The agony of the white horse continues!

Today, I worked on the oil of the white horse. Now he is transforming from a purple horse to a greenish yellow horse! I sure hope I know where I am going with this!! ha. I didn't get his hind end and back legs covered with the green-yellow yet. I'll still have to push on through this ugly color stage! I'm am puting total confidence in myself that I know this is what I should be doing and that the next layer will prove to me that I am on the right track! Being an artist, we often have to have confidence and trust in ourselves, that we really do know what will happen next. It is so easy to fail, and fall, from the out come we want, when we self doubt.
I have the sky half covered, and some of the greens in the background. I think once those things are in place, the colors on the horse will look more natural, as reflective light & color.

I'm excited today...what about this time? You ask...hehehe...

I've just ordered two cases of the The Horse Gift, Mural Mosaic Book to offer for sale at my booth, through my website and any other way you'd like to contact me to purchase one! The books will each have their own matching slip case too! These books are so cool! & what a great gift for a child or adult!! I can certainly see these under the Christmas tree!! Each mural panel has it's own page with the panel number on them. Then, you can cut the image out of the book and paste the mural together! Your very own mural!! How cool??!!! I can't wait to get mine! These are not books for the shelf! These are books to get involved with!!

The books are $25.00 each. If you would like one reserved for you, please email me and let me know! I have a feeling these may go fast! I'll be lugging them everywhere with me this summer!
I painted panel #3 in this mural...so yes, my work is in the book!!

Thanks for following!
Say a prayer for the green, I mean, White horse here! lol.

Debbie

Osprey on a hot day in Maine

Tuesday I took my Belfast's past series of watercolors (Three of the latest paintings) to have them photographed for Giclee reproductions. It was so hot! The city is about an hours drive one way from me. On my way home I saw this large bird watching over a marsh and river area near a farm. I couldn't see it well enough to figure out if it was an Eagle or an Osprey. I turned around and went back to take some photos. I'm so glad I took my camera along with me!
I took a lot of photos, with different settings. I couldn't see what I was taking, so I tried it all!
When I got home, I checked out the photos and saw that it was an Osprey!
I also looked at the thermometer and it was 90 degrees out there! Was it really April in Maine?!
Today, it is April in Maine again...it couldn't get up to 60 and the wind blew cold.
But I got a lot done in the studio today!
Check out my other blog http://www.paintingachildaday.com This week is Kentucky Derby Theme week with horses and kids painted daily in watercolors!

Deb

It's a white horse!!

I;m challenging myself with a white horse! With a rider, no doubt. This is an oil on Linen canvas. 16 x 20.
I got the whole canvas covered with an under painting today. I'm going to be busy this weekend, so it will give this ample time to dry. 3 colors plus white was used for this. Black, ultra blue & Alizarin Crimson.
I've taken a shot of it on the easel with my ref photo enlarged to the scale of the canvas, so I can check details of clothing, tack and whatever else eludes me.
I'll be at http://www.hill-n-dale-farm.com for a book signing and my art will be on display and for sale. Should be a fun time! The weather is going to be great, in the high 60's, close to 70!

Have a great weekend!
Debbie

'Job well done' is done!

I'm done...I'm done...I'm done! (I think) ha. "Job well done" 14 x 18 Oil on canvas.
It has some drying to do before I can put a coat of retouch varnish on it. That will even out the shiny and dull spots. Now I can enter this into a fast approaching deadline! I have some other ideas for this painting too, so all isn't lost if I don't get into one venue with it. It'll have it's day and time...some day..some where!

Some other news that is a bit exciting, I've also posted this on my 'Painting a child a day' blog too, so sorry if this is repeated for you.

A very prestigious Gallery in California, that I sent sample images of my work to, had sent me a nice, personal letter! It's so very encouraging and written so different than other responses I have received from Galleries. It has given me the push I needed to work on that oil painting of 'Job well done' today.

I can't say I will ever be accepted into this Gallery, but they are giving me a shot, by setting my color images and brochures out on display and letting their clients make the decision if they are interested in collecting my work or not. And they want me to stay in touch, which means to keep them updated on new works. That in it's self is huge! To get recognized by the Gallery owners enough to have images put out in the mix! I'm talking Bev Doolittle, Howard Terpning, Steve Hanks...google those names and see what you find, when you have a spare moment!

I just may frame that little letter. Even if I don't get into that Gallery now or in the near future, I am working every day to get as close to that day, that I do get in, and hope to make it a reality.
If you are in the area, in California, and you enjoy my work, stop by the Gallery and give my name a plug! Here's the website for the Gallery: http://www.bnr-art.com Enjoy the work that is on that site! Make sure you have some time for that website...you will be there for awhile!

Thank you for reading and sharing my paintings and news!
Debbie

The Artist, my daily watercolor

Today's daily painting is "The Artist" 5 x 7, $50.00. Inquiries may come to my email debflood@debfloodart.com Thank you.

You had to have known this image would be showing up! This is my oldest boy, now 13, when he was around 5 years old. He's a very talented boy, I say this even though he is my son!, but really, he enjoys creating many different things in many different ways.

I just love this painting. Not because it is of my son, but for how it was painted and how I was able to work through some issues with it and achieve what I wanted to. I wanted everything else muted and the boy and paper to be the focus of the painting. But I wanted the background to have some light bouncing around, but not stand out too much. I did it. This little painting glows. If only it showed it on the monitor here!

