Maija Baynes Paintings

Vero Demo - Challenge

2012-01-09T17:05:00.007-05:00

I was asked to do a demo for the Vero Beach Art Assoc. This was the first time I had to perform in front of a whole bunch of people. I thought I would be in a small room, and only 10-15 people would show up. As it turns out, they put me on a very large, dark stage with 150-200 people watching. They gave me one hour to finish. Yikes! More pressure. I brought one spotlight because I knew I wanted to look at some strong shadows. I should have brought a second to light up my palettebox and painting. Alas...

This was my setup. I turned the table a bit before getting started to get a better shadow of the pear.

I'm standing in the dark. As I tried to paint, I kept trying to make it lighter and lighter. Finally I added pure white, and it was still dark. Oh nooo. Now what? I've got all these people watching. I finally put a studio mat on it, and called it finished. I took the light off the setup, and directed it on the painting. What a surprise a little light makes. Considering the challenge of poor light, I was pleased with the result.

It was so dark on that stage.

Peony with Pear...12" x 12" oil on linen

I learned a very important lesson from all this, that I wanted to share. We all know, when we paint outdoors, and there is to much light, our paintings can look very dark when we bring them indoors. Well the opposite of that is also true. If there isn't enough light, we keep trying to make it lighter, and lighter. Then when we put it in the appropriate light, the painting will be to light. Mine is very light. Notice, no darks.

This was fun. One of the people in the audience did this drawing of me while I worked. I love this.

It's a 2" jewel that I framed. Thanks.

The painting was raffled off for their fundraiser. The gal with the winning ticket was thrilled. They are all a nice group of people.

Assembly of God

2011-11-14T14:14:00.000-05:00

Stapleton Kearns posted this on my facebook page.
It was to good not to pass on. It's really nice to know that a man of the cloth has such a funny sense of humor. I love it.

Take heed. Go out and paint!

Zippers Canal

2011-11-09T11:44:00.002-05:00

Zipper's Canal

Hopefully, I'm back to my regular schedule. I did the Dunedin Art Fair last weekend. The weather was perfect. The crowds were good, and the sales were excellent. This is one of my big 24"x48" paintings that was sold, and went to a new home.

That is always a nice feeling.

After the Rains

2011-06-23T08:14:00.000-04:00

After the Rains...6" x 6"...oil on gessobord

I'm on my way to the Des Moines art fair. This was painted before I left. It might as well been painted during my trip. I've never seen so much rain in my entire life. What should have been a 2 day drive, has turned out to be a 4 day drive. I've been dodging wind, rain, hail, and tornadoes. Atleast I'll arrive today, and can set up today. Let's hope for good weather. This art show business is not for the wimpy. They have asked me to do a demo. I said OK, so if you're in the area, come by at 4PM on Friday, you can watch and say hello.

Anyway, I love the simplicity of this painting. Sometimes when I run out of time, I don't have time to pick, pick and pick some more, and I like the outcome better.

A Whole Lot of Blueberries

2011-05-28T19:50:00.003-04:00

A Whole Lot of Blueberries
6" x 6" oil on canvas

The lady across the lake from me has a fantastic blueberry patch. She told me she's already picked over 4600 lbs of blueberries. Think about it. That's a lot of blueberries. We went over last week to pick. My family did all the work.
I took a lot of great pictures.

Every bush was just loaded. We brought home 20 lbs. Washed them, and put them in the refrigerator. Everytime I walk by, I grab a handful. Gotta go pick some more.

BTW, for those of you keeping up with my flying, I thought it was time to come down to earth for a while. Last Thursday, my instructor opened the plane door at an altitude of 3000 ft. After the initial panic and shock, even though, it would only open a little, he said, he did it so I'd realize it's no big deal. He also said it can happen, and would rather it happen with him in the plane.

I knew if that had happened to me during a solo flight. I would have thought it was a dire emergency, and I'd have to make an emergency landing into some field. Then, he actually asked me if I wanted to open my door. NO, I don't think so. Now I know what to expect, but I still feel more comfortable with my feet on the floor....on the ground.

