Reaching into the Past

Sennelier - 3 Quai Voltaire, Paris

9" by 12" by 1½" acrylic on cradled canvas

May 31, 2009

This is still the photo you get if you Google Street Maps at 3 Quai Voltaire.  I painted it in 2009 as part of an art challenge for Virtual Paintout.  Sennelier is an art store in Paris and also a very popular paint brand.  I thought it was appropriate to paint an art store for an art challenge.  I Googled Sennelier to get the address, it is pronounced sen-nel-ee-ay.

I'm posting it today - again - because it is a favorite of mine.  I may bring back a few other of my favorites this month.

Re-Post

With just the addition of 6 lines and blunting the "go-nowhere" street, it is a little better.  I still don't want to hang it in my gallery, but at least I can accept it as finished.  I may sleep tonight after all!  Ha! Ha!


Wal-la:  A few lines here & there.

The Good, Bad & Ugly

Just when you think you're doing a good job, you reach dismal failure.  I can't help but wonder if any of the wonderful artists I follow ever have those failures?  I'm sure they did, but they have honed their craft and I suspect their waste can is full of dust now!

I, however, have not come close to honing my craft.  However, I will say of the paintings I painted in 2009 and repeated now, the former were the better projects and my cooking hasn't been all that great lately either.  What's up, is it just a slump or is the best NOT yet to come?

Here is what happened with this painting.

I wanted to paint something for the Virtural Paint Out this month.   The place is Vilnius Lithuania.  I spent about an hour driving around the country and picked out a couple of possibles.  I finally decided upon a trolly which is rather ironic in the first place.  A trolly is a trolly in any country.  But I was really not finding anything else.  Well, when it was completed, I hated it.  I told my daughter Mary Ellen, it was certainly destined for the burn pile.  She happened to drop by after work today and was surprised I felt that way.  I said, look, no one would want this painting to hang anywhere.  I still hated it.

My dilemma was in order to remain true to the map photo and qualify for VPO, I felt I shouldn't make any significant changes.  But since I don't want to post it, I can "fool around" with it all I want now.  OK, I know you're dying to see it so here it is ... but I'm sure you'll hate it, too!

6 Kalvariju gatvė, Vilnius, Lithuania

12" by 16" acrylic on canvas board

March 14, 2013

That is the Good - I'm willing to share my mistakes
That is the Bad - I'm willing to share my mistakes
That is the Ugly - I'm willing to share my mistakes

AND, I will NOT be posting this to the Virtual Paint-Out!

Rhubarb

This is a painting done from Google Street Maps at Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia.  I started it for a Virtual Paintout Challenge a long time ago.  I'm working on lots of paintings that I started and never completed as well as some new ones.  I am happy to say, I've done 14 canvas' in February!  Here is the Rhubarb Restaurant.

Rhubarb Restaurant, Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia

16 x 20 x 2.5 acrylic on stretched canvas

Completed February 11, 2013

The Virtual Paintout #14 - Stavanger, Norway

9 Schiøtz gate, Stavanger, Rogaland, Norge
Acrylic on 11" by 14" by 3/4" wrapped canvas

For the 14th Virtual Paintout in Stavanger, Norway. This was fun as I dramatically altered the colors.

I'm trying to do more "big swoopy color" and this nearly all white image was just too bland for my taste. I don't usually display my reference image, but this had to be seen to understand how much I altered it and yet it still looks like the reference image. I chose it because of the items displayed in the windows. It reminded me of a home my Mom and I saw on our RV trip that had large dolls in every window. It was fascinating.

The funny thing is, there is nothing like it entered. Nearly everything is watercolor and mine sticks out like a "bright thumb"! I am gaining a real appreciation for watercolor, however. I haven't tried it, but as I study other works, I can see it really does have many advantages.

NZ Art Guild Challenge #9 - old house

Taramea Bay Road, Southland, NZ
acrylic on 11" by 14" by 3/4" gallery wrapped canvas

Creative Mark "The Edge" painted on sides

available $179 plus $11 shipping

email me for PayPal invoice

The NZ Art Guild Challenge #9, this old house! I was very enchanted with this house when I first saw it. However, I had just finished a house on a lot for the London challenge with The Virtual Paintout. So, I turned the house around and visualized it as looking out the front door!

Then, I had to find something to look out onto. So, I went to Google Street View Maps and ventured around New Zealand. I started at the tip and ended at the middle where the country divides, near Nelson. I believe that is called the South Island. I loved everything I saw, but decided on the image I found at the bottom of the country in Southland. The house had a beach feel and look, so I thought it was important to have a beach or coastal look.

Then I got really, really interested in where I am, in Jacksonville Beach, Florida in relation to New Zealand. So, I went back to Google maps and finally to MSN encarta World Atlas.

This first globe represents about 1/3 of the globe. You can see in the bottom left corner, Southland, New Zealand and in the upper right corner, Jacksonville Beach, Florida.

The second globe represents the second third of the globe. It looks to me like Jacksonville Beach, Florida is about the same distance from South Africa. People go to Africa all the time and never think anything of it, but when you say you are going to New Zealand, everyone thinks you are going to the other side of the world!

This last globe just shows the last third of the globe. Now that is the other side of the world!

I've never had much interest in traveling outside North America. There is SO much in the United States to see, somethings I've seen and would love to see again and so much I've not seen. AND, Canada has a special place in my heart and interest.

However, now with the art challenges, meeting artists all over the world and Google Street View Maps, I am beginning to want to travel. South America, Africa, New Zealand and Australia to start with! Just think, with a computer, a bag of cloths and plenty of art supplies, you never have to go home again if you don't want too!

