Gloria j Zucaro's "Pictures & Shows"

This week I am pleased to report that my paintings were a success at The 32nd Annual Art Centre 2015 Juried Show.
I got two ribbons with awards!  Yippee!

"Blue Violet" got a Purchase Award

"Storm Brewing" got An Award of Excellence.

Below are two of my paintings from my Richard McKinley workshop.  I posted about the process for doing these pastel paintings last week.

"C" is for Apple

"Peabody Estate Library"

Have a great week and visit the Paint Party Friday website for great art of all types.  That is where I am posting tonight.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Demented Candy Corn from Tracy Delisle and Sun Filled "

I am sorry I took so long to get my "Thank You" to Tracy Delisle  out for this incredible "Demented Candy Corn" piece of art by Tracy.  I have it on my mantel in the family room and just love it.  Tracy is known for her very original pieces of three-D art.

"Demented Candy Corn"

This past week I finished a pastel I was working on.  I am trying to decide on a title I like.

This painting is 9" x 12" on La Carte sanded Pastel Paper.

Contact me if interested in purchase.  May be enlarged by clicking on picture.  Thank you for taking a look.   

                    Gloria

Gloria J Zucaro's "Jenn's Valentine"

12" x 12" square Original Oil on Canvas panel.

To Purchase

Click on image to enlarge

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I am posting my painting today to Jennifer Mclean's challenge of the week  for The Artists Playroom, which is Valentine themed.  This will also be my early post to Paint Party Friday.  I may try to get my Diva challenge done, too and post to "I am the Diva".  I painted a still life today in what is a contemporary impressionistic style.  I had placed a stem with multiple flowers on it in my Belleek vase.  I had some Lindt Chocolate Truffles, so put them on the table.  I hope you enjoy my painting and your Valentine's day.

5"H x 8"W

Colored paper, Spray Ink, Glitter Paint, Gel Pen, Rhinestones

I am participating in Carolyn Dube's "Use Your Words" on-line workshop.  This was a funny

mess because I did not have a stencil and the Cricut die-cut machine I have does not have the silhouette feature to make stencils so I thought I would just spray over the letters I cut out. But I already had a black background with a white heart. The red did not show up on the black when I sprayed the ink. So then I tried gold glitter spray, well that was a little better, but blew the letters away! So I just used white gel pen around the misplaced letters and then added a little 3 piece strip of rhinestones to the heart. I wrote my journaling with the white gel pen, but it picked up the red ink and came out pink!  The reason I picked the word "pain" is because I have been going for physical therapy on my neck and shoulders for the last three weeks.  It is just arthritis, which is what happens when you get old!  LOL!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Door County Barn"

Today I finished this oil painting of a barn from a photo I had taken in Door County, Wisconsin last Summer.  It is so sad that so many barns are not being kept up and are falling down and disappearing forever.  Many of the new barns going up are called pole barns that you can buy in a kit at a farm supply store.  Although some are pretty nice looking, they just don't feel the same to me as the older traditional barns. 

Linking to Paint Party Friday and The Daily Paintworks.  For those of you living in the Chicago area or Lake County specifically, my original oil painting "Fone Home" will be on exhibit at the Robert T. Wright Gallery in Grayslake, IL for a month, in the Lake County College Members Show.  The opening reception is January 18th from 7 to 9 PM.   19351 W. Washington Street, Grayslake, IL 60030

"Door County Barn"

8"x 8"

This is on an artist quality canvas panel.  Click on image to enlarge.

If you are interested in purchasing this painting please click on "Door County Barn"

Gloria J Zucaro's "Thanksgiving Zinger"

Here is my submission to Paint Party Friday for this week.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Front

Today's' post is for the Diva's challenge of using the tangle named Zinger originated by Maria Thomas.  "Zinger" is the name of the tangle shown here that has a "stem and then a circular shapes that encircle but decreases as it flares outward.  I incorporated a Thanksgiving turkey along with the Zingers!  This is the front and back(Below) of a 5"H x 7"W greeting card and comes with envelope.  I may add some watercolor to this, maybe along the bottom and the "sky" area.   What do you think?

