To you from us...

139. Star of Night

'Star of Night'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

This paper star ornament/decoration is called a 'Finnish Star' all over the internet, but I've no idea where its true origins lie. Wherever it comes from, it's a fun little craft to make, and to paint. :)

(This painting will be ready to ship after Jan. 1, 2014.)

Click here to bid.

138. Warm Frosting

'Warm Frosting'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Whew! I was starting to think I wouldn't get any more painting in this year... but, I finally made a little time. Merry Christmas to me. :)

And, no more stressing about it - after a little self-lecture, I've given myself a break. It's time to savor the season and I can't wait. :)

This little scene is from a few weeks back. A stretch of record-setting cold turned our evergreen landscape to frosty white for days and days. The hard, crunchy ground and frosted-over cars seemed weird and perfectly normal all at the same time. 

This is early morning, the rising sun lighting up the frosty dikelands of the Columbia River.  

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Oh, and there's still time to get a calendar before Christmas...just go to the tab at the top of the page.

Thanks for viewing my work!

Judges pick and a giveaway...

Sweet! 

'Fog Line' was a judges pick in the Daily Paintworks monthly contest for November. Thanks, DPW! 

Click here to see all the entries and winners. :)

Oh, and I brought an armful of calendars to the post office today - Yay! 

Thanks, all!

Speaking of calendars, I'd love to give some away! I'll choose randomly from the fans of my Facebook page and post the winners Wednesday evening.

Head over there and 'like' my page if you haven't already.   :)

Thanks for stopping by and happy Monday!

Sale in my etsy store...

I added some paintings to my etsy shop - some at greatly reduced prices! Check it out! It's that time of the year when I'm overwhelmed by 'stuff' - gotta clear some things out of here! ;) 

Click here to see my etsy store.

Thanks!

2014 Calendar

I made a calendar!

Paintings by Nora Bergman

2014 Wall Calendar

8.5" x 11" (17" x 11" when hanging)

Printed on premium glossy card stock and spiral bound.

Sorry, I'm all sold out!
Watch for my 2015 calendar later this year. :)

Cover

Artwork by month

Images are approximately 6.75" x 6.75" 

- slightly larger than the original paintings.

137. Paper Cut

'Paper Cut'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

My sister Rita makes much better paper snowflakes than this, but she's not here, so my lame attempt will have to do. (Oh, and also, painting one of hers would take much longer. :) )

I don't recall painting paper before - I really liked it!

I'll for sure be doing it again.

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November in Review...

As always, to see the availability of any of these works, just visit my Daily Paintworks gallery or click the link on the sidebar.

Thanks for stopping by!

136. Ball and Twine

'Ball and Twine'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Ok, it's officially the most wonderful time of the year. :)

A glass ornament with red and white twine chillin' in front of an antique mirror. I like that the wrinkled white dish towel looks a bit like snow. :)

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135. Sweet Salute

'Sweet Salute'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Too early? :)

Can't help myself, it's (nearly) my favorite time of the year.

This was one literally just makes me smile.

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134. Lola's

'Lola's'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

A stripey little scene from Astoria, Oregon. 

So much pattern and repetition - the design principles that most often jump out at me. From the shadowy sidewalk to the storefronts and especially in that awning. Love that awning.

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133. Fog Line

'Fog Line'

6" x 6"

 oil on gessoboard

Even after living in this part of the country for fifteen years, I'm still amazed at how green it is all the year 'round. 

'Course, it's also wet and mossy and damp and moldy and soggy. 

And beautiful. :)

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132. Water House

'Water House'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

My two-year-old likes to hang out with me while I paint, and I often ask if he can tell what I'm painting. He gives some great constructive criticism. ;) 

Anyway, I don't recall ever talking about water towers with him, but apparently someone has, because his response today was, "Um, a water house?" Love that little rascal. :)

I snapped this evening scene last summer on the Columbia River dikelands, and even though I've pondered it countless times since then, I was just too chicken to attempt painting it. Well, today was the day, and I'm so glad I waited. Something clicked that hasn't been lately, and it was pure fun.

