Reflections. Lydia Host daily painting a day 11x14

sold

It is amazing how reflections work..the table was really dark wood, yet I faithfully am reporting its actual color due to the sunny sky out the window. I really think that is a big part of what makes painting so fun, just the unexpected things you see if you really stop and consider what you take in and edit out on a minute by minute basis! Our minds are so adept at arranging things for us so that the world is a more constant visual place and we don't have to think about what color our sideboard really is at any given moment.

L.

little bit. Lydia Host daily painting a day 5x7

This was an exercise in squeezing something into the frame~ ! I am not sure why this doesn't look like my normal work...I like it okay, but it sort of has a real old fashioned feel. It is on a panel which I really enjoy for its non springi-ness. I used lots of paint (but of course that is not saying much due to the size of the canvas!). Hmmmm.

L.

Left overs. Lydia Host daily painting a day 11x14

sold

I ate a fabulous breakfast this morning with friends, and then Mary Elizabeth and I painted the left overs. There wasn't much food left (credit to the chef!), but Mary Elizabeth always has such a great selection of cut flowers...irresistible!

L.

Its not Pear. Lydia Host daily painting a day 4x12

sold

Its not fair that odd numbers are magical art numbers. In fact lets say its a rule of thumb just begging to be broken!

L.

Afternoon visit. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

sold

I have a friend who likes to drink coffee in the afternoon... she is very productive. It is sort of a luxury occurrence for me and so I use a saucer to feel a little special. I tried to paint this with no lines only swathes of paint, I did end up underlining the cup at the last minute...no floating cups!

L.

Yard Cafe. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x8

sold

My brother-in -law Alan Franz is a landscape architect in Dallas, the yard is AMAZING! Botanical garden deluxe. They have all sorts of resting places throughout the yard, places to read, contemplate or socialize. Sigh. I love the potential of a cafe set-up. L.

feel good. Lydia Host daily painting a day 11x14

sold

I had to pick some milk and cereal, and I saw these gerber daisy's and thought...hmmm, and then I saw the bartlett pears, and thought some more. It is true that when I eat apples I feel better, don't you? Well its bigger than my usual daily, but I think I have low resistance to orange flowers. This weather is for planting! Happy weekend. L.

Classic. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

sold

Okay just one more! You might think that I was a fancy artist adding the teal into the red of this roosters back, but there really are teal feathers interspersed...mother nature is the ultimate colorist!

L.

Chicken Chieftain. Lydia Host daily painting a day 5x7

sold

In real life I don't especially care for birds...they kind of creep me out...I feel as though they are unpredictable in their responses. You know how someone who owns a bird might say " watch out Quakers likes to bite!" like its no big deal, or maybe they use the word 'nibble' well the idea of a bird biting or nibbling is enough to keep me at a distance. yikes. Fun to paint though, intelligent seeming eyes. On to horses. L.

Honey,we need to talk. Lydia Host daily painting a day

Why does nature make the males of so many species more flamboyant than the females? I am sure it is some survival technique!

L.

Doodle do. Lydia Host daily painting a day 5x7

sold

I went to a really great birthday party on Sunday for one of my sweet little nieces. It was on a farm with all of these tame animals to visit and interact with. I took a lot of reference photos to paint from this week. This is the first chicken/rooster that I have ever painted (I think). Weird. There is an artist who paints chickens that are so lovely they made me want to paint them...and I have been planning to...for years! If I can find her, I'll post a link. Farm animals here I come.

L.

We're in this.. Lydia Host daily painting a day12 x12

sold

sold

The pecan groves around here are so beautiful in the winter. I find them to be a soothing site for some reason, maybe its because they look so cathedral-esk? I used some exploratory color in these two.

Yesterday I put out a lot of information about tonights happenings, but not the time- 6-8pm. sorry about that. Dinner is not required of your visit, although you definitely ought to eat there sometime because its fantastic. We have lots of wine!- hope to see you there if you can make it!

L.

Out the train. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x8

sold

This is the view out the window of an open train car that we rode on in Cass West Virginia this summer. It was so green and then with all of the brown verticals-beautiful. I took lots of pictures with the intention of painting them...this was in July!

Tomorrow night Micheal's restaurant downtown will be open for the art walk, both Mary E. and I will be there, and plan to eat!! Please come eat as well, or just stop by and have a glass of wine!

Mary Elizabeth Kimbrough and Lydia Host often paint together in the studio as they work to create "a painting a day." Many of the images in this exhibition were painted by both artists working from the same still life set ups. Specifically, some of these set ups were aimed at capturing Michael Ivy's culinary specialties such as his red beans and rice and coconut cake. Both artists attempt to capture the sensual nature and visual beauty of food as well as the anticipation of eating something wonderful. Michael's Downtown is an ideal setting for the artwork as the restaurant conjures up smells and tastes that are nothing short of delicious. In the spirit of hospitality and celebration, the artists hope you will enjoy their pictures in the same way that you enjoy good food!

Happy days. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

sold

If you live in this area, this is a familiar view. It means good times ahead. For some its the view out the window! My Grandmother had a close friend who owned a bay house where we spent many a day in the summer, playing in the water. I always loved that you could dig clay...real clay up on the shore. There were bunkbeds and only screens on the windows where we slept, and for some reason she had a family of those classic sock monkeys that we thought was really great. Thanks Minnie Lee, those are some happy memories. L.

Good karma. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

Well my house is sad and lonely- my son has awakened every day for the past ten days and said "where are my friends?" and jumped up to play with his cousins. I thought I'd post a picture of me and my sister in our bridesmaid gowns that I made- forty something bridesmaids in homemade gowns were a sight to see! Back to reality.

This is a painting of an old friend who had hiked through Europe and worked on a farm while there, and she just had this peaceful strong aura that I wanted to paint...so she posed for me. This may not be finished. I was going for a loose sketchy approach...I might be an over achiever in that aspect.

L.

After the Bath. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x8

sold

Mothering has its moments. My sister and her four children are staying with me, and we are having a blast. It makes me realise how quiet my house usually is (with just two kids around). Also, I am in awe of how much technical savvy, and what wonderful organisational skills my sister employs on a daily basis to keep her ship running on an even keel! I don't think I could do it...but its fun to witness. Moms rock.

L.

from Chile. Lydia Host daily

sold

I just finished writing a paper about Cezanne, so what an appropriate subject for me today. I love his work and reading what he has to say about his approach to painting. He thought that paint was to artists as letters were to writers, so that writing about art was 'useless'. If you didn't get it in paint...words weren't going to help you!

L.