One Painter's Perspective

a new beginning

2011-05-19T21:13:00.002-05:00

I have moved my blog to:http://kimshields.wordpress.com/

More of Mother's Things

2010-08-12T19:46:00.004-05:00

24x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)
It has been a while since I have posted anything, it does not mean I haven't been painting. I have. We took a trip to the mountains in the RV. I took Scott L. Christensen's 10 Day Intensive Workshop at his fabulous studio in Victor, Idaho and Jim rode his motorcycle in the Grand Tetons. Let me tell you, this workshop was the best thing I could of done for my work. Scott opened my eyes to the fact that I need to do more studying and observing the Masters and practice practice practice. Don't feel like you have to complete and frame every time you pick up a brush. I will be doing a lot more studies en plein aire. First, I have some commission work I have to complete first. I had started this still life before I left, I had just a little twinking to do to it when I got back.

Hey Cupcake!

2010-07-15T22:28:00.002-05:00

8x8 oil on stretched cotton canvas
SOLD
I am proud to say my paintings hanging at the Magnolia Cafe in Austin had great responses. I sold all of my Austin Landscape series except two and was asked to show again. On another note, I am leaving for Victor, Idaho for Scott L. Christianson's 10-day Intensive Workshop. I am so pumped, he is not only a fantastic artist but I hear from other artists that one of his workshops was a turning point in their work.

My Mother's Things

2010-06-21T16:44:00.004-05:00

20x20 oil on stretched cotton canvas

My last visit to my parents house I packed a big box of some of my Mom's collectibles. In my head I could see a series of paintings using a square format and this 1940ish? green with a soft accent of red. This is the first one. I set up another still life today ready for the next one.
I am excited to say I have some of my paintings hanging at the Magnolia Cafe on S. Congress in Austin. I hung the small 8x8 Austin landmarks and a few more larger ones of the Austin area.

Blue Solitude

2010-05-29T20:32:00.006-05:00

12x12 oil on cotton canvas panel
$180 (email me if interested)
Today I hung my first show ever! I have thirteen of my Texas landscapes at the Bulverde/Spring Branch Library. They will be there the month of June. It feels good. I kind of liked the way they looked hanging together. There seemed to be a cohesiveness in the collection.

As every Texas artist knows, tis the season for bluebonnets (if I had been organized and posted this when I finished the painting it would of been when the bluebonnets were blooming but I am about a month late) I would not of seen this less traveled trail if I had not pulled over to take a picture of something else.

Dancing Cypress on Frio River

2010-05-21T17:19:00.002-05:00

20x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)
I really wanted to emphasize the cypress roots in the water so I thought by putting the horizon in the top part of the painting I could use majority of the space on the water's edge. I am really pleased with the outcome using this composition. I have been preparing to hang some of my paintings at Magnolia Cafe in Austin the first of June. I am making my own floater frames. This is very time consuming with cutting, assembling, painting and sanding. I am ready to be finished so I can get back to painting. I have some ideas for paintings in my head I am anxious to get started (hopefully soon).

Black Cows

2010-04-15T11:20:00.003-05:00

20x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
NFS
I finally finished my parents Christmas present. I couldn't post it until I delivered it to their house, because my Mom looks at my blog. We ordered a frame from King of Frames. She received the frame a few days ago and said it looks really nice. I have personally never seen a King of Frames frame but have heard only good things about them. We decided on a distressed black frame with hints of green and red and a gold trim on the inside edge. I will have to wait a while before I get to see the painting framed. I am still painting daily but working on larger pieces so I do not have anything to post as often.

Michaelis Ranch sheds

2010-04-05T19:13:00.003-05:00

8x10 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$75 (email me if interested)
Another plein aire outing with the Austin group. The Michaelis Ranch in Kyle, Texas is on the U.S. Department of the Interior's list of National Register of Historic Places. There were so many wonderful painting ops. Being new at this plein aire thing, I think my biggest obstacle is composition. I am so used to painting from photos that I can crop to set my own boundaries. When painting on location I see all around. As on this painting I feel as if the shed in the foreground is too dominate on one side which to me throws of the balance of my composition. On a positive note I do feel as though plein aire painting is going to help me paint only the important details. I have alot to learn but I am enjoying every minute of it.

Alley no.1

2010-03-23T23:32:00.004-05:00

18x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)SOLD
Any time I visit a new town I like to explore the heart of the town-back alleys, neighborhoods, local restaurants (no chains), no tourist traps for me. This painting is for my collection of Austin works that will hang at Magnolia Cafe in June.

Rio Vista Park

2010-03-15T13:39:00.003-05:00

8x10 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$75 (email me if interested)

I recently joined Plein Aire Austin a group from Austin, Texas and surrounding areas. My first outing with them was this past Saturday at a park in San Marcos, Texas. To get me out there painting I knew I would have to follow some established veterans of plein aire. I confess, I am a sheep. I loved it! They are a bunch of wonderful painters and it was so nice being out in the fresh air, it was a beautiful day. The colors! After I got home and compared what I had painted and the photo I took, I was amazed at the intensity of colors that was lost in the photo. I WILL be painting plein aire more!

Barton Springs Hike

2010-02-08T17:33:00.005-06:00

16x20 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)
I am adding a few larger pieces to my Austin series. I have been invited to hang some works at the Magnolia Cafe on S.Congress Ave. in Austin in June.

