Are you in a creative rut? I am.

nfDP
 Can you say "Rut"?  I can - because I'm in one.  Like an addict, admitting it is the first step.
 So what is the creatively challenged to do?

Hunker down and just get to work.
 Stop making excuses and make some art.
 Sounds simple right?
Well it is.  .....sort of.  Sometimes some help - or a swift kick in the butt is needed.
   Luckily, while  searching for something very important on the internet (ok - pinterest specifically : that time crusher dressed in beautiful clothing)  I came across Twyla Tharps book "The Creative Habit".
 Which is the Best. Book. Ever.    The 'kick' I needed.   Reading and rereading it now - getting ready to start doing the exercises at the end of each chapter.  Starting with my sketchbook.  It always starts with the sketchbook doesn't it?  Why do so many go half filled and forgotten?
No more - from now on my sketchbook is going everywhere.
That will cover #1 - find your pencil - the one creative tool needed.  After that 2-building a tolerance for solitude (no problem there,  being alone rules), 3-Facing your Fears - ok this one is big, time to make a list  and 4 - Going without for 1 week - take a week off from clutter and distractions ....hmmm like pinterest and social media? duh.

So if you see me with a pen in a little red book just smile and know that I'm doing my Twyla homework, getting one step closer to breaking the block.

 

Secrets in the Snow - daily painting,debbie miller,snow scene,pink

6x6 oil on panel

A while back I painted several snow scenes - this is one of them - the last of the bunch. 
Think I'll do some more this week. 

Cozy, Lazy Days of Winter

oops - didn't I say I was going to post everyday in January?  Dang.  3 whole days. 
Well I tried. 

I did take down and put away Christmas - and let me tell you THAT is no easy job.  I don't know about you but I decorate by bringing the holiday stuff out a little at a time - some garland here,some ornaments there - its a PROCESS.
  BUT for some reason it all has to come down all at once, on the same day - except some of the outdoor lights - those can stay up for a bit to brighten these short days and dark nights. 

and I saw an owl again....

RedStripe - beach painting, Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel

 Coming soon to a bookseller near you....if you live in Germany :) 
You'll have to wait for the book but the original painting is available.  Sitting pretty in my studio,waiting for a new home

Green Chair

8x10 (I think) oil on wood panel

After finishing up a portrait, I often grab another panel - a leftover or wonky sized board - to do a quick painting on before the time is up.  Usually these are looser and more colorful.  This is one of them.

I'm learning alot from these - maybe I'll post some more over the next month.
You can see the first portrait HERE

Icy Plunge - beach scene,blue,gray,Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel
Happy New Year!! 
Today I watched those brave (er...crazy) people take the icy plunge.  It was really cold this year - well done Polar Bear swimmers!  Why do they do it?  Cleanse?  Fresh start?  Its a little nutty but I like it...maybe next year.
  In the mean time - working on day one of my art resolution.  Did you make one this year?
Ive decided to post a painting everyday this January - mostly to get myself back in the habit of blogging again.  I have no particular theme going - just the challenge of posting and writing and painting - EVERY day this month. 

  So here is #1 - I just took the plunge

Santas downtime

6x6 oil
So - no open studio this year BUT I'm always game for "by Appt."  so send me a message if you want to stop by the studio and pick up some original art for the holidays!!

also - check out my latest portrait here: http://debsfaceproject.blogspot.com/2012/12/nico.html
more to come

SantaBeach and RISD sale

6x6"oil on panel

2 mths since I last posted???? shamefull!  Well you will be happy to know that I am fully recovered from my near death thumb infection.

  OK it wasnt exactly THAT bad but Man did that hurt -Seriously, child-birth hurt, not kidding.
 Thanks to a good orthopedic doc and lots of anti-biotics I have been saved. 
Let the painting commence.....
Come by and see my miraculous thumb recovery at the RISD sale tomorrow (sat. 12/8 at the convention center in Prov.)

RISD Holiday Sale

RISD holiday sale.  YAY!  I will be there!! stop by and say hi,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alumni_sale/sets/72157631967386017/?page=2

A Little Pink on Blue - daily painting, cupcake,debbie miller

 6x6" oil on panel, 
Back in the studio today after a football filled, beach walks and crisp weather weekend.  Perfect.

