Small Treasures Exhibit

A full house this evening at the Reception for Small Treasures! It quickly became too crowded to take pictures, so this is the best I have for now. The show will be up until April 18. It's a real honor to be included in this wonderful selection and I have a feeling many of these will sell quickly. Also, beautiful new works are up in the rest of the Cary Gallery of Artists and there was a great reception at Village Arts Gallery next door for Cady Driver and Susan Soper. 

Aloha!

Moonscape Study

I wish I could find the photo reference to give credit where due...let me know if you know! This is a study done in watercolor class taught by Rocky Alexander. It's been a great class! Do check out her website!

http://www.roxannalexanderartworks.com

Aloha!

Training

Maybe I haven't mentioned it in the blog yet, but the next session of Ultimate Painting will be on April 24 in Greensboro, NC and I am going to be one of the 12 artists painting. Nope, I have never done anything like it! Based on my experience watching the Paint-Outs at the PSOA conferences, it will be really good fun to watch! And very intense for those of us painting!

So, I am training! I got the cheapest acrylics I could find in only the colors we will be given and am setting the timer for 20 minutes and painting! Right now, I'm just trying to figure out what these pigments do (and do not) and how much painting I can get done in 20 minutes. 

I won't be sharing all of these exercises, but thought I'd let you in on the gig! And if you're at all going to be around, get a ticket for $10 and come out and have fun. There will be an hour of painting (3 heats), an auction of all the paintings and a good time!

Aloha!

http://ultimatepainting.com/event/up40/

Late Morning

A soft sort of morning, before the clouds completely took over and the rain came and redid the cleaning crew's work and the cars filled up the lot. Outside the shops and not enough coffee in the world for me! As far as this little bronze couple is concerned, the seat's always taken. 

Aloha!

Please follow the link to purchase or see other available art by Melle

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/352322

Contra Lateral Floral

Back to the Daily Paintworks Challenges! This one was to paint a scene using only one's non-dominant hand! Since I don't have full use of either arm right now, this was almost ridiculous in awkwardness trying not to knock it all over in my lap!

Have also been wanting to try the "sight size" method. I needed all the help I could muster! The flowers were brought over by a friend for a dinner party and are the more delightful for that happy memory....

Aloha!

Please follow the link to purchase this or other available artworks

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/352323

Fast

So, I had an appointment to get to, and thoughts of the Ultimate Painting competition coming up, so I set a timer for 20 minutes and started in with the new Charvin Watercolor Pastel set I just bought...zing! Twenty minutes goes by fast!  The lake hasn't had much blue color during this winter, so enjoyed that, too!

Now I'm thrilled to be going through Carol Marine's Daily Painting book at our local library. Having this peek pretty much compels buying it...just a great job and so many wonderful and precisely selected examples from many other daily painters. 

Aloha!

A Place to Rest

This is a little plein air sketch from earlier this winter, that I hadn't posted yet. Sent it off to California as a gift for my father-in-law this morning. A lovely spot...I was sitting in a little gazebo and looking down the path. Learning that patience is helpful with watercolors and this is the perfect spot for that. 

Aloha!

North Shore

Back at Crabtree Lake...just a perfect morning and glad to share it. Just to the left, a regular visitor was catching fish as fast as he could cast. Sadly, the fish from this lake are not edible, but he's just out there for the fun and they all go back. At the end of the summer, I bought a little "vintage" (meaning very old) boat and I'm looking forward to getting her out on the water soon! 

Aloha!

Link to purchase on Daily Paintworks

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/353959

Tree Root at Crabtree Lake

Sold

Back for a plein air painting today of this wonderful upended tree root. Have been thinking of painting it and I really enjoyed when I found the boat in front of it today. An interesting couple.

Yesterday was beautiful but it was back to winter today: cold and gray mostly. This was an experiment in gouache, with some watercolor pencil and ink thrown in for good measure. It was good play. 

Aloha!

This painting has been sold and is going to a new home!
Follow the Daily Paintworks link on the right to see my Gallery and available works!

Palms

Updated this photo to reflect the final version. I was interrupted while painting on the beach, had a very nice conversation, and didn't quite finish. This is a bit more like it. 

Aloha!

Promise of Spring

Daffodils are always among the first to show themselves and cheer us up with their promise. I wanted to keep the darkness, which is still with us, in this little painting. First day in a while that I've gotten to  more than sketch or paint in class and it felt so good. I've been holding my breath. 

Aloha!

To purchase or to view other available artwork, please visit

http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/350002

Sketches

L

The need to do a portrait finally won. I'll tell that story later, but for now let's just say I've been painting like crazy but not posting. So I thought I'd share some sketches I've done lately...

All from Crabtree Lake...

Winter will end...winter will end....say it with me...winter will end...

Aloha!