Uninspired

Today, I should be in the studio painting, but I went back there with Rosebud (Yellow Lab) and I put a couple of marks on the "Lockford Antique Store" and "Phillip" and just could not focus. I wanted to spend some time with Rosebud because she misses Mr. Duke also...so I brought a couple of small stretcher bars to the back porch and wrap stretched 2 12"X12" canvases while she played in the backyard. It isn't much but it is progress. I do not know if it is the overcast weather or the loss of Mr. Duke that is still effecting my mood. I think it is and I know time will help. I start my next Academy class tomorrow and these pastel commissions will not paint themselves but I think I am just going to muddle through this right now. It is Jerry and my wedding anniversary today, 29 years. We are making a nice crab dinner here at home. I am sure it will be lovely. Sorry, no pictures today but, you can go to my eBay link in the right hand corner of this page to see all items listed. Enjoy the day.

Mr. Duke

Mr. Duke died in the night. If you did not know him, he was my sweet, kind and patient border collie mix. In his last days he did not want to leave my studio. I feel he was telling me to be more creative, spend more time in the studio and hug him more. My blog will not let me post photos right now. So I will post him later.

I will not post art today. I must remember the gifts he gave me. Most importantly was unconditional love. Here he is! It took 2 days to get his photo here. He was a great painting companion as well!

SOLD Black Beauty Mask with Beads

TO BID CLICK HERE This was done a a demonstration piece for my high school students and I used  the face of one of my students for this mask. I still do about 2 clay pieces a year, if I am lucky. If I get to busy, they get recycled and never finished. I am still stretching canvas and watching Peggi Kroll Roberts DVD series. They help my mind get into the right place to be creative!!! Have a wonderful day!!!   : )

SOLD Dreads and Drama 1, black with light Oil 6"X6" M Eger

CLICK HERE TO BID Well this maybe small but I was so happy when I finished it yesterday. I had to really think about value and color temperature. I stretched a canvas. One of the things the Mid Point Review Committee wanted me to do was to stretch my own canvas. What are they thinking. At 58 years old that I not know how? I do canvas stretching demos for my high school students. I use mostly prestretched canvas because I have so little time. Also my hands get very tired when stretching canvas. Oh well, I am working on stretching a bunch. I think I have 4 new ones stretched. I still need more. I have tons of stretcher bars...mostly very large...I will just pick them off one at a time!! Enjoy the day!

SOLD Tranquil Black Nita, pastel 20" X 25.5" Eger

CLICK HERE TO BID This portrait was done from a live model oh my 20 years or so ago. She was a model for Bob Gerbracht in Asilomar. It was a great weekend. This pastel has a lot of negative space to the right...which I personally like but if the cost of framing is a huge issue in todays economy...it could be cropped to make a smaller image. If you want to crop it let me know...so that I can sign it on the left side. Doesn't she have a wonderful dignified presense? Yesterday I was in Modesto judging the Young Masters Art Show. It is the childrens show for Modesto and I judged the high school level. When I got home I worked on one of the pastels for the Lodi Memorial Hospital and the portrait for Diana in Germany. My Duke(border collie) was in the studio with me as well as Rosebud( yellow Lab) but Duke did not want to come back home. He wanted to stay in the studio. He kept going back to the studio door...as though he was saying "You are not done yet!!! Get back to work...I will encourage you!"  What a sweet boy he is.  Must go.
On eBay many of my pieces have 25% to the American Cancer Society if they sell. They helped me so much when I was suffering from breast cancer. When I was trying to get answers and information to make informed decisions they were wonderful.

Orange 2, Leaning On My Shiny Friend, Oil 6"X6" M Eger

CLICK TO BID This is my 2nd orange painting. Will talk later. I need coffee!!!

Hay 4 Last of the Light on Stack & Bales Oil 6"X6" Eger

CLICK HERE TO BID Well I was in the yard yesterday and my body quit before the needs of the yard did. Today on the eliptical I was watching Peggi Kroll Roberts again and it is interesting because the lesson was what the Academy told me to work on. Thin darks and thick lights!! I love being reminded in a gentle non-judging way!! Enjoy the moment!

Orange Wedges 1, Two Up Two Down Oil 6"X6" Marilyn Eger

CLICK HERE TO BID Well, here is my 1st orange painting. I am hoping to do a series of them called "Citrus Sparkle". I tried to be Julia Childs this weekend. I made a lemon merange pie and a lemon cake from scratch and a pot of vegetable soup.  The soup had so many chilie peppers that I had to drain off all the liquid and start with fresh water, bullion cubes and even then it had a spicy kick. As I was taking the pie crust out of the oven the door bell rang and I dropped it on the floor...killing it. So I proceeded to make pie crust from scratch. My pastry blender and tupperware pie surface must have been out on a date or eloped as they were no where to be found...I used a chopper as a pastry blender and the pizza pan to roll out the pie crust. Then...no cream of tartar to make the merange stiffen...when to the internet for substitutions one person said lemon juice, so I grated lemon peel and 2 drops of lemon juice and it did pretty well. In the end the lemon pie turned out pretty nice but heaven forbid...I do not know what I did to the cake. It is edible but not one that you can't put down. Understand we have 3 or more lemon trees had they have a bumper crop! Citrus we have in surplus!! Got to go find my coffee! Good morning.