Ignore the photo below if you are sick of pet photos, this dog is just so cute I can't help myself. 

Green Chair - debbie miller, daily painting,santas

6x6" oil on panel $100

I know.  Sorry.  A wee bit too early for Santa, Thinking about how I'll be doing the RISD holiday show again this year and it is time to paint up a new batch of these guys.  So I'll be posting the few I have left from last year.
Last Christmas I hot glued a hook to the back of my Santa paintings and hung them all over the tree - looked so great.  Why didn't I take a picture of that? 

Endless Summer - beach painting, Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel $100

October 1st ---what??  when did this happen???  September is a blur.  Not that I'm complaining even a little bit.    Around the studio its an endless summer as usual but you can bet I'll be getting out for some plein air painting soon.

Welcome October - I do love you so.

South Shore Beach - plein air painting, Debbie Miller

South Shore Beach 12x12" oil on panel $300

 

The big waves drew me to the shore - then I remembered my paints were in the car - no easel and a bunch of crappy brushes but I managed  

cupcakes,orange,cherry,Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel. $100

I am almost ready for a pumpkin....not quite....but almost.  So I'm easing into the idea with a a little orange painting today. 

Fresh Start

nfdp
Fresh Paint, Fresh Palette, Fresh Start.

The best piece of advice on this whole "making a living from your art" thing is that waiting for inspiration to strike is a waste of time.  Time in the studio - a commitment to go to the studio and get to work - NO MATTER WHAT is the key.

The art is not going to make itself, the art is not going to sell itself. 

So - the party is over or the party is just beginning if you are a glass half full type and I hope you are.
Back to regular studio hours and regular art making. 

BTW - this palette is from my plein air box - its just a piece of foam core to fit inside the lid with a sheet of wax paper taped over it. 

peanut butter cupcake, debbie miller, orange

6x6" oil on panel $100

 - the unofficial end of summer has come and gone (can you believe it?) but to me it's the official start of fall - my favorite time of year!!
Bring on the apples, pumpkins, brisk weather, football games and clogs.  I am ready.
Not to say I haven't TOTALLY enjoyed summer this year. In fact, if you've been wondering where the heck I've been (probably you don't give a hoot but I still feel the need to provide an explanation) well I've been in my backyard A LOT -
 gardening is my other passion and my interest wanes from time to time but this year with my painting in a slump the creative juices had to flow somewhere.  Painting,building,planting etc.  take a look here at what  I was up to ; http://pinterest.com/dgmiller1/my-garden/

Wellfleet Harbour, plein air,debbie miller

Well the official end of summer weekend is upon us.  A whole summer went by and for the first time in a looooong time I didnt put a toe in Cape Cod sand.  RI sand - yes, NH lake sand -yes but no Cape Cod. 

Perhaps a fall trip for some plein air painting is needed :)

keylime cupcake 13 - cupcake daily painting,blue

6x6 oil

Searching - beach painting, debbie miller, blue,green,sand

30x30 oil on panel

 Searching the beach, searching for something.  This is on a large cradled panel. The image is from one of my older little beach studies.  Always loved the image and now its been reborn in a new way.  Below you can see how I printed the old image and tacked it up for my inspiration.  Then things just happened. Clearly influenced by a visit to my brothers studio and his new encaustic assemblages he has been doing lately.
 I am liking where things are going. 

Great Island , Wellfleet - debbie miller,beach,blue green

SOLD

 

12 x12" oil on panel.  This was a commission and it comes with a special message from Lindsey :

"Happy Birthday to the most wonderful and loving fiance I could have asked for!  It's on Great Island that you made me the happiest person the world, and I can't wait to make memories together in the years ahead on Cape Cod and beyond."   

I have the best job. 

My Garden Shed

Ahh summer....  this year I decided to trick out my boring shed.  It is in a dark corner of our yard under a large maple tree - so nothing can grow!  So it needed some color to make it pop.
 Easy - I love color.

Then I added the trellis and shelf on the side for pots.
(The other side has some old windows and a bird house near the peak.)

To top it off - the weather vane and cupola.
A vintage find that was covered in black and white paint - I stripped that off and it revealed a copper roof - yay!  You can't see it in this photo but the weather vane is a dog.  Perfect.