Thanks for viewing my work. 

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131. Plastic Chair

'Plastic Chair'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

It's just a faded orange lawn chair doing a little basking. 

I'm jealous. :)

not for sale

130. Floating

'Floating'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

A little stack of glass fishing floats.

Old and shiny and ornament-like... hmm, I might need to get a few more...

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129. Morning Watch

'Morning Watch'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

This feels very different for me (thus making me more nervous than normal about posting), but the in-house critic approves, so here it is. :)

You know I love me some saturated color, but I've lately been on the hunt for a way to capture the amazing morning fog that we experience in the fall and winter months. (Who am I kidding, it can be foggy year-round in these parts.) Anyway, the fog and sun combo this morning was great, so after dropping the oldest off at school, the younger two and I took a little photo-seeking tour of the neighborhood. I almost always head to the dikelands of the Columbia River, partly because it's the only flat land around here and it reminds me of home, and mostly because the way the sun spreads across the marshes and canals with the ridges and foothills rising in the distance; well, it can be pretty stunning. 

So, pretty as all that was, the highlight of our little jaunt was easily the sight of these beautiful bald eagles. Two! I've seen lone bald eagles several times in my life, but I don't ever recall seeing two at once! It was cool. 

My boys thought so too. :) 

Here's my inspiration photo: 

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128. Pile of Tin

'Pile of Tin'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Ok, this totally brings me back to the campfire circle at Camp Birchwood. 

Sing along if you know it...

'She's an old pile of tin, nobody knows what shape she's in, Got four wheels and a runnin' board, She's a Ford, Oh she's a Ford. 

Honk honk rattle rattle rattle crash beep beep...."

I spotted this lovely old Ford panel truck in Astoria, Oregon. 

So faded and rusty and sweet and fun to paint.

(And you're welcome for the earworm.)

:)

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October in review...

It's so fun to look back at a month this way!

Of course, I always wish there were more paintings to share, but I

 am very satisfied with this lot. :)

I have been painting this week, but it's been a struggle. Probably because I'm avoiding some tedious and boring (but very necessary) responsibilities on my to-do list. 

*Sigh*.

 I might as well get them over with so I can paint with a clear (and guilt-free) mind. :) 

To see the availability of these or any of my paintings, just visit my Daily Paintworks Gallery. 

Thanks for viewing my work!

127. Feeling Blue

'Feeling Blue'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

It's a jar. A blue jar. :) 

With a little bit of drama in the lighting. 

Makes the blue jar all dark and moody and stuff. 

Now I better go clean up before the door knockers start coming, -- my seven-year- old suggested we just block the view of the mess with our bodies when we answer the door. I better go put on my mattress costume. ;) 

Happy Halloween!

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126. Through the Park

'Through the Park'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

I took my oldest boy to our dentist last week, and after his appointment we took advantage of the crazy-awesome weather and spent a few minutes by  Lake Sacajawea, easily the prettiest spot in Longview, WA. 

The lake is surrounded by elm trees which are gorgeous year-round, but, now, when they are absolutely lit from within -- amazing. I took a bunch of photos under the warm, glowing canopy, and I've tried desperately to translate a number of them in paint since then. SO hard! 

This is attempt number four, and I think I finally have one that I'm happy with. Or, I'm just exhausted and never want to see a turned leaf again. ;)

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125. Yellow Rose Twice

'Yellow Rose Twice'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

After blowing all my free time yesterday on a painting that bit the dust, I am so happy to share these roses with you today. I love the challenge of painting objects that are yellow - tricky, tricky! 

I learned a little more - and, I had a great time. :)

Happy Friday!

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124. Fill 'er Up

'Fill 'er Up'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

Another well-used mode of transportation from my front yard. 

'My car', according to my two-and-half-year-old.

It's amazing how much noise is created when this plastic car is pushed rapidly down the sidewalk. :)

My littlest noisemaker and his car. :)

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123. Movers and Shakers

'Movers and Shakers'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

Shake it up, baby.

