New Daily Painting a Day

Pear 1208a
5" x 5"
oil on hardboard
available for purchase - email me

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Two portraits for my daily painting endeavors

Portrait of Pam
11" x 14"
oil on Masonite

Pam 2
8" x 10"
oil on Masonite

I had a very good day in painting class today. It seems that months and months of struggling came together really quickly today. I did 'Portrait of Pam' first, not really sure of how to approach the process, how to handle using this much white, and after a brief discussion with Vanessa it just seemed to flow off my brush and knife and onto the surface. I was nearly ecstatic. I rarely if ever get what's in my head out into the visible realm. Part of the reason is that I don't really ever have a clear defined concept in my head - they are foggy and misty and wiggly and very difficult to get a hold of. It's one of those experiences that when I see it I know whether "that's it" or "that's not it" - usually "that's not it." These look like what I have had in my head for a while. I think the digital experimenting has been quite helpful too. (See Dec 3 Two Digital Paintings) I had the smaller 8" x 10" board available and tried a quick second go at it -"Pam 2" is not quite as successful, but I can't complain, I am still pretty happy with it. Now it will probably take forever to dry - it is thick and it is a whole heck of a lot of Titanium white - about the slowest drying paint I know of.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Garden Update -good news and bad

I am taking these photos around 4:30 PM and it is already so dark that I have to use my flash - and I can't even see well enough out here to really focus and frame these pictures. That's because it's winter and we live in a "hole" - some might call it a valley, or down south they might call it a "holler" - but really it's a hole, and it gets dark down in here very early. It's been about a week since I planted my little vegetable patches. The weather hasn't been so terrific and I haven't been too disciplined this week. As you can see the transplanted peas seem to be doing okay - not growing a lot but they remain alive and mostly healthy, and I can just start to see some of the seeds sprouting. I have harvested some of the lettuce and it is certainly not regrowing as it does during warmer months. I guess that is reasonable. Also, this little patch gets way less sun that I thought. The sun is so low, it is almost completely shaded by the bar-b-que island.

And then there is the spinach pot - hmmmmm, something is missing here -- like the spinach plants! And here is the good and bad news. The good news is that Rick has seen bunny rabbits in the neighborhood on his early morning walks. That means that the coyotes have moved far enough away that some small creatures - besides snails and rats - are now living around here. The bad news is there are bunny rabbits in the neighborhood - and they are eating my spinach! I thought because these are in pots they would be relatively safe from the snails for a while - never thought about rabbits or anything eating them. Today they got wrapped up in bird netting to protect them.



This week my gardening goal is to get some spinach and lettuce seed planted and start a bucket of potatoes. That's my goal anyway - Christmas is coming fast and I still have to make all my annual ornaments, ship and mail stuff, finish shopping and wrapping and haven't even gotten cards yet, and blah blah blah - so we will see what actually gets done.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Hachiya and a headache

Hachiya
6" x 6"
oil on canvas mounted to Masonite
available on ebay - click here

Thought I'd do a knife painting for a change. You know? I really love painting with the knife, I should do it more often. Not much going on today, it's another headache day. Got my "hair did" and I have to take one of the dogs to the vet, yadda, yadda, yadda. - just one of those days. And all of the appointments are spread out so there is not a good chunk of time to really get anything done. My daughter says a storm is coming and they are predicting snow in San Diego. Snow? but - what about global warming? whatever - my head says bad weather is on the way and I'm off to take a snooze and hope it stops hurting before I have to leave for the vet. Tomorrow is Saturday - a day off - a day for gardening, if the snow isn't too deep - LOL.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Jean Portrait, Cool Video and Say Thanks

I added a Widget - (AKA fancy link) - over on the right side of my blog, it says "Let's say Thanks" (or just click here)-- You can select a postcard and a message to send to one of our special wonderful heroes that are out there on the front lines doing their best to keep us safe, and to protect our right to complain, accuse, protest and carry on. It is sponsored by Xerox, and they will print it and send it-- and it costs you no more than a couple of minutes - so go ahead, click on it and thank someone, it's free and it might make someone feel good. Do it.

