Surprise Bloom

Surprise Bloom, 3x3in. Oil on linen/board. Painted from life in my studio.

Available Here

Surprise Bloom

"After many months of greenery, a miniature orchid brings delight with one surprise bloom!"

Debbie Lamey-MacDonald 

This is a miniature orchid that was given to me by one of my students, when I retired last year. I had been admiring these little orchids for quite some time, so it was really nice to receive one as a gift. 

In the beginning it had a couple of blooms that lasted for awhile. Then all went green! I really wasn't sure if it was ever going to bloom again. At Christmas time I placed it in our bathroom and voila after a few weeks a tiny bud arrived. I guess it liked the humidity in that room!

The bloom arrived in the midst of winter, so it was even more delightful to witness. Finally, I acted quickly and decided to paint it this time before all went green again. lol I'm going to keep it around to see if I might have another surprise bloom in the future. 

Warmly,

Debbie

P.S. If you would like to read my earlier entry on my Creative Rituals Blog you can do so here. 

Fine Art Shop

Fine Art Blog

Small Pauses Blog
Creative Rituals

Twitter 

Facebook

Imagekind --for reproductions

Fine Art America--for reproductions

Newsletter/Blog Posts sign up--Love to have you join me on my artistic journey!

Surprise Bloom & New Blog

On my Easel right now.

A new miniature is on my easel. I'm just putting the finishing touches on it and will be posting it soon. My subject was a miniature orchid I received as a retirement gift last year. I honestly didn't think it would ever bloom again! I loved capturing it in paint. 

My New Blog Link: http://creativerituals.artistryofinspiration.com/

In case you didn't know, I wanted to mention that I started a New Blog called "Creative Rituals". Honestly, I can't believe I started another blog, but felt it needed a separate platform. Basically, it is being used to anecdote daily or almost daily creative explorations. You can read all about my new blog on the About page. If you would like to sign up for email updates, I would love to have you subscribe here. Thanks!

My son Brett and I are discussing some neat ways to consolidate all my blogs in the future. I'm excited about some of the ideas we came up with. I'll have to sweet talk Brett to implement our ideas in computer language! lol 

Wishing you a great day! I'm crossing my fingers that Spring will be here soon!

Warmly,

Debbie

Fine Art Shop

Fine Art Blog

Small Pauses Blog

Twitter 

Facebook

Imagekind --for reproductions

Fine Art America--for reproductions

Newsletter/Blog Posts sign up--Love to have you join me on my artistic journey!

30 in 30 Challenge, Day 6, "Ruffles"

Ruffles, 3x2in. Oil on linen/board. $55

Available Here

Ruffles

"Decked out in ruffles, an African violet dances into bloom."

Debbie Lamey-MacDonald ©


African violets have been a constant vision in our family. My mom made pretty ceramic pots for them with a porous container that fits into another container filled with water. This way they have constant moisture, but do not get drowned! 

My dad is the one who nurtures them and they always seem to have a glorious array of blooms in various colors. One of the tricks is to give them plant food on a regular basis. My African violets don't do as well as my parents because I don't have dad living here. Chuckles! I tend to get really busy and forget to give them food. 

I loved getting up close and personal with this bloom. The little buds were also fun to paint.
Do you grow African violets?

Wishing you a blooming sort of day!

Warmly,
Debbie

P.S. Please feel free to comment or join in the challenge if you are an artist! 

Quick Links:

Fine Art Shop
Small Pauses Blog

Twitter 

Facebook

Imagekind --for reproductions

Fine Art America--for reproductions

Newsletter/Blog Posts sign up--Love to have you join me on my artistic journey!

Capturing Simplicity with Miniatures

I am participating in Leslie Saeta's  30 Marketing Ideas in 30 Days Challenge and today our assignment was to make a collage featuring our work. I decided to highlight examples of my miniature paintings. Some are still available in my Fine Art Shop, while others have happily made their way to collectors. These are very affordable original fine art paintings and make unique gifts for someone special in your life. All work is painted from life in my studio or on location. 

I created this collage using an online photo editor called iPiccy.com. I love this editor and have really enjoyed making buttons etc. for my shop and blog posts. It is user friendly and lots of fun to use! Feel free to give it a try! Also it is not too late to join in on the marketing challenge if you are interested.

Wishing you a smooth sailing week ahead!

Warmly,

Debbie

Quick Links:

Fine Art Shop

Twitter 

Facebook

Imagekind --for reproductions
Fine Art America--for reproductions

Newsletter sign up  Recent Newsletter ( My next newsletter is due out in early May.)

Sign up for new blog posts in the side bar on this page. Then enjoy special delivery to your email box!

Spring's Here!

Spring's Here, 3x2in. Oil on linen/panel.  $50 Available

Available Here

Spring's Here!

"Pussy willows captivate young and old with their softness and charming appeal."

Debbie Lamey-MacDonald

One of the most pleasurable signs of Spring, is when I see pussy willows swaying on branches. They are just so delightful and charming! Their softness beckons to be touched and they exude hope that Spring is finally on its way.

As an added feature, I decided to add a few photos of things that inspired this painting. I love how magazines do this and I thought it would be a nice added touch on my blog. My life, magazines, everyday objects and nature are a few of the things that inspire my work. It is a journey of the soul!

I would love to hear what inspires your work or creative endeavors!

Happy Spring!

Warmly,

Debbie

Music, Paint, Action!

A Burst of Cheer, 4x4in. Oil on linen/board.

Sold


A Burst of Cheer

"Pink hues add a burst of cheer, as the earth lays dormant during its winter slumber."

Debbie Lamey-MacDonald


Last week, I had the day off from teaching due to a storm day.  During the early evening I decided to paint one of the tulips I had purchased to add a cheery note to our home during these wintry days.

Once I was set up I decided to share my painting journey with my Facebook and Twitter Friends. I really had a blast and loved interacting in real time with everyone! It was like a mini party right in my studio--friends, music and paint flowing! What fun! Special thanks to everyone who followed along and added nice comments or thumbs up. It was great having you with me during my studio session.


For those who missed my progress shots I have posted them below. My sweet cat Marlee even came to investigate to see what all the buzz was about in my studio. She aptly side stepped my set up and soared up to her favourite perch on the window ledge!

(Close up of my subject.)

(My studio set up and beginning of miniature painting.)

(Progressing along!)

(Getting there!)

( As I was calling it a night, Marlee came to visit. You can see her up on the window ledge.)

My finished painting is shown at the top of this post. I pretty much finished it that night and only did a bit of tweaking on another session. I loved painting this tulip with all its various shades of pink (one of my favourite colors). I don't sketch out all the the areas on the tulip that need various shades of color. I just observe and paint the detail as I move along--allows me a greater sense of freedom and an opportunity to intuitively paint my subject.

Hoping you find simple things to fill your home with cheer during these cold winter months. I would love to hear how you add cheer to your surroundings. It is sometimes the little things that bring us the most pleasure. We just have to be open and aware of their ability to do so.

Thanks for following along!

Warmly,
Debbie

P.S. Before I posted this blog entry this painting sold on my Fine Art Shop! A lovely surprise--feeling much appreciation for my new collector!

Some quick links: 

Fine Art Shop

Imagekind --for reproductions

Fine Art America--for reproductions
Newsletter sign up

Sign up for new blog posts in the side bar on this page. Then enjoy special delivery to your email box!