Longhorn Calf

2010-01-26T19:43:00.006-06:00

8x10 oil on cotton canvas panelSOLD
It's been awhile since I have posted anything. The holidays rolled around and I was pretty busy enjoying my family, cooking and just over all good spirits. I have been painting though. I have been working on a larger painting to be a gift to my Mom and Dad. My Mom requested black cows. It is now finished but I can not post it just yet because they have not seen it. Mom looks at my blog. Meanwhile here is a small Longhorn calf I just finished today. I enjoyed painting the black cows so much I wanted to paint another cow.

Prickly Pear Blossom

2009-11-16T18:20:00.007-06:00

8x6 oil on cotton covered panel
$120 (email me if interested)SOLD
I enjoy painting cactus pads. I can achieve their green color by using cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, viridian, yellow ochre and/or cad yellow. It just depends on how the light hits the pad on which I use.

First Snow

2009-11-09T13:45:00.003-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

My first plein aire using my new "Cigar Box" by Guerrilla. Jim and I took our first RV trip to Taos, New Mexico this past week. We woke up to an early snow. This is what was left by the afternoon.

Mission Gardens

2009-10-22T20:53:00.003-05:00

8x10 oil on cotton canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)
The next best thing to painting plein aire is coming home and being able to paint from your photos. It takes me back to being at that location and what a good time I had with my Mom and daughter.

bougainvillea

2009-10-04T13:16:00.005-05:00

8x10 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$150 (email me if interested)
Another painting of the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

2009-09-30T19:29:00.003-05:00

20x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)
I have a hard time photographing my work. This one seems to be washed out and the previous post you can see dull reflections. I have tried different times of the day and different locations. Anyway, while in California taking Robin Hall's workshop, we visited the mission in San Capistrano. What a beautiful place! Every corner you turn is a photo op or in my case a painting op. I would love to spend many hours there painting on location. Unfortunately I live many miles away and I have to settle painting from photos. One day I want to be able to paint plein aire every where I go. Its going to happen soon.

Salsa Bowl 4

2009-09-17T17:54:00.003-05:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$100 (email me if interested)

Salsa Bowl with lime and lemon

2009-09-10T17:46:00.005-05:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$100 (email me if interested)
I enjoyed painting my little Mexican bowls so much I decided to paint one again.

Waterloo Icehouse Austin

2009-09-07T21:05:00.008-05:00

8x8x3 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$100 (email me if interested)

I'm finally back. So many things in my life have been going on. I was kinda in a painting slump for awhile. It just seemed as though I couldn't paint anything I was happy with. Then I got the opportunity to take Robin Hall's Color Theory workshop in San Clemente, Ca. If you haven't ever seen Robin's work,take a look at her web site. Her use of colors are amazing. In fact, that is the reason I jumped at taking her class. We spent four days talking, mixing and painting colors. I was so pumped to get home and try out my new knowledge of color. I am working on a 20x24 painting of a photo I took at the Mission San Juan in San Capistrano. I am taking my time and thinking a lot about values and tones.
This painting is number 9 of my series of Austin Landmarks.

Willows in the Wetlands

2009-07-10T11:54:00.004-05:00

11x14 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$300 unframed (email me if interested)
I need some advice. Do you think I need to go back and lighten up the value of the mountains to make them look like they are more in the distance? I feel as though I painted everything too much in the same value. I would appreciate any input. This is from a photo I took in the Rocky Mountain National Park. What a beautiful place. I love how there are so many different kinds of terrains. It is a painters paradise.

Frio River Reflections

2009-07-04T13:50:00.004-05:00

16x20 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)
This was another photo I took when Jim and I went camping back in October, hence the fall colors. I think this painting is more intense with color than I am use to painting. When painting water you have to look at the water surface and reflections as just shapes and color not what you know it to be. I struggled but I do like the end result.

Sidewalk Parking

2009-07-01T10:52:00.005-05:00

8x8x1.5 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$100 (email me if interested)SOLD
This is number 8 in my series of Austin Landmarks.

Whole Foods Blackbirds

2009-06-11T16:03:00.007-05:00

8x8x1.5 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$100 unframed (email me if interested)SOLD
I have been gone for a week and it has taken me another week to get back in the swing of things. I had started this painting before I left for the Rocky Mountains. It is #7 in my series of Austin Landmarks. I wanted to finish it before I started a new painting from my photographs of the mountains. Anyone that lives in Austin knows there are thousands of blackbirds around the parking area at Whole Foods and up and down the street. The noise is deafening but fascinating.

After the Rain- Canyon Lake

2009-05-30T22:12:00.004-05:00

24x36 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$650 (email me if interested)
While my son was home on leave, Jim, Justin and I took him to the lake to do some fishing. I cooked hamburgers and took pictures. The day was very overcast and it was late in the evening. They didn't get a bite but I got some interesting pics. When I am painting I have to remind myself to use stronger highlights. Because of the late evening and overcast there were no strong shadows. I wanted to keep that overcast feeling.

San Jose Mission courtyard

2009-05-17T12:14:00.003-05:00

20x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)
The hardest part was making sure I had the arches correct. I still have a tendency to paint shadows the same violet color no matter what they are cast on. I am taking a workshop in August from Robin Hall on color theory. I am excited about learning how to work with my coloring. All and all I am happy with the painting.

