Pastel Art - The Lesson

This is a soft pastel on Mi Tientes Pastel Paper.  I don't do many of these.  I'm kind of allergic to the dust a pastel drawing makes while you're working with it.  Still, with laytex gloves, a surgical mask and the great outdoors, I manage to do one now and then. 

This is one of the paintings done years ago that I am finally trying to find a home for.  Its done in Rembrandt soft pastels and Conte A Paris pastel pencils on Mi Tientes Pastel Paper.   I'm 73 now and its time....I can no longer keep my favorites stored up.  They need to find homes.

I call this one "The Lesson" because every good wolf needs to teach his young the proper way to howl at the moon!

"The Lesson"
11 X 14 inch Pastel
Link to the Auction

Another Crack At Daily Paintwork's Monthly Contest

I never win these things, never even get in one of the 15 top spots for the month.....that's okay.  I understand competition and I also understand one should never just give up ;-)

This is my entry into the current monthly contest.  Its kind of far out...but sometimes, so am I.

Starlight Nebula

Link to the Auction
(a Daily Paintworks Auction Pick)

New Challenge: Paint Mom or Something She Liked

My weekly challenge this week was kind of difficult since all the paintings I put up on Daily Paintworks are for sale.  I try not to keep any of them.  I didn't want to paint my mom and then sell her...that didn't seem right.  So I painted a young lady very much like my mom at that age...doing her favorite thing...gardening:

Mom's garden was always spectacular.  She definitely had a green thumb and she was really happy when she was in the garden all day.

"Gardening"
Link to the Auction

What Mood Are You In Today?

Its fun to paint.  When I want something sweet, I paint up a bunch of jelly donuts:

Available in my DPW Gallery

Today, I felt like having a quiet, peaceful day:

also available in my DPW Gallery
The great Norman Rockwell said "being able to draw and paint is like always having a bag of lemon drops in your pocket". He was right...creating art is a joy and one must do it for the sheer joy of it.  Try it :-)

This Week's Challenge Painting on Daily Paintworks

I did one challenge painting...a patch of bright yellow daffodils.  Our challenge this week was something colorful and blissful.  Seems that wasn't my mood today. I had to have something different...something a bit outside of the box. So my mind turned to this rubber duck with red and green stockings. He's sitting and enjoying a very large piece of cake with a cherry on top. What could be blissful then to enjoy a large piece of cake with a cherry on top on a bright Spring day? This auction starts on April 15 but can be seen now in the Challenge section.

Link to the Auction

A Real Challenge!

Daily Paintworks runs a "challenge" to artists each week. This week it was to paint a picture using only four tubes of paint. Here is my entry using just black, red, blue and green:

Girl with the Red Umbrella"
Link to the auction   A lot of people don't know or don't realize the versatility of acrylic paints. I watered down my acrylics until they handled much like watercolor. In doing so I get the transparency and mixability of watercolors. In this painting I mixed the red and green to make the brown you see and I used the paper itself for white. Those artists who use acrylics, try it...its a completely different side of acrylics.

Oh...I Love This Time of Year

I can almost feel it...Springtime! A time when flowers peep up out of the cold ground and trees display a pretty pale green from new leaves forming.  Its on the way and next month is Easter and that means my favorite candies will be all over the markets! Yes, I'm a Peep addict and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE jellybeans. If left with a bag of jellybeans I will dig out all the orange ones first (my favorite) followed by the red ones then purple....and so on.

Thinking of this candy, I sat down and painted some in watercolor. They are up on Dailypaintworks.com to be published on Thursday, March 6, 2014:

Link to the Auction

I Love Surrealism...So Why Don't I Pursue It?

You see a painting...it interests you and maybe you even buy it, but do you know what went into it? I don't mean the usual questions buyers sometimes ask sellers like "how long did it take you to paint that?" I know, its almost as funny as "I can't even draw a straight line" or "is that that paint by numbers stuff?" No, serious painting is something I seldom get to do and then chances are it will sit in storage for many years before the right collector comes along. This painting...done in the mid-2000's just found the right buyer:

Pretty simple...paint a horse, an ocean, etc. What's the big deal? The big deal is it takes thought...believe it or not and also time.  Sometimes a LOT of time! An Artist will sometimes walk around for weeks or months with a thought in his/her head and it will grow and grow, then some sketching or doodling...finally transmitting it to canvas.

This painting "Toward the Light" took over a year from first thought to completion, then sat in storage for years until I finally decided to make a serious move toward promoting and selling it. I wanted to represent life...from birth to death and that is what this painting represents. The black and white tiles representing the ups and downs, good and bad of a person's life. The moth (which I prefer to paint more like a butterfly) is called a Painted Lady and represents myself in the scene.

An artist can sit down and paint something from the heart....or a vase full of roses.  Mostly, we paint the roses...they look good and sell well.  Neither is right or wrong, but It takes a special person to appreciate the heart that goes into the work of a painting like "Toward the Light".

Just Something a Bit Different

I don't make many of these. They are wooden nesting dolls and fit one inside the other. This set is six pieces that I call "A Walk Through the Secret Garden". On sale on my own website or Etsy or Zibbet.

