Gray on Yellow small original oil painting cat

Gray on Yellow Oil on wood 6" x 6" SOLD
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

My husband and I visited homeless animals at the APL last night.   We spent time playing with the cats...and then walked through the dog kennels.  Besides childhood pets-- I've never owned a dog and I forget how responsive they can be.  It was heartbreaking to see those sweet souls waiting for a little attention.  I wish I could have taken one home...

Doves oil painting pair of doves birds

Doves  Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

This pair of doves posed for a quick photo--on the 2nd story deck right outside my studio.  I replaced neighborhood rooftops with sky.

Coco Blue 6x6 oil painting gray cat

Coco Blue  Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

There's a little glare on this one--the top part is deep midnight blue.

All Paws oil painting gray cat

All Paws  Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

Here's Coco before he grew into those giant paws.

Mull it Over Monday: Bad paintings and Empty Spaces

"Poppies"  Love this one!

Once upon a time, I destroyed 40+ of my less than stellar paintings.  I marked them with permanent marker and left 'em in a trashcan. 

It felt totally liberating.  I had all this space freed up, oh the glorious space!  ...and you know we artists need empty spaces.  Having empty space is like a quiet validation seductively whispering:  It's ok to paint more, do it now!!  My optimism about the work I will do in the future is like a crazy making fairy dust.  But (buzzkill ahead) pinning all hope on future work might not be the best approach.  A few events that occured between then and now that have me re-thinking my willingness to have "out with the old."  First, I had a request for a companion painting I did for Poppies.  Poppies had become a best seller in poster-form and somebody wanted to buy the (original) companion pce...  Oops?!  Um, can you say "sorry that one is in a Cleveland landfill?"  Subsequent to that, I discovered that painting over and fixing old paintings can result in immediate blog sales.

"Just cause you got the monkey off
your back doesn't mean the circus
has left town." --George Carlin

Also food for thought: referencing old work when painting new is a necessary part of the journey.  Not to get too philosophical but accepting where we've been as the backdrop to where we're going is healthy.  We know what's "wrong" with that old thing-- Using it, recycling it, avoiding doing it again and having it in plain view can be just the ticket to creating the next masterpce.  Empty spaces really are an elixir to the artists mojo--but before you clear away the old, take this advice and think twice!

Blue Feather watercolor color pencil painting



Here's one from the archives.  Blue Feather is an all-time favorite of mine.  It won first place in the 37th Annual Open National Exhibit at The Fine Arts Institute of the San Bernardino County Museum in 2002.  The girls are fraternal twins, daughters of dear friends.  I babysat them when they were new born!  Since I moved away from CA, I see pictures of them all grown up (beautiful!) on my friend's FB page and it's always a shock.  Where does the time go?!   

Look Up painting of gray cat

Look Up  Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD 
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

NPR recently published a story about entrepreneurship in my city:  Cleveland!  It features a brief interview with my friend Pat Washington.  Pat also reads a "letter to Cleveland" she penned-- at the end of Segment B.  I've been raving about what a good writer she is for a while now and this is further proof!  To have a listen, visit the NPR State of the Union website, here.

Escape Artist oil painting of gray cat

Escape Artist  Oil on wood  6" x 6"
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

That's Coco, ready to run at any moment and always, always on the lookout for his calmer companion, Layla.

Mull it Over Monday: Think Less, Paint More ...tapping into joy

From my archives, a detail of c/p w/c on paper

I recently read Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now. It's a wonderful read.  He talks a lot about joy.  He says it doesn't come from the outside...   He says we should be more conscious and "think" less. When I apply that concept to my art, it works on many levels. Mixing the right color, intuitively finding the right tools and equipment, arranging a still life: Most of it is better accomplished on the fly in the moment. Many of my best paintings were done with not a thought to be found. In fact, the more I think about my art the less I actually do it. Having a vision that motivates and gives us our get-up-and-go even before we grab a paint brush is a magic and sometimes fragile alchemy. The "joy factor" is there when ideas inspire and sustains us as the creative act unfolds. 

Always good for a laugh, this website.

I believe that artists have a unique ability to tap into joy.  When it's there it's great, when we're not feeling it: Thats when thinking less can really come in handy.  Getting quiet helps.  Switching out a media of choice, trying a new subject matter, size or supports will reset one's creative flow.  My husband sometimes tells me I need "a fresh set of eyes" --and achieving that can be as simple as a good night's sleep.  How do you recharge?

Gray Cat small original oil painting

Gray Cat Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

Kitty Cats!  I'm a bit torn between doing paintings like what you see above and the one before it from Thursday's post.  I've been talking about doing "graphicy, designy" cat paintings for a while now, maybe I just need to do a few more of both.  It's nice to take a break from flowers. 
If you haven't signed up to receive my paintings in your email yet, please subscribe here.

The Lookout oil painting of cat in doorway

The Lookout   Oil on wood  6" x 6"  SOLD

Here's a less than stellar photo of a painting I am very excited about.  More small cat paintings to follow. 
Of note, I'm looking for colorful photos of chickens and roosters to use as photo reference for a project.  If you have one (or many) and you don't mind if I paint from them, please get in touch!

Tangled sunflower painting still life floral

Before                                                                   After

A few more tweaks, that's the ticket!  See the original (updated) post for this painting, here.

Time on TUES reworked painting before after

AFTER:  Time on Tuesday  Oil on wood  14" x 11"  NFS
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

BEFORE

I have 'till the end of the month to coordinate paintings for the Lark and Key Gallery group show "Table Manners"  --  They are giving me lots 'o wall space (yay!) I can't help but tweak a few more paintings.  The reworked version above features a more neutral background that helps move the eye around a little better.  I also changed the draping cloth to dark turquoise, that didn't translate too well in the photo --it's better in life.  Will make final decisions on what to send them by the end of this week!

