Postcards from paradise

2006-07-20T08:07:00.000+02:00

Just a quick note to say that I haven't forgotten about my everyday painting project, my plate is really full at the moment and as soon as I have some free time I will return to painting.

Thanx for all the support and I will be back soon!

2006-06-09T15:47:00.000+02:00

Perfume Bottle

by Maxine Frances
6"x5"
click here to buy this piece

I can't think of something more challenging to paint than glass. However it is really rewarding when it works well. This is a bottle of perfume that was given to me on my birthday. The bottle is so charming and unique I couldn't help but paint it.

2006-06-08T15:05:00.000+02:00

Paintbrush
by Maxine Frances

2006-06-05T10:29:00.000+02:00

Chinese Takeaway
by Maxine Frances
5"x5"
click here to buy this piece

An original Chinese takeaway box all the way from Chinatown, Boston. A friend of mine recently went to Boston and brought back this box, full of delicious treats (not Chinese). I have never actually been to Boston, but I thought it was nice of her to bring me an original chinese takeaway box, that we always see in the movies...
What better way to capture a gorgeous gift than in oils?

Daisy

2006-05-17T08:36:00.000+02:00

Butterfly on flower

2006-05-10T11:44:00.000+02:00

Butterfly on Flower
by Maxine Frances
5"x5"
click here to buy this piece

Since starting my everyday paintings I have always wanted to do an abstract painting. Of all my paintings posted here this is the most abstract. I limited my my time allocation to paint this painting and it was quite an enjoyable challenge. I am inspired to paint a completly abstract postcard size painting, but I think that will happen later in month.

Orange and Blue

2006-05-09T09:41:00.000+02:00

Orange and Blue
5"x4.5"
by Maxine Frances
click here to buy this piece

This is one of the smallest paintings that I have painted since I started painting daily. I quite like the size of it, its cute. It didn't take that long to paint either, about one and half to two hours. This is definately one of my favourites!

Paintbrushes

2006-05-08T12:22:00.000+02:00

Paintbrushes
By Maxine Frances

My first painting for the month. After a very long break, it feels good to be back.
I love this subject matter, and I'm sure that many artists would agree. Even after a long painting day, whether successful or not, there is something very satisfactory about cleaning ones brushes. This painting could be seen as a tribute to my brushes.

2006-05-02T08:08:00.000+02:00

Thank you to everyone who visited and had a look at my work. Those of you that followed my blog will know that at the beginning of the month I set out a target/goal for myself. I wanted to complete one postcard size painting a day for the entire month of April. Regular followers will know that I didn't quite reach my goal but I did manage to complete 11 paintings, which is better than none, right?
I will try and increase this number this month, after a couple days off. I was thinking of running with a theme this month and I thought black and white paintings would be nice, but I'm still not to sure about this. I guess you all going to have to wait and see.

2006-04-29T12:15:00.000+02:00

Lilies

2006-04-27T11:03:00.000+02:00

Green Apples

2006-04-24T12:39:00.000+02:00

And here is the final result. Adding light and shadow gives the apprance of a sphere, which with the right colour and a few details can be turned into almost anything!

Rough painting

2006-04-21T06:57:00.000+02:00

This stage isn't completly necessary but I find it helps in giving me a mental picture of what I am about to paint. No attention is paid to light and shadow, just the shape.

Rough Charcoal Sketch

2006-04-19T08:36:00.000+02:00

The next stage I go through when doing an oil painting is to make a very rough charcoal sketch of what I plan to paint. Depending on my mood I complete this stage in one of three mediums: charcoal, pencil or in oil paint. I find that for myself each of these mediums work particularly well. But each artist should experiment to find which works best for them.
This stage of the painting is necessary to work out perspective and where the objects will be placed. There isn't really an emphasis on details just layout at this stage.

It's not abstract, its my undercoat

2006-04-18T11:22:00.000+02:00

I thought it would be nice to post the series of stages that I go through with each oil painting that I paint. In this particular painting I have used a yellow ochre acrylic undercoat. Acrylic dries quicker which allows me to get to the actual painting much faster than if an oil undercoat was used.
The size of this painting is 6.5"x5.5"
I hope you enjoy seeing a painting revealed right before your eyes.

Shades of Grey on Black

2006-04-17T10:45:00.000+02:00

Shades of Grey on Black
by Maxine Frances
5"x7"
click here to buy this piece

Lovely Lilies

2006-04-14T13:05:00.000+02:00

Lovely Lilies
by Maxine Frances
6"x5.5"
click here to buy this piece

Sun Goddess

2006-04-13T10:01:00.000+02:00

Sun Goddess
by Maxine Frances
5"x7"
click here to purchase this piece

For as long as I can remember I have always loved painting and drawing flowers. So naturally I would include one of my favourite flowers, the sunflower, in my series of postcard paintings. As a child I remember going on really long drives past farms with my family and on one of these long summer drives we came across a field of bright yellow sunflowers. They were gorgeous. We then stopped and my dad picked two large flowers one for my sister and one for me. That was the day I fell in love with sun flowers.

