"Coneflower" fine art oil painting one dollar auction and a bonus self-pitying rant

 

5 x 7"

oil on canvas

auction starts at $1

Sold

 I admit it. I have moments of insane hubris, and in those moments, I've been known to enter juried art shows. Even though my brain knows that we all get rejected from 99.9% of all the things we apply for in this creative life, my pride is still wounded when it happens. Especially when it's a show I feel like I should be able to get into. See? Insane hubris. Inflated sense of self-worth. Megalomania.

So, today I'm disappointed. I indulged in a little twitter whining. Then I did some photoshop therapy (I have very limited photoshop skills, see above). And now I'm going to offer this painting for $1 because selling paintings makes me happy. And the $1 paintings always sell. :)

"Stargazer Lily and Green Plums" daily painting fruit and flowers still life floral

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

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If you'd like a chance to win a $50 gift certificate to my Etsy shop, check out this blog post! There are a bunch of different ways to enter, including subscribing to my email updates, and liking my Facebook page. The winner will be chosen on Friday.

"Fruit Bowls with Black-Eyed-Susans" still life original oil painting of strawberries and plums with yellow flowers

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

$150

purchase from my Etsy shop

I've been valiantly attempting to keep the deer from eating these Rudbeckia by spraying them with a mixture of egg whites and water. It works....temporarily. I posted a work-in-progress shot that shows my palette on Facebook.  

In other, actually much more exciting news, I was interviewed about Etsy, painting, and other random stuff on this awesome blog. Leave a comment over there and you'll be entered to win a $50 gift certificate to my Etsy shop!

"Red Plum Bowl" fruit floral flower painting still life food kitchen decor fine art daily painting

 

6 x 6"

oil on canvas

Framed, $200

click to buy

Saturday is a big day at our house - it's Ellie's third birthday! There will be cupcake-crazed children all over the place, I predict. Maybe I can snag one to paint on Sunday (a cupcake, not a child), but in the meantime, lots and LOTS to do to get ready!

"Beach Ball" beach shore coast sea ocean pool vacation house childs room nursery decor

 

6 x 6"

oil on canvas

$100

Purchase from my Etsy shop

This is actually Beach Ball no. 2 for me. Number one was way back in 2008, and I've thought about repeating it a few times since, but I had gotten rid of the beach ball! Ellie recently scored a couple of these at a birthday party. I love all the colors in the shadows, plus it was an opportunity to bust out my tubes of exotic blue that I rarely get to use on more natural subjects.

"Miranda, July" nude female figure painting portrait boudoir art

 

11 x 14"

oil on canvas

$250

purchase

Not to be confused with Miranda July! (But let's see what it does for my search keywords). I posted a work-in-progress picture here.

"Bowl of Cherries with Green Glass Vases" still life fruit kitchen art flowers floral painting

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

click to bid 

My friend Taryn Day has a new blog called The Art Room, and today I got to do a guest post, showing off two paintings from my (small) personal art collection, and telling a bit about why they are so special to me. If you stop by, show her some love by leaving a comment! I also happen to have inside information that next month will be all about flower paintings, and some familiar faces (including possibly yours truly) just might pop up in the mix.

Daily Painting time machine, flashback edition

I'm happily plugging away at a new commission right now, but I thought it would be interesting to check out some of my paintings from this week in history: I believe the sunflower piece was actually painted two years ago to this day! When I look at it now, the intervening time just slips away - it takes me back to that moment so fully, it's like having total recall!

"Peach and Pink Lily on the Windowsill"

July 2011

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

$100 

 

"Sunflowers with Green Paper"

July 2010

 8 x 10"

oil on canvas

$100 

"Black Cherries and Black-Eyed-Susans" floral fruit food kitchen art still life original oil daily painting

 

6 x 8"

oil on canvas

click to bid 

Hey! I missed you guys! It was a great couple of weeks with the fam, but it felt GOOD to be back in the studio today. In case you weren't glued to the action on Twitter, I picked (more) blueberries, attended several parties, went wine tasting, ate lots of great food, and even ran my second ever half marathon. With a full contingent of cheerleaders and paparazzi!

I did get to do some work-type things in my Etsy shop recently. I changed the name to "Sedwick Studio" from "Sedwick Paints," and altered the look a bit to better match my blog. Etsy has a new feature for shops called an "About" page - kind of self-explanatory - but the reason I bring it up is that my painting today perfectly illustrates the blurb I wrote for mine, particularly the part about never knowing which quiet little object in my house will be the star of my next painting. This string of wooden beads hitchhiked home from preschool with Ellie at some point, and manifested itself in my studio this morning. When I saw it lying there on the ground, something clicked! 

I'm leaving for a figure painting evening in a few minutes, and I'm honestly a little worried about my "cold start" catching up with me. But I'm going to try to be fearless. And post pictures on Facebook....

"Jessie" custom portrait painting oil sketch

 

16 x 20"

oil on canvas

email inquiries welcome

I unearthed this piece while searching for something else last week. I had sort of forgotten about it - it's more or less unfinished, but I like it. I like the model, too - my little sister!

I painted this from life, but if you have a sister - or any old special someone - you'd like to immortalize in paint, I'm open to working from your photos. Email me if you'd like to discuss a commission.

"Yellow Fever" still life floral flower painting daily painting original oil

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

$150

purchase

Ellie's grandparents are coming to visit us for a while, and so today I'm clearing out of my studio (aka the guest room). I'll be a roving artist for the next couple of weeks - I'm hoping to get in a bit of outside painting, and a figure painting session at the Art Center next week. Meanwhile, I'll be doing lots of summery family type things. Looking forward to it!

