Peaches with Silver

9x12, oil on stretched canvas, 95.00,

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/peaches-on-silver/70179

 

This is an older still life that I neglected to ever post--who knows what's lurking in my studio???

Red Clay Path, Beatty Park, Charlotte,NC

9x11, oil on canvas panel, 100.00, http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/connie-snipes-1841

On Tuesday mornings I paint with a group we call Plein Air Buds.  One person plans the

location, and anywhere from 8 to 14 of us meet.  We paint until around 12:30 and then go to

lunch, our reward for our rigorous hours of painting!

This painting was chosen to appear on Daily Paintworks Facebook page.

This meeting was at Beatty Park here in Charlotte.  You can see my easel set up

here in the shade.  Getting in the shade is usually more comfortable, but it is most important

for painting.  If a painting is done in the sun, the colors will look beautiful and

brilliant--then when out of the sun, the colors just die.

Been there and done that one!

Garlic for Cooking (sold)

5x5, oil on canvas panel

I just got back from a week's visit with two girlfriends.  We all went to elementary school, jr. high, and high school together.  I took lots of photos for painting, and although I had a most wonderful time, I am also glad to be at the easel again.

I painted this before I left, but didn't get it posted.  I WILL do better with posting this week.

Displaying Small Paintings

Susan M. has been buying my paintings for several years now. She began with eBay and moved on to dailypaintworks. We have exchanged emails, and I consider her a friend. She graciously allowed me to share some of her display ideas.

Recently she sent me some photos of how she displays the paintings, and I fell in love with her style.  Since they are small, I think they look better as a group rather than all by their lonesome.  The overlapping of the paintings provides unity--they are all landscapes and they all have a similar color palettes.  Some are framed and some are not, and that's OK!  It all adds up to a unified display with enough differences to keep it interesting.

This second photo shows only one painting, along with other collectibles.  (This is a beach house.)  Now why does this work so well when I just said to display small paintings in groups?  OK--this works because it is a small painting in a small space.  It's all about scale.  Never put a small painting on a large wall, large table, etc....it will make you unhappy every time you look at it!

Thank you, Susan.  I know my readers will like these display ideas.

linking with      http://savvysouthernstyle.blogspot.com/



Farm Buildings, Union County, NC (sold)

9x11, oil on canvas panel, dailypaintworks.com

This is a site I have painted before. This time I made quite a few changes and made copious use of the palette knife.

Afternoon Shadows

8x10. oil on canvas panel, 70.00, dailypaintworks.com

Deep Water, Number 2

12x12, oil on canvas panel, 95.00, on dailypaintworks.com

As you have probably surmised, I love painting water!  I am beginning a series of this scene, seeing how far I can push it in shape, hue, and composition.

Ebay has not done well for me in several years, so I am giving it one last chance with an experiment in pricing.  I shall be listing a small one for 99 cents and see if it gets bids.

If you want to check it out,  my eBay id is conniesnipes2007.

Clouds Over the Beach (sold)

12x12, oil on canvas panel, auction on Daily Paintworks

It's been a trifle chilly here in Charlotte, just when I thought it was Spring. I've even turned on the heat several times.   Makes one dream of a day at the beach.  I'm thinking this painting must have been a subconscious ploy to make me feel warmer.

On the Wire (sold)

8x8, oil on canvas panel, 60.00, Daily Paintworks

I have always wanted to do a birds on wires series. Perhaps this one will get me started.

If you look closely you will see that I used a palette knife almost as much

as the brush in this painting.

If you look at it on Daily Paintworks, there is a mouse

over that will enlarge small parts of the

painting.

Addendum:  I thought I had published this painting, but my blogger dashboard begs to disagree..

Trees in the Pond (sold)

8x8, oil on canvas panel, 50.00, Daily  Paintworks

This pond, in Union County, NC, goes from low water to high and back again.    In this painting the water was high and the spring house is surrounded.

 I once asked the owner why the building was called the spring house.  The previous owners called it that--perhaps it goes way back, and the spring house kept food cool before refrigeration.

Yvette's French House (sold)

6x8, oil on canvas panel, 45.00, Daily Paintworks

All my life I've dreamed of painting with a French painter in a French setting, and last Tuesday I finally got my wish.   Yvette, our hostess, is really French.   The French blue shutters were a portent to the French flavor inside...a really lovely house.

 Since I knew the light would not last, I decided just to do a small painting of a corner of the house.  Of course I took photos for future studio paintings

Ocean View (sold)

12x12, oil on canvas panel, 85.00, Daily Paintworks

I have painted this scene before, but like this one better.  I had the most fun getting all those colors on the cliff.  Of course, the cliff was not that colorful, but that's why we paint--to make everything more interesting than it is.  Otherwise, a photograph would do.

Calm (sold)

8x8. oil on canvas panel, 90.00, on Daily Paintworks this Saturday


http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/622160d8-b3be-4b1f-88fd-3992c1d4c951


A small study in preparation for a larger (20x20) painting.  I have always wanted  to paint larger paintings, but have spent most of my time on smaller ones for the blog.  I have blocked in the larger one and will show it when it is finished.  Below is a photo of the block in.

