Happy Buddha. Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x10

A happy Buddha, and persimmons which represent health and happiness in eastern philosophy. They also represent knowledge because they start out green and bitter and become rosy- peachy, sweet and delicious as they age. Lydia

T.G.I.F. Lydia Host daily painting a day12x12

I love the routine and mystic of mixed drinks. Plus if you read this blog, you know I love me some shiny stuff. Cheers, Lydia

Coffee and cake. Lydia Host daily painting a day8x10

I have to get the most out of a baked good around here. I don't know if you've noticed, but I have a new paint color in my box...its windsor deep yellow (by Windsor Newton) it is almost an orange, but I've been having fun using it to give a warm glow to my highlights. I think it would also be the key to painting realistic brass. I have a very supportive family and the most recent example of this is my Mother bragging about me to a reporter in my home town of Hemet Ca. which resulted in an article in the local newspaper. Here is the link: (its short and sadly contains no pictures...but hey I thought my marketing director would want me to share!). Press Enterprise article Lydia

I wanna wish. Lydia Host daily painting a day 12x12

My little guy turned Four on Saturday. I made him his favorite cake: carrot cake, and he helped me frost it. I feel a little funny putting him on the internet, but I don't think anyone could snag him from this goofy photo! This is a patently fake smile, but it made me laugh. I couldn't wait to eat and then paint this cake.

This is painted on one of those cheap pre-framed pictures that I bought a while back. They were printed upside down for the original print which said something like ' coffee is my friend' ....oh wait, it didn't say that or I would have kept it. The down side is that you are stuck with this frame, however it is pretty inoccuous.

Lydia

Angel to watch over you.. Lydia Host daily painting a day 4x12

I think that it helps me when I miss my children, or just feel love for people that are far away to paint an Angel. To sort of soak in that moment of pure and deep love you can feel for those you care for.

Lydia

Perfect Mason. Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x10

I saw this on a friend's counter and fell in love with the golden light coming through the jar. It was fun to paint, curious shapes and colors. I wonder what else in a jar would be an interesting subject....I'm thinking red peppers, okra....hmm. lydia

Orange glow. Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x10

Today I painted with my friend Joan E. White Spunner-Dixon, in her light filled mid-town studio. It is always fun for artists to paint together, it is a really great feeling to be productive and get that connection with someone like minded. Making art can become an isolated type of work if your not careful. Check out Joan's beautiful work by clicking on her name above. L.

figure drawing. Lydia Host daily painting

I have had a little one with a cold and then a gallon of house paint spilled (by a new puppy) in my studio today inhibiting my painting progress. I went to figure drawing last night, and it was really fun, the above watercolor is from the last session, it fell out of my watercolor block, and the very top drawings are from the warm-up poses from last night. We do five two minute poses at the beginning of each class to loosen up, and some times they are the best of the night~!

L

Sophisticate... Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x10

I've always felt sophisticated while eating a chilled Bosc pear.

I grew up with Bartlett pears in abundance, but the Bosc was introduced later in my life and so it was the height of luxury to have a thinly sliced Bosc while reading a good book. I think my Dad introduced me to them, he eats more fruit, and enjoys it more than anyone I've ever known!

L.

Tuscan veiw. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

Another dream! I am going to spend a summer there sometime in my life...

I want to share with you that I won an award in the Watercolor and Graphic Arts Society show;

Its sort of a funny story that I feel compelled to tell! Well... I am a cheapskate and try to reuse matt's and frames from previous paintings if they did not sell. In this case I painted on watercolor board which is about a quarter of an inch thick and impossible without correct tools to cut. I found a frame and matt that worked perfectly (without any cutting or expenditure), but the matt was like ten inches wide...normal is between 3 and 4 inches. I emailed a couple of honest friends to ask if it looked too ridiculous..."Oh not really, its a matter of taste' and ' you should redo it' were the replies, I went with the first. WELL the judge's comment for me was that I should re-do the framing, and I was told the award that I won was a credit to a local frame shop! Instant Karma at work. As it turned out I really won a credit to a local art supply store, which makes me happier, but I still am sufficiently humiliated to never put anything in a show that I feel is questionable!

Happy Labor day!

L.

Looking thru you. Lydia Host 8x10

Piled up Granny smiths. Crunchy sweet and delicious. L.

Martini fixin's. Lydia Host daily painting a day 5x7

I had to take another crack at these olives...I just love the jar and the way that they are so jovial somehow in there floating around. I had a feeling of some things clicking for me in the last couple of paintings, and it feels so good to sort of feel like you are making progress!.

Cheers to progress!

L.

Cafe a la home. Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x10

I am disappointed with the way that this painting is showing up on the computer screen....it looks SO MUCH BETTER in person. I don't know what is happening that makes it look so different, for instance the pale orange color does not stand out, but glows. Oh well....technology is great, but no substitute for real life! cheers, L.