Decidedly Different Nesting Dolls

Each doll is hand painted by me and each is OOAK. When I get the blank wooden dolls I sand them until they fit together with little effort.  Then, I make up the painting on each one as I go along and sometimes this takes weeks because I have to think up the next step, the next nesting doll until they're done. Then I paint them with about 5 coats of lacquer, sand and wax. A lot of work indeed....which is why I don't make many of them :-)

Some Artists Jump from Holiday to Holiday

Yep, that's me. I paint the holidays and enjoy doing it. I just finished up with Christmas and now I'm on to Valentine's day:

This is a 4 X 4 inch acrylic on artist's stretched canvas. The painting continues down each 3/4 inch side which makes this painting ready to hang without a frame.

Link to the Auction

I do hope there is more of an interest in art this year among buyers. Artists can't continue if they are not supported in some way. We depend on sales to help us keep on painting. Please remember that as you check out all the works on Daily Paintwork.

Thank you.

Patricia Ann Rizzo

Plants on my Patio

When I lived in New Jersey, raising plants outside was a challenge.  Even plants in the house were a challenge.  Then, I moved to Southern California and plants here seem to grow no matter where they are.  My patio is very very sunny even with the help of two patio umbrellas there isn't much shade.  So, I started putting potted plants under my patio table.  They LOVE it there.  For some reason that is the premo spot on the patio.  This is a painting of the plants hiding under the table.  Some have been there for over 10 years and just keep blooming.  I find the Cyclamen blooms best in Winter and has few blooms in Spring and Summer.  My latest work with a link to the Daily Paintworks auction:

Plants Under My Patio Table

Are You Ready for a Brand New Year?

The older I get the faster the days, weeks and years rush by.  I still look forward to each new year but wish they wouldn't come so fast.  I realize, as the days go by, that I have less and less time to enjoy life and my painting.  Enough!  We move forward and not backward.

 Here is an offering that I think really epitomizes Winter.  We don't have this type of bluejay here, in Southern California, but I do remember them from the east and I remember how energetic and mischievous they were:

Link to the Auction

I wish each and every one of you the very best the new year has to offer. :-)

Patricia Ann Rizzo

Ah....The Joy of Christmas

A time of friendship, magic and closeness. My favorite time of the year.

Don't forget us "starving artists" this Christmas. Spread joy and originality around this year by gifting one of a kind original art. Here's my latest:

Link to the Auction

Magic is All Around

Ever wish there was a magic place, a spot you could go to that is peaceful and calm....a place where all cares drop away and  hopes and wishes can come true?  That is what was in my head as I painted this one.   Its up for sale on Daily Paintworks and its looking for a good home.

5 X 7 " Acrylic on Canvas Pane

Link to the Auction

1

Cat in the Blue Hydrangea

I love painting cat's eyes.  They are so bright and expressive.  This fellow peeking out from a flower bush is one I have painted before but love doing so I painted it again.   It will be on auction on Daily Paintworks Thursday, September 19, 2013:

Link to the Auction

The Andalusian

I love working in soft pastels.  Unfortunately, they don't like me since I am allergic to the dust they stir up.  Pastels are a wonderful medium for anyone who loves to draw rather then paint.  Pastel pencils and paper stumps make handing soft pastels a lot easier.  This is my pastel, The Andalusian, which sold and went to Germany a while back.  I sell prints of it and sometimes just like to display it.

Its up on Daily Paintworks but for people to browse only.  I am taking the day off :-)

Halloween King Charles Spaniel

My second most favorite holiday is Halloween.  I just love the air of mystery to it and really felt bad when I was too old to dress up and go trick or treating with the kids.  My offering today is a painting I did years ago.  I've sold prints of it and now I want to find the original a good home.  Anyone out there care to "adopt" a Halloween pooch?

Link to the auction

A Splash of Red Warms the Heart

I love painting red now that I have learned how my scanner can control the color for internet images. This is a 5 X 7 inch acrylic that I have dotted with raindrops. I hope it gives the painting a fresh "after the rain" mood.

Red Anemone

This came from a photo on WetCanvas.com (a free to join website that has wonderful tips and such)

If anyone is interested...Link to the Auction

A Plate of Fresh Juicy Strawberries from the Garden

This will be up on Daily Paintworks tomorrow. Its a 5 X 7 inch acrylic on 140 lb watercolor paper. Reference photo courtesy of Wet Canvas.

Link to the Auction

It is also up on Fine Art America for prints: My Gallery

I love acrylics and in some of these highly detailed paintings I'll use it much like watercolor...I put it on thin and build it up in layers. Some of you artists might want to try that.

On Daily Paintworks Auction Today: "Red Onions"

Hi everyone. My gallery on Daily Paintworks is just chugging along. Sales for me mean I can paint more :-)...and that makes me happy. On auction today..."Red Onions" reference photo courtesy of Wet Canvas.

Link to the Auction

This is an original acrylic on 5 X 7 inch 140 lb watercolor paper.

PS: I do most of these works on 140 lb watercolor paper. Its tough, acid free and will last like forever. Besides those qualities it is easier to pack and to ship. Something novice painters should keep in mind, watercolor paper, even at 90 lbs will hold acrylics well. There is no need for canvas, masonite board or even canvas panels while you are painting practice pieces.