Cows, Koi, and Computers!

SOLD

So happy to have my computer back and running. There is only so much you can accomplish on your phone especially when most of you images are on it. This bovine gal found a good home to a collector in Virginia Beach. She saw another of my cows at a friend's house and wanted to have her own. Do you know anyone who wants to start their own herd? :-)  Today's post has to be brief. I am off to teach a class in Virginia Beach in oil and we are painting koi this evening. I am really looking forward to it. They are so colorful and make me think of beautiful gardens with running water and wandering paths of gorgeous flowers and foliage. I will take some pictures and share later. Have a wonderful day!

Staying Inspired With Your Painting

Sheep On Red

Available Through Gallery

10" by 10"

Shown larger to see possibilities if you would like to commission a larger piece that is similar.

I spent a few days last week painting with my good friend and fellow artist. I am always inspired and filled with renewed desire to paint bigger! So I will be painting larger pieces in the coming weeks and will be painting some still life as well. 

Do you ever feel stuck in a rut with your art? Painting with a friend is one of my favorite ways to shake things up. Sharing favorite colors, mediums, artists, upcoming workshops, and just watching another artist can be so helpful. It's also helpful to have a fresh pair of eyes to critique your work. 

So go set up a paint date!

What should I paint?

Moonlight Becomes You!

Available In My Print Shop

How do you decide what to paint? I'd love to get feedback on this as we artists are always trying to fill the well of creativity and keep our subject matter fresh and new. Some of my ways are to take photographs when I am out and about...even if I don't end up painting any of those subjects, I find that it takes my focus off the anxiety of what to paint and gets me noticing my environment and all the beauty that surrounds me.  Another is to look at art magazines and find the art that wows me. What is it about the images that draw me. The brush work? The color palette? Edges? Would a new color combination get my creative juices flowing. How about visiting a favorite contemporary artists web sites? That often sparks and idea from my own stack of references or reinforces an idea of my own that I was on the fence about. Painting with a friend is a tremendous help.  Sometimes when I am stuck, a friend will give me an assignment. Like paint a sea gull series. I did that one week and ended up sell two of them on Facebook immediately. I may have stayed in stuck mode without her prompting and without a healthy balance in my pay pal account! The cow above is an example of a prompting from an artist whose workshop I had taken. She said that I should be able to paint a cow from my imagination at this point so I did. And I loved it. She's a little more whimsical than my other cows done more as a portrait of that particular cow. She still has the feeling that all cows give me of sweetness and innocence. So get busy and fill the well and please share in the comments how you find inspiration!

Paint Night In Virginia Beach!

I am very excited to be offering this class at the Stravitz gallery across the street from our
beautiful oceanfront.  If you live locally or will be in town the last weekend of the month,
join me as we paint this cow! Everything is included so all you have to do is show up and have
fun as I guide you through the process.  Hope to see you there!

You Get My Goat SOLD

You Get My Goat!
© Norma Wilson, original acrylic on panel 8" by 8" 

SOLD

This piece sold at Nansemond Suffolk Art show. So happy when any of my paintings find a new home but especially happy when one of my animals finds the right person. :-)  They
come alive on my easel and it is so fun when they bring a smile to someone else.  Hope you week is off to a fantastic start!

New Horizons Thirty Paintings In Thirty Days Day Eighteen by Norma Wilson

New Horizons

© Norma Wilson, original oil on panel 5" by 7"

75.

Purchase Information

Another abstract that made me think of new horizons.  I am having fun with this!

Norma Wilson Original Oil Fruit Still Life Pomegranate Food Art Painting

Three Pomegranates
 © Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 8" by 16" 

359.

Available Through Gallery

Stravitz 30th Street Gallery, Virginia Beach

757.961.7509 

This month, my oil group worked on pomegranates.  It was a great lesson in lost and found edges and all the nuances that make a pomegranate different than a tomato and and apple. Pomegranates are very lumpy and have a very hard exterior with lots of markings.  It was fun to paint and eat too!  I did this ahead of teaching my class and did another one in stages along with my class.  I think painting one that is cut may be in future.  Hope you have a wonderful day.  Thanks for stopping by!

Norma Wilson Original Acrylic American Eagle Bird Portrait Painting Art

Eagle Eye

  © Norma Wilson, original acrylic on deep canvas 6" by 6" 

150.

Purchase Information

It is easy to see why this bird is our nations symbol as it is so majestic and strong!  Do you have

a favorite bird you would like to see me paint?

Norma Wilson Original Acrylic Cow Cattle Farm Animal Portrait Painting Art

Annabell

  © Norma Wilson, original acrylic on deep canvas 6" by  6" 

Purchase Information

I think this gal looks so demure! How would you describe her expression?

Seeing Triple!

Seeing Triple!

© Norma Wilson, oil on canvas 20 by 20

Available Through Gallery

One of this week's exercise in my Working In A Series class with Lisa Call was to Create spatial depth and one of the possibilities was by overlapping elements in the design.  I originally had the idea of over lapping cows in more of a "ghost like way" but instead it morphed into three cows and I was really excited about the turn that my series took in both color and form!  Can't wait to see where it goes from here.  I highly recommend this class if you are intrigued by working in a series.

Yesterday, I attended the new documentary called "Matisse, Exhibition On Screen" and it was wonderful.  I was familiar with a couple of his works but really had no idea of the depth and breath of his work spanning more close to sixty years.  I learned so much and found the movie to be both inspirational and very entertaining.

Just for giggles, check out the tap dancing cow below. :-)