Virtual Paintout: Scotland.

I did this little quick landscape study for the Virtual Paintout location for the month of January--Scotland.  I'm quite uncomfortable doing landscapes, so they make great practice.  I wish for a gestural quality of abstraction, but my artistic style is more in the realism category.  It's a real challenge to let go of details and just get basic bits and pieces.  Definitely going to try for more practice at it in the coming year.

Referenced from Here.

I Could Live in Croatia.

I hadn't had a chance to check out Virtual Paintout for a couple of months.  I participated a while back, and I hope to again soon.  Essentially, a part of the world is chosen, and using Google StreetView you explore the area, and find a composition to paint (it's a lot of fun).  They change destinations each month, so I'm going to wait until November to participate again.  October's destination is Croatia, so I thought I would explore a bit for the fun of it.  The abandoned farmhouses are pulling at my heartstrings something fierce.  They are beautiful.

This little shack might have been a shed, but I think it was a home.

Via Google Maps.  You can find it here.

And this house is really interesting because part of the facing has fallen off and you can see how it was built.

Via Google Maps.  You can find it here.

This building appears to have a house above, and barn space below.  Note the chickens and ramp up to the little doorway a la chicken coop style.

Via Google Maps.  You can find it here.

A lot of the properties have fences that surround the house and barns, and gates at the road.  They have my perfect set up.  The rustic-ness of the architecture makes me swoon.

Via Google Maps.  You can find it here.

I am going to continue to look around, but I'll quit this post here.  If I don't, I fear that this post may have fifty pictures before it's said and done.

First Submission to Virtual Paintout.

One of my goals at the beginning of the year was to make myself be more creative.  I found the Virtual Paintout site last summer and it really perked my interest, but I'm just now getting a chance to enter.  So, this is my first submission.  The location this month is St. Petersburg, Russia.  Let me preface to say that this experience really changed my idea of what Russia is like.  The area of St. Petersburg was so beautiful and green.  The houses were really neat, my favorites were somewhat old, and run-down, but almost all of them had great gardens behind them.  Very neat.  I liked the unique architecture of this house.  That's what drew me to it.  

 The painting is acrylic on an 8x10-inch piece of hardboard although the painting doesn't go to the edges.  I cropped the image for my submission.  I like the image both uncropped and cropped.  My reference image from Google Street View is HERE.

I have this painting for sale in my Etsy shop HERE.

Here's hoping this is the first of many submissions.