Friday, January 25, 2013

Movie Making and Egg Shells!



Well I am getting adventurous! I am taking Leslie Saeta's WebinARTS course, which I was lucky enough to win in her Christmas Giveaway Contests. It is a great course and one of our assignments was to try making a movie using our artwork.

I decided to create a movie of progress photos I had of a miniature painting of egg shells. Their are several programs to create these movies in, but I found Windows Movie Maker to be quite straightforward and pretty easy to use. I made the cover page as a button, saved it and used it as my intro and ending page with my shop link on it. Hope you enjoy watching it!





On another note I started adding more work to Imagekind a printing company where you can order prints of my paintings. Collecting prints is another economical way to enhance your space and let your mind wander as you reflect on the memories or feelings fine art evokes. Imagekind have several different formats in which you can buy your prints: framed, on canvas etc.

The following two paintings have been added recently to Imagekind.



You can purchase prints of "Rolling Along" here.




You can purchase prints of "Petal by Petal" here.

Thanks for looking! I'm heading to my studio to work on a larger still life I hope to finish this weekend. Trying to stay warm in these frigid temperatures in Nova Scotia this past week! Wishing you a great weekend!

Warmly,
Debbie

P.S. I will be sending out my Ezine soon. You may subscribe here. My current Auctions can be found here. Also you can have new blog posts delivered to your inbox through the link on the sidebar of this page.Thanks!

Monday, January 14, 2013

Together

Together
2x3in. Oil on linen/board
Available on DPW Auction
 
Click to Bid



Together

"Happily rolling along together."

Debbie Lamey-MacDonald


Painting is really like a sport. It takes continuous practice to stay in tune with  your skills.  I loved painting these marbles, but had 3 starts before I got rolling along. In my first start I realized after I had the drawing done I had drawn it upside down when I looked at the notch for possible hanging on the backside. On my second drawing and after I started painting I felt they were too big. Finally on my third attempt all worked out; they were "just right". Needless to say I felt a bit rusty after the holidays. Happily it doesn't take much time to get back in sync with an old love!



(My still life set up)

I continue to be enamoured with marbles. They bring back a plethora of childhood memories. My friends and I had fun playing for hours with them! I remember every Easter I would be delighted to receive a new bag of marbles. 

As many of you know I am in love with reflections and anything shiny! Marbles hold all these characteristics. I love their glassy look and how one can see depth when you peer into  these glassy globes. I am also fascinated with their appearance and reflections on a glass table top. They are a bit mesmerizing!

When I was a child it was these simple pleasures that created cherished life long memories. Marbles existed before the advent of technology and brought hours of fun!

Do marbles hold special memories for you?

Wishing you cherished childhood memories!

Warmly,
Debbie 





Sunday, January 06, 2013

Diary of a Plein Air Painter #18


 (Sharing one of my Plein Air Diary Notes I didn't get to share in September. These light filled photos made me yearn for warm autumn days! )


Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012
Plymouth, Nova Scotia

3:30-6:00 (30 min. Supper Break)


Painted En Plein Air in my own Backyard.

"Before The Frost"

"Nasturtiums glow in the autumn light, before the first frost makes its debut."

Debbie Lamey-MacDonald 

3x3in. Oil on linen/panel.  Available Here


Today the sun presents warmth, but when it disappears behind a drift of clouds the cool autumn air is evident. Ian is taking down our pool while I make a stew and roast chicken. I have decided to paint in my own backyard while supper cooks.

Ian hard at work. Lots of baby powder drifting in the air as he packs up the pool. Some even drifts my way!

As I scout around our property, I am drawn to my small raised garden beds. The small nasturtiums I planted in my herb garden have ballooned to quite a size. I love their rounded mottled leaves and bright flowers that peek above their green discs.

My Set Up

My small raised herb garden. I loved the glass bird feeder I bought this year!
My subject

I have decided to do a miniature painting of the backside of a nasturtium. I love back lighting and how the values shift in direct sunlight and shadow. An earthy smell from my garden and the fresh scent of herbs permeates the space around me. It is a beautiful September afternoon to paint in my own backyard!

Warmly,
Debbie


P.S. While I painted bees buzzed nosily around me as they feasted on many garden delights.

P.P.S. Our Persian Cat Marlee came to visit while I painted. She hopped over my box of brushes and paints as she snooped around the garden.

(You may read more of my diary posts by clicking the link on the side bar labelled "Diary of a Plein Air Painter or the link here.)


Wednesday, January 02, 2013

Happy New Year and News!

Iris Harmony, 6x6in. Oil on Sretch Canvas

Available Here.

Taking a moment to wish you a Very Happy New Year!! It is such a great time of year to take stock of where we are and the direction we would like to be going in various areas of our life--career, personal etc. One of the more common practices this time of year is to write New Year's Resolutions. I think they are a good idea in some respects because they help focus our dreams and desires.


Christine Kane's Word of the Year Booklet

Another technique I have used over the last couple of years is to pick a word of the year that is in line with your goals for the future. I got this idea from Christine Kane. She also has a great little workbook you can print off to get you started on picking your word. You can find her workbook here. I like to type my word and post it around the house, in my studio etc. Thought you might like to give it a try! Good Luck!

News:

On another note I have published a new Blog. I loved my old one, but the framework on my old website and blog needed to be totally reconstructed due to it being quite an old template. It would have taken way too much time for my son. So I found a great platform called Weebly, that I used myself to build my New Online Shop and I  linked my Blogspot Blog with it as well. Sooooo everything is new as I begin 2013! It feels like is it is going to be a great year ahead!

A nice surprise also occurred recently. Annie Strack a super artist who is very supportive of her fellow artists included me in a lovely post highlighting several wonderful artists. I was both honored and humbled to be included with these artists. You can read the post here.


Hoping 2013 brings you much Joy!
Warmly,
Debbie


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