This is the back

5" x 7 " Ink design on Watercolor paper greeting card.

Click on image to enlarge.

May be framed in standard 5 x 7 frame.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Fall Table"

This is another painting that I reworked today.  I am on a roll now!  As time goes along your skills improve as long as you keep practicing and learning.  

Since I didn't post the "before" painting of my "Golden Opportunity"  with the crow and pumpkin, I  will show you this painting previous to changes.  I had a few people who requested seeing both before and after.  I think I will also post this one to Jenn's The Artist Playroom.

Be sure to see what the other participating artists have done this week.

This painting is an original oil on stretched canvas 10"H and 20"L

(and already framed, before I started the redux).

Click on image to enlarge. 

Below is the "Before" somewhat blurry photo.

As you can see, way too much green, too much coolness in temperature.  In my "new" version I added turquoise, violet, red, Alizarin, Caribbean Blue and placed them in more impressionistic strokes. I also added some warm into the background area to merge the top and bottom areas of the painting.                                                  

Gloria J Zucaro's "Winter Field at Sunset"

Tonight I worked on this pastel for Jenn's The Artists Playroom prompt of a "Sunset" theme.  A couple of weeks ago I painted my "Evening in Door County", but then I found this reference in my photo library.  I love to go for drives in the country in the late afternoon when the sun is starting to set.  I have a friend who lives about an hour away and sometimes I drive out through the cornfields to see her.  I always take my camera to get pictures of the countryside and the old barns that are fast disappearing.   It is so calming to get out of the traffic and built up areas.  Sometimes I just park my car on the edge of the road and roll down the window and sit and listen to the crows or other birds, an occasional bark of a dog, or the braying of a cow as the sun is sinking and twilight comes.  It feels primal to me and helps me realize the things I really value.

11"H x 16"W on Canson Mi-Tientes Pastel Paper.

Please buy a painting if at all inclined from the Daily Paintworks Auction Site to help hurricane victims   100% of the money will go to them, as all the artists involved have donated their paintings.  

And don't forget to stop by The Artists' Playroom to see all the creative entries!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Getting My Stripes"

Original Ink Design on 7"H x 5"W Watercolor Paper Greeting Cardstock

Comes with Envelope.  May be framed in 7"H x 5"W frame.

$6.00 starting bid on Daily Paintworks Auction.

Click on image to enlarge.

This is my entry into this week's Diva challenge.  It is using stripes as your string.  This was really fun to create, decide on how to arrange the stripes, and how to use all the different patterns to fill the stripes.  This involved several hours on several days this week!  I really got into trying some new patterns. Now I am going over to the Diva site to see what all my tangling friends have been up to this week.  Won't you join me!?

Gloria J Zucaro's "Evening In Door County"

Well, I am happy to say that my son and his wife finally, after almost a year, sold their townhouse. I helped out a with packing up the smaller items that were used in the staging and taking them to their garage for a garage sale.  The movers took the furniture that was not bought by the buyers or friends in the neighborhood.

For Jenn's challenge this week at The Artist's Playroom-to "paint something you have been thinking about but haven't gotten around to"- I did this sunset from my photo taken while I was up in Door County Wisconsin one Fall.  

I am also entering it and the charcoal portrait below the sunset to Paint Party Friday hosted by Kristin and Eva.  Please try to visit some of these links to see what other artists are working on.

"Evening In Door County"

Original Oil on 10"H x 20"L stretched canvas

$225.00 plus S&H to your ZIP

Click on paintings to enlarge.

