New Year's Goals

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"Rooster VI", 8" x 8" Oil on canvas panel.

$400 framed.

I'm back! I took a wonderful two week vacation (but stayed home) and had a great time with my boys. We celebrated the holidays, saw tons of movies and spent a lot of wonderful time with family. I even read two books. I guess you could say I did everything but paint!

I have put together my "art goals" for 2010 and I would love your input!

Leslie Saeta Art Goals for 2010

• Develop a comprehensive art marketing plan for 2010.
• Continue to update my blog regularly and post at least four paintings per week.
• Form an Art Alliance with a small group of artists that want to develop marketing ideas, schedule a group show and share exhibition ideas.
• Create a year long jury/exhibition schedule. And follow it daily!
• Continue taking classes and workshops from artists I admire.
• Write at least 10 articles for Art Forums or blogs.
• Send 12 newsletters out this year and continue to share the talents of other artists in my newsletter.
• Develop and teach one palette knife painting workshop.
• Create larger format paintings.
• Paint plein air AT LEAST twice monthly.
• Pursue ways to sell my art to the corporate market.
• Send my work into TEN juried shows.
• Develop a “client appreciation” program for the year.
• Exhibit my work in two galleries or “one person venues”.
• Accept and complete at least five commissions.
• Sell 25% more paintings than in 2009.
• Book another solo show at Gale’s Restaurant in Pasadena.
• Attend at least one plein air workshop.
• Regularly schedule local paint outs with friends
• Sell at one of the local shows or festivals - including Sierra Madre, Pasadena ArtWalk, Montrose Art Walk and some new venues.

Here's to a great New Year. Thank you everyone for all of your wonderful support and guidance in 2009. God bless everyone!

Holiday Bloom

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"Holiday Bloom"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

Sold.

I took a well deserved break from the kitchen today and painted this little one, while enjoying Christmas carols playing loudly in the background! I absolutely love this time of year (but not the week before our party) and the short break was a good reminder to stop and enjoy the season!

My oldest just finished his last final for his first quarter in college and I remember that feeling ... maybe I will feel a little bit of that on Sunday morning? I hope so!

Time to Sail (and cook)!

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"Time to Sail"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200 unframed.

You all know I am just swamped cooking and getting ready for our annual holiday party (which is this Saturday night). A few of you emailed me and asked if I would print the menu. I do cook everything but I also have a crew that comes in on Saturday night and cooks everything I have made (so I can enjoy the party).

So, here is the menu ... and yes, I am completely insane for cooking this every year. But I do love it. (OK, maybe I don't love it this week but next week it will have seemed like more fun!)

I guess you could say this is my holiday gift to all of our family and friends. So, if you don't see any more new paintings on my blog this week ... you now know why!

Holiday Party Menu (for 150 guests)

Spicy grilled shrimp cocktail in shot glasses

Smoked turkey with cranberry/orange muffins

Smoked salmon and lemon dill sauce

Chinese Chicken salad in won ton cups

Assorted veggies with Roasted Red Pepper Dip

BLT tomatoes

Caesar salad on parmesan cheese flat cups

Blue cheese, Walnut and Cranberry Crostini

Skewered chicken with peanut sauce

Skewered flank steak with peanut sauce

Brie cups with pomegranates

Cape Fear crab cakes and dill sauce

Sesame Ahi with sauce & rice in shot glasses

Pesto stuffed mushrooms

Four cheese puffs

Tart shells with spinach/artichoke dip and parmesan cheese

Whipped sweet potatoes with brown sugar topping in pastry shells

Crab quesadillas

Butternut squash, coconut ginger soup

Cranberry, chocolate & toffee oatmeal cookies

Peanut butter fudge

Frosted sugar cookies

Cranberry shortbread cookies

Chocolate Mint Marvel cookies

Back to the kitchen!

One Cat on the Beach

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"One Cat on the Beach"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200 unframed.

If I survive this week it will be a miracle. Our party is on Saturday night and as I mentioned before I am cooking for 150 people. Today I was hanging a garland in our house and somehow I managed to fall off the ladder and fall and chip my tooth. So tomorrow I will need to spend a few hours at the dentist getting it repaired ... which is time that should be spent cooking! At least I don't have a fat lip or any other major injuries. So I guess that is good news.

I did manage to paint two little ones today. I have five commissions that will all be done next week. Then I will have to think about starting my holiday shopping! Yikes!

Friday Afternoon

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"Friday Afternoon"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

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TGIF. I think. It's been one of those weeks. I have a ton of paintings to finish and I am still cooking for our party next weekend. Did I mention we expect about 170 people and I am making all of the food? We have done this party for 24 years and we keep making (and thus inviting) more friends! And I have to cook the food ... otherwise I think my friends would kill me! So ... here's to a weekend of spending time in the studio and kitchen! Wait ... do you think I could cook and paint at the same time? Never mind ... probably not a good idea to poison our guests.

