This Holiday Season

To all out there... I hope you have a great holiday season filled with hope, inspiration, and good health! I hope this season brings new inspiration to me and lets me start some new challenging pieces! My friends have encouraged me to try some paintings of people. So I will give it a whirl!

Happy Holidays!

Ida

Holidays!

Well the holidays are here and I have been busy... I am going to start sketching again. I am hoping to start painting again too... I have quite a bit of work done already. I just don't post everything. I am slowly starting to get the hang of things... I hope this season finds more peace and harmony and that this country gets out of the mess they are currently in.

New pictures

So...I have been busy sketching... And a little painting here and there... Trying different things.. Having fun! I have lots more that I haven't posted... Working still on the coffee shop...

Love Life, and Enjoy Art! Ida

Reclining Woman--18 x 24 Pencil Sketch on 80 lb. Strathmore rough surface

Another sketch of a live model. I did this one
in about 45 minutes. I think I went a little heavy
with the lip line... I still think it works.

Get Ready Set Go!!!!!!

So I was thinking..... And I was pondering.... I am working on 3 projects. I think I will work on the coffee stand painting this weekend. It is almost done. I just need to work out the details. I did the bulk of it as a plein air project. Now I think I will finish it this weekend! And Yippppeeeee!!! It is going to be a beautiful weekend! 80's and low humidity....sunny!!! No heat wave here... Life is good... Was at my sketching class earlier in the week and it went well... I always do better when I am not tired and if I am relaxed.

So off I go...tomorrow strawberry picking...birthday party....going to the pool...then somewhere in there I get to paint...the life of a working mom!

Working On New Cartoon Drawings!

Well, I am headed back out to the field to finish my plein air painting. And today I was doodling with some cartoon drawings. I think I have created a very good character of a boy about age 10 who loves to ride his skateboard. I gave him funny spiked hair, some cool eyes and I think I will give him a sidekick friend who hangs out with him after school... I think I will have his friend have glasses and be the voice of reason for him. So does anyone out there want to see him? Or if you are interested in hiring me I do do freelance work... I have been sketching for many years so I can do many different characters... Serious inquiries only! My work is copyrighted!

Plein Air Painting

I was out on this beautiful weekend doing some plein air painting. I almost completed it in one sitting. I will try to catch some nice weather again and try to complete it in the next sitting. If not, I took some photos so that I could complete it. For the most part it went well. I had a number of people stop by and pester me a bit. Some people came up behind me and startled me. They said it looked good. So that was nice of them. It was fun. I plan on doing more plein air painting. I picked up nice used plein air easel that is well built. The artist used it all over Europe. If this easel could talk think of the stories it would tell...

Happy painting!

Lady In Red--Acrylic on Canvas Board--1 hour painting

Using My Brain Too Much Today! Need to Paint for Relief!

I am hoping to do some more painting this weekend... I want to paint some animals or horses... It will give me some welcome relief from day to day stresses of work. Today at work I was working on some database records management so I was trying some boolean search techniques and I am a bit out of practice... I love techie stuff, but it taxes my brain... Especially if you work hard all day. I still love it though... Sometimes after work I play the piano a little bit to relax too... Tonight it was bike riding!

Art is more fun and not work unless I am stuck on something then that is no fun! Was helping my son work on his homework tonight after work. That after a long day at work is sure tiring! Will post some more artwork soon...

Still Working On New Ideas! What's Up With Some People!

Hello, I was doodling on my sketch pad the other day... I was sketching a dog jumping up to catch a frisbee... Just a happy dog! And I am just about finished with one of my portrait paintings...

I was also chatting the other day with a business owner who runs a print business... I guess they are stressed about the art business... They need to chill out and try to remember not to take things so seriously. Your work can take you over if you let it. You always need to remember there are others things besides work! And of course it is hard to get started as an artist! Why do you think they came up with the term starving artist! Many famous artists died poor and alone! Their work only became known when someone else discovered it! Art supplies especially oils are very expensive! You need to have a job just so you can afford the supplies! So I am happy to have the opportunity to create my art. And I have the freedom to do what I want and I don't care what people think? I have had little or no training so I don't worry if I am doing it wrong or not and I am not afraid to try different things!

Just do what you love... If people like it then wonderful, if they don't who cares... If you make money or not who cares... Just do it! Sometimes I work fast and create unusal works and I love it! Sometimes I work slower more deliberate. Depends on my mood or what I am doing...

Trying To Come Up With An Idea???

Trying to come up with something to paint? Trying to do an original piece... A tough one for any artist. I like to make my own creations so I have to dig deep into my brain to come up with some kind of concept or idea. This is a complicated process... Usually I start with an idea, then design a setting, then I go on to develop the characters in the setting...

So what will I come up with next? I am not quite sure? Right now I am kicking back and relaxing after a long work week... I am leaning toward a piece with people in a very personal setting or close relationship... I will look around for inspiration. In the meantime I will go out if the weather is willing and do some Plein air painting... I haven't done that before as I don't like people peering over my shoulder. I can work very fast with paints so it should be easy... It is dealing with the nosey onlookers that can be a pain and interferes with my creative thought... Will see what happens... Have been wanting to do a painting of a a business and I have one in mind...

Touching Base With Everyone

Hello All...

Still working at home in my studio when I get the chance. My family has been very supportive of this artist. It can be hard for a family to live with an artist. I am talking to other artists and I am finding that many artists can be a bit off the wall or different. I think different is great! It would be very boring if we were all alike wouldn't it?

Yaquina Head--16 x 20 Acrylic on Canvas Board

Carla Resting---11 x 14 Acrylic on Canvas Board

Falling For Greenbluff--18 x 24 Acrylic on Canvas Wrap

Hello all... I am back to the inside of an artist's studio... I have had the chance to do sketching of live models. It is quite fun! I am hoping to do it again this week... I am hoping to post some of my latest work soon. In the meantime you can check out my more recent work.

Here is the link. http://ida-brown.fineartamerica.com/

My work is for sale and I have a local professional printer that can produce museum grade quality giclee prints and canvas wraps under my watchful eye... So I hope you enjoy my work.The work is copyright protected. If you want to share any of your work I would love to hear from you!

Happy posting and happy drawing!

Hello everyone... Welcome to my site. This is a site for family, friends, and artists alike. I would love to hear from you... So if you get a chance... Drop me a line...