Everyone is getting weary now, no matter how well you are doing!

So we are either fed up, bored, stressed, fat, lazy, etc. since it's been sooooo long now that we've been coping with Covid-19.
What we're all experiencing right now with COVID-19 is quite crazy. Stress levels are climbing and when we're stressed we crave comfort, whether that's cuddling up on the couch watching your favorite TV show or digging into your favorite tub of ice cream--I'm certainly doing both!
I've started a couple of things, and came across some problems that made me realize that I need to work on my drawing skills.  I'm not particularly fond of drawing as a 'thing' but once I'm doing it, I like the challenge.  Luckily I had a good foundation from my days at MFA in Boston, but I guess I'm forgetting and need a refresher.  
The recent free art videos on Streamline Art Video, on Facebook or You Tube, had a great artist named Michael Mentler doing part of his DVD on drawing, specifically a life drawing, and I was mesmerized (all over again) with drawing the figure.  I did a summer at the Art Students League in NY City back in the 80s (yikes, hard to believe) and it was painful but wonderful all at the same time.  You can imagine how wonderful the models were, dancers and actors.  Why was it painful?  We sat on what is called a 'horse' and proped our drawing pads at an angle in front of us.  In this position, my back KILLED.  It was a crippling experience.  Remember Columbo?  Peter Falk was in my class.  He is exactly in life like he was in that series.  He'd come in and stumble around and make a lot of noise setting up--he was an excellent artist.
Anyway, I'm stuck in limbo now for a little while, working on some paintings that are 'in progress' and drawing.  
I hope you are well and surviving this period of history.  

Where does the time go?

If you're like me, you still can't fit everything into your day even when you can't leave the house!  I do go to the grocery store once every two weeks approximately for some fresh food (veggies, etc.). I'm going to ramble a bit here and be quick as well.    With the arrival of some pretty nice weather and sunny days, I've spent time in my garden, even the work is fun and it all feels very good.
My postings to DPW have slowed down only temporarily and that is because I'm experimenting more and not doing finished small paintings.  It probably reflects my current attitude that we don't have any reason to 'rush' to do everything anymore.
Where ART is concerned, a lot of time is spent 'thinking' about what you are going to do, or setting up the still-life or fixing the lighting or moving furniture around, boy, nobody gets that part!  Then when you finally get it ready and start to paint, the flowers die.  I'm working on a lily-of-the-valley painting close to a window sill that requires early morning light because I face east.  That light moves very quickly, just why a lot of people don't like plein-air painting.  They are my lilies, and that crop will soon go by.  I am loving what I'm doing, however; and can't wait to hit my stride and move on to the next phase.  Life is an uphill journey in so many ways.  There's a deep subject.
I don't think I showed you the table I trash picked to use as a painting table to hold my palette.  I got casters and will drill and attach them today so it can be more easily moved when necessary.  I love how funky it is and it's the perfect size.  Lots of casters :)

Here's what I'm doing.

I have posted paintings to DPW but just not here.  I made up a collage of most of the ones I've sent in since the Museum paintings, and you can see them in the window to your right.  You can always go to my on-line Daily Paintworks gallery page to see everything that is available through DPW with your quick and easy PayPal ability to purchase.
I am working with new paint-mixing principles and I like what's happening there and you will soon see the difference.  I will also, from time to time, be posting some of my older paintings to which I've been doing a little touching up, and I think you will notice the difference.
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Every day at 3 p.m. Eric Rhodes, publisher of many art magazines and owner of Streamline Publishing's extensive library of art videos for sale, has been offering at least an hour of snippets of some of those wonderful videos for free through Streamline's Facebook page and on You Tube. 
I have LOVED watching them, but being smack in the middle of my day, it kind of puts a kink in my schedule (well worth it though :) ). 
So I've been going to my studio after my meal at 6 p.m. and that's not the best time for me to be painting.  I'm going to have to get up very early now in order to get anything or everything done because of the additional activity of gardening now that the weather is so much nicer.

Where have I been?

Home like everyone else :)
Sorry I couldn't resist.  Anyway I'm sorry I haven't posted for a little while, I have no excuse.  I have posted to Daily Paintworks but haven't yet reposted them here.  I sold a couple of paintings and did a commission.  You can probably see my recent postings on the side bar here on the right.  It's just that, believe it or not, I have been busy and just haven't been online as much.
I have a redo to do on my actual web page as well as revamp my blogs and that is weighing on my mind lately. 
Besides this faux pas, most things in my life are in order I'm glad to say.  I'm excited to be working in my studio and not on things that will be 'shown' but experimental things to improve my work.
I planned (and paid for) a painting trip to France for early September, I wonder how that's going to work out?
Thanks for checking in, and I'll try to do better.  :)  If not, it's because I'm working on new stuff.  Who knows, I might post my progress. 

2 Museum Paintings

I like the Bullseye painting, no matter where I put it, it catches my eye and it always has a calming effect on me. 
The Family painting shows the upside effect that a concave surface has on you.  Intriguing.  Maybe you had to be there :)

1.  Bullseye
2.  Family Day at the Museum

These are available on Daily Paintworks. Click here.