A Trio of Boats

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"Reflections III"

Oil, 6" x 8" on canvas panel.

$350 framed.

I bought a new mac laptop last month and have been making lots of trips to the Apple store for training. My only concern about switching from a PC was that I was going to have to rebuild my website. After struggling with the Microsoft Frontpage program for many years, the new iweb program is simple to use and wonderful! So, I launched my new website today. Take a look at www.saetastudio.com and let me know what you think!

Sailing Under the Golden Gate Bridge

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"Sailing Under the Golden Gate Bridge"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

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One of my favorite cities in the world is San Francisco. I lived in the Bay Area for about five years after I graduated from college. In fact, I met my wonderful husband while I was living in Palo Alto. Last year I took a weekend trip to San Francisco with my girlfriends and we played "tourist" for the weekend. It was so fun to see the city again and all of it's beauty! Now that I have a son in college in Palo Alto I need to try to make lots of trip to Northern California.

Hawaiian Palm Reflections

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"Hawaiian Palm Reflections"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

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I had so many emails about a painting I finished last month similar to this one that I thought I would give a similar one a try. I am happy with the outcome as I love the colors. If I could paint with orange in every one of my paintings I would!

Eiffel III

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"Eiffel III"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

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I painted a painting similar to this one a few months back and had a request to paint another one similar to it for a Christmas gift. I changed the colors and the format a bit and I like this one just as much as the first one!

Thanks for so many wonderful comments about my story on my blog post from yesterday. Isn't it wonderful in life when miracles happen?

Lazy Saturday Afternoon

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"Lazy Saturday Afternoon"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200 unframed.

You have got to love the name of this painting. It so clearly describes my day today. In fact it is a miracle that I actually finished a painting today ... it was just a wonderful day.

The highlight of my day was taking my son to visit his dear friend Jackson. He was injured in a football game on Halloween (as you may remember from my previous post). These past few weeks have been so scary ... brain surgery, weeks of intensive care, and his inability to speak and move his right side. And yet today ... only four weeks later ... I sat today in his hospital room as he laughed, talked and enjoyed a visit from six of his football teammates. For weeks we have all been watching and praying that he would gain movement to his right side. And sure enough, earlier this week we were visiting Jackson when he returned from rehab and moved both his right leg and arm for the first time. I cried (of course) and will always cherish that moment. Watching the pride in Jackson's face as he showed his mom and dad that he could finally move his right leg and arm is a moment I will always remember.

Today Jackson was talking, laughing and enjoying the afternoon visit. With rehab we now all believe that he might make a full recovery. Mentally, he remembers everything ... (including the football game). In fact, my son participated with Jackson in some of his rehab exercises and proudly announced that Jackson was beating him in many of the skill tests!

I think I was so happy and content after our visit with Jackson that any chance of being productive today was unlikely. So, we finished off the day watching football.

Today may have been a lazy Saturday afternoon but it was one that I will cherish forever.

Sailing Away

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"Sailing Away"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

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I have been busy getting ready for the holidays and finishing commissions. This is my favorite time of the year and our oldest son comes home from college this evening. I am so thrilled! So here's to five long days of family, great food, football and painting!

Whistler II

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"Whistler II"

Oil, 8" x 6" on canvas panel.

$350 framed.

I heard earlier today that Whistler already has 100 inches of snow this year ... and they are expecting 100 more inches later this week. I think this is a good sign for the Winter Olympics which start in February 2010. All of the skiing events will be held in Whistler.

I have visited this charming town about ten times, but have only been there in the "cold" wintertime. It is one of my favorite cities! Enjoy!

Going It Alone

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"Going it Alone"

Oil, 10" x 8" on canvas panel.

$350 unframed.

I was out all day ... watching my oldest swim in his meet, watching my youngest play in his volleyball tournament (with my husband as his coach), having a blast in Long Beach with my middle son and his girlfriend ... and agonizing over the outcome of the Stanford vs. Cal. football game. I did get to spend about an hour taking photos of boats in the marina in Long Beach. And wow ... I really got some stunning shots! So look more boat paintings! And beach paintings!

Sailing Past the Marina II

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"Sailing Past the Marina II"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$150 unframed.

I have been driving back and forth to Long Beach for the past few days as my son's swim team is in So. Cal. competing in a meet. It is so great to see him ... although our time together consists of watching him compete from the stands and then waiting outside for a quick hug and hello after the meet. I think we are averaging about three minutes a day. But hey, I am not picky .... I am thankful for any time I am able to see my college son!