First weeks lesson in portrait class 

I have been looking forward to this class with friend and fellow artist Ann Feldman.  She does excellent portraits and says that they are her first love in painting.  But some of you might also know her from her entries into some of the Daily Paintworks challenges or her gallery on that site.  As you can see, the grid for sizing my portrait is still evident.  I think her right eye is a little wonky, but we will correct and then move on to another portrait next week.  Learning something new is the best!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Jenn's Peppermint"

6" Square Original Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel

$35.00/$7.00 S&H

For more detail, click on photo above

This original oil is for Jennifer McLean's latest challenge of Red & White.  Jenn is from Canada and July 1st was Canada's' Independence Day. Their flag colors are red and white.  Since our July 4th holiday was yesterday, I added a blue background for the good ole' USA.  This challenge entry goes to The Artist's Playroom hosted by Jennifer.     http://www.justaddwatersilly.com/search/label/APR

Gloria J Zucaro's "Not So Mellow Yellow"

8"H x 8"W Original  Mixed Media Design on Canvas Panel

$55.00/$7.00 S&H

This week is flying by.  I finally decided what I wanted to do for the Daily Paintworks "Yellow" challenge.

I had thought of sunrise, bananas,lemons, koi, and finally realized that it was all relative.  In this painting, I have a cool yellow(lemon) but added a halo of red. There are sections in the design that are hot colors next to the cool yellow.  With the  yellow challenge, it meant "heat" to me, so I used other colors to get the heat.  In painting and life, a color is always seen in relationship to the other colors around it.  So I think I gave you some "heat" here with my yellow, orange, fuchsia and red combo. Drawn with permanent marker and colored with inks, markers and paint pens. There is a little color distortion, as my oranges are not quite this bright, but trying to change them just messes up the rest of the colors.  I am adding this to Jennifer Mclean's The Artist Playroom challenge for this week as some of my favorite things...bright colors, and tangles!  Plus Happy Birthday Jennifer!

http://www.justaddwatersilly.com/  Go see what all the other artists have done.

Gloria J Zucaro's "By the Sea"

Original Ink Drawing with watercolor on 5"H x 7"W watercolor greeting card.

Comes with envelope.

SOLD

Click on image to enlarge

This painting is based on the challenge for the month of June on the "Shoot and Paint" website. http://shootandpaint.blogspot.com/    Ria Hills and Pamela White Murphy are the hosts for the site which offers all artists the chance to express their own style by painting Ria's and Pamela's photograph.  Come join us!  And Happy Paint Party Friday Also!
http://paintpartyfriday.blogspot.com/

Gloria J Zucaro's "Auraknotics!"

3.5" Square Official Zentangle Watercolor Tile with ink design.

$3.50 plus shipping to your Zip.

Click on the photo to see more detail

Framing options in tab on menu bar.

This weeks tangle from Laura at  http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/  is based on a new Zentangle design released by Maria and Rick in their Zentangle newsletter last week.  They had a contest to ask fellow tanglers to name the new design.  The main design features are lines that create an aura but never cross over the lines made before they are drawn. Those patterns are called "Aura" and Hollibough".  The contest winner for the name of this new tangle which combines the previous two is Mattie Arnold for the name "Auraknot".  To see how to do the" step-out" to make this new pattern you can go to see Jeanee Kero's, CZT instructions.  http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs023/1101168872594/archive/1110423131079.html

I did the "Auraknot" design and wrapped a curving shape around and through it, and added a triangle shape through the curving shape.  Then I decided which areas to black out and which areas to add other designs to.  I hope you enjoy looking at it as much as I enjoyed making it.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Cadent Floral"

Original Pen & Ink Drawing on Official Zentangle watercolor Tile

3.5" Square

$3.00 plus $1.00 Shipping.

May be framed, see tab above.

This is my challenge entry for the www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com   The challenge Diva Laura gave us this week is called "Tanglation Nation: Cadent"  A tanglation is when you take a recognized pattern and change it's design by adding another design to it, or distort its shape.

