Friday, December 23, 2011

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
























Tis the season!

But...um...ouch! Dental surgery hasn't dampened my spirit in the least, however,I do apologize for not thanking everyone who stopped by to leave a comment this past week. Although a tad uncomfortable, I do get to sit in bed while Tim takes care of almost everything! Merry Christmas to me!

The boys are all snuggled up with me whilst himself rushes about preparing the most exquisite soups, smoothies and shakes while I sit happily in bed, all decked out in my brand new red holiday jammies—complete with feet—supported by lots of pillows and surrounded by my favorite books, magazines and all of the remotes. I mean really, what more could I ask?

We'd like to wish everyone joy, abundance and peace in the New Year and say that we sincerely hope that somehow we will all find a way to live in peace and support each other in every way we can. Thank you from the bottom of my insecure little heart for all of your wonderful comments and we hope you have a wonderful day, whether you celebrate that special birthday or not!


Joy to the world!





Sunday, December 18, 2011

A VERY SPECIAL COMMISSION





































Deirdre Working 2  18x24" oil on canvas
Private Collection


This portrait, a favorite painting of mine to date, has happily provided me with another opportunity to feel rather pleased with myself! Sorry mom.

However, I also must give props to Mike Rynearson for one of the most incredible reference photos I've ever had the pleasure of working from. Drop by Mike and Deirdre's site and enjoy some of the most beautiful and moving photographs from around the world that I've ever seen.

The subject of the portrait is photographer Deirdre Hamill, daughter of famed author, newspaper editor and columnist, Pete Hamill, who, as history has it, was also a painter in the early days of his most illustrious career.  A few years back, on a long car trip to a wedding, I read Pete's memoir "A Drinking Life" to Tim while he manned the wheel. The book was an honest and unflinching look at his life to that point, and we both enjoyed it immensely.  

This second portrait I did of Deirdre was chosen as a Christmas gift to her father which he received last week. You can imagine how I felt waiting for his reaction. Would he be pleased? Would he "see" his offspring in my brushwork? Tense. I was tense!

However an email from Mr. Hamill himself soon put my fears to rest, big time!  I will treasure his words for the rest of my days!

And he was kind enough to allow me to use his FaceBook post about the painting for shameless self promotion, which incidentally, I am not above doing!




















This commission will remain in my memory for some time to come! Thank you Mike, Deirdre and Pete!


Thursday, December 15, 2011

MOSES BOTKIN CHALLENGE December




















Blue Ice  16x20"  oil on canvas $250

        

I can not wrap the little gray cells around the fact that it's that time again let alone that Christmas is less that 2 weeks away.

This month's theme, given to us by Vicki, was to paint whatever we wanted as long as it was blue. A wonderful challenge! I took my favorite Hallmark tissue paper, scrunched it all up and took a reference shot of it sitting on the dining room table with the sunlight and shadow of sliding doors adding to the composition. Looks a bit like a small prehistoric critter or that strange wormy dude from an old X Files episode though.


Enjoy:





















Windy Beach
12x9" oil on panel
©Robin Cheers
http://robincheers.blogspot.com/






















Blues
4x4" silverpoint and oil on gessoboard
©2011 Vicki Ross
http://www.vickiandrandyrossart.blogspot.com/













Malibu Blue
4x8.75" oil on canvas
©2011 Ruth Andre
http://apaintingday.blogspot.com/


















Holiday Blues
5x7"  oil on hardboard
©2011 Diana Moses Botkin
http://dianamosesbotkin.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

HOLIDAY SALE!



















 
Just in time for the holidays! Still need more room! Just email me if you see anything you'd like!
Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, December 9, 2011

THE TWEEDLES MYSTIQUE


16x20" oil on canvas NFS


If you’ve been a follower of my blog over the last few years, you may have surmised that my feet are not at all planted firmly on solid ground. Admittedly and happily, I am not at all convinced that what we see is exactly what we are.  And given the recent quantum physics theories of time being an illusion and form becoming solid only when our eyes rest on it, I’m feeling pretty confident that when we all wake up, “life” will have been a sometimes joyful, sometimes terrifying self-imposed dream.

