Oil Painting of Lillies in Cut Glass Vase, 11" x 14", Oil on Canvas Panel

"Lillies in Cut Glass"
sold

Things haven't changed much since I posted a couple of days ago. My studio is still freezing and things are difficult to get to. But today, despite it all, I put on my heavy coat, went into the freezer and pulled out a few supplies. I had a hunkering to paint lillies. Maybe I'm just praying for spring but it felt right. Hopefull somehow. When I was in Europe a few months ago, I purchased a red wool scarf that I've been wanting to use in a painting. The designs on it are quite elaborate but I felt they would detract from the simplicity of the flowers, so I didn't put them in. But the warm red tones of the scarf acted nicely to set off the cool whites and lavenders in the flowers.

I had to paint this in my dining room and despite the inconvenience and mess, it was comforting to have my husband a few feet away watching an old John Wayne movie while the cats played at my feet. The light wasn't the best for photographing this but despite that, I think the photo still conveys the overall warm feeling of the painting. Enjoy.

Taking a few days from the easel here. Simply cannot work with the construction going on. My studio is 35 degrees Fahrenheit and everything is inaccessible. I have an easel in my dining room, but it's proven to be an untenable situation with no place to actually put set ups without locking the cats up for 8 hrs at a go. A huge back order of supplies arrived with no place to put it and so now even that space is unworkable. Things promise to be a bit more organized after Tuesday so hopefully, I'll be able to get some work done by then. Please stay tuned and thanks for checking in.

Charcoal Portrait of Man wearing old hat, 18" x 24", Charcoal on Paper

"George"Currently NFS

George is my painting/drawing buddy. He runs the life drawing group that I have met with every Tuesday for five years. We've sort of grown on each other. I like to think of his wife, Janet, as a friend too. One day our model failed to show and George modeled for us. We couldn't get him to take his clothes off though.

Landscape Painting of Walking Path in Morning, 5" x 7", Oil on Panel

"Morning Fog"

ALSO AVAILABLE FRAMED - EMAIL ME FOR DETAILS
It was truly beautiful yesterday. It was sunny and the temperature was a warm 45 degees. The sun actually warmed my face. It almost felt like spring. So I went home, dug through all my photos and came up with one from last summer. I remember this day. The fog was just lifting and the sun was shooting through the trees onto the path. The bugs were just starting to buz and the breeze was sweet with salt air off straits. Take heart, it's just around the corner.

Figure of Asian Woman Reclining, 5" x 7", Oil on Panel

"Letting Down Her Hair"

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Price: $69 USD plus $8 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

I started ploughing through my collection of photos today. I have hundreds of models I've worked with that never see the light of day. That's because they often don't catch the light or ambiance I'm after. As I take dozens of each pose just slightly different, that amounts to a lot of unused photos. I decided this pose of Julie would work pretty well. I wanted to try some ideas I had on color temperature. Overall, I like the way it came out. Some things I think warrant changing but I think that I may do a larger piece of this same pose. Any thoughts?

Figure Painting of Young Woman in Soft Light, 9" x 12" Oil on Linen Panel

"Angie II"

This smaller piece was done from the same reference material as a much larger version, but here I was playing with the temperature a bit and also changed some of the colors. Not sure I'll use linen again for small pieces. While I enjoy the texture of the canvas, it tends to soften the edges on small pieces too much for my liking. While I can work around this with thicker paint and sometimes do, I didn't want hard edges except in a few places where thick paint just got in the way of flow. Paint and learn.

Antique Asian Vase and Magnolias Oil Painting, 9" x 12

"Matinee"Currently NFS

Ho hum. Another Sunday afternoon. I'm going to be focused over the next few months in turning out some work for the summer festival season. If you see something without a price but have an extreme itch to own it, send me an email and I'll let you know if I can part with it. I try to make nearly everything available for sale but this sometimes works against me and I end up with nothing available and having to scramble to get work together. I intend to be unruffled and ready by the summer season. Yeah, right.

Pastel Painting of Approaching Storm over Farmland, 11" x 14"

"Storm Watch"This painting is framed and matted to 14" x 18"
Please email me if you are interested in purchase.




