12 Drummers Drumming

12 Drummers Drumming

About This Painting:

The ‘twelve drummers drumming" were the twelve points of belief expressed in the Apostles’ Creed: belief in God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary, made man, crucified, died and arose on the third day, that he sits at the right hand of the father and will come again, the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting.


Media: oil
Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $100 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Happy Colors

Whether you’re consciously aware of it or not, color has a huge effect on your day-to-day life. Just look around you—stores, restaurants, spas, even schools are painted certain colors to stir a particular emotion or reaction. For instance, a spa may have soft green walls to evoke feelings of peace and calm, while a fast food restaurant’s décor probably contains lots of bright reds and yellows—colors known to increase appetite.
I’ve also noticed that color can have a profound effect on physical and emotional health, so make sure you are surrounded by happy colors.

Happiness—a bright yellow that brings sunshine to your morning breakfast or lightens up a dark entryway. Creates an atmosphere of hospitality and warmth.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Challenges

Ireland 2008
Challenges are how we learn and grow.
Success is the result of solving problems and moving forward in the face of difficulty, so expect "interesting" situations in 2009.

Taking them in stride builds your confidence. As an artist we are always solving problems, sometimes in our paintings, our lives,and other times in how we market our art but we strive to move our careers forward.

This summer I visited Ireland were my great-great grandmother came from. She was a mail order bride, who came to the US during the " potato famine in 1850. I saw a ship that was similar to the one she came over in, they were called death ships because over half of the passengers would die on the voyage. It gave me a vivid, painful picture of the terrible condition the trip to America in this ship had been. The challenges she faced coming here, no money,poor health,and not able to speak the language. I think this is something many people do not realize that at the time most Irish of "Peasant Stock", as my Grandmother refereed to us, did not speak English. I didn't mention that this little Irish mail order bride was 13 at the time. She built a new life here by overcoming the the difficult challenges of her time.

As I prepare for the New Year I will be approaching the challenges of a slower economy and how to market my art in these times of economic downturn. As artist we must keep focus on both sides of our business development; the business of making art and the business of marketing it. I will be trying to learn new ways to grow my business so I can do what I love to do best make art.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Made in America

All of my artwork is original American Made.

My thanks to Michael Solomon who forwarded me this thoughtful article from the Christian Science Monitor:"It used to be that we made a lot of stuff: televisions, clothes, washing machines, radios, typewriters, shoes, telephones, and furniture. And we also used to make the stuff out of which stuff was made: steel, aluminum, plastic, rubber, glass, and electrical components. Today that's largely made overseas. They send us their stuff and we send them our money.It also used to be that Americans liked to make stuff. Think of all the things Thomas Edison invented. Or consider Henry Ford, who made the car affordable, perfected the assembly line, and paid workers a decent wage. Countless others, such as my grandfather, worked as toolmakers and machinists because they liked to work with their hands. Today we rely on people around the world to do that innovation for us."What's up with this? Aren't you making "stuff?" Yes, I know YOU are, but one of the reasons art fairs are so popular with the public is because they all have stopped doing things with their hands. How many times has someone stood in your booth and envied you your creativity and wished to be standing in your shoes? Lots.How are you feeling about creativity? In what other country would you have this opportunity to stand in the streets on weekends and have people tell you how wonderful your work is?"Today's schools must help teach our young people the value of manual labor and help us take advantage of the greatest place to be for innovation. A Japanese neighbor visiting a US factory told me once that he envied Americans because they did not accept cultural limitations in improving the way something is made. He said that you could never go against the grain like that in Japan."Need some food for thought? (I know you had enough food over the last week) Read the rest of the article at the Christian Science Monitor.
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Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

The Twelve days of Christmas

One partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
Four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
Six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit: prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contribution, leadership, and mercy.
Eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
From here on, the order is different from the original song!
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
Eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
Twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