PayPal...$135 unframed

My First Plane

2011-05-18T14:09:00.002-04:00

Cherokee 180
6" x 6" Oil on canvas board

This is not actually my first plane, I don't have one, but it's the first plane that I flew. I'm training in a Cessna 172, and have had a few bumpy landings. I'm getting better, and I'm happy to report, that I haven't broken my painting arm.

However, when painting this plane, I really had to look, and look hard. I wanted it to be a little loose without all the nuts and rivets showing. When I showed it to my instructor, he looked for the miniscule tiny detail. He makes a better flight instructor than a painter.

I thought it was a lot of fun to paint something completely different. Atleast, you can tell it's a plane...and it's airworthy.

Hydrangea with Pear

2011-05-15T19:53:00.004-04:00

"Hydrangea with Pear"

6"x6" oil on canvas board

I had company this week. It was wonderful, and I enjoyed every moment of it....but my company and I were on a different time clock. She stayed up late, and slept late.

Early in the morning, while she slept, the house was so still. I got up and fed the dogs and cats. Then I did this painting of some hydrangeas. I love the pear. I still find pears hard to paint, but I like this one. Now, if I can only learn to paint the red side on the light side, and the yellow side on the shadow side, I'll really be happy.

Paypal....$135 unframed.

Coming in...First Landing

2011-05-04T13:50:00.001-04:00

I did my first unassisted landing on Monday. Today I flew the traffic pattern four times, and I did 4 landings. For some reason, on the last one, I fish-tailed, and bounced...and bounced, and almost bounced off the runway. Yikes!

My instructor said:

"Well, it wasn't pretty, but you got to the ground"

I was tired. It was time to quit for the day. Was it Clint Eastwood who said, a man's got to know his limitations. So, when it's time to quit, it's time to quit.

It's Alway's a Summer Treat

2011-05-01T21:31:00.013-04:00

A watermelon in the heat of the day, is always a summer treat.

Invite all the kids. Spit the seeds on the ground. Laugh, sing silly songs, giggle...wonder: where on earth did these teenage kids get these weird clothes, they love to wear...and just have a grand ole time.

When everyone's gone, take your leftovers, and instead of slicing it open, break it apart. It'll give you a much more interesting cut. Then, after the kids are gone, and if, and I mean 'if' you have any energy left, you can paint your leftovers.

These are nice memories.

$135...unframed

image ...6"x6"

Zipper's Canal

2011-04-30T21:37:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was just plain grand...there was no time to paint. I watched every moment of the Royal Wedding. Kate was stunning. I loved the way William looked at her. I adored Prince Harry.
He's got great hair!
Did you notice..... I'm on a first name basis on all of them.

Today was different. It was an absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous day. The temperature went down in the low 60's last night. In the morning, I opened my all windows to take advantage of the low temperature, and low humidity. My house smells great!

I just love the smell of good clean air.

Then, I decided I couldn't stay indoors. I went out to paint at one of my favorite places.....along the Kissimmee River.

All of you reading this, know...we as painters...are so lucky. What a great day!

Connie's Room

2011-04-29T10:24:00.004-04:00

This was a fun little painting to do. I love the way the light comes in through the window. The sun light tells me it's time to get up, get to work, and enjoy another great day.

PayPal: $135....unframed.

Blue Glass Reflections

2011-04-01T21:05:00.000-04:00

I love this little painting. I think it's a gem. I love Nancy's blue bottle. I love the reflection of the pear in the blue glass. This was another painting I did in Atlanta. At first, I had twice the amount of eucalyptus leaves. It looked like a giant, dense bunch of leaves....very heavy looking. I wasn't really sure what to do.....but remember?....we're told to scrape...wipe...whatever it takes, but we have to remember to keep it simple. I took out more than half the leaves, and I love the result. It's so much better!

