taking a break

"Independence Day"

I'm taking a break from painting this week. I feel really guilty about this, but I just need some time to think. I've been learning so much in my "Flying Lessons" I just need a week to take some time to process it.

Also, I have an exhibit coming up with my studio quilts. I know I said those were behind me, but I made nine quilts this spring that I think really need to be exhibited and I have an opportunity to do so with the Lincoln Artists' Guild.

So, I'll see you next week...for those of you in the United States, have a safe, fun, happy, wonderful FOURTH OF JULY!!

no. 041 - "flapper flower"

"Flapper Flower"

Some days I can totally surprise myself. Today was one of those days! This little flower painted on archival paper just has so much personality to me. She reminds me of a Flapper from the 1920's doing the Charleston. She's wearing her cloche hat and a skirt with fringe or feathers at the bottom. Having the time of her life at a Jazz festival in the garden.

I hope I can paint another!!

no. 040 - "flower frolic"

"Flower Frolic"

Today I tried doing a little mosaic inspired ground for my painting. So, I cut up pieces of scrapbook paper and glued it to my stretched canvas with decoupage glue. Then I painted my flower. Well, I didn't let very much of the scrapbook background show through. It seemed a little too busy to me. I do like the dimension it gives.

sculpy fun!!

Also...my son and I made some Sculpy clay balls. Lots of fun colors!!

no. 039 - "a salvaged heart" - SOLD

"A Salvaged Heart"

Another collage today. They are just FUN! Tomorrow will be another painting. I'm not sure it will be a still life or something that has been brewing in my mind.

my first painting

Just wanted to share with you the first painting I did. This was done in 2007. I remember I had these 16" x 20" canvases hanging around and I thought...I just need to go for it!

This character is "Miss Hattie" and she has been on my mind for many, many years.

no. 038 - "i love you" - SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“I Love You"

6″ x 6"

collage on Ampersand gesso panel

Busy day today, so I just did a collage.

Truthfully, I've been having some issues with my "daily painting". I don't know if it's the direction I really want to be going in. Painting still lifes have really improved my painting ability, but they take so much of my day, I don't get to paint what is truly in my heart.

My scanner came in today...yeah! and my dick blick order came in today...yeah! and the father's day gift I ordered for my husband came today...yeah! I think we're set!

no. 037 - "out of lime"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Out of Lime"

8″ x 8"

oil on paper

Click here to bid.

A little play on words.

I spent the day getting almost all my daily paintings on Etsy. Except for this one, it went on Ebay. Tomorrow I'm going to be announcing a sale in my Etsy store. Just a little way to celebrate getting my gallery online. Stay tuned!

no. 036 - "limes inside"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Limes Inside"

8″ x 8"

oil on paper

Available on Etsy.

Time to watch Adventure Time.

no. 035 - "slices"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Slices"

8″ x 8"

oil on paper

Some orange slices to go with the lemon wedges.

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there!

bedtime stories

Most nights I have to do a little reading before I can go to sleep. I just finished "The Brightest Star In the Sky" by Marian Keyes. I would highly recommend it. It's a very entertaining story with many interesting characters hooking up with each other and then breaking up with each other. There's a little "voice" throughout the book that's looking for something and that's all I'm going to say, because I don't want to ruin it if you decide to read it.

I just realized I have failed to read The Great Gatsby. Seriously, what kind of high school education did I get? So, that's going to be my next book.

Have you read any good books lately?

no. 034 - "weadgies"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Weadgies"

8″ x 8"

oil on paper

Today I nailed my painting! I am doing the happy painter dance...:) On August 27, last year I painted my very first still life. As you can see, I have improved! Amazing what a year can do!

In other news I'm anxiously awaiting my new scanner. I'm very excited to be offering prints in my etsy shop SOON!!

Now I must go run some errands...ta-ta!

no. 033 - "lemon inside"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Lemon Inside"

8″ x 8"

oil on paper

I was going to keep going with the asparagus, but it just wasn't working so I switched to a lemon. Many emotions were experienced painting today. There was a point when I was just about to walk away from it all. I just kept painting and I do like how it turned out today.

Can you believe it's Friday? I can't! I hope you have a lovely weekend! I'm having a girls night out tonight with my friends Anne and Melanie (Melanie doesn't have a blog)! Fun!!

no. 032 - "sun bathers"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Sun Bathers"

8″h x 8"w

oil on paper

Maybe it's all the sun I got today, but it looks to me like these purple asparagus are stretched out catching some rays.

I really like painting in the 8 x 8 inch size. It's a challenge for me to paint small and 6 inch square seems a little too small sometimes. Maybe I'll move up a few inches when I have to order panels again.

Maybe you have noticed, but if not, I have added 2 pages to my blog. The links are at the top. One is a link to what I have for sale on ebay and the other is what I have for sale on etsy.

Thank you for stopping by today!

no. 031 - "purple asparagus"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Purple Asparagus"

5″h x 7"w

oil on Ampsersand clayboard

I ran out of my usual hardboard with a few coats of gesso and so I painted on what was around the house. Which was Ampersand clayboard. My paints were not moving at all. It didn't matter how much thinner I used, they just weren't moving!

I'll have to find something different for tomorrows painting while I wait for my new panels to come in.

no. 030 - "two stars"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Two Stars"

6″ x 6"

oil on gesso board

My son was very excited one day when he came home from school and told me that apples have stars in them! If you cut an apple through it's core you will see it.

I am having such a hard time keeping on schedule. I know when it's time for my son to go back to school I'll have a groove going and then I'll have to change all over again! That's life!

I really like to get my daily painting done right away so I don't have to worry about it. Lately things keep coming up! I also have to pick a time when I think I'll have the least interruptions. Thinking about being interrupted will deter me from painting more than anything.