With that planted firmly in mind, it is my pleasure to announce that the portrait above was painted as a Christmas gift for a dog. A dog I’ve never met, at least not in person. Her name is Tweedles. Tweedles has a blog: http://tweedles-georgie.blogspot.com/. I am a follower of her blog. Admittedly, spending every single waking and sleeping moment with our two pug pups, Blu and Raz Berry (who both have a crush on Tweedles by the way), has had a profound effect on me. I am, as Oliva Newton John warbled to John Travolta in Grease, hopelessly devoted. I enjoy just watching them exist. That said, I believe even if I didn’t have the pleasure and joy of being a pug pet parent, I would still be head over heels in love with Tweedles.

Maybe it’s the wide eyed innocence of her poems along with her belief that we are all­—including the critters, trees, air and oceans of the world—entitled to love, compassion, care and respect. Maybe it’s knowing that whenever I visit Tweedles blog I will come away with a smile, even if news of one of her close friends crossing the rainbow bridge is the topic of her post that day. She has a way of putting everything into perspective, of conveying that even though she’s sad sometimes, in the end, everything is and always will be fine, no matter what appears to be going on in the outside world. And, it ain’t just moi! Miss Tweedles gets more comments left by admirers than I could ever hope to, so clearly, I’m not alone in my admiration.

To be sure though, himself is a tad wary. He’s fully aware of my cosmic muffin tendencies but reading a pup authored blog and writing emails to a dog—even if she is a pug— has earned me more than a few raised eyebrows and curious glances. He was even prompted to ask recently, somewhat tongue-in-cheek one hopes, if I was indeed aware that, in reality, I was communicating with a person and not a dog. He does get points however, for following that rather cheeky comment with:

“That’s one of the reasons I love you. You have the ability to write emails to a dog and fully believe you’re communicating with her!”

Ummm, thanks...I think! I was a bit startled by his statement and when I replied, “Of course I do!” I wasn’t lying. I mean I know that Tweedles mom writes the poems but for some reason it’s easy for me to make the leap of faith that indeed, those words spring directly from the eternally innocent mind of Tweedles herself! Mom only types them in for her. Again, in my defense, spending each and every day with the boys might well be a contributing factor in my ability to overlook any human complicity in Tweedles communications, there is a definite freedom in interacting with another species. There's a certain fearlessness I don’t experience when interacting with homo sapiens. Not even himself!

When getting to know humans through emails I always break out into a sweat while typing. There’s the ego-based need to appear clever, cool, interesting, intriguing. The worry that I’ve revealed too much (that ship's pretty much sailed hasn't it), or said something amiss. In an effort to be cute have I clumsily scoffed at some deeply held belief?  Even now I somewhat anxiously await a reply from a colleague hoping I haven’t revealed a truth that put them off.

This never happens with Tweedles. I can tell her how much I love her, how happy her posts make me and how adorable she looks in her pumpkin hat without fear of rejection or judgment. 
 
 I can read her poems and feel hope for the future. I can even believe that she is indeed the author of said poems without any fear of reproach or ridicule.

But then, maybe it’s just me. I am a bit left of center and a tad idealistic. I never did understand why Rodney King’s plea of “Why can’t we all just get along?” became a world weary punch line for cynics and sitcoms.

Imagine for just a second what life would be like if we could. Miss Tweedles does...with every single post.

Yeah, I know. You’re due back on planet earth. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.


Monday, December 5, 2011

BERNICE
























20x20" oil on linen $150
 
   

Meet Bernice! Newly refreshed, having just gone under the brush, she is feeling reborn! Formerly known as "Bug 13," Bernice has had her rather funky badly- painted purple shadow removed and replaced with a more age-appropriate blue one. Madam's hard candy shell has been re-painted, touched up and buffed to a shine with more intense highlights and deeper shadows. And her spots have been refurbished and surrounded with a shimmering coat of intense Rouge Carmin by Sennelier. Bernice is now indeed ready for a night on the town.

