Sara qualey

"My paintings celebrate the simple joys of everyday life."

Winter is a good time to look through old notes and sketches for ideas that were put on hold. This composition is one I had been thinking about for awhile. It was fun to break from my usual canvas proportions and work on this tall narrow canvas. I also tried a palette knife as well as brushes for the background which made an interesting texture. When I was arranging the bag and oranges and working on the the painting, I was thinking about circles. Now I'm seeing lots of triangles in the…

It's fun to experiment and push myself in new directions. While this is a still life, it has a certain abstract quality because of the composition, size and texture. I resurfaced an existing canvas with thick white oil paint to achieve a textured surface. After the base coat had dried, I painted with my usual oil painting brushes as well as a palette knife and oil sticks. Because it is difficult to get a sense of the texture in a photo, I have included a detail shot. "Scarf & Glass" 30" x…

We're celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Blue Moon Art Tour this Labor Day weekend - Saturday, September 3rd and Sunday, September 4th from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm both days. Sara Balbin, Diana Randolph, Reg Behrends and I will open our studios and have artwork for sale, refreshments, door prizes and demonstrations at scheduled times on both days. In my demonstration, I will explain how I determine the key colors and shapes in a flower. Then I will begin a floral painting in oil to show…

Staying home in response to the pandemic has been interesting for Bruce and me. In some ways things are the same. We take walks in the woods, ride our bikes, I spend time in the studio and Bruce practices his bass. Of course, many other things are different. We really miss getting together with our family and friends. My artist friends and I decided to keep our art dialogue going by sharing photos of the artwork we're making during this time of isolation. Bruce dubbed this "Art Apart". I…

Original Fine Art By © Irina Beskina in the DailyPaintworks.com Fine Art Gallery

How many objects have you carried with you throughout your life? This Singer sewing machine has been with me my entire 62 years. My mom made my baby clothes on it; then school clothes, prom dresses, and my wedding dress. She used it for countless curtains, slipcovers, tablecloths and pillow tops. I learned to sew on this machine. After I married, Mom gave me the Singer and I continued sewing for myself and our home. I wish it had an odometer. I'd love to know how many miles it has stitched…

How many objects have you carried with you throughout your life? This Singer sewing machine has been with me my entire 62 years. My mom made my baby clothes on it; then school clothes, prom dresses, and my wedding dress. She used it for countless curtains, slipcovers, tablecloths and pillow tops. I learned to sew on this machine. After I married, Mom gave me the Singer and I continued sewing for myself and our home. I wish it had an odometer. I'd love to know how many miles it has stitched…

Although I wanted this arrangement to have a random look, I spent a fair amount of time designing the composition. I drew intersecting diagonal lines on my canvas to help determine where to place the focal point and how to lead the eye through the composition. I also decided I wanted blue as the color theme. Before starting the large painting, I painted a small study to experiment with colors and composition. "July Lunch", 16" x 20", oil on linen, Sold

Over the past couple of years, I've enjoyed painting in a square format. I'm not sure why, but I do love a grid. Here are some works created this winter and spring. "Pomegranates", 8" x 8", oil on linen, Sold Although I used a full palette of colors, this painting has a monochromatic look. I also experimented with a smooth gessoed painting surface which gave the brush strokes a different character. "Spoons", 8" x 8", oil on board, Sold I like these bold shapes and the simple color scheme…