Monday, April 29, 2024

Post 350: Spring at Merrimac Farm

Painting Name: Spring at Merrimac Farm

Bluebells are what spring is all about at Merrimac Farm located at 15014 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville, Virginia. Their annual Bluebell Festival was held on Sunday, April 7, 2024 and the Prince William Art Society and their new Plein Air Posse group attended with artwork at a tent and artists scattered about the trail painting.

SKU: 04S24ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 16x20x1.5 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2024
Framed?: No

What Brought About this Painting?

I helped out at the PWAS tent along with Elizabeth Stathis (PWAS President) that day at the Bluebell Festival. While taking a break in the afternoon, I took a walk on the bluebell trail and took lots of pictures along the trail as seen in the PWAS Artistry Spin Blog post, Blue Sunday The painting itself was mainly painting from these two pictures I snapped that day in Nokesville:
Photo by Donna Liguria April 7, 2024

Photo by Donna Liguria April 7, 2024

The Completed Painting

Alrighty, here is the completed painting (I think) as of April 29, 2024 9:39am
Never know, I may touch up something here or there, do you think I need to?

There are three birds...can you find them and name them?
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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.


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Saturday, April 27, 2024

Post 349: Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium, NC

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium in NC

In late March, in April of this year (2024), a friend and I visited our friend Teresa at Harkers Island, North Carolina. We quickly made a list of things to do on this trip and the first check to mark off was the Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium.

Another World Under the Surface

One of the world's most awesome things in God's creation is that there is so much we don't see, just under the water's surface. So to better get a picture of what we don't see in our air breathing life above water, our number one place to visit was the aquarium off the shore of Morehead City, NC. 

Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium is at 1 Roosevelt Blvd., Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512

So over a couple of bridges we go - from Harkers Island, past Beaufort, through Morehead City, over to Atlantic Beach, driving toward the Emerald Isle, to arrive at the aquarium. 

https://www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores

My friends Teresa and Debbie outside the Aquarium - the usual photos announcing "Wish you were here!...We ARE!!"

Debbie and I. The day started off cool but quickly warmed up although it was March 29th. And spring there, in NC, is several weeks ahead of us here, living in Northern Virginia.


So many great exhibits! Although I took a lot of pictures and I have a lot of them here, I won't let you suffer through the entirety of them.  

Where's a fishing pole when you need one? Looks like dinner to me.

Who do we see here?

Did anyone know that there was such a thing as a Giant Otter? That guy is taller than Teresa!


Prehistoric monsters.








One of my favorites is seahorses. This exhibit had a herd of them in there of different colors but this guy went out for a spin.






The last exhibit - and the largest had the big boys.







I had a guy once complain about a jellyfish painting that I had at a gallery. He said my "Jellyfish Hijinks" painting was all wrong, that jellyfish do not swim upside down. He thought that I had the painting on display upside-down. Well, I certainly thought about that guy when I saw the jellies in the tank and snapped this picture (above). So na-na-de-na-na to that guy!
"Jellyfish Hijinks" 8x16 Acrylic painting by Donna Liguria

We didn't get to see any ponies this trip, on Shackleford Banks or while we were in Beaufort having lunch at a restaurant, but we did see some dolphins playing. From Beaufort, directly across the water you can sometimes spot the ponies on Carrot Island - Rachel Carson Reserve area (Islands). 

I hope you enjoyed this post of the trip to see the sea creatures.
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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.


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Friday, April 26, 2024

Post 348: Art Reception Falls Church Art Gallery

Art Reception Falls Church Art Gallery

The Flora and Fauna Art Show is up at the Falls Church Art Gallery at 700-B W. Broad St. (Route 7), Fall Church VA.

Flora and Fauna Art Show in Falls Church, VA

The art reception for the show was on opening night, April 20. My friends Bettie Sperty, Sandra McClelland Lewin and I all entered the call for art and Sandra and I were able to go to the reception. The show will run from April 20 to June 9, 2024 https://fallschurcharts.org/ We understood there were over 300 entries and each of us had one painting selected each.