Jean
12" x 16"
Oil on Masonite

I finished Jean and I am happy with it for the most part.
This painting is available for sale - email me if you are interested.

I found this video on Mary Beth Shaw's blog. Mary Beth does some great collages so check her site out.



Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Portrait from yesterday

Jean

This is about 11" x 14", or maybe 16" x 20". I forget and I am too lazy to get up and go measure it right now. It doesn't really matter at this point anyway, as it is not quite finished, but very close. I love the lack of detail and the looseness of it. Today was a busy day - Christmas stuff you know. I did not get to paint at all. For some reason I am super tired today too. Tomorrow is another day...


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Salad and Ebay

It is just getting too dark too soon! Today is portrait painting day and I got a good start on one, but it got too late and too dark to get a photo of it today. So instead I give you a photo of the very first salad from my garden. Just enough for the two of us. Yummy.



Here is a wooden container that I painted a few years back. I've always liked it but never used it and now I don't have any place for it in my house, so I am going to offer it on eBay. Yep, I am back on eBay. The last 2 pear paintings are now on eBay too. This box measures 8.5" high, 8.5" wide at the widest point(from the front lip to the outside edge of the handle), the base is 4" deep (front to back) and tapers toward the top, which is 2.5" deep (front to back). The lid is hinged and flips open. The interior of the container is not painted. I think I painted this in oils, but it's been so long I am not 100% certain, but may 85% sure - maybe. The back is plain and it is signed on the front. I think that is it...until tomorrow.

Click HERE to bid

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Daily Painting a Day

Yellow Pear on Blue
5" x 5"
oil on Masonite
$100

Not much to say today, a little painting, a bad photo of it. I usually take my photos in natural daylight but it got late and too dark, thus a bit of glare on this one, trying to take a decent shot with lights. Today was an unusual day for this area - the sun did not come out even once today. I really don't do well on gray dreary days, I become just as gray and dreary and don't feel well. I need to live at the equator or something - in the land of eternal sunshine, where the days never shorten and the sky is never cloudy all day. Sounds like the old song "Big Rock Candy Mountain" or something doesn't it.

Tomorrow is another day and Christmas is creeping up on me quickly -at some point I am going to have to actually go shopping and get ready for it all. Not today.
Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Gardening - not painting

Okay - I know - it's not art , it's not painting, but it is Sunday after all - and I do take weekends off normally. I have a couple of reasons for showing you my "victory garden" endeavors. The first reason is my husband reads my blog and I want to show him (hi Honey) how the garden is coming along, while he's out in sub-zero Chicago on business. The second reason is we used to be "urban farmers", that was 25 years or so ago - way before it was cool or P.C. or "green". I was pretty much always into self sufficiency. Reusing and re-purposing things was always (and still is) an interest, it was a challenge and fun and Euell Gibbons was my hero - I had all his books and living off the land, alternative building methods, and independence was always a huge interest and priority for me. I don't normally like to talk about this stuff now as it is just so P.C and trendy, it just annoys me.
With moving, kids, and life in general, we sort of got away from all of it, but lately with all the concerns about poisons from China and people getting sick from our foods - I figured it's time to get back in the saddle and see how much of our own food we can grow on this very tiny piece of land we have. Also becasue we have decided to probably stay in this house for longer than we originally planned - becasue of market conditions, but it's a nice place to be. But boy howdy - it is a tiny, tiny yard, the smallest we've ever had. The third reason is I am horrible at keeping a garden journal and so I never know what I did or when - by keeping my notes in my blog I will be killing 2 birds with 1 stone (figure of speech - I love birds - I would never kill them, in fact I've been looking into the possibility of squeezing a few little chicken into the yard) - keeping track of my gardening on the blog will motivate me as well and act as my journal. OK - "nuff chat" - here are some pictures -


Sugar snap peas and mixed lettuces. I've never tried planting pea transplant as I've always been told they don't transplant well - so here we have some transplants to see how it works - but I also have 2 rows of seeds in here too, just in case the transplants die. They are surrounded with cheap wire border fencing and covered with bird netting mostly to keep the dogs out and then I tied ribbons on so they could see it was there - so far so good.