Independently wealthy and never married, Bernice enjoys traveling, art, the ballet and long walks on the bricks in the front yard of her palatial estate in the Hamptons. A bit eccentric and a tad flighty, she is nevertheless, always in demand and a delightful guest at any garden party. 

Thursday, December 1, 2011

BREAKFAST PLANS




















16x20" oil on canvas NFS

I haven't posted in a week and nothing is near ready so I thought I dig into the past and see what was there. This is about six years old. Not finished. I got discouraged. Why I don't know. It's funny. When I see work that I remember feeling awful about I'm left wondering what was so awful. Must have been an attack of the dreads.

This past weekend I freshened up a bee that sold and I remember, when I originally worked on it, feeling very discouraged. I barely finished it. But when I spruced it up, added a little definition here, a hint of a highlight there, I was quite satisfied.

Distance. That's the ticket. I used to throw half finished work away in disgust. My mother-in-law once picked a still life I'd done out of the garbage, had it framed and hung it in her living room for years. I'm so silly. All ego and all silly. Now? Now I'm putting the dread paintings away for a sunnier day. Nothin' like a fresh perspective.

Who knows? Maybe I'll rescue this and finish it. Ive been using it to plug up a hole the boys made near the bottom of the screen door until we actually make it down to Home Depot to replace it— which could very well be this weekend.

Enjoy the evening and thanks so much for stopping by.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!






































A toast is in order! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope we all have something in our lives that we are truly thankful for.

I am eternally grateful to everyone and I thank you for viewing my work and for leaving the wonderful and supportive comments that have done more to inspire me than you'll ever know.

I am incredibly thankful for this online artist community that I feel a part of. Despite the enormity of the blog-world, I feel there is a warm, sincere and welcoming intimacy here—made up of kind, gentle and giving people who share the gift of art, creating and life with each other.

And I thank you so much for being there.

Ok, yeah, one might detect the faint aroma of cheese in the air, but it's very sincere cheese I can assure you.

Himself is home on vaycay and happily a good number of sale paintings need to be prepared for shipping so posting a new piece of work or work in progress might take a few days. I haven't gone underground.

Again, thank you and I hope everyone enjoys their day.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

BUGS SALE!



















Please see post below for purchasing information. Feel free to
contact me by email with any questions.

Thanks so much for dropping by.

BIG BUGS AND MORE ON SALE!


















Touchdown! 24x36" oil on canvas $300 plus shipping

SOLD

Just in time for the holidays! Who wouldn't want bugs for a gift?
Still need to make room for a new office and new work.





















Honey, I'm Home!  20x20" oil on linen $100 plus shipping

SOLD


















Lady In Red Too!  24x36" oil on canvas  $400 plus shipping

                          











Man Down!  36x12" oil on linen $250 plus shipping

                          


and...



















Morning Waves  24x36"  oil on canvas $650 plus shipping

                          






















Thursday  16x20" oil on canvas $125 plus shipping

                           














Gray Skys  12x24"  oil on board  $100


        


Thank so much for stopping by!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

THE SALE CONTINUES!



















$50.00 each or $85.00 for two


The sale continues. Click here to see some larger canvases on sale
that are priced to move!

Just email me if you see something you like.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

MOSES BOTKIN CHALLENGE November
























            Wisdom
16x20" oil on canvas $350

 

It's challenge time again! This month the choice was mine. I was stumped but finally settled on asking everyone to paint whatever they thought best represented "wisdom" to them. Then of course I didn't know what to paint. I'd taken this reference photo from the tube recently and thought that this gentleman's face was etched with, among other things, a definite indication of having gleaned some wisdom from his years on the planet.

I tried painting him with a minimum of strokes, keeping the paint thick on my brush and putting color in quickly. No smoothing here. Then something dawned on me. Remember that "Obvious List" I posted a few weeks ago? Well, I've got two more points to add. I've wanted, of late, to paint thickly. I thought, as I began this yesterday, it might be a good idea not to use the Liquin! Gee Suz...ya think?

And, if I wanted to use less brush strokes, it might work out if I....well...used less brush strokes!! Nothin' gets by me!

