Miniature Landscape Oil Painting

Hazy Day
6" x 8"
Oil on Canvas Panel
$75

When I lived in California, one of my favorite hiking and painting locations was the Santa Rosa Ecological Preserve.  It was located south of where I lived on the way to Temecula near Murietta.  It comprises 900 acres of rolling grassland filled with Engelmann oak woodlands. There are riparian wetlands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, bunchgrass prairie, and vernal pools as well as more than 200 species of native birds and 49 endangered, threatened or rare animal and plant species. The paths are easy to navigate.  No matter how many people you may find there, it is easy to lose yourself in its peace and quiet. I took rolls and rolls of film there (before digital) and still have many of those reference photos.  Still, even if I didn't, the place is indelibly marked in my memory.  The Oak trees were, and still are, my favorites.  Over 400 years old, they stretch wider than their height - which is no mean amount.  Many of them are over 60 feet tall.  They provide luxurious shade on hot days and shelter from rain in the winter.  If you have a chance, visit the Preserve, and send my regards.  This small study for a larger piece is a view from one of the trails.

To purchase and/or view on my website, to go www.susanspar.com.  

Impressionist Landscape of Woods and Path

"Into the Woods"
6" x 8"
Oil on Canvas Panel
$85

I was in the mood for a landscape today and had plans for doing a large one but decided I needed to do a few small studies first to determine color.  I really enjoy painting small landscapes. They're sort of intimate and invite you in for a closer look while still allowing you to see the larger picture.

You can purchase this painting at: http://www.susanspar.com/small-works/

Special Offer!

"Satin and Two Eggs"9" x 12"
Oil on Linen Panel

I've just finished my first newsletter - The Bi-Monthly Museletter - which will be sent out on the 14th of this month.  I'm very excited about it as I've been working hard to make sure it not only looks attractive but offers something valuable to my subscribers.  Every two months I will be offering a small painting at a specially reduced price only to my subscribers.  The painting will not be auctioned, but will be available on a first come, first served basis. It will only be available for one week after which, if it does not sell, it will be placed on my website with my usual pricing.  You will be able to purchase through my website by following a special link in the Newsletter and entering a code to enter the page for viewing or purchasing.

You can subscribe right here on this blog.  The subscription box is in the upper right hand corner of this site.  Or go to www.susanspar.com and subscribe there.  A confirmation email will come to your inbox.  Note - you MUST click on the confirmation to be entered on the email list.  If you don't see the email, check your spam folder.  Be sure to put "susanspar@susanspar.com" in your address book or white list to ensure you receive the newsletter.  Thanks! Hope to see you on my list.  :-)

New Year, New Painting

Back to Work

Happy New Year! It feels really good to be back to work.  While I always enjoy the break between Christmas and New Year as an opportunity to connect with friends and tidy up loose ends, it still feels wonderful to get back into the studio with a paintbrush instead of a mop.

I'm a bit old for New Year's resolutions.  I never found them to be more than a reminder of how deeply set are some of my habits and patterns.  Often those reminders are not kind.  Like the one where I promised to exercise every day.  It's just not always feasible and then when I don't get to it, I feel guilty.  Not worth the guilt.  I do make changes in my life but I no longer feel I need to do them on New Year's Day.  Every day marks the beginning of a new year when you think about it.  Five months ago, I made a pledge to change my eating habits and take on the challenge of a healthier diet. I'm proud to say I have been successful.  I've dropped 22 lbs and I'm enjoying my new way of eating with no temptation to change it.  So, change is possible even for old dogs like me.

I'd like to make promises about myblog, but I've learned that to do so can greatly disappoint my followers.  So let's just say that I'm working on streamlining my methods of keeping up with social media and other aspects of my work.  Hopefully that will translate into more frequent posts and more interesting things to say.

Here's my most recent endeavor.  It's a small still life - 9" x 12", Oil on Linen Panel.  It's still on the easel obviously and I have much to do on it.  I'm still on the first pass and there will be a few more to follow.  I'll post again my results in a couple of days so you can follow the progress.

I'll be offering this piece at a special price to my newsletter subscribers.  I haven't posted the sign-up for that yet on my website (www.susanspar.com), but hope to do so later either today or tomorrow. You will only be able to access the page where the painting is for sale if you subscribe because you will need a special code to unlock the page. Subscribing to this blog will not grant you access to the sale page. The Newsletter is a separate deal. The painting won't be up for bid.  It will be listed at one price, first come, first served, and only for a few days.  If it doesn't sell within one week, it will go on my website at a higher price.

Have a great day and a Happy New Year!