Where I live, there are a lot of open fields. We're facing the Strait of Juan de Fuca with our back against the Olympic Mountains. Although the weather changes frequently, because of the mountains, we are saved from the worst of the rain that blesses the State of Washington. However, the combination of sea and mountains makes for some pretty dynamic weather effects. One of my favorites is when the sky darkens with heavy clouds and the sun is low enough to shoot underneath lighting up parts of the landscape. This happens here quite frequently and I paint it whenever I can. While not as dramatic as some I've done, I enjoyed the quiet atmosphere of this piece. There is something exciting about to happen, but the land the is waiting and watching. Nothing stirs.

Asian FLoral of Two Red Poppies, Oil on Panel, 5" x 7"

"Two Poppies and a Chinese Vase"

Today was just a crummy day. I was tired after my long haul back from my Seattle based atelier class (three 1/2 hrs) the night before I had to get up early to clear the studio and set up for teaching. The class was good but I finished tired and then after lunch couldn't get myself moving again. I was just brain dead. Nothing inspired me and I seriously considered just fading into the couch with a good book. But guilt, the driving force behind my self discipline, got me moving -- trudging actually. As I set this still life up, the lamp came apart and hit me in the head, I turned too fast and knocked the newly primed board off the easel, knocked over the space heater and scared the bejesses out of my cats! I need to take a copy of this post and pin it to my studio door. One of the things I should know about myself by now is that the discipline of focus on a painting will usually chase the cobwebs and fatigue away. I felt abut two hundred percent better about half way through this little. And now I'm fully recovered - well about ninety percent. I'm going to make dinner, try not to have an accident, and then fade into the couch with a good book. Guilt be damned.

This painting is also available framed. Email me for details.

Peonies and Green Apples Oil Painting, 9" x 12", Oil on Panel

"Peonies and Yellow Apples"

I recently finished a commission of peonies and had so much of the color left on my palette, I decided to do another peony painting. I just couldn't see wasting all that luscious pink paint. The apples were green originally but I liked them better as yellow. They were left over too. Not anymore...I just ate the last one.

Dogwood and Chinese Apples Oil Painting, 5" x 7"

"Dogwood and Chinese Apples"
SOLD










I recently sold a small nude to a collector and framed it for her in one of these hand finished frames. It looked so good that I decided to offer them as an option on some of my other pieces. This little floral was so charming, I decided it needed its own little frame. The painting is available both with and without the frame. This frame is available for all my 5" x 7" pieces.

Oil Painting of Antique Vase with Yellow Flowers, 9" x 12" Oil on Panel

SOLD

I actually painted two paintings today but decided to rework the other a bit in the morning. I was striving for just the right tone in the background here and more texture on the vase.

Peonies in Asian Vase, Oil Painting, 18" x 24"

"Full Bloom"SOLD

This is a recent commission I completed just yesterday. I really enjoyed getting my teeth into something big again. The painting was done in layers for the most part although there are some wet-in-wet worked areas. My collector loves it and that's what's most important. Hope you enjoy it too! To see how this painting was done, click here.

Figure Sketch, Charcoal on Paper, 24" x 36"

"Anna Dreaming"
SOLD




What a great day. I woke up feeling totally exhausted after a very late night having worked until midnight. But despite feeling dragged out, the day went pretty well. I worked on my commission painting and really brought it to a great place. For those of you who are following my
teaching blog, the painting is really looking up. I changed quite a bit since my last post early this morning. However, I've decided to wait until I'm finished with the painting to post the rest of the lessons. Don't worry - I'm documenting every step! The reason for this decision is that I feel it is important that my customer be the first to see the finished painting. After all, it is for her. However, once she's approved the piece, I'll post the last two lessons.
So getting back to today...I got into the studio at 8:00 AM and brought the painting to it's resting place for the day and then realized that I still had shopping to do for my class next week and won't be able to do it between now and when I leave. So I cleaned up my palette, grabbed my purse and ran out the door. Three hrs later I'm back, but pooped. I just had time to dash off this figure sketch from an earlier one done in class. So my "daily" obligation is met and I can relax tonight. I won't be publishing again for a few days as I will be attending atelier in Seattle and won't return until Tuesday evening. With teaching on Wednesday and homework, my studio is disarray from the construction, it may be Thursday before I post again. Have a great week!

Peony Oil Painting, 6" x 6"

"Peony"
NFS

Today started with an early rise so that I could get my wrecked studio into shape for my students who were returning after the holiday break. What a mess! After about two hours I managed to get enough stuff moved around so that folks could work. I am so done with this whole waiting thing! I can't wait until the new studio is finished. You could hide a body in the old one.

