Artist Renee Lammers

"Red Sunrise" 8x12 oil on acrylic primed birchwood, varnished in cold wax by Gamblin, framed

in 1.5 maplewood, shipping included in USA.

   I worked on this painting yesterday, last night, and this morning!  It was challenging.

I made the sun a little higher, made the trees on the right shorter.  I think it is like the scene I saw

on February 28th. It was a very cold Florida morning with 28-degree temperatures!  There was 

a smokey haze from wood fires burning.  The color of the sun and the size of the sun visible

was very striking!  I enjoy watching sunrises while driving around.  Funny, but Festus tries

to wake me up at 5am so I am up to feed him and go see the sunrise.  He is an amazing

alarm clock.  

"Sweet Talkin Lady" 12x8 oil on acrylic primed birchwood. 650$ framed

in 1.5 maplewood.  Shipping is included in USA.

   I am lucky to take photos and watch several Donkeys who live together in Weirsdale, Florida.

There are a lot of Donkeys here in this area. They are interesting animals.  Lots of character.

    Have a good night!

"My Fiona" 8x12 oil on acrylic gessoed birchwood, with an underpainting of gouache, varnished

in Gamblin's cold wax. Framed in 1.5 maplewood.  Shipping is included in the USA.  sold. thanks.

    I have been enjoying painting donkeys.  They are such an interesting animal.  What a sound they

can make!  I love how much character they have.  I love their ruffed up hair.  This donkey lives

in Weirsdale, Florida.  She is with a few other donkeys and horses. 

"Strength and Serenity" 12x8 oil on acrylic primed gessoed birchwood, drawn with gouache paint, varnished with

Gamblin's Cold Wax, and framed in 1.5 maplewood, shipping included.  650$. 

    I started by using acrylic gesso on birchwood.  I used three or four coats of gesso to cover the board.

This is standard practice for painting on board because it provides a barrier for the painter to work on.

Acid from the wood is isolated and doesn't interfere with the paint.   Then I took out my Mom's Winsor

Newton Gouache paints.  Gouache is really fun because you can blend it easily and create many layers.

I let that paint dry.  I took out my oil paints.  I worked the entire surface covering it with many layers

of oil paints.  I prefer working in oils.  It really is an amazing medium.  I can get many colors in a brushstroke.

I can achieve a glistening with oils.  I can build up layers to create such textures.  Now I will let it dry. I will varnish

the painting with a very light coating of Gamblin's Cold Wax.  It will create a very nice slight satin finish.  This

wax can be removed by buffing it off.  It is just wax.  It protects the paintings surface, doesn't turn yellow, and

has a very nice finish.  Plus wax is harmless and does not smell and is not toxic.  It is all natural.

     I think I needed a change of substrate and medium to attempt to paint the Florida landscape. It is very different

than Maine.  I was overthinking the daunting task.  I am enjoying painting on gessoed birchwood.  I bought

a jigsaw and now will watch many videos on how to install a blade, how to cut wood, so I can create any side wood

panel I want!  I will still paint on copper again but I just needed a break from it.  Painting with oils on copper is very very

difficult.  If it were easy then all artists would be painting with oils on copper...but they are not...for a good reason.  Copper

is extremely expensive.  Copper is very smooth and has a shiny glare.  Trying to deliver oil paint on a brush on to copper

is very slow and taxing.  The results are just amazing and can not be compared to any other substrate out there.  There is

a shimmery quality under the oil paint very subtlety sharing a tiny bit of that glowing copper.  But for now I am going to

play with oils, gouache, on acrylic primed birchwood. 

    Festus was very mischievous this morning.  He hopped on to my bed.  Then instead of cuddling with me, he hopped up onto

the bookcase next to my bed. He briefly looked over the edge at me, then he leaped on to my thighs, and then jumped off and 

ran out of the room.  Ambushed!  Having 25 pounds of solid muscle jump from 6ft in the air down to 2 ft in the air was painful.

I am sure my thighs will be bruised tomorrow.  I know why he did it.  He wanted me to wake up, put him in his catio, so he could

see a male cat hanging out.  Well that is exactly what I did.  Have a good night.  I turned on the AC.  Warm here in Florida. I love it.

"Sunbather" oil on gessoed acrylic birchwood.  Framed in 1.5 maple wood.  Shipping included

in the price in the USA.  sold.  thanks

    I was surprised at how long this painting took.  The other gouache, acrylic, on birchwood paintings

only took me about 6 or 7 hours.  It took me 2 hours to draw the donkey on to the birchwood.  Then

I worked until 3:45am painting.  I did not realize the time.  I do like how it turned out.  She looks lovely

bathed in golden light at the golden hour of the day.  She had been eating hay but turned to face the

sun.  I visit the donkey almost every day. They live in Weirsdale, Florida.  I never feed them as there is

a large sign that states do not feed the animals.  

  Have a good day.

"He Make'th Me Lie Down In Green Pastures" 12x8 oil, acrylics on primed birchwood.

Sold.  Thank you.

"Moon With Mackerel Clouds" 12x8 Gouache and Acrylics on Birchwood. Sold. Thanks.

