Kailua Road Beach Access Here

Kailua Road by Stephanie Denny
6x6 Oil on Panel

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Park Access Road is a Gem

Park Access Road  Kaneohe by Lynne Cunningham
16x12 Oil on Canvas

Lynne found a Street View that sneaks a peek at a peak that was hidden away . . . until it wasn't!  This is a great view to explore from. Lynne included this comment  "the Streetview map location is on the northwest side of the mountains that separate Honolulu from the other side of Oahu, near Kaneohe . . . nice discovery.  The Park Access Road painting was fun getting the shadows in the scene with the flowering trees and the Pali (mountains) in the background."

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Small Works of Art Make GREAT Gifts for Collectors

Captain Cook Hawaii by JoAnn Simon
ATCO - 2.5 x 3.5" Watercolor 

JoAnn just sent me her web address and I looked for her painting on the blog.  Only to find I hadn't posted it.  It IS in the contest, collecting votes, but I forgot to post it.  I know why.  It's because I wanted to talk about ACEOs or ATCO.  Art Cards Editions and Originals and Artist Trading Card Originals, and to make it even more confusing, sometimes SFA or Small Format Art.

I colledt ACEOs which by definition are original pieces of art in the EXACT size of 2.5 x 3.5 (just like Baseball Trading Cards) and there is a huge market for these small works of art on Ebay and other online sites like ETSY et all.

I really like the idea of Artists "trading" original cards for each other to share their work.  To have an opportunity to hold the work of art in your hand.  Feel the texture of the particular medium and many times it leads to the purchase of a larger work.

Some artists only work in miniature and you there will never be a larger painting to purchase or hold.  The small works can be grouped together and matted in such a way to showcase these small treasures in any way you like.

I have posted on my Joy of Painting blog about the OPA on my wall (that's other people's art) well one of my favorite artists does all ACEOs and she holds a special place on my wall.  I'll share that some day soon. If there's some extra hours in a day coming up soon???  Yes?  Please !

So much Art, So little Time

I am so excited to see so many entries coming in through the new interface.  The only thing is of course that let's me put off posting them to the blog (though some may appreciate the internet silence sometimes) and now I'm feeling guilty.  So I just HAVE TO SHOW you these new entries of late.  There are a number of GREAT paintings and links here.  You should look at the Street Views too.  They are SO COOL.  Also if you are one of the ARTISTS this month who has submitted a painting, please send me a link to YOUR webpage so I can link them here.  I forgot to put that in my form (duh).

KoKo Head Park Overlook
by Ginger Gehres
16x12 Acrylic on Canvas

Here's a link Ginger's Street View and while she was painting there, Chris Favre (any relation to . . no I won't do that to you ?) was painting in Watercolor in a peaceful little setting seen here.

Peace in Dreamland by Chris Favre
8.5 x 11 Watercolor

Chris' Street View link will show you her location that day.  It REALLY IS WORTH LOOKING AT.  Chris did a fabulous job.  And speaking of FABULOUS.  David Evans found another unique view of Hawaii and the most incredible tree I've ever seen. . . or Google's truck has ever seen . . .or whatever.  You should look at the Street View from David's painting, and then look his submission this month.  I'm Loving IT !

Giant Baobab by David Evans
11x14 Oil on Linen

And finally (for now) another official entry (SEE THEM ALL HERE) this morning from Leah Hinkle.

82 Farington Highway by Leah Hinkle
8x10 Acrylic on Board

Leah's Street View Link Here.

Breezy Beach Road

Jan Happle painted a breezy day in Honolulu with her Breezy Beach Road

Breezy Beach Road by Jan Happle
9x12 Watercolor

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The Google Street View Truck Really Caught This

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Can you believe that the Google Truck caught this scene?  What if that was your campsite.  Once imortalized by Google, and again here by Tiziane Blacklock in Watercolor.

Oahu's Makaha Beach Park

David Zimmerman found a beach on Oahu and made it his own.  The image invokes a scene from "days gone by" but could very well be yesterday.  Everything old is new again, especially when it comes to old cars.  As you will see the Cars and people came out of David's imagination.  The Google Van didn't actually see these people headed off to the surf. But we can see them. Thanks to David.