For example today I had to be somewhere by 1:00. I couldn't start my painting before so, I just tried to get other stuff done. I could have had my painting done, but I don't want to feel rushed! OH WELL!!

I really like todays painting because the colors remind me of my grandmothers. The blue green color reminds me of my mother's mother, Beth Muller, and the pink background and the red of the apples remind me of my father's mother, Eula Marie Hingst.

no. 029 - "sliced"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Sliced"

6″ x 6"

oil on gesso board

no. 028 - "pink lady" SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Pink Lady"

6″ x 6"

oil on gesso board

It's 10:53 p.m. and I can't go on any more. I'm sorry I only have a WIP (work in progress) to show you. I'll have to get caught up tomorrow!

I'll be posting no. 28 later tonight! I can't believe the weekend is almost over...

no. 027 - "gossip girls" SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Gossip Girls"

6″ x 6"

oil on gesso board

Could these lovely pink lady apples be spreading some vicious gossip. Maybe about the lovely pink lady apple who is about to leave the scene?

Oh how the mind wonders when your painting!

I've decided to put my daily paintings up for sale on Etsy and see how that goes.

no. 026 - "apple inside" SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Apple Inside"

6″ x 6"

oil on gesso board

Click here to bid.

This is more like it!!

I used Genesis Heat Set Oils on this painting. These oils are totally non-toxic, clean up with soap and water and won't dry until you dry them with a heat gun or in the oven. They are very creamy like real oils and are really nice to work with.

To start my painting I did a preliminary sketch of my still life with a pastel pencil to get warmed up, then sketched the still life with paint on my gesso board and filled it in and - done!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

no. 025 - "a lemon inside"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“A Lemon Inside"

6″ x 6"

acrylic on gesso board

I have to admit, I'm a little worried about my daily painting progress. It seems like my paintings are getting worse, not better. I don't know if it's because I'm using acrylics or if I'm trying to paint subject that are too complex? I don't know. I also miss painting on stretched canvas instead of a hardboard panel. Tomorrow I'm going to try this again in oils and maybe on canvas.

I do like the colors.

I have also veered away from my main goal for my daily paintings. Which is to paint from a still life or plein air, paint my subject directly onto my surface (no preliminary drawing and copying it onto my surface), and staying in the 6 x 6 inch size range. So, I'm going to pull myself back in and aim for these standards I have set for myself.

no. 024 - "yipes stripes"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Yipes Stripes” from the PITCH SOME WOO series

10″ x 8"

acrylic on un-stretched canvas

Yeah! No polka dots! Had fun painting these today!

Tomorrow will be an early painting day. I've got a busy day planned...stock etsy shop, tweak blog and errands. Along with my painting.

no. 023 - "peekaboo"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Peekaboo” from the PITCH SOME WOO series

6″ x 6"

acrylic on gesso board

Do you remember PEEKABOO POLKA DOTS? The shoes actually have a basket weave woven heel, like in this picture. I had always thought they would look better with a solid black heel, so I was using my "creative license" in the first painting of these shoes.

no. 022 - "seeing spots"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Seeing Spots” from the PITCH SOME WOO series

10″ x 8"

mixed-media on un-stretched canvas

I seem to be on a polka dot spree. I was bad, and didn't make it up early to get my painting done. It didn't seem to matter, I was on a roll today!

Available from my Etsy shop soon!

no. 021 - "peekaboo polka dots"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Peekaboo Polka Dots”

7″ x 5″

acrylic on Ampersand clayboard

I did it! This morning I was up by 4:00 a.m. painting. It has made my whole day a lot less stressful. By 8:00 when the house started to come "alive" I was cleaning my brushes. I'm going to try to stay with the same schedule tomorrow.

I almost forgot to mention...

A year ago today was my last day working full time as a graphic designer. A lot has happened over this year.

I'm really thankful for the support of my family. We have been on a little tighter budget and truthfully, I sometimes feel a little guilty. BUT I know in the end this time will pay off!

Thank you for stopping by on this special day!

no. 020 - "gabe's sp"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Gabe's SP”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso board

Today's painting was a struggle. It was a struggle to finish, it was a struggle to paint...it was just hard.

My 7 year old son is out of school and is freaking out because he doesn't have anything to do and we should be doing something because he's on summer break. (And I was painting his SP.) I kindly tried to explain to him that even though he is out of school, his parents still need to work.

AND for me, since I work at home in our living room, I am constantly being interrupted. You can't interrupt an acrylic painting! So, since I'm not a night owl, I'm going to have to try to get up really early and get my "daily painting" done then.

I have also almost decided that I'm going to get a booth at the Milford Fun Days Festival in Milford, NE, the town I grew up in and where my parents still live. SO, if I do that I'm going to be doing a lot more painting than one small painting a day!!

Hope your having a lovely weekend!

no. 019 - "cute as a strawberry"

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Cute as a Strawberry”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso board

This is the first strawberry I have ever painted. I have always been intimidated by the seeds.

no. 018 - "polka dots & roses" SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Polka Dots & Roses”

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso board

I started this painting on a pink ground. I think it really gives it a warm glow.

no. 017 - "rose buddies" SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Rose Buddies"

6″ x 6″

acrylic on gesso board

Just a bunch of roses hanging out!

no. 016 - "garden rose" - SOLD

© 2010 Heather Hingst Bennett

“Garden Rose"

6″ x 6″

oil on gesso board

$10 USD – free shipping in US.

Please contact me to purchase or for more information.

These are roses that grow on the south side of our house. They are the kind that bloom only once. I like the looseness of this painting. I think I have put together a better arrangement for tomorrows painting.

Thanks for looking!