Community Garden in my Neighborhood

I love my neighborhood.  This is what I did on my very cold Saturday.... I helped 40 of my neighbors turn an empty lot into a garden.  We had 2 huge truck loads of manure delivered, tons of leaves and mulch, and cardboard were also delivered.... we made a layer cake of 1st, cardboard, manure, leaves and woodchip mulch.  We created  berms around our fruit trees ( planted 2 years ago ) too.  We had invited a permaculture guy who helped us and guided us.  The neighbors directly across the street fed us all a great lunch... they were thinking maybe 10 or 15 people might show up and rose to the occasion of 40 of us.  Someone else took care of hot coffee and breakfast snacks earlier.  I brought over some nice dry firewood and another neighbor brought some pinon wood and we built a beautiful bonfire to warm us in the drizzle. 

 along this picket fence grows blackberries

 see our cute pavilion in the back ground?

 young folks pitched right in with us

 my bonfire is just getting rolling

almost done... time for lunch

Red Roses

Sister painting to the one on auction this week through ebay.  This one is in my ebay gallery as well.  Check them out... click here

more pennies ( dimes and dollars ) from heaven

Well the other day I was feeling overwhelmed by some pretty big expenses...one rental house needed a new roof, the house next door needed to have the sewer snaked and the rental house my son and I own together, needed a MAJOR sewer repair that involves a $5000 street cut!  Anyways, those who know me, know I have this little theory, superstition, that folks on the other side who love us, send us a message of love and hope by leaving pennies on the ground for us to find.  So I get out of my car at the grocery store and what do I find, but a dime.  At my next stop, I get out of the car and what do I find, but another dime!  Well I put up a " Thanks for the encouragement to Jesus, Dad, Grandma and Beverly and went on my way.  I told Scott what had happened.  As unluck would have it, Scott was having an equally bad day.  When he arrived home very late after doing the radio show he threw something in my lap.  He said " This is what I found when I got out of my car at the station. "  It was a wadded up DOLLAR!... I told him of course that it was a message the he too was greatly loved and that he should put out a " message received to Jesus, Grandma Inez and Grandpa Parker. :-)  We are still muddling through but the refrain from the old Bob Marley song, " Every little thing's gonna be alright... " is echoing through our brains :-)

Mayfest Fiddler 8x10 oil

To bid on this painting and enter into my online auction where I have over 80 paintings on auction for one week only, CLICK HERE

Big auction this week on ebay

I will try to post a painting a day this week as almost every painting in my online gallery is on auction this week in order to raise $$ for a new roof and a new sewer line :-(  .  So if you have had your eye on one of my pieces and it was just out of reach for you, chances are it is within reach this week.  Many are priced less than 1/2 price and some real bargains at less than $40
to bid on this one and enter into my gallery, click here

The Magic Age

If you leave a painting too long in the artist's hands, she is going to end up changing something.  This painting was in the studio and got moved to above the fireplace a couple of months ago.  The longer I looked at it the more something bothered me.  It is great to see your painting with fresh eyes.  Anyways, after working out the problems in my head, I decided it was time to work them out in person.  The stripe on the ball was formerly way to bright and took a lot of attention. ( bad )  The boxes right behind the doll were too dark and needed to be brightened and lightened just a hair in order that the painting become more balanced.  So here is the new piece.  I will look at it a while longer and see if there are any more changes due before re hanging... Now I am thinking one bright marble on the box might just be the ticket :-)  Oh, I almost forgot.... I just put this on sale on ebay for one week.... at 50% off.  What a steal!  One of my favorite paintings.  I have about 6 others on 50% off sale too.  to view and enter into my ebay gallery click here

SOLD! Peaches and Cream 6x6 oil

I reworked this little 6x6 last week and posted to ebay with a very low starting bid and no reserve.  I actually have a couple of peach paintings on auction this week.  Both end in one day.  to bid click here

From that link you may also enter my greater ebay gallery where I house around 80 other paintings.  Always feel free to make an offer. 

China and Art

Well the word on the street is that the art market is being effected by Chinese pretenders.  It has probably been going on for quite a while now and I have been unaware of it.  I have long been aware of the icky "hotel, motel" art that pops up from time to town in traveling convention like sales that sell mass produced oil paintings but now these things are cropping up on ebay and some of them, at first glance, look pretty good. 

A recent drop in sales on ebay has caused me to go looking for the reason why.  Here is what I found.  Lots of very very cheep art produced  in China.  We can't even buy the canvas at the price that some of these "original" work is selling for.... sometimes only a dollar.   From my research on the net and through a personal, well known, artist, friend, apparently, not only is this stuff cheep, it is often stolen from us and reproduced!  My artist friend discovered ugly knock off bronzes that were coming out of China years ago that looked very similar to her own ( only not well made and the faces were unattractive).  They had the gall to even sign her name to the work.  I ran across others in the USA with similar experiences through the internet. 