Magnolia Cafe

2009-05-13T10:10:00.004-05:00

8x8 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$100 unframed (email me if interested)SOLD
Another painting in my series of Austin Landmarks. Magnolia Cafe is located on South Congress (SoCo). It is open 24 hours with a massive menu and wonderful food made with fresh ingredients. Last time I was there my daughter and I shared the best Queso dip topped with avocado slices that I have ever tasted and I have eaten a lot of Queso dip.
I have also started a larger painting so the Austin paintings are on hold for a few days or maybe weeks, depending.

Uncommon Objects

2009-05-08T18:47:00.007-05:00

8x8 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$100 unframed (email me if interested)SOLD

The third installment of my Austin Landmarks.Uncommon Objects is a shop full of found objects that are displayed so creatively its almost like walking through a fun funky art gallery. The fiberglass rabbit was rescued from a dump in Dallas and the cowboy was made from a car muffler. This sculpture was produced around 1992 by Evan Voyles whose other creations are scattered around Austin. This is only one of the many landmark art that makes Austin quirky.

Hotel San Jose

2009-05-05T22:03:00.005-05:00

8x8 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$100 unframed (email me if interested)SOLD
This is the second painting in my series of Austin landmarks. The Hotel San Jose built in 1939 is located on South Congress. It is an urban bungalow-style hotel. It is rumored this is where all the celebrities like to stay when in town.

Amy's Ice Cream

2009-05-02T17:21:00.004-05:00

8x8 oil on stretched canvas
$100 unframed (email me if interested)SOLD
I am painting a series of Austin landmarks on 8x8 canvas that is 1 1/2" thick. I have decided they would look the best in a floater frame. I am going to get Jim to make me some frames as soon as I am through. So for I am thinking there will be 12. They could be left unframed as I painted the sides too. My daughter has lived in Austin for ten years. Over the years she has introduced me to a city full of art and culture. "Austinites" take pride in being different in their lifestyles. They have adopted a motto, "Keep Austin Weird" which refers partly to their eclectic lifestyles and also for a campaign that preserves and supports small independent businesses. This is what I wanted to represent in my paintings. Thanks Kristen!

Prickly Pear

2009-04-21T07:55:00.002-05:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

We have lots and lots of these in our yard. They begin blooming in June. The pads and the fruit of the cactus are edible. The fruit is ready after they blossom, in the late summer and early fall. Just be careful of the spines on both! The tiny ones on the fruit are really hard to remove. In a drought, ranchers have been known to burn off the spines so their cows could eat the cactus for the liquid inside. I made some note cards from this painting. I would like to paint a series of cacti paintings, especially one with the fruit because I like the contrast of the red fruit against the green pads.

Texas Hill Country

2009-04-14T09:02:00.004-05:00

8x10 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$200 (email me if interested)

Another painting of my stomping grounds. My favorite is painting sun dapples through the trees. I always paint them using the same colors. Maybe I should step out on a limb (no pun intended) and try other colors.

Mission San Jose Door

2009-04-09T12:32:00.003-05:00

12x12 oil on cotton canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)

After living in the San Antonio area for over 15 years, I finally took a day to visit the missions. San Antonio has five counting the Alamo. These five missions were built along the San Antonio River. The other four missions continue to operate as active parishes of the Catholic Church. I took lots of pictures. After getting home and looking at my photos, I can think of some other compositions I should of taken. I am from the old school, it is hard for me to just click, click, click. It's digital! This first painting was an unusual size for me. With all the carvings around the door, I probably should have gone even bigger. Thats a lot of detail to do that small. When it comes to architecture, one little brush stroke can throw the whole perspective off. After looking at it for a few days I may go back and tweak it a little.

Enchanted Rock #2

2009-04-03T22:28:00.004-05:00

20x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
NFS
It has been awhile since I have posted anything. Even so, I have been painting everyday. I recently finished this larger piece. It is a gift for my wonderful Air Force son. Shhh! don't tell. He hasn't seen it yet. He will be coming home on leave in a couple of weeks. It is for his new apartment to remind him of Texas. I hope he likes it. I have also been doing a series of urban landscapes of Austin. I will post some of them later.

Enchanted Rock

2009-02-25T11:25:00.005-06:00

12x16 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$500 (email me if interested)

The Rock is a huge, pink granite exfoliation dome, that rises 425 feet above ground, 1825 feet above sea level, and covers 640 acres. It is one of the largest batholiths (underground rock formation uncovered by erosion) in the United States.
Tonkawa Indians believed ghost fires flickered at the top, and they heard weird creaking and groaning, which geologists now say resulted from the rock's heating by day and contracting in the cool night. A conquistador captured by the Tonkawa described how he escaped by losing himself in the rock area, giving rise to an Indian legend of a "pale man swallowed by a rock and reborn as one of their own." The Indians believed he wove enchantments on the area, but he explained that the rock wove the spells. "When I was swallowed by the rock, I joined the many spirits who enchant this place." Jim and I climbed to the top a couple of weekends ago. I took lots of pictures to paint.

Winter on the Guadalupe River

2009-02-15T10:00:00.005-06:00

12x16 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)

This view of the river is behind our house. I think winter is just as beautiful on the river. I love the golden hues against the green water. We have not had any rain to speak of in the last 9 months. The river is so dry in some spots it has just a trickle. The bank on the left of the painting is usually under water. I think my favorite part of the painting is the two small patches of cerulean blue reflecting in the water. I saved that for the very last thing to brush on. All along the river bed are huge cottonwoods and cypress trees. The lot next to us has a cottonwood that the owners wanted to have measured and registered it is so big. We have lived here for 15 years and have seen the river dried up and two floods, one a hundred year flood.