   I saw both of these scenes in Ocklawaha, Florida at sunrise.  I like to drive around at

sunrise and take photos to paint.  The light is really too fast to paint on location.  I do

best working on paintings in my cottage using the image on a computer monitor.  I can

use my memory also if I paint it within a few days.  These scenes were almost universal because

of the dramatic lighting.  Ocklawaha is thought of as a ecological wonder because of the thousands

of acres of the Ocala National Forest. It is very wild and quiet here.  All I hear are animals and birds.

I love the sunrises, but the sunsets are nice too.   

   Festus, my Maine Coon Cat, is always doing something funny.  Last night he climbed on to

my head.  He made me laugh.  Then he slid off my head and lay beside me with his big paws

wrapped around my head.  He gave me a head massage for a few minutes.  Then he took off to go to

sleep.  I know that cat loves me.  Nice feeling before I sleep.  Good night.

"Dawn-The Time of Dreams and To Be Thankful" 12x8 gouache paint on acrylic primed birchwood

Varnished with Gamblin's Cold Wax, framed in 1.5 maplewood and includes shipping in USA.

"Sunrise on the Road Home" 12x12 gouache paint on double primed acrylic on birchwood,

tiny bit of oil paint, varnished in Gamblin's Cold Wax, framed in 1.5 maplewood, shipping in USA.

    I have been working with a new medium. Here are my thoughts.  I think it takes longer to build

up 6 or 7 layers of Gouache paint to achieve the look I want compared to oil paints.  I ruin a brush

everytime I paint.  It is because acrylic primed birchwood is much rougher than copper.  I have tried

synthetic brushes and a hog hair brush but they still get destroyed.  Of course the brush is much less

expensive on my sable hair brushes I was using on oil on copper paintings.  They cost about 5$ instead

of 25$!  The Winsor Newton Gouache paint is wonderful.  The 14ml tubes cost about 10 to 15$ each.  I have

been using up my deceased Mom's Gouache paint.  I believe I purchased these paints long ago for her birthday.

I can tell because they are a limited palette with the same colors I would use in oils. I thought it would be good

for her to use a limited palette.  The birchwood I am using can be bought at hardware stores.  I think they results

of the finished product are great.  I like how the paintings look.  The surface is more mat with a slight satin finish.

The Gamblin's Cold Wax product does not turn yellow. I have had a bottle of this wax for longer than 20 years and it

is the same color as when it was purchased.  The nice thing about wax is it protects against humidity like in a 

bathroom area.  It protects against scratching.  The surface of these paintings are smooth.

   Festus was doing very well on the Royal Canin rabbit kibble and pate but has thrown up a few times

these last two days. I will wait to see if this continues today or tomorrow then if it does take him to the vet

for more treatment.  The weather has improved here!  Festus and Miss Kitty spend hours in the catio.  

I am working on a very large acrylic on birchwood painting I saw at sunrise over a pasture nearby.  A quarter moon

is high above a tree.  Good night.

"Here Comes The Sun" 12x12 Gouche on acrylic primed birchwood, framed in 1.5 maple wood,

shipped free in USA.  

    I saw this sunrise at the corner of highway 42 and highway 182 in Ocklawaha, Florida.  

It was exciting watching the sunrise.  I went home and worked for 6 hours painting it in gouache on

double primed birchwood. It seems to take me 6 hours to paint a 12x12 size. I am still using my Mom's

Gouache paint.  I think she would tell me, "Good Renee!  Good!"  She was mostly like a cheerleader to me.

I listened to several songs on utube.  Frank Sinatra had a nice song called, "I like the sunrise".  I listened

to it several times but it was slow.  I really do like it still and hope to listen to it many more times.  I listened

to many Cat Steven's songs.  "Here Comes The Sun" was a perfect choice for this painting. "Here Comes The

Sun" was written by George Harrison.   Thank you.  Good night.

"Moonshadow" 12x12 Gouache on board, framed in 1.5 inch maple, shipping included. 250$ sold. Thank you.

   I decided to change mediums.  Gouache is a water based paint.  It is similar to watercolor pigments but

the paint has a less finely ground pigments making it more opaque.  It is a wonderful medium.  I primed

the birchwood board twice with acrylics.  I am using my Mom's gouache paint.  She had them stored in a

zip lock bag.  I believe I purchased the gouache paints for her long long ago.  I remember painting with her

when she was using them.  She was having something strange happen with one Ultramarine Blue paint.

I took a look at the tube of paint and read it was oil paint!  No wonders it was behaving differently!  We both

laughed so hard.  The small tube of oil paint was still in the same bag with the gouache paint.  I set it aside.

When I opened up the zip lock bag I caught a whiff of her.  It was magical taking me back in time.  I was using

a few of her brushes.  I am glad someone else liked this painting.  I appreciate your support.  It was fun painting

this painting.  

"If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" 12x12 Gouache on acrylic primed wood, framed in 1.5 maple wood and

shipped free.  Sold.  Thanks.

"Morning Has Broken" 12x12 Gouache on acrylic primed wood, framed in 1.5 maple wood and shipped.  250$

   This is the dirt road coming into my Ocklawaha cottage.  It was at sunrise.  Good night.