Why have a plain jane little shed when its so easy to give her some style?!

See more of my garden:

HERE is a garden wall project
My favorite perennial:  HERE
and
Check out this cool garden planter made from a vintage lantern HERE


SaveSave

four. cupcake painting,blue,purple,cherry, debbie miller

6x6" oil on canvas                                                four.
gallery wrapped - ready to hang

Three. cupcake painting,blue,stripes,debbie miller

6x6" oil on canvas                                           three.

two. cupcake painting, pink, chocolate, debbie miller

6x6" oil on canvas                                               two.

Hello Cupcakes!! painting cupcakes, pink, debbie miller

6x6 oil on canvas                                                     One.

Get ready - lots of cupcakes coming your way. Yay!
  A big batch - all on 1 1/2 inch gallery wrapped canvases - ready to hang
cute by themselves or as a group.


here is a little preview of what is to come ---

Lego my Cupcake! daily painting, Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel
Lego My Cupcake!  :)
My niece turned 6 today.  What a great age.

orange bag- beach scene,debbie miller

6x6" oil on panel
My studio computer is blocking access to my blog - no idea why -
I'm working on trying to figure it out, in the mean time, I'll post from my home laptop - with some of the daily paintings I've got stored there, like this one.

fyi - I'm gearing up for a plein air series/challenge, you know how I love a challenge - so stay tuned

I'm having blog troubles. 

 What's a dreary, rainy, cold New England spring day good for you ask?  -besides trying to brighten up the place with bright yellow....

Prepping panels - and lots of them. - more 10x10s for the portraits
and some big ones. 30x30 *gasp*
 They are for my new series. 
  The daily paintings might make an appearrance or 2 - I haven't given up the practice totally, but the new series is calling and I simply must paint them. 
So - the tea kettle is on and the gesso and sandpaper awaits - back to it.

Open studio!!

 The first Art Night for Warren/Bristol is this thursday
my studio is open  - YAY! 
5-8 come by and say HI
all the info is HERE

Searching, beach scene,Debbie Miller, surfing

6x6" $100 oil on panel
I've spent alot of time watching surfers over the years and one thing is for sure - surfers spend alot of time watching the water.  I love that.

3 surfers, - debbie miller, beach scene, surfing

12x12" oil on panel, $300
Here they are again - these 3 surfers.  Ive painted them so many times they are like little friends.
 This time I painted them for some print work - but here is the original ready to go to a new home.

Stretch - Debbie Miller, oil painting, blue, bathing suit, swimmer

Stretch
20x20"
oil on panel

Another bathing beauty....

Did you know it's daylight savings this weekend? 

Flip, debbie miller, beach painting,blue,orange

Flip
20x20"
oil on panel

Waiting - oil painting, Debbie Miller, beach scene

Waiting
20"x20"
oil on panel

Finally a series of paintings I can get jazzed about.
 Still the beach, still panels. Just bigger and painting what is in my head
Welcome to my world :)

Hello March!

nfdp 
Happy March!! - You know what this means right?  Yup. Spring is right around the corner. 
*Do your happy dance now*

A fresh new month.  Let's make the most of it. 

Surrounded by Sweetness - daily painting, cupcakes,Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel.

Hey, Happy Valentines Day to you.
My 5 year 'blogiversary' is coming up.  We should celebrate right?  Any ideas?

Road to the Shore - plein air painting, Debbie Miller

11"x14"
 a few weeks ago it was so warm out, I couldn't resist getting out there to paint.
Seriously, to paint outside in January in New England is a real gift.  I Love it.

Chrissy - portrait painting,Debbie Miller

Painting faces is with out a doubt my favorite, and this is my favorite face painting of late. 
See more HERE

A little polish - daily painting, debbie miller,pink,orange

6x6" oil on panel

more makeup fun

Cosmetic Colors, daily painting, Debbie Miller

6x6" oil on panel

Hello. 
Did you know lipstick and nail polish are the new cupcakes?
Well they totally are. 
So. Much. Fun. to paint.

John Butler "Ocean" Rothbury 7-4-09

Good Morning.
It's a new year.  Back to work.