After my students left, I got busy with Day Two of my commission but didn't wrap it up until dinner time. So for my daily painting, I borrowed one of the peonies from the painting and, viola! A daily painting. OK - so it's not for sale. But I did finish it in about the time I take to do a DP, so it sort of counts. Check in with my teaching blog later tonight for more about this peony and the painting as it develops.

Reclingin Nude Watercolor, 7" x 9", matted to 10" x 12"

"Watching TV"

I spent a good part of the day starting a commission for a large peony painting. Check out my teaching blog for peek at the beginning stages. Just when I had wrapped up the first session and was ready to start another small oil for this blog, I received a phone call from my good friend and walking buddy who's snow birding in CA. Chat, chat, chat...and nothing got done for the space of an hour. So I decided on a quick watercolor for a change. I could keep the lights bright and play for a bit. Hope you enjoy her as much as I did.

Internet Cafe Scene, Oil on Board, 5" x 7"

"Afternoon Browser"
SOLD



I recently met a friend for an coffee break and a chat at a local cafe. A young woman who was intent on her computer while sipping her latte caught my eye. I loved the way her red wool dress and gray scarf were bundled about her. She was totally oblivious to my sneaky camera.
I used to be fascinated with airports and people watching at them until flying became such a hassle. Now I enjoy just looking at folks doing their thing at everyday places.
I did this painting as a poster study with large shapes and simple colors. These are good exercises and I enjoy the compositional problems that need to be solved on small pieces. Enjoy.
For those of you who have purchased work previously from me, I'd like to let you know that paintings are now being varnished with several gloss coats which brightens the painting and brings out the color passages.

Pen and Ink with Watercolor Painting of A Meadow and Trees, 5.5" x 7.5", Matted to 8" x 10"

"Evening on the Meadow"SOLD

I rarely paint in pen and ink anymore but it used to be something I enjoyed doing a lot. A bit like doodling but more detailed. In fact, it's so different from my usual stuff that I post here, that I decided to sign it with my maiden name.
This little watercolor is already matted to an 8" x 10" standard size and will easily fit in a picture frame.

Figure Sketch of Older Woman, 18" x 24", Pastel

"Juvia"$30.00, Available with Mat
Email me about this sketch.





Every now and again in figure drawing, I'm able to come up with a good color sketch. I particularly like the way this one came out. Juvia is an older model with interesting features. While not as shapely as many of the younger models who work for my group, Juvia is beautiful in spirit and has great character in her face. I think I managed to capture some of that in this sketch.

Best Wishes for a New Year

To all my friends and collectors....Happy New Year! Stay safe, be well, live long and prosper.

"Arc of Orchids"

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Price: $99 USD plus $15 USD s/h
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Today was a better day sold some work and someone actually showed up to work on my studio! Hooray!! So, being in a brighter mood, I painted something to reflect my mood. It's been awhile since I painted Orchids. These colors are always a bit touchy to do. I want them bright, but not glaring. Hope I accomplished this. Enjoy! To see how this painting was done, click here.

"Mixed Bunch"

SOLD - 12/29/08



Yesterday was my wedding anniversary and my husband and I spent the day in Victoria, B.C. It was a sunny 45 degrees and it felt really good to get out in the weather as it's been so cold and snowy here the past two weeks. But I only got back late today and so I didn't get into the studio until almost 3:00 PM. A late start for me.

I'm always so dismayed by how easy it is to fall out of practice. If I paint flowers every day, then I seem to have little difficulty in rendering them. But if I skip a week and paint a different subject, I find that I have to struggle to get them right. I need to spend some time during the week just practicing my brush strokes on roses. These proved to be a challenge for me today.

Figure Painting of Reclining Nude, 20" x 30" Oil on Hard Panel

"Repose"Email me to inquire about this painting.

You probably think you've seen this one before. And you have - sort of. This is a large painting of the earlier small format figure study I did. I painted it in glazes and started with a full monochromatic under painting to make sure that the skin tones will glow more as the painting ages. I wish there were some way to really show this piece off. Photos just do not do it justice. As you turn the light up or down on a dimmer, the painting takes on a brighter luminescence that emanates from within the piece. There are some corrections that I can see still need to be made, but overall, I'm happy with it. Funny how things become apparent when you take a picture. No matter how much I look over my shoulder with a mirror, putting paintings on camera always reveals new things to my eye. I won't bore you with the changes by posting the painting again. But you can always check back to my website at www.susanspar.com in a few weeks to see if you can notice any subtle differences.