Gloria J Zucaro's " Eccentric Circles"

Original Pen & Ink Drawing on 3.5" Square Official Zentangle Tile

(Watercolor Paper)

$3.00  $1.00 S&H

Well, I am finally back doing a little artwork, after a week of coughing-like-crazy and Pink Eye and an allergic reaction to the pink eye drops!  But all is well, now, so let's have fun!  This is my creation for the  http://iamthedivaczt.blogspot.com/  challenge of the week which was to draw a string of circles that were not quite circles but were defined as eccentric circles, which means not quite centered!  Sounds like some people I know...thankfully, because they make life more interesting.

Gloria J Zucaro's "Be An Example!"

3.5" square Original Ink Design on Official Zentangle Tile(watercolor paper substrate)

$3.00 plus $1.00 S&H in USA

Foreign Country buyers, Please contact for S&H at   Email Me 

To enlarge for more detail, click on the photo.

If you would like to see examples of how these designs look framed, click on tab in menu bar above.

I started with small circles that I connected randomly.  Then I put a different design in each of the alternating shapes, mostly triangles.  It was really absorbing to do, because I had no idea where I was going or what design I might put in each section.  Enjoy the exploration.

I wish you all a Happy 4th of July and hope you have a "cool" celebration with family and friends.  As for myself, I will be at Ravinia listening to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra this afternoon with two artist friends sitting, hopefully in the shade, in 101 degree heat!  We are taking a picnic and mucho water!

Gloria J Zucaro's "It Is Tough Being The Queen!"

3.5"H x 3.5"W Original Pen & Ink Drawing on Official Zentangle Tile

(140lb watercolor paper)

$3.00 Unframed.  For Framing Options see tab at top right of blog page.

This is in the auction on the Daily Paintworks Site.
http://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/51442

My drawing tonight was inspired by something I heard on the news.  Apparently in the last 10 years there has been an unusual increase in people who live alone.  Although it is only about a 1% increase and is probably mostly young people starting their careers and marrying later, there was also a large increase of seniors living alone in the Midwest,especially,which is where I live.  So I thought about how I look at it.  I am the queen of my household, with no schedules to meet for another.  I may stay out after most people would go home to cook dinner for the family.  I can decorate my castle as I wish with no consultation with another..except my pocketbook. I can watch any TV show I like at anytime of the night or day, and play my music loud(with consideration for the neighbors!) etc.,etc.  But on the other hand, if something is funny on TV you have no one to laugh with.  If you come home late for dinner and just eat a bowl of pop-corn, that is not so good for you.  If you always have to do all the laundry, all the cleaning, all the cooking, all the yard work, all the bill paying, all the car maintenance, IT IS TOUGH BEING THE QUEEN!  Sometimes you just wish you had someone to take care of you!  But thank goodness...I have wonderful children(and grandchildren) close by and and some further away who keep in close touch.  As an artist I have many artist friends that I see several times a week and who will always help out in a crunch.  So all in all, I am very lucky to have my little kingdom ,er Queendom, all my own!   Disclaimer!  I am not sad or lonely, just pensive this time around.           This is my Paint Party Friday entry for this week.  Go see all the wonderful artwork offered by the many artists who go to the party hosted by Eva & Kristin!

Gloria J Zucaro's "Mardi Gras Mask"

Original Pen & Ink Design on 5"H by 7"W watercolor greeting card.

$5.00 plus 50 cents shipping.

Email me

This is my entry for The Diva Challenge of the week which is a Mardi Gras theme, and for my Paint Party Friday entry.  This was a lot of fun to do.  I went to a Mardi Gras party last weekend and this was my mask.  In reality it is covered gold glitter and sequins with a black felt piece that comes up between the eyes at the top edge and black feathers all around  the felts edges.  The ribbons are a matte gold and a shiny gold.

The patterns I used are STRIRCLES, FLUKES(also known as CORNER BOX), BLACK BOX, LOTUS PODS, RIVER, CANARD.