Peach Fuzz

30 in 30 Days Challenge  Day 30

This the last day of the 30 day challenge and it has been difficult and yet so rewarding.  I've learned so much from this but the biggest take away is that it has gotten me to dive right in and start painting quickly.  I used to labor over it in my mind as to what I would paint, how big, the colors, the composition etc, and now I am putting my brush to the canvas as soon as I start.  It's removed the fear that I felt before starting, the fear of failing, the pressure that it had to be good, the thought that others had to like it.  Now I'm just painting for me, for my knowledge, trying new things, trying transparent colors, trying palette knife, try to paint fuzz.  Yeah, fuzz.. That was not easy.  I labored over these peaches and want to try them again because peaches are a real challenge for me.  To paint something soft seems harder to me than to paint something hard or shiny.   So, I've learned about painting, but more so, I've learned about myself, and I'm still learning what evokes emotion in the choices of what I paint.  I am planning a new piece, larger, to be a landscape with people in it.  I've chosen a picture I took at a French farmers market of several older french men who met Saturday morning at the market. They are so cute.  I think that will be my next piece.  Be on the lookout.  Follow my blog for new paintings that I will post here first.

Peach Fuzz

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6 x 6

Brussel Sprouts

30 in 30 Days Challenge Day 29

It's getting close to the end of the 30 day challenge and it's been a fantastic experience.  It takes me so much less time to get into the painting now.  I going to try to keep this going as I have always heard that painting or drawing each day helps you to improve.  

Don't you just love Trader Joes?  I was there today and they had these wonderful Brussel Sprouts and they just looked like they would be fun to paint.  

Blue Ridge Bridge

30 in 30 Days Challenge  Day 28

This babbling brook was on our way home from the Blue Ridge Mountains in NC in the Springtime.  Spring is so beautiful up there.

Blue Ridge Bridge

Diane Plaisted 

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

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Prompt Piggy

30 in 30 Day Challenge  Day 27

My kitchen timer was left on a table last night and he just kept staring at me.  A perfect model that doesn't move, so I painted him.  Named him Prompt Piggy since he's always on time.

Prompt Piggy

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

Martini Fixings

30 in 30 Days Challenge   Day 26

Martini Fixings

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord 6x6

Palm Desert Glow

30 in 30 Days Challenge Day 25

I can't express what a great excercise it has been to paint daily.  I tend to spend more time than neccessary picking my subject matter, but it is not what you pick as much as it is how you paint it.  Regardless of what you pick, you can still work on the composition part.  So, moving quickly to select a subject and then painting quickly has been so helpful.  I subscribe to Duane Keiser's blog and he recently painted an acorn on an old book and made it look amazing.

This painting is from a picture I took in Palm Desert at the base of the Aerial Tramway.  You don't see many trees with leaves and these were so brilliant that I have really wanted to express that.   I loved the interesting rocks too.

Palm Desert Glow

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

Sardines in Oil

30 in 30 Days Challenge Day 24

My Mom used to come up to stay with us in the summer and at Christmas.  My kids loved having Gramme here.  One Christmas she taught us all (even me) a game from her childhood - Sardines.  It's simple and fun.  One person hides (just like hide-n-seek) and when you go to find the person, if you spot them, you must hide with them.  So eventually people disappear till one is left searching alone. We have had some hysterical times.

My sardines painting was just my fascination with shiny surfaces and here I got 3 in one painting, the sardines, the can, the utensil.

Sardines in Oil

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

To Buy: Click here

Peppers

30 in 30 Days Challenge  Day 23

This was so much fun.  I user a new technique I learned this summer to paint these colorful peppers.  

Peppers

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

Summer Produce

30 in 30 Days Challenge Day 22

Getting ready for dinner and this fresh corn was so perfect to paint.  It will have to be tomorrows dinner.

Summer Produce

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

Lemons and Grapes

30 in 30 Days Challenge Day 21

I'm running behind in my daily challenge postings - I'm doing the paintings but haven't had time lately to post them and add them to Daily Paintworks, so I'm trying to get caught up this weekend.  Thank goodness for weekends!

I did a quick painting yesterday of grapes to understand how to paint them.  Alot of times when an object has a lot of parts, I get caught up in the details and didn't want to do that with these.  I was happy with how this came out.  I love to throw pots - this bowl was one I made a few years back.

Lemons and Grapes

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

To Buy: Click here

Grape Study

30 in 30 Day Challenge Day 20

I've always loved the way Carol Marine paints and I've wanted to try grapes ever since I saw hers.  This was my first attempt and a quick study.   