I hope those of you who purchase art will forgo the cheep imitations coming out of China, and continue to support 'real' artists, working hard in this and other countries around the world.  Many of us work very hard at our craft, spend years honing our skills only to have our hard work stolen and reproduced in China and then sold right back here in the states.  Thanks for reading my little rant.

Quartz Mountain at the Gloaming 8x10 sketch

A trip to Quartz Mountain had me doing a lot of onsite oil sketching.  What a wonderful weekend.  Here is one sketch that was done just a few minutes before the sun set.  We had fun scrambling up onto the mountain shortly after finishing this sketch to try to catch the light and take some photos of ourselves.  Man, does that sun move fast!  We certainly got our exercise and also some great photos.  Ok, so back to this painting.... I just posted this on ebay for auction.  Those wishing to bid or enter into my ebay gallery, can click here

Fairy Tales oil on canvas

I teach adult oil painting in Tulsa.  When I set up this still life for the class I kept coming back to the theme of fairy tales.  This painting doesn't depict any specific tale but has elements of many with the crystal ball ( wizard of oz , snow white.... )  , Black crows ( a symbol of impending doom maybe), a magic wand....books of spells, an apple ( snow white ) an empty box ( treasure, pandora... ) Anyways here is the finished painting which I quite like.  It is on auction this week on ebay with no reserve, starting at $395.  Click here to bid or to see more of my work

Peach 6x6 oil

I was looking over some of my paintings that have been in the studio for a while and decided to rework a couple.  This is one that got a little attention this week and is on ebay at $39 with free shipping this week.  to bid

SOLD1 Red Haired Girl 20x24 oil

This began as a class demo.  I started with several photos.  a few of pretty girls and a few from our trip to the Wichita Mts.  Like Frankenstein, I took a hand from one photo, a face from another, a pretty outfit from another and borrowed the hair from another photo.  All combined into this painting of a lovely girl taking a walk through the woods.  I think all little girls imagine how wonderful it would be to have very long hair.  If we grow up to be artists, we realize our dreams through our painting.

She is on auction this week on ebay .  To visit her on ebay click here

I reworked her flesh a little and then took a photo in a darker room.  Man the color sure is different.  I need to go retake this in light!

Better.  Can you tell what other changes I made?  see below for answer :-)

I took a little bit of hair off the top and left side.  I took a tiny bit off the chin and added a little to the left side of the forehead and left cheek.  I also brought a hint of blue further out to the left to suggest a portion of her dress.  I feel better.

Creativity Bleeds into the Garden "Bed"

A couple of months ago we got rid of a single bed and were left with the problem of the wooden box springs.   I first used them to put on new plants with a glass window on top as a cold frame in the garden.  I have sense given it a new look and decided to use it for its original purpose.... kind of.... as a "bed"  What I decided to do is create a slightly raised bed in my vegetable garden .  Here is how I did it.

 Step one.... and now I wish I hadn't already taken off the cardboard... remove all the fabric covering.

 I had some old fencing and scrap lumber laying around and used them for nailing to the sides.

 Here is the spot where it will rest.  First I will remove the mulch and flatten bed.

 Next I took a bunch of newspapers and cardboard boxes and flattened them out and stuck them under the box.

Then I threw in a bunch of compost and a little garden topsoil, complete with some nice earth worms and hopefully void of cutworm eggs or other nasty beasts.  I will continue to fill the bed with top soil, composted material and perhaps a little cow manure and peat.  I plan on having my little girl dream come true with a canopy bed in the near future as I will start with some cool weather crops and root veggies and ease on into  the summer with squash.  I plan to use a row cover to keep out the evil moths who lay eggs for squash vine borer.  I will beat them yet.

 Dead of winter veggies starting... Lettuce.

e books, my book is available

Just in case you don't already know... my book on oil painting is available for download through createspace and amazon.  I keep noticing more and more artists using tablets while painting and so I have made my book available in that format for those of you who find that is the way you learn best.  My book has great info for those of you who are  trying to learn the craft of oil painting.  The techniques in my book can be transferred  to portrait painting and landscape... the same principals apply.  For those of you who prefer to work with a video, those are available for download too... through createspace and amazon.  You can also order the hard copy, hold in  your little hand stuff from me through this website. 

