I have been struggling with titles and words lately, so I asked my friends on my Facebook page to share their thoughts and insights.

What a great idea! :)

Those who shared caught the essence of what began to surface during the painting process AND gave me a deeper appreciation for what was happening on the canvas.
With their permission (Thank you!), here are a couple of those comments:

"What stands out to me is not the pink in the flowers but rather the seeds in the center. It makes me think of how those "seeds" create new life and beauty." - Jonathan

"The flowers shown are in a progression from immature to mature, so mature was the first thing I thought of...process, growth, maturation, but I also see self-confidence and joy and self-assurance. That flower in the front is like a matriarch...confident and sure." - Mary


To leave a legacy  - A life-giving, beautiful legacy... 
To sow seeds and intentionally invest in the next generation...

Sounds like a life (a day!) well lived.


Please share your own responses - they are such a gift!

In September,  I got the gumption to begin painting this years' ornaments. I have now painted over 75 so far...

It's been fun to paint on miniature 2x2in. canvases, celebrating a bit of Christmas with each one.

Here's a small sampling:

To see available ornaments for purchasing, click on the link: http://www.dawneaton.com/hand-painted-ornaments.html

This year I also began creating personalized ornaments for babies, kids, families and young couples - How I wish I could show you those! (But I can't risk spoiling any surprises!) Here are my sketches though - inspired by 2 babies in our small group at church, who will celebrate their first Christmas this year.

If this sparks an idea for a gift, contact me by December 10th! (that's tomorrow!) [email protected]

I have also been celebrating on 2 1/2 x 3 1/2in. and 3x3in. canvases - and setting them on miniature easels.  http://www.dawneaton.com/miniature-paintings.html

I LOVE being part of surprises and giving special gifts!

I have a few larger paintings waiting in the wings - I look forward to sharing them with you in January. :)
I hope you are finding creative ways to celebrate the Season!

The kids were back at school. It was a gorgeous day. I was working on a little oil painting - so I took my work outside. Life on the patio was quite heavenly. :)
(Working with oils outside works better than with acrylics - the acrylic paint tends to dry too fast outdoors.)

This little honey required more attention than I originally anticipated.
There is more to her beauty than what first meets the eye.


Click on the image for purchasing information.
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Painting time has been rather scarce this summer -
It felt so good to get my brush in hand!

Along with the gorgeous lighting, I was captivated by the details found underneath the petals. Exquisite. I thoroughly enjoyed pushing the oil paint around.

 

Precious

1. Of high cost or worth; valuable.
2. Highly esteemed; cherished.
3. Dear; beloved.                                                        - American Heritage Dictionary
   

                               

Apparently, I couldn't stop with Miss Chicken and the toys... (See previous post.)

It snowed quite a bit while The Traveling Chicken was in town. For inspiration, my husband suggested that I take her out in the snow. I was resistant because I simply did not want to paint snow. (Hence the indoor play in the previous painting.)

Well, the day I sent her off to Florida, the snow was so beautiful that I felt I should at least try the chick in the snow.

It felt SO good to be outside on a quiet snowy morning. After taking quite a few pictures, I perched the chicken on a hydrangea bush (I believe it's a chantilly hydrangea for those who are curious) next to a few dried blooms that have hung on all winter... Gorgeous.

And, I got to paint Miss Chicken with some flowers. :)

Yes, it's a bit kooky to paint a ceramic chicken in the snow, but there is exquisite beauty in all seasons - chicken or no chicken, I'm grateful I didn't miss it!

You can read the story to go along with little Miss Chicken at The Traveling Chicken blog.

The chicken has arrived in sunny Florida at Pamela Sweet's studio.

The Traveling Chicken, affectionately known as Miss Chicken or TC, visited my studio for 2 weeks. She is a wee one, but loaded with possibility!

Deciding on just what to do with this ceramic chicken was a conundrum. She was smaller and frankly, less interesting than I had imagined her to be.  Also, I thought Miss chick should be sitting amidst a flower or two - to 'go' with my current florals. Ultimately, I decided to just have fun with it.

Because of her size, I pictured her amidst the many 'set-ups' my two sons create with their star wars figures, superheroes, legos, etc. I basically let the boys play with her (on a cushy carpeted floor to avoid any mishaps), while I tried to capture an inspiring photo to paint from.

The boys had a great time including her in many different scenarios. Some tension arose and we had to take turns (myself included) because we all had our own ideas for the little ceramic chicken!

Because we were indoors and we were 'playing' right before bedtime (dark outside), it was hard to get good photos. My 9 year old found a small, but glaring, flashlight that we tried to use as a spotlight. Here are some of the better shots.

The next morning, I brought her downstairs - and saw our chess set on the coffee table. Perfect! Miss Chicken gets to be the queen, good lighting was coming in from a nearby window, there were interesting textures and possibilities for a captivating composition.

Yep - but that little 4x6 inch composition was not so simple (surprise, surprise). For a while, Miss Chicken got lost (literally) in the game. Making the onyx chess pieces 'make sense' was a challenge. I pushed and pulled values for hours.

BUT working with a different subject, blending and mixing and layering the oil paint, arranging (and rearranging) the composition - all were valuable and just plain fun.

Before she left for Pamela Sweet's studio in Florida, I took some photos of Miss Chicken with her new friends.

To read about Miss Chick in more of a story form, visit my post on The Traveling Chicken blog.

Beautiful from All Sides
8x10in.
acrylic on wrapped canvas
SOLD



I'm like Porcupine in the book, 'Little Mouse's Painting', by Diane Wolkstein - (intricate illustrations by Mary Jane Begin). Porcupine appreciates the beauty surrounding her and is often heard saying, "Look at that. Just look at that!" That was exactly the reaction I had when I discovered this little red sunflower, lit up from all sides. SO gorgeous!

The last set of painted ornaments on mini-canvases for the Christmas 2012 season. :)
(These wee little paintings were completed and delivered after the sun had set - not the best conditions for the best photos.)

Click on each image for a larger view.