1063 Flirtatious

 It's really nice not having to purchase flowers for my still lifes.  I just go to my roof and pick them.

Tomorrow begins the Strada Easel 2021 30-day September challenge, during which artists from all around the world paint a painting every day and post them to social media and to Strada's site.  Although I have painted most every day for many years, this will be fun and challenging in a different way.   I hope you will follow my progress.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/1063-flirtatious/924183

942 Time and Time Again

Happy New Year!  It's been quite awhile since I posted a painting, but rest assured I have been painting and even trying some new things.  This painting seemed to be on the easel forever, but I am happy with the result, especially the composition of many props, some of them personal and meaningful. 

My holidays were busy with family visits and the usual baking, cooking and decorating.  I am grateful for and happy with this rather simple recipe for life and happiness.  As I look back on 2019, I would be less than honest if I said it was a perfect year, artistically.  I am still struggling with painting in our fairly new home in a much smaller studio space.  It seems that a move can throw one's artistic mojo off, yes it's a real "thing," I've been told.  I have taken a few classes at the highly esteemed Palette and Chisel, and am considering joining the Plein Air Chicago Painters in the spring.  It would be a good way for me to meet other artists and to get to know the city better.  Although I've been on several plein air painting trips with my Milwaukee Art Lady friends, none have been in an urban setting.  This will be a new challenge and adventure for me.

Very sadly for me and many other artists, patrons and neighborhood folks was the Fall closing of The Leigh Gallery in Lakeview.  The owner of the gallery, Jean Leigh retired to pursue her writing, eventually in beautiful Door County. She and her sidekick Joe were so wonderful to work with and worked so darn hard for me and the other artists she represented.  I dearly love both of them.   They had such a gift for making a person feel like she was the only person in the world that mattered.  When I would walk in the door I was always greeted with enthusiasm, affection, encouragement and lots of laughs.  Boy, do I miss them.

I am happy to report I was asked to return to exhibit my work for my sixth season at The Edgewood Orchard Galleries in Fish Creek Door County, Wisconsin.  The Gallery just celebrated their 50th anniversary.  I am thrilled to be a part of this gorgeous gallery in very prestigious artistic company, though still a freshman with just five years under my belt.

I am optimistic for the future, and hope you are too.  Our world is very complicated right now, but there is so much to be thankful for if we are open to it.  I wish all of you a healthy and healthy 2020, filled with many blessings, and hopefully the gift of art.

https://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/942-time-and-time-again/778966

822 Inner Conflict

As you may recall, I have been working on a large quilt for a friend/client/collector.  She is a person who appreciates handmade quilts, and in this age when you can buy a cheap quilt at Marshalls/TJ Maxx for your guest room, she is willing to have something beautiful and hand made.  I could not appreciate her any more!  My Left Brain (analytical) has taken over in this process, temporarily displacing Left Brain (creative), despite my efforts to keep both parties engaged.  I keep dreaming of quilts and plans to use the piles and piles of highly organized fabric (according to color).  It doesn't help that my Garden Club is organizing our first garden tour, "Quilts in the Garden," for July of 2017.
SO, quilts are on my mind, which means Left Brain is highly active.

My client requested NOT to see any images of the quilt before completion, so I will not post until it is back from the quilter and then bound.  I finished the piecing the quilt and took it to Patched Works to be quilted on Friday.  I am hoping my Right Brain will take over and allow me to paint freely.

I have always felt an internal conflict in who I want to be as an artist.  Part of me LOVES realism and painting what I see, and the other part of me wants to bust out and go crazy, but I find that much more difficult to do.  So this week, I slapped some oil paint on some canvases without paying attention to anything (Right Brain). Then I went in with my compass and pencil and divided into shapes (with my Left Brain).  Hence the title of the painting, "Inner Conflict."  I have a new rubber tipped tool that I used to remove the paint in the triangles and circles, leaving the neutral grey visible.  I am curious to see what this looks like with white or black in the triangles/circles.    Although this painting is only 6" x 6", I think it could be any size.

807 Orchid Cactus

I've had several projects going at the same time in the last couple of weeks, and in one recent day,  I painted with three different mediums---oil, acrylic, and watercolor---hopping from project to project.

I am enjoying a renewed interest in watercolor.   Watercolor was my first love as far back as high school, then post-college, but I've set them aside for many years.  These are not the same watercolors as they used to be---they have so much more pigment, and are so vibrant!

I took the reference photo for this painting at the Lincoln Park Conservatory on the grounds of the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.  I love going there in any season to see all the beautiful plant life.

"807 Orchid Cactus"
watercolor -

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/807-orchid-cactus/498911


www.dianecampion.blogspot.com

707 Sisters

There are a lot of things I could write about, but I will keep it short.  This painting started out as something entirely different, though based on a very simple sketch from long ago.  Little Sister had a prettier color dress giving her more importance, Big Sister had no bow, giving her less importance.  Little Sister had red hair and pink complexion.  I am happier with both sisters feeling special with red bows.

It took great restraint to abstain writing about my sister.  It would have been a very different and very  lengthy post.  I could have told you about the time she......   but I won't.

"707 Sisters"
acrylic - 8x6 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/707-sisters/419565

700 Simple Joys

Two Saturdays ago, the Art Ladies visited the Taos Farmer's Market with the mission to purchase items for our still lifes, which we later set up at the Hacienda del Sol courtyards to paint.  It was interesting to see what the others purchased and even more fun to see their set ups.  My stash consisted of these flowers, two eggplants and a beautiful bunch of green onions, some of which made it into this still life.  Ha!  I bet you thought they were leaves of some sort.  The black and white dotted table covering is my scarf, and the container for the flowers is a sturdy coffee mug I purchased for my husband.  Even more fun to see was that all of our veggie purchases made it into the next morning's breakfast, prepared by Chef Gerd.    All in all, it was a glorious day.

"700 Simple Joys"
acrylic - 20x20 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/700-simple-joys/417625

691 You Look Lovely Today

The eggplants from Springdale Farm were so beautiful that I wish I had painted a different view of them so that more of the color showed.  One of them is gigantic and the other much smaller, so they looked like Mutt and Jeff, whoever they are.

The complementary palette is my favorite.

"691 You Look Lovely Today"
acrylic - 7x5 in

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/691-you-look-lovely-today/413340

522 Cuties in the Oak Leaf Bowl

My oak leaf bowl has housed an overflowing Vitamin C supply for the last several days.  I've been trying to rid myself of a miserable cold, so the pile has dwindled quite a bit.

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/522-cuties-in-the-oak-leaf-bowl/298712

474 Farmers' Market Beets and Artichokes

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/474-farmers-market-beets-and-artichokes/272591

463 Lanterns on the Ledge

I have a teal planter in my kitchen bay window and the Chinese Lanterns look so pretty there. 

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/diane-campion/463-lanterns-on-the-ledge/259821