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"Communion" Pastel 18"x24"
©1986 Diana Moses Botkin

ORIGINAL SOLD

This is one of my favorite father and baby pieces I've painted. Please contact me for commissions of your own special dear ones.

This is also available as giclée reproductions at my LifeImages Gallery.

"By the Window" Mother & Baby Piece at LifeImages

Young mother and child reading a book, in chiaroscuro lighting
©2007 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

Back lighting is inspiring and challenging. I often find it is difficult to portray just right, keeping enough detail in the shadows to show form, while still focusing on the light areas that make the scene glow.

This is another image offered at my LifeImages Gallery and one of my favorite pieces.

Save at my LifeImages Repro Gallery

"Entwined"
Still Life Painting of Cowboy Boots and an Encircling Lariat
Symbols of Lives United in Marriage
©1998 Diana Moses Botkin

ORIGINAL SOLD

You can order this or any of my other Reproductions at my LifeImages Gallery. I can also create a special painting of your own boots. Contact me for info about commissions.

Our September Painting Challenge: Pantry Shelves

This month's Challenge subject was chosen by group member Robin Cheers. "Pantry Shelves" proved to be a good inspiration for us all for this month.

I certainly had fun brainstorming about this idea. Those little pirates wanted to help again. My son and I had some good laughs with ideas about what Legos might be doing in the pantry!

"Yo-ho-ho, and a Bottle of Rum"
Oil on board
6"x8"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

NOW SOLD

Here are the rest of the inspired paintings from our September Challenge.

They're all so unique; similar in concept but very different in details shown.

(right, above) "The Artist's Pantry"
Oil on canvas 5"x7"©2009 Suzanne Berry 
(above, middle) "Steel Cut Oats"
Oil on canvas 12"x12"
©2009 Silvina Day

(left, above) "Corner"
Oil on board 7"x12"
©2009 Michael Naples


(left)
"Coming Out of the Cabinet'
Oil on board
9"x12"
©2009 Vicki Ross

Each month we all keep our work a secret until it's time to send them to each other on the day before we post on our blogs.

I look forward all month to seeing what each artist paints. When each member's work rolls in to my Inbox on our unveiling day, I am always amazed and inspired!


(left) "Staples"
Oil on board
8"x16"
©2009 Robin Cheers 

(last painting)
"The Red Napkin"
Oil on canvas
16"x20"
©2009 Marie Fox

Painting Demo Recently and Our Challenge Soon!

This past weekend Pend O'reille Arts Council hosted Art Squared in the Garden. Fifty artists created paintings on 10"x10" canvases for the event. My painting was one of those.

I was also asked to be on hand at the event to paint a demo piece, which you can see in the lower right hand corner of the photo at left.

It is often a challenge to make a painting on the spot. It was especially difficult to paint this one because it was an outdoor setting in fading evening light. Next time I do something like this, I'm going to request a spotlight.

I hope you'll tune in tomorrow when the spotlight will be on our September Challenge! Last Tuesday I announced that we have a new member added to the group. Each month we paint a new subject (which you'll find out about tomorrow!).

Here's the writing award I recently received

A piece I wrote for Art Calendar's September 2008 issue was awarded the Bronze for Best Service Feature "Get It There: Packing & Shipping 2-D Art". I'm very happy about this!The actual award is at Art Calendar's office in Florida but my editor sent me a photo.

Turnstile Publishing Company, which publishes Art Calendar Magazine, received five awards at the 2009 Florida Magazine Association Awards a few weeks ago.

My Bronze was one of the honors. Additionally, Art Calendar won the Silver Award for Best Written Magazine - Trade/Technical!!

"On a Chain" Tiny Daily Painting

Original oil on canvas, 2.5"x3.5"
in miniature frame
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

"Key on Blue" ACEO Tiny Daily Painting

Original oil on canvas, 2.5"x3.5"
sent in protective ACEO sleeve
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

While I'm busy with commissions this week, I hope to paint at least a small warm-up to show you here on my blog most days.

I enjoyed painting the elegant color contrasts in this little 'un. It was surprising how difficult this small brass key was to paint. I looked at it and thought, "Oh... this will be an easy exercise to loosen up my painting muscles." It turned out to be much harder than I'd anticipated. Not complicated, of course, as you can see... but not exactly a snap to get the shapes and colors just right either. Straight lines are often annoyingly hard to paint!

"Ragged Sunflower" Still Life Daily Painting

Original unframed oil painting 5"x5"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

The sunflowers I got last weekend are past their prime, but still interesting. Although I was tired from a busy weekend, I thought I'd make a little portrait of this aged flower as a warm-up. Results were surprising!

“Sunflower Shadows" Daily Still Life Painting

Original oil painting 5"x5"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Sunflowers are such wonderfully bold, strong flowers. I frequently think of Van Gogh's sunflower paintings when I look at them. He was compelled to paint a number of pieces with these bright blooms as the subject.

How many ways can one look at a sunflower and see something new?

"Sunflower" Still Life Daily Painting

Original oil painting
7"x5"
of bright yellow sunflower
unframed
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

While talking to people at the Art Faire this weekend, I demonstrated sketching and drew portraits in charcoal and painted with oils, working on this live study.

One of the vendors was selling a variety of beautiful flowers and this large sample was one of my favorites.

Those yellow and orange colors were fun to paint. I like using those bright, intense and opaque cadmium pigments.

I also used the time during the Faire to stretch one of my giclée reproductions on canvas. I then added texture to the giclée and framed it.

Another fun thing I did was a giveaway for a little mini. Congratulations to Robert of Paradise Valley whose name was drawn out of the hat as the winner!