I brought my shiny shakers out in the bright sunshine to find some dramatic shadows. I love the sun. And the shadows she makes. 

I s'pose us northwesterners get a little annoying when the sun is shining; we just really, really don't take her for granted. :) 

And, there's a full week of her ahead. Yay. :)

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122. On Your Mark

'On Your Mark'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

We thoroughly enjoyed a warm, sunny weekend, and this little fella (along with numerous other trip-hazards) got a chance to dry off and move around a bit, thanks to my boys and their cousins. Isn't it the best when great weather coincides with the weekend? 

I took advantage of the beautiful sun and snapped some shots of the retro-style Radio Flyer in all his red, white and rusted chrome glory. So many great lines and I love the way the shadows fall on the white-walled tires and spokes. This one just makes me smile. :)

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121. October Sun

'October Sun'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

This sunny little scene was captured a year ago here in our small town, and we're enjoying similar weather today. A welcome change from the ginormous amounts of rain we've had recently. :)

I tried painting this several times last year, but it was sort of a nightmare. :)  Now that I know the joy of painting on a black ground, this sort of scene works so much better. I'm kinda lovin' it. 

Photographing it, though, - well, that was not as much fun. Those purply tree shadows just get waaay too blue and glow-in-the-dark for some reason, but with the magic of photo editing (completely accidental 'let's try this' kind of editing) I got them to look very close to reality. Whew! 

Oh, also, Blogger has decided that all photos need a little extra saturation, so the image is actually a tad more accurate on Daily Paintworks and my Facebook page. That is, according to my monitor. Ha! 

Now that I've spent nearly as much time on the photo editing as I did on the painting itself...tgif! 

Have a great weekend!

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120. Mason Jar Trio

'Mason Jar Trio'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

I've been in a bit of a painting rut -- I had a really great start on one at the end of last week, but I couldn't get it to come together. So, I tried again on Sunday. And Tuesday. And today. Guess what! It still won't work! 

Reminds me of that Einstein - attributed quote about the definition of insanity. Not Einstein, by the way. As Abraham Lincoln once said, 'The problem with internet quotes is that you can't always verify their accuracy.' ;)

Anyway, all that to say, I (finally) wisely moved on to something else. 

I love these old jars and took a different approach with them today - it felt good to stretch in a new direction. And, my rut feels like it might be getting a little shallower. :)

Thanks for viewing my work!

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September in review...

The 30 paintings in 30 days challenge is over! Yay! ;)

Although I didn't even come close to thirty, I'm really happy with what I did accomplish. Fourteen! Whoohoo! All done in the same month that school and Sunday school resumed -- so, sort of miraculous for me. :) 

I s'pose I could have squeezed in one or two more if I really tried, but then my boys would have been wearing dirty clothes to school. ;)

I really appreciate the motivation and encouragement that this challenge provided -- thanks again for spurring us on, Leslie Saeta! A lot of the artists are linking collages like this on her blog - it's really cool to see the whole month's work all in one shot. Very satisfying. :)

I think I'll continue to that at the end of each month.

Oh, and eleven of my fourteen sold or currently have bids -- that gets an even bigger YAY! 

Thanks, all!

119. On Hold

'On Hold'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

(My no. 14 in the 30/30 challenge.)

Just my old phone again. :)

Had a little fun with the colors of the shadows.

Thanks for viewing my work!

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118. Rain on Your Parade

'Rain on Your Parade'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

(My no. 13 in the 30/30 challenge.)