Texas Ranch Road

2009-02-02T08:23:00.003-06:00

8x10 oil on stretched linen canvas
$250 (email me if interested)
Jim and I drove around this weekend so I could take some pictures. We turned off onto this road that was one lane with cattle guards. We went for a couple of miles until it ended at the Guadalupe River. Even though it is a public road I am sure it is used mostly by the rancher that is on both sides of the road. This is one of the few places left here that hasn't been touched by developers. So sad.

Lost Maples Hike

2009-01-27T20:23:00.003-06:00

11x14 oil on stretched linen
$400 (email me if interested)
As Jim and I were walking the trails at Lost Maples State Park, we came upon this older lady that looked so entranced by this particular Maple tree. She stood in that one spot staring up at the tree. Even after we passed, she was still there. I have really enjoyed painting these landscapes from Lost Maples. The trees are such a beautiful color to paint up against a clear blue sky.

Cows in Fredericksburg

2009-01-22T20:50:00.003-06:00

5x7 oil on linen stretched canvas
$50 (email me if interested)sold

I usually work on cotton canvas. I received an assortment of linen canvases for Christmas from my Mom. I really like the smoothness of the surface. The paint just seems to glide right on. Thanks Mom.

Lavender Fields at Becker Vineyards

2009-01-14T18:42:00.002-06:00

8x10 oil on cotton canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)

Texas has some very good wines. Several of the wineries are in Fredericksburg. I am not sure what the connection is with lavender and grapes but it sure is pretty when they are blooming. I mixed every combination of different blues and reds to find the right color for the lavender. I am happy with the color I ended up with.

Maverick Plaza at La Villita

2009-01-03T10:53:00.002-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$100 (email me if interested)

This courtyard is to the right of the gallery, Susan Carlin Art Studio & Gallery, in San Antonio where I have some work hanging. At least it was the view until they removed the bougainvilleas for the winter. I really wanted to capture the sun hitting the water coming from the fountain. It was sparkling. I used a palette knife to add an extra mix of cad yellow light and titanium white at the very end of painting. My photos of my paintings never seem to capture my colors in a true fashion. I don't know what I do wrong as far as photography. I am going to keep working at it because I like to make note cards of my paintings for the gallery.

Frio River in October

2008-12-28T16:44:00.002-06:00

8x10 oil on cotton canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)

I am still painting from photos I took when Jim and I went camping in October. It was such a beautiful place, every where I turned I envisioned another painting. Thank heaven for digital cameras. I can take as many photos as I want without worrying about the cost. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lost Maples

2008-12-21T17:11:00.006-06:00

10x12 oil on cotton canvas panel
$180 (email me if interested)SOLD
I am still trying to paint everyday, but with the holidays here and all the extra projects I like to do has kept me pretty busy.
This another painting I have done from Jim and my trip to Garner State Park and Lost Maples State Park.

Artist Christmas card

2008-12-13T12:13:00.004-06:00

I decided to put my little angel on some blank cards. If anyone is interested I am selling 5 to a pack with envelopes for $12.50 plus $1.95 shipping and handling. I can mail them the same day. They will be shipped in a padded envelope and themselves in a clear sealed protective bag. I have started making cards using a lot of my paintings so again if anyone is interested I can ship single or any combination. They all come in clear sealed protective bags. Christmas is almost here!

Ortega carved angel

2008-12-13T11:54:00.005-06:00

5x7 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$75 (email me if interested)

I had this little carved angel hanging in my studio. I bought it in Santa Fe last time I was there. It is signed on the back Louise Ortega. The sales lady told me the whole family carves, so each one will be a little different. I thought she(the angel) would look sweet on a Christmas card. I used a palette knife to get the texture of the carved wood.

salsa bowl #2

2008-12-04T21:18:00.003-06:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

I mentioned in my last post that I had painted these bowls twice. Well here is the second one. This is a odd shaped little bowl with three legs. So in the painting it gives off the illusion that it is painted wrong. Because of that I believe I like the first one better. I have several more of these bowls in different shapes so I think I will paint them again and again. They sure would make a nice series hanging in a kitchen. Does anyone know where I can get 6"x6" frames without spending an arm and a leg?

salsa bowls with cross

2008-12-03T19:45:00.006-06:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$100 (email me if interested)

I haven't worked on a still life in quite awhile, so I went searching through the house for something interesting to paint. I love the colors in these clay bowls. I wanted to see how it was to paint something that was painted on itself. Does that make any sense? I ended up painting two that weekend.

Frio River at Garner State Park

2008-11-19T18:31:00.002-06:00

9x12 oil on cotton canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)

I am happy to say I am now exhibiting some of my work in Susan Carlin Art Studio and Gallery. The owner is Susan Carlin, a fantastic portrait artist. You can watch her paint on Ustream.tv.com on Tuesday nights at 6:00pm est. She is so upbeat and a pleasure to be around. The other two artists in the gallery are Marilyn Moore and Bonnie Mann. Marilyn paints with watercolors. She does beautiful scenes of the Riverwalk in San Antonio. Bonnie paints in oils. Her still lifes are so eloquent. I feel so special being asked to be a part of their gallery family.

This painting is from another photo I took when Jim and I went camping at Garner State Park. I really tried hard to capture the blue of the water against the fall colors in the trees. That is what attracted me to the scene in the first place.

