Red Roof, White Boat

11x 14

oil on canvas panel

I have found it always pays to keep old  photos.  This painting is based on a photo

I took years ago (can we say about 30!) in Canada on a painting trip

sponsored by University of Maryland.  I aways loved the composition and light on the boat and 

buildings.  It was a joy to paint!

Tropical, Boats in the Yard

     One of my recent goals has been to paint larger, so I have baby-stepped up to a 24x24. This size is not considered large by most galleries, but I love the shape and size.  With my "big girl brush" the larger size (for me) seems to go smoothly and I enjoyed working bigger.  One of artists' jokes when I was in college was "Go big or go home"!

Boats in the Yard

24x24

oil on gallery wrap canvas

Tropical

24x24

oil on gallery wrap canvas

Fence Left in the Pond

8x10

oil, gamvar, on canvas panel

auction on Daily Paintworks beginning at 80.00

Apparently this scene involved a pasture with a fence before the pond was built. I loved that the fence posts carried the viewer into the picture. It added another dimension to the composition.

5x7's once again

Painting a small painting each day results in several outcomes.  I have more paintings--but that is not the most important.  It is an opportunity to experiment with color, composition, and brush work. I figure that in 4 months I will have over 100 5x7's and will have learned a lot.  Sometimes I learn what works and I also learn what not to do.  Win/win both ways!

More 5x7 paintings

All 5x7

All oil

All original

All studio paintings from photos I took

posted on DailyPaintworks.com

New, 5x7

Although I am working on larger paintings, I have started the habit of painting a small to "warm up".
These three are 5x7 and are one Dailypaintworks.com. I'll post some more tomorrow.

Tuesday Morning at the Park

oil on canvas panel

8x10

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/tuesday-morning-at-the-park/601847

My painting friends and I met at a park in town.  It has a beautiful lake but most of us chose to

paint one of the buildings.

This was a plein air painting which was finished up in the studio.

I did paint the lake later in the studio.  See that painting at the next post.

Poetry in Light

• oil on canvas panel
• 8x10
• Daily Paintworks
• http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/717271

Painting a barn is always a fun project.  All look somewhat weathered to me and most look a little

 (or a lot) 

rundown.  Most painters agree that a not so beautiful scene will often make the

best painting....although I don't think I can put the reason in words.

I painted this one with my plein air group but also did more work in my studio,  Once I get it away from the subject matter I can be more objective and often see something that I want to "improve."

I am including a photo of the barn from where I was standing.  It's always fun to see

what was really there.

Old Blue

Old Blue

8x8

oil on canvas panel

Daily Paintworks

100.00

My plein air group painted this old house that we found almost in downtown Matthews, NC.  For those of you who live nearby, it is on one side of The Farmer's Market.  I have no idea why it has been saved--maybe someone just liked it.

This photo was made about midway through the painting.  And look!  A surprise!
The house is not blue.

The Old Cowpoke

The Old Cowpoke

8x8

oil on canvas panel

Dailypaintworks.com

80.00 auction

Several years ago I made a painting trip to Jackson Hole and it was a glorious adventure.  While eating dinner one evening, I took this photo of a real cowboy having a drink at the bar.  A few days ago I located the photo and did a studio painting.  Most artists make quite a few changes when painting from a photo.  I left out a figure on the right but may paint him in a future painting.  The background is definately abstracted--it is not as important as the figure but I did try to show there were much happening in the background.

At Water's Edge

I got out my big brush for this one. Painted in my studio from a photo I took in Jackson Hole several years ago. I made an effort to keep it loose and be mindful of brushstrokes and edges.

At Water's Edge

8x10

oil on canvas panel, Gamvar

Daily Paintworks.com

The Round About

The Round About

8x10

oil

Dailypaintworks.com

My plein air group, the Plein Airies, painted at Hunter Farm today, one of our favorite 

places.  I have no idea what this round building's function was-possibly

a storage unit-but I have always wanted to

paint it and then would go and find

another scene to do.  Well, this time I made my decision

and stuck with it.

Here's my view of "the round about."

Shabby Chic Designs

Shabby Chic Designs

0il

8x10

125.00

DailyPaintworks.com

I found this whimsical little store in a town on the Gulf Shore. Makes me smile just to look at it .

The title of the painting is the name of the store--got to love the bathtub

in front!

Day 30, 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

Early Fall Afternoon

8x10

oil on canvas panel

DailyPaintworks.com

I just crossed the finish line!  Yep, the challenge is over and although I didn't quite make it

to the desired number of paintings, I enjoyed it and thought it worthwhile.

This painting began as plein air as I planned but needed a little more

work in the studio.  

