Sorry, it has been awhile since I added anything, I have been busy painting daily for DPW--DailyPaintworks.com. Visit the sight, I have 46 paintings. If my current painting is not visible on the front page all of them are rotated every hour, or if you can't wait look up Judy Usavage under authors on the left side of the site. This painting was done with my Lee Plein Air Group at Lakes Park, called "Flea Market at Lakes Park", and was given an honorable mention at Cape Coral Art League's first show just today, Oct 8, 2015, out of 71 paintings. It was a fun evening. Tomorrow we paint again at Lakes Park. So glad that the days are about five degrees cooler--that's alot in South Florida!

                                           Paint out was an hour's drive, it was raining, I forgot my tube of white, only a small dab on my palette, I lost part of my gear, this view was quite a distance, BUT…just as I decided to paint from my car the rain stopped, this red shouldered hawk came and posed for me on the post, right next to the rr track.  Just when I was ready to sign it--the painting, not the hawk--  the rain began again and the hawk flew away. A very blessing moment. And my artist mentor who tells all of us not to use green said it was a winner. I agree. I call it, "A View from on High."

An updated acrylic painting of the semi arid area behind where we lived in Frazier Park, California. I loved that reddish tint on the dried brush. It permeated the atmosphere when the sun was going down. I would ride my horse during that time soaking in the beauty of the moment as everything took on that reddish glow. Of course, I also remember how the shadows grew longer and my horse would spook at  a plant, do a sudden side step, and me, relaxed in the saddle, suddenly was bounced to the ground.  9x12", put in a charcoal frame, $110.

I would also like to announce that I am showing on Daily Paintworks.com since last week, the 28th of August, I believe, and try to put a painting a day so my gallery will pop up on the front page. Not all of the paintings shown here are on there--some will be included, but larger ones will not since shipping would be so expensive. Anyway, it was my summer goal to get up and running on that site, which hopefully will benefit many viewers, also many buyers and keep me motivated to paint in my studio and plein air. On Thursday nights I start thinking why I shouldn't go, painting outside especially because of the hot, humid weather, but I have made myself just go and find once I'm there, I have so much fun and the time flies. Til next time.

"Swaying in the Summer Breeze", landscape, oil on gessoboard, 11x14,  Price $110.00, . Probably could envision a few birds, frogs and turtles visiting this place.

A portrait,  mixed media piece on gesso board, 6x6, Price $50.00, called "I't's All About the Hair." Something a little different for me and just fun to do. I already have another damsel in mind--lot's of crazy fun. 

Ah, this one that I just finished. I did the whole basic design same day as the palmetto painting, and then hours trying to get that little guy. But I am pleased with the result. Can you find the ghost orchid?
8x10, oil, $90 "Finding the Ever Illusive Ghost Orchid"

Here we are back at Pine Preserves--decided to be bold with the palmettos. Probably should have added the mosquitos though with good ol Skin So Soft they weren't biting me.
6x6", oil, $50.  "Florida Palmetto"

Won't forget this day; was sitting on a wooden bridge under a hot sun until it rained until the wind picked up until it drizzled until it was sunny again. We all stuck it out, and I'm glad we did. I have had so many favorable comments about this painting; is it because I included Denny in it? Oh, it's Monet-like, which is one of my favorite artists.
8x10", oil, $110 "Denny in the Field"

Whew! The day at Bunch Beach was hot and at low tide, and for some reason I picked a low impact scene. Coming in for a landing could also speak for my attempts to add interest to all that sand.
8x10", oil, $90 "Low Tide at Bunch Beach"

 Nature, oil on gesso board, 12x14 inches, Price $110

"Shadows in the Sand"

If you look close enough there is all kinds of

beauty at the beach besides the water

A very hot day but I was under the bridge at north entrance of Lover's Key so it was bearable, although I was being watched the whole time by a yellow eyed egret. Ya, more scrub, but I did manage to get some water in there. How about those clouds!

8x10, oil, $90, "Time to Plunge in that Water"

My first time at the Charlotte Ecological Park. Yes, that is a birdhouse there where no cat can enter! Struggled with this one because I tried to put too much in it and kept taking stuff out but finally achieved what I wanted except maybe seeing a bird stick its head out of the house.  Two park rangers came by and wanted to use our paintings to promote the park system. Neat.
8x10", oil, $ 95, "Hey, Birdie, Are you Home?"

This piece was started plein air at the Koreshan State Park down by the creek but finished in my studio.  As with many of my paintings, I have to rest from them for awhile before I can see where the scene is taking me. Can't you see yourself sitting on that dock; what would you be doing?
8x10", oil, $120, "Swingin Out On a Limb"

There was quite a group of us at this historic house in Ft. Myers, but true to my nature, I gravitated to painting the tree and plant, the house becoming almost secondary. I would be the one peeking out those windows looking at them every morning.
8x10", oil, $90, "Looking Out the Window at the Tree"

 I had put an undercoat of red acrylic on this which made this bright but fairly colorless beach scene stand out. Mostly green brush, I am minimizing the green plus paying more attention to value and contrast. Palette knife, of course!
                                         8x10", oil, $90, "Florida Scrub at Its Best"

It was such a beautiful morning at the Franklin Docks even though I was at the north end and my plein air group was at the south end. There was a cool breeze, many scenes to paint but the sun just a few hours up caught my attention, then the big tree and waterlillies. Just lovely.

8x10", oil, $90, "Love That Morning Sun"

This 36x24" acrylic painting is from a photo taken just a quarter mile from my house, after having my husband stop so I could photoshoot several haystacks on our trip to Banson. Who knew36x24", acrylic,  $600 +$100 shipping, "Haystacks at Sunset"

Not having real rocks in Florida makes this painting a fun alternative plus the palette is darker than what I would normally use for a Florida beach scene.
8x10", oil, $90, "Foaming at the Rocks"

This painting is the result of an art teacher's tip. If you don't like the whole painting save the part that you do. This is an 8x10 that came from a 16x20 and is just a fantasy out of my head, done in acrylic. It's an overgrown garden and the view is from the back of the house.
8x10", acrylic, $90, "View From the Back"

Here is a piece that is 24x36" done in acrylic of a view off of Matlacha Bridge in Florida which I had done for showing in our art league. It was all done in studio and received many favorable comments from fellow artists. Must admit, I don't like painting ladders but the tree was most fun.

This piece was selected for a national show four years ago in Punta Gorda, Florida and is done with layered acrylic. It is a bigger piece, 16x20", than the ones I have been blogging, which are either 8x10 or 6x6. It's called Tapestry of Roses. $425

Our plein air group goes to many forest preserves in Florida--as you can see our "forests" are mostly scrub brush. This is still in acrylic which I have given up using because it just dried too fast in open air. What do you know, not much purple in this one but trying out different greens and beginning to experiment with the palette knife.
8x10', acrylic, $90, "Path in Palmetto Pine Preserves"

I sold this piece at our two day art festival at Cape Coral Art League. It was started on site at Jaycee Park and finished in my studio. I was just beginning to do plein air but as you will see from the following paintings I really caught the bug and have been painting with Lee Plein Air Group regularly for many months. You can see some of my work if you go to Facebook under the above name.
SOLD

SOLD

Walking the Beach

This is a selfie that I painted for a show at the Art for Act Gallery. It was in acrylic which took FOREVER, mostly because all the flowers were vying for attention! NOT FOR SALE 20x24"