Recap - 30 Paintings in 30 days challenge!

Well, I did it! I am so thrilled at all of the support and also all that I have learned by this little discipline! There is another challenge scheduled in September.

I plan to participate, but I may also do one of my own.

I'm thinking of May. (I'll keep you posted). In the meantime, I will
be giving away a FREE painting! If you are already

getting this post by email, then you are already in the drawing.

Otherwise, you can sign up here:

Subscribe to Dee Lessard's Fine Art of Living! by Email

Feel free to forward this to your friends so they too can be entered.

(VERY important: Don't forget to go to your in box

and click on the confirmation link that is sent. This final step

activates your subscription to my blog and gets you into the drawing).

GOOD LUCK!

January 2016 by Dee Lessard

Collage of all 30 paintings done during the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge!

Day # 27- 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

This is one of my favorite subject matters. 

I love to get the glow of the fruit as light goes through it. 

I'm getting ready for a large still life show that I was invited to 

exhibit along with two other artists. It's not until the fall, 

but it was scheduled 3 years ago! It's quite an honor to be invited 

to exhibit at the Whistler House in Lowell, MA

Grapes 5x7 oil by Dee Lessard -SOLD

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Day #8 - 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

Here is a painting I actually did not too long ago!  I have a few "wild cards" ...paintings I already had finished in the last month or so but never posted. I needed a night off tonight. This one is also available at auction, but this one comes FRAMED!

Quite A Pare   4x6 oil by Dee Lessard

To see other available works go HERE


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Day #5- 30 paintings in 30 days challenge

This was a fun piece because of the blue Ball Mason jar! I just loved capturing the light going through it and the spectrum of color as a result.

Fruitful 5x7 oil by Dee Lessard

To see other available works go HERE


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One painting's new home!

SOLD

The buyer of this painting sent me a picture of this hanging at their home!
I always wonder where the paintings are hung and how it looks! So, I was excited to get this! I think it looks awesome in this space! I believe it is in their dining room.

I have been busy these last few months ...yes, PAINTING!!!
I've had a couple of commissions that I'm almost finished with and
had a wonderful show in March that kept me busy too.
Now that the weather is so beautiful, I've resumed my exercise to outdoors and now my painting is done upstairs where I can look outside and enjoy the sunshine! My husband is currently in the yard doing his favorite thing...gardening! Don't you just LOVE spring?!

I'll post my finished commissions soon, so you can see them!

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BLUE CHINA PITCHER & LEMON (New Auction item!)

Blue China Pitcher & Lemon   6x6  oil by Dee Lessard

Bid on this piece HERE

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And it does feel like a year since I posted last! But I am still here and painting too!
I did my first public demo at our local art group in December. I actually had a lot of fun and the group was so nice...(they didn't throw tomatoes, so I guess that's good!)
Here is a small painting similar to the one I did for the group demo.

I am starting the year with something NEW!!!
I am planning to do a weekly painting to auction on a wonderful art auction site.
My husband says I can "try it" for 6 months (there's a small monthly fee to join)
and if I sell something I can continue with the auction site!
So here it goes!... and I can't believe I'm starting this on Friday the 13th!
Maybe this will be "Lucky Friday the 13th!" haha!! (I have more faith than superstition!)

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Trivia: Persian Apples

 Persian Apples   11x14 (for sale)     oil by Dee Lessard 

Did you know that peaches were originally found in Persia? Thus known as Persian Apples!
I love trivia like that!

The co-op gallery I am in, East Colony Fine Art Gallery, is planning a theme show where all the artists are doing a painting to represent a restaurant in the area (there are 25+restaurants participating!)  On November 3rd there will be a trolly night from 5-8 and this will be the opening of this theme show called "Art A La Carte".  It is a fund raiser for the local food bank. All art is for sale and gift certificates and more will be given away! The gallery is having a "match" game where you have to match the art work to the participating restaurant! Come and have FUN and help feed the hungry too!!!

(the above painting is NOT part of this theme show...but will post that later!)

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Apples & Cream

 Apples & Cream 8x10  oil  by Dee Lessard

I hope you are all having a great summer! I went to a workshop last week with a wonderful artist, Qiang Huang, up in Putney, Vt. I had an awesome time learning about alla-prima (direct) painting.
It's very different from what I normally do. But very fun! I also learned a little more about marketing....which is always a challenge. Especially when I would rather be painting. But in today's world of DYS's(Do It Yourself) we have to learn it! 

This is a painting I did in the workshop!
Thanks for viewing my art!




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PEEL IT OFF

PEEL IT OFF   5x5  oil by Dee Lessard

Here is an orange WIP that I finished for a valentines art show! (Thus the suggestive name!)
Saturday, Feb 12th...tomorrow from 5-8:00pm East Colony Fine Art Gallery is having a special Valentines show called " Love For Squares". And since I am a featured artist along with fellow artist Michelle Belliveau, we are having our artist reception at the same time! Its a free night out to enjoy the art, have a glass of wine and a few treats! Hope to see you there!

