Portrait Study,Debbie Miller

 10x10 oil
With my portrait studies, I use a pale orange ground, usually a burnt sienna thinned with turp. 
 Then I block in the lights and darks with an umber.
But my favorite part is getting to use that delicious cad. red light.  Nose,ears and corner of eyes.

 Here is the model.  Tomorrow the finished painting will be posted on the About Face blog.

 More Orange... "Woman on Orange" by Kerry Smith, here is an invite to his show.

Orange. Do you love it or hate it?

 6x6" oil on canvas.
Orange is one of those colors that people feel really strongly about. 
What about you? Do you love it or hate it? or is it just a 'meh' color to you?

 I happen to love it - especially for a ground for my paintings.  I've tried to paint with other grounds...even just white.  But nothing gets my juices flowing like a deep orange background.  HERE is an old post showing the background orange.

 Painting with it is super fun too.
 Check out THIS painting and THIS painting.
  


Sometimes the orange doesn't have to be the main event to pack some punch, like in THIS painting.

Last but not least: THIS is one of my favorite plein air paintings from a few years back.

So what do you say?  Enjoying some orange this week?  Share it with a link in the comments, we'ld love to see it!!

A Gathering - plein air, daily painting, debbie miller

6x6" oil
So great seeing everyone during the Warren Walkabout today!

OPEN STUDIO! SUN.12 -5

The Studio is all spruced up and ready to go.

Sunday 12 - 5
30 Cutler ST.
Warren RI

Yesterday we filled  the gallery space  with lots of art from all the talented people in my building.
 Many of us will also have our studios open.
 It really is a treat to take a peak into the work spaces of artists.
Come on by!!

It's All About the Pink - daily painting, cupcakes, Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel
Couldn't let the month go by without painting a pink cupcake
 - Don't forget - get "the girls" checked! -

Chris - portrait painting, Debbie Miller

Chris - 12 x12 oil on panel.
Missed portrait painting this week - hate that.
This one is from last week.  You can see more HERE OR come by this Sunday and see it
and all the portraits in person!! 
Yay! open studio!   Sun. 12 - 5
directions HERE

Speaking of birds.....

nfdp

Owls, Owls everywhere! 

This one in my studio , and it seems everywhere else...., we watch the Owl cams in the late winter and Ive got the Audubon Owl app on my iphone.  Yup, we are Bird Nerds.

... so naturally I couldn't resist doing an owl project with my kindergarten art class.
Heres a sample of them ....

 This is my kind of project for this age - direction at first and then they take it where they want to.  I am never dissapointed with the results and neither are the kids!



Barn Swallows - Debbie Miller

30x30 oil on panel  NFS
  Lately Ive been all over the place - going from one thing to the next, trying to figure out what it is I want to paint ...or DO for that matter.
  It happens. 

So what do you do when this occurs?  Taking a break helps, a change of scenery helps
 But then keep going,  and keep doing.
Or in my case keep painting.

Painting is the one thing that I know I WANT to do - its the 'what kind of painter' that Ive been struggling with. 
Sometimes after pushing through something good comes of it - a spark of an idea that excites. 
This painting is that for me  - this is something I can get excited about right now.
Rock on.

Here it is in its new home - my mothers blue living room.  Btw - how cool is it that my Mom had the guts to paint her room this color??
 Still needs a frame (something simple) but it sings against those walls AND my mother loves barn swallows so we're all happy

The idea came from the pink bird painting that was on the cover of last months House Beautiful, tried to find the artist but it didnt give one.

You rock!

Thank you, thank you to all my friends/collectors - old and new- that braved the wind today on Benefit St.  for the RISD sale.
What a fun day!
and to my brand new friends - Welcome! 

fyi - open studios in Warren RI next sun from 12 -5....come visit my studio - suite 210 in 30 Cutler St.
and I'll be at the RISD holiday sale in Dec.
Yay!

RISD sale THIS sat.!!

Yes its raining - but don't let that scare you away from the RISD sale tomorrow!!!

Benefit St. will have a great big tent :) Yay!!