I'm not sure if I'll get the time to publish over the holiday, but just in case I don't, let me take this opportunity to wish all of my collectors and friends out there a very happy Chaunukah and a very merry Christmas. Above all I wish you health and prosperity in the coming new year. I'd also like to take this opportunity to say a heart felt "thank you" to my collectors and customers who have purchased from me over the past year. Your purchases are always a compliment and so very much appreciated.

I hope to be able to provide you all with lovely new and exciting pieces as the new year progresses.

Figure Painting Reclining Nude on Red Blanket, 5" x 7", Oil on Panel

"Nap on a Red Wool Blanket"

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Price: $59 USD plus $8 USD s/h
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Looks like it's going to be a white Christmas. We've had a bunch of snow up here. Not quite as much as Seattle, but still more than we're used to. Doesn't look like my studio is going to get much work done on it and I can't say I blame the construction guys. I wouldn't want to work out there either.

We braved the elements to go to the Dentist today so he could declare my tooth "not healed". Sigh. Back to the antibiotics. So...as a result of that mid-day foray, I had less time in the studio. I painted this little piece and threw in the red blanket to keep her warm.

Painting of Venice Canal, 5" x 7" Oil on Board

"Lost in the Rialto"

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Price: $45 USD plus $8 USD s/h
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My husband and I spent a month cruising Europe. I returned with a memory chip full of shots, but my favorites were the ones I took in Venice. It snowed another three inches last night so I thought I'd try to capture a bit of the last days of summer in the studio. This is my first attempt at a canal scene of Venice. I started with a small one. I think I'll wait a bit to try a bigger one.

Floral Oil Panting, 8" x 10" Oil on Panel

"Floral Study in Red"
SOLD



I'm still suffering from a tooth ache today. But I managed to tackle this little floral. Hope my pain didn't show in the work.

Nude Figure Painting, Oil on Panel 5" x 7"

"Figure Study VI"

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Price: $59 USD plus $8 USD s/h
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I had an old root canal redone on Monday. Today the thing got infected and my face swelled up like a football! Between the pain and the drugs, I didn't have the presence of mind to paint a large piece so I worked on this one. I like it but I'm still under the influence so who knows how I'll feel about it tomorrow.

Nude Figure Painting, Oil on Panel, 5" x 7"

"Figure Study V"
SOLD



This is the fifth in a series of small format figure studies I'm doing. I really like the subtle colors and skin tones in this piece. I meet with my figure drawing group today and hope to complete something there as well. It's a lot harder in the group because I can't always get the spot I want and have to agree with eight or so other artists about the pose. I sure wish my studio were done so that I could have the models coming here more often. Things are just in too much disarray right now with the construction to have a model. You could hide a body in the old studio at this point.

White and Yellow Floral Painting, 9" x 12", Oil on Panel

"A Sigh of Blooms"
SOLD





Time for another floral today. I'm needing to build up a backlog as I intend to do the festival at Bellingham this summer and will need a score or two of these and others. I'm a bit out of practice with flowers so it's good to stretch my proverbial wings a bit. Enjoy.

Sunflower Painting in a Copper vase, 9" x 12", Oil on Panel

"Sunshine Ala Prima"
SOLD




Thought I would loosen up and shake out my hands for a floral today. Also, it is so dreary out this morning that I needed a little sunshine in the studio. This was a nice break from the large figure I'm working on right now.

Here's a little bit of news I thought I'd share with you. One of my dreams has been to have my very own mentor. A teacher that I could learn from for an extended period. I've wanted to study at the Gage Academy of Art in Seattle for a long time but distance, availability of classes, etc. have just made it impossible. Tenaya Sims, an alumni and teacher at Gage has started teaching small (8 students, on going, atelier style classes from his studio once a week and I was lucky enough to get in! It will mean having to travel into Seattle for two days a week (a three and a half hour drive for me). I'll stay with a relative for one night, travel to the class in the morning and after a long day, head home - with a car load of homework. I'm not sure if I can keep the pace up but I'll sure give it my best shot. I think the hardest part will be keeping sales and teaching going at the other end. Something I need to do with the economy being what it is. But, hey...when times get tough, the tough get going. Or feint. One or the other. Wish me luck!