Otter Cliffs at Acadia National Park, Maine

This started out as a plein air painting in the Acadia National Park in Maine, 

and then I worked on it in the studio.  

This is Otter Cliffs, one of the 8 most beautiful spots in the park.  

The rocks along this area are a definite orange color, like the ones in Gloucester MA.  

Here is a link to see photos of this area of the park in case you haven't been there: https://www.escapecampervans.com/blog/8-cant-miss-stops-in-acadia-national-park/

Click to BUY or see more details.

This is an actual photo of this area, not the exact spot where I painted.

Happy Days

Sunflowers are the best :) 

 The photo is a little overexposed, sorry.

BUY ME by clicking here :)

Ominous Sky at Halloween

This is a plein air painting in one afternoon and as sunset approached the mood changed to dramatic and ominous and I decided to 'get' it since it reminded me of the season of Halloween and I enjoyed going with the flow.

This is a very inexpensive painting at about $.50 per square inch.  $50.

Click here to buy:

Boats and House on the River

Click here to buy $35, 6x8"

I painted two paintings in plein air of the red boat and the white house 

on the river that goes to the sea.

At Home on the River

This fisherman lives on the river that goes to the sea.

TO BUY CLICK HERE

Pears with SILVER Background

It's like getting two paintings in one.  Why?  Well, depending on the light the background will look very different.  It's a little painting, 5x5", and will look great on a tiny easel.  I re-painted this one a few times.  First I decided to try a metallic silver background and I like it.  Then I made the items in the painting a different color--except for the pears.  Then I changed the colors again of the materials on the table.  I'm thinking it has a kind of Van Gogh aspect to it somehow.  I guess you could say that I've had my fun with this painting and now it's your turn to have fun looking at it.  :)  It can fit into a regular small envelope so the shipping isn't much. 
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FUN - This contemporary modern still-life painting of two pears is colorful and has a SILVER background.  Notice the difference (how it glows) in the second photo.  I think it's really neat!  I also love the colors and the adorable glass with the flower in it!  And I love orange, so it's on an orange table :)  Click here to BUY NOW!  Only $25.00.

2 more paintings posted to DPW

I'm a slacker now.  Truthfully, I have really been busy.  I have posted twice to DPW without following up here on my blog. 

Both are plein air paintings.

The first one was in upper state NY near the finger lakes on a workshop with Lori Putnum a few years ago.  The second one was at the Greenbelt in Ipswich a few years ago.

I was going to go in and paint more on them, but decided not to.  Once you start to 'fix' anything on a plein air painting, well me anyway, you get carried away and the beauty of the plein air sketch is lost.    So they are now offered on the DPW site if anyone is interested.

View all my paintings here on DPW.

Dogwood Seed Pods

I'm relieved that I have finished the commission I was working on, Gloucester Dories.  It may need a bit of glazing when the paint dries, but otherwise I can move on to other painting projects.  Today's post to DPW is a fun one:

To Purchase or see more details, click me.

I was seeing these seed pods everywhere one year and didn't know what they were.  They are the most curious looking things.  Finally last year I saw them in my neighborhood and when Spring sprung I realized it was under a dogwood tree!  When I was very young and used to walk in the woods, there was a dogwood tree there that fascinated me.  We don't have that many here in the Northeast. I arranged them on a bunched up white napkin to give them an interesting background and painted them in natural light near the window of my studio.

Gubbio Church, Italy

BUY NOW

I was captivated by this beautiful ancient small church in Gubbio, Italy. It was my absolute favorite small church on a painting trip in September 2014. There were many large churches but this is the one I remember the most. Church of St. Marziale

Oil Painting 5x7" on masonite

Click here to see Google Image Link etc.

I'm way behind :( with posting.

I'm giving a painting away today on DPW.  

After I post my paintings to Daily Paintworks, I load them up on my Facebook Artist page and on my Pinterest page.  Then I try to post them to my two blogs, 

Mary's Daily Art Report and 

Mary Pyche Art Store.  

Some days I don't post to the blogs right away and get busy and forget to do it, 

so I suggest that you look at my gallery page on Daily Paintworks and 

see my most recent posts including the ones I have not posted here.

My Daily Paintworks GALLERY PAGE

Apple Blossoms

I'm having fun today updating and completing unfinished paintings along with still working on the Gloucester Dory painting, today is day three.  Usually it doesn't take me this long, but I'm not correctly motivated, having problems with the colors.
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Todays post to Daily Paintworks is this deep profile stretched canvas 5x7" painting of Apple Blossoms.  These colors aren't my go-to colors, but I really do like how it came out!  And I like orange--go figure!  Well, this is more a dark yellow, who can tell the difference? 
-o-
What's next, apple blossom time!  I look forward to when the trees start to leaf out and the fruit trees blossom.  I have an apple tree in my front yard because my husband loved apples.

Click here for information or to BUY NOW with PayPal.