Untragic Saddness

2006-04-11T12:34:00.000+02:00

Untragic Saddness
by Maxine Frances
5"x7"
click here to buy this piece

Dusk As The Swallows Fly Home

2006-04-09T14:55:00.000+02:00

Dusk as the swallows fly home
by Maxine Frances
5"x7"
click here to buy this piece

Firstly I would like to apologise for not updating my blog, a little thing called life took over and I didn't have any time to paint. Hopefully my painting "Dusk as the swallows fly home" will make up for this. This painting is done in oil paint and is the size of a postcard as most of my paintings are. I enjoyed this painting very much as it isn't what I would normally paint and it offered something new to create. Thanx for taking the time to look at my paintings.

2006-04-06T15:28:00.000+02:00

Ballerina

The Ugly Ducklings

2006-04-05T08:13:00.000+02:00

The Ugly Ducklings
by Maxine Frances
5"x7"
click here to buy this piece

Everyone knows about the story of the ugly duckling, and I think it offers a message of hope. Hope offers us all an equal opportunity, to dream and become the best we can be. We all have to rely on hope at one time or another. In addition hope speaks to the possibility that things won't be bad forever. For instance I'm not sure this everyday painting "experiment" will work, but I love painting and I do it because I love it and hopefully someone, somewhere will like my work. Everyday, this is what I hope for.

Hand With Flower

2006-04-02T06:36:00.000+02:00

Hand with Flower
by Maxine Frances
5"x7"
Click here to buy this piece

I have never been a fan of gardening so I don't know when to plant roses or in what climate they florish. So you could say I gambled as I lovingly sccattered the seeds in the soil. Some might say I lost because only one grew, but I don't think so because the one that did is beautful. Its bright red petals illuminate the garden and I thought I would capture this in a painting. I decided that I would keep the background dark because I didn't want to detract from the roses beauty.

Love

2006-04-01T07:46:00.000+02:00

Love
by Maxine Frances
Oil on board
5"x7"
Click here to buy this piece

This is my first postcard size painting going up for sale. Don't all rush at once everyone, there will be plenty to go around. All of my paintings will be sold at a fixed rate of $70 and if you click on the link you can purchase the piece from my online gallery.
"Love" was my first postcard painting and I really enjoyed painting it as it gave me the motivation to carry on painting.

2006-04-01T07:36:00.000+02:00

I thought I would try something new for April, since it is a new month and I don't want to bore all my regular viewers to death! So I decided that I would set myself a challenge/goal for myself. I want to complete a painting eveyday and post it on my blog, I thought these regular updates would keep viewers of my blog interested as well as challenging me as an artist.
I do plan on selling my paintings at a fixed rate but there are a couple of details I need to work out before this can be done safely. All of my paintings will be done on thick corrugated cardboard, unless otherwise stated.
So in closing I hope you will enjoy the challenge I have set myself and view my work regularly.

2006-03-30T08:32:00.000+02:00

Still life with box and mask
Still life on paper done in black pen.
This piece is currently available for
sale

2006-03-29T11:14:00.000+02:00

African Sunset
A large oil painting done on canvas of an elephant trunk.

2006-03-29T10:49:00.000+02:00

View of a Lake
I have always enjoyed painting water and the reflections that are created in it. As the sun sets the reflections on water seem almost magiacal and that is what I wanted to convey in this particular piece.
It is done in oil paint on paper.

2006-03-29T10:17:00.000+02:00

Pieces of me
This is a drawing that I did for my tenth grade final exam, years ago. It wasn't quite complete and I finished it a couple of months ago. It serves as a reminder of how much I have grown as an artist, and even though it isn't the most perfect or realistic pencil drawing, I still love it because of what has gone into creating this piece.

2006-03-28T11:00:00.000+02:00

Oil paint on paper.
I enjoy painting portraits, studying the way in which the human face all fits toghether like a puzzle. It's always a challenge, as no two "puzzles" are alike. Each face offers different challenges and requires close attention to detail and I can't help but to be mesmerized by the story each face offers. Portrait painting has really made me realise that all faces are truly beautiful.

2006-03-28T10:19:00.000+02:00

Hello world!

Welcome to my blog, this is post number one of many more. I have recently re-discovered art and the whole process of creating, which I love.
Painting and drawing haven't been high on my priority list for the past couple of years and I have made a conscious decision to change this. Due to this uncreative time frame I do feel that I am a little rusty, but I'm sure this will change with time.
One of the great myths in the art world is that art is only for a specific group of people or nobody wants art these days. This couldn't be further from the truth. I think the demand for art is higher than ever and with the affordable prices and wide range of material found here, you are sure to find the perfect piece for you. Most of the pieces here will be for sale and I will provide links where necessary. I also do custom work for individuals looking for a completly unique artwork and I am happy to recieve emails regarding this.
Well, that's it, for now. Hope you enjoy my blog and come back again, and again.
Cheers!