Smoky Mountains Completed

It seems it has been a long time since I posted a blog.  I've been busy and am happy to say I finished (finally) my oil painting of a Smoky Mountain scene.  I had visualized how it would look over our mantle and was happy the finished project matched my vision.  I think earlier I had blogged about this old gold leaf frame I found at the Purple Heart Thrift Store.  I was looking for an old traditional ornate frame like this and knew the instant I saw it that it was the one!  It was actually a framed mirror, I threw away the old mirror. I did have to make an effort to make the canvas board fit the odd dimensions of the old frame.  Paying only $20 for this deal-of-a-frame, the extra effort was worth it.

Today I prime a wall of our dining room for a mural I am painting.  I have yet to decide on a design.  Of course I can't help but blog about it so I will share my design later and some progress on it

 

A thought for the day:

If life gives you melons, you might be dyslexic.

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First Oil Painting in Decades



Yesterday I was playing around making a still life
and photographed this.



Today I worked on my oil painting of the Smoky Mountains.  What a hectic week it has been!  It has been decades since I have painted in oils. I am not quite sure why that is true.  Today it occurred to me how much I was enjoying painting. Add all the art experience of decades and I can see how much I have improved in oil painting.  Honestly, the last time was probably in my late teens.  My first oil painting was of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.  I should have saved it!  I remembered it not being that great but probably not bad for my first time.



Years ago my aunt gave me a huge collection of brushes
and oil paints.  They are still good and are what I am using now.

I appreciate that my aunt gave me these art supplies years
ago. 



... and more tubes of oil paint she gave me.



Had to turn on the smooth jazz station before I started painting.

A small segment of the foreground of my painting.  I am making some
progress!  The painting
is quite large at 26" by 34".

(Sorry for the glare on the painting)

I can't wait to post it when it is finished, framed and hanging over our mantel.  The next project is a dining room mural.