August is House Concert Month at our house...

We have some house cleaning to do to get ready for a month of house concerts.  Our first one is with David Olney and Sergio Webb.  I love those guys.  We usually out grow the house on that one so we have moved the show to the brand new Woody Guthrie Center down town.  I am also excited to have John Moreland open for them.  I am real picky about my music and was otherwise engaged as John hit the stage at someone elses CD release party in Tulsa.  Oh my gosh, I was amazed.  This guy is a poet with the voice of an angel.  Can't wait.  Later on in the month we are hosting, Josh Hardey, Grace Askew, Ben Bedford.  A host of amazing folks.  I need a maid!!!

Peaches III

One more in my series of peaches.  I am so glad I discovered the daily painting idea and the use of small canvases.  Something like fresh fruit needs to be painted quickly to capture it's essence before it changes.  This painting is the 3rd in the series and I can see, when I put them side by side that the leaves are loosing their color now.  hmmm... maybe I should keep them out and keep painting till they just wither away.... No, changed my mind.... gonna eat 'em before they go bad.

 This painting and it's companion paintings are all on ebay this week.  I put 2 of them on auction and one at full price.
To Bid

Peaches

I am having so much fun painting these little studies.  They are 6x6 oils.  I am taking a break from a 3rd painting to post these to ebay.  The peaches were so yummy that I have to paint fast so that I can eat them for supper.

To bid

 

 

Peaches 6x6 oil

We have a community garden in our neighborhood and several years ago a bunch of us laid our money down and invested in fruit trees.  They produce like crazy.  I went over there today and picked a few peaches and a couple handfuls of blackberries and rather than just eat them, I decided it would be better to paint them in the afternoon and eat them in the evening... This is a little 6x6 oil on canvas.  Anyone wishing to purchase for $100 may do so by email : artistswaygallery   at yahoo.com
Want to visit my ebay gallery?  Click here

Prairie Brook

We live near the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve ( you know, where the buffalo roam... )  Well we have a good friend and my husband's co host on NPR's  Folk Salad Radio Show, who loves to go tromping around in the prairie.  We allowed him to be our guide on this day and found ourselves resting beside this beautiful brook.  This was my perfect opportunity to declare a painting stop for myself and allow the guys to trek on without me for an hour or two.  I began this painting on site and followed it later in the studio.  This painting is now on auction on my ebay site.  For the lucky auction winner, I will be willing to take it down from its spot above my fireplace.
To Bid

SOLD! A walk in the Woods 16x20

steal!  I did this as a demo in my adult class.  I always like to start with a master or a great photo of a beautiful woman  and adjust it as I go to make it my own.  Everyone in the class used the same photos and we had a variety of interesting costumes and locations represented in all the paintings.  Anyways this one is on Ebay with no reserve, starting at only $29  just for the  fun of it.
If you would like to join, or start the bidding.... Click Here

sunrise on the Vineyard

This is a painting that I first did on site at a local vineyard.  My class loved it so much that they wanted me to demonstrate the process so that they might be able to paint a similar one.  This is the demo.  It is for sale through my ebay gallery.  By the way, I have one 16x20 painting of a garden picnic for sale through my ebay auction starting at only one penny, just for fun.  See if you can find it and BID!  If the bidding goes over $100 I will ship for free.
My Ebay Gallery

Peoney Garden

I have been working on writing a new book, this one, on painting the landscape.  The process had me up in the studio, looking through paintings to use as examples in the book.  As you might expect, I am coming across paintings that I thought were finished at the time, but having a fresh look at them, I realize, just a touch up here or there would make a better painting.  This is one of those. On the day that I painted this, the fence behind the flowers was a much darker value.  When I took a fresh look at the painting, I decided to grey it down a little and lighten it so that it wasn't fighting for attention with the flowers.   It is on auction right now in my ebay store.  To visit my store and this painting, click here

Provence Rose Garden

Maybe I am finished with this... I am not sure.  I just reworked some of it and toned down the red door as it was fighting with the red roses which I was more interested in having as a focal point... the red door will be another painting, maybe.  Anyways I also added some more climbing vines, put a shadow across the sidewalk ( which now, I think I need more shadow up by the upper path ) and added more greenery by the door. 