I am currently painting a painting for each of the 12 days of Christmas they can be seen as they are completed on my painting of the day blog.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! Fun Turkey Facts
Here are a few fun facts about turkeys that you can share with your family and friends during Thanksgiving dinner. To learn even more about turkeys, visit the turkey animal facts page.
*Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.
*Turkeys can drown if they look up when it is raining.
*Turkeys spend the night in trees. They fly to their roosts around sunset.
*Turkeys fly to the ground at first light and feed until mid-morning. Feeding resumes in mid-afternoon.
*Gobbling starts before sunrise and can continue through most of the morning.
*A wild turkey has excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is about 270 degrees. This is the main reason they continue to elude some hunters.
*A spooked turkey can run at speeds up to 20 miles per hour. They can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds.
*Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey.
*In 2007, the average American ate 17.5 pounds of turkey.
*The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Thanksgiving

Greetings,
This week in the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays because it is a day that is it is centered on family and food! Most of the food being home cooked. It is also a day to remind ourselves on how lucky we are and to be thankful for it. Everyday is a good day to remind yourself of everything you have to be thankful for. You might, also, think about keeping a gratitude journal so you can record your thankful's every day. Then if you are having a bad day and don't we all, you can go back and review how lucky you really are.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Impasto

Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

What is impasto? Impasto is an art term used to describe thickly textured paint that is almost three-dimensional in appearance.
Using an impasto technique often leaves visible brush strokes in the finished painting. Many times those brush strokes are actually more important than the subject matter itself.
You could almost say impasto is a type of sculpture,but for painters and on a canvas.I love to move the butter paint around with my palett knife

For example, if you see a painting and you are not sure whether the artist has used impasto technique, just look at the painting from the side. Check for globs of paint sticking out from the canvas. That's impasto.
From the front, impasto paint is highlighted by whatever natural light is in the room (since it sticks out so much) and with heavy impasto you’ll be able to see shadows underneath the paint too.

Unlike wet-on-wet blending techniques, impasto really makes a physical statement, which is why you'll find it most often in expressive, abstract works.
That why I sometimes call my work impressionism/expressionism.

You see, impasto has been around for a long time, Van Gogh used impasto for it's expressive qualities. Before Van Gogh, artists would build up layers of paint to add realism to their work, making objects appear more three-dimensional.
But Van Gogh was different. He used impasto to gave weight to his brilliant colors, movement to his skies, and emotion to his landscapes.

Check out this detail of Van Gogh’s Wheat Field with Cypresses.

He could have painted with the exact same colors without the impasto, but what would have happened? There would have been no movement, no feeling in the painting. No Van Gogh.

If you’re an artist, impasto’s not too tricky to do yourself.

Mostly it involves loading up your brush or painter’s knife with more paint than you’d normally need. Then, instead of “dying” or “scrubbing” the canvas with color, just let the paint squish onto the canvas and sit there.

You don’t want to fiddle with any one spot too much, otherwise you’ll lose that three-dimensional quality by overworking the paint.

Ala Prima Painting

Ala Prima Painting

Ala prima typically refers to the process of painting in one sitting. This is something I do with my daily paintings http://paintingoftheday.blogspot.com .The application of colour is quick, and commonly full of expression. The texture is created in an impromptu way through the manipulation of a thicker layer of paint.
Ala prima technique does not involve layers or glazing. As such, the rule of "flexible over inflexible" or "Fat over Lean" does not necessarily apply. However, dull areas and cracking can still occur, so it is imperative that when painting ala prima that too many solvents or mediums are not used. Instead, paintings in an ala prima style are usually painted with colour straight from the tube or with a minimal use of drying oil or solvents.

I have put more texture in this painting.

Eggplant and Company No.2

About This Painting:
Eggplant and Company No.2
oil on stretched canvas

Media: oil
Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)

How to Purchase:
click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

The Paradox of Our Age

The Paradox of Our Ageby The Dalai Lama

We have bigger houses but smaller families;

More conveniences, but less time;

We have more degrees, but less sense;

More knowledge, but less judgment;

More experts, but more problems;

More medicines, but less healthiness;

We've been all the way to the moon and back,but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.

