Norma Wilson Original Oil Seagull Ocean Seascape Coastal Living Decor Painting Art

"Standing Alone"

©Norma Wilson, original oil, 8" by 10"

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I've always wondered what the gulls do to keep warm at night and when I lived at the beach and would head down to the beach early, they would all be huddled together and very quiet. So I guess sticking together is the key. This guy was photographed in the summer sun so he is happy taking a break from flying and looking for food!

Norma Wilson Original Oil Kingfisher Bird Avian Wildlife Artist Painting Art

"Looking Back"

©Norma Wilson, original oil, 5" by 7"

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These Kingfisher birds sure look proud! I learned that many live near rivers and eat fish tunneling into the ground where they live. Or they live away from a river and eat small vertabrae. I have to share the photo below which is very impressive. Quite the catch!

Norma Wilson Original Oil Seagull Shorebird Bird Avian Seascape Painting Art

"Gull Watch"

©Norma Wilson, original oil, 8" by 10"

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Perhaps it is because I have been painting so much but it feels like it was coming up on TGIF just yesterday. Hoping your week was a good one and I appreciate you stopping by!

Norma Wilson Original Oil Chiffchaff Songbird Aviary Wildlife Painting Art

"Chiffchaff Songbird"

©Norma Wilson, original oil, 5" by 7"

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This little bird is singing it's heart out. Sometimes I try to imagine a world without birds and especially the sound of birds singing which is so comforting and uplifting especially when things feel

so heavy in the world. I love to sit on my screened porch and watch the birds coming to my bird feeder. Last week I had a giant hawk sit on the bird bath! Here is a photo of him or her!

Anyone know what type of hawk this is? I was really startled when I first caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye. The morning light was beautiful and after sitting for quite awhile he headed up into the tree. I bet he makes the squirrels nervous!

Norma Wilson Original Oil Wildlife Chickadee Bird Avian Painting Art

"Sweet Chickadee"

© Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 6" by 6"


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Hoping my new bird seed and feeder will bring some of these sweet birds into my yard.

Hope your week if off to a good start!

Norma Wilson Original Oil Sea Gull Bird Ocean Seascape Coastal Decor Painting Art

"Grounded!"

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


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Back to oils for this piece. But may try doing one in pastels soon to see how they compare. One thing for sure is that it is all fun. This weekend I had a great time with family, spending time with my sons and daughter-in-law.  The weather here in Virginia was heavenly yesterday with temperatures in the low 80's and a nice breeze! Time to head to the ocean and spend some time with some seagulls! Have a wonderful day!

Norma Wilson Original Pastel English Robin Bird Painting

"Ready For Take Off!"

 © Norma Wilson, original pastel on canvas  5" by 7"

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It has been at least ten years since I broke out my pastels and decided to paint with them.  Early on in my art career, I painted exclusively in pastel.  When I started painting in oils, I decided to devote my time to learning and growing as an oil painter and then made several moves that afforded me less space to work in several mediums.  I stuck to acrylic and oil. Now that I am home to my house in Chesapeake, I can spread out and have plenty of room! So I set up a pastel room. Below is the block in stage on a pastel board. I like to get some base colors that I see established and build from there. Usually after the main colors are in, I begin to work the darks more building up from there in a back and forth way adding in nuances of color and adjusting my drawing as needed.  It was amazing how comfortable I felt after being away from pastels so long.

I am excited to do more this week. As you can see, I had more than a few pastels 

just waiting for me to dive back in!

Norma Wilson Original Oil Sea Gull Bird Seascape Coastal Decor Painting Art

By The Sea

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

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I love to paint these small up close and personal portraits of nature's creatures. This fella seems to be

taking it all in and in the moment. As life gets more distracting for us humans, it is refreshing to spend time in the presence of birds and animals who can help bring us back to the beauty of "now".

Norma Wilson Original Oil Seascape Sea Gull Coastal Decor Bird Painting Art

"Gully"

  © Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 8" x 8"

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After the weekend spent mulching my front yard, it was great to get back to my easel. This is a piece I did awhile back that needed some more work to give it depth and for me to declare it finished.  Below is a photo of the "before". What do you think?

Norma Wilson Original Oil Bluebird Bird Wildlife Aviary Portrait Painting Art

Bluebird For You!

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

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A day of teaching and painting....what more could a girl ask for?? Hope your week is off to a good start. Sure having fun with my eBay auctions. :-)

Norma Wilson Original Oil Sea Gull Shorebird Bird Painting Coastal Seascape Art

Steppin' Out

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

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       The first step can be the hardest to take in life! This fellow reminds me to just

step on out! Next, the trick is to take it step by step and enjoy the journey...

Norma Wilson Original Oil Black Capped Chickadee Bird Art Aviary Portrait Painting

Black Capped Chickadee

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

Loved this combination of black and white on red. I am a sucker for red. Hope your week is going well. I am enjoying all my time spent painting in my new studio. Here is a photo of what it is looking like so far. I need shelves to hang wet paintings and an area rug to take the place of the blue sheet! But I love it. So many memories of my sons down the hall and dogs coming and going.

Lots of room now for their visits and new memories!

Pinky

Pinky

© Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 10"x 10"

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Isn't she so demure? I love painting these beautiful birds. They don't deserve the bad reputation they have gotten from the tacky plastic lawn versions! They are really quite lovely. Hope you week if off to a great start!