It is in my ebay gallery in its current state for the time being but might end up w a little more shadow on the upper path.

to visit my ebay gallery

click here

SOLD! Red Barn

I was keeping my eyes out for cool stuff to paint near the college so that I might take my students plein aire painting.  I ran across this on my way home from school and as luck would have it, had my paints in the car ( you should see my car... it is a studio on wheels complete with still life set ups in the trunk ) .  Anyways I loved that bright red against spring green.
The price is only $35 w no reserve on auction this week.
To Bid

Pre Raphaelite ' poem' .... to honor Summer in Oklahoma

I love taking modern photos, mixing them w old painting, putting the subjects in my neck of the woods and creating a new work in the style of the Pre=Raphaelites.
This one is on auction this week along w several others. Some starting ( w no reserve ) at lower than $100.  To visit this painting in my ebay gallery ( and have access to the rest of my work )
Click here

varnishing paintings today

Man, the varnish really pops the darks.  This is fun.  Provence.... Oklahoma... Equal in beauty.

Cowgirl Dreams

I have finally come to terms with the fact that I live out west.  I grew up on the east cost, near mountains and the ocean.  Now I live in the fair city of Tulsa, OK.  And Oklahoma really IS OK!
This is a painting that I demonstrated to one of my adult classes.  It has a more southwestern look and features an old poster of a rodeo girl.  It is on auction this week w no reserve and a start price at less than 1/2 off retail.
TO BID

TO MY BLOG

Gardening

This is a fun little study that I did on our last week of class.  My students wanted to do a landscape before the semester ended.  I brought in several examples of finished landscapes that we could work from as we couldn't do a plein aire piece because too many people had work to catch up on.  Anyways.... They loved the sky in this one, the flowers in that one, then wanted to put a person in it... so here it is!  Very painterly, fun and cheery.  On auction this week w no reserve starting at only $57.  Someone should snap it up.  There are several others on auction this week so check out my ebay gallery/store from more.
To Bid

My Peoney Garden

Keep a painting in the studio long enough and you are bound to rework it.  This one is on auction this week.  a really pretty little 8x10.  It used to have a darker background but I thought the softer bluer fencing looked better with the bluish shadows in the flowers.

to bid click here  ( very low start price and no reserve )

House Concert w Amelia White and Robert Mache

We had a great show at the house last night.  We are so blessed to have these amazing musicians/ singer/ songwriters in our very own home.  Two weeks ago we had the Stray Birds staying w us and shared their music w our house concert crowd.


                                                                        Amelia White

 

Stray Birds

A naturalist's Desk

It takes a great class to get me out of my comfort zone.  I open the discussion for themes for our next painting and ask for students to bring things from home.  I love that because It gets me away from my own still life stuff and opens me up to new ideas AND gets the class involved in setting up their own painting.  I actually set up the painting but with lots of input from students... Eventually they will need to be able to set them up from scratch and come up w decent compositions so It helps to give them some practice at that in a setting where they can get input from me.  Anyways this is what we came up with using an old drawing from my house, branches gathered in the woods by me, some of my favorite stones and pencil box.  Students brought bird nest, eggs, back drop, glass vase and a few other things that didn't make it into my painting.  This is on auction this week through ebay
I have written a full color book on the process of painting a painterly still life in oils and have several teaching DVDs in my Blog.