Figure Painting of a Nude Pregnant Woman, 5" X 7", Oil on Panel

"A Little Pregnant"
SOLD




I started my larger figure painting today and along with all my desk work, I just had time to do a little piece. I like the ambiance of this piece and what it says about prenancy. My cousin is expecting any moment now. I haven't seen her for months, but she was filled with twice the love and light she usually emits so I know she's a walking candle now.
I know some of you are waiting for another floral or still life, but my studio is a bit of a mess with all the construction going on. My windows are blocked by the new studio which does not yet have it's windows's cut out and so I have no North Light. So things in that department are on hold for awhile. But as soon as I can clear a space, I promise to paint one.

Oil Painting of Reclining Nude, 9 1/2" x 15" Canvas Panel

"Figure Study IV"

Here's a larger study than the one I did yesterday. Although it doesn't show here, in the larger piece I'm working on, I've rearranaged the models legs. Although this little study came out well, I'm beginning to get excited over the larger piece I'm preparing. Tomorrow, I'll do another piece about this size with the new leg composition. I spent half the day preparing a panel for the new piece which will measure 20" x 30".

Oil Painting of Reclining Nude, 5" x 7" Oil on Panel

"Figure Study III"SOLD




This one was great fun! In fact, I liked it so much I've done another larger one. I'm planning to do this image in 24" x 36" or similar size format and I'm trying to work out color and lighting. This study and the one I'll post tomorrow are in warm light, but I'm also planning to try a couple in cool light. The model is Angela who posed for this piece about a year ago so I can't claim that this one is from life, though I've painted Angela enough times to feel like I have a sense of her skin tones and postures.


I've decided to post most of my paintings for sale direct through this blog and http://www.dailypainters.com/ for awhile. Things are slow on eBay and since most of my collectors come to me through DP anyway, it makes good sense to avoid the eBay fees. Except for an occasional test piece, no more bidding for awhile. If you're interested in having a larger version of this or any of my small format pieces, just e-mail me.

Nude Figure Painting, 5" x 7" Oil on Panel

"Figure Study II"Click here to bid.

This is the second nude figure study I've done in a small format. I'm really enjoying the challenge of these. But I especially like the opportunity that working in a small format provides for making changes and experimentation. Don't like the color - change it. Don't like the shape, change it. Viola! Great way to do studies for larger pieces. I've done this before, don't know why I stopped. But I'm going to paste a big reminder to myself on my wall to do several before starting a large painting. Now I just have to remember to read the darn thing.

Oil Figure of Man with Bottle of Whiskey, 7" x 5" Oil on Panel

"Willie"
$45.00

Willie is a local figure here in Port Angeles. He has a few period costumes from the 1800's and during history week and other special holidays, he dresses up in costume and takes folks out on tours or gives talks on the history of Port Angeles. On his off days, he models for our group. He took his shirt off here and posed with a whiskey bottle. As I already has some paint out from earlier in the day, I put him down on a small board. If you're interested you can e-mail me.

Oil Painting of Draped Nude, 5" x 7" Oil on Board

"Figure Study, Small Format I"Click here to bid.

Sorry for the early post today. I'm on the fly today and had a bunch of stuff to do before heading to my drawing group. I decided to try a small format to get something quick done. Fun, fun, fun! I loved doing this! I learned so much from the brief exercise, I'll be doing a bunch more just for the kick. OK...I'm off to my group.

Reclining Nude Figure Sketch, 16" x 20"

"At Rest"

I've been spending more time on figure sketching these days. Sales have been a little slower than usual and this has reduced some of the pressure on me so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity to explore and improve in other areas. I'd really like to work on my figures more and hope to do some more oil and pastel sketches during the winter. Here's one I particularly liked. The model was quite relaxed during this pose and consequently I was able to relax as well. It shows, I think.

Nude Figure Painting, 16" x 20" Oil on Canvas

"A Study of Amber"

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Price: $300 USD plus $20 USD s/h
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Amber is a beautiful girl who has modeled for our group on a few occasions. A former student of mine, she took to modeling like a duck to water. Our group is in love with her but unfortunately she is moving out of the area and some other lucky group in Oregon will win her. Amber was kind enough to sit for my friend George and I one last time. I did the initial sketch and color notes from life and then worked on the piece from photos. It's tough to get the color right in this photo but the painting really has a beautiful glow to it when you see it in person. If you're interested in seeing more of this work up close, e-mail me and I'll happily oblige. "Amber" is painted on unstretched canvas which is perfect for mounting on board or matting and framing under glass.