So between prelims and finals (and lots of time spent on the 710 freeway) I finished this painting today. Enjoy.

Waiting For a Boys Weekend

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"Waiting For a Boys Weekend"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200 unframed.

So ... if you read yesterday's post you will know that I have been accused of painting "girl" boats (all in fun, of course!). Apparently my choice of colors mostly includes reds, pinks, oranges ... you know ... "girl" colors. So I promised that today I would try to paint with "boy colors".

Ok, so I tried. The colors on my palette today were ultramarine blue, sap green, yellow, titanium white and cad red. Although there is no red in this painting, I did need to use a tad bit in the mixing (red and green makes brown ...). So, the end result is a painting with lots of brown, blue and yellow. Would you say these qualify as "boy" colors?

I will put this one out tonight and see if all of the boys in my house like it!

Ready To Go

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"Ready To Go"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$150 unframed.

I spent all morning shipping paintings and thus I did not spend all day in my studio like I had intended. At least I was able to finish this little painting.

A few days ago there was a humorous post on my blog that I always paint "girl boats". As much as I like to use color, it was brought to my attention that I use a lot of pinks, reds and oranges ... also known as "girl colors". So, when I started on this painting this afternoon, I decided to make a conscience effort to paint a "boy boat" painting.

So, I mixed all blues and greens and yellows. A while later I looked at my painting and I think I actually painted yet another "girl boat" painting. It is obvious that I like bright colors (and I live in a house with three sons and my husband so our house lacks "girl colors") so tomorrow I promise ... I will paint a "boy boat painting" with browns and dark colors. Well ... maybe just a tint of orange ... Stay tuned!

Going Solo

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"Going Solo"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$200 unframed.

I haven't posted on my blog in a few days as life has been crazy around here. This weekend was all about sports ... CIF playoff games, the Stanford vs. USC football game, volleyball tournament to name a few. The highlight was certainly our afternoon at the coliseum as we bravely wore our Stanford gear among 90,000 USC fans. For those of you that were hiding in a closet this weekend and didn't hear about the game ... it was amazing and Stanford won ... by a lot!

I did have a chance to take my youngest son to visit his dear friend Jackson who suffered a football accident on Halloween. He was moved out of ICU and his family thought that a visit from a close friend might be a good idea. It was a touching and emotional experience and I am so thankful that Jackson is making progress everyday. Michael is determined to try to "make things all better" and last night he was surfing the internet looking for more information and ways to help his friend. I am not sure a 15 year old can find solutions (more so than a neurosurgeon?) but I do think his two visits this weekend brought a smile to Jackson's face. Please keep Jackson in your prayers.

This week I need to finish a few commissions and paint more as I sold five paintings last week and I need to build up my inventory. After I finish the commissions I will start painting gifts for my family for Christmas! I think that is nine paintings ... yikes! I am off to my studio!

Boats For Rent

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"Boats For Rent"

Oil, 6" x 6", Oil on canvas panel.

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It seems like it has been forever since I painted boats. So I thought it might make sense for me to get back to painting a few boat scenes! It feels so good for me to be back at the marina again!

Heard it Through the Grapevine

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"Heard it Through the Grapevine"

Oil, 6" x 6" on canvas panel.

$250 framed.

I painted this little one at the end of the first day of the plein air weekend. I had about an hour and a half until the reception and I felt like I should find something to paint. So I got in my car and drove down by the vineyard and sat on the back bumper and painted this view of the grapevines. The next hour made me very aware of how comfortable I am when I paint in my studio.

First off, it was hot and sunny and within five minutes I was sunburned. Next, the wind came up and blew over my easel so I had to scrape off all of the dirt and start the painting over. Then the flies came. They were so irritating. (Another artist told me later to bring a fabric softener sheet and it will keep them away ... not sure if it works though.) I finally finished and got back in my car (with about 100 flies) and drove up the hill to the reception. (And by the way ... there were about 20 flies left in my car the following morning when I drove back to the winery. And at least five buzzing in my car on Monday and two in the car this morning. )

I don't mean to complain but I can tell you that I was laughing out loud when I finally finished my painting. All I did was think of a fellow painter Marc Hansen who paints plein air every day. He lives in Minnesota and goes out to paint in temperatures that freeze his fingers, his entire body and yes ... his paint.

All I needed was a quick reminder of how he paints outdoors all winter long and I knew that I really was lucky ... and warm!

Falkner Winery Art Gallery

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"Falkner Winery Art Gallery"

Oil, 8" x 8"

$300 framed.

I couldn't resist painting this as the sunlight reflecting on the side of the Art Gallery building was amazing. One of the other artists set up behind me and painted the same painting. He had so many nice things to say about my painting and was astounded with my willingness to use so much paint! Gotta love the palette knife!