Single Apple

 

Single Apple

Oil On Canvas Board
6x6
Challenge - Week #7 - Painting #12

Chair for Online Class

 

Chair for Online Class
Oil On Canvas
8x10
Challenge - Week #6 - Painting #11

For Julie

 

For Julie
20x20
Oil on Canvas
Challenge - Week #5 - Painting #10

Irish Cows

 

Irish Cows
16x20
Oil on Canvas
Challenge - Week #5 - Painting #9

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

 

Hollyhock Joy

8x10
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #4 - Painting #8

Family Vacation

We went to Cooperstown, NY in July for a family vacation. Two of David's favorite Twins baseball players, Tony Oliva and Jim Kaat, were being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. We had a wonderful time :) My husband David wrote a blog post about his thoughts - you can check it out here... 

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

 Apple Season

8x10
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #4 - Painting #7

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

Pear #1
10x10
Acrylic on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #3 - Painting #6

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

For Ardis
8x10
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #2 - Painting #4
Sold

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

 

Faith - Hope - Love
14x16
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #3 - Painting #5
​Not for Sale

and...

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

A Sunny Morning
8x10
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #2 - Painting #3

 

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

I Love Geraniums

8x10
Oil on Canvas Board
Challenge - Week #1 - Painting #2

 Sold

 

Online Class

There are two techniques I have never tried while painting before. The first is using a grid to aid with the drawing - example below... 

The second is painting a transparent under-coat - example below...

 

I have under-painted many times while painting with watercolors. That technique in watercolor is called glazing.  I have never glazed or under-painted while oil painting. Typically, what I do is tint my canvas with ochre before starting an oil painting like the paintings below:

In oil painting, the technique of painting a transparent undercoat helps you to establish light and shadow areas.  It is also a background color to determine where to lay down the cool and warm areas of your painting. 

The other technique I haven't used before is gridding my canvas and image for easier drawing. I will be using this when I draw on my canvas from now on!!! I'm not sure if I'll use it for watercolor paintings since the surface of watercolor paper is very sensitive. 

Below is an example of a painting I am presently working on. The painting is of a picture I took while my husband and I were visiting Ireland. Gridding out the photo and canvas was helpful in getting the landscape and cows placed and proportioned correctly on the canvas. 

Below is the finished painting from my online painting class:

 

Two Paintings a Week for a Year

"You Were Created to Paint"

I have not had any painting deadlines for some time now, so I have not been in my studio doing a lot of painting. About a month ago, I started taking an online painting class which has changed that scenario. My husband David loves it that I am back painting. He said to me, "You were created to paint." He is right!!! A week or so ago, he presented me with a challenge. His challenge is for me to paint two small paintings a week and post them on my blog for one year. I did not have to think long or hard on whether I should accept the challenge or not. Yes!!! I accept!!! 

Stumbling Blocks:
Okay, if you know an artist, you've probably already figured out that goals, rules or anything that reeks of structure is almost impossible for them to continue working at for more than, oh, maybe a month? That might be stretching it a bit - how about a week?
In addition to structure, many times "life" gets in the way of good intentions. 
Then there are words. If I'm going to blog, getting out of my right-brain mode and into my left-brain mode to think of actual words makes it difficult to write a blog post at times. 

The Solution:
First, since it's my husband's challenge, I'm making him responsible for keeping me on task. 
Second, I have a few paintings already finished, so I'm ahead of the game for now - just in case life gets in the way :)
Third, I am taking an online painting class - that will help me stay on task. A few of my paintings will be from that class. (I will always label those paintings.) 

Can you buy any of these paintings?
Yes! All small paintings that I paint this coming year will be available for $50 each. 

Bonus: Once each month I will give away one painting! I'll have details in a future post about how you can enter for a chance to win one of them!

On-line Painting Class

 I signed up for an online class mid-February. I really haven't painted much since my sister passed away a year and half ago. Plus, with this insane lockdown business, everything has been canceled. As an artist, having deadlines is helpful in staying motivated. One morning I woke up and realized just how much I missed painting. There were a couple of artists that I follow who also offer online classes. I went online and checked out their info, weighed out the pros and cons to each class and chose 'Once Upon a Time in Provence" instructed by Dreama.

Dreama paints in a very loose, colorful style. My painting style has always been quite colorful, but because I was trained in a very oldy worldy, traditional way, I do not paint loosely at all - better than years past, but still too much in the lines. I am presently into my third week's lesson and have decided to blog about my process. If I write down what I am learning along the way it will be easier to change up, remember and apply these lessons to my own painting style. This process is not to paint like Dreama. It is for me a practice outside of my own box to stretch and develop my own style in a new direction. 

Below are the first three paintings. I will talk about them more in a new post. 

New Kittens :)

Salt and Pepper

Here are a few pictures of our newest additions to the family. Recently we acquired two really cute black-and-white farm kittens from a couple of kids in our church. 

Salt

.

Pepper

.

Adorable :)

Meeting Hemmingway :)

Anthony's Birthday

We had a fun weekend celebrating Anthony's 30th in Milwaukee. Since fans are able to attend baseball games in WI, we took him to a St. Paul Saints vs Milwaukee Milkman's game.

We celebrated 32 years :) :) :)

Oh Happy Day 💝

Two Published Children's Books I Illustrated

It's pretty exciting to now have illustrated and published two children's picture books!!! It has been a dream of mine (and my husband's) for many years. He and I wrote and I illustrated, 'You'll Never Guess What I Saw... At the Lake." This is the retelling of when Jesus calmed the storm by a little yellow fish, Goldie, to her friend, Gabby, a seagull. You can check it out and purchase this book at my artist website, violetdauk.com

Authors and Illustrator, David and Violet Dauk

The other book that I illustrated was written by Mary Lee Moore. He has been wanting to have this book illustrated for many years. I got the privilege to be her illustrator. This story is about a sweet song that she sang to her girls while trying to get them to go to sleep at night. Her girls now sing this song to their children. You can check this book out or purchase it at violetdauk.com

Author, Mary Lee Moore