Hay 4 Last of the Light on Stack & Bales Oil 6"X6" Eger

Here is more hay. I have been watching Peggi Kroll Roberts DVD's. Yesterday I finished the "Limited Strokes" and then watched "Simplified Shadow Mass". The best thing about these is they remind me that paint quality is so important and the massing of shdows strengthens the painting. Also it reminds me that shadows have less detail than the light areas. I must keep learning! Have a great day. To see Peggi's work go to krollroberts.com. Must go!!CLICK HERE TO BID!

Hay 5 Last of the Light, Orange Sky, Oil 6"X6" Eger

This little guy is right out by the Mackville Ranch where we grow olives. Thw sun is going down and that wonderful orange glow is everywhere. Lights are burning on the horizon. I just started a new group of these only in still life. I need to do a few more before I post any. A friend loaded me Peggy Kroll Roberts instructional DVD's. I am watching them while I do the eliptical every other morning. Today my excercise flew by while I watched and listened to her demo in oil on a 25 stroke painting. I want to do this. One thing I am starting to realize, is that some of the Academy teachers love glazing over and over and over...well, I do NOT!!!! I love delicious thick paint put down with confidence. In my early figure painting class I feel like the teacher beat all the freshness out of my painting by beating constant glazing into me. I think what I really learned is that glazing is not for me. I can use it once in a while but it is better to mix the color right the 1st time...put it down and leave it alone!!!!!  Also put the paint down with confidence! CLICK HERE TO BID

Hay 46 Tractor Done For the Day, Resting Oil 6"X6" Eger

This little painting went through several changes. In the original version you only noticed the tractor if you meditated on the painting, so I realized that there needed to be more contrast in the negative spaces behind the tractor to set it off. I have been watching an old art instruction video by Sandra Freckleton, while using the eliptical machine in the morning. Although I am not doing watercolor right now, she gets my creative mental mood in the correct place to work with my students. We are almost done with oil painting in the high school classroom. Tuesday I will introduce tints, tones, and shades to the intro. art students and lino cuts to the advanced students. I still have not gotten into the groove of painting after school this year. Since I became department head for the art dept. there are meetings almost everyday for something...but it is my goal!!! Stay in the moment! Until tomorrow...CLICK HERE TO BID

Hay Waiting on the Baler 9, Impressionic Oil 6"X6" Eger

Well, a lot is going on. I just got a confirmation of 3 more pastel commissions for the St. Josephs Hospital, so I will be very busy. These are all to be 24" X 30".  I have been getting on the eliptical machine every other day and watching art videos. It sure helps get my head in the right place!!! This painting is another hay painting. Have a great day!  Smile even if you do not feel like it...It will help others to feel better and just maybe your mood will change to match the smile you are wearing. Just a thought. Heaven knows...I do not know much! CLICK HERE TO BID

Hay Bales Fade To Red Barn in Mustard 40 Oil 6"X6" Eger

This little guy is out on Jahant Road just west of where Peltier becomes Jahnt in Acampo, Ca. I got great news on Sundy. I took 3 awards in the Delicato Art Show in Manteca. If you live close by go see the show and do some wine tasting while you are there. The reception is the last day of the show, Feb. 5th 2-4 P.M. You can try some wine then also. CLICK HERE TO BID

Hay Bales Meet Tractor w Umbrella 10, Oil 6"X6" M Eger

Well, the blog likes me this morning...I had my coffee before attacking it so just maybe it had its coffee too! This is another one of my hay paintings. I did a total of 50. I really like the tractor. I do not know if it is because my grandpa was a farmer or my husband is a farmer or that I am just drawn to it's shape, color and sometimes rust. Enjoy each moment as though it is your last but don't use it recklessly!!! CLICK HERE TO BID

Lilac Mysteries, Cherries & apples, oil 24"X30" M. Eger

Well, again this morning...I am being denyed my painting upload. It says try later. Go to my eBay list to see, to the upper right. I will go get coffee and if I have time ..try again. Well, it is 6:36 and Blogger must have finally had its coffee also!!!  Yahhhhhh!!!! I have been reading Kevin MacPherson's book. I just finished it yesterday. I tryed his palette of ultra. blue, alizarin crimson, yellow ochre and titanium white....it did not work for me...I was painting orange wedges. So...I added 2 colors cad. orange and burnt sienns and that was better, however I do like working with limited palettes and am going to try some of his exercises. I need to get a fire lit under me!!! YAHHHHH even my eBay link worked this time!! Good Morning!!!CLICK HERE TO BID

