Reclingin Nude Watercolor, 7" x 9", matted to 10" x 12"

"Watching TV"









I spent a good part of the day starting a commission for a large peony painting. Check out my teaching blog for peek at the beginning stages. Just when I had wrapped up the first session and was ready to start another small oil for this blog, I received a phone call from my good friend and walking buddy who's snow birding in CA. Chat, chat, chat...and nothing got done for the space of an hour. So I decided on a quick watercolor for a change. I could keep the lights bright and play for a bit. Hope you enjoy her as much as I did.

Internet Cafe Scene, Oil on Board, 5" x 7"

"Afternoon Browser"
SOLD



I recently met a friend for an coffee break and a chat at a local cafe. A young woman who was intent on her computer while sipping her latte caught my eye. I loved the way her red wool dress and gray scarf were bundled about her. She was totally oblivious to my sneaky camera.
I used to be fascinated with airports and people watching at them until flying became such a hassle. Now I enjoy just looking at folks doing their thing at everyday places.
I did this painting as a poster study with large shapes and simple colors. These are good exercises and I enjoy the compositional problems that need to be solved on small pieces. Enjoy.
For those of you who have purchased work previously from me, I'd like to let you know that paintings are now being varnished with several gloss coats which brightens the painting and brings out the color passages.

Pen and Ink with Watercolor Painting of A Meadow and Trees, 5.5" x 7.5", Matted to 8" x 10"

"Evening on the Meadow"SOLD


I rarely paint in pen and ink anymore but it used to be something I enjoyed doing a lot. A bit like doodling but more detailed. In fact, it's so different from my usual stuff that I post here, that I decided to sign it with my maiden name.
This little watercolor is already matted to an 8" x 10" standard size and will easily fit in a picture frame.

Figure Sketch of Older Woman, 18" x 24", Pastel

"Juvia"$30.00, Available with Mat
Email me about this sketch.



Every now and again in figure drawing, I'm able to come up with a good color sketch. I particularly like the way this one came out. Juvia is an older model with interesting features. While not as shapely as many of the younger models who work for my group, Juvia is beautiful in spirit and has great character in her face. I think I managed to capture some of that in this sketch.

"Arc of Orchids"
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Price: $99 USD plus $15 USD s/h
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 Today was a better day sold some work and someone actually showed up to work on my studio! Hooray!! So, being in a brighter mood, I painted something to reflect my mood. It's been awhile since I painted Orchids. These colors are always a bit touchy to do. I want them bright, but not glaring. Hope I accomplished this. Enjoy! To see how this painting was done, click here.

"Mixed Bunch"
SOLD - 12/29/08



 Yesterday was my wedding anniversary and my husband and I spent the day in Victoria, B.C. It was a sunny 45 degrees and it felt really good to get out in the weather as it's been so cold and snowy here the past two weeks. But I only got back late today and so I didn't get into the studio until almost 3:00 PM. A late start for me.

I'm always so dismayed by how easy it is to fall out of practice. If I paint flowers every day, then I seem to have little difficulty in rendering them. But if I skip a week and paint a different subject, I find that I have to struggle to get them right. I need to spend some time during the week just practicing my brush strokes on roses. These proved to be a challenge for me today.

Figure Painting of Reclining Nude, 20" x 30" Oil on Hard Panel

"Repose"Email me to inquire about this painting.

You probably think you've seen this one before. And you have - sort of. This is a large painting of the earlier small format figure study I did. I painted it in glazes and started with a full monochromatic under painting to make sure that the skin tones will glow more as the painting ages. I wish there were some way to really show this piece off. Photos just do not do it justice. As you turn the light up or down on a dimmer, the painting takes on a brighter luminescence that emanates from within the piece. There are some corrections that I can see still need to be made, but overall, I'm happy with it. Funny how things become apparent when you take a picture. No matter how much I look over my shoulder with a mirror, putting paintings on camera always reveals new things to my eye. I won't bore you with the changes by posting the painting again. But you can always check back to my website at www.susanspar.com in a few weeks to see if you can notice any subtle differences.

I'm not sure if I'll get the time to publish over the holiday, but just in case I don't, let me take this opportunity to wish all of my collectors and friends out there a very happy Chaunukah and a very merry Christmas. Above all I wish you health and prosperity in the coming new year. I'd also like to take this opportunity to say a heart felt "thank you" to my collectors and customers who have purchased from me over the past year. Your purchases are always a compliment and so very much appreciated.

I hope to be able to provide you all with lovely new and exciting pieces as the new year progresses.

Figure Painting Reclining Nude on Red Blanket, 5" x 7", Oil on Panel

"Nap on a Red Wool Blanket"
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Price: $59 USD plus $8 USD s/h
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Looks like it's going to be a white Christmas. We've had a bunch of snow up here. Not quite as much as Seattle, but still more than we're used to. Doesn't look like my studio is going to get much work done on it and I can't say I blame the construction guys. I wouldn't want to work out there either.

We braved the elements to go to the Dentist today so he could declare my tooth "not healed". Sigh. Back to the antibiotics. So...as a result of that mid-day foray, I had less time in the studio. I painted this little piece and threw in the red blanket to keep her warm.

Painting of Venice Canal, 5" x 7" Oil on Board

"Lost in the Rialto"
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Price: $45 USD plus $8 USD s/h
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My husband and I spent a month cruising Europe. I returned with a memory chip full of shots, but my favorites were the ones I took in Venice. It snowed another three inches last night so I thought I'd try to capture a bit of the last days of summer in the studio. This is my first attempt at a canal scene of Venice. I started with a small one. I think I'll wait a bit to try a bigger one.