Hawaiian Eye by David Zimmerman
6x8 Oil on Canvas

Here's the Google Link

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Len Windle found Waimanola Beach

Waimanola Beach View by Mary Maxam
9x9 Oil on Gessoed Panel

What a Beautiful Day by Mary Roxanne Harmon
20x24 Acrylic on Canvas

A very tropical landscape found by Len Windle (below) and Mary Harmon (above) agreed.

Waimanola Beach by Len Windle
11x14 Acrylic on Canvas

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Three hours from Billings to Hawaii

Official Entry from Feliesha Willis from Billings MT
12x24 Acrylic on Canvas
total paint time : 3 hours

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Kahaluu-Keauhou, Hawaii

Home Under Palms, by Jeri Risen
8.5 x 11, Watercolor 

Here's a view found by Jeri Risen from her tropical location (Tampa) of another (Hawaii) Feel free to use this view and paint your own version of Kahaluu-Keauhou, Hawaii.  Use the View Larger Map link under the Street View below to take off from here and find a new view.

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Koi Loop in Pāpa‘aloa, HI

Our resident Matwan Artist found this colorful little neighborhood to paint from in  Pāpa‘aloa, HI.  If you like this painting or any others and would like to VOTE for your favorite, please visit our Contest HQ If you'd like to Paint with us in Hawaii, please feel free to do so. You may just WIN $250 cash and a trip to Hawaii.

Morning at Koi Loop by Maria Milazzo
18x24 Oil on Canvas

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Kiheli Hwy - Hawaiii

Coconut Grove Hawaii by Pamela Palmer
2x3 Acrylic

Official Entry from
Lesley Higbee

Official NOVEMBER entry
by Sue Wakeling

Here's the Street View that they started with.  You can use this to find a new spot or paint from here.  If you do find a new spot, don't forget to get a LINK so you won't loose it.

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Our FIRST ever Winner of the Street View Paint Off

Congratulations to Laeli Bowden who has won our October/Arizona challenge. Laeli will be receiving a $250 Visa card! Laeli painted the Red Rocks of Sedona and her painting caught the eye of 112 friends who voted for her painting.

Red Rock Country by Laeli Bowden

OCTOBER'S FIRST PLACE WINNER 

I feel compelled to give you a few other stats, such as: 

Honorable mention goes to Michelle Boonstra and Len Windel who were a close second and third in the vote count.  And just in case you wondered, Laeli was our 18th entry, and it was received in the middle of the month.  Michelle was our fifth and Len our 3rd.  Which is to say it doesn't matter much if your painting was an early or late entry.

Or DOES IT?  I received a great question about the length of voting time for the contest.  It's worth exploring. It had to do with the "voting period" and whether it should be all month, or a 5 day period AFTER all entries are in.  So let me share that part of the rules and solicit your comments and suggestions.

Basically right now in November the voting has OPENED.  I made it the 6th of the month so as not to confuse anyone voting as to what period they are voting for.  So when the voting for the last month ends on the 5th, the voting for the new period opens on the 6th.

Now, this does suggest that anyone who enters early could gather more votes, and this is true to some extent because they'd have more TIME to be seen, but that didn't make a huge difference to our winner in October.  She had lots of friends ;)  I think I've addressed this in the capping of votes for each person.  Each person can only vote 5 times in the whole contest.  Meaning that everyone will have the chance to get their friends to vote for them a limited number of times whether or not they were early or late.

The biggest change is of course the the voting by the public for the Finalists with the Winner being chosen from them by a panel of their peers.  Which will include some of the artists entered (who can't vote for themselves)  along with myself and a few artist friends of a higher quality than  I.  I will introduce each judges group along the way.

I am going to post this.  I reserve the right to edit, if I made errors.  I know everyone is waiting for the winner.

Congrats again Laeli.  Great Job.

A few place to start in Hawaii

Kiheil Hwy by Sue Wakeling
Official November  Entry

Someone (Jan ;) asked for a few "jumping off places" recognizing that there aren't too many roads in/on the islands for Google to have gone.  To make it a little harder, there are a lot of photos posted on the maps.  Remember photos are STATIC IMAGES that show up when you drop Pegman on a "little blue dot." What you are looking for is the STREET VIEW Images with the 360 degree rotation, and the little compass in the corner.

Here are a few to look at.  Feel Free to paint these views as they are, or to move on down the road and pick something else.  If you do that however, remember to save yourself a link (in the RIGHT corner of the map there are link options)

HAVE FUN.