Also, while my grandfather looked nothing like this man, one always imagines one's grandparents to be wise. He never allowed us to call him Granpa, insisting on "Jo-Jo" instead. As I get older, even without the possibility of grandchildren, I now understand his wisdom in this request. Anway, I am reminded of something he was always repeating to us young ones whenever we appeared to be getting a tad too big for our britches. He would cock his head to the side, put is finger up and say..."Remember...just when you think you is....you ain't!" I think that was very wise advice indeed.

Please enjoy the groups interpretation of wisdom:
 
 Helping Hands

10x8 oil on panel
©2011 Robin Cheershttp://robincheers.blogspot.com/





"Morning Watch -The Innate Wisdom of Animals"
6x6 inches, oil on canvas
by Ruth Andre
"Seek and You Will Find"
Original oil on hardboard, 8"x6"
©2011 Diana Moses Botkin

Friday, November 11, 2011

THE MUSICIAN still in progress
























24x24" oil on canvas work in progress

I'm bugged out. This caught my eye in the storeroom. Ya know when you spy a canvas that you haven't worked on in a while and you get this great feeling, like when you just got home from a shopping trip with your mom and you had a brand new set of crayons and a new coloring book? No? Well, it might have been a different set of art related circumstances, but I think you know what I mean.

Anyway, it's got a ways to go but it was a fun day. One of those days when you work without judgement, fear or insecurity. Nice.

Thank you to each and every person who has ever served in the armed forces. And thank you for stopping by, enjoy the weekend.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

DOUG

8x8" oil on cradled hardboard
SOLD

And, here's Doug. He's just your average bee. Dependable, good natured—unless pheromones indicate otherwise or course—faithful and hardworking. Dutifully brings the honey home to the wife and kids, family day and chores on Saturday, football on Sunday with the occasional side trip to Home Depot to keep the hive in tip top shape. He's even nice to his mother-in-law.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Friday, November 4, 2011

BENNY
























8x8" oil on cradled hardboard $85

SOLD

Ok, I'll admit it, I'm hooked on the smooth surface of the hardboard. Benny's made an appearance here before but I thought he deserved an encore, a smoother sailing encore shall we say. Why Benny? Haven't a clue. He's just got that Benny vibe and since he wasn't very forthcoming with information about himself, I thought I'd respect his choice to remain aloof. Wouldn't want to make him angry.

It's Friday! Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Monday, October 31, 2011

BLUE FLY

SOLD

Having made a commitment to do the ladybug installation, which was due today, I found myself tired of painting them so I took a break and did this critter instead. I think the ladybug concept is a good one, but I think it best to do them sporadically and not all at once. Sixteen of them! Not cool. I want to keep a freshness about them so they'll be done when they're done. I always think giving myself a tight deadline will make me get things done and it just gives me something else to beat myself up with. Chillax Suz, it's not a race.

So this guy, with that vibrant turquoise on his bum, was great fun to do. What's that old saying... a different bug a day might keep boredom at bay? No? Oh well.

Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping by.

Friday, October 28, 2011

THE BOYS 1 A Study



















16x20" oil on canvas
$250



Not sure this works, the drips in the back are a tad distracting. Maybe it's done, maybe it's not. I'll see. I don't want to fill it in but I'm not sure it works half finished. Hmmm.

Anyway, thanks for dropping by and enjoy the weekend...again.

THANK YOU CARRIE!

A huge and grateful thank you to Carrie Waller for featuring yours truly in her Friday Feature interview series of artists! Please visit if my ramblings here haven't worn you down yet!

What a great idea, I'm so looking forward to the series. I've wanted to get to know so many great artists in this blogosphere and the interviews are just the ticket.

This is one of Carrie's outstanding watercolors, and also one of my favorite of hers. I was bowled over the very first time I saw her work and continued to be awed with each post of her incredible work.
























NFDP
Illuminated Pumpkins
watercolor on paper  30x24"
by Carrie Waller


Thank you again Carrie and thank you for stopping by. Enjoy the weekend.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

WAIT UP!

