Our ground here is so hard that you need a jack hammer to work in it - really. When we moved in I watched landscapers break several jack hammers while trying to install sprinkler systems in the neighbors yard, so we do raised beds and tuck them in where ever we can. This spot doesn't get a lot of sun, but peas and lettuce don't require a whole lot. In the box on the right are 3 broccoli plants and bunching onions. I've never grown bunching onions - not sure exactly what they are but I think they are like scallions.


Here is my little salad box - mixed lettuce and a few bunching onions all crowded into this plant stand which I lined with a garbage bag and planted. Looks pretty and easy to do because it is REALLY raised - in a few days I will under-plant this with more lettuce seed to keep the lettuce coming as we harvest it




Above is an herb pot with thyme, bar-b-q rosemary, parsley and some more bunching onions. The bar-b-q rosemary is called that because this variety grows straight stiff branches that can be cut and used for shish-ka-bob skewers. I will eventually probably want to get this into the ground - it will grow about 6 feet tall if it is allowed to. On the right is a pot of spinach, and below are a few left overs, I am looking for a place to plant them



I am out of dirt and time for this weekend. I'll go tomorrow and get a few more bags of dirt, and maybe this week I will start a worm-composting bin.
Back to art and painting tomorrow.


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Return to Daily Painting a Day

Yellow Pear
Oil on Masonite
8" x 8"

Today is my first day back to painting daily - YAY!! I feel very rusty and a bit awkward after not painting for 2+ months, but it is wonderful. I totally lost track of time and was late to meet my friend Linda.. She had to call and ask me where I was - in painting-la-la land, that's where I was - fortunately she is an artist also and completely understands. I feel like the rocking of my boat is calming and settling and pretty soon I can loosen my grip on the sides and row off on a new adventure.

Now I have to resolve whether I return to eBay to sell my paintings , or Etsy, or both - or somewhere else. I have some research to do - any suggestions are certainly welcome.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Another digital version

Here is today's painting offering, digital again. This time I worked in watercolor and chalk. And once again it is a very dark painting - not where I want to go but can't seem to get away from dark, dark, dark. Today was not a great day - I feel kind of cruddy, and spent some time cleaning house. I also planted some sugar snap peas and broccoli in the back yard. I still have to resolve all of my online issues, but tomorrow I paint - with real paint.

Well, darn - I just looked again at this portrait - and I do not like the forehead area - I guess I may have to go back in and rework it a bit - or not. I should spend my time trying to go for a light version again.


OK - so I thought I was done - but I couldn't go to bed with that dark painting on my mind - sooo, here is this one. Lighter, pinker, differenter. :) Yes - it is from the same sketch - I just took some liberties, and sort of got away from the original a bit more. I did this one mostly in oil pastel - digital of course.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

2 Digital Paintings

Here is the first attempt at turning the oil "Sketch of Natalie 1" from Tuesday into a painting. It's a start and that is about all I can say. Not at all what I had in mind.




This is attempt #2 and much, much closer to what I had in mind! Much happier now. This has been quite an effort to do these digitally, and it will be interesting to see what happens when I actually paint it on canvas. But learning to paint digitally is going to be a real problem solver and time saver. The learning curve is steep and long, but it will be worth it.



Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

PlayingTag and Oil Sketches

Sketch of Natalie 3
8" x 10"
oil on Masonite

Sketch of Natalie 2
8" x 10"
oil on Masonite

Sketch of Natalie 1
11" x 14"
oil on Masonite

I went to painting class today - finally... and forgot to take paint. Can you believe that? DUH! It worked out okay though. Vanessa gave me some peach-black, which is basically just a slightly warm black really, and I had a little cad-red still on my palette. I've had these ideas kicking around in my head about color values, and layers, and abstractions, and working more creatively from my head, but based in reality and representation. This just seemed like a good opportunity to start some sketches that I can experiment with later. We will see what they turn into, if anything.
Now,back to playing tag and 7 interesting things about me.