English Robin On A Limb

English Robin On A Limb!

© Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 6"x 6"

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Hope you are having an awesome week and I really appreciate you stopping by! I just finished a commission of a precious lab named Roxy. Hope to show her on here soon. Next, I am going to start a commission of a fox that will be hanging in an office. Have a great weeknd!

Bluebird For You! Miniatures For Your Gift List

Bluebird For You!

© Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 6" by 6"

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This time of year when school begins and autumn approaches, thoughts begin to turn to the holidays. Paintings this size are the perfect size for gift giving or perhaps "gift asking"? :-o

Birds are one of my favorite subjects and judging from how many I have sold over the years, they hold a special place for collectors as well. I love the colors of the bluebird as they combine the complementary colors of blue and orange which is such an exciting combination.  Do you have a favorite bird that you would like to see me paint? Favorite color combination?

Tweet Tweet!

Tweet Tweet

© Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 4" by4"

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Some artists find painting something this small very confining. I really enjoy it. I also like to paint larger pieces but seldom paint larger than 24 by 24. I guess I need to stretch in the other direction and do one HUGE painting. It can actually take just as long almost to paint a small one. Just depends on how strong your arm is for those big long brush strokes! :-) Can you guess why I named this one, Tweet Tweet? Well, I need a birder out there to tell me what kind of bird this is! I think it is pretty sweet. I miss having a bird feeder to get to know some more birds and see them up close!

The Importance Of Having Your Own Website

Sparrow In The Light

© Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 6" by 6"

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This little miniature is currently in the last hours of auction on dailypaintworks.com. If you click on the link above you can put in your bid. It is at a very low price so give it a try!

So why should artists have a web site? Well, most importantly, you need a place to exhibit your paintings and give people the opportunity to buy. I have been a member of www.Fineartstudioonline.com or FASO.com since 2007. It is an artists web site designed and run by artists. They have beautiful templates to choose from and it is SO easy to just upload your photos and information.  So much has changed since 2007 with so many options online now but I have still remained loyal to FASO because they have produced a really good product and have unsurpassed customer service. I use their help....alot! I have done special pages for time limited sales. I have wanted to personalize the way I wanted my pet portraits page to look and added my blog from another platform, blogspot, to my web site and also my print store on imagekind now is accessable directly from my web site. They have monthly art contests with prizes and good marketing advice and much more. You can choose a template that is compatible with cell phones with is really important these days when many people are looking up web sites on their phone when they are on the go. I have their gold plan which is their highest plan and have been very pleased. Twelve years without changing says a lot about this group and you can have a free month to give it a try. Tell them I sent you. Yes, I can get a free month if you sign up but I would send you there anyway. Once you have your web site and you get your business cards you are well on your way to being a professional. Next, you have to send people to your site. Nothing beats word of mouth and YOU promoting your work.  Go to www.faso.com for more info!

Taking Time Off From Your Studio

Wait For Me!!

© Norma Wilson, original oil on canvas 18" by 24"

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For me, taking time away from my studio and any thoughts of prepping for classes, marketing, sending emails, filing receipts, shopping for supplies, shipping paintings, etc. is a challenge. When things are hopping, putting time in seems imperative, and when things are slow....even more so. That is when you have to step up marketing efforts, organize your studio, find new avenues for getting your work out there etc. So how do you balance life as an artist and having a life beyond your business? I'd love to hear from fellow artists or anyone self employed on how you manage to take

time off. For years, I had a studio that was in a public space which was helpful to separate my work

from my home life. The flip side was that there were many distractions that come with having my space open to the public and fellow artists. Now I have the convenience of a home studio that beckons to me every time I pass it. :-) For today, since I worked all weekend, I have decided to blog,

and do a few business related emails and calls and then take the rest of the day off. Which will include laundry, cleaning my house, and a nice walk with Bailee around my neighborhood! 

White Heron On The Beach Thirty Paintings In Thirty Days! Day Thirty!! Woo Hoo!

White Heron On The Beach

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

Not For Sale

This painting is a study for a larger piece so I will post the larger version some time in the next month. I am so HAPPY to have completed my challenge of thirty paintings in thirty days! I really do well when I am accountable and motivated by a challenge.  The last week I have given a lot of thought to how to continue the momentum and level of productivity.  I decided to join Lisa Call's Master Class.  It is a year long class with a group of artists working with Lisa to take their art and their business to the next level. She has been my coach for the last nine months which has been great and I have been making many changes to my business and life.  I think this new layer of group energy will be awesome.  She has two more spots left in the class! The class doesn't begin until March.  So, tomorrow, the plan is to make a collage of the month's paintings.  If I can not fit all thirty, I will at least do my favorite.  Then, I will be thinking of how I want to move forward and will share my plan with you then.  I have several commissions coming up including a pet portrait, a house portrait including two of the children, and a large portrait of a man for his family.  That should be a good start! Then there is all the business stuff and is so important but often gets lost in all the paint and paintbrushes! I will be getting my taxes together, recording receipts, working on my calendar, inventory, and newsletter.  And getting some of that paint off the hard wood floors. :-(  Thank you for joining me!

Sweet Little Chickadee Thirty Paintings In Thirty Days Day Twenty Nine by Norma Wilson

Sweet Little Chickadee

© Norma Wilson, original oil on panel 4" by 4" 

100.

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Happy, Happy Weekend!