"Tea and Pink Lilies" still life blueberries teapot flowers original art oil painting

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

$150

purchase

This painting flowed out of me pretty smoothly. That's a good feeling. Well, the lilies gave me hell, but they always do. The thing about this pink lily is that it's the only one, out of at least half a dozen lilies in my yard that the deer don't eat, year after year. So I kind of feel obligated to paint it!

"Blueberries on Blue" fruit still life original oil painting

 

6 x 6"

oil on canvas

Sold

We went blueberry picking over the weekend. Well, some of us picked - Ellie mostly ate. The local farms are so understanding about little kids. They should really charge you for an extra pint for every small child you take into the fields!

"Midsummer Bouquet" flower vase lily sunflower still life daily painting original

 

8 x 10"

oil on canvas

click to bid  

A new-to-me vase, proving once again that when I need inspiration, I should always head to the thrift store. Click here for a closer look at the portrait in the background.

My latest $1 auction ends tonight - a chance to pick up a Sedwick original for pennies!

"A Quiet Summer Afternoon" interior scene still life original oil painting daily painting

 

11 x 14"

oil on canvas

click to bid  

I've started noticing "Grab my Button" graphics on several other blogs I read, and I thought it might be cool to try making my own. So, last night, for several hours - and with the patient assistance of my web developer husband - I made a few. If you'd like to add one to your blog, copy and paste the code under any of the three design options. You'll find them on the right------------>

(And if anyone is interested in making their own blog button, I'll be glad to share the code with you. Just email me!)

"Shades of Red" floral flower still life original oil painting daily painting

 

6 x 8"

oil on canvas

$100

click to buy

When I first painted this one, I thought it was a wiper. Then I kept tweaking it, and now I like it! Good story, I know. I think I've got a little bit of blogger-block today!

"Pomegranate Halves" framed art original oil painting fruit bowl

 

6 x 8"

oil on canvas

maple frame 

$200

purchase

I just brought a few paintings home from a show. Some of you, my loyal followers, might recognize them. They were all painted in 2010! Time flies when you're making art.

Wishing you all a great fourth of July. I'll be running a 10K in the morning and then enjoying some cold beverages and BBQ! (Not that it's going to be hot. I hate to rub it in, East Coast, but our high tomorrow is 75!)

The four new additions to my Etsy shop

"A Profusion of Lilies" floral flower bouquet oil painting one dollar auction

 

5 x 7"

oil on canvas

Sold 

So, it turns out my illness from last week was Pneumonia! Argh. I am getting back to normal life after almost two weeks of no painting, no running, and lots of coughing. As you can see, I gave myself some challenging subject matter for my first paintings. The studio is FULL of flowers. It's just that time of year. It's cherry season, too - I guess I could have started there, but no, I ate them all.

"Pink Peonies" floral still life flower vase bouquet orignal oil painting

 

6 x 6"

oil on canvas

Framed, $200

click to buy

I started on a larger version of this lovely bouquet, but then I got sick, and I've basically been in bed since Thursday night with a high fever and a hacking cough. Still am, actually - in bed! God, I hope I feel better soon. Although I'm afraid it will be too late for these pretty peonies by then.

"In Cool Light" Male nude figure painting original oil on canvas

 

 14 x 18"

oil on canvas

$400

purchase

I consider this more of a sketch, even though it is a larger painting. My goal was to keep it loose, not worry too much about facial likeness, and achieve some kind of movement or overall feeling in the piece. I like it.

"Fuchsia Cuttings" floral oil painitng original still life flowers and limes

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

Sold

Well, I googled it - Fuchsia is the correct spelling! Apparently it was named after a botanist named Fuchs. Who knew? I have a huge gorgeous basket of this plant hanging on my front porch this summer. It must like our shady yard.

"Going Green" still life daily painting of limes and plant original oil on canvas

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

Sold

Yep, that's a paintbrush sticking out of the plant. I've been known to use worn out paintbrushes as stakes for droopy plant stems. Supposedly, if you have to stake a houseplant, it should really just be trimmed back, but I can't always bring myself to chop them.

Frames, new markdowns, and a Secret Sale!

Here are a couple framed pieces that are currently hanging in my house. Above, "Lemon Bowl with Knife," and below "Black-Eyed Susans and Peaches"

  

Yesterday I launched yet another epic studio cleaning spree. Every time I do this, I get the urge to reduce. Plus, summertime means garage sales, and I'll admit it, there are paintings in my garage. So! New markdowns, new paintings added to the Studio Sale section of my Etsy shop, and for you, dear readers, a secret code for 20% off anything and everything. (It's STUDIOSALE - enter it on the Etsy checkout page). Pass it on! Let's keep my garage art-free.  

A peek inside the Studio Sale

"Rocky Shore" Plein Air landscape ocean beach painting of the Oregon Coast

 

9 x 12"

oil on canvas

Sold 

Sorry for dropping off the face of the blogosphere like that! We spent the past few days having a very relaxing and unplugged vacation at the coast. Took our little one to the aquarium, found out that I love running on sand, ate my weight in cheese, read some books, you know, vacation! And I painted this, outdoors - en plein air, as they say - and I didn't die! I didn't even have any strange characters approach me (my greatest fear), though I suspect my picture was snapped once or twice. My feet got cold, and I packed it in. It was great! 

"Bouquet on Black" floral still life daily painting of flowers in a pitcher

 

8 x 8"

oil on canvas

Sold

I love the challenge of simplifying a big, complicated bouquet of flowers into something that can come across on a small canvas.

"Brown Eggs and Tea" still life daily painting fine art original oil painting

 

8 x 8 

oil on canvas

Sold 

Jesse and Ellie are chicken-sitting for our next-door-neighbors this week. There are five of them! Suffice it to say, there are a lot of eggs around here right now. (And they are delicious.)