Sometimes we fall in love with our own work. Sometimes we're to close to see the problem. So if you don't like it, scrape it out, and remember, less is more

Paypal....$135....unframed

First Place Painting

2011-03-29T13:09:00.005-04:00

Did the Lake Wales Art Fair this past weekend. The weather was excellent. The park was packed, and the people were enthusiastic. I was honored when I won first place in the oil painting category...$850.

This was not for a particular painting, but for the body of work. All I can say, it's a tribute to all the excellent instructors I've had in the past. Thank you to all of you, for teaching all of us, and for your patience.

Atlanta Tulips

2011-03-22T11:10:00.003-04:00

This little gem was also done in Nancy's workshop. Someone brought in a whole bunch of these fabulous tulips. I think it might have been Kathy. Thanks. They were gorgeous.

One of the things I really appreciated, was the way Nancy was not afraid to keep cutting down on the stem of the flowers until they were exactly the right height. Not to tall...not to short....Just right.

Glass is hard. One of my favorite parts is the reflection coming through the water in the jar. If it wasn't there, you'd miss it.

I did the Vero Beach Art Fair last weekend. It sold.

Atlanta Roses

2011-03-09T18:35:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. Everyone is telling me I haven't blogged in a long time. All I can say is...my intentions are good. They always are, but you know how the saying goes. Anyway, I have been painting, and I've been painting a lot.

I went to Atlanta for a workshop with Nancy Franke. I loved it. She's absolutely fabulous! I grew up in Atlanta, and when I go back, I always feel like I'm going home. I wish I lived closer so we could paint together more often. This was my first painting, and with her direction, I was very pleased. Sometimes we get a real treat.
This workshop was it.

Thanks Nancy.

Paypal: $125....unframed

Polka Dots and Tulips

2011-02-05T22:13:00.002-05:00

I've been painting large studio paintings for a while now, and thought I'd take a break and do something small. Tulips are available, and I wanted to take advantage of them. I love polka dots, and in particular this little pot.

Sold

Flying High

2011-01-03T20:33:00.002-05:00

I know I supposed to be painting, but I'm flying high instead. This was last week, when it was freezing cold here in Florida. It's actually warmer when your flying and the sun comes in. It's gorgeous up there. You'll should try it.

Today, I had to learn how to use the rudders on the plane. I also had to make 360degree turns and change altitude between 1500-3500 ft.

You know, we all know that we have to do more in life than just paint. It's actually fun...to live a little. I've enjoyed the holidays. I'll continue with flight school, but tomorrow I have to get back down to earth and paint. I'll fly Monday and Wednesday.....

2010-11-03T21:27:00.000-04:00

I'm in Pensacola, FL, doing the Greater Gulf Coast Art Fair at Seville Square. If you happen to be in the area, please stop by to say hello. The show runs Nov 5-6-7. It should be very windy on Friday and part of Saturday. Yuk! Sunday will be gorgeous.

Apples n Daisies

2010-11-02T14:48:00.001-04:00

I started this painting a week ago. It was much, much larger. I cropped and cropped again. If I had to do it all over again, I would set up my lighting so I would get longer shadows in the front. I think they would look neat.

PayPal: $950 unframed

First Flight

2010-10-31T15:49:00.003-04:00

Well, I've decided I want to learn to fly. I've always been intrigued with the idea. Yesterday a friend and I flew to Sarasota for lunch in a Cherokee 180. When we got back, I actually flew the plane myself over Lake Wales, flying north-south over Hwy 27, and east-west over Hwy 60, toward Bartow.

I flew over my house. I could see workmen trying to fix the leak in my well. Flying straight, and looking at the horizon was fairly easy. Turning on the other hand, was a "white knuckler" It was great fun.

Lupins

2010-10-27T21:06:00.002-04:00

I know I haven't posted in a long time. Sometimes life throws us a curved ball. So much for that...........

I got a chance to get out to paint. I actually saw Lupins in Central Florida. That was a delightful surprise. I usually think of them in North Carolina.

I love the path. I wanted to take time and just meander down to wherever it was going, but I decided I would rather paint...I'll meander later.

