A lot going on this weekend in Tulsa

I have two paintings in the International Mayfest this year

Scott's band, Marked Tree will be performing at the Mayfest Bartlett Stage on Saturday

And.... Our garden is on the Audubon Garden Habitat Tour where I will have copies of my book, Claire Goes Foraging for sale.  I will also be on hand to show you wild foods that you can find in most Oklahoma yards that are nutritious and delicious.

24th Wildlife Habitat Garden Tour & Plant Sale

Saturday, May 20 9 am - 5 pm 
 Sunday, May 21 Noon - 5 pm
(Rain or Shine)
Adult Admission Donation $6 Children under 13 Free
Featuring 5 northwest Tulsa Gardens with Native Plant Sales and additional information at each garden:
546 N. 27th W. Ave.
Wild Things Nursery, Oklahoma Native Plant Society, Monarch Watch

1424 W. Easton Pl.
 Duck Creek Farm, WING-IT

639 N. Cheyenne Ave.
Utopia Gardens, Bird Houses by Mark

1135 N. Denver Ave.
Pine Ridge Gardens, Oxley Nature Center, Oklahoma Wildcrafting

636 N. Denver Ave.
Missouri Wildflowers Nursery, Tulsa Audubon Society, Northeast Oklahoma Beekeepers Association
For complete information and maps see tulsaaudubon.org/wildlifehabitatgardentour.htm or call 918 521-8894

GALLERY.MAILCHIMP.COM

Garden Walk

A sketch made last year in my garden.  I need to take another photo of this as this photo doesn't do the painting justice.

A Day in the Garden

Tis the season for painting in the garden.  gosh, trying to find a 3 hour stretch where there is no rain in the forecast is tricky but we did it.  I had my adult class over for painting in the garden yesterday.  We had such a wonderful day.  We did one sketch that we will work with in the studio next week to finish.  I don't have a lot to do to finish my sketch but will work on it a bit.  Here are some pics of the day.  You will find them in my ebay auction when finished.  Until then here is one that is up for bid now.

We are having a pretty amazing...early... Spring around here.  This painting of the cherry blossoms and lilacs is the first of the season with hopefully more to come.  The middle paitning is on auction this week on Ebay.  CHECK IT OUT

Portrait

My adult class wanted to learn some techniques to do a portrait in oil so I lead them through a step by step method used by the old masters.  First a wash of burnt umber, then a sketch in burnt umber w shadows, lights... like a sepia toned old photo.  Next a spray of damar retouch varnish, after it dries apply a transparent layer of skin tone, sky, grass etc.  Last step is opeque paint.  or maybe one more step... you can apply another glazing coat on the final piece to give warmth to the cheeks for instance.
Anyways here is the process using  a painting by Thayer as a jumping off point.  The finished piece is on ebay auction this week.  To Visit my Ebay Gallery.... CLICK HERE 

White Blossoms and Lemons

I began this painting as a demonstration for my adult painting class.  I really liked the set up and decided to put on some finishing touches and put it up for auction this week.  A cheery painting to go to a good home ;-)

Would you like to bid on this painting, or visit my online Ebay Gallery, CLICK HERE

Gearing up for May Shows

Gosh, there are a lot of things coming up for me.  The last week in April my painting, " King of the Prairie," will be in a fundraising auction for a local charity.
May 4  I will have a painting in Chris Mantle's Gallery show.
May 14 a couple paintings in the fund raiser for Crossroads local charity
May 15 Mayfest international will get two paintings for their show ( Scott's band will perform at Mayfest this year at the Bartlet Square stage)
May 20 and 21 our yard will be featured for their walking tour and I will have some paintings for sale

Standing Nude oil on 11x14 canvas

I need to take a better photo of this painting.  Sorry for the blurry face... I have another day of auction on this piece.  To visit my ebay auction site, and gallery, CLICK HERE

Foragers

I was playing around with this painting today and as I was scrolling through my many paintings I began to notice how many paintings I had done with woman foraging.  I never intended to paint all these paintings but I guess you gravitate towards things you love and they show up in your work whether you mean them to or not.  I love to forage, take walks and explore the wild places.  I am committed to the preservation of our gifts of land, water, air and of course the biodiversity that sustains us.

Herbalist outstanding in her field.... or is she out standing in her field?  ;-)  Either way... This is my friend, Louise who had visited my house and gotten a little chilly as she went out to my garden to see what I had growing out there, and borrowed my red shawl.... and no, this isn't a painting of my garden.  I combined a couple of photos to create this painting.  Since I love to forage and ramble around the fields around our home, I decided to put her in a field of flowers.