Grape Study

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

To buy:Click here

Windowsill Bouquet

30 in 30 Days Challenge   Day 15

In France we drove by many sunflower fields but one field was very close to the road so we stopped for photos and soon noticed that they had their faces turned the wrong way. Although they still appeared yellowish, they had their backs turned on us and they weren't as vibrant as they could have been.  We learned that the sunflowers face the sun and as the sun moves throughout the day, so do the sunflowers.  I wish we had gotten to see them on the return trip so we could have seen their sunny faces.

I am always challenged by sunflowers. But these were just crying out to be painted as they sat on my windowsill.

Windowsill Bouquet

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

To Buy:  Sold

Plum Crazy

30 in 30 Day s Challenge  Day 14


Today's challenge is something I've always wanted to paintI.  Plums.  I love the contrast of the deep colors against a light background.

Plum Crazy

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

To Buy:  click here

One to Fry

30 in 30 Days Challenge    Day 13

Fried green tomato anyone?  We don't get much sun in our yard for a garden but  planted just a few tomato plants this year in a corner where the sun hits. This is all we've gotten and it's September.   This bunch broke off and I loved the green tomato against the red ones.  Two to eat, "One to Fry".


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One to Fry

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6
SOLD

Summer Cherrystones

30 in 30 Day Challenge   Day 12

These clam shells were more fun to paint than I expected. Clam shells are basically grey but when you look hard, you start to see other colors.  I'm also struggling a litte to see what compositions work better in a square painting, as  I'm used to painting on rectangular board. 

Summer Cherrystones
Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

Irma's Tomatoes

30 in 30 Days Challenge  Day 11

I painted a large watercolor of a country store's outdoor produce several years ago and was taken by the tomatoes, but found them difficult to represent the smooth shiny skin of the tomato.  So, I've wanted to try painting tomatoes in oil.  When I saw these summer tomatoes from Irma's I couldn't resist.

Irma's Tomatoes

Oil on Gessoboard 6x6

Lavender Fields Forever

30 in 30 Day Challenge  Day 10

We visited lavender fields in France, a truly wonderful experience. While the plants are beautiful to look at, the scent of the lavender fills the air and the sound of the bees ... yes bees/   They are all so busy buzzing in the flowers that you can stand right in the middle of the lavender and hear an amazing buzzing sound.  I suppose that since lavender calms you, it helps relax you while surrounded by so many bees.  But truly all they want is the lavender.

Lavender Fields Forever 

Oil on Gessoboard, 6x6

Apple Slice

30 in 30 Day Challenge  Day 9  

Apples are always fun to  paint, but painting a sliced one was even better.

Apple Slice

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessobord, 6x6

Chopping Block Cabbage

30 in 30 Days Challenge  Day 8

I love the intricacy of all the leaves and curls in a cabbage.  It's another painting in my Chopping Block series.  In the next day or two I hope to have these posted to my Daily Paintworks site for sale. You can view my gallery at http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/diane-plaisted-4200/artwork.

Chopping Block Cabbage

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessoboard, 6x6

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Chopping Block Pablanos

30 in 30 Days Challenge  Day 7

I love the challenge of making something look shiny so I thought peppers would be fun to paint. These are pablano peppers.

Chopping Block Pablanos

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessoboard, 6x6

Sold

Chopping Block Choy

30 in 30 Day Challenge: Day 6

Thought I'd take a break from my French photos.   Went to the grocery store this morning and I love painting vegetables on my chopping block.  This is the 3rd of a series, bok choy.

Chopping Block Choy

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessoboard, 6x6

Sold

Le Coq Francais

30 in 30 Challenge: Day 5

We visited a lavender farm which had this rooster strutting around the grounds.  This is my first attempt at using just a palette knife and using  values rather than the actual color.

Le Coq Francais

Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessoboard 6x6

Medieval House Stairs

30 in 30 Challenge Day 4

One of the buildings at Le Vieux Couvent was called the Medieval House which was built in the 1400's.  It was full of character and charm.  I was fascinated by the way the light played on the old staircase leading to up to the home in Frayssinet.   

Medieval House Stairs
Diane Plaisted

Oil on Gessoboard 6x6
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Frayssinet Geraniums

30 in 30  Challenge:   Day 3

I've decided to take the plunge and go for the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge with Leslie Saeta although I'm starting on day 3.   I'm really excited to be part of it.  My first painting is a French potted geranium sitting on a ledge across the street from Le Vieux Couvent  in France where I painted with 18 crazy artists under the amazingly fun and talented leadership of  Dreama Tolle Perry.

Frayssinet Geraniums
Diane Plaisted
Oil on gessoboard, 8x8
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