Strawberry Delight

Strawberry Delight    5x7   by Dee Lessard 

Here's a painting I did as part of a challenge! The challenge was to do one square in 10 minutes and to repeat the exercise so that you have as many to fit on your canvas ...each square being only a couple of inches each. Here I used a 5x7 so it allowed for 4 strawberry images. This was a great exercise in simplifying and getting the important info down quickly! If you want to see more of the submissions to this challenge click here.

Happy New Year!

Hello And Happy New Year!

I can't believe another year has passed! It doesn't feel like I  painted as much last year as years prior. But looking back at what I've  done on the blog (not to mention having to learn all these electronic tools) I'm not going be too hard on myself! After all, this is all for the end purpose of getting into my studio more and to show you all what I am doing!

Blackstone Merlot 16x24  oil by Dee Lessard

I want to thank all of you who have enjoyed , bought and followed my work, through this blog and shows that I have participated in. As much as I enjoy the process of painting it's sometimes  lonely because it usually is something I am doing alone in my studio.  So, having the encouragement from all of you is a shot in the arm that I need at times.

You have all probably been wondering about the drawing for the free painting....

Well we are ALMOST at 100 sign-ups,  so, I have decided to do a final date for the drawing for January 15th. I will announce the winner and the painting they have won will also be posted!

 I will coninue to have other drawings of my prints throughout the year as well, so feel free to forward this to your friends and family so they can have a chance to win as well!

Thanks again for following my work! Wishing you all a wonderful 2011 ahead!

Apple Cider

                                                   Apple Cider  oil by Dee Lessard

  I did a lot of work this year learning about how to do things on the computer with things like this blog, my website and an online store called Etsy. (Etsy is an ebay of sorts...but  ONLY hand made artisan goods)It has been interesting and tiring at the same time!

  Recently, I have gotten notices that this painting (rather, a print of this painting) has been included in a "treasury" on Etsy.  All this is so new.... but you'll have to check these out. It's neat to be included in a store with other artisans wares! Below are links to MY Etsy store where I have prints of this painting (and others) and also to the treasury's I am included in: 

Hot Apple Cider Treasury

Print being Featured (My ETSY store)

APPLE HARVEST

Apple Harvest  oil   by  Dee Lessard      SOLD

I Love the smell of fall. Now that it's here the apples have been delightfully crisp and sweet! Now we can smell them baking in the oven as apple crisp! YUM!!! One of my fav's! So it feels appropriate to post my apple paintings! Here is one that was recently sold. A classic old master style....this one has been one of my favorite paintings. It's going to a wonderful home that I can visit and see it gracing their walls!!! (do I sound like I get  attached?...haha. Well, there's a part of an artist that is in their paintings..... So much time and energy is invested)

"Celebrate the Bloom" -Before & After

As a kid, I loved the Highlights magazine and one part of it had a "Check...and Double Check" cartoon where they made changes and you had to see how many changes you could find. It helps with your observation skills for sure! See what you can find that I changed in the painting below.

I did this painting about 9 months ago and kind of hurried through it for a show I planned to exhibit it in. But I was not 100% happy with it. Sometimes we artists have to "sit on" our paintings for a while or as one friend says  "live with it for a time". While in this place, we usually have it hanging around where we can glance at it occasionally to see if we can figure out how to improve it. Well, this was one such painting and I decided finally on a plan of attack and got to working on it this past month. So below you will see a before and after.

Tell me what YOU think? (there are no wrong opinions here! ...and I don't expect you to count the changes!)

Celebrate The Bloom   (BEFORE)  by Dee Lessard

Celebrate The Bloom  (AFTER)  by Dee Lessard

If interested in this painting please contact me here.

PERSIAN APPLES (PEACHES)

I've been so busy this summer...So many changes! My daughter moved back home after living far away (about 18 hours drive) for the last 4 years! And she moved back with an additional dog....Bella! Our little Rosie (a mini schnauzer)  is loving having a permanent resident canine friend! 

We have had the hottest summer that I can ever remember. All of this has made it difficult to get back into painting gear. But it will start to shift soon. And dust from the changes is already starting to settle.

Outdoor shows are winding down and I'm already planning out my next few paintings! I hope to post a few WIP (works in progress) so you can see how some of my work develops in stages. I hope you all had a wonderful summer and that we all get to see a spectacular fall!

Persian Apples (peaches)       11x14     oil by Dee Lessard

Still life~FIRST PLACE WINNER !!!

Here's a painting that won first place in oils at a local art show this week-end! I was so pleased! During the art show,  I was also interviewed by a local access station. When I get the link to it I will be sure to forward it to you.... in the next week or 2.

 A-Peeling Series: Fruit & Nuts    24x36  oils   by Dee Lessard

Just Peachy

Here's another painting I finished. I worked on this one for a while ...a little here, a little there!

Some paintings work up really fast. Others are more of a process. (like this one).

                      "Just Peachy"  11x14  oil by Dee Lessard

Paintings; A-Peeling Series

 

A-Peeling Series; Orange Slice 

A-Peeling Series; Citrus

 

                                                           A-Peeling Series; Citrus

I had this in a local show ....first time for the public to see it...

and I got 1st place AND sold it in the same day!

A-Peeling Series; Lemons

A-Peeling Series; Lemons

I had this at a gallery in Denver where it sold during a national show 

hosted at Saks Gallery for Women Artists of the West (WAOW)