Alamo

2008-11-11T19:45:00.007-06:00

8x10 oil on stretched linen
$250 (email me if interested)Sold
I have never painted on linen before. So the last time I was at Jerry's Artarama I decided to get a prestretched canvas to give it a try. I really liked how the paint flowed on the surface. I had just bought a 6 yard roll of cotton canvas to make my own panels so I guess I will be using cotton for awhile. I do like the tooth that cotton has too. Jim and I went downtown to see the SAVA "Admiration" show when I took this photo of the Alamo. I debated putting the tourists and the fence in the painting. I decided I didn't want to date the painting so much.

my first plein aire!

2008-11-10T21:10:00.004-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)Sold
I have mentioned before how uneasy I felt about putting myself out there to be looked at while I painted. I finally did it with a lot of coxing from my husband. And I loved it! Now I want to do it all the time. I realized how much more you see in colors and values. A photograph will lose some of the values, it seems to flatten. We were at Garner State Park, Texas camping, to see the fall colors. We also went to Lost Maples State Park. There is a large isolated stand of uncommon bigtooth maples. I was only able to paint one plein aire painting but I took a lot of pictures.

They were tourists at the plaza...

2008-11-03T19:34:00.002-06:00

16 x 20 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$500 (email me if interested)
I took this photo last year when I was in Santa Fe. I liked the play of shadows all over the ground and pavilion. While I was painting this one I could just imagine who these people were. The only thing that I was concerned about as I painted was the fact that the figures ended up in the center of the painting. I would like to hear others opinion on this. Does it bother you they are in the center and is there too much foreground? Drop me a comment.

San Antonio Visual Artists

2008-10-20T22:26:00.004-05:00

Saturday night was the 1st Annual Juried Show "Admiration" presented by San Antonio Visual Artists Group. I was proud to have one of my works accepted. It was my Santa Fe Farmers Market. The opening was held in the courtyard of the Spanish Govenor's Palace. It is so sad I have lived in San Antonio for 13 years and didn't even know this building exisited. I will definitely go back during daytime to visit. I met the first place winner, Susan Carlin. What a wonderful person and artist. You need to definitely check out her blog and website. She has recently opened a gallery/studio at La Villita on the Riverwalk.

Big Bend Desertscape

2008-10-10T12:29:00.003-05:00

18x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$600 (email me if interested)
It looks like our trip to New Mexico and Colorado is going to be delayed. We may still go in November. I am just afraid it will be too cold for Jim to ride his motorcycle and I am sure I have missed the fall colors. When I found out we were not going when expected, I started this larger painting of Big Bend. I have wanted to paint this scene for a long time. I like all the different plants. Big Bend has such a wide variety of terrain from the desert floor to the Chisos mountains. The one plant that really stands out in my painting is the Ocotillo, also known as Jacob's Staff. It is a long spiny shrub growing 10 to 15 feet tall. It lays dormant conserving water by eschewing its leaves until a shower offers relief, developing and dropping its leaves several times a year. It is also known as coach-whip and vine cactus. The earlier settlers and present day residents collect the long unbranching slender stems and create a living fence. Tying them together and then plant the roots, the fence can continue to grow, complete with green leaves and flowers in the season. Red flowers adorn its tips in spring and also on occasion in August - September with late summer rainfall. It is believed that the Indians ate the flowers and fruit pods and that the Apaches used a concoction of roots to relieve painful swellings. The flowers can be used to make a home tea.

Rio Grande Gorge 2

2008-10-01T18:31:00.003-05:00

11x14 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$350 (email me if interested)

I have painted this same view of the Rio Grande gorge in New Mexico once already. The first one was painted 2 years ago when I had just begun to paint again. I have been painting the sage greens, purple and orange mountains, blue skies of NM alot lately. I wanted to see if I have learned anything or even would visually treat this scene differently. Our trip to Nm and Co got set back a week because the motorcycle wasn't ready. I hope it isn't too cold. I want to paint and Jim wants to ride. I bought a roll of primed cotton canvas and a sheet of masonite to make my own panels. I wanted an assortment of small sizes to take with me. I also made a wet canvas holder.

Chamisa Row

2008-09-20T17:02:00.005-05:00

11x14 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$350 (email me if interested)
Is it a Chamisa or a Rabbit Bush? I have also heard it called snake weed. I am really not sure which one it is. You can find them all over New Mexico blooming yellow flowers in the fall. I particularly love the sage color of the foliage with the yellow flowers. I have tried using cerulean blue mixed with white and olive green (which is what I used on this painting). I still haven't found the perfect color mix. I love the mix American Western landscape painter E. Martin Hennings uses in his paintings for this bush. He calls it sage brush. I will keep trying.

Fall In Taos

2008-09-12T20:19:00.003-05:00

11x14 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$350 (email me if interested)

Back in October 2007 I painted Taos October. When I painted this smaller version I had barely started painting full time. For Taos October, I wanted to try and paint a lot freer and looser than I had been painting. I like looking at it hanging on my studio wall to remind me to paint more with feeling than worrying so much with techniques. I have always liked this photograph, so I decided to give it a try again now that I have been painting for a year. I believe I like it more. It doesn't look quite as flat as the smaller one. I do still like the first one though.