Splendors of Spring Calla Lily oil 24"X30" Marilyn Eger

Well, I inadvertently hit the wrong tool and have no idea what that tool does. Well, my text is now at the top instead of the bottom and not at all where I want it.  Oh, I think I need my coffee!!! I did this floral quite a while back but it is to pretty for no one to see it. So...please enjoy.  Click Here To Bid

Hay Fields 2, 6"X6" oil

Well, here I am again...blogger again will not let me post my painting! YIKES!!!  So please forgive me but click the link to see the painting. You do not have to bid or buy to look. I am trying something new with these little 6"X6" jewels. I am actually trying international shipping on these tiny ones just to see if I can do it. Another experiment. We went out to the ranch this A.M. and took the canoe out onto the lake and paddled the floating dock back to shore. It was sitting lopsided in the lake and we did not want to take a chance of having it sinking!!! So now it is tied up on the bank, if it sinks there at least we maybe able to fix it. It was COLD out there. It was 39 degrees with a breeze. Yes, I am a whimp!! If you are sitting in the snow...I have NO room to complain. Well....quite a few hours have past and finally it let me give you the painting!!! Yaaaah!  TO SEE PAINTING CLICK HERE OR TO BID

Flowers From Gretchen, oil 24"X30"

Well, blogger, AGAIN, will not let me post my painting!!!! It is one of those mornings...I can also not get the eBay link to work and my internet connection is on the fritz!!!!! Yikes!!!! I will try to load images again tonight....in the mean time...if you go to my eBay link to the right and click it all I have on eBay will show. SO, Sorry for the inconvienience! I hate it when I fight with technology so early in the morning!!! Well...it is several days later and I was just able to post this one! CLICK HERE TO BID

Bottle Study III, Peonie oil 16"X20" Marilyn Eger

This is a piece I did about 20 years ago. I did an entire series around the bottle and it's transparency in an impressionist style. This peonie was to wonderful to resist so it wound up in the still life. I also did a calla lily series, most of which have been sold long ago. The dryed calla is on the left. I got 10 new students this week. So far so good. I meet 4 of them for the 1st time today. Yes, I need to stay in the moment. CLICK HERE TO BID

Flaming Red Napa Valley Vineyards, oil 24"X30" M. Eger

This is the large painting that I did from the earlier 11"X14" smaller study. In this one I changed the temperature of the sky and did not put the large tree on the right side of the foreground. Got to go get my coffee. Stay in the moment! CLICK HERE TO BID

Foggy Morning On Pismo Beach, Calif oil 24"X30" M. Eger

This painting is Pismo Beach and my link is to a painting called "Daisys, Snapdragons and Lemons", sorry sometimes my blog hates me. When I make a mistake I do not know how to fix it. So If you want to see all I have on eBay go to my eBay link in the right top side of my blog page, then as you scroll through you can click on Pismo Beach and see it there if you like. I am not going to let my lack of tech aptitude keep me down. I just blunder through it!!! Life is good today! Click Here To Bid or See "Daisys, Snapdragons and Lemons".

Cool Napa Valley Vineyards in Autumn oil 24"X30" M Eger

Well, my blog will again not let me upload my painting!!! So to see my painting click the link. You will not bid just by clicking the link but you will be able to see the painting. Today was my 1st day back to school. The kids were so good and it was good to see them. I sure am tired now though.  : (   CLICK HERE TO BID OR SEE IMAGE

Foggy Morning Sunflower 2, 16" X 20"

Well, this sunflower addresses our weather today. Pretty poopy!! It is my big B-day and it has started out so nice. My Jerry made me a lovely breakfast. I will try calling Kansas again today as the kids live there. They were not where the weather service said the bad tornados were but they were close enough to really want to hear from them! I sure wish there was an eBay teacher locally so I can learn a lot more. Must go...meeting a friend for coffee!  : )  Enjoy the moment!!  TO BID CLICK HERE

Sunny, Perky, Sunflower 1 16"X20"

Well, it has been a good day! I pulled a muscle in my back helping my Jerry empty the water out of the canoe this morning but Rancho San Miguel had that wonderful flan, so Jerry got that for me for my birthday cake. Oh...I love that stuff!!!! Also, I was very brave over the past 2 days. I got brave enough to start listing large and very large and medium large pieces on eBay. They may or may not sell but at least a few people will see them. On the huge ones..I figure if I can not figure out the shipping I will take it down and have a pro package it for me! Since tomorrow is my big B-Day if I have time I will start posting some florals. Since eBay has the free posting till...I think the 7th, I should take advantage of it! TO BID CLICK HERE