Hey gang! Yes, I'm still painting. ;)

 Clearly, I will most likely not reach my goal of 20 paintings in the 30-day challenge, but I am oh-so-ok with that. :)

'Creating' has always been life-giving to me; it spurs me on like nothing else. Because of that, I feel infinitely blessed that I get to chase this dream from the comfort of my home. And, because I'm also immeasurably blessed to have a family, the balance of all these things requires an ebb and flow, win-some, lose-some, one day at a time approach. This day (and the last several), I'm taking it easy. :) We're all a little sick, we're all still adjusting to the school schedule (okay, maybe that's just me), and I'm trying hard to choose my bed over my paintbrush. It's been good - my blood pressure monitor is thanking me. :)

Ok, this little guy - I took this photo several years ago while visiting family in New Hampshire. It was early November, it was rainy and it was lovely. I've yet to visit New England at the peak of fall color - would LOVE to. I get serious east coast envy at this time of the year. ;)

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117. Umpqua Light

'Umpqua Light'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

(My no. 12 in the 30/30 challenge.)

I love lighthouses. 

I tried hard to choose a unique composition for this light - didn't feel like making any ol' lighthouse painting. And, hey, why not make the sky a little on the turquoisy/teal side while I'm at it. I am an artist after all. ;)

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116. Shady Bug

'Shady Bug'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

(My no. 11 in the 30/30 challenge!)

Hey!

So, this was a major challenge, probably mostly because I was really trying to hurry and finish before prime 'outdoor photographing hours' disappeared. In fact, it's thanks to my husband that I actually have something to post. ;) He stopped me from wiping away the entire thing out of sheer frustration. Instead, I took a break, enjoyed a beautiful sunset, came back and wiped away everything except the car. And then everything was so much better. Simplify, simplify, simplify. :)

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115. Reserved Parking

'Reserved Parking'

6" x 6"

oil on gessobord

(My no. 10 in the 30/30 challenge.)

This private parking spot is directly outside our front door. :)

Bikes and trikes really cast some great shadows -- this one was very fun to paint. This photo is from a couple of months ago when sun and shadows were in abundance. I miss you already, summer!

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114. Hang Up

'Hang Up'

6" x 6" 

oil on gessobord

(My no. 9 in the 30/30 challenge.)

I haven't painted my old phone for a while - so here she is. 

 Well, half of her, anyway. ;) 

I had fun trying to squeeze as many colors as possible into the 'black'.

Thanks for checking out my work!

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113. Amber Waves

'Amber Waves'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

(My no. 8 in the 30/30 challenge)

I have a small collection of old shaving mirrors that I really like. 

They're simple, utilitarian and shiny. Vintage bling, if you will. :)

Today one of my favorite mirrors is reflecting a favorite pattern.  I've painted this tablecloth before and I always love that wavy pattern, but this time, I think the folds steal the show.

Thanks for viewing my work!

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112. It's (SO not) a Snap

'It's a Snap'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

(My no. 7 for the '30 in 30' challenge.)

Ok, so just because you don't see me here doesn't mean I'm not painting.

Yesterday, I painted and then wiped off one and a half whole paintings before getting to this little guy. UGH. Monday. Sometimes you can't just make it work, no matter what Tim Gunn says. 

It's a new day and things are going much better. :)

I've painted these snapdragons before with a blue (t-shirt) background, and this one was just as much fun. The blue one is still available, btw, just look for it in my Daily Paintworks gallery.

Oh, speaking of Daily Paintworks, they have a new monthly contest with cash prizes and my entry 'Peeling Potatoes' (below) for last month was one of the judges picks! Yay! I get a free month's membership and all the work I post this month will be up near the top of the page. Better get to painting!

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111. Mine is the Morning

'Mine is the Morning'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Six daily paintings in a row. 

Don't expect to hear from me over the weekend. ;)

I'm not giving up on the '30 in 30' challenge, just taking a break.

Kudos to all of you that are trucking on through. 

When I paint this frequently, I sorta get more and more critical of each piece; - I start to think, "Oh, the next one will be better, the next one I'll be so much faster!" (I prefer to think of it not as overly critical; instead, I'm an eternal optimist!) 

Anyway, in trying to achieve 'better', I then choose more difficult reference photos as the week goes on, and pretty soon I'm spending every free moment of the day on one painting! 

(You can imagine what my house looks like right now.)

Sheesh. Gotta chill out. :)

Back to the painting: This morning scene was captured last fall, just around the corner from our house. One of many mornings that I rushed back to the house to get the camera after dropping off my son at school.

