"Happy New Year"

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I wish everyone a wonderful new year!

(Thanks to the Hawthornes for their great taste in champagne!)

"Cypress at Santa Fe Pass"

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This point of view is from my kayak one early morning at the pass. Standing all alone surrounded by water, this cypress has always caught my eye (and now once again, my paint brush).

"Slicing Oranges"

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Given to me by neighbors, I have bags of oranges. lemons and grapefruit needing to be eaten/squeezed ... alas, their fate is to become still lifes first!

"Old Fashioned Christmas Tree"

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This is a quick painting of my Christmas tree! The ornaments are hand painted thin wood that my family made when we were growing up. Each year we would set up a card table to paint them after my dad cut them out on his band saw. As we got older we started creating our own designs.

I am taking the next week off from posting. As you can see, there are zero presents under my Christmas tree so I must go shopping and I have to finish some other non-blog paintings before Christmas.

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. I will get back to posting after the holidays.

"Racing City Cyclist"

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I'm trying to mixing up the subject matter so here is a another cycling one. The Tour de France is my favorite sport to watch on TV, if only some didn't cheat by doping.

"Foggy Morning"

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Most mornings I walk with my dog around Boone Park, what I like to think of as Jacksonville's version of Central Park. The last two mornings have been foggy and never having painted fog before I gave it a go.

"Small Conch Shell"

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How many days until Christmas?!? Nine going on eight. Uh oh.

"Pears with Silver"

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... And very reflective silver at that!

(On the blog, I list the size of each painting but that label does not seem to make it into the emails. So if you're wondering about the size, go back to the blog or click to go to the eBay listing. On the eBay listing, the size is shown and each eBay listing lasts for seven days. If they don't sell on eBay I put on that painting's blog entry "Available, email me to purchase". If they sell at whatever point, I go to the blog entry and put a red SOLD by it. All of these PAD paintings are small, 6" x 6", 6" x 8", 4 3/4" x 10" or 12" but look awesome framed!)

"Phalaenopsis Orchid 2"

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Here is a companion painting for the first "Phalaenopsis Orchid" posted two days ago.

If both purchased, they could be framed together or in separate frames.

"Five Points Intersection"

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I challenged myself to paint this one with one brush, a number 4 bright (square) brush. A good exercise. (Driving through this intersection can be a challenge too!)

"Phalaenopsis Orchid"

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I haven't painted orchids in a long time. I love the way the blooms last and last.

I added some recent portrait sessions to my photography blog/website, check them out if you have time. I am enjoying the challenge and am gaining experience!

"Cumberland Island Palm"

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The ruins of Dungeness are right around the corner from this spot...

"Lemons and Sunlight"

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Time for a still life. Enjoy!

"Triathlete: Bike"

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I wanted to paint something more simple (less detail) today. I have a whopping case of laryngitis -but fortunately I can still paint and type!

"The Jacobs Jewelers Clock"

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I was downtown Wednesday for Art Walk and thought the Jacob Jewelers Clock would be a challenge to paint. It was, more details than I realized at first :)

"Statue at the Cummer Gardens"

Available, $100, email me to purchase, kartstark@bellsouth.net

Another one of the statues in the garden of the Cummer Museum on the St. Johns River.

"Fall at Little Lake Santa Fe"

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This is the lovely view from the dock next door to my mom's home. There is a blue bass boat in the painting. (A flock of sandhill cranes are taking up residence in the swampy area behind the cypress trees.) (Once again, this piece looks better in person.)

"Soccer Star"

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Even though this is my nephew, Connor, I think he looks like any kid out on the soccer field!

"San Marco Lions"

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Guarding the center of the Shoppes of San Marco, these lions have always intrigued me. On Monday this painting will be on display at Carolyn Hawthorne's "The Write Touch" store in San Marco ...until someone purchases it.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I will not post again until Monday. I am off to my mom's lake home to be with my family.

"Yellow Day Lily #3"

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The triptych is complete! As I wrote earlier, purchase all three I will take $25 off the ended auction price of each (quite a deal, what was I thinking?!?) See the post below for framing ideas.

More Framing Suggestions:

I went to see Ryan Buckley yesterday at Gallery Framery on Hendricks Avenue. He helped me set up some framing suggestions to help visualize the possibilities. He recommends mounting linen fabric on a hard board and then floating the painting on top of that with three or so inches of the linen showing as a mat (Paper mat board is not used because it is not behind glass). Then we put various frame samples on each corner to show some ideas. Ryan will give 15% off if you bring one of my PADs in to be framed.




In these photos we used a more contemporary floater frame with the painting mounted almost flush to the top of the frame creating a type of shadow box.




And then another idea is to place the painting on a easel and display it on a bookshelf, mantel, piece of furniture or counter.
On the way home I stopped by Reddi-Arts and found several unique easels pictured below.

I hope you find these ideas helpful and inspiring!

"Yellow Day Lily #2"

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A triptych is coming... Enjoy! (Incentive offer: If any one person buys all three, I will reduce the end price by $25 a piece. Framing ideas are coming in tomorrow's post if all goes as planned.) (The lighting was different when I took a photo of this painting but in person the color matches "Yellow Day Lily #1)

"Yellow Day Lily"

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I'm thinking I will paint at least one more companion yellow lily to go with this one. Also next week I am going to see Ryan at Gallery Framery to come up with some more framing ideas for these paintings and will post photos to inspire the possibilities! 

"Pick a Nectarine"

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Subject matter, that is the question, that is the struggle! What to paint next?!? Any thoughts? (You can post a comment on the blog entry.) (This one looks much better in person than the picture)

"Lemonade Anyone?!"

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I couldn't resist creating a sequel! Maybe spent alittle more time than I should have but enjoyed painting it this evening.

(Any help promoting my blog would be appreciated. Email a link and encourage your friends and relatives near and far to sign up for the subscription email service (and bid!) Thanks!)

"Lemons to Lemonade?"

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Thought I would try a still life today. I might take another (better) photo in the morning because I learned today that if I don't finish a painting in the daylight -I have to take the photo inside the house rather than outside (translate that to I better start the painting earlier in the day...) I'm also finding I have to tell myself "Stop painting now, you are done with this one!"

"Jacksonville Skyline"

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I don't know what possessed me to try painting the Jacksonville skyline. I had my doubts as I started, it was hard but evolved into being a neat little painting. I'm not used to painting this small!

"Fountain at the Park"

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This fountain and gazebo are the main feature of Balis Park in San Marco. A lovely spot amid the shops and traffic of San Marco.

Framing suggestions

I placed my newest daily painting on top of another painting to show the possibilities of making a small painting have a large impact using a linen backing and fairly wide frame.
Here are two paintings with matching frames used to accent a stairwell.
This a series of three daily paintings framed identically used to create some interest on a stair landing. Jean Marie, thanks for your help!

"Cupids at the Cummer"

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These little guys live in the lovely garden of the Cummer Museum in Jacksonville.

"City Cyclist"

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This is my first "A Painting a Day" painting with hopefully many more to come! This one is in honor of my friend, Drew Johnson, owner of City Cycle. The guy is wearing his store jersey! 

Jacksonville Watercolor Society Fall Show

Yesterday I attended the Jacksonville Watercolor Society's Fall Show opening reception at the St. Augustine Art Association building/gallery on Marine Street. I am thrilled to report I received the Gold Award, Best in Show for my entry "Springtime Hammock. Study". My first Best in Show! 

(This piece is available, H 31" W 31"  $2000)