"When Life Gives You Lemons" Contemporary Still Life Oil Painting by Arizona Artist Mary Opat

"When Life Gives You Lemons" Contemporary Still Life Oil Painting by

Arizona Artist Mary Opat

 

7" x 5" Oil on Panel

 

This little still life was fun to paint.  To view or purchase my

original oil paintings, please follow this link to my web site

http://www.maryopat.com

Life is Art...Paint Your Dreams!

Demonstration Preparation by Pamela Blaies

An Orange and a Silver Pitcher Study

12" x 9"

oil on linen

I'm finally starting to recover from "the crud." It is nice to be feeling better. Painting this study of an orange and a silver pitcher yesterday was just the way to get warmed up for the painting demonstration I will be doing for the Weatherford Art Association on Monday evening. I'll have less than an hour to paint so it should be fun to watch! Come on out if you are around the area. It will be at the Firehouse Gallery, 119 Palo Pinto, Weatherford, Texas, starting around 7 pm.

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New Year's Resolution by Pamela Blaies

Bright Rosy Morning

24" x 18"

oil on linen

Playing, staying up way too late and sleeping in was fun over the holidays, but I'm glad to be getting a little order back in my life. My New Year's Resolution is to work on keeping a peaceful balance in my life between all that I am trying to juggle. I find when I am disciplined about the time I spend in the studio, I am able to keep my art from taking away from my family and "mom" time. It worked pretty well this week, except I ignored all housework. Oh well - I guess something's gotta give!

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Happy Anniversary to Me! by Pamela Blaies

Polished Silver Shine

18" x 14"

oil on linen

Today is my wedding anniversary of 16 years! My sweetheart is a great husband and father. Without his support, I would never be able to survive this crazy artist life! I'm thankful for him every day.

Here is a brand new painting I just finished yesterday. I enjoyed the challenge of creating atmosphere around the pitcher to make the freshly polished silver pitcher shine right off the canvas.

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Busy Weekend Filled with Beauty by Pamela Blaies

Antique Roses - SOLD

Two art receptions kept me busy over the weekend. I was thrilled with the gorgeous opening reception for my solo show at the Goodrich Gallery in downtown Dallas. There was a nice turnout and several pieces sold during the opening including "Antique Roses."  If you didn't get a chance to make it to the opening, stop by and see it sometime this month - it is worth the trip!

Click the photo above to see the painting video of Antique Roses

At the Breckenridge Fine Art Center, I got to visit with other artists and collectors at this year's stunning national juried exhibit.  It is on display through September 7th and I'm honored to be included with my piece "Apples and an Antique Pitcher."

Apples and an Antique Pitcher

14" x 11

oil on linen

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97, 98, 99.....by Pamela Blaies

Citrus and a Mason Jar

9 1/4" x 7 5/8"

oil on panel

I am excited to announce that my Petite Painting Project - 100 Paintings in 100 Days is almost complete.  In celebration of posting the 99th Petite Painting, I am putting "Citrus and a Mason Jar" up for auction today with a petite starting bid of just $99.  This painting is all about reflections and light. Citrus colors add warmth to the cool composition.  

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How Bout Them Apples? by Pamela Blaies

Granny Smiths and a Copper Pitcher

7" x 5"

oil on linen panel

I've been intrigued lately with these little Granny Smith apples I found at the market. I love their color and that they are so shiny and polished that they catch the light fabulously. Here I paired them with a copper pitcher. Check out my dailypaintworks site to see more of these delightful green apples.

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Life's a Bowl of Cherries by Pamela Blaies

Bowl of Cherries

5" x 7"

oil on linen

SOLD

I love to paint cherries, but had a hard time getting my hands on any to paint over the winter and spring. The other day I was so excited when I found them at the market. I promptly bought 2 bags - one to eat and one to paint. Then I went on a little cherry painting binge. "Bowl of Cherries" just sold, but check my daily paintworks gallery to see more cherry paintings!

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Taming Pthalo by Pamela Blaies

Apples and Antique Silver

6" x 6"

oil on linen

I've gotten a little behind on my posting and blogging. It's been a fun and full week with the kids' end of school parties, getting them ready for camp and my mom visiting. Today I will be working on painting #71 of 100. This petite painting project is so fun - experimenting with color and light, exploring composition and daily practice! On this one, I used Pthalo Blue instead of Ultramarine, just to see what it can do. It is strong and a little tough to tame, but wow, what beautiful deep reds it can make!

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Accepted into the Oil Painters of America 2013 Juried Salon Show by Pamela Blaies

Copper Kettle with Lemons

12" x 24"

oil on linen

I was excited to find out that my painting Copper Kettle and Lemons was juried into the Oil Painters of America 2013 Juried Salon Show. It will be held at the Crooked Tree Arts Center in Petosky, Michigan and will run from June 20 - Augus 31,2013. There is a reception on June 21 from 5 - 9 pm. Although the show is way up in Michigan, I sure hope I'll be able to make it!

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Petite Painting #11 by Pamela Blaies

Red Grapes in a Glass

6" x 6"

oil on linen panel

Here is Petite Painting #11.  This painting is all about the light which seems to bounce all over this painting.  I toned the linen a bright red to start out. I think this really made a difference in the red grapes looking luminous, since the reddest-red was directly applied to the white canvas.  I used the palette knife to highlight the grapes, stem and the cup's shadow and was able to get the glass to really light up with crisp, thick pure white highlights.

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Warm Winter White by Pamela Blaies

Elegant Pear

12" x 9"

oil on linen

I worked on this still life set up a little yesterday, but it never looked quite right. This morning, I changed the white napkin to an off-white one. Wow - that subtle temperature difference just knocked me out! I love the way the soft, antique white works with these colors to give a beautiful feeling to this piece.

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Stocking Stuffers - Daily Study #3 by Pamela Blaies

Comparing Apples to Oranges

10" x 8"

oil

For this little painting, I dug around my fridge to find models. I used a stiff brush for the shadows and the highlights on the table, which let some of the toned canvas show through, giving a textured, transparent look.  Then I used a knife for most of the lighted areas of the fruit.

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ORANGE POTPORRI by Dottie Martz

Original oil on  12x16  linen panel.          website:  dottiemartz.com

"Racing Apples" by Kelli Miller

Don't these apples look like they are trying to escape? Maybe they are running away from the pairing knife:)