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…

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…

Dark backgrounds set the stage for dramatic lighting options. The Dutch masters used this technique and called it chiaroscuro. Using dark transparent colors helps give a feeling of depth. I thin the dark colors and wash them onto the canvas leaving drips and brush strokes. Then I use opaque colors for the objects and try to make them "emerge" from the darkness. "Limes, Plates, Pitcher" 18" x 14", oil on linen panel "Lemons & Chinese Bowl" 18" x 14", oil on linen panel, SOLD "Persimmons…

For the first time in many years, I joined some friends to plein air paint this summer. We scheduled the sessions for Monday mornings and took turns choosing the sites. It was a great experience. I enjoyed the camaraderie of my fellow artists and learned a lot from painting with them. We decided to paint the lupines that were abundant in our area this spring. One of the biggest challenges for me in plein air painting is dealing with the natural light. Unlike the steady bright light I shine…

As some of you know, I have spent the last year creating over 25 new paintings for my exhibit at Lizzards Art Gallery in Duluth, Minnesota. I have posted images of these works on this blog during the past year. Exhibiting with me are Richard Gruchalla and Carrin Rosetti who create amazing and beautiful raku pottery. Jeff the gallery owner did a wonderful job of hanging the paintings and arranging them with the pottery. We had a fun opening reception on Thursday, July 18th. The exhibit hangs…

After 10 successful years, the Blue Moon Artists have decided to discontinue the Blue Moon Art Tour. It has been a wonderful experience to work with my fellow artists in creating this event. I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many of you over the years. Thank you for visiting my studio and your support of my work. I continue to paint and I haven't lost my love of making art. This year I have been exploring color palettes, thinking more abstractly and experimenting with new things. I'm…

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

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…

Glads are so showy and exotic. I couldn't resist this combination of bright pink and orange. I gave them a nontraditional twist. Instead of viewing the vase at eye level, the viewer is looking down on the arrangement. The light is coming from behind the flowers which emphasizes the translucent quality of the petals. "Glads Against the Light", 16"x20", oil on linen