Me and my entry, "Streams Never Stay the Same" above my head to the left side


Sandra McClelland Lewin and her entry "Crowned Cranes"

The top painting is by Bettie Sperty and is a thistle on gold leaf

The Show is currently visible at this link https://fallschurcharts.org/product-category/flora-and-fauna/

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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.


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Saturday, April 13, 2024

Post 347: Book Case Art

Book Case Art

I named the 4x4 gallery wrapped canvases "Book Case Art" because they are so small and do not need to be wired to hang. They will sit in a book case, a side table, or on a shelf - no hanging around for them. Here are a few new Book Case Art pieces I've been working on and finished up this week.

From top left to right: Seashore Gull, Bottoms Up 2, and Virginia Bluebells at Merrimac Farm

From left to right (and both in progress): Good Pig and PWAS Plein Air Posse in the Bluebells

Painting Name: Virginia Bluebells at Merrimac Farm

SKU: 04Q24ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x4 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2024
Framed?: No

What Brought About this Painting?

After a recent visit to the Bluebell Festival in Nokesville, VA on Sunday, April 7, 2024, I had to paint some of the scenes from the day. It was beautiful to be there and the day was exceptionally nice too. The Bluebells, well, magnificent! A fun day for the Prince William Art Society (PWAS) members and the new Plein Air Posse group.

Painting Name: Good Pig

SKU: 04P24ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x4 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2024
Framed?: No
This painting is in progress...

What Brought About this Painting?

I have had a couple of requests in my small works for pigs. Everyone has their favorite animal, so my first pig, or piglet is born. The full grown pigs - not sure I'll get to that, but a cute little piglet, ok. I can't help but be reminded of Charlotte's Web and Wilbur. Anyway, I'm still working on "Good Pig" so he's not done yet. I'll update the finished photo later.

Painting Name: Seashore Gull

SKU: 04O24ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x4 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2024
Framed?: No

What Brought About this Painting?

I do like painting water - and seashores. The gull landed on it. A nice small painting to sit on your side table and remind you of a beach vacation.

Painting Name: Bottoms Up 2

SKU: 04N24ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x4 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2024
Framed?: No

What Brought About this Painting?

At the recent Bluebell Festival, I had some minis (3x4 with easels) and a few of my book case art pieces. Bottoms Up 1 with a swan's butt in the air sold. The lady that bought it kept saying how much she loved it and repeated "MORE duck butts!) I agreed. This one is a swan but with a little adjustments, the next one will be a duck butt.

Painting Name: PWAS Plein Air Posse in the Bluebells

SKU: 04R24ACG
Medium: Acrylic
Size: 4x4 Gallery Wrapped Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2024
Framed?: No

At the recent trip to the Bluebell Festival and the inaugural outing for the PWAS Plein Air Posse group, this Book Case painting came about because of this photo below. Anyone recognize which artist this represents? 

Do you have a spot on your book shelf for one of these?
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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.


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Friday, April 12, 2024

Post 346: Reclaiming

Painting Name: Reclaiming

A big ocean conch shell sitting on the shore, deposited there at some point by the ocean. Yet, the wave about to crash down on it, wants to reclaim it.


SKU: 03M24AC
Medium: Acrylic, Glass Beads on the sand
Size: 8x10 Stretched Canvas
Edition Year: 2024
Framed?: No

Reclaiming by Donna Liguria

What Brought About this Painting?

The waves pushes the seashells and seaglass, driftwood and everything else up on the shore, but a big wave incoming, can reclaim it as well. What do you think?
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Let me know if you like my paintings and if you need a handmade, original painting for yourself or as a gift for a friend or family member. If you want to commission me to do a painting for you, please contact me through this blog, on Facebook, My Website at https://DonnaLiguriaArt.com, or go to Donna Liguria Art on Etsy at https://donnaliguriaart.etsy.com to shop my available Artwork.


*Thank you for visiting and remember to Share, to Follow, and please Comment!