Mull it Over Monday: How Selling Antiques on Ebay Helped Me Appreciate Art

So pretty! old dresser pulls and lamp parts,
I sold 100's of these in sets and mixed lots

I've always enjoyed being an artist in one form or another, but there was a few years I did something else.  I sold antique door hardware and lighting on Ebay.  My days were filled with acquiring and listing wonderful old objects.  I learned so much and had great fun.



Japanese Bronze Cloisonne Lamps
Paid $60, sold for nearly $270.  Sweet!

 Something unexpected happened during those years:  There was a loosening in my critical thinking that allowed me to respond to art on an entirely new and fun level. I started enjoying art for art's sake.    I began looking at it-- not as an artist, but as a collector and home decorator. 

"The Favorite Cat" a Currier and Ives print
that looks like my favorite cat, Layla.  (:

Art I had never seriously considered became notable and in some cases quite desirable.  Collecting all kinds of art became a favorite activity!   Since I went back to painting fulltime, sadly some of that "loosening" reverted back to "snarky."  We went to a few art fairs over the summer and I couldn't stop comparing all the art I saw to what *I* do, I wasn't seeing it at all, really. 


Four of twelve Arts & Crafts
wood tiles, I wish I would have kept these! 



Artists have a tendency to forget:  Most folks (who do not make, think and obsess about their art 24/7) have a kinder, more personal approach to art appreciation.  Sentimental purchases are perfectly OK.   


Every Picture Tells a Story

 Art that reflects and communicates  lifestyle, hobbies and special interests is valuable!  --Technical proficiency isn't a top requirement...  Many art collectors just want to find something that compliments their decor.   Whenever I start to get uppity about other's art (and especially my own) I try to remember what collecting art was like when I sold antiques on Ebay.    

Watchful painting of donald duck sunflowers

Watchful  Oil on wood  14" x 11" 

If you aren't receiving this painting in your email, please subscribe now, you'll never miss a post! -- The sign up box is to your right!  To order my blank assorted notecards, click here.

My Cute Nephews

 My Nephews

I can't believe Fall is almost here...  My dear nephews have already began second grade and kindergarten.  Here they are --just a minute ago, how time flies!  Have a great weekend.

Shades of Gray II oil painting of Mums

Shades of Gray II Oil on wood 12" x 12" NFS

I've painted this one before, smaller here.  This time around I warmed up the colors and added the background pattern.  Chrysanthemums have such an old world look.  I never get sick of painting them!

Crazy Eyed Vintage still life oil painting

Crazy Eyed Vintage  Oil on wood  8" x 8"  SOLD
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

Not the last you'll see of the vintage squeaky girl--  I'm enjoying the addition of toys to my set ups, but as with everything, there's a bit of learning curve.  I'm definitely getting a better feel for what works and what doesn't.

Mull it Over Monday: Part II, Daily Painting Art Blog Evolves, keepin' it real, yo

Some visitors may remember the many acrylic stencil paintings I did
a while back.  This is one of a two part suite called Dragonfly Zinnias. 

Blogging is good.  Last week I talked about that...  The asocial artist benefits from sharing online--shocking, right?  (:  But as time marches on--I've had to re-assess what is important. Truth be told posting a painting a day has become a lesser focus.  It started when I upped my daily painting size from 6x6 to 8x8.  Painting an 8x8 every day is not a cake walk and some of you may have noticed my post rate went down a bit...  But it was a necessary change. Entering juried shows then motivated me to paint a wider variety of subjects.  It also brought home the realization that 8x8 is still quite small.  More change, doh!?  Reconciling my attachment to daily painting and my desire to do more is ongoing. A few modest inroads towards licensing my art have been made.   I'm not just "learning how to paint again" (that will never end!) but also stumbling towards and fighting to see my paintings become coveted and useful items in the world.  Lastly, despite asocial tendencies I have the desire to pass on some of what I've learned.  I may be a little slow on the uptake, but it occured to me that blogging might be good for that...  Keeping my content relevant and correspondent to my growth as an artist is really important.   Daily paintings will always be a part of it, but I want to share other aspects of the journey too.  

ch-ch-ch-changes!

I see other artists doing this already: Kim Rempel does  "Art Love" posts regularly.  One of my favorite bloggers, Jala Pfaff does triple-good posts:  paintings, pictures of her cats and of her travels to India.  Talented Joan Breckwoldt posted how she paints on unstretched canvas.  Mull it Over Mondays are one change here and I suspect there will be more to follow.  Fellow daily painters, has your daily painting blog changed with you as you changed?  If so, how?  Please comment!

Second Thoughts original oil painting orange

Second Thoughts  Oil on wood  8" x 8"  SOLD
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

Very happy with this one.  I used a cadmium red HUE to tone the board.  I don't usually like to leave a lot of the tone color showing, but it worked out pretty good here.

Daffodil Trio still life painting

AFTER:  Daffodil Trio  Oil on wood  6" x 6" NFS
Diane@DianeHoeptner.com

BEFORE

The little daffodils needed refreshing--  I added yellow and a couple highlites on the petals.  I've noodled with this painting so many times, if I was charging by the hour me thinks, it would be more than $95.  Heh.  Whatever. It's a labor of love, right?  Have a great weekend!

Publicity is good!

Sunday's Charlotte Observer published a picture of In the Shade in it's 2011-2012 Arts Preview section!  In the Shade will be part of a group show at Lark & Key Gallery Oct 5 - Nov 26.  Awesome fellow art blogger and resident of Charlotte, North Carolina,  Torrie Smiley recognized the painting and was kind enough to mail me a copy!!  Thank you so much Torrie!