Art Fair 2

2010-08-17T12:11:00.005-04:00

This is another one of my little paintings I did during my show circuit up north. When they're this small, they're easy to pick up and put down at a moment's notice.

I am a plein air painter. During the show, I don't have the opportunity to go out on location. Therefore, I use my larger paintings as studies for these little gems. Usually, it's the other way around. I go out. Do a small painting. Come back to the studio, and use that as a study for a larger painting. Whatever works!

PayPal: $95...unframed

Art Fair 1

2010-08-09T11:57:00.011-04:00

As you know, I went north for a month of art fairs. There are many moments during an art fair, that nooo body walks by. So instead of sitting there being bored, I take that valuable time to paint. Admittedly, I can't do a large painting while I'm there. This is not for demonstration puposes for the public, but I do this for me. I can use this valuable time in a positive manner. I'm amazed at how many people will all of the sudden stop by and say: "Are you painting?" Duh...Well, I don't act like that, so I say yes would you like to watch? It's also amazing, at how often someone watching, will buy the painting.
Sold! to the first bidder.

Anyway, I did 9 of these miniature 3"x4" paintings this summer. I have 4 left, which I will post. They are very small jewels.

Everything I used was small. I kept my paint in a kid's watercolor box. When a customer came up, and wanted to talk, I could close the box at the "flip" of a moment . I used the top of the WC box for my palette, and the blobs of paint in the bottom box part. I used double sided masking tape to hold my board on a 5x7 piece of acrylic that had been painted gray on the underside. I could easily hold the 5x7 acrylic, thus keeping my fingers clean. I put my brushes in a plastic bag for travel. Back at the hotel, I washed them out in baby oil.

When I sold them, the customer knew they were still wet. I told them, "You can look, but you can't touch"

PayPal:......unframed $95

July Afternoon

2010-08-08T14:10:00.004-04:00

Well, I'm back in "Dodge". I went to the Mid-West to do 3 artfairs. It was broiling hot. The heat index was over 100. People would look at me, and say...Oh, you're from Florida, you must be used to this heat. No, not true. I generally don't like to stick my head in the oven, and keep it there for 10-12 hours a day. It was unbearable. Successful, but horribly hot.

I'm glad to be home. It's great to be able to go paint in my favorite places. I can always find a tree to stand under. We've had a lot of rain. The greens are more intense, and these little yellow wildflowers are interesting. I'm not sure what they are, just wonderful color.

PayPal...unframed $575

Linseed Oil Safety

2010-08-07T18:14:00.001-04:00

I've been gone for over a month. I'm back, and need to start painting, but before I do that, I thought you might be interested in this article, and maybe pass this on.

Yesterday morning, on Good Morning America, they had a really important segment on Safety, and the use of Linseed Oil. Watching it, I was stunned.

It goes like this. The Fire Marshall had a rag with linseed oil in a jar. He took the rag out of the jar. Set it in a box in the middle of the parking lot. The box also had some newspapers in it. Just the same way, as if we were to throw it out in the trash. Within the hour, the rag started to smoke, and a few minutes after that, it broke out into flames. Like I said, I was stunned.
He explained it like this. When Linseed oil begins to dry, and comes in contact with oxygen, it starts to heat. There is a chemical reaction, and it becomes combustible. The fire it produces is extremely hot and fast.
His recommendation. Never leave rags with linseed oil out in the open to dry. If you dispose of them, make sure they are in an airtight container. In the studio, close all containers.
If you want to watch the video, here’s a link:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/ConsumerNews/summer-safety-diy-dangers-linseed-oil/story?id=11328546
Maija

Lexington Sunflowers

2010-06-26T14:44:00.009-04:00

I have to admit, I love these colors. This was the second painting I did in Lexington, and I'm really happy with it.

I've been working hard getting ready to leave for my northern show circuit. I'll be doing 3 up there. BostonMills...Ohio, Madison-Art on the Square, in Wisc, and AnnArbor's South University. If you get a chance, come by and say hello. Lets hope for good weather, and lots of crowds.

