Saving some $$$

I can't remember the last time I had something professionally framed. The cost is just plain offensive. So I get frames at yard sales mostly. Or I'll go to thrift stores or consignment shops and shop for them - paying no attention to the artwork in them. One of my students, Terry, gave me some artwork that her office was throwing out. I only wanted them for the frames, and this pile of frames had to be worth $3,000 at least! So I've been painting to fill these frames. The big one in my profile picture (below) was perfect for the barn painting, which I did on masonite.

Last night I finished this acrylic on paper. It looks like watercolor, I know. It's not my favorite technique, but the frame had glass, so I knew it had to look like watercolor. (I once entered an acrylic on canvas board in the county fair, and they took off points because I had put it under glass. I knew it didn't have to be under glass, but those canvas boards like to warp, which this one did - and the glass flattened it out.)

This is a look along the the east side of the Danville square. I had a photo of it, and took much of the elements from it. But I cut out the lamp posts, road signs, and a lot of the building fronts, so the painting has glaring errors in perspective and logic. What the heck :).

I picked up these tiny canvases with easels at Walmart -- aren't they cool? I decided to paint a series of barns on them. They are only about 5 inches tall. I stained the wooden easels. Next trip I'm going back for more!