I'll be at table 159 - down near George St.

Total visual overload for me on my morning walk - I LOVE a rainy October morning!!  Saturates the colors - and this year they need all the help they can get.

   The past summer's weather and Hurricane Irene really sucked the life out of our Rhode Island Fall Foliage this year.
But still soooo many pretty scenes today! and now that I have my new iphone I could take pictures as I saw them! 

 and fog too!  be still my heart.  And...
One wet little dog!  His little legs trotted along for over an hour - he was happy for the photo breaks

 and I was happy that there was a towel in my car for those wet paws! 

See you at the sale!

Long Board - daily painting,debbie miller

6x6" oil on panel.
Back to a beach scene.  Sometimes when you're in a funk its good to go back to something familar.

RISD Sale this saturday

Look at my painting in the "I" 
Come see it and more in person at the RISD alumni/student sale this sat. on Benefit St. Prov.  10 -4
I'll be down the end near George St. - with lots of little daily paintings -
 (all $100 or below - a GREAT way to start collecting real fine art!! or give as a one of a kind gift)
also some prints and cards and a few larger paintings too.

Get some holiday shopping done early!!! 

What did you do last weekend?

 6x6 oil on panel. 

 Who doesn't love a 3 day weekend in October?  and bonus beach weather too!  
Did you get some projects done?  Make something or go apple picking?  Or knit something like this woman did? 

I actually spent 3 FULL days in my studio. - Its been a bit over a year since I got this space.  - and I still have to pinch myself and remember that its real. 

Ya know what else is over a year old? 
These cupcakes.
Yup thats right.  Thats why I love them as props...they are like hard little cupcake sculptures.

BTW - my studio will be open during the Warren Walkabout - Sun. Oct. 23, 12-5.
Come by and say Hi.  - 30 Cutler St. suite 210
I promise to have fresh cupcakes.

Little Pitcher - daily painting,debbie miller

 8x8 oil on panel - another very traditional still life - and here is why:
1. Ive been completely uninspired lately, not knowing what to paint and how.  Empty canvas syndrome,self doubt,why bother...the works.
----just plain Burnt Out.
2.  My son asked me to paint this.

-  I had my travel paints still in the car after going to Open Portrait Painting.  (which I love)
Seeing last weeks portrait sitting on the mantel drying, my son asked "How do you do that? Show me" - and well...he is not one to take no for an answer so I agreed.
 - BUT we were the only ones home with noone to paint...so we improvised with the pitcher of flowers.

Got me thinking that it might be interesting to post my process sometime OR make a video - stay tuned!

Blue Teapot

8x8" oil on panel. 
yawn, right? 
I know.  I know.
 Sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward.
I love this teapot, so I'm going to paint it from time to time.

Any ideas on what I should paint this week?  Totally uninspired.   

Däna - portrait painting,Debbie Miller

10x10 oil on panel
Very happy with this one....and my new ability to put those 2 dots above the a!
check out more portraits HERE

A Sweet Match - daily painting, cupcakes, Debbie Miller

6x6 " oil on panel
Apples used to be hard for me to paint.
Now they are fun ....amazing what happens when you paint a lot :)

and Did you know Granny Smith was a real person? ...I didn't until just now!
check out THIS ARTICLE  

cupcake 6 - daily painting, cupcakes,debbie miller

6x6" oil on canvas
OK - last of the 'canvas cupcakes'. 
thank God.

yesterdays post had some photos added to it - do you like that?
I'm a visual person and sometimes a phot0 best explains what I'm trying to say.

Cupcake5 - daily painting,cupcakes,debbie miller

 6x6" oil on canvas -
 Started out planning a full day of painting in the studio
 - so of course its the cupcakes first -
But have to admit, just not feeling it today.

 Is this the most boring painting ever?!!!

  Maybe its the canvas thing.  Or...

    Maybe its my little friend following me around asking for a walk...

 Maybe its thinking about heading to the art store to get some fresh paint and panels....



(Seriously getting low on paint, right?) 