I have one more in the "back up" stack that I might post tomorrow.

I will be starting a new series in October so please stay tuned.

Day 28, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

A Path Around the Park

6x6

oil on canvas panel

Dailypaintworks

I did not have time to paint today so this is a "back up" painting done

sometime this month.  I had finished a larger one and still

had time and energy left so I got out a small

canvas and set to work.  So glad I did.

Day 27, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Sky Reflections on the Water

8x10

oil on canvas panel

Dailypaintworks.com

Tuesday is my plein air day with my group, which we call

the Plein Airies.  Today we met at Freedom Park and

it was another gray day with not much

happening.  I did paint the scene

before me but it is not recognizable!

It was decided it looked like

somewhere in Amsterdam.

Day 25, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

\

A Sweet Morning at Little Sugar Creek

12x12

oil on canvas panel

Dailypaintworks.com

It is always delightful to paint at Little Sugar Creek in

Freedom Park...so many perfect scenes to paint 

everywhere you look.

Our plein air group is painting there this Tuesday and 

I am already thinking of what I want

to paint.  The bridge over the

duck pond is a strong contender but I will

wait to check out the light. 

Day 23, 30 in 30

The Lake in Fall

8x8

oil on canvas panel

Dailypaintworks.com

Our weather here in Charlotte is cooler and the leaves are making an effort

to turn colors.  I pushed the tree colors slightly to 

omit too much green.

Day 21, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Morning Drizzle

 8x10

oil on canvas panel

Dailypaintworks.com

It appears that I am going to get plenty of practice painting on cloudy days.

This one was painted at a friend's house in

Concord, NC while a light

rain drizzled down. 

It was sort of fun, actually, pleasant temperature and an excellent learning challenge to mix so
many grays.

Day 20, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Rocks for the Traveling Minister

8x10

oil on canvas panel

Dailypaintworks.com

Our plein air group met at the Presbyterian Church again this week and we had

another cloudy day.  I decided to paint the group of

rocks that the traveling ministers used before the

church building existed.  Some weeds had grown into
a low place in a rock and I added some blooms....not sure if
the flowers will stay.

I prefer to paint scenes with a defined light but a cloudy day is always good practice.  I forgot an

 important color for mixing darks and also a gadget to connect the

easel part to the tripod.  An interesting morning!

Day 13, 30 in 30

Looking Through

8x10

oil on canvas panel

DailyPaintworks.com

Our Tuesday Plein Air group met at the Providence Presbyterian Church this morning.  The church is celebrating it's 250th year.  The original building burned but it is the same site.

It was another cloudy day so I elected not to paint the white church and walked across the street

through the cemetery to the rock wall and gate.  I could see part of the church building

by looking through and across the street.  

These rocks are where the original traveling ministers stood to give the sermons.

I didn't have time to look at many gravestones but the ones I saw were quite old.

The slaves were buried in this plot.

This was taken where I set up my easel.  If you compare you'll see that

I made some changes.

Day 12, 30 in 30

Neighborhood Pond

6x8

oil on canvas panel

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/connie-snipes/neighborhood-pond/511715

It was cloudy this morning and I could not think of a location that might work for plein air.

There is a small pond 2 neighborhoods over which is usually dark and scummy, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to at least stop by and see how it was looking today.

The scum had cleared a little to over one side and it thought I could push the color

a bit.  I remember Dee Beard Dean, smiling that pretty smile

of hers, and saying, "Lie if you have to."  and it has been one

of my mantras ever since.

Day 11, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Shadows on the Wall

oil on panel

8x10

DailyPaintworks.com

This is another from the Mint Hill Historical Village--a perfect location, close, parking, not isolated,

and a painting everywhere I look.  I'm sure I could paint there for weeks.

I was attracted to the tree shadow on the wall of the building. Of course the red wagon and

bench were also a plus.  I find I am really looking for sites with more bright colors.

Day 10, 30 in 30

Evening Toil

8x10

oil on canvas panel

DailyPaintworks.com

This mulch pile belongs to me and I toil over it almost every evening.  I have a unattractive grey plastic wheelbarrow but with a little oil paint, presto-change-o, it has become an

interesting, older, red vehicle.

Day 9, 30 Paintings in 30 Days

Fruits and Veggies

8x8, oil on canvas panel

DailyPaintworks.com

I spotted this little fruit and vegetable stand while driving home from the historical village I painted yesterday.  Of course, the first thing I did was ask permission and the

owner was so agreeable, even asking if I needed water to drink in the heat.

One reason I am doing all plein air this month is to tackle more complex subjects and work on 

simplifying.  This was definitely complex...for me.