Kellie Hill tagged me and the rules are pretty simple. I tell 7 interesting things about myself and then tag 7 other people and on it goes. Actually it's a fun way to introduce people around.

1. I like to paint round or roundish things. But most of you that know me already know that so maybe that is not so interesting. Okay - how about this then - I love, love, love to go to hands-on museums - yep the ones that are mostly for little kids - love it.

2. I have an insatiable appetite for learning - anything, everything. The only problem is I have really poor retention. When ever I hear of anything new or different I have to research it. I love to research stuff. I've had at least a bazillion minor concussions in my life, I like to blame my poor memory on that. When I was 9I read the Bible through, then a Websters Dictionary and then started on the Encyclopedia Britannica - but I didn't get very far with that one. I would play a Dictionary word game under the covers at night with a flash light where I would start with a word then look up a word in the definition and go on and on endlessly. I used to have a big vocabulary...then I had babies it was reduced to one and two syllable words, I've never recovered.

3. I have some kind of thing abut mail. I can buy cards and address them and stamp them and never mail them. When my daughters graduated from High School and college I bought all the really nice announcements, addressed them, stamped them and two years later threw them all out. I have either a mental or emotional block regarding birthdays and holidays too. It is a problem, doesn't make for a good friend or family member. I have spent hundreds of dollar on electronic reminders and calenders and all sorts of gimmicks to remind me, purchased and pre-addressed crates of cards, and now I have just given up. I think I had one year that I did send a birthday and anniversary card to everyone.

4. Most of what I think are the most interesting things about me I don't like to talk about, and so I don't. That's kind of lame - so how about this? we home schooled our girls on and off up to high school. We were pioneers in the movement, and I was terrified most of the time.

5. I love - well used to love - to play volleyball. At one time I was on 3 leagues at the same time and played indoors and beach volleyball about 40 hours a week. We were homeschooling our girls, and my oldest daughter played too. I quit when we moved in 1994 and promptly gained 40 pounds, which I still have.

6. I am a born-again-spirit-filled-on-fire-pew-jumping-chandelier-swinging-Christian. I love Jesus and the Bible, but I am NOT religious and I hate being called or referred to as religious.

7. When I was about 15 I was told by 3 separate doctors that I had a retina problem. There was no fix, no cure, nothing cold be done for it at that time, and I would be blind probably by the time I was 16. I made it a point to look and see and study and try to memorize everything I could get in front of my eyes. While I prayed a lot asking God to heal my eyes, I knew He could. I would blindfold myself and practice being blind. I checked out braille books from the library and started teaching myself. I did not go blind and when I went back to the doctors, all 3 could not explain what happened but I was totally healed of the problem. I remember one Doctor said he must have written it down wrong. I don't just believe that God can heal, I know He can. I believe in the supernatural. I believe in miracles. I am one.

Okay - there are 7. Now I will tag 7 other incredible artists - be sure to take the time to check their sites:

Lisa Bebi
Jeanne Bauer
Karen Chew
AnneWoods
Carolyn Finnell
Carolyn Rekerdres
Shelley Hocknell Zentner

PLEASE NOTE: - IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG NOW PLEASE PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH "BLOG" IN THE SUBJECT LINE
I need to change things up and get them working right and I don't want to lose you :)

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

I've been tagged! and another older painting

Untitiled
6" x 8"
Acrylic on canvas
$100

I painted this in late 2007 I believe. I really liked it a lot for a long time - now I want to redo it. I do love the angel in the back though.