24x36" oil on cradled hardboard
SOLD



Meet Max and Jake Buzz. They're brothers. Max is always trying to ditch Jake and Jake is always trying to catch up. I'm developing a real affinity for these furry critters, especially since it finally dawned on me to paint them on a smooth surface. Um...duh!

Time for a list. I'm callin' it The Obvious List. Just a few things that were starin' me in the face, keeping me from seeing the oft-mentioned forest for the trees. Like painting highly detailed subject matter on a smooth surface instead of course cotton canvas for example. Here are three really obvious things that I've learned in my seven years as a full time artist:


1. A FOOL PROOF WAY TO MAKE YOUR BRUSHES LAST FOREVER:


Don't use them! There you have it! I've tried everything from tenderly washing, conditioning and gently blowing them dry to chanting incantations over their lifeless little bodies, their once lustrous uniform hairs pointing everywhere but north. I've rinsed them in safflower oil or not rinsed them at all. I've spent countless dollars on conditioning soaps, brush-washing machines, and so many chemicals— a lab coat was required. Then a few days ago, I needed a nice crisp zero for detail. My eyes went immediately to the "new brush can." There, glistening in the sun was an entire collection of brand new brushes. I thought I was saving them for that special painting but that wasn't it. I was just saving them! From the inevitable! If someone dipped you in oil paint, dragged you around a canvas and submerged you into a variety of mediums so harsh they require face masks and air cleaners for general use, and then washed you vigorously every day, how long do you think your "do" would hold up? It's a lost cause. There is no way to make them last, period. Use them until they look like crap and then move on.


2. HOW TO HANDLE IMAGINED CRITICISM & MEAN SPIRITED COMMENTS LIKE A PRO


Ignore them! Period. I've been defending my preference for using photos for reference over live models and still-life set ups for a while now and I suddenly realized that that was the problem! I needed everyone to agree with me and instead of seeing my inability to embrace my choice and not worry about it, I saw everyone who didn't as the problem. And as far as mean spirited comments, they say everything about who is making them and absolutely nothing about my work, except of course when they come from moi, which is most of the time. And they can be helpful. You can't get angry at something you don't believe in.


3. SELF REJECTION


Stop it! I don't enter competitions or approach galleries so I can't wax poetic about that kind of rejection, but I'm really accomplished at the other kind. We were watching an NFL show the other day and one of the well known coaches has a segment entitled..STOP IT! He reviews whatever a player, coach or owner is doing that he doesn't agree with and just looks at the camera and delivers a snappy...STOP IT! How simple can it be? Feeling inferior Suz? Feeling a lack of creativity? Depressed, lost, wallowing in self-pity? STOP IT! I know, I know... but really, it is that simple! I can curtail the time I feel badly by deciding not to. I have emergency plans in place and the minute I feel myself goin' down the rabbit hole, I revert to plan B. It really is all up to me. The call is coming from inside the house!


I'll be adding to this list as the obvious dawns. Clearly, that doesn't happen often.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Saturday, October 22, 2011

IT'S A FALL SALE!!




















16x20" oil on canvas
$450



We need some space and my storeroom has been targeted! Ouch! Time for a SALE!

I went through my paintings and selected some that I'm reducing in price. If you'd like to take advantage of this sale, I would prefer PayPal, but please feel free to contact me, I'll be happy to discuss other arrangements.

I've selected a few from the larger, mid-size and small canvases.  Here we go:











Sunny Side Up
16x20" oil on board
$250














Artichoke One
16x16" oil on linen
$175
















Ribbons One
30x30" oil on canvas
$400
















Survivor
16x16" oil on canvas
$300














Green Shadow
16x20" oil on canvas
$350 reduced to $250
















Lemon Thru The Drinking Glass
20x20" oil on linen
$350
















Three Reds
16x20" oil on canvas
$150




Greens and Reds
16x20" oil on canvas
SOLD


 The smaller paintings—which range in size from 4x4" up to 5x7"—  are reduced from $125 down to $50 each, or 3 for $140. Shipping $10.00. Just email me and let me know by name which ones you're interested in and I'll send you an invoice.

Please feel free to visit my gallery at dailypainters.com and suzanneberry.com for more.

Thank you so much for dropping by.