Genie and the Girls

I found some old photos that brought back fond memories.

A few years ago we were honored to have Genie Francis (from General Hospital) join our art class here in my home studio. Genie and her husband, Jonathan Frakes (from Star Trek) had a summer home in a nearby town. She joined our painting classes for a few summers. She is a delightful person, down to earth, funny, talented and had many interesting stories to tell us. They returned to California full time when Genie rejoined the cast of General Hospital.

Genie and I discovered that we both had relatives in Windsor, CT and joked that we might be long lost cousins. I still have a painting here that she started in one class. It was a pleasure to have both Genie and Jonathan in my home. Needless to say, it's an experience my class and I will always remember.

Lois, Celene, Genie and Vi

I taught oil painting classes to children and adults for over 15 years, both at my gallery in Belfast and then later in my home studio. I have now retired from teaching and miss those wonderful days.

Great memories!

Thanks for visiting.  

Celene

My Ebay Store 

www.CeleneFarris.com 

Treasure Hunters, 8x10, oil

I am way behind in my postings. This seems to be a very busy summer. Either that or I am very disorganized.

This was a fun painting. I remember sitting on our deck, watching those boys having a great time digging for treasure at low tide. The photo was taken twelve years ago when we were in Florida for the winter. These boys would be all grown up by now...... Time flies.

Treasure Hunters, 8x10, oil SOLD

I am also working on a new Facebook Page.  I hope you will check it out - often - as I still have lots of paintings to add.

This painting was available in my Ebay Store - Seascapes.

Any of my paintings can be purchased directly through me. Please contact me for more information.

Thanks for visiting. I hope you are having a great summer.

Celene

MyEbay Store 

www.CeleneFarris.com 

Bees, Hornets and Plein Air Painting

I posted this a few years ago but it's worth reading again. Works with deer fly and mosquito bites too.

When painting outside, bees and hornets are often attracted to your wet oil paint with painful results. If you get stung, relief is right at hand. I thought I would share this amazing old-time remedy with you.

Yesterday I was stung by a small hornet while painting outside. Ouch! I immediately found some plantain leaves, crushed them between my fingers and applied them as a poultice to the sting. In less than five minutes the burning pain was completely gone. Today there is only a small red area to remind me - no itching or tenderness.

     

Plantain leaves are easy to find in lawns, fields and along the sides of the road. This humble weed seems to grow everywhere, at least here in the north. The crushed leaves produce a liquid that is good for all insect bites, poison ivy and other skin rashes, minor burns and abrasions. You can also use it in combination with olive oil to make a healing lotion.

Wishing you many happy painting adventures.

Celene

My new Facebook Page 

www.CeleneFarris.com 

www.CeleneFarris.com

Tom's Place, 5x7. Plein Air Oil

This building is the back of our neighbor's old barn. I see it from my kitchen window when I work at the sink and never tire of looking across the field and watching it change with the seasons and the time of day. The rain has stopped and everything is green and lush. Tom is a good neighbor. A quiet man, tall and lanky, with grey hair and a beard, who keeps to himself but will be one of the first to help when needed. We might not see him for months. Then one day he'll appear at the door with a bag of fresh lobsters or a stack of books. A few words of greeting and then he is gone again.

Tom's Place, 5x7, oil  SOLD

This painting was done "plein air" on a beautiful summer's day. The fields haven't been mowed  and the grass is tall and lush. Soon another neighbor will be up with his tractor, mowing and baling the hay for his cows. 

This painting was available in my Ebay Store.

Thanks for visiting.  Hope you are having a great summer.

Celene


Please visit my Ebay Store.
(or just type my name in the Ebay search box)

My website  www.CeleneFarris.com

Twilight Magic, 8x10, oil

Here is the second wild painting done in June. It was fun to push the color. 

Sometimes our sunsets are so stunning they take your breath away. But that wild coloration only lasts for a few minutes. Blink and the colors have faded back to normal.

Twilight Magic, 8x10, oil  SOLD

This painting was available in my Ebay Store - Seascapes.

