Visiting my Old Friend

Last weekend I went to visit an old friend....well at least if felt like an old friend.  

I did a post last summer of The Sketchbook Project 2014 and that my book went on a big whirlwind tour of the U.S. along with a couple thousand other sketchbooks.  Pop up library's host the traveling sketchbooks in cities from East to West coast and all the way back to it's permanent home in the Brooklyn Art Library.  

  

The library itself isn't that large but what is impressive are the walls filled to the gills with sketchbooks all of which have bar codes and can be easily checked out either by artist name, materials, themes or tags. 

It was fun sitting there reminiscing with my book and remembering I had my niece Emma (age 12 then) draw whatever she wanted in it.  As you can see she used colored pencils for her beautiful peacock, then on the next page I drew the peacock feather inspired by her piece.

My daughter and I even checked out a few other books of artists we knew including her former H.S. art teacher.  Fun eh?  So next time you are in NYC and want to do something free for almost all ages look it up!  and my sketchbook too!

Artists of the River Show

Happy to be a part of this show at The River Gallery.
Trust me when I say that I am in good company with the other 2 artist's,
Anita Ewing and Joan Bell!

Also please check out my Etsy Shop...new listings!

Solo Show

Here we are at the end of April and I didn't even post my big news!  

Well for me it is big because this is my first solo showing...yay!

Most of the work is from my Chesapeake Bay inspired paintings 

and a few are from my Vintage Toy series, as well as a few small still life paintings.

  

Thanks to  The Honey Hive!

Also available are cards and prints.

30 Paintings in 30 Day's Collage

30 Paintings in 30 Days 2015 

by Renee Brennan

Thanks to the host of this challenge, Leslie Saeta.
What I have taken away from doing this is:

I went way outside my comfort zone with painting cats & dogs.
Marbles are still crazy fun to paint.
Not every painting will come out as intended and that's o.k.
Setting up an online Etsy Shop was a rewarding goal.
I prefer short blog posts for myself.

Thanks all who viewed, commented, liked on FB and purchased!!

Day 30 - "Spilled"

"Spilled"  18x18 Oil

by Renee Brennan

Available for purchase

Day 30 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge is..

Done!

Finito!

Check it off the list!

Whoohoo!

If any of you know me then you would know that I love painting marbles!

A secret be told is that the actual marble is the easier to paint than the background and shadows.  Shadows are hard!!  The jar drove me crazy but I still have all my marbles don't worry :)

Thank you all who followed along giving me encouragement 

and even made purchases on my new Etsy Shop!! 

Thank you for hosting Leslie Saeta!

Please visit her site.  This lady is a wealth of art info including Artist's Helping Artists on Blog Talk Radio (she hosts). There are several weekly topics that can be listened to as a podcast.  Leslie does workshops, online and offline...not sure where she finds the time for it all but she does... AND she creates beautiful art!

Day 29 - TBT "Peony"

"Peony"  9x12 oil NFS

by Renee Brennan

Day 29 is an oldie that I have never shown here but wanted to post.  

Actually, I think this was my very first painting from taking lessons while in Italy.
There are some improvements needed to the symmetry of the vases and background, BUT 

I am not going to touch it. I like it as it is, and it's a good reminder of the beginning of this fun painting journey.

Day 28 - "Blue Feather"

"Blue Feather"  study  6x4 Oil
Renee Brennan

Day 28 of the 30/30 Challenge is a blue feather that I quickly painted at my friend Barbara's
 house.  She has a HUGE studio in her walkout basement with plenty of light and big tables to work on.   She is a wonderful, talented artist and I  would share her website but she doesn't do online very well ...it's ok, she makes up for it in fun!

Day 27 - "Frenchy" in progress

"Frenchy"  8x6 oil 

in progress

by Renee Brennan
Sold

Day 27 of the 30/30 Challenge is my friends dog named Frenchy.

I am kind of glad to post this in progress because sometimes I cannot see

what is wrong with the painting until I take a photo.  For some reason things just jump right out at ya...and I'm not even going to tell you how many things need a little fixing! 

Day 26 "The Blizzard"

"The Blizzard"  6x6  no oil

by Renee Brennan

Day 26 -  I non painted the big blizzard of 2015

tee hee...I am a 30/30 party pooper today.

What really happened here?  

TOO many errands including picking up son traveling 

from NYC to Baltimore on bus in Blizzard.

Picking up daughter's winning Taylor Swift Tickets 

in strange building in Baltimore that was

like being in the Twilight Zone...very crazy day.

not bad, just overly busy :

Day 25 "Red Barn on Hill"

"Red Barn on Hill"  5x5 oil

by Renee Brennan

Purchase on my Etsy Shop

Day 25 is a beautiful red barn in Lothian, Maryland.  I love the 2 stars....it's like a superstar barn!!

I wonder what's inside?  probably the usual tractor, horse, hay,  swimming pool, huh?  

Yes, I'm sure there is a swimming pool in that superstar barn.  

There I go dreaming again.

30 Paintings in 30 Days.