We had a great time at the Dauphin Island show - "Christmas By the Sea" in conjunction with the Dauphin Island Christmas parade. The Dauphin Island Methodist Church did a great job in organizing the show and keeping everyone well fed and in the Christmas spirit! As you can see the "jumpy thing" behind me, there were a lot of activities for the kids.
Christmas By the Sea
5x7 freehand oil portrait:
This is a little 8x10 "slice of life" portrait I did of my neice at my painting night on Tuesday at my mom's. I took the reference photo at Sand Island last year on a day trip and picnic. Taylor is looking for hermit crabs for a large collection she amassed that day. She is the type of girl that doesn't mind picking up little creatures - she loves frogs and turtles, too. With an older brother and two boy cousins in the neighborhood, she can hang with the best of 'em!
I was planning on taking it in the the studio and using my little brushes to add in some more detail - but my husband says he likes it the way it is.
LODA Artwalk was a lot of fun and there were a more people out and about than I had expected. I guess it's the cool October weather! There was some good art and nice live music at Cathedral Square Gallery, wonderful botanical artwork at Chesser Gallery (in conjunction with the Botanical Gardens plant sale this weekend) and a live painting instruction in Cathedral Square to benefit Penelope House. Of course, Dauphin Realty had a nice "spread" of wine and cheese and rolled out the red carpet for all of us artists participating in their venue. My table was well received and there was quite a buzz regarding my mixed media peices. Both works on antique tin ceiling tiles (above) sold with an order for another "oyster". Everyone loved the redfish as well. "Canoes" on canvas also sold, with a commission for a larger abstract piece. So, all in all it was a great night. Come out next month and enjoy the festivities.
I have just completed 7 new large fish on canvas, a few mixed media pieces as well as several other small works on canvas. I have posted most of them on my website www.southernoilportraits.com. Click on Portfolio and then "Rabbit Creek Studios". I am trying to get organized to take it all to LODA in downtown Mobile tomorrow night. 
I haven't posted anything in a while but I have been working hard! I finished this gorgeous portrait and more fish than I can download right now to this blog. Don't you love the snapper?? Some of these are going to Lyon's Share, some to Templeton Gallery and some to my studio stock.
I didn't quite finish my "painting a day" today - I was working on an 8x10 of a pier on the bay - so I am posting this instead since I finished it today as well. It's three oysters, cut out of tin and hand painted. I used real shells for the shapes and colors. I mounted it on an antique tin ceiling tile. I love any type of antique architectural element! These ceiling tiles are from a retail store from 1895. Great "peely paint" adds to the rustic oysters. This could sit on a small easel/plate stand or could be hung on the wall. Was rainy today so I had to take this photo inside. It's a little dark but I think you can see the colors well enough.
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This is my very first "Painting A Day"!!! My mom and I have just started getting together to paint once a week and this is what I created last night. I have been painting oyster shells on tin for my mixed media artwork, but really wanted to try it on canvas. What's neat about oyster shells, is that at first glance, they look gray and white, but when you really look at the "pearly" part of the shell, there are all kinds of subtle colors there. That's also why I love painting white clothing in my portraits.
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I brought a few pieces over to the Lyon's Share Gallery on Friday. The above is a "wahoo" cut out of tin and painted in oil. Then, mounted in an antique window frame backed with vintage tin. It will supposedly hang in a new restaurant in Fairhope called "Wahoo's" (old Point Clear Tennis Club) although it will still be available for sale through the gallery. 
This is a smaller piece - a little chapel. It's mounted on some of the lumber salvaged from a 1790's North Carolina cabin.
I love these oysters. I looked at real shells for the shapes and subtle colors. I like to paint them but it's my husband that actually eats them (raw on the half shell).
"Stephen" - This little boy was playing in the sand at his bay house. When he looked up, my friend Kristin Smith (http://www.kristinsmithphotography/) got the shot. I love it because on one side, it has all the warm colors from the sunlight, on the other side, it's dark and cool.
"My Boys at FYC" - This photo was taken (again by Kristin Smith) during a formal photo shoot for our Christmas cards last year. After I let them change back into casual clothes, they were on a balcony, looking out at the sailboats at Fairhope Yacht Club. I love to paint fabric - so these t-shirts and jeans were fun! And the light in their hair is wonderful.
After their photo session, they got to dive in the water. Thick, white "splashes" of paint makes this one most appreciated when seen "in person".