Any of my paintings can be purchased directly through me. Please contact me for more information.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

MyEbay Store 
www.CeleneFarris.com 

Northern Lights, 8x10, oil

It's hard to believe that June is almost over. After a very rainy and dreary start to spring, we are finally enjoying our beautiful Maine weather. June was a very busy month here on the hill - two birthdays, two wedding anniversaries, a high school graduation, Father's Day and a wedding - each with its separate party or gathering. Most of the celebrating took place here on the hill and we thoroughly enjoyed our family time together. 

I did get in a little studio time. I've been sorting through reference material and chose two very colorful subjects to paint. I'll share one with you today and the second one later on as it is still drying.

Northern Lights, 8x10, oil   SOLD

This was a wild painting and I enjoyed the energy. 

This painting was available in my Ebay Store - Landscapes.

Any of my paintings can be purchased directly through me. Please contact me for more information.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

MyEbay Store 
www.CeleneFarris.com 

Small Stuff

When I found these sweet frames, I knew I just had to paint some miniatures. The paintings are on 3x3 canvas panel and the overall size with the frame is a mere 4.25 x 4.25 inches.  

I painted some for my daughter-in-law's shop, Patchwork Plus, but these will be added to my Ebay Store. And I'm going to keep shopping for these little frames. What fun!

Lilacs, 3x3, oil   SOLD

Lilacs and Forsythia, 3x3, oil   SOLD

Geraniums, 3x3, oil   SOLD

Thanks for visiting,
Celene


My Ebay Store 

www.CeleneFarris.com

Small Paintings

This is such a busy time of the year. Here are three small paintings that I have just finished and framed. They are now available in my Ebay Store.

I have been busy painting other small pieces for my daughter-in-law's shop that has just re-opened for the season. Patchwork Plus, in Searsmont, Maine.

 Another box of small frames just came in this morning's mail and that means. "Get to work!"

Clearing Skies, 5x7, oil, SOLD

Summer Gold, 5x7, oil, SOLD

Wash Day, 5x7, oil,  SOLD

Thanks for visiting. Happy Spring!

Celene


Please visit my Ebay Store.
(or just type my name in the Ebay search box)

My website  www.CeleneFarris.com

Catching Up

I see my last post was Feb. 25th and I was complaining about the abundance of gray weather we had. Well, it's still gray and gloomy here, though we had a bit of sunshine today after a week of rain and more rain coming tomorrow. Good hibernation weather! But at least the snow and ice are gone and after our usual spring mud season is over, it will soon be time to venture outside for some "plein air" work. It's still too chilly to work outside now.

I have been busy with paintings for my daughter-in-law's shop. She reopens for the season this Saturday, April 27th and I finally have everything framed and ready to go. Check out her shop at www.PatchworkPlusME.com.  She is also on Facebook and has been posting pictures of this season's new offerings. Take a look here Facebook. It's a great shop, located on Rt. 3, in Searsmont, Maine.

I have used this hibernation time to study and experiment. The more I explore the fascinating study of oil painting, color and theory, the more I understand. I think you could study forever. And choosing which artists to study is another challenge. Some books and videos, including those videos on YouTube are very good, some are very bad. It's been interesting sorting through them and I now have narrowed it down to a small list of artists that I admire.

I haven't updated my website in awhile. I suppose that will be my next project. My eBay Store has been very busy and takes quite a bit of my time. We have two eBay sites - one is my eBay Store for my paintings, the other is a smaller site for listing "stuff". We have accumulated so much "stuff" and the years dealing with antiques just added to our stash. But this is time well spent and sales are good.

Back to work now, hope all is well at your house. I'll be posting some of my new paintings soon. Thanks for visiting with me. Stay warm and well.

Celene

Please visit my eBay Store.
(or just type my name in the eBay search box)

My website  www.CeleneFarris.com

By the Light of the Moon, 6x8, oil

By the Light of the Moon, 6x8, oil SOLD

I do like to paint night scenes. I love the drama and the mystery.

We are all eagerly waiting for spring. Enough of this gray and white landscape. This late afternoon the wind is fierce and our lights keep dimming, so this will be a fast post before we lose our power.