Maybe its time to rethink the day.... putting on THIS and prepping panels

Nadia - portrait painting,Debbie Miller

10x10 oil on panel
Finally back at the portrait painting.  Makes me happy.  Painting people is so fun.
See more HERE 

So where is that 'sweet spot' - that bit of the painting that is just yummy to me? 
 I've got a few on this one, but if forced to pick just one....it would be the negative space around her ponytail hair.

heres a cell phone photo of the model Nadia - super bad photo but the gist of it is there

cupcake 4 - daily painting,debbie miller,cupcakes

6x6 " oil on canvas
ode to Wayne Thiebaud . 
Just can't paint pastries with a pale background and not think of him.

cupcake 3 - daily painting, debbie miller,cupcakes

6x6" oil on canvas

more getting used to painting on canvas. 
One thing I'm noticing is that it makes a 'softer' painting - an effect that I'm undecided about.

cupcake 2 -daily painting,cupcake series,debbie miller

6x6" oil on canvas

cupcake 2 - another one on canvas. 

Canvas is such a 'bouncy' surface to paint on.
 It feels weird. 

I just need to get used to it.  So tomorrow - more canvas. 

fyi - Ive got 7 left

cupcake 1 - daily painting, debbie miller,cupcake series

6x6" oil on canvas
cupcake 1 -
 Ooodles and oodles of paintings of cupcakes are coming

 So in the interest of not getting a brain cramp trying to come up with titles for them all, they are getting numbers.  

and I'll be experiemnting with different surfaces.  this one is on canvas.  a nice deep edged canvas.

I hate it.   Painting on canvas is such a drag.  BUT I'm going to give it a shot for a few more cupcakes.

Leaving it All Behind

24x24 oil on panel.  $1200

Goodbye Summer.

I love summer, I really do but oh how I can't wait for cool,crisp weather!! 
Come on Mother Nature, you can do it!!

upcoming fall events

FYI - October 15th - I will be at the RISD Art Sale
and the weekend after that my studio will be open for the Warren Walkabout.

nfdp

Smooth Operator - cupcake painting,debbie miller,red velvet

6x6"  oil on cradled panel.

Hello.  I know what you're thinking - "Where has she been"?  
 - Hiking Machu Pichu...cooking school in Paris...busy raising a flock of exotic chickens ?

Nah.  Just doing the 'Mom Thing' trying to survive summer vacation. 

So, now that a routine is emerging again -  its back to my favorite go-to prop - the cupcake - to get my painting groove back on.

Believe it or not, I have never actually tasted a red-velvet cupcake - but I imagine them to be the smooth operators of the bakery set.  - especially this one with his red rose and slick frosting....

JUST DESSERTS - group show

JUST DESSERTS, A Group Exhibition

OLGA ANTONOVA &

James Jaxxa, Pat Lasch and Debbie Miller

PLEASE JOIN US FOR THE OPENING RECEPTION ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 5 – 7 PM

RSVP Tel. 781 264-1121 E-Mail burdang@mac.com

BETH URDANG GALLERY 129 Newbury Street, MA 02116

Through October 22

Helloooo Cupcakes and welcome back Electricity!!

All these little cupcakes are framed and ready to go to a show up in Boston....more info. to come

Hurricane Irene left alot of wind/tree damage and after 48+ hrs of no power we are back up and running!
 
phew.

Now can we get the kids back in school and this Mom back in the studio please!  
been adding to the portrait project though - check them out here

I *heart* RI - be kind Irene!

I love my little ocean state - hoping Irene is kind to her today! 
stay safe everyone!

I'll be back at the daily painting soon

Om - daily painting, yoga pose,blue,debbie miller

6x6" oil on panel.
reposting this one - can't believe it's still kicking around my studio,  one of my favorites.
Also thinking that at this point in the summer - we Moms could use a little of this right about now.

commission - beach scene,girl with hat,debbie miller,children playing at the beach,blue

sold ~ 18x18 oil on panel
I love my job :) 
Sometimes you get to meet the nicest people and make them smile.