Single Sunflower

Today has been great, first I was going to get up at 5:30 to go to the grocery store which is open for seniors from 5:30 to 7 a.m. to help with social distancing.  It snowed during the night and some frozen rain, so I decided not to go out so early, figuring that not too many people will go out today anyway.  I was right, I went later and no lines!  I got the last fresh whole chicken, yay!  Then when I got home, I discovered that someone bought my painting posted yesterday, yay!  I took it to the P.O. and then painted in my studio. 
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Today's entry for DPW is this Single Sunflower painting. 

"Single Sunflower"

on deep stretched canvas with painted sides - 5x7 in -
What is it about sunflowers?  Everyone notices them.  They are dramatic and colorful.  I'm learning that there are many varieties of them, short petals, long petals, very large ones and very small ones, etc.  I like to paint them and I also like daylilies.  What are your favorites, I'd like to know :)

For more information or to BUY NOW with PayPal: 

2 Birds with Grapes and a Pear - Now Sold

Today's entry on the online gallery Daily Paintworks is only 5x5" and $30.

As I mentioned, I've been going through boxes of paintings in my inventory and fixing or updating things.  Some have never been completed and others needed something.  I did a little updating on this one and it's lighter and brighter than it was before.

This would look good in your kitchen or dining room.  I love this little fruit bowl arrangement in my dining room so decided to do a painting of it. These little birds really add interest to the bowl of fruits and vegetables. I had it on DPW before and decided to brighten it up a bit.

Click to BUY NOW or for more information.

Busy, Folded, Crumpled and Crazy

OK you got the gist.  I submitted this one today to the DPW Crumpled Challenge.

Carol Marine's Crumpled Challenge

I'm busy this week working on a commission of the Gloucester Dories.  In the meantime, I'm also working on other paintings that aren't finished yet.  You might say that I'm busier than a one-armed wall-paper hanger.  Where did that expression ever come from anyway???? Talk about crazy.

Along with the daily painting activities, I'm exercising, walking, cooking, eating, lots of eating.  And my printer died and I got a new one, so I have yet to install that.  I can procrastinate pretty well when I have something like THAT to do.  Oh, and don't forget raking, I did some of that, it's so nice to get outdoors when the sun is out!  

If you are reading this some day in the future, we (here and now) are in the self-quarantine phase of the corona virus.

Flowers from the Fairy Garden

I worked a lot on this one to make it look like I didn't work a lot on this one!  

It is a very sweet piece.  8x8"

My neighbor who has a fairy garden named it :)

Click to find out more or to BUY easily with PayPal

I had fun working on this one even though it was a hard one to do.  I struggled with the harmony, trying to get the right tones to play well together.  I'm happy painting again and it is certainly the thing to do now with the virus pandemic and having to stay home.  My outdoor activities are walking and now raking.  After the raking the gardening will start.  Hope you are well :)

Field of Hollyhocks - Look what I got: "You're one of our DPW Facebook picks of the day!"

"Field of Hollyhocks"

on Stretched Canvas - 8x8 in - I love hollyhocks.  I try to grow them.  Some years are better than others.  I wish I knew the secret.  For now, I'll have to be content painting them and looking at this painting, yes, I love it, it satisfies my hollyhock fantasy :)

For more information about this painting, click now.

Hello out there.....

Today is another milestone with the virus.  I wish you good health during this pandemic. 
I'll have plenty of time to work on my art it looks like.  Here is a photo-collage I made of my art that is in the Pleasant Street Gallery in Newburyport.  Who knows what will be open or when.

Dinosaur Egg

I love this painting, It's one of my favorites.  This very large rock is on the corner of my street and every day I walk by it I admire it, but this time in late spring there were no leaves on the trees and the early morning sun was streaming through the trees, setting this giant egg shaped New England rock in a nest of dramatic shadows! 
This 6x6" oil painting on stretched canvas has a urethaned natural wood strip frame.

To purchase or get more information, click here.

Pink Pansies

This 6x6" oil on masonite Pink Pansy painting was SOLD yesterday!  

This is the time of year when I go to the flower stores as soon as the spring flowers arrive!  I can't want to see what I can paint next in the spring flower category.  For that matter, and I'll have to wait a a bit longer, but I can't wait to see what pops up in my own garden!

Alcohol Ink Class and Roller Skates

For my new goal of working in mixed-media art, I took a class in Exeter NH in Alcohol Ink last night.  I enjoyed the class very much and there were two other students there--the teacher, lucky for me, was very good.  She works in a somewhat realistic style and has been doing this medium for maybe 10 years so she really knows her trade.  Seeing that it was my first class, I got 'lost' trying to do the idea of a ground, sky and cloud scene because I had too much ink at one point and went on to experiment with the various methods, techniques, etc. and ended up with an abstract scene instead.  Afterwards I got my brush envelope open (had plastic gloves on before) and some other tools and was able to work to make some corrections, and all-in-all I learned a lot.

Golden Snow Storm in the Mountains, 4 3/4 x 11" Alcohol Ink on Yupo

I have two families and each has a brother and sister, Emma and Ethan and Margo and Martin.  I painted these skates for them as a Christmas gift and haven't seen them since due to all kinds of schedule changes, vacations, etc.  I hope to see them this coming week.