Shakers

I've been tweaking the "Celebrate the Bloom" painting (still).  Thanks for the honest feedback from many of you. Mostly the feedback was positive with a few suggestions. I appreciate that! So, I'll post the tweaking later. For today I wanted to post a small painting I did. I love working on the smaller stuff because it forces me to focus on the ONE thing and doing the most I can with it.

 Shakers     5x7     oil   by Dee Lessard  

If interested in this painting  Contact me here

"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

Award Winner at Mystic Art Show!

I just got back from a wonderful weekend at Mystic Connecticut. I absolutely love our New England seacoast! It's just so beautiful. It helped that the weather was gorgeous too! I had a few sales this week-end but what made the week-end even more sweet was that I won a wonderful and prestigious award on one of my paintings!It wasn't 'Best in Show' but I was told it was "next to it"! I was very honored and blessed to receive it!!! You may recall that in June I had gotten 1st place with this same painting in a local show! :)

A-Peeling Series: Fruit & Nuts     by Dee Lessard

WATERS EDGE

I'm getting ready for a 2 day outdoor show in Mystic CT this week-end. I've been going crazy getting "over prepared" as my husband says!  The weather forecast says it will be PERFECT. So, hopefully lots of people come out to it! If you live in the area, please be sure to stop by and say "Hi". I'll be near the corner of East Main St & Cottrell St.
This is a painting of a place on the Cape. I just love the marshes and the reflections!

Waters Edge    5x7    by Dee Lessard

Peaceful Walk

I have had a time to reflect on God, my purpose and His plan for me and here's a painting I have been wanting to do that depicts this. I love being at the beach in the early morning hours when no one else is around for miles. Although the beach is only about 30 minutes away, it's not something that happens too often. There's something so tranquil about hearing the waves rhythmically crashing and receding. Low tide gives the soft wet sand to walk on and while doing my quiet time I can also find discovery both within myself and around me with shells and things that have washed ashore.

Peaceful Walk     5x7 oil    by Dee Lessard

REFLECTIONS OF LOVE

Life can take such sudden turns. At times it can feel like it can give you whiplash! That is how I have felt lately! I have had a few weeks away from painting because of it. But I am ready to jump back in. Here is a small painting I did just before the "whiplash". ... I have chosen to name it as such because when we  are faced with how short our life is it makes you think...."how is my own life making a difference?". I hope that mine will be (even in a small way) a reflection of God and all the wonderful things I see in his creation.... 

 Reflections of Love      5x7      by Dee Lessard

BLACK EYED SUSAN by Dee Lessard

Rudy     5x7  oil by Dee Lessard

Here's a flower cheerfully taking in the sun! One of the may species my husband grows in our gardens out back! Every year I have to ask him to tell me the names of the flowers. They have two names usually...their formal name and then a nick name (usually something short) AND then he'll tell me additional names they may be known by! And he wonders why I can't remember the names!  But, if I paint them I sometimes remember. I tell him my memory chip is full! He understands because he says when he feels that way there's a concern that IMPORTANT information might get pushed out to make room for the other stuff...and he might forget the names of his kids!

This painting is available. If interested contact me HERE

Rudebeckia or Black Eyed Susan or "Rudy" as I decided to call them!

still life: LADY IN RED

This is a painting I did recently....well this spring! Time does fly! I'm preparing to do a big show out in Mystic, Connecticut in mid-August.
I'll post more info as we get closer.

LADY IN RED   oil 8x10  by Dee Lessard

Prints by Dee Lessard

I hope you are all doing well with the shift in weather....brrr but I hear warm again tomorrow!

Just to let you know that I have other prints available. Here is one I am featuring this week!

This is an artistic version of my back yard! Of course it helps to be married to a master gardener! He keeps our property looking so beautiful! My niece posed for this figurative piece (don't worry I didn't make her stay in this pose for more than a few minutes!...I used a photo reference for that part.) And who would guess from this painting that I live in the city and have almost an acre of land in our back yard!

I do have prints available if anyone is interested. 

Click here to check out my ETSY store where there are other prints available.

I hope you all have a wonderful July 4th holiday! 

I'm proud to be an American!

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

Paintings found new homes!

"Relax & Unwind"   SOLD

"Forest Glow"   SOLD

I am happy to say that these paintings have found new homes!

I am still building up my e-mails for the free drawing. If you know of anyone who would like to enter, feel free to forward this to them. .... Hope you are all enjoying  our beautiful weather!