Best Kept Secret
What’s the best kept secret? I can’t wait to share with you! But first, here’s a warm (and bright colored) welcome to you. What happens here? I am glad you asked. Each week I share a colorful painting, a painting in progress or other painting related activities. My hope is these color clad images delight your eyes and lift your spirits! If you’re new here and would like to receive these weekly posts, subscribe here. Let’s look more closely at this week’s painting, OK?
This Week’s Best Surprise
Surprise surprise! Sometimes the best kept secrets are right in front of you. Right? That certainly was the case with this week’s painting. As I pondered what to paint, I walked by a nifty set of shelves in our kitchen. Everything in it caught my eye. And, I immediately set up my easel and canvas. Here’s the set up with the first pass of the painting.
End Result
Here’s the end result. This was so much fun to paint! I definitely got lost in painting zone (some might call if “flow”) as I worked on the added steps needed to finish it. This is a 12×16 inch oil painting on canvas. Yes it’s for sale for $524! Contact me here for ways you can pay for and make it your very own.
Thank You
Here’s a shout out and thank you to all of you who came to the wonderful show at the Brown House Gallery on Sunday this past weekend. There was delicious food, live music, fantastic paintings, photographs and prints on view. Seeing you there made the whole experience an absolute blast!
On a More Serious Note
I am saying “sayonara” “adios” and “ba-bye” to Facebook this week. I’m not signing off of Instagram, though, so you can continue to follow me there…for now. (I know FB/Meta owns it, too ;-\). You can also follow me on BlueSky here (@JulieDrawsPaints). And, if you or someone you know would like to stay in touch with me without any social media in the middle, you can sign up for that right here.
Why all the kerfuffle? Oh you know why, I’m sure! Please do keep taking whatever small steps you can, as I am, to preserve our beautiful (now in crisis) Constitution and Country. Here’s hoping this week’s painting offers you a brief, colorful respite from it all.
I’d love to hear how you are doing in the comments below.
10 Comments
Marriott
April 17, 2025Julie!
This is great! The blog (do you call it a blog or substack?) is fantastic and can’t wait to read some your archive. The painting is really well done and a fun perspective of your shelf life !!!
Love it all and you!
M
Julie Holmes
April 17, 2025Hi Marriott,
Thank you so much for reading. It is definitely a good ol’ timey blog I started wayyy back when I used to cobble together websites. Gotta admit I am much happier cobbling together paintings and knowing painters, like you, these days. Sending lots o love back to youuu. xoxo
Beth Dyer Clary
April 17, 2025I love all the different textures and colors in this painting, Julie. It’s a beautiful contemplative painting to me – a painting that I could stare at for hours and see something new every hour. These are my favorite kinds of paintings! I wouldn’t trade out windows for wall space but there are times when all these windows limit my other choices. Hope someone else has a good spot because it’s a beauty.
Julie Holmes
April 17, 2025Hiya Beth, Thank you … this one was a blast to paint. Maybe because I was in the kitchen and looking at objects I know and love? Not sure. Thank you for saying it’s contemplative. That’s lovely!!! Oh and I know whatcha mean about wall space for paintings. Same here! TY again and lots o love your way! xoxo
Alexandra
April 17, 2025What a wonderful painting, Julie! Your joy in painting it definitely comes through. I especially like the pot with the vine. Great values and shape of the pot; feels really grounded. You can also easily sense the air around the leaves of the vine. Wonderful cast shadows and I also like how you painted the jug; also feels very grounded. So much to see and comment in this painting! 🙂 xoxo
Julie Holmes
April 17, 2025Hi Alexandra, Thank youuu! That pot with the crazy green plant is one that I made ages ago. It’s kind of an emblem of my transition to creative world from day job world. Ahhh! TY as always for noticing the painterly details like those cast shadows that were so fun to capture! xoxo back at you!
Denise Todloski
April 17, 2025Okay, the kitchen painting was my favorite until now! This is it! Love every single thing about this one. Especially the glimpse into your life, the way you arrange items on your shelves, the colors you’re drawn to, etc., etc. LOVE. Very personal and very lovely.
Julie Holmes
April 17, 2025Hiya Denise, HAHA!!! Thank you so much. I’m delighted that you love this one. It was just so fun to paint and – like the other kitchen painting – seemed to flow out of me. How wonderful is that! TY for looking and commenting and it was so fab to see you last weekend! xoxo
Patricia Reid
April 18, 2025Julie, Love the latest “secret” from your home! It was grand to see you at your show last Saturday, My only regret was you didn’t have more works for us to see.
I quit FB a couple months back. Try Bluesky! Let’s do coffee soon.
Julie Holmes
April 18, 2025Hiya Pat! TY so much for coming to the show last weekend. It was so nice to see you knowing you are back home in Raleigh.
Ya we gotta meet for coffee soon – tho’ visits to family far and yon via lil travel trailer are in our immediate future.
Here’s BlueSky profile and I will look for yours: https://bsky.app/profile/juliedrawspaints.bsky.social (Looked can’t find you…share your profile with me when you can!)
In person visit is most what I hope for tho’! xoxo