We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever but have less communication.

We have become long on quantity,but short on quality.

These are times of fast foods but slow digestion;

Tall man but short character;

Steep profits but shallow relationships.

It's a time when there is much in the window,but nothing in the room.

Eggplants and Company

About This Painting:

I am working on a series of three paintings, all will be of the same still life but I will be adding more texture to each painting.
Texture in painting is a difficult element to define. Texture does not just refer to the roughness of smoothness of a work of art, but also to the subtle gradations of surface difference, from the quality of the brushstrokes to the addition of foreign element into the work of art.

The Paradox of texture:

The most exciting aspect of texture is that, when used carefully, it adds to the meaning and depth of an artwork. On the other hand, if texture is used inharmoniously, then it can becomes a negative factor.

I was at a meeting of artist recently and the guest speaker said,"that paintings with texture are thought to be better painting by the viewer." So I am doing my own little experiment in texture with this still life set up.

Eggplants and Company
oil on gallery wrapped stretched canvas
8x10

Media: oil
Size: 10 in X 8 in (25.4 cm X 20.3 cm)

How to Purchase:
click here to bid on this painting

Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Seize the Day

Success begins in the morning. We either "seize the day" or we don't. We seize the initiative, or we don't. We work from a plan, or we don't. If we fail to take charge of our mornings, we allow fate and circumstances, other people and luck to play a huge role, and that's usually a mistake. "If we fail to plan, we are planning to fail."

I am doing a self portrait every month for the next year. This is the first in the series.

A Self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 1400s that artists can be frequently identified depicting themselves as either the main subject, or as important characters in their work. With better and cheaper mirrors, and the advent of the panel portrait, many painters, sculptors and printmakers tried some form of self-portraiture
There are many reasons for painting self portraits, not least being the continuation of a long tradition of self-portraiture among artists (just think of those by Rembrandt and Van Gogh). Then there's the advantage that it's the one model who's always available, at any time of the day).
I've been hooked on self portraits ever since I first attempted one (which was not a success, though my second self portrait I framed and still have on display). I don't paint self portraits for any narcissistic reason, but for the challenge. After all, if I can't capture my own likeness and a feeling of my character, how can I attempt to get someone else's?
I've done self portraits in charcoal, pastel pencils, watercolor, and acrylics.

The results have varied from as realistic (in terms of color and likeness) to strongly Expressionistic. From pleasing (the self portraits I show others) to strange (the self portraits few people see). I regard getting a feeling of character more important than a photorealistic likeness, for which I personally prefer using a camera.

I rarely set out with something specific in mind, other than to paint a self portrait, and just let the painting evolve on the canvas, following the mood I'm in. Some self portraits are of the feeling, the mood of the day others are of the likeness I see in the mirror all are a challenge,





Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Birthday Party Cupcakes

Birthday Party Cupcakes No2

About This Painting:

Birthday Parties are always fun. Cupcakes and candles just adds to the fun.
Birthday Party Cupcakes No.2

Media: oil
Size: 6 in X 6 in (15.2 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $50 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $50 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Broccoli Painting

Broccoli

About This Painting:

An oil painting of Broccoli.

Broccoli has been around for more than 2000 years, The name "broccoli" comes for the Latin word brachium, which means "branch," or "arm." Americans have grown it in their gardens for only about 200 years! The first commercially grown broccoli was grown and harvested in New York, then planted in the 1920's in California. A few crates were sent back East and by 1925 the broccoli market was off the ground.

Broccoli
6x6
oil on stretched canvas

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

VanGogh Sunflowers No.2

VanGogh Sunflowers No.2

About This Painting:
VanGogh Sunflowers No.2
12x9 Acrylic on 140 lb watercolor paper

Media: acrylic
Size: 9 in X 12 in (22.9 cm X 30.5 cm)
Price: $100 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Shadows

The anatomy of a cast shadow
Cast shadows contain the following three separate pieces of information:
1. The angle of the light beams
2. The shape of the object casting the shadow
3. The topography of the surface where the shadow is cast

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Art on the Internet

Art on the Internet

The Internet is a remarkably user-friendly way to
navigate the art world. The World Wide Web can be
used to do background research on an artist or type
of art that interests you, to locate dealers specializing
in that work, to scout available inventory and to
check prices. The Web offers access to art and galleries
all over the world.