It has a more loose style and almost impressionistic. I've noticed that has been a theme going on with these little paintings. And I really like the direction it is all going in. Everyday I can't wait to show the next painting. I'm getting very excited about these little gems! And I can't wait, to show the ones that don't sell, in my booth this summer! I'm sure they will be very popular, as my paintings of children usually are.

It was like Christmas today, I got my order of new watercolor paints. I'm trying some new colors that will make a new portrait palette for me. So now I have two pallets, one that is more earthy, that I have been using all along, and the new one of portrait colors. Very fun!

My grandmother also called me today. She is an artist too and in her day, she was a freelancer for greeting card companies. Today she offered her morgue of cards to me! Stacks and stacks of Hallmarks, dummies, and such. When an artist is thin on new ideas, they go to this morgue for fresh and new ideas.

Funny, last night I heard on the news that Hallmark is laying off in house employees, and I've been hearing that jobs for freelancers may be coming back in these hard economic times. Am I in the right place, at the right time? Things seem to be pointing that way!

Thank you for viewing and enjoying my paintings, and please share with family & friends.

Give me a shout if you would like to book a day for your favorite child to be painted!

Talk with you tomorrow!

Debbie

Lil cowpoke dreams in oils progresses

I started applying color to this painting today!
I made it through the whole week, painting and posting a daily painting of a child on my 'Painting a child a day' Blog. The followers on the email google group is growing too!

I have had 3 paintings judged into an International Equine Art Exhibit at the Dancing Horse Farm in Lebanon, Ohio! I'll be shipping those out on Monday. I'll post links to the online exhibit once that is up.
Here is the images of my paintings that got in:

No Hesitation, watercolor


A feathered Friend, Oil on Canvas


Sunday morning, Watercolor

Very exciting!

Thank you for following and enjoying my paintings,
Have a happy 'Good Friday' and Happy Easter Holiday!

Debbie

Progress on Oil of 'Job well done'

I finally laid the grass in. I really like the grass. When I look at it, it makes me want to take off my shoes and run barefoot in it! It looks so cool and thick and soft. I'll be adding a few blue highlights to it, then calling the grass done (maybe).
I've been fiddling with the sky. I added the green grass color to it at the very top, but there is something else that needs to be done. I studied the sky on Sunday for awhile when we drove to Augusta to pick up my two watercolor paintings from the Maine Sportsman show. I'm letting those memories stew in my brain for awhile. I still need to do work on the leg wraps, the tail and the halter and riggin'. So, lots more work to do on it still, but it is getting there.

At the Maine Sportsman show I picked up Third place with 'Song & dance' a watercolor of a Beagle.
And an Honorable Mention for 'Buddies ll' a watercolor of my husband and our dog, Chandler, fishing.

April 26 I will be at Hill N Dale Farm in Warren, Maine as guest Artist for a book signing and my booth will be set up too. That will be a fun event. The 4H kids will be there raising funds and it is a huge horsey day for everyone! Hill N Dale Farm won top business of the year and April 9th they will be honored with 9 other area businesses! I'm very impressed! The ladies who run the 4H at the farm will be on hand to help represent the farm and they also will be representing me as their pick/nomination for best artist/business in the area!! I'm very flabbergasted about that! They will be handing out my business cards and postcards to the people who are 'who's who' in the business world of the area. An awesome networking night for sure.

I just launched 'Painting a child a day' today, April 6, and posted a little boy and a pony. You can view that painting by clicking on 'Painting a child a day' Blog

So, I'm a bit pumped about these things that seem to be developing. We never know what kind of journey our dreams will take us on, but it sure is a fun ride.

Thanks for reading and looking and enjoying my art.
Debbie

A new Blog for the Painting a child a day project

I have created a new Blog for the 'Painting a child a day' project. On that site, I will post a daily watercolor of a child or children that I have rendered in watercolor for that day.

There is also a sign up box for the Google Groups on that site and a place to sign up to follow that Blog as well.

It is a nice looking Blog, go and have a look.
The first painting will be posted April 6, 2009.

Debbie

Painting a child a day project

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April 6 will launch the "Painting a child a day" project.
I will be painting a watercolor of a child daily. The plan is to paint a child or more doing all the fun things that children do, with animals, with toys, sleeping, and much more, for a year. Each day on Monday through Friday an email will go out with a new daily painting. These paintings will be small, so this means the investment to purchase them will be small too. The first inquiry to come to my email requesting to purchase will be the one who gets first dibs on the painting of the day.

Holidays and weekends will be observed and there will not be a post on those days.

I'm very excited to be starting this project. This project will hone my skills with painting children, handling light, shadow, skin colors, action, and all the items that they may be playing with including animals. Most of my subjects, to start off with, will be of my two sons. But I also have many reference images of children at horse shows and fairs & other family members.
The seasons will be observed in a way that some paintings will reflect the time of year, such as, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, 4th of July, summer fairs, winter activities, fall activities and birthday parties. There is such a wide range of image ideas for this project.

During this project I will open up and take commissions from submitted photographs. I will start this with two commissions per week. If you would like to book a day to have your favorite sweet child painted in watercolor and posted as part of the project, please send me an email about your request at debflood@debfloodart.com

Most paintings will be 5 x 7 with no frame or mat. This size will be flexible and may change time to time.
Paintings that are purchased will be shipped using the USPS Priority mail. The client pays the small shipping fee.

To sign up for the email posts, you can sign up on the Google Groups box to the right in the sidebar of this Blog. You can receive the emails or opt for just joining the group without the email.

Thank you for following and I look forward to sharing my paintings of children with you!!
It's going to be a fun journey!
Debbie