To visit this painting in my ebay auction and hang out in my ebay gallery, CLICK HERE

Here are some more paintings along those same lines

Reclining Nude

This is a painting done from the Gilcrease Museum's Life Drawing group.  It is on auction right now in my ebay gallery  Click Here

If a painting stays at my house for over a year....

They say a painting is never finished until the artist sells it.  If you leave them with us long enough and we are constantly growing as artists, we sometimes see things that we either missed or that might make our painting a better painting.  that is what happened with this painting.  The painting was "competed " around 10 years ago.The dark background was painted a couple of weeks ago.  You may also some more subtle changes to the face and hair.
To bid on the painting as it is now.... Click Here  This link will take you into my ebay gallery.

a few of our airbnbs in Tulsa

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6861892

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4794324

The courtyard at an Abby in Provence, France oil painting

To Bid or visit my Ebay gallery, CLICK HERE

A couple of years ago we had the pleasure of visiting a friend who happens to be a sister at this wonderful abbey in Provence.  I can't think of a better vacation... someone else doing the cooking... cooking fresh from the garden in the French way, eating in the courtyard with new friends from around the world, and left to my own devices during the day to paint.  Everywhere I looked was beauty, poppies in the fields, almond orchards, lavender fields.... everywhere I turned.

Berry Picker

One of the girls from the wildcrafting group that I belong to ( think wild food foraging ) sent me this photo of her grand daughter who was picking berries at a creek near our house.  I asked if I could use the photo to create a painting and she said, " yes." This one is on my ebay auction right now where you are more then welcome to bid on it.  If you click the link, you will find yourself on the page where you can view, bid, or visit the rest of my ebay gallery.  Click Here

Still Life with lemons and Silver by Margaret Aycock

This is a little peek into my class.  The top pic is about day 3 on our still life and the bottom one is a nearly finished painting that I did as the demo.  I think I will play w the bowl a little before signing it and maybe the foreground.
Would you like to bid on this piece on ebay, or visit my ebay gallery for more painting auctions?  Click Here.

Prints are ready!

I recently posted a couple paintings on facebook and got tons of feedback with 3 different people wanting me to make prints of them so I took them to the giclee guy who is scanning them tomorrow only to have 2 of the guys back out saying they couldn't afford it. and that was with prices starting at $75 for an 11x14!!! So I have the expense of getting them scanned and proofed so I figured I would throw it out there. Anyone know someone who wants a cool print ( 8x10 $25, 16x20 $95, 20x24 $145 )
The original is 20x24 and sells for $1800.
Send me a note if you are interested in any of the above and I will get back with you w a paypal address or we can do it by phone or email on Square.  I am throwing a couple other ideas atcha' below... a couple other favorites that would make great giclees.  (same price for paper or canvas unstretched)

SOLD! Study for 'King of the Prairie

Paint where you are.

I was thinking about this the other day, how so many people put anything 'other' or 'foreign'  as somehow more beautiful, more interesting than where they live.  I think of friends who mention how beautiful France is, for instance.  ( And it is beautiful ) but then for those who have eyes to see, Oklahoma is amazingly beautiful.  We may not have fields of red poppies but I would put up any Osage fall with the golden rod, the broom and the red sumac against any field of poppies.  They are equally beautiful.  Paint where you are and you will begin to open your eyes to the beauty that already exists for you.  You don't need to travel more than a few steps or a few miles right outside your door to find it.  

Here is a link to one more beautiful place in Oklahoma that is for sale on ebay  Berry Picker

Painting the Figure

I thought it might be fun to visit the process that I go through on some of my figure paintings.  The final painting is actually available for sale on ebay.  The process photos are from a painting that has been sold.  Feel free to visit my ebay gallery by clicking here.

Pansies

This little painting was started in my class.  They wanted a challenge and this was it! They found those pretty little flowers were not as easy to paint as they had hoped.  I enjoyed the journey with them though.    

To Bid or just visit My Ebay Gallery CLICK HERE

Heber Srpings water falls

I just put this pretty little painting on auction on Ebay.  This was painted after a trip to Heber Springs, Arkansas last year.  What a pretty place.  I love just about anywhere there is the sound of running water.... unless it is a leaking hot water tank after an earthquake ;-)  That is a story for another day though.  The running water from this crystal clear, cold stream was welcome on a hot summer hike into the woods.
To visit this painting in my ebay gallery and see more of my oil paintings, CLICK HERE