Just renewed my website, dropped two domains. So:
CLAUDELYLESARTWORKS.COM
CLAUDELYLES.COM
ESTUDIOCIELOAZUL.COM

I will rebuild the website over the next couple of weeks and keep it current. It will have its own email: info@claudelylesartworks.com

Finished one new landscape on canvas pad. Need to find out best way to display. Have 6 or 7 under-paintings in process.

Will be on retreat this weekend at Jesuit White House outside of Saint Louis. Meanwhile, hope hurricane Matthew misses SW Florida...sorry about that SC.

So, I had a great 10 days in the hills of NC, Cashiers, Highland, and Greenville SC - a gem of a city. Saw the work of Morgan Samuel Price and followed up, now I am registered to attend her workshop in Naples in the spring. Working on the materials list. Looking forward to the workshop.

In the meantime, I finished one oil, one construction, and one colored pencil (my first attempt on the last two. ) Oil is a small, 8 x 10 on a wrapped canvas where I experimented by laying down a cerulean blue wash. My first attempt at boats. This was a scene in a marina from a luncheon one afternoon.

This piece is from packing materials, pained and mounted in a shadow box. Kind of simplistic, but the more I view it, the more I like the interplay of spaces, and near vs far. I will try at least one more in this size and then at least one more, more intricate. 

The 5 x 7 1/2 piece with colored pencil is at the shop being matted. I want to try a series of landscapes in the smaller sizes to make them more transportable. I purchased an outdoor easel for my upcoming workshop and I want to practice with it.

Right now I have three pieces in the September show at the Art League of Fort Myers. I will only enter my Franklin County Press Building oil, possibly the above oil for the October show.

Otherwise, I have about 8 canvases drawn out, ready to paint. 

So, I just finished 4 more oil paintings. I wanted to share with you to see if you had any comments that might help me progress. As usual, the photography does not do justice to the paintings. They are larger than the last group, these are 16 x 20 on canvas. I hope to start 4 more this week. The first one is a small pencil study I did for the painting. The first two paintings are scenes from Apalachicola, FL east of Panama City. Once a thriving port, mostly for sending wood up north for construction, it remains a fishing port, the shallow bay around the town and delta provide oyster fishing. First is the Franklin Co Press building in downtown, from a balcony across the street as the sun was setting; the second is titled White House Above Oyster Beds - in the original, the sky is much more dramatic; then 10-Mile Canal behind our housing community - it is the same point but looking north as the dark dramatic scene I had in my last batch. The storm was approaching from the south but the heavy clouds had not yet arrived overhead, so the sky was just hazy - again, in the original you can see traces of the blue that were reflected in the water. The final piece is a view down Bell Tower Park Blvd where I live, about 9 AM with the low February sun.

You can see more pieces on your mobile phone app: ArtLoupe.org. It was constructed by Art St Louis over the last 2 years. It still has a bug or two but for the most part it lets artists sell and buyers shop. I think you can search under Lyles; or, if you find one piece, click on it and it will give you the option to view other pieces by me. I recently uploaded 20 for sale including some of my older pieces I kept in my collection. One piece is NSF in that I no longer own it, Mizzou selected (confiscated) it from my first drawing class for their permeant collection. I was told it was part of a 2-year statewide show. At least they gave me a slide. 

Lastly, I am going to try some 3D pieces in white with small color squares to see where that leads me. I will have to finalize how I can best display them. We shall see how that works out.

I submitted 3 paintings to the juried show at Alliance For The Arts in Fort Myers. Also looked into joining a local coop. Meanwhile finishing 2 larger canvases, one a north view of Canal 10 and the other a street scene in Bell Tower Park.

First Spanish I class this evening. Ordered Spanish Is Fun...we'll see about that. Lots of good comments on the five easy pieces. Some strong observations, things to think about for the next 5.

This was difficult to de-emphsize the umbrella yet let it have some wind.

Just clouds and beach. Very serene. The violet glow was real. Rain on its way.

About 9 am, Venice (Florida) Beach. Sand was cool to my feet.

Just a simple view, walking home from the community fitness center.

Working in my "studio" this afternoon, listening to Fleetwood Mac: Penguin and Mystery To Me. Framing the five paintings I finished this month. Earlier I sent an email to friends and family with photos of the five - received wonderful encouragement. Interesting to hear top choices and then compare them to what I think are mine. And, it lead to a phone call from a special friend who lives too far away. 

Cleaned up the room. No more procrastination...I will start 5 more tonight or tomorrow. Thinking of another view of the drainage canal and then some scenes from Apalachicola Bay. 

Looking at my pastels, this one got me started, let me know that I could do something with what was a new medium to me. From a Taos, NM visit.

Summer 2015, visit to Apalachicola, Florida. Pencil and pastel from restaurant window, late afternoon.

Probably my favorite acrylic. Monterey Bay on 17 Mile Drive. Sold

Finished 4 oils this month, first in 35 years. Framing now. one more almost finished then I will start 5 more. This is a drainage canal near our home, mid-afternoon, storm approaching from the south.