Email makes it easy to initiate a
relationship with a gallery that you might not readily
be able to visit. delilah@artbydelilah.com

However, no one polices the Web for accuracy, and the
Internet must be approached with intelligence and a
degree of caution. Art-historical information is only
as good as the source from which it comes.

Internet sellers may post images of works they do not actually
have access to, or that are incorrectly described or not
authentic. Prices need to be understood within the
larger context of the art market, and are often meaningless
when you have not seen the work in person.

Many Internet portals offer listings of dealers and art
works for sale, but these are for the most part paid
services that are not screened for quality or reliability.
dealer has a home page on the adaa’s website, with a
link to that dealer’s personal site.
.
While the Internet can be helpful in researching
an acquisition, the actual process of buying art
takes place in the real world.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

The Color Orange

Flamboyant and Energetic : Orange is vibrant. It's a combination of red and yellow so it shares some common attributes with those colors. It denotes energy, warmth, and the sun. But orange has a bit less intensity or aggression than red, calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow. Wow that kind of sounds like me.

For the month of October I will be painting things that are orange on my painting a day blog.

Row of Oranges

About This Painting:
Row of Oranges
6x12
oil on gallery wrapped stretched canvas with painted sides. The back has been wired and it can be hung as is or framed if you like.

Media: oil
Size: 12 in X 6 in (30.5 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $100 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com



Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Painting Tomatos

How many ways can I paint tomato's? It seems when I can think of nothing else to paint for the day I grab a tomato from the refrigerator, which is always stocked full of them and start painting. Here are just a few of the juicy little guys that I have painted this summer.

Heirloom Tomatoes

About This Painting:
Heirloom Tomatoes
6x9
watercolor on 140 lb watercolor paper

Media: watercolor
Size: 9 in X 6 in (22.9 cm X 15.2 cm)
Price: $50 USD

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $50 USD plus $5 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

winner of the painting is Thivia

I have a winner for the September painting give away, it is Thivia and she wrote:

Dear Delilah,
I am a writer and would love to have that feather painting of yours! To me, it represents all that the pen can achieve: creativity, intelligence, love, power, and more love! My boyfriend and me are in a long distance relationship and in today's world when everything is so digitalized and fast-paced, I still take the time to write him love letters and that's exactly what your painting of that feather is to me. It means so much more than just a feather.
It is absolutely stunning! I am such a fan of your work. There is not a day that passes that I don't stop by your blog to watch your creations. It's inspiring how you churn so many paintings so fast! I've been stuck on a watercolor painting for over 2 weeks now. I wish I had the perseverance you have! Anyway, congratulations on your gorgeous pieces! It's a pleasure to visit your site.

Thivia



Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Last Picnic

Last Picnic

About This Painting:
Last Picnic
oil on canvas mounted on a RayMar Panel ready to frame
This painting was done en plien air today.

Media: oil
Size: 6 in X 8 in (15.2 cm X 20.3 cm)
Price: $100 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Good Habits

Why is it that I don't have to put effort into establishing bad habits while gearing up for good habits takes every ounce of self-control I can muster up?

If you have not entered the drawing foor the free give away you still have time.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Free Give Away for September

Feather

5.5x8.5

watercolor on 140lb watercolor paper

Purple Iris

5.5x8.5

watercolor on 140 lb watercolor paper

Green Vase

8x6

Oil on canvas mounted on a RayMar panel

Today is the day of the free give away.

You have 48 hours to email me with your choice of the three paintings shown. Anyone may enter for a chance to win. I will need you email and your, name and address. I do not share this information. You do not need to be a US resident to enter you do need to be 18 years of age or older( I do not ask your age).

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Change lead to creative thoughts.

