was one of those old world fireplaces with painted tile all around. Beautiful in person, but a dog to paint!

Keeping in mind that's it's better to suggest than to render every detail, I just concentrated on simplifying the fireplace in order to keep it in its place- a background. Overall, I am happy with the painting now and I can honestly say that it looks amazing in person!

This painting is available through Gallery 444, in San Franciso.

"French Blues", 8x10, oil on board, paintings of France, Provence, blue doors, blue shutters

"French Blues", 8x10, oil on board

Well, as you can see, I finally have California out of my system, and now I am on a French kick~!

Oh lala, how I love all those blue doors and shutters that you see throughout Provence. Can you imagine how positively awesome it would be to live on this little winding street in the French Alps?

This was a fun way to spend another rainy afternoon in Florida-imagining that I am somewhere else as I painted!

On a happy note, I rec'd notification today that my painting, "Dancing Queens and a Pear", was juried into the prestigious American Impressionist Society's annual juried show, to be held at the M Gallery in Charleston in the fall.This is only the second time that I have been successful since I started entering the show 4 years ago, and the competition gets tougher each year, so I am honored to have had this painting chosen for the show! Yippee!

"Holiday Villa", 12x16, oil on board, south of france, French villas, paintings of Provence, gardens, French gardens, French holiday

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"Holiday Villa", 12x16, oil on board

I am reading a book called The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain, which chronicles the story of Hadley Richardson, the first wife of Ernest Hemingway. At one point in the book, Hadley makes the fateful decision to bring all of Ernest's work with her on a trip to Switzerland to see her husband. Waiting for a train, she takes a short walk around the platform, only to find out that the small valise containing all of Ernest's writings of the last four years has been stolen.

What ensues afterwards is a dry spell for Ernsest, in which he finds himself unable to write in the wake of finding out that his work is gone.

It happens to me more often than I like to admit, a dry spell when I can't paint- though I certainly can't blame a spouse who has lost or destroyed my paintings!

Today I took a devil-may -care attitude about beginning a painting, refusing to allow the inner voice inside my head to start telling me I couldn't do it.

It worked. The painting came out pretty quickly and effrotlessly, and I am hopeing that that is the end of my current dry spell for  awhile!

If you would like to take a holiday to the south of France, you may purchase this painting and visit this beautiful villa every day of the year. Now how's that for a nice offer?

Visit my website here to view more of my original oil paintings.