A Tree on Akoni Pule Highway

Kiheil HI - Ocean Highway

2 Trees on Diamond Head Road

Church on Mamalahoa Highway

Tropical Kaleiopapa Street

StreetView Paint OFF just got Better

PRIZE ADDED and RULES Tweaked

THANK YOU for helping to make the inaugural month of our Street View Paint OFF a successful one. We have 27 official entries, and over 600 FaceBook Fans (and counting). What a great start to what promises to be a lot more fun in the future.
	Voting is still going on for October entries (until the 5th) so please check them out on FaceBook and vote for your favorites.There is a random drawing for $100 and anyone who votes will be in it. The October entries are being promoted via ads online to gather more votes for everyone. The winner will be announced on November 6th, after the 5 day viewing period.
	November's location has been chosen (Hawaii - USA) and we already have one entry.  You can see the entries on FaceBook under the CONTEST tab, and I will be posting them as they come in, on the Blog. Prize upgraded to a $250 VISA Card AND a 3 NIGHT stay in  Holly's Kauai Condo  Funny thing about the Hawaii condo is that you can't paint Kauai this month because Google(tm) trucks have not been there.  But you CAN GET THERE FROM HERE.
This condo is owned by a family friend. You may want to bookmark that or become a F/Book friend, because they are going to run their OWN giveaway to promote their condo.  It's FABULOUS. So watch them too ;)
FINALLY In response to a number of "threads" that pointed to VOTING on FACEBOOK becoming problem laden, I worked with a company called Wildfire Promotions to create a contest format that fit our needs. Along the way I discovered that the way I was doing contests "inside" FaceBook actually violates their rules (unless I spend $10,000 in advertising) so I'm glad I found out early.
You will see the new application inside FaceBook (connected to the CONTEST tab on the page) and you will still share with friends for votes and comments, but when you enter and they view, it actually happens OUTSIDE of FaceBook, it's just hard to tell because it LOOKS very similar. The best part is that the application tracks fair voting (one per day per person) and keeps them in one place so I won't have to manually count "Likes" The Application is also linked here under  How To Enter so don't worry, when you are ready to enter you'll find it.
ADDITIONAL RULE CHANGE being made in response to a concern that voting on FaceBook is a "popularity contest" not an art contest.  I have made changes to our process for choosing a winner.  Starting with November and the new Wildfire application, the Public Fans will choose a FINALIST and a Jury of Peers (consisting of me, Kay Zahn and a number of artists, collectors and real people and maybe even the other artists who enter) so that a win in the Street View Paint OFF has more value than the Prize. I will be introducing you to the Judges over the course of the month.   Share the JOY, Kay

Rocky Coast in Paradise

Tropical Sea Breeze by Kim Frakes
16x20 Oil on Wrapped Canvas

Rocky Coast by Brenda Winters
Official Entry for November

Painting in paradise presents a problem.  Picking a place.

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Here's an approved view, use it or start from it if you like. 

Hawaii in November - Let's GO

We closed the October entries with a total of  27!  Not bad for the first month EVER.  And we ended up with 597 FaceBook Friends and there are many more behind I can tell you.  HOW do I know?

Because I just kicked off some advertising on FaceBook for promote the October entries to thousands of new friends.  It will run though the 5th of November, so our artists can get some exposure for their paintings.  I happen to know that a couple of them have already been sold!   HOW do I know?

Because I bought them!  I can't say I'll do that every month but I have been know to buy OPA (Other People's Art) to put on my walls.  I have my own there too, but somehow I like OPA better than my own. Hence the contest.

HAWAII is November's location.  Any island, city, building, flower, wave, cloud, tree or rock. It's way more colorful than Arizona (even tho I love Arizona :) but we need to paint color and flowers while the winter comes upon us (here in the USA of course)

View Larger Map and get painting! 

Go ahead.  Click on View Larger map and explore Hawaii.  Any island, any city, anywhere Google went.

On another note: I am currently working on a NEW entry system that ties to the VOTING on FaceBook, to make it easier to see how the voting is coming along and choose a winner.  Visit our FaceBook Fan page and check out the CONTEST tab.  I think it's going to work.

And get out there (or IN there) and start painting.  Share the JOY.  Kay