Original miniature oil painting, 2"x3"
Unframed, with free mini display easel
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
I hope you are well this week and enjoying your family, and summer. There is so much to do this time of year out in my garden and the yard, house projects, seeing my kiddos and friends, etc.
We've had such lovely weather lately here at the edge of the earth, and a bunch of beautiful sunsets. Here's a recent one I wanted to capture and share with you; a study of feathery glowing clouds in this very small format. Let me know if you'd like me to paint a big one for you!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
"Sunset Feathers" Daily Painting
Monday, June 29, 2009
"Summer Lullaby" Mother and Baby Art
Original oil painting, 14"x11" in gold frame
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
Although I enjoy painting a variety of scenes in God's creation, I must say that mothers and babies are just about my most favorite subjects. This is a piece I've been working on for awhile and am pleased to show it here first.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
"Glowing Glass" Still Life/Landscape Daily Painting
Original oil painting, 10"x8"
White wine in a goblet absorbs the evening light and creates a microcosm of reflection and refraction.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
This is one of the pieces I've been working on lately for my upcoming ArtWalk show, along with a small commission, which I'll post soon. It's an especially fun one, so please stay tuned to see it.
Getting an accurate image of this painting was a challenge. It has much richer color than what shows up in the digital file. Paintings are always so much better "in person" than on a computer screen.
This is a continuation of the idea of "Refraction" from a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to develop the color more in this larger piece, especially those glowing greens and lemony sky that were amplified by the glass bowl.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
"Making Faces" Whimsical Portrait
With the trouble I had for our June Challenge of "Something Shiny From the Kitchen", I thought briefly about using this past painting. However, I knew I should paint something new, so it was only a fleeting thought. But perhaps you'll enjoy seeing it compared with what I did paint.
Original, unframed oil painting 8"x8".
Detailed portrait/figurative/still life painting of young man making faces, mirrored in shiny cooking pot, in warm and cool colors.
©2008 Diana Moses Botkin
Contact to purchase.
This is one of the more complicated pieces I painted last year, which obviously took me more than one day to paint. I enjoyed the challenges of the shiny surfaces and bright background, contrasted with the face in shadow.
The piece also made other contrasts for me as I progressed; the silly face vs. the serious realism, the warm light background vs. the cool darker foreground, the childlike fun this young man is having vs. his beard revealing that he's not a child anymore.
His whimsical face in the reflective cooking pot reminded me of being a kid with my sister, visiting the Fun House and seeing our faces and bodies transfigured by the wacky mirrors.
Monday, June 15, 2009
The Unveiling of our June Challenge Paintings!
This month's Challenge subject, "Something Shiny From the Kitchen" was chosen by group member Marie Fox. I thought this one would be easy, for a change. Wrong.
I had trouble finding much that was actually reflective in my cabinets of pots and pans. Most of the "shiny" things in my kitchen needed shining up. This was not a chore I wanted to do right after surgery for my broken ankle.
Fortunately, I received a brand new (shiny!) coffee press for Mother's Day. However, I still had to figure out what to do with it in a painting. After abandoning several set-ups, these little toy figures came to my rescue again to help me out with this pressing task at hand. Well, it's press time, so ta-da... here 'tis!
(left) "Press Event"
Original oil on panel, 7"x5"
in museum style gold frame
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
(left above) "Flour Scoop and Silver Cup" 8 x 10", Oil on canvas ©2009 Marie Fox
(left) "Serving Spoon" 10"x8" Original oil on canvas ©2009 Silvina Day
(right) "Steel Cut Berries" 12"x6" Original oil on panel ©2009 Vicki Ross
8 x 8" Oil on canvas board
©2009 Michael Naples
(right) “Gravy Boat and Cherries”
8 x 8", Pastel
©2009 Mike Beeman
(below) "Spoons" 6"x12"
Original oil on panel ©2009 Robin Cheers
Saturday, June 13, 2009
"Elizabeth" Portrait... and Our Challenge Soon!
Original oil painting, 7"x5"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD
This is not strictly a daily painting, although I did finish the little portrait today. As with some pieces that must sit awhile to dry or get some trouble spot worked out, I took some time to finish the thought process of this painting's intent. I'm finally pleased with it, and feel that my client will be too.
Elizabeth is a smart, thoughtful and sweet girl, who also likes to run and play. I'm always very happy when I've met the challenge of a commission to capture a sitter's personality.
Another challenge I have currently is my monthly Challenge Group painting! This one is testing my determination! I've had more than one idea for this subject, chosen for June by member Marie Fox.
So.. now it's time to finalize my piece, because we're supposed to reveal them on our blogs on the 15th, Monday. I don't know how it got to be the middle of June already! I hope you'll check back here in two days when I post all the group's pieces for our June Challenge.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
"Refraction" Still Life/Landscape Daily Painting
Original oil painting, 7"x5" in museum style gold frame
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
How many times do we see something but not really look at it? I first noticed this glowing phenomenon a couple of years ago, although I'd no doubt seen it before and simply not paid attention to what I was seeing.
Perhaps you're way ahead of me and have observed this a million times. Others certainly have. (Senaca the Younger wrote about it in Rome before Christ.)
I was fascinated by how the wine glass concentrated the light and revealed the surrounding landscape in a glowing topsy turvy microcosm; the glass acting as a lens. This has been one those ideas in the back of my mind that I've wanted to paint, so this is the week!
I've also been attending to a number of chores this week (and last week too)... stuff like paperwork and framing for upcoming shows. Next week, Friday June 19 from 4-9 will be the summer opening for Naples Gallery. I'll be on hand, along with other gallery artists, to show new work. Gallery address and my other summer shows are on my website Galleries and Events page. If you're in the area, I hope to see you there!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
"Homecoming" Portrait Daily Painting
Original oil painting 10"x8"
Detailed portrait/figurative piece of father and baby boy in blues, greens and warm skin tones.
©2007 Diana Moses Botkin
NOW SOLD
It's nice to be home after a hard day at the job for Dad. Cares of the work day melt away in the warmth of home and hearth. The child is happy to connect with his daddy and grabs onto the big guy's shirt like he's never going to let go.
This piece is one of my favorite paintings of father and son. I thought you might enjoy it for upcoming Father's Day. There are reproductions of this image (and others) at my LifeImages gallery. You may also contact me for similar commissions.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
"Spring Tonic" Landscape/Still Life Daily Painting
Original unframed oil painting, 5"x7".
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
A glass of wine on occasion is an enjoyable health benefit. It also looks interesting with the green lawn as a backdrop and the blue sky reflected in the burgundy depths.
This jewel is for my upcoming ArtWalk show in Sandpoint at the Coldwater Creek Wine Bar.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
"Evening Visitor" Wildlife/Pet Daily Painting
Original oil painting, unframed, 7"x5"
Racoon in tall grass.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
Contact to purchase.
A few winters ago I noticed coon tracks one day in the snow when I went for a walk. This surprised me, because I had never seen any racoons around this area, not even as roadkill. Back in Oklahoma where I grew up, that's a fairly common sight in rural areas.
Then a couple of years ago a mama racoon and three babies visited our front yard and climbed the maple tree. We could hear their purring chatter and watched them from the window. Last year we had a repeat performance from the racoon family in our tree, but other sightings were rare.
This spring we've had a regular visitor to our front yard, this lone racoon. He or she comes looking for leftover cat food on the patio in the late afternoon or early evening. I'm always fascinated by this bashful creature's odd gait; which looks like a sneaking quiet dance on tiptoes.
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