"Verve" Maple Seed Still Life Daily Painting

Original miniature oil painting 2.25"x3.25"
Framed in small decorative frame.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

The life in these little brown scraps of last Fall's leftovers is truly amazing, and reminds me that God put that amazing determination to grow in His creation.

"Spring Miracle" Maple Seed Still Life Daily Painting

Original miniature oil, painted from life, 2.25"x3.25".
Framed in decorative gold frame.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Every year in the fall, our maple trees produce about a zillion of these little helicopters. They fly all over our property and would turn our lawn and gardens into a forest if they were left alone. This time of year the snow is melting and I try to get these out of my gardens before they take over.

My husband calls these hearty survivors "little miracles". It IS pretty amazing to find them literally everywhere.. tucked in cracks and piled in corners with dead leaves... damp from the melting snow and already sending out shoots.

Live Portrait Demo and Talk About my Art

"Kensington"
12.5"x10"
Charcoal and chalk on Canson paper

©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

This evening I gave a talk about my art for Chris Kraisler's North Idaho College art appreciation class.

Chris had been teaching her students about artists' media, so I brought a variety of supplies and finished art to show to the class (oils, pastels, block printing, charcoal). Then I did a live portrait demo using charcoal and chalk on rust colored paper (at left).

Chris put my website and blog pages up on the projector for the class to see. It was interesting to see these so large!

Conversation and interaction with the students was interesting, also. It was fun sharing art ideas with these kids. ("Kids" are anyone under the age of forty.)

Ta-Da... Our March Challenge Paintings Unveiled!

Vicki Ross chose an eggplant for our Challenge subject this month. When she announced it to our Challenge Group, I struggled with what to do for an idea.

Should it be a simple still life painting or perhaps a play on words, like Vicki's painting below? Her idea was actually one of the inspirations discussed at our house. Another brain storm was eggs on a plant, sort of like those Easter egg trees you see this time of year. Somewhere along the line I toyed with the idea of adding the Legos to my composition.

(left)
"Attack on the Eggplant"
Oil 6"x8"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

My painting was born from some leftover thoughts from last month's Challenge with the Lego figures, combined with memories of one of our home videos where one of my sons played with a Lego knight who stabbed a carrot. So, that's how my surreal idea developed. It was fun and stretched my brain, which is one of the goals of doing these monthly challenges.

I love all the Challenge paintings this month; I hope you have as much fun seeing them as we did painting them!

(left) "At the Market"
Ink & Watercolor 9"x12"
©2009 Robin Cheers

(right) "Eggplants"
Oil 10"x8"
©2009 Silvina Day

(left)
"Eggplant"
Oil 6"x6"
©2009 Michael Naples

(right)
"Huddled Eggplants"
Oil 11"x14"
©2009 Marie Fox

(left)
"It's Just a Big Ol' Eggplant"
Oil 10"x14"
©2009 Dianne Mize

(right) "Eggplant?"
Oil 11"x14"
©2009 Vicki Ross

These are all a lot of fun, don't you think? Next month's Challenge promises to be a lot of fun too. The subject has been named and we're all working in secret on our paintings. Look for our group unveiling on April 15!

A Few Figure Studies

(left)
"Standing Wood Nymph" charcoal on grey paper
(right)
"Young Woman Sitting" charcoal and chalk on grey cotton charcoal paper

(below) "Woman on the Black Throw" charcoal and chalk on blue cotton charcoal paper

©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Our model this week at Open Studio is a young woman with long hair and long legs. She would be the perfect wood nymph skipping through the forest with flowers in her dark hair, ala Maxfield Parrish.

"Storm at the Flats" Also Available at the Museum

Original oil painting 8"x10"
Big storm cloud overhead in a pale blue sky, with more storms in the distance and the Grand Tetons below. 
©2006 Diana Moses Botkin

 Here is another of my paintings that was accepted into the Yellowstone Art Museum Exhibit and Auction this weekend in Billings, Montana. This is a dramatic storm I observed in Grand Teton National Park near Antelope Flats.

NOW SOLD

"Dazzling Storm" Available at Yellowstone Art Museum

Framed, original oil painting 8"x10"
Storm clouds in oranges, pinks and purples in a brilliant blue sky, over mountains and river. 
©2006 Diana Moses Botkin

Perhaps you'd like to see one of my paintings that was accepted into the Yellowstone Art Museum Exhibit and Auction this weekend in Billings, Montana? This is painted from a dramatic scene I saw in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, east of the Grand Tetons.

NOW SOLD