Big Bend National Park #2

2008-09-07T19:48:00.005-05:00

8x10 oil on canvas cotton panel
$250 (email me if interested)

It has been several years since I took these photos of our family trip to Big Bend. Because of that, I don't remember much of the exact locations in the park. I wasn't painting at the time the pictures were taken but as I look at the photos I feel like somewhere in my sub conscience I knew I would eventually paint them. In this painting I really like the sky color. It makes the orange color of the cliff pop. I used thalo blue. I seem to shy away from that color because it is so strong. It doesn't take much, I barely touched it to mix with the white.

I use photos alot to paint from. Not that I perfer that method, I just haven't had a lot of opportunities to paint plein aire. I am a little shy about getting out and painting where other people may see me painting. I have taken a couple of workshops where we painted plein aire. It was hard for me because I feel as if someone is going to tell me I am doing it all wrong. But really, is there a wrong way to paint?
My big test is coming up at the end of this month. Jim and I are taking a couple of weeks and driving to Colorado. I am taking my paints and he is taking his custom motorcycle our son built for him. He will take day rides in the mountains and I will paint the mountains.

If anyone reading this is a motorcycle nut like my guys, take a look at my son's website www.deviantchopper.com. He is very talented. He designs and builds the frame, gas tank, fenders, handlebars,coil cover, battery case, paints the bike and makes the seats. There aren't very many builders out there that can say they do it all themselves.

Sandia Mountains Neighbor

2008-09-03T09:57:00.003-05:00

12x24 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$350 (email me if interested)

Last year we visited our friends that had relocated to Albuequerque, New Mexico. They built their home in Palcitas. I was captivated by the fact their neighbors were living in buses. It looked like something straight out of the 60's (my era). What a view they chose to park the buses next to! Sandi means "watermelon" in Spanish. When the late afternoon sun hits the side of the mountains it gives off a "watermelon color". My photo of the painting does not show my highlights on the side of the mountains very well. After I look at the painting for a few days I may go back and add some more higlights.

I got the call this morning, our son, the Airman, has landed in the states from being in Iraq. We are so happy. He is stationed in Charleston so that is where he will go first. He will not be able to come home to us until the middle of October. I can't wait. I will be cooking the whole time he is here and loving every minute of it. He likes my cooking.

Texas Homestead and Prickly Pear

2008-08-11T16:03:00.004-05:00

8x10 oil on cotton canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)

The photogragh does not show the highlights on the corner of the house and edges of the cactus very well. This is the third painting of this same house. There is something about it that has Texas Hill Country written all over it.

Santa Fe Farmers Market

2008-08-05T16:29:00.005-05:00

12x16 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$500 (email me if interested)

Again, I included people in my painting. I really enjoyed painting people in my New York Sidewalk Florist. On my last visit to Santa Fe, I went to their fall farmers market. The colors of the hand-dyed yarn hanging under the bright blue canopy caught my eye. I also knew this man would be an interesting character to paint. When painting a scene such as this I feel as though I am there again. I guess it is because I spend several days studying and painting all the details. You begin to see things you didn't notice before.

New York Sidewalk Florist

2008-07-24T10:00:00.003-05:00

11x14 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$400 (email me if interested)

I was given a challenge by my husband and son. They tell me I need to put people in my paintings. I think I have been afraid of painting people. I took the challenge. This painting is from a photo I took of my daughter when we took our first trip to the big Apple. We were both fascinated by the flowers and produce sold on the sidewalks. This is the first painting I have done with so much detail. I really enjoyed it. You really get caught up in reflections, structures, colors and PEOPLE. I am happy with it. I think I will try this again.

Big Bend

2008-07-17T18:17:00.005-05:00

Big Bend National Park, Texas
8x10 oil on cotton canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)

EmptyEasel Review!

2008-07-16T10:24:00.003-05:00

I am thrilled! The folks at emptyeasel.com gave me a wonderful review on their site. They review artists' work once a week, among the many other things you can find on their site. Grab a cup of joe, some chocolate and get ready to be informed about all kinds of things. You will find tips and tutorials written by artists and even an updated list of current art events and online art sales. I just recently read an article on mixing oil colors. Every color actually has another color in it. So you have to be careful when mixing two colors because you are actually bringing in other colors depending on which "blue" or "yellow" you use to make green. Read the article, it has helped me a lot in mixing and achieving the colors I want to use.

New Website!

2008-07-06T10:50:00.002-05:00

I finally got my website up and running. It took me awhile since I am not so hot on the computer. I want to thank my son for helping me, without him I could not have done it. In computer world words like tag, browser, remote host, html, goes right over my head. I will keep my website more straight forward showing my latest works and use my blog to discuss the process of my work and comment on the wonderful work other artist's do. We are all in this crazy business called the art world, together. So have fun and paint! paint! paint!

Luna's Jacal

2008-07-02T15:22:00.004-05:00

9x12 oil on cotton canvas panel
$200 (email me if interested)

Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas consists of over one million acres of mountains, deserts and rivers edge. It is full of wild and fascinating history. This small hut called a jacal built from rock, earth,and plant fiber was built by Gilbert Luna in the late 19th century. Gilbert Luna lived in this small house with his 38 children born by six different wives. He was a hard working farmer growing melons and beans. He died at the age of 108 in 1947. I really enjoyed painting the blue tint in the shadows of the hut. I assume the desert atmosphere and shade of the mountains give off a blue haze.

