I have created a new painting and I'm so excited to share it with you!  It's been far to long since my last painting; but anything longer than a few days feels way to long to me...
“Nearing 143657″ is a 4×4 inch baby painting.  I love painting tiny paintings because they are perfect little pops of artistic expression.  I like to place them on a shelf near a collection of pretty books, or on a mantle by a vase of flowers.  They also look great in groups, or solo in a little area, hanging on the wall.  Well really, they just look great no matter where you put them!  Tiny paintings are also perfect for the art lover without a huge budget.  These babies are priced just right (think, Christmas gift!)

“Nearing 14367″ is so named after the location this painting was inspired by.  My parents live at 14367 CR 37 in a beautiful home out in the country in Northern, Ohio.  Their home has to be one of the most warm, welcoming, comfortable, loving (and yummy!) places on earth.  I took this snapshot while driving down the road on the way “home” one afternoon.  There is so much lush foliage, and warm sunshine in this place…  I incorporated many shades of gold and cheery green, as well as a huge variety of warm blues in the sky.  It hope this painting fills you with that sense of lovely warmth and belonging as well!
There are eight more small paintings coming soon but you can find this one in my fine art shop.
 

Prints!

Exciting news!  I am now offering fine art limited edition reproductions on my shop! 

Check out the new prints that are being offered at an amazing price!  These were four of the most popular paintings from my Painting365 project. 

This print is a Fine Art Limited Edition Print on fine silk paper with the highest quality inks. I painted the original paintings in oil on wooden blocks. The smooth texture of the wood makes these painting ideal for a fine art reproduction.

Each print is signed in the lower right hand corner and is surrounded with a white border, ready to be matted and framed!

Painting #134 Under A Big, Blue Sky

Well, we finally got some rain! After days and days of scorching heat the sky decided it had waited long enough, stored up enough little drops, and finally let them fall. It was wonderful. My daughter, Annalisa, and I went outside when the rain was slowing down. I love watching her experience the world, learning about all the amazing things around her. She held out her little, fat hands and danced whenever a drop hit them. So cute…

I painted this oil painting before the rain began, wishing that the earth would look verdant and moist again. I used blue tined greens, hazy light blue for the sky to give the painting that lush feeling, and oranges, pinks, and purples to represent flowering fields, bushes, and trees. This painting is 12x16 inches on a wooden board with bright red edges. The decorative edges allow you to display this painting unframed if you wish. Otherwise, a simple black or brown wood frame would look perfect, as would a decorative gold frame… I’ll leave that to your artistic eye. However, if you would like me to select a frame that I feel fits this painting perfectly, just send me an email!

You can buy this painting in my shop.  EmilyJeffords.etsy.com

Painting #123 Late Summer Mornings

Wow, what an adventure these past couple weeks have been! God is good, he gives more grace than I could ever hope for! I am pleased to be back, with my paint brushes in hand, ready to jump back into my paintings once again. Thank you all for your patience with me during this time.
I actually painted this acrylic painting last week during the art camps I taught. It was sort of an example/something for me to work on while the teen group was hard at work on their paintings. I really enjoyed painting this painting. I rarely work with acrylic paints because I have a hard time with the slick, sticky quality of the paint as opposed to oil. But, the speedy draying time and the stickiness of the paint was actually a huge advantage in this landscape. It created some fantastic texture effects along the right side of the painting. This large acrylic painting (16x20 inches) can be found in my shop for a low $123!

Come back tomorrow to see the results of my hours of painting!

Painting #110 The Eastern Sunrise

I’m back! I apologize for my inexcusable absence for the last two days! I can’t was that I’ve been enjoying the time away, because I haven’t been doing anything exceptionally fun that would keep me from you. Just life. Lovely, excitingly varied, life. I have been working on a commission watercolor painting. It’s coming along… and I think it will be beautiful when it’s done! I don’t want to post progress photos because watercolors can sometimes look very, very undone, and disjointed until the last moment, when they have that ah-ha moment. I love that. It’s my favorite part of painting. I plan on completing it on Thursday.

Tomorrow I will be out. A dear friend of the family has passed away, so I’ll be traveling to her funeral tomorrow. She was such a wonderful, Godly, encouraging lady. I know her family and many, many friends are going to miss her greatly. But, we know she is singing in heaven right now, not missing us at all.

The painting I did today was a bit of an experiment in texture. I used the back of the masonite board to get those little raised pattern. I enjoyed the variation, but prefer the smooth texture of the traditional masonite. Now I know! This painting was shamelessly inspired by Design Star (HGTV). There was a beautiful room designed using purples, lilacs, pinks, black and white, and it was stunning. Those colors were my inspiration as I painted this 12x16 oil painting.

This painting “The Eastern Sunrise” is for sale in my shop for $110! There are other lovely paintings of all sizes, styles, and prices still listed there, so check it out!
 
 

Painting #109 The Grass Looks Greener When the Sky Dances

Good morning!  This is a lovely, yet rare occurrence...  that I would post in the morning!  But... here it is!  I actually finished this painting last night, but was to tired to photograph, edit, and post. 

I feel like my eyes and soul could take a bath in these colors and come out feeling fabulous.  (If that made sense to you, please let me know so I don't feel totally crazy anymore!)  This is a 8x10 oil painting on canvas.  It is glossy, it is gleaming, it is an artistic fashion statement, and it would look fantastic on your wall...  

You can find it on my etsy shop if you feel so inclined:  EmilyJeffords.etsy.com

One more thing...  You may be asking yourself: "My!  I wonder what these darling little canvases will become?!"  If so... check back on Saturday morning!  They have been transformed into three of the cutest and most dramatic little paintings you will ever see.  AND, they are going to be only $20 each!  

Mark your calendars. 