Portrait of a Man, Charcoal, 14" x 18"

"Dennis"




Just a quick sketch today of a gentleman who poses for my group. Dennis is a loyal model who shows up rain or shine. Without models like him, we wouldn't be able to continue our little life drawing group. Models are hard to find and we can't let them know enough how much they are appreciated.

Oil Still Life Painting of Three Apples and a Pitcher, 9" x 12" Oil on Canvas

"Three Apples"

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Price: $100 USD plus $15 USD s/h
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I was intrigued by the shape of a pitcher when I visited a friend recently and she was kind enough to lend it to me. I wanted a simple still life (sans flowers) and really was focused on getting the texture of the pitcher along with the color of the apples down. I was happy with the apples but think I'd like to do the pitcher again in different light. I'm stuck working under artificial light until my new studio is done. They've built the new studio on to the old one but haven't yet broken through. The new structure cuts off all light entering the old studio so I'm really in the dark. Artificial light is more difficult to work with as the color appears different (to me) and it falls a bit less softly. I've put to work some of the principles I learned at my David Leffel workshop though and despite the frustration, I'm happy with this piece.
The sides of this canvas are painted so you can hang it without a frame if you please, or it's standard 9" x 12" size makes it easy to frame.

Painting of St. Francis with Dove, Oil on Panel, 9" x 12'

"St. Francis"SOLD









I have a small but growing collection of statuary and plaster casts that I use for myself and for my drawing students. Today while one of my students tried to capture this statue in charcoal, I used the opportunity to knock out a quick oil sketch. It actually proved to be a challenge - no so much in the rendering of the saint, but in how to achieve some life in the painting. I didn't want a monochromatic piece but then, the statue is white. So I opted for a livelier background. The cross in the upper left hand corner emerged of its own accord with brush strokes, but I opted to enhance it a bit and worked it in as part of the composition. I spent some extra time with this exercise because I'm trying to get a deeper understanding of how color can work for me. I changed the background several times before settling on this warm one.

Oil Painting of Yellow Rose, 5" x 7"

"Yellow Rose"$45.00 usd + $6.00 s/h
Click here to purchase.








I was short for time today with dentist appointments and my life drawing group scheduled. I've been meaning to use these short days for exercises and color studies. This little one is numbered "1" as it's the first in a series I'll do of floewrs with different color combinations. I was aiming for something entirely different than what actually transpired here so I have some work to do in this arena. Still, it was fun and absorbing for the hour of work it took. Enjoy.

Oil Painting of Pink Roses, 9" x 12" Oil on Linen Panel

"November Roses"SOLD









It's a funny thing about painting. Often artists resist the one thing they love the most. It's been labeled a lot of things like "resistance", "block", "creative anxiety", etc. But what it amounts to is this. Just before I'm due to arrive in my studio, I find a thousand other things to do. Like vacuum, wash dishes, do the laundry, call my long lost relatives, even do my taxes! What I need to remind myself is that once I get in there and get going, all that resistance disappears.

Today, though, I actually found myself getting excited about squeezing out some paint and getting elbow deep in paint. The pastel I did the other day was just a warm up. I found today's little painting a lot easier to do than I thought I would, having been away from the easel for over a month. I got quickly into the piece and was just humming along to the busy sound of construction guys hammering on the new studio roof just outside my window.

Well, here it is. I chose something simple for today's exercise. Hope you like it. I used lots of paint and a palette knife to apply it with. I'm trying to utilize that tool more than I have in the past and find that it is wonderful for getting the look I'm after on some of my vases.

Pastel Painting of Alaskan Bonny Lake, 18" x 26.5"

"Bonny Lake"$250.00 plus shipping.
E-mail Susan to purchase.

Well I'm back. Almost a complete month away in Europe and on the high seas! Wow. I'm still recovering from jet lag. Can you believe I've been falling asleep everyday at 7:00 PM? On a transatlantic crossing, the ship turns back the clock one hour every day for six days. While that sounds gradual - trust me, it isn't! Then that final five hour flight back home and another three hour change. What time is it, anyway?

I haven't had time to pull my pictures from the vacation and sort through for some good resource material. I was going to paint a still life, but felt like working in a well lit studio which I can't do for still life. My friend, Patti Cline is a fabulous photographer. This painting was done from a terrific photo she took of Bonny Lake in Alaska. I asked her permission to use it for a reference and she graciously gave it. I don't use photos much these days as I have been focusing on still life and Plein Air. But I just don't get to Alaska very much and besides - it's too cold to stand outside there!