Texas Homestead

2008-07-01T10:32:00.002-05:00

8x10 oil on cotton canvas panel
$200 (email me if interested)

Before the subdivision we live in now was developed, it was a beautiful ranch along the Guadalupe River. There are huge oaks, limestone cliffs overlooking the river and stone walls still standing from the early 1900's. The original ranch home was built by Adam Becker for his family who journeyed to Texas from Germany to join Prince Carl Holms-Braunfels. Together they established Fredericksburg and other surrrounding colonies. My painting is of the back of the home. It was made of locally quarried stone and hand-hewn cypress from the banks of the Guadalupe. The original building still exists but the owners have added to it. When we first built our house back in 1994 no one had made any changes to it. It was so interesting to walk amoung the grounds and feel the history.

Sacred Grounds

2008-06-19T18:19:00.003-05:00

16x20 oil on stretched cotton canvas
$450 (email me if interested)

Again, I pushed myself to use more than local colors. I am really happy with this painting. I believe I have made a break through with my painting. I am anxious to get started on another one. I have so many potential paintings floating around in my head. I like the simplicity and the play of shadows across the adobe walls. This is the back of the most painted church, Rancho de Taos Church. It is the curved freeform lines and shapes of the walls against the big blue sky of New Mexico that attracts so many artist and photographers.

Desktop

2008-06-03T11:45:00.003-05:00

8x10 oil on canvas panel
$150 (email me if interested)
I finished the mural and was anxious to get back to painting with oils. I used acrylics on a poly canvas. I did not like it! It was like painting on cement. I had to scrub the paint on and the acrylics were hard to blend because they dried to fast. Although, I am pleased the way it turned out. We will be installing it this afternoon. I will take some pictures when it is installed. Meanwhile I painted this
8x10 of some old books I had. I wanted to try and capture the softness of the faded colors. I also found a cigar box of old metal toys in the attic and wanted to include them. I would like to do a series of these toys. They have such beautiful soft colors to them. I found by mixing a color's complementary to it I could achieve this soft aged color.

Another passion

2008-05-20T22:07:00.006-05:00

For those of you that have come to my blog expecting to see something new, I apologize. I have been working on a 27" x 110" mural commission. I hope to finish in the next week. Meanwhile, I would like to share with you my love of scrapbooking. Before I started painting full time I was scrapbooking. I love old and new photos and paper products. I also love collage with mixed media. I believe sometimes scrapbooking gets a bad rap as a artistic outlet. There are some very creative artists using these techniques. I made this album about a year ago for a competition. The album had to be about yourself. For my album, I was inspired by the works of Georgia O'Keeffe.

This is the front cover. I did the red poppy in colored pencils and and made the bone closure out of Fima clay.

A Stormy Day

2008-04-28T10:47:00.009-05:00

8x10 cotton canvas panel
$200 (email me if interested) Sold

I took this photo in Taos, New Mexico when I was there for an art workshop with Don Ward. After our painting session, I drove around taking some photos for later date paintings. A storm was about to roll in. I was fascinated by the way the atmosphere made all the colors intensified, especially the pink truck and the mountains in the background. I am not used to painting with such intense colors in my landscapes, so I was really anxious to see if I could capture the hues caused by the stormy weather. I really liked pushing myself to use these colors. This is the same truck I did in a smaller 6x8 format titled Taos Truck.

Old Chimayo Plaza

2008-04-09T17:03:00.004-05:00

9x12 oil on canvas panel
$200 (email me if interested)

My last trip to Santa Fe I stayed at a Bed & Breakfast in Chimayo which is on the grounds of the historic Plaza del Cerro. The buildings date back to the 1700's. It included the home of the Ortega family, the post office and town merchantile til the
1950's. I am always drawn toward old adobe because of the colors and forms. In this painting I pushed myself to use more than local colors. I wanted to express what the sun and shadows can do to these beautiful earthen walls.

Herding the Cows

2008-04-06T20:42:00.005-05:00

8x10 oil on canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)sold

While driving through Truchas, NM on a small one lane road I came across this group of cows in the middle of the road. I could not pass so of course I had to stop. I was reaching for my camera when along the side of the car came a Dingo. He immediately knew he had a job to do. I was fascinated by the way he knew exactly what to do. There was no one around to direct him, it was his own instinct.

Afternoon Stroll

2008-03-31T19:56:00.006-05:00

8x10 oil on canvas panel
$250 (email me if interested)

It has been awhile. I spent a week in Fredericksburg taking a workshop from Michael Albrechtsen. What a great teacher! He taught me alot about color and mood. He also talked about how to interpret a photogragh and not just copy it. This is the first painting I have done since the workshop and I am very pleased with it. I actually wrote down some of the high points I wanted to remember and stuck them on my easel where I can see them at all times. Here they are:
1.Things get lighter and more gray further away from the viewer
2.You can use opposite colors to give you distance and separation front to back
3.Pay close attention to your edges
4.You want one edge to be more important than the others
5.Use color opposites to create eye movement
6.Values are closer together as they move away from you

Tulips

2008-03-13T10:15:00.002-05:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

Again the red tulips. I wanted to paint them one more time in their glory. This time I concentrated just on the tulips. I think I still captured their graceful curve even though I cropped in very close. The 6x6 format worked out well. Next week I start a week long painting workshop in Fredericksburg, Texas with Michael Albrechtsen as the instructor. I am so excited. I will try and post work in progress and give some insight on what I learn in the workshop. See Ya!

