Mendocino Rhodie

As we come to the final hours of 2007 I feel it is appropriate for my last post of the year to go out with a bang, so here is my big winner this year. "Mendocino Rhodies" was accepted into one of this country's most prestigious open National competitions for watercolor painters, the California Watercolor Associations' 39th Annual National Exhibition. This is my second time to be juried into this show and I must say I was very excited to receive such an honor. The painting is not for sale. It hangs in our dining room as a reminder of what can happen when the Painting Gods smile on me. May 2008 bring more peace and understanding, more giving and sharing, more freedom and good health to all the peoples of the world. And may we all become better stewards of the health of our shared planet. Happy Painting my friends, and may your next painting be a Masterpiece!

Vernazza, Italy a page in my Watercolor Journal

The comment from Molly B of Petaluma that she would be interested in knowing if I publish a book promted me to post this page from my Watercolor Travel Journal. This is how I love to paint when I travel. I use small hardbound books of watercolor paper and fill them with little ink and watercolor paintings and stories about my trip. The stories are fun to read as they tell who I was with, what sounds I heard while painting, what we ate for lunch, who we met, etc. The little paintings however, make the journal so much more special than a typical travel journal. This page was created in the tiny village of Vernazza, in the Cinque Terre, Italy. You can't read my writing in the photo of the page so I will quote it here: "July 14, 2006 The view from our balcony room 22 the annex of Pensione Sorriso, Vernazza, Italy. Susan and I spent the day photographing and sketching this story-book village. The languages we hear as we sit and sketch are mostly Italian and American English, but also Australian English and German. Church bells chime on the hour and on the half hour with a little bell announcing the half past." If you would like to join me and create your own Watercolor Journal of Italy read about my next painting trip to Italy in September, 2008 at http://www.ToscanaAmericana.com.

Butterfly Shoe

This is another in my miniature oil "Shoe Series", it measures 5" x 5" and the canvas wraps around the edges 1 3/8" deep and is painted. These little paintings can be hung on a wall, or can sit on a shelf or desk top. They do not need framing. The paintings are sold by Elliott Fouts Gallery for $85. each. Call them at 916-736-1429 credit card purchases are welcome and shipping is available. To see more in this series go to my website http://www.sandydelehanty.com/.

Fleurs, Virieu, France

I received an email today asking where the charming building is that is on my opening page of my blog. The answer is the tiny village of Virieu, France. I would probably never have discovered this out of the way French Village had it not been for Jackie and Valery the owners of French Escapade. They designed a wonderful painting trip for my students and I in 2005. We stayed in a charming guest house in a rural area of France. Everyday we were treated to fabulous French cuisine by Valery, and taken to wonderful painting sites by Jackie. This little flower shop was a favorite subject of my students and I. I so enjoyed our trip that we I asked to be the instructor on another French Escapade in 2008. The trip is full, but just in case something happens you could sign up on the Waiting List. For more information on my French Escapade May 28 to June 5, 2008 or other trips planned by French Escapade their website is http://www.frenchescapade.com. To see more of my paintings, my website is http://sandydelehanty.com.

Black Daisy Shoe

"Black Daisy Shoe" is a 5" x 5" oil with wide edges painted (no framing necessary). This painting is part of my Shoe Series. It is priced at $85.00.

Inquiries to Elliott Fouts Gallery 916-736-1429.

Sorry I have not updated in the past few days, my cookies got cooked somehow and I could not log in. I finally have it fixed at least for my blog. I am still having problems logging in to other sites, so not yet able to put Pay Pal on this blog. As soon as I get it all straightened out I will even do eBay. That should be fun. 5 more shopping days until Christmas!

Ombrelli al Cafe

"Have Paints Will Travel" is the title of my blog because so much of my work is inspired by the painting workshops I teach around the world. One of my favorite places to teach a watercolor workshop is Italy. This oil painting was done from a photograph I took of cafe umbrellas in Italy a year ago. Only in Italy would you find cafe umbrellas this colorful! I am teaching a watercolor workshop in Italy again, in September, 2008. For details see my website http://www.sandydelehanty.com/. At this writing there are a few spaces available for painters to join this fabulous trip to paint in Cortona, Tuscany. This is a studio painting done after I returned from Italy, it is a 24" x 36" oil painting on canvas. Edges painted, no framing necessary. $850.00. Inquires to Elliott Fouts Gallery (916) 736-1429. Credit Cards accepted shipping available.

Fishing Flys Are Fun!

"Parachute Adams" is a portrait of a fishing fly tied by my husband Burke. It is one in a series of fishing fly portraits that began in 2006. I had been invited to exhibit paintings in the Elliott Fouts Gallery's annual December small paintings group show in 2006. In previous years I had painted chocolate truffles and chocolate covered strawberries for the December show. At my husband's suggestion I painted ten fishing fly portraits. When I delivered them to the gallery, Elliott wondered allowed if there were as many people who liked fishing flys as there were chocolate lovers. We sold them all and took orders for 7 more in a matter of days! So yes, there are many people who like fishing flys! There are more of these flys available on my website, http://www.sandydelehanty.com/. All are original oils painted on canvas 5" x 5" with edges painted (framing not necessary). They can be purchased for $85.00 plus shipping by calling Elliott Fouts Gallery at (916) 736-1429. Credit Cards accepted, shipping available.

Continental

"Continental" is another in my series of paintings of drinks. They are all oil paintings on canvas cubes, 5" x 5" with edges painted (shown in photo) available for $85.00 plus shipping. Inquires to Elliott Fouts Gallery (916) 736-1429 credit cards accepted, shipping available. To see more of this series and other paints check out my website www.sandydelehanty.com.

Bacardi Cocktail

"Bacardi Cocktail" is an oil painting 5" x 5" with deep edges (1 3/8") painted so no framing necessary. This painting is one in a series of "drinks" paintings.

I love these little canvas cubes. They can hang on a wall or sit on a shelf, and either way they look very contemprary and do not need framing.

$85.00 Inquiries to Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, California. (916) 736-1429 Credit Cards accepted, shipping available.

New Watercolor Painting "Radient"

"Radient" is an 18" x 24" watercolor begun as a demo painting in my watercolor class where the subject was Sunflowers. Sunflowers are so fun they should be called "funflowers". I love to try to capture their whimsical personalities in my paintings. I use them as a subject for a class on creating High Intensity Glowing Clean Color using only transparent watercolor and several different techniques. The "Sunflower Class" is always a fun class to teach.

This painting is currently unframed and available for $600.00 from Elliott Fouts Gallery (916) 652-4624. Credit cards welcome, shipping available.

My First Post

Daily Painters around the world are posting their work on blogs and finding new fans and new collectors; so I decided to join the trend. I have been painting almost daily since 1992 but the blogging thing is completely new to me. So bear with me while I build this blog, and in the meantime you can see more of my work on my website, www.sandydelehanty.com.