So I have been tagged. Interesting - I've heard of this blogging game, but have never played. Kellie Hill (right click on her name and check out her blog and artwork in a new window and then come back here to me) has tagged me and I was all giddy and excited until I read the rules! Now I have to think up 7 things about me and tag 7 other bloggers. I am not sure I know 7 other bloggers. I don't know if I can think of 7 interesting things about myself. I could tell you 700 interesting things about my husband, or daughters, or maybe even a perfect stranger...but 7 interesting thing about me? that takes THINKING!! I know there are many interesting things about me - I am an interesting person, um, I think. It's just having to think of things, put it all in words, decide whether I want any one to know them, put it out there for the world and strangers and stuff to read and judge, - aargh. This feels so HARD....(insert some whining and whimpering here). Ok, attitude check... this will be fun : ) Thank you Kellie Hill for tagging me!
Here goes, 7 interesting things about me:
#1. .....um......hmmmm....well......Can I get back to you on this?


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Cute Video Clip? and Changes are a comin'

Well - that was disappointing. I have no idea why the video clip didn't show up in the email on Thanksgiving. It's cute - you can actually go to my blog and see it . You can double click on the header words "Cute Video Clip? and Changes are a comin'" which should take you to my blog, or right click on them and open in a new window - or go to You Tube and see it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpunQZ4cUyI

or maybe it will show up if I do this - one last try-



Now it has come to my attention that things are NOT working right. Several people have told me they tried to subscribe to my blog and weren't able to. I checked Feedburner and it says no one - zero - nada - zip people have subscribed. According to Feedburner I am all alone in cyberspace. So sad. Yet I know you are out there because I occasionally get responses and emails from you, but I can't get any response or help from Feedburner so I am looking for a new way to subscribe. PLEASE NOTE: - IF YOU SUBSCRIBE TO MY BLOG NOW PLEASE PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH "BLOG" IN THE SUBJECT LINE

I need to change things up and get them working right and I don't want to lose you :)


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Cute video clip and Mixed Media Collage

HEY- HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Watch this and SMILE!!

Isn't that great?

Yesterday I wrote this in yellow which I found out shows up on the blog but not in email so I will write it again - I added a "Follow This Blog" widget - over on the right, on the blog. So you can check it out and sign up if you want to.

And here is today's painting offering...

Hearts of 3
8" x 10"
Mixed Media Collage on Canvas
$250

This is one of my older pieces, and I don't think I've shown it online before. I just got it back from a show at Brandon Gallery. This piece is another that is ...geesh, I don't know how to say this - it is a result of the death of a friend, but result isn't right - inspired by - that certainly isn't right - what are the right words? It is deeply meaningful and moving to me, and while I do have a price on it I am not sure I really would want to sell it. It comes from deep dark places in my heart.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Almost caught up! more wedding pics-

Okay - first - before you do anything else - go watch and listen to this guy play guitar!!
click here
Be sure to right click and choose open in a new window so you can come right back here easily

Now that you are back - wasn't that nice? Hey take a look over on the right - I just added a "Follow this blog" gizmo -
and now for the art and pictures---

Worried Man
Digital Tessellation

Blue Bird
Digital Mosaic Experiment

So I have spent the ENTIRE day in this stupid chair trying to figure these Painter assignments out. I thought I was doing great until I ran headlong into a virtual digital wall!! When I say all day - I mean all day! I sat down here around 5AM and it is now 6:15 PM. I did take a lunch break. I thought I would just get a little bit done before my oil painting class this morning, since I was up so early, and the next thing I knew it was almost 11 and I was still in my PJ's plugging away on this digital stuff. Class started at 10 AM - duh...and BUMMER! The good news is I am just about caught up - just one more assignment and I am there! YAY! I am not thrilled with either of these images - but after working my fanny flat in this chair - I wanted to at least post something.

Then I got an email from a friend who took pictures at the wedding - thank you VERY much - here are a few -

Pictures are wonderful - but they just don't capture everything - like all the crystal and rhinestones sparkling, and the incredible ambiance and atmosphere. It was wonderful and beautiful beyond words...