I really like the way this painting turned out. I haven't painted in pastels in quite awhile so I really enjoyed being able to just walk away and come back without fear of dried paint. There's a lot more happening in this painting than the photo reveals but, after all, I'm not a photographer. I'm a painter and my friend lives too far away to help me out on that account.

This painting comes shipped in it's own secure case to make it easier for framing. The pastel is lightly fixed to protect it. Framing and matting is available upon request. Closeup photos are also available upon request.

Please be sure to visit Patti's site and e-mail her to let her know how beautiful her work is! I'm trying to talk her into blogging so you can all subscribe, but she's a busy girl and is resisting at the moment.

Painting of Asian Woman by a Bridge, 24" x 36", Oil on Canvas

"By the Full Moon Bridge"Click here to inquire about purchase.






You may remember that I posted an image of this piece before it was completed many months ago. I finished it recently in time for my show. Although it isn't a "daily" panting I decided to post it as a final piece before taking my leave for the next month. Although I don't leave until the 18th for Europe, I have much to do between now and then and won't be able to get into the studio except for teaching. We were fortunate to find a house sitter at the last minute so my furry family will be well taken care of.
The past few days have been spent in a Seattle hospital helping my Uncle attend to my Aunt. She's quite ill and it just seems that the nurses can't do everthing that's needed to keep someone comfortable. I would have liked to stay longer, but things here at home needed attending and so I only returned this morning.
I'll be taking lots of photos while I'm gone and hope to be able to create some new pieces when I return based on my experiences in Europe. I'm very much looking forward to this vacation as a chance to get "reacquainted" with my poor husband who, because of our busy schedules, I hardly every get to see before dinner or bedtime. I intend to spend the time dancing my little feet off and ogling every piece of art I can. We'll be spending three days in Padua and Venice before leaving on a cruise of the western Mediterranean. Then we finish off with a transatlantic cruise.
In the meantime, my studio is framed and they start the walls this week. It's very exciting. The walls are nine feet high with a cathedral ceiling. I find myself walking around on the sub flooring imagining where everything will go. Right now my main goal is to have as little actual furniture in the new space as possible. I want to leave it open for students and work. It's amazing how fast clutter can fill even the largest space! So I'll be signing off for now. Wish me bonn voyage. I wish you all a lovely fall. Keep safe; keep warm, keep loving art!
Warm regards, Susan

Still Life of vases and Urns, 5" x 7" Oil on Panel

"On the Floor"
$25Click here to e-mail me for purchase.






It's been awhile since I did one of these. When I first started doing daily paintings, I painted a lot of common objects. It was fun and rather challenging. But I've always found working small to be difficult and sort of cramping. With things being as slow as they are on eBay and everyone holding onto their change (me included), small seems to be the order of the day. These jars and jugs sit on the floor in my studio waiting for their next role in a still life or floral. Today I chose to just let them stay where they are and I worked them into one of these small exercises. I enjoyed it and it was a nice change from the usual.
With things in our beloved country so much in upheaval, I've been giving a lot of thought to the natural rhythm of things. It would seem to me that this is perhaps an opportunity (unwanted albeit) to change my pace and stretch a bit. I'll continue to post many of fl orals I enjoy and will also be trying some new things. But I won't be putting them up for auction for the next month or two with, perhaps, a few exceptions. They'll be for sale here on my blog and there will be links for e-mailing me. One of my customers took advantage of this yesterday and purchased the "Two Little Nudes" off the blog. PayPal is still the preferred method of payment, but I take checks as well.

Two Little Nudes, 8" x 10" on watercolor and foam core

$15SOLD






I just felt like dabbling today so I took out a couple of sketches I did some time ago and repainted them on watercolor paper in pen and ink with a watercolor wash. They're in small, playing card sizes and backed on a bit of black foam core. Whimsical and fun to do. Just not a serious day. I think there's enough serious stuff going down right now - don't you? E-mail me if you're interested.

Nude Figure Sketch

"In Repose"
$20 includes shipping.
E-mail me to purchase.






I usually work in charcoal for my figure sketches but decided to use a bit of conte for this one. I played with the background a bit to get a feel for different compositions. This is available for just $20 (includes shipping) to anyone who e-mails me. It's on newsprint paper and so I won't be listing it for sale on eBay.