I didn't foresee myself painting a barn this year.  I wasn't actually apposed to it at all!  After all... my family does live in barn paradise...  I just didn't really think about it until, one day, I received this beautiful landscape/barn portrait in my email (along with breathtaking mountain views, and a close up of a wild BEAR! coming soon.)  You may remember a loooooong time ago, that I painted a scene of Montana on a small block of wood.  This painting was meant to coordinate loosely with that painting.  

This painting is much larger (12x16) and is painted on masonite, for easy framing and a sturdy surface.

Since the inspiration photo was emailed to me (which, by the way, YOU are more than welcome to do!) I'm going to give the sender a chance to buy this painting before putting it on my Etsy Shop.  But, there are several lovely painting there if you are feeling the oh-so-common art hunger.    

Check back this evening for a very important announcement!  

Painting #101 Louisiana Sana Oil Sheen

Well. finally...  Painting #101 is making it's appearance.  I'm so sorry about the lag.  I've been fighting off a cold that has made me so tired!  I've actually been painting all the time, but when I sat down to post the painting at night, I just felt so exhausted.  But, here it is!  I painted a scene that I would never really ant to go see...  it's a southern, marshy lake, and I'm sure there's an alligator there.  I hate alligators more than pretty much anything.  But!  I loved the colors, the textures, the lighting, and the mood of the painting.  I used a lot of oil paint to create the very tactile trees and water.  Please, when you receive this painting, feel free to touch it!  Painting are not for eyes only...   

That being said, check out my Etsy page if you would like to feel and see this painting everyday in your house.  EmilyJeffords.etsy.com

What a Day for a Daydream

It seems like I've wanted to do everything except paint today...  mainly just day dream...  

and this is what came of it:

For more information about each item featured, go to my newest treasury "What a Day for a Daydream..."

Painting #98 Before the Clouds Dry Out

I'm pretty excited...  tomorrow my husbands and I are celebrating his birthday!  We're taking a day trip to Atlanta, going to the Coke Museum, Ikea, a few design shops and out to eat at the most incredible looking restaurant - Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante!  I hope it tastes as wonderful as it looks (photos below).  We're going to enjoy ourselves.  It will be the first time I've been away from my baby girl, Annalisa, for a whole day.  I'm going to miss her (but enjoy some one-on-one time with my hubby too.)

So... in order to have a day off tomorrow, I've been painting like a crazy person.  However, only one painting got totally done.  But that's ok.  The other painting is a watercolor, so I'll just take it with me in the car!  ...we'll see how that turns out...  

This oil painting is a depicting that eerie moment right before a huge storm.  I just love that energetic calm; as if you know someone is sneaking up on you, but trying to be very quiet.  

In Greenville, it gets very warm, as if the clouds are giving you a warm blanket hug before dumping their contacts on the earth.  I love the colors, the brush strokes, and the drama of the sky.  

This painting is 16x12 inches and would look stunning in a dark wood, black, or even lux gold frame.  It of for sale on my Etsy Shop, and should really not be there... it should be in your home.  Let's be honest, your home needs a little art.  

See you on Sunday!

Painting #95 WV Landscape

Have you ever noticed how wonderful America is?  We had our primary elections today which means we got to vote!  How cool is that?  Now, maybe you chose not to take advantage of that... but you were able to (and you better vote in November!)  

Our land is incredible too.  What other country can offer such a huge variety of landscapes?  You can drive for a few hours and be in a completely different world (the beautiful poppy fields in North Carolina, to the majestic mountains of Colorado, go a little south and you're in the desert, a little north and there's snow, east and the sky is so huge above the wheat fields that you realize just how tiny you really are.)  I am so glad that I'm an American.  

Don't get me wrong, I love other countries!  I grew up in other countries!  But I'm really glad my birth certificate says I belong here.  

This landscape painting is very special.  A lady from Virginia asked me to paint it as an anniversary gift to her husband.  They've been married 20 years!  That's awesome.

Her husband, his father, and brothers, get together each year for their annual fishing trip.  Now, I'm not really that into fishing... but I can see why spending some time in this atmosphere would be rejuvenating.  How beautiful!

I hope he loves it!

Check back tomorrow for a very sweet painting.  I'm honored and excited to paint it! 

Of course, my Etsy Shop is open 24/7!  Check out EmilyJeffords.etsy.com if your house needs a little artistic flair.  

Painting #94 Fields of Gold

Do you ever have a song stuck in your head, and you're not really sure where it came from, or all the words, but it's so beautiful you won't want it to leave?  Usually, I hate the song that is stuck in my head, and do any number of crazy things to get rid of it (turn up another song super loud... whenever I start singing it, pinch myself... scream at someone else if they dare to start it up again...)

But, for the past few days, I've had "Fields of Gold" imbedded in my subconscious, and I love it.  In fact, when I think about it, I'm sure it inspired this painting.  I had been humming it when trying to decide that to paint today.  And here we have it!  "Fields of Gold" - the painting.  It's a 16x12 inch oil painting on masonite wood.  I love the radiance of the sky, the impressionistic hues and brushstrokes, and the sheer greeness of it.  

You can find this painting on my Etsy site: EmilyJeffords.etsy.com

You'll remember me when the west wind moves 

Among the fields of barley

You can tell the sun in his jealous sky 

When we walked in fields of gold 

So she took her love for to gaze awhile 

Among the fields of barley 

In his arms she fell as her hair came down 

Among the fields of gold 

Will you stay with me will you be my love 

Among the fields of barley 

And you can tell the sun in his jealous sky 

When we walked in fields of gold 

I never made promises lightly 

And there have been some that I've broken 

But I swear in the days still left 

We will walk in fields of gold 

We'll walk in fields of gold