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Variation on a theme

So, lot's of reading and studying and catching up on lectures from my Painter class. I did a lot of "test drives" today, nothing much to look at, just trial and error attempts with different controls in the Painter program. I did do some manipulation and experimenting on the skull painting from last week and here are the results - not too great, I prefer the original, but I am learning a lot!
Tomorrow is another day.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Second post for today with another digital painting

I don't have a name for this one yet. I am fairly happy with it - there are some problem areas and some stuff that I am not crazy about - but "good enough", especially for now - I am working hard to catch up in my Painter class. I will address them when I paint this one on canvas. I will just consider this a preliminary sketch for a larger painting. Another assignment down - many more to go! LOL


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Digital Assignment and Tales from my Past

I just had to show you this - I am so happy with it. It is a digital painting done for my university Painter class. So FUN! I was inspired by some work by Jim Morphesis. I may make some prints available.

Those of you who know me - even well, may or may not be aware of my love for and fascination with bones. I used to collect them - much to my mother's, and my brother's frustration and despair. I am sure they secretly worried about me becoming some kind of serial killer or something. I was crushed and devastated when my bone collection "accidentally" got thrown out one day.

In high school I got a job in a grocery store that had it's own butcher. I got some incredibly awesome bones from them. I would go home and and soak them in lye until they were all clean and beautiful. Then I would draw them - like landscapes to me. I had a particularly prized and beautiful knee joint from a cow, complete with the knee cap. It was awesome. In college I took it to drawing class, as strangely enough I had a drawing teacher that also appreciated bones. She fell in love with my cow's knee and asked to borrow it for a while. That is the last I ever saw of it.

Later, again while in college, I roasted a turkey - and carefully preserved it's complete structure. It was beautiful and perfect and I looked forward to drawing all of it little ribs and the intricacies of it. I picked it clean (while I love bones - I hate meat and am repelled and disgusted by having to touch meat -ick - but I am not a vegetarian, I will eat meat, I just don't want to look at it or touch it) anyway, I put it up on the counter to lye treat later, and ran an errand. When I got home my dog had managed to get that turkey skeleton off of the counter and devoured most of it!

I got busy and discouraged, thinking I was not meant to be a collector and gave up my bone collecting for good. I've tried to collect other things. Crystal Christmas ornaments, but the kids pulled the tree over when they were little - onto a ceramic tile floor - and that was the end of that collection. Tried to get interested in stamps, coins, antiques. I had a blue cobalt glass collection once - but it disappeared somehow, lost in a move I suppose. The only other thing I have ever had success at collecting is paint chips from the paint store, I love them. My family thinks I am nuts.

But now.... now....maybe....just maybe I can return to my beginnings. I do have a deer skull with antlers, and a steer skull up on my walls, and a beautiful shofar - not bone technically, but horn - it still works for me...maybe I will start collecting bones again. We will see.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Shondra again and I DID it!!

Shondra (2)
11" x 14"
Oil on Masonite

I am so freakin' proud of myself! I did it! I got up this morning, exercised a little bit, did my Spanish lesson and PAINTED, before getting wrapped up in my digital assignment. I finished Shondra, the painting I started on Tuesday morning and I am pretty darn happy with it - not perfect but "good enough." As a Recovering Perfectionist - "good enough" is my goal- I am proud of me for finishing something too - something I seldom do!
Hmmm - I just remembered the verse "pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall" - but I think this is an OK kind of pride....maybe I should say I am happy with myself today - actually that's more accurate anyway - (whew)
Now my only problem is - I am out of time for today and I didn't get my digital assignment work done and I have a GRADE depending on that. Always something huh. Hmmmm... I don't know what I am going to do about that - but all in all I am pretty happy with today - tomorrow will be better I hope. Tomorrow I shoot for this: getting up - exercising - Spanish - do a small still life and then do my digital assignment. I think I can do it!
I am looking forward to tomorrow - and more art making... YAY!

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Aggravating Day and "Star"

Star
8" x 10"
Mixed Media Collage on canvas
$250

Here is another older work. These pices just got back from a show at the Brandon Gallery in Fallbrook. Unfortunately I never got to go see the show as i was busy with the wedding. It is a nice gallery in a very cute and arty town - a nice place to visit for a day.