For your information, in case you're wondering, I DO still want to go home!

The Virtual Paintout - August Challenge - London

17 Soho Square, London

acrylic on 14" by 11" Pintura Hard Board

available $165 + $11 shipping

email me for PayPal invoice

The Virtual Paintout is such a fun challenge. Every time I go to the Google Maps City Streets, I learn something. Bill Guffey certainly hit on something with this one!

As usual, I barely made the deadline. In fact, I did miss this challenge once. Why, Delilah, Why do I procrastinate until the last minute? Guess I just work under pressure best!

As I say at this time every month, I can't wait to see where we will go next month!

Stay tuned, stay real ... and thanks for visiting me today!

DSFDF Challenge #25 - Week 44-45 - Streets of San Francisco

Lombard Street

acrylic on 14" by 18" x .75" Centurion LX Linen Stretched Canvas

Given to a friend

This is my first Different Strokes from Different Folks Challenge. I have been considering entering this challenge for a long time, but for one reason or another, never have. I have watched it closely since January.

The Challenge began September 3, 2008 as a weekly event. After the 11th Challenge, the Challenge Administrator, Karin Jurik, turned it into a biweekly event. It was successful from the first challenge with 55 entries. The premise is "One Photograph Painted by Many". This Challenge, Week 44-45, is the 25th Challenge.

As I prepared to post this, I looked over the earlier challenges. Everyone of them had some really fine paintings with many artists returning again and again. Two really stood out to me. One was week #11 - Pedestrians and Shadows. Although the art wasn't the best challenge, everyone was to paint their entry upside down. I've know about this, but never tried it. I thought that was a really good idea. The other outstanding challenge was week #16-18 Painting Us Different Folks. Every artist traded pictures and painted each other from that photo. They were a trip and what fun that must have been for the artists when the painting were revealed! And of course, most of them had never met!

I am very excited to have finally entered this challenge. As everyone knows, I love the challenges. But my heart belongs to another - and always will. You know who you are! And so would everyone just by taking a glance at my sidebar.

I met another 'kindred' artist, Sherry Massey, from The Virtual Paintout who inspired me to enter this challenge. Sherry, you're a good friend! Thank you! Now I need to get Sherry to take on The Pub!

The Virtual Paintout - July Challenge - Barcelona

116 Carretera d'Horta a Cerdanyola, Barcelona

acrylic on 12" by 16" canvas board

Available $175 including shipping

This is the 6th Challenge for The Virtual Paintout. The city is Barcelona and I have to say, of all the cities we've visited so far, I really liked this one best. It was clean, spacious and had beautiful countryside. If I ever happen to leave the country, I would certainly consider Barcelona!

I can't wait to see where we go next month!


Have a beautiful day!

BooHoo - I missed the June Challenge

Via Incontri, Florence, Italia

acrylic on 18" by 18" by 3/4" gallery wrapped canvas

available $75 plus $8 shipping

email me for PayPal invoice

If I had completed this on time, it would have been my entry for The Virtual Paintout June Challenge, Florence. I had selected my image from Google City Streets, selected my canvas, prepped & sanded it, acrylic base coat and sketched. Just didn't get around to adding the paint! Oh well, I still proud of myself for doing it anyway. As I've said previously, it is for the challenge to myself!

This is the largest canvas I've painted on since beginning my daily painting in February. It wasn't difficult at all.

In fact, I've noticed I'm gravitating to 9x12's, 11x14's and 12x16's.

I still like the SFA (small format art) that I started out with. I prefer 6x8, 7x9 & 8x10's when I do smaller pieces and 5x7 & 6x6 are OK. But I do not enjoy 4x6 and smaller.

I used to use mostly 16x20's & 20x30's and the largest piece I did was 30x30. I'll have to get around to posting some more of my older work soon.

This is my first nooner post!

Can't say Goodnight!

UPDATE: I couldn't resist reworking the foreground from the original post. On 7/3 I replaced the first posting with the updated painting. Thank you Karen for you kind comment! I hope you like this one even better!

beckielboo

The Virtual Paintout - May Challenge - Paris

3 Quai Voltaire, Paris

acrylic on 9" by 12" by 1.5" gallery wrapped canvas

SOLD, $60.00 including shipping

This is the most technical piece I've done. At one point I thought, I can't do it, I'll never have it ready for the challenge deadline! After giving up, I thought, one window at a time! Isn't that the way it is? If I had given up, I would not have been able to do it. By taking it one window at a time, I'm reminded of The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper! Just never thought of myself as a Little Engine!

What makes you A Little Engine?
Good Morning

The Virtual Paintout - April Challenge - Amsterdam

119 Geldersekade, Amsterdam

acrylic on 8" by 10" canvas board

SOLD to Sheila $60.00 includes shipping

The Virtual Challenge is hosted by Bill Guffey. This is the April Challenge, Amsterdam. Below is some of the information Bill includes on the website.

The purpose...
To gather in one area of the world, virtually, once a month with other artists.To paint or draw a scene and composition of your choosing, within a predetermined area.

Participation...
This monthly project is open to all, no matter the experience or level. All drawing and painting mediums are acceptable, with the exclusion of computer created/digital art. A new city will be posted monthly.

How it's done...
To get to Google Street View, go to Google/Maps. Find the city, zoom in, and drag and drop the little yellow man (in the top left corner) onto a street. A pop-up window will appear with a 360 degree photographic view. You may then travel the streets, looking around, to find your composition.

Isn't this already fun?
Goodnight