This painting is available in my Ebay Store or directly from me. I just finished it today so it will need time to dry and then be varnished.

Hope you are all well, safe and warm. Spring IS coming.....

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

My Ebay Store - small paintings

www.CeleneFarris.com

Still Playing

Still playing.

Two successful paintings in my self-imposed 30 minute challenge. Choosing a simple subject and using a palette knife are essential to these quick studies.

Rough Surf, 5x7, oil   SOLD

Fair Breezes, 5x7, oil   SOLD

These paintings were available in my Ebay Store - small paintings.

 Ebay Store – Seascapes

Any of my paintings can be purchased directly through me. Please contact me for more information.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene
My Ebay Store

Crashing Waves, 5x7, oil. Alla Prima

Another 30 minute painting. Paintings that are done in one session, all at once, are called Alla Prima paintings. Instead of slowly working in layers, with a bit of drying time between the layers, the Alla Prima technique calls for a thin preliminary sketch and then applications of increasingly thicker paint. This painting was finished in one session.

Crashing Waves, 5x7. oil   SOLD

This painting was available in my Ebay Store - small paintings.

Ebay Store – Seascapes

Any of my paintings can be purchased directly through me. Please contact me for more information.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

My Ebay Store

www.CeleneFarris.com 

Still playing

Still playing.

Two successful paintings in my self-imposed 30 minute challenge. Choosing a simple subject and using a palette knife are essential to these quick studies.

Rough Surf, 5x7, oil   SOLD

Fair Breezes, 5x7, oil  SOLD

These paintings were available in my Ebay Store - small paintings.

 Ebay Store – Seascapes

Any of my paintings can be purchased directly through me. Please contact me for more information.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

My Ebay Store

www.CeleneFarris.com 

  

View from the Top, 5x7, oil

Play time.

I'm challenging myself to do some small quick studies in 30 minutes or less. I've copied this idea from artists I have seen on Facebook who offer these challenges throughout the year. The plan is to set a timer for 30 minutes, begin painting, putting down your brush when it rings. It a fun idea and a great learning tool. I have had successes and failures - and it sure makes you plan ahead and stay focused. I'm only posting my successes. The failed canvases have been wiped clean to be painted on another day.

When someone asks how long it took me to paint this,  I answer 30 minutes and 29 years.

View from the Top, 5x7, oil SOLD

This painting was available in my Ebay Store - small paintings. 

Any of my paintings can be purchased directly through me. Please contact me for more information.

Thanks for visiting,
Celene

My Ebay Store

www.CeleneFarris.com 

January Updates

After the holiday rush, we welcome January's slower tempo here on the hill. These cold, snowy days are perfect for working inside, tackling some long overdue projects around the house. And after a very successful holiday season in my Ebay Store and at my daughter-in-law's shop I need some serious studio time.

I’ve received a few requests and questions that I would like to explore in my blog this winter. I invite you to send me questions or comments to discuss and to sign up to automatically receive my blog posts in your email. You can unsubscribe at any time but I hope you will enjoy visiting with me. The subscription procedure is an easy two-step process. Please let me know if you need assistance.

A few updates -

Our Virtual Paint-Out Group is on vacation indefinitely. Our administrator, who has so generously given much attention and long hours to this group, has been very busy in his new position as Mayor of his hometown. I think this will signal the end of our travels, at least until he retires. We all wish him success in his new adventure.

I recently joined a new plein air group on Facebook called Virtual Plein Air that employs the same concept, but uses Map Crunch (a form of Google Maps) for destinations. This is an informal group; you travel when and where you wish. I'm looking forward to traveling with them – and I can do it on my own schedule.

California artist, Leslie Saeta, did not offer her usual 30/30 Painting Challenge this January. She lives in the area of the terrible wildfires. Hope all is well.


Stay well and warm. I hope 2019 brings us all joy and peace.


Thanks for visiting,
Celene


Please send questions or comments to me at mail@CeleneFarris.com
We'll discuss them together on my blog.


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