Painting Time is a Pleasure

By Michel McNinch | May 20, 2023 |
Why draw the roses in with purple? It blends well with rose.

This week I got down to the basics of painting. Fresh paint and clean brushes have done their work. Getting close to finished on the Lake Wateree painting and continuing the floral paintings by adding the florals! : ) Here are the next steps in the process of creating the paintings.

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For Generations to Come

By Michel McNinch | April 22, 2023 |

I have been working on portraits of a family that loves one another. Mother and Daughter adore each other. Four generations of men smile as they play with the newest generation among them. These paintings exude their happiness to be in each other’s company. It was a pleasure to paint them. The generations to come will have their own art, but this generation can teach by example to enjoy, create, love, and collect the art that connects with us. Thank you for being here to witness my contribution this week.

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Springing Back into the Studio

By Michel McNinch | April 1, 2023 |

A beautiful bouquet of homegrown asparagus was gifted to me this week and was immediately inspiration for a new painting. I got right back to the easel, and began to reflect on the beautiful shapes and colors. Asparagus is a sure sign that Spring has arrived.

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Portrait Progress

By Michel McNinch | March 18, 2023 |

Thank you for all the notes, email, texts of kindness and get well wishes. The good news is that Robert and I are starting to feel better. The bad news is – we are still testing positive for COVID-19. Resting and painting. I can do that. Robert is resting and exploring the universe at the same time. I hear galactic laser sounds coming from his office while the cats keep him warm in his recliner.

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Soothing my Distraction

By Michel McNinch | March 4, 2023 |

I have been distracted by the Murdaugh murders. A sketchbook and a few supplies have been my companions while watching the trial. While being riveted to the trial, I needed to hold on to a thread of love. So, I drew and painted my cats – past and present. It was a touchstone to pure, fresh, and beautiful love while listening to the gruesome and spellbinding evidence. My cats have been a source of great love and comfort.

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Portraits – Progress and Preparation

By Michel McNinch | February 25, 2023 |
The vibrant colors are a perfect reflection of their vibrant personalities. Teal and Fuchsia are perfect! Portraits - progress and preparation

Happy to say the preliminary drawings have been completed for the two portraits. Here’s the Kingly Court I have been telling you about. All smiles. I am looking forward to working on these images and sharing them with you. Thanks for sticking around and seeing how it progresses.

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Portraits – Past and Present

By Michel McNinch | February 18, 2023 |
"Tracy in a Great Light," pastel by Michel McNinch

It has been so long ago that some of you may not know that I spent a decade working on nothing but portraits. Weird to even for me to “look back,” because it seems like a long time ago now. While I am working on my new portrait project, I thought you might like to join me looking down memory lane.

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Old Friends and New Ideas

By Michel McNinch | February 10, 2023 |

Old Friends and New Ideas. It is time to dust off some old friends and get them moving again! Pastels were my medium of choice for many years. I missed them! Pastels are almost pure pigment. Scraped across a beautiful piece of cotton paper, they can leave strong, beautiful marks. They can also be as soft and delicate as a butterfly’s wing.

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