20x20, oil on stretched canvas

Sometimes I like the block ins better than the completed painting--they have more energy.  I will probably only clarify some of the shapes on this and zone in a little on the center of interest.

Water, Rocks, and Trees (sold)

9x12, oil on canvas panel, 100.00,  Daily Paintworks on Thursday

Creeks are among my favorite subjects to  paint.  Now that our weather is getting so glorious, I need to get out and paint more, and take extra photos for rainy days.  I'm just waiting for the leaves to come out--I'm weary of painting those leafless trees!  On another note,  I'm throwing out grass seed today as it will rain tomorrow.  All  is good!

Small Pond, Fairview, NC (sold)

6x6, oil on canvas panel, 50.00, on Daily Paintworks on Tuesday

Remember those little "motor courts" that were common years ago?  This is one, currently in business, and quite popular.  I stopped there on the way to a painting workshop and took a few photos.  There were cottages all around, but since I was not staying there I didn't want to explore too much. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/7d070bf3-a733-4abb-b7dc-d93639ca876e

A Windy Day in March

8x8, oil on canvas panel, 50.00, Daily Paintworks

The Plein Air Buds and I painted at a local park--on a windy day with a chill in the air.  I would like to think I am such a devoted painter that I can paint in all types of discomfort, but I would turn into a whiny baby if I did not show some restraint.  The scene was rather bare with no logical focal point, so I added the boats later in my studio.

February Farm Buildings(sold)

6x6. oil on canvas panel

This painting is a study for a larger painting.  I like the idea of making the center of interest (main barn) tighter and more colorful, then loosening up as I work out from that spot.

This painting will be on Daily Paintworks on Tuesday--auction status.

For the Salad

6x6, oil on canvas panel

For all the red devotees out there, especially you, Beth!


http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/f4af2e25-3223-4ae1-86ee-7f5784bab330

Deep Water (sold)

12x12, oil on canvas panel

This is a studio piece that I've painted off and on for several days, and it's been through several metamorphoses.  I began with red, yellow, and rose, then added blue, than got rid of the red and added orange, blah, blah, blah.  Oil paint is the perfect medium for changing shapes and colors--afterall, it's just paint!

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/5458be78-6abd-4666-bc0b-9c65b10e93b0

An Apple for You

6x6, oil on canvas panel

I'm on a fruit roll.   Thinking about tomatoes tomorrow.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/547ad8f0-6135-4469-8640-59dce3ae47b6

A Pear for You (sold)

6x6, oil on canvas panel

It seems that in the past few years, pears have been an ever popular painting subject--so often painted they may have even tipped over into the cliche category.  I love pears, love to look at them, love to eat them, and love to paint them, but I have tried to show some restraint and not paint them too often.  So here is a pear for you and me, and I shall not paint another for at least a few months!

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/fd0ef471-430b-439c-8ee2-c3e43a84a89b
Thank you to all who wished me well last week.  I am feeling much better and plan to paint every day.

Winner

I am "under the weather" this week.  Just wanted to announce that Rhoda emailed me the winner's name for the painting giveaway.  Congratulations to Andrea who choose The Garden Shed. Andrea, I will get the painting off to you as soon as I feel better.

1771 House, Charlotte History Museum (sold)

If you are looking for the painting giveaway with Rhoda, please look at the post prior to this one.

8x10, oil on canvas panel

This is en plein air painting with many changes.  The house was build in 1771, composed of rock, but seems oddly contemporary.  I did not want to get involved with picky rock details so I left that out and changed the color to white.  The building beside the house was a log cabin kitchen.  Kitchens were always built separate from the house because of fire danger.  The log cabin looked dull (it was not a sunny day that morning) so I presto-chango-ed it into a shed of some sort--an opportunity for more shape and color.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/outofpopup/38ff3380-cbaf-4ddc-bfdc-b6f4314bb92d

Painting Giveaway

If you are here from Rhoda's blog, welcome!  A giveaway is a new adventure for me, and I am looking forward to "meeting" all you new people.

If you are a regular reader, please know that you are appreciated and valued.  Some of you are here every day and some of you have become good friends, and I love that.

Here's the drill:  Peruse the 3 paintings below and choose one you would like to hang in your house, then go to Rhoda's blog and leave a comment.  http://southernhospitalityblog.com/
Rhoda will select a random comment on Friday and send me the name to publish.

Note: Rhoda will have her post up on Monday.

The Garden Shed
11x14
Oil on canvas panel

Wing Haven Garden, Charlotte, NC
8x10
Oil on canvas panel

Noda Garden Shed
8x10
Oil on canvas panel

Landscape Abstraction

12x12, oil on canvas

I am beginning to lean slightly to abstraction in my painting, as well as pushing the color.  I doubt that I will ever become so abstract that the subject is not recognizable, but I do love "playing with the paint" so that texture, lines, color, and shapes become more interesting.  I have another painting on the easel, inspired by the same photograph, but quite different.  I'll post that one next week when it's finished.

I'm expecting company for a long weekend, so I won't be posting again until next week.  Please come back on Monday to enter the give away, sponsored by Rhoda of  Southern Hospitality and me.  If you win, you choose from three paintings.