Satsuma pile up. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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I went to paint flowers with Mary Elizabeth today, and saw these satsumas on this glass platter, in her dining room ...gorgeous! So we painted them. Describing the translucent glass, and the solid and yet reflective citrus was challenging, I kept wanting to add some cerulean blue onto the orange, but couldn't make it stand out against the absorbent wet orange- better planning next time!

L.

Happiness is... Lydia Host daily painting a day 5x7

sold Sometimes the first swig of a Diet Coke is just so perfectly throat scratchingly fabulous. There is a local mexican restraunt that has wonderful fountain d. cokes that come close. I thought that it would be fun to work with the subtle value differences and reflections in this setup. It was, I could keep adjusting little flecks of light and dark for days.. thank you 'Painting a day' concept - stop! L.

figure study D. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

Figure Drawing is my favorite night of the week. This model is fun to paint because she has curves. I wasn't able to finish in class, ten minutes flew by for me, so today I just finished it out. I love cerulean blue as a shadow on the figure.

L.

kitchen bouquet. Lydia Host daily painting a day 8x10

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I wasn't sure about leaving the background so loosely done...but I kind of like it. It reminds me of an old painting...something found in my grandmothers mothers house (which I loved ).

Happy weekend.

L.

Dauphin and Dearborn St. Lydia Host 6x6

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No it really is that blurry!

well maybe not quite.

I was on the corner of above mentioned street, it was loud and busy and fantastic. I was in front of a record producers office...right here in Mobile- how cool is that? They just moved here from L.A. because in today's world location doesn't define in the way that it used to. "World Records"

mostly country and R&B artists, but including Snoop dog.

I felt pretty good about this one, and then I walked across the street and saw my fellow painters Missy Patrick and Joanne Brandt's paintings and was humbled! I am going to attempt some more of these because they are really hard for me and so I need to MASTER the landscape!!!

L.

camellia saint. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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Mary Elizabeth brought over this old art book from school along with a pink camellia. I am not that happy with my ability to distinguish between the "real" flower and the printed picture. But over all I am happy with the way the painting looks. So who knows.

L.

Jewel tone. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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Zinnias just blow me away with the intensity of color. Due to a freeze, these are the last of the season I suppose.

L.

whatever gets you.. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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This is a cup and saucer from 'William and Sonoma' that I found at the local Goodwill.I think it looks like a great coffee and or tea drinking vehicle- very sturdy and practical,yet metropolitan somehow. Of course it is always fun to paint something "white". I am including a photo of my "Katrina " statue that I did for fun decoration at the Chesser's "Day of the dead" show. I just love the idea of Katrinas, which if you don't already know; is that wealth and beauty succumb to death just as easily as everything else.

L.

Park stretch. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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I was trying to push myself a little bit, and not be so realistic. Somehow the color in this one is not coming out true on my computer screen. I was sitting there looking up a sort of gutter/gully, and it was so pretty with reflections and shadows and light.

L.

Pond reflections. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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Lilies and pond reflections at Langdon Park. I was trying not to get too boring; the landscape I have decided, over-whelms me, and so I either break it down to small segments as in this painting, or into a pattern for larger paintings as I did in my big landscapes last spring, and one that I am working on now. I'll post it when I am finished so you can see what I mean.

L.

Pink Snaps.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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These are the other flowers painted in Mary Elizabeths studio. They are so beautiful. I really tried to keep it loose and flowing, not too many details, soft focus, trying to capture something more than just what they are. L.

Fall Sunflowers.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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Painted with Mary Elizabeth. She gets the amazing flowers...wow...what fun. Who knew there were so many breeds of sunflowers? well probably my brother-in -law Allen, but he is a specialist! I really am trying to represent through paint what I am seeing, although I am certainly not going for a photo-realism look, I do want to be accurate on certain levels. Some times what we see doesn't make sense, when that happens, I try to really bypass my thoughts and draw/paint what I see. Usually if I get it "right", which is actually what my brain thought was wrong...it works. Confused yet?

L.

Recline .Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

Figure drawing last night. great model/great fun. Working on a toned background and painting the light first is backwards from the way that I usually work, so its a little mind warping in a good way.

L.

Pear study.3 Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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I really like it when I "build" things with paint. This pear has that effect, its sort of an academic approach, and I like it. Its all about careful observation and recording, sometimes its easier than others. L.

Estate Sale Pansy .Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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I found this little vase at an estate sale. I don't know that I've ever painted Pansies before, they have lots of nuance.

L.

Pretty Zinnias .Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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Next year I am growing my own crop of Zinnias, they are so varied in color and appearance, making them interesting to paint.

L.

Sunny Market .Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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These sunflowers are from the downtown market. My artist friend, Mary Elizabeth, who is willing to get up and go down to the market early always has the best flowers! L.

Figure studies . Lydia Host Daily painting a day

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Last night at figure drawing we had these two models, they were amazing. I thought that he had such a protective, gentle, loving attitude, and she also was able to portray an attitude of contemplation that was fun to paint. They did not know each other before the class-even more wow. She is four weeks away from delivery! He has children also, so maybe that helped him recall the "father to be" vibe. sigh- I love figure drawing. L.

Angel Trumpet flower.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x

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Angel's Trumpet. Looks a little like a swishing ball gown, so beautiful, but deadly poisonous (I think). Painted this morning in my friend and neighbor Nicole's yard, so many things to paint there, little seating areas and of course a fabulous garden...I am going back! I included a photo of me starting this painting. My feild easel situation is not the best, I have a cheaply made french easel...am on the hunt for something better. If you know about anything great to paint outdoors with please tell me about it.

L.

Busy Harbor.Lydia Hostdaily painting a day 6x6

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This was the second painting from the docks from last week. The draw was the big black tanker being unloaded, but the whole place was bustling. L.

Yellow pepper. Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

Fancy peppers bought for a stir-fry. Willing participants in a quiet drama - casting interesting shadows, and reflecting like mad. L.

Figure study.Lydia Hostdaily painting a day 6x6

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Figure drawing has started back up again- so fun. I try to experiment with different materials in this class. These two were my most successful sketches in oil; the one with the red background was my first, and I am not sure its finished, and yet I don't know what else to do...so I guess its finished>?

L.

A Hull of a painting.Lydia Hostdaily painting a day 6x6

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The guard at the Convention Center, Tony named this painting for me. I painted today with inspiring artists; Missy Patrick, Joanne Brandt, and Thayer Dodd. It was a great place to paint we were in the parking garage, which opens out onto a deck, so we had cover if it rained- which it was threatening do. The Mobile docks are a hustling and bustling place. I painted the dinner crusier The "Spirit of LaSalle". L.

Tiny red onions.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

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Its official...put something in a glass, and I will paint it!

L

Mourning Mum.Lydia Host daily painting a day 6x6

What attracted me to this was the glass, which is a container from a french lemonade. My big still life is going to have lots and lots of glass. The cool color palatte of this painting seems contrary to what you might normally think of with flowers...I guess it could have also been named Artic flower.

L.