To Bid

Dreaming of the West

To Bid

I set up this still life for my new students this past spring.  We like to weed out the weak ones in the herd right at the start.  Those angles scared some of them away but those who stuck with it were soooo happy.  They surprised themselves as their first attempt at painting ( and drawing ) in oil turned out so well.  I teach demonstration style which is how I learned a lot in a very short time, and those of you who take workshops know how well this method works.  Anyways I taught my students a lot about using their brush to determine angles, measure for placement, and how to hold the brush for different effects.  So many new students come to me thinking that you hold the brush like a pencil.  Those old habits are hard to break but well worth the effort.  You can read more about my methods of teaching still life in my book which can be purchased through my blog , and through ebay.  If watching a video floats your boat, I have those too :-)

My Garden

A little Plein Aire painting in my garden.  This painting was exhibited this time last summer at the Governor's Gallery in the State Capitol Bldg
To purchase and visit my ebay gallery and auctions, click here

I have 4 pieces in the More Color Exhibition starting Thursday, the 13th of June

More Color Exhibition at the Equality Center
You Oklahoma folks stop by for great food, great entertainment, and it goes with out saying, great art..... Oh, and it is FREE!

Little Red Barn

Bidding starts at only $35 on this painting.  It is 9x11 or 11x14 or so... gotta go measure to be sure.  Oil on stretched canvas.  Saw this on the way to my painting class and decided to do a plein aire painting on the way home.
 To bid click here

The Garden at Notre Dame de Fidelite

While in France, I spent a lot of time just a few yards from the guest house, painting the scenery around us, in the garden, the poppy fields, the olive orchards.... Here is the original plein aire sketch, a photo taken of the garden, and the painting I am working on in the studio.  Check my ebay site for finished paintings and plein aire sketches.  http://midwest-fine-art.com

A Walk in the Woods 16x20 oil

I combined several photos for this painting and added a little imagination.  I was demonstrating the process of painting a portrait for my adult students and this was the end result.  Even though it is a demo, it is still a nice painting and is priced to go fast on ebay. 

To Bid

Studies from Provence

I recently had the opportunity to paint where Van Gogh and Cezanne painted.  I saw what they saw, and like them, was inspired to paint the beauty that surrounded me on all sides.  These are all studies done on site.  They will be used to create larger works and will also be sold as I will get them all to a finished place, here in the studio.  One of these was done by my favorite student, Scott Aycock ( my husband :-)

Peach on striped cloth

to bid
The last week of class I had spare time and decided to do a little study while my class worked on finishing up their projects.  This is on ebay right now.

on auction this week

to bid

Did I tell you I have a Traveling Exhibit in France?

hahahah!  A french lady staying at the guest house asked if I could paint over a hideous painting of palm trees that she has put up with for years on her van.  I tried to tell her that it really wasn't my area of expertise but agreed to it anyways.  Seeing her ecstatic face was worth stepping outside of my comfort zone.  The added plus is that I can say my work is shown all over France.

Wild Flowers in Provence

I recently vacationed in Provence, France at an abby where a friend who is a nun there, was celebrating her jubilee year ( 25 years at the abby )  I used my spare time to paint the beautiful fields, flowers, orchards and country roads.  This one is a finished sketch that I have for sale on ebay right now.  To bid click here

my lilac bush

To bid

40% off sale on Tees and Bags

Today I am having a sale through my zazzle store on my tees and canvas bags.  Type in the code apparelbags13 and get 40%off.
http://zazzle.com/margaretaycockdesign

Mayfest Violinist 8x10 oil on canvas

Mayfest is coming up... this is a little painting that I did this time last year.  It is for sale in my ebay auction this week.
To Bid

Revising old paintings

A day to rework old paintings... Every now and then I go through my work and look at things with a fresh eye.  This is a painting that I did last year and something about it kept bugging me.  I changed the face a bit, hair, chest and then changed the arm and added a cape ( if you can't fix it....  hide it :-)  I had made her forearm to long I think but the hand ended up in the right place.  Rather than change the arm I just hid it inside the cloak ... brilliant, eh? The colors are still a little off in the photo above.  it is actually closer to the coloring in the bottom photo.
To Bid

Here is a photo of the older version

Stopping to pick berries 16x20 oil

Last year we had a wild hair and decided to check out the wagon races in a small town near Tulsa.  So glad we went.  We found a great spot to view the whole thing from a little hillside under a persimmon tree.  I got to take a ton of photos and we got to see all sorts of horses, ponies and donkeys.  Anyways... when I got home I fashioned this painting from several photos taken that day.  I pulled it out of the studio and made some changes to the girl on horseback today and then posted it to ebay on auction.
To Bid