I'll be gone for a month, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post/or paint while I'm gone. My Toyota is so full, I don't think I can fit my paints in there. In fact, at this point, if a fly flew in there, there wouldn't be room for me.

PayPal...$575 unframed Sold

Kentucky Geraniums

2010-06-21T13:11:00.007-04:00

I was going back down on the beach, but I could see a dozen buzzards down there. I let out, our Yellow Labrador Retriever Libby, to shoo them away. She ran towards them, but didn't look to scary. They stared back at her, while she decided to go to the other end of the beach for a swim. I wondered, "What kind of a useless dog are you?" Sweet, but useless. So I decided to stay inside.

Last week I painted with Dreama. I did two paintings of Geraniums. I can't post the first one because she helped me, so it's not all mine.

This was my second try.

PayPal: $575...unframed

Daily Walk #2

2010-06-19T10:35:00.006-04:00

This is the same fabulous spot as yesterday. Very late afternoon, early evening, but as I look at the painting, I can still feel the glow. I wanted to paint it again, to see the difference between the two. What a treat to be there....just to be there.

This is all done with transparent oils. I'm in awe of their luminosity.

PayPal: $125 unframed Sold

Daily Walk

2010-06-18T15:40:00.005-04:00

It doesn't make any difference what the weather is like, but when you walk down this path, you feel like a million dollars. The smell of the air, the sound of the water, the breeze...life is good.

I painted with Dreama last week. We worked with transparent oils. Not only was it interesting, it was a real eye-opener.
What a revelation. No more mud!

PayPal: $125 unframed Sold

Bouganvilla #1

2010-06-17T20:35:00.011-04:00

Well, it's been a long time since I've been in town. My driving weather has been horrendous. The storms have been violent. Now that I'm back, I guess it's time to get back to work on posting. Oh, I've been painting, I just haven't taken the time to post. Sorry.

It seems to me, everytime I see this gorgeous color of bouganvilla, it's either in the mountains, or on a white fence. The white fence seems to really set them off.

PayPal: $575...unframed

Hydrangea in Blue

2010-06-07T11:56:00.006-04:00

Well, it's back indoors. Day before yesterday, I almost fried my brain, so what's left of it, I thought I'd better use indoors, in the studio. Aaah, the air conditioning feels good.
Anyway, I have scraped these flowers out three times. My friend Nancy told me not to worry. If you don't like it, or if it doesn't work. Scrape it out. It's only a painting, so don't fall in love with it.
Well, I did fall in love with parts of it. The flower part was a crummy bunch of sunflowers. The neat thing, when I scraped it all off, it left a wonderful yellow underpainting, that I could use to my advantage. Thanks Nancy. You helped me save it.

I'm leaving early in the morning for a workshop in Lexington. I'm very excited about it. It's only 3 days. I wish it was 5. So I might not be able to post while I'm gone. I'm also getting ready to leave for my trek up north to do my July shows....Boston Mills, Madison, and AnnArbor. Hope to see some of you up there. Let's keep our fingers crossed for good weather.

PayPal: $575...unframed

A Day with Brennan

2010-06-06T17:26:00.011-04:00

Yesterday I went out painting with my friend Brennan. Since she drove 2 hours to get here, I figured we should go. It was 93 horrible degrees. It was even to hot for the gnats and mosquitoes.

I wasn't going to post this painting, because it is so greeen. I couldn't figure out what my problem was.

I thought, that maybe I had fried my brain. Turns out, when I left home, I picked up the Thalo Blue, instead of the Ultramarine Blue. Well....the tubes look alike. So this was a real challange. I wanted you to see, how thalo blue makes the most screaming green I've ever seen in a landscape.
We still had a great time. I'd go again, but my advice to you, check your colors.

PayPal...$575 unframed Sold

Summer Grasses

2010-06-04T17:49:00.012-04:00

I don't know what happened to my "blog". All of the sudden I couldn't compose, add images, or text. All the buttons disappeared. I have the new updated Blog version, but I had to go back to settings, and revert back to the "old editor". It took me 2-3 days to figure it out. It's different, but it works. Don't ask why....I'm not a computer geek. I'm a painter.