"Change cannot be avoided... change provides the opportunity for innovation. It gives you the chance to demonstrate your creativity." -- Felice Jones

Sometime a small change can lead to big opportunities. It unleash something creative in us. I know I feel refreshed by just moving the furniture in the living room. Make a small change today and see what it leads to,what you notice that you have never seen before,enjoy change.

Today is not the day of the free give away.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

John Cage

Today is not the day of thefree giveaway. It will be soon!

Rules for Students and Teachers." Here they are:

1 Find a place you trust, and then try trusting it for awhile.

2 General duties of a student--pull everything out of your teacher; pull everything out of your fellow students.

3 General duties of a teacher--pull everything out of your students.

4 Consider everything an experiment.

5 Be self-disciplined--this means finding someone wise or smart and choosing to follow them. To be disciplined is to follow in a good way. To be self-disciplined is to follow in a better way.

6 Nothing is a mistake. There's no win and no fail, there's only make.

7 The only rule is work. If you work it will lead to something. It's the people who do all of the work all of the time who eventually catch on to things.

8 Don't try to create and analyze at the same time. They're different processes.

9 Be happy whenever you can manage it. Enjoy yourself. It's lighter than you think.

10 Break rules. Even your own rules. Leave plenty of room for X quantities.

John Cage (1912-1992) was a composer, print maker, performance artist, writer, philosopher, editor, teacher, mushroom expert, collaborator and poet. Fact is, John Cage had a lot of fun . Considered one of the most influential composers of the twentieth century, he produced works with one note, no notes, notes by chance, and a noted organ composition that takes 639 years to play.

Thinking about the life and "happenings" of John Cage, it's not difficult to see that joy, imagination and brilliance flow from work.

Imagination Needs a Space

Today is not the day of the free give away. Check back.

"You need a room with no view so imagination can meet memory in the dark." (Annie Dillard)

This is my work space.

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Marsh Land

Marsh Land

The color yellow is on the plus side it is nearest to light. It is a happy color it has a sensation of warmth and seems to drift toward us.

Today is not the day of the free give away.

About This Painting:
Marsh Land
9x12 acrylic on paper

Media: acrylic
Size: 12 in X 9 in (30.5 cm X 22.9 cm)
Price: $100 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Color

Color is not an abstract idea that separates us it is a force that affects us physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Today is not the day of the fre give away. Keep checking back it will be soon.

At the Point

About This Painting:
At the Point
Acrylic on paper
9x12

Media: acrylic
Size: 12 in X 9 in (30.5 cm X 22.9 cm)
Price: $100 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Free Give Away for September

Oil on Paper

Carrot Bunch

Today is not the day of the free give away, Please check back.

"Nothing builds confidence like accomplishment." (Thomas Carlyle)

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Free Give Away this Month

Staregazer Lilies

About This Painting:
Staregazer Lilies painted in watercolors on 140 lb coldpressed watercolor paper. The painting is 9x12 and matted in a white acid free matt to measure 11x14.

Free Give Away in September:

I will give away a small painting sometime this month. Check back daily on my blog http://paintingoftheday.blogspot.com to see what day I announce the free give away.When I make the announcement you will have 24 hours to email me for a chance to win.

Media: watercolor
Size: 9 in X 11 in (22.9 cm X 27.9 cm)
Price: $100 USD

How to Purchase:

Buy this painting on PayPal
Price: $100 USD plus $10 USD s/h
Or, send me an email

Home Page Art by Delilah = http://artbydelilah.com

Holiday Weekend

Most Americans will spend this holiday weekend escaping from work. Enjoying time with friends at the beach or home.

We'll play and laugh, relax with friends, do almost anything except "work."I paint for a living. I paint to relax.I paint to have fun. But I hope you'll take a moment over the weekend to give thanks for the work you do as I do for mine. Your creative work makes a contribution to this small planet. In some small way, each of us contributes our energy, our talent, our skill to making better, and I suspect that's how God intended it.

Free Painting Give Away Coming Sometime In September.