Make me an offer!... on or off ebay

Just to let you art lovers know that you can always make an offer on anything you see on my Ebay website.  I know that some of these paintings are out of reach for some of my buyers... heck, I can't afford to buy art... BUT.... I am always up for a good deal.... a great barter...so shop on! http://midwest-fine-art.com

Ruby's Slippers

I don't claim to be a tango dancer but I have a lot of fun trying to become one.  This painting was inspired by the tango and by the receipt of the dancing shoes once owned by my husband's Grandma Ruby.... Thus the title, Ruby's Slippers... To bid on this painting click here 

Just for fun, a short video of me painting one object

http://youtu.be/jLy5nQlqmkE

Vintage Green Vase

This fall I went to a garage sale and came across this great little green vase.  I have been wanting to paint it for a while and thought I would set up a still life with it and some of the porcelain dolls I picked up as well.  The dolls scared the students... ( not scared like Steven King scared, scared like " I can't do this... , " scared.  Anyways I took the great dolls out and painted out a tea cup that was in it for a while and all in all came up with a very pleasing study!    This painting is 20x16 on stretched canvas.
 To Bid click here

Remember When

a few fun studies in the Pre Raphaelite vein

Pre Raphaelite Girl in Oklahoma Field 20x24

I am on a Pre Raphaelite kick and a red coat/sweater kick :-)  This painting was done earlier this year but is on auction this week so I thought I would re post.  To Bid

SOLD! Girl Wearing a Red Coat Walking in Snowy Field

We recently attempted to beat the storm out of Arkansas.  We set out on I 40 only to find that the roads were already icing over, the delta fields were covered in a thin layer of snow.  Fortunately when one is in a car that is driven very slowly, you can take non blurry photos out the window.  When I got home I used the photos to create some interesting new paintings.  This is one of the paintings I just completed.  It is on auction through ebay this week.
To Bid

Prairie Walk 16x20 oil

It is Christmas vacation and I get to paint what I want to paint ( not that I don't already do that :-) but since I am not teaching, I like to play.  This painting is a combo of several photos and my imagination.  I really like how it turned out.  I put it on ebay for sale this morning.  If I leave it out over the holidays it may get some more work ( as often is the case ) but perhaps not.

If you would like to purchase or make an offer, see the other things I have been working on over the holiday, click here to visit my ebay gallery.

Big Sale up to 65% off on our Zazzle Stores

Zazzle is having a sale of up to 65% off which includes http://zazzle.com/margaretaycock  and http://zazzle.com/folksalad.  Check them out if you have been wanting a great T shirt, apron, canvas bag, cup and more!

Downtown Heber Springs Window Dressing

While in Heber Springs Arkanas over the holidays we decided to peruse the music shops and art galleries.  Being Christmas, most of the shops were closed but we were entertained instead, by this great dress.... Yes, it is camouflage and pink taffeta... and pink cowboy boots to top of the ensemble.  :-)

Pre Raphaelite Girl 16x20 oil on canvas

In my adult painting class we usually start with a master painting and use it as a jumping off point in which to do a work of our own.  Since I teach demonstration style I like to have the same source material available to all students which in an ideal world, would be a live model but in our case we are working with first time painters and there is a lot to teach about measuring, how to hold the brush, paint mixing, values, etc so it is easiest to work from photos.  I included 2 photos that we used to spark our imaginations.  It is remarkable to watch what everyone comes up with using the same photo.  We often find that there is a slight resemblance to the artist in the work.  Anyways, this one is on auction this week through ebay with a very low start price and no reserve.  

to bid

SOLD ! Sunset on the Gulf 8x10 oil

This is a little painting that I did while on vacation in the Gulf.  I was finally able to break away from the crowd as they all went out for seafood and I got to feed my soul.  It is on auction on ebay for the low start price of $39 with free shipping.  To bid

Scott's Pretty Vangoghish Landscape

I know, I usually only post my own work but this time I am posting one of my favorite student's work.... My husband, Scott.  He has been studying w me for about a year now.  He has finally graduated to have some paintings that are worthy of selling after only a very short time, I might add... Anyways he has sold one already and is on the way to selling a 2nd one this week as it has a bid on it in my ebay gallery.  This one is also in the ebay gallery with a low starting bid of $45 and no reserve.  It is hanging in our kitchen right now and I love to see it there but would be happy to let it go to just the right person :-).
To Bid
To visit my blog
To visit my zazzle store

Big sale on ebay

I just finished having a huge sale at my house.  It reminds me of the old " Little Rascals" series that we watched, growing up.  My artsy, craftsy girlfriends and I got together and decided that we needed to raise a little cash and so we said, " Let's put on a show! "  An art/craft show, that is.  I opened the house from top to bottom and we all set up in every spare room and on top of every spare surface.  We had handmade, Cherokee baskets, hand made ceramic, beaded jewelry, tons of paintings, soaps and more.  After it was all over I decided to extend the sale of smaller items to my ebay auction site where this one is listed for only $29 with no reserve!  Lots more at bargain prices too.
To Bid
To visit my store where you can purchase aprons, cups, bags w my designs

A great sale at our house this weekend