Today was so aggravating! I am trying to catch up in my digital painting class and my Painter program simply won't cooperate. I spent the entire day un-installing - reinstalling - removing programs - deleting files - blah blah blah. Didn't even get into the studio and I had such great plans for today. I have emailed Corel about the problem, and will have to wait a couple of days for a response and then probably have to call the Geek Squad anyway. I have loaded the program on my desk top now - but it has limited options, maybe I can at least get one assignment underway and begin to catch up. Tomorrow is another day...tomorrow I will PAINT first! then work on the digital stuff. I have plans for a large - maybe 4' x 5' - "corporate portrait" of my husband and I am eager to get going on it. I need to get some exercise in here somewhere too - Okay , exercise first, paint second - digital third. We will see...

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Back to Portrait Painting Class

Shondra 11/14/2008
11" x 14"
Oil on Masonite

It felt so good to get back to class! I just love the people and atmosphere and Shondra is an excellent model. I always enjoy painting her, and she has the MOST adorable little boy named Renoir. Incredibly cute little boy.
This is an unfinished 3 hour quick sketch -but I like the start so I may finish it.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Prince Charming Weds Fairytale Princess!

...and this is where I've been and what I've been doing the last 2 months. No silly - I didn't get married - but my daughter did! We put this together in about 8 weeks and it was awesome - wonderful - perfect- beautiful - amazing - fairytale like - magical - shall I go on? OK, didn't think so.



That's my daughter and my new son at their wedding last Saturday. I am pretty sure you will be seeing more photos from the wedding down the road. It was a perfect and beautiful wedding and reception. The only thing missing were Disney bluebirds of happiness flitting around. If I ever get caught up with everything I am going to Photoshop them in! I am woefully behind in practially everything - but so worth it! Until I get going again I am going to post a few of my older pieces that I have not posted before, and here is the first.

No Gains Without Pain
8" x 10"
mixed media collage on canvas
$250
I named it "No Pains Without Gains" because there is a snippet of Ben Franklin's quote on the text in the collage - and it seemed to fit.

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Digital Work

I am taking two online classes at Palomar Community College. One is Painter and the other is web development. I did this cherry as my first assignment in my painter class. I basically used this ACEO painting as my model - becasue it was right here on my desk in front of me and I wanted to see how the digital oil painting might look compared to the real thing. It doesn't compare, however I am just learning. I actually like the colors in the digital one a little better maybe. It was fun to do - but it is very complicated and awkward. I find it very difficult to get the effects and colors I want and it's hard to find my way around the program. But - yes - I LOVE it. All of the discomfort and awkwardness will go away as I learn more- and boy there is a TON to learn in this program!
As for the other class - the web development class - the jury is out on that one. The so-called "teacher" hasn't taught a darn thing - no syllabus, his spelling and grammar is atrocious. He has put up the first assignment with absolutely no explanation - not even the pages or chapters to read in the text. We are supposed to test the web page before we submit it to him - ha! Test it how? What web page? How do you make this web page? This makes me very angry - I am hoping it will get better - if not I will be writing complaints to the dean and the president of the college and anyone else I can think of!


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

San Diego Fine Art Society Painting Donation

Butterfly Drink -- 6" x 12" -- Acrylic on Canvas

Yay - I got the last one finished - I just have to varnish it. I decided to do it in acrylic as I was afraid that the oil wouldn't be dry enough in time. I love this painting! Man - I am loving my paintings a lot lately - that is SO unusual!

Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com

Nathalie S Davis Daily Painting a Day - Still Catching Up and some Pear Paintings

See? - I have been doing my daily paintings too...well, mostly, but not actually daily I guess. Each one of these are 6" x 6" and oil on either canvas panel or Masonite. I am catching up. I have not put these on eBay so if you are interested in purchasing them you will have to email me. I have not resolved the eBay vs gallery dilemma yet. I think eBay is so much fun - but I will have to significantly raise my prices if I continue with the galleries. Hmmmm.....there is an answer to this - I just have to find it. I will.


Visit me here:
NathalieSDavis.blogspot.com
www.NSDavisArt.com