Thanks for sticking with me this week - I gotta go order a pizza to feed my family. :)

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110. Your Porch or Mine?

'Your Porch or Mine?'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Day five in the '30 in 30' challenge! Whew! This one about did me in. 

And, then, trying to get a good picture of it - not easy! 

This little scene is from one of the quaint hilly streets in Astoria, Oregon. 

I love cruising around Astoria on a sunny day, admiring all the charming houses perched perilously on hillsides.

Astoria is one of the oldest cities on the West Coast, and a large portion of her first immigrant settlers were from Finland, the land of my forefathers. I get a kick out of seeing 'Suomi Hall' (now a retail store) and other Finnish names around town - makes me feel at home. ;)

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109. Another Pretty Face

'Another Pretty Face'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Four for four! And, it's only Wednesday!  

Painting daily is super beneficial - I'm excited to see how I grow and stretch during the rest of the month.

It seems I'm on a bit of a floral kick - see, I'm stretching myself already! And, it's pink! I'm not typically a fan, but this pansy face got me. It was one of those that seem like a wiper almost all the way through, but, just near the end, it came together and I'm happy with the result. 

Thanks for checking out my work!

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108. Third Day in the the Sun!

'Day in the Sun'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Yahoo, three in a row for the '30 in 30' challenge!

This was another really fun one to paint - and who can resist a backlit sunflower? This one is growing in my sister's front yard - so warm, sunny, summery, warm ;) ...love it. But, to me, they also give off the first sneaky feelings of Fall...which I also love, but not quite yet! 

Speaking of Fall, today was the first day of school for my boys -- here they are all ready to go! (Second grade and kindergarten.) It is so cool to see them grow and experience these big milestones. I'm so blessed. :)

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107. Aloha to day number two!

'Aloha'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

I'm two for two in the '30 in 30' challenge. On a roll! ;)

And, there is no Hawaii in my future, it's just the name on this sweet little vintage trailer. So cute. :)

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106. Two Black Eyes and 30 paintings in 30 days

'Two Black Eyes'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Hey guys! Missed ya. :)

We packed a whole lot of fun into our last two weeks of summer vacation, and I'm actually looking forward to the boring ol' routine that the school year brings. Let's just keep the warm temps here for a while longer, k?

So, the super-energetic artist Leslie Saeta has issued another 'thirty paintings in thirty days' challenge and I have joined the fun. The challenge runs for the month of September, and thankfully, there really are no rules, other than to attempt a daily painting as often as you can and then link it up on her blog.  Thirty in thirty is a HUGE stretch for me, but I'll do my best. Who's counting, right? ;) I'll post a link to her blog frequently - it's fun to see what everyone is coming up with! And, if you like that, be sure to check out Daily Paintworks (where I sell my work), - they post a new crop of paintings every single day. 

Oh, about this painting - black-eyed susans. One of my very favorite flowers and thankfully, one of my neighbors has a nice little bunch. 

This was just plain fun. :)

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105. Color Guard

'Color Guard'

6" x 6"

oil on gessoboard

Ack. This is why I don't paint people very often. They're tough!  

Truth be told, I nearly wiped this off in complete frustration last night, but, after sleeping on it, I muscled ahead, and I'm glad I did.

I could go on and on fiddling with it, but that's enough learning for one painting; -- time to move on! ;)

This scene is from our town's Independence Day parade -- the Color Guard starting things off. Ok, a confession. I cannot witness a passing of the colors or a rendition of our national anthem (no matter how poorly sung) without welling up. Even reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at my son's school assemblies turns me into a puddle! 

Lest you think I'm some sort of super-patriot, I do the same thing watching sports - the younger the players, the more pathetic I am. Don't let your small children go scoring any touchdowns or baskets 'round me, - I'm likely to burst into tears. :)  

Seriously, though - this sight at the parade brings all to their feet, as it should; - respect shown to the flag and those who carry it. 

Grateful.

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