Pears

I was recently hired by the Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council to do a mini workshop so that people could test the waters of oil painting.  Since I have practiced daily painting for quite some time now, I knew that I could introduce people to oil painting with a simple still life.  This was the outcome of that workshop.  It is on auction this week on my ebay site.  I have my still life notes a few posts down on my blog if you are interested.
To Bid

My God Children Picking Flowers

I was looking for something else and ran across this old painting.  I did this painting about 8 years ago and sold the rights to it to Carpentree which is the company who supplies Mardels all across the country with religious art.  They did a lovely job with it.  I retained the painting and it now resides with the parents of these two precious kids. 

MEME Gallery opening

There is a new gallery in town.  2022 E 11th in Tulsa.  I have a couple of pieces in the show which covers a lot of artistic ground from realism to the abstract, bot 2D and 3D, paintings, and photos.  A great space and great art!

Notes for painting a still life from my book and DVDs

I actually posted this in 2010 but decided to post again so you don't have to search deep into my blog to get this information.  I am doing a mini workshop this weekend at AHAH ( The Arts and Humanities Council, or Hardesty)  in Tulsa.   We will be working on those cute little 6x6 daily paintings.  I will post mine here after the workshop.

 Notes for a Still Life Workshop


Setting up a Still Life.1. Put objects together that might normally be seen together (or not)
2. Keep it balanced
a. Remember that cast shadows and color intensity are part of the balancing act.
b. Use a variety of objects (large, small, short, tall etc)
c. Think about what colors might look good together. Opposites in the color wheel are an easy and sure bet. Opposites work well to form a uniform composition, for example, orange may be used to grey your blue objects when you want to create a shadow side and blue may be used to create shadow on orange.

Abstract Design
1. Begin with a viewfinder or create one with your hands.
a. Lightly sketch abstract shapes and lines. Use a little paint and lots of turp as you should expect to erase as you refine your composition. (Using a clean brush and turp)
2. Give a little thought to your focal point.
a. Decide what to leave in, move around or take out.
b. Avoid putting your focal point in the middle.
a. A focal point is a place where one or more of the following elements exist: 1. The most detailed or interesting object. 2. The lightest light next to the darkest dark 3. Side by side opposites. ( blue/orange red/green violet/yellow)
c. Allow objects to leave the painting area in at least 3 places. Make good use of the painting surface. (Don’t put all the stuff in the middle of your canvas with nothing on the edges)
Your beginning idea in abstract form may look something like this.









Firm up The Drawing
1. Make sure containers are symmetrical
2. Check the ellipse on containers. Top ellipse should be similar to bottom
3. Pay special attention to your focal point. Draw it really well.
4. No need to draw each pedal on flowers. Leave that area vacant.















Add Color1. Block in all local colors first (the main color you see when you look at the object. This is usually a medium value and painted as a solid mass like if you were coloring in a coloring book. The only thing not painted solidly are groupings of flowers and leaves. Lay those in transparently with soft edges. Firm them up in the last stage.


Finishing
2. Add darks, then lights and then highlights (in this order) You have already painted in the medium values in the block in stage and they may or may not need further work. You may have to repaint the medium values when you are trying to create a transition area between the dark/meium or light/medium.
a. Ask yourself “ Where is the lightest light and darkest dark. Compare all other values to them.
b. Squint a lot when comparing but keep your eyes open when applying paint.
c. Use the biggest brush you can for the size of object you are painting.
d. Make your brush strokes interesting, going up, down across, diagonal using the sides of the brush rather then the point unless working on detailed areas.
3. Pay attention to where edges disappear (where one dark value meets another or medium value meets medium or light meets light.)


Applying thick paint is the last stage to be
used in the lightest areas only. Brush is
almost flat and parallel to the surface of the canvas


Finished Painting