Jen Smith, 9 x 12 Acrylic, Unfinished

Polly Moss, 14 x 16 Oil

Rebecca Wang, 9 x 12 Oil

Dusty Pines, 5 x 7 Oil

Millie Nguyen

Amy McCarter, Acrylic

Patricia Musgrave, 9 x 13

Nancie Johnson, 9 x 12 Acrylic

Angela Sullivan

Julie Beck 11 x 14 Acrylic

Sheryl Chew

Francis Jong, 7 x 10 Watercolor

Helen Eaton, 8 x 10 Oil

Horst Hittenberger, 11 x 14 Oil

challenge nine

Okay.  So the email concept isn't working either.  Please visit the following link to print out the Dahlia Challenge, as its come to be known!

http://www.trailingyarn.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/DSC_0006-1.JPG

Thanks for your patience, everyone!!!

Wow! So people like to paint cherries, huh? That's fantastic, and I'd like to thank all of you for participating. Again, I loved seeing everyone's point of view, whether it realist or abstract, and those are the only two painting terms I know, so...yeah.

The current challenge is from a photo my way cool sister took of a dahlia she bought at her local farmer's market. My sister has a definite eye for beauty, wouldn't you say? I don't know what it's going to be like to paint this, but I'm for sure going big scale-wise. I don't see how some of you get so much detail in such a small space! I'm constantly surprised by the size of the paintings after I've already marveled at the detail involved. Small brushes, maybe?

In any event, I hope you enjoy this challenge. Submissions are due by midnight, August 9th.

Jen Smith, 6 x 12 Acrylic

Millie Nguyen, 14 x 18 Acrylic

Bernard Echanow, Oil

Rodica Voicu, 6 x 8 Oil

Rebecca Wang, 9 x 12 Oil

Sylviane le Cann, 4 x 6 Oil

Madelaine Federowich, 7 x 5 Oil

Dusty Pines, 18 x 6 Oil on Wood

Alison, Watercolor

Sheila Estep, 9 x 12 Watercolor

Torrie Smiley, 6 x 6 Acrylic on wrapped canvas

Chelsie Brady, 5 1/2 x 7 1/2 Acrylic on Watercolor Paper

Jean Nelson, 3 x 5 Acrylic

Suzanne Berry

Nancie Johnson, 4 x 10 Acrylic

Angela Sullivan, 6 x 6 Acrylic

Julie Beck, 5 x 7 Acrylic on Wood

Helen Eaton, 5 x 7 Oil

Frances Jong, 6 x 5 Watercolor

Horst Hittenberger, 8 x 10 Oil

Paula Reynolds, 8 x 10 Watercolor & Pen on Paper

Byannick, 5 x 3 Oil on Board

challenge eight

Deja vu, right? If this looks familiar to you, that's mainly because this is the same type arrangement of fruit we painted for the first challenge of three oranges. I had three photos to choose from for this challenge and both my husband and daughter chose this one, unbeknownst to the other what selection the other had made, so I thought it being a two for two selection, how could we go wrong?

It seems like everyone is painting cherries these days, and I suppose that has everything to do with what is in season at the market. My husband thinks I have a thing for food, and while he's absolutely correct, me choosing fruits and such has everything to do with color and shape as opposed to how much I like to eat them.

Enjoy! Challenge eight submissions are due Monday, July 19th.

Jen Smith, 20 x 24 Acrylic

Suzanne Berry, Oil

Bernard Echanow, Graphite on Paper

Kathy Hassell, 19 x 15cm Acrylic

Jan Austin

Sylviane Le Cann, 5 x 7 Oil on Canvas Board

Rebecca Wang, 10 x 10 Oil on Canvas Board

Nancie Johnson, 9 x 12 Acrylic

Dianne Lanning

Byannick, 14 x 17 Oil

Jean Nelson, 6 x 8 Acrylic

Angela Sullivan, 6 x 8 Acrylic

challenge seven

Challenge Seven. A bit more contrast than the last, yet still neutral in color palette. Lots of angles, lots of detail, just the thing that makes me crazy enough to wonder why I do this to myself and at the same time hope upon hope I can pull off something that even remotely resembles the challenge photo.

Good luck to you all, I'm sure you'll create fabulous works; you always do!

Deadline for Challenge Seven is Monday, June 28.