Anyway, we've had a ton of rain. The grass has turned green, and it's hot outside. I mean hot! Today, would have been better to go out, but the wind is more than a breeze. It's almost "gale force". What would happen to my painting? Well, I live in Florida, and I think it would have blown to Kansas.

Paypal...$125 Sold

On the Water's Edge

2010-05-31T14:11:00.019-04:00

Back to the Kissimmee River. We've had a lot of rain. It's been a little cooler. The grass is greener, and it is tall. I love it when I can get my body out early in the morning. That's when you can see the color in early morning horizon...at peace with the world.

PayPal: $125 unframed Sold

Nancy's Hydrangeas

2010-05-27T10:59:00.010-04:00

I thought I posted this earlier. I'm not sure what happened. I am not a computer geek.

Anyway, these white hydrangeas were fresh picked out of Nancy's garden in Atlanta. What a treat for her to be able to look out and see her garden every day. She obviously works hard at it, and you know what they say....You get what you work for....You reap what you sow.

I reaped the benefit of being able to paint. They were a challenge, with all the white. It needed a little color. Therefore the cherries. I love cherries.

PayPal: $575 unframed

Sunflowers...tall as an elephants eye

2010-05-23T10:28:00.002-04:00

...or is it the "corn" that's as tall as an elephants eye.
Anyway, lately I've been working on my yard. I've neglected it, and it needs a lot of desperate help, but these sunflowers were fun to paint. They were a favorite of my husbands. Everytime he got a flower, he planted the seeds. Some of them are 7 feet tall.

PayPal: $125 unframed Sold

My Cup Runneth Over

2010-05-11T16:05:00.000-04:00

It's still the season for the red cosmos. I'm working hard learning to paint flowers. I want to capture them while they're still out there....Water in the morning....Water in the evening. Soon, I'll have to get them from Publix, and I don't really like that idea. I jammed as many flowers as I could, into this cute little cup.

Nancy's Lemon #2

2010-05-08T10:42:00.001-04:00

This was another painting that was really fun to do.

All I can say, thank goodness Nancy can grow "anything". These lemon's are huge, almost the size of a grapefruit. Also I loved the idea that she picked them with the leaves attached. Perfect! Thanks, Nancy!

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Nancy's Lemon #1

2010-05-05T17:08:00.004-04:00

My sister-in-law, Nancy has a really green thumb. She's like my husband. If it can be grown, they're the ones who can grow it, and make it thrive. She has this wonderful lemon tree in her backyard, just loaded with fruit. So I decided, if she grows it, I'll paint it. Afterwards, just make some real lemonade.

Sold

Almost a Dozen

2010-05-02T13:33:00.002-04:00

There would have been a dozen if I hadn't eaten them. It's hard to paint something that looks to good to eat.

BTW, since I really am a plein air painter, and for those of you that asked me about traveling with paints, and mounting canvas, I set up a "HowTo" section on the right sidebar. If you're interested take a look.

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Zippers Canal

2010-05-01T13:06:00.004-04:00

I'm back outside. The weather today, was absolutely gorgeous. The grass color is still a wonderful golden color, that will soon turn to green. I've painted here, many, many times. Each time, it's a thrill.

Paypal: $450 Sold

Dots on Blue 2

2010-04-30T20:42:00.008-04:00

Sold

Yesterday this upload didn't take for some reason. So I'm trying again. These daisies are growing in my front yard just screaming to be painted. I have to hurry, because with the warm weather, they won't last long.

Friday on the Peace River

2010-04-28T21:54:00.002-04:00

I went painting with a group of friends. The day was perfect. There was a painting to be done in both directions. To the south, and to the north. What a great way to spend the day.

Kissimmee Park

2010-04-27T18:48:00.002-04:00

This is my first blog. I'm sure I've made some mistakes. It's a whole new adventure, so bear with me.

I went out really early to capture the color of the clouds. I think I got it.