Red Tulips

2008-03-09T17:07:00.002-05:00

9x12 oil on cotton canvas panel
$150.00 (email me if interested)

It's Easter at HEB! (oops, for those of you that do not live in Texas and surrounding states, HEB is our main grocery store) The flowers are out. You have tulips in every color, lilies, also in every color, roses, sunflowers and of course chocolate. I have always felt tulips were the only flowers that can look so graceful even when they are slumped over. I could visualize the painting in my head before I began. I wanted to show a slight angle and curve to the tulips in the vase. I have used this same green drape in another flower painting. I feel as though this green gives the paintings a quiet, calm to the flowers.

Saltshaker and Sunflowers

2008-02-24T09:16:00.002-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

These sunflowers have lasted a lot longer than I thought they would. I had planned on working on my second painting of sunflowers Friday, but life got in the way, and I wasn't able to work till last night. I had fretted all day the flowers were going to be past their prime before I got to them. I bought them on Tuesday night and it is Sunday morning, I may even get to paint them again today. Yea! I added my little green glass saltshaker to this one. I have painted it before. I love painting the green glass with the rusted patinaed top. Painting these giant sunflowers on a small canvas seemed to humble them.

3 Sunflowers

2008-02-21T17:59:00.004-06:00

9x12 oil on cotton canvas panel
$200.00 (email me if interested)

I finished this painting at about 12:30 this morning. I wanted to make sure I got the flowers down. I was afraid if I waited till today they would have changed over night especially with my spotlight directly on them. Actually they still look pretty good, I will try and get some more paintings out of them today. Sometimes it helps to see a photo of the the painting, you see it with a different eye. I have read somewhere to hold your painting towards a mirror and look at the mirror image. After seeing the photo I took, I see some twinking I may go back and do, nothing major.

Lady & Sons

2008-02-17T13:03:00.005-06:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)NFS

If you are a Food Network fan you know who Paula Deen is. This painting is of her restaurant, Lady & Sons, in Savannah, Georgia. My Mom and I ate lunch there when we were visiting my son at Charleston Air Force Base. I am a huge fan of her show and cookbooks. They start taking reservations for lunch onsight at 9:00am. Her restaurant takes up all three floors of the building. The food was absolutely delicious. I am proud of my reflections in the windows. I haven't attempted something so complex before. I really enjoyed painting this one.

Mail Delivery

2008-02-03T14:55:00.001-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

The colors in New Mexico are the best. I just can't get enough of painting with the sage greens, shades of violets and the golden hues of adobe. This particular scene with the leaning mailboxes was found on Canyon Road, probably the most expensive real estate found in Santa Fe. Go figure. I really like the rabbitbrush with its sage green leaves and bright golden yellow flowers that bloom in the fall. I went on a website of native plants from New Mexico and they said this plant was heat tolerant, can grow in poor soil and most importantly deer resistant. Here in the Texas hill country we are constantly fighting the deer eating every plant in our yard. I may order some seeds and give them a try.

Georgia O'Keeffe Country

2008-01-31T16:48:00.001-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

I tried to paint another still life and finally after wiping it off two times and hours avoiding my studio, I finally gave up and did what I like the best, painting from my photos of places I have visited. I felt like a failure as an artist for not struggling through this particular painting. I finally came to the conclusion that I didn't need to be painting what didn't make me happy.
This painting made me happy. I love the New Mexico landscape for its colors, textures, and dramatic shapes. When I began painting this morning, I was eager to paint and I had a smile on my face. Is that not what its all about?

Four Bottles & a Pair of Legs

2008-01-27T12:05:00.003-06:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)NFS

I decided to leave my comfort zone on this one. I usually work from photographs because to me it is easier to paint two dimensional from two dimensional. I find painting from real life makes me more observant and selective. I feel as though I am painting from emotion rather than just copying what I see. I like the way this painting came out. Today I am going to try it again. I am off to find something interesting in the house to paint. I will post the results tomorrow. See Ya!

Chimayo Cafe

2008-01-25T16:52:00.002-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

In the small town of Chimayo, New Mexico, on the High Road to Taos(Hwy 76) you will find one of the most photographed and painted churches in New Mexico. It is the Santuario de Chimayo known for its "Holy Dirt". Inside you will find a small room with a pit in the floor. Every year thousands of people make a pilgrimage to the church to take away a bit of the sacred dirt. What struck me, were the small family businesses that have sprung up around the church trying to make a living off of the tourists coming to see the church. You can buy pens, refrigerator magnets, and candles with an image of the church printed on them. A visitor can also sit across from the church and sip on a cold drink. Does this marketing take away from the miraculous healing power found in the church?
My painting is of the front entrance to one of the cafes. The deep red of chile ristra looks great next to this southwest blue color.

Tucked Away

2008-01-23T08:10:00.003-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$100 (email me if interested)

After struggling for weeks on my larger painting, it felt so good to do a smaller painting and actually finish it “alla prima”. What I like the most about painting small is making single brushstrokes to bring out details. My favorite part of this painting is the reflection of the pots in the window. Do you see it? One small drag of the brush and WAH LA a reflection! This is a small courtyard tucked away behind an art gallery on Canyon Road.

Along Canyon Road

2008-01-21T18:07:00.000-06:00

24x36 oil on cotton stretched canvas
$550 plus shipping (email me if interested)

It’s been awhile, I am so glad to be back. I have really missed looking and commenting on everyone else’s beautiful work. Even though I haven’t been posting, I am still painting. I started this 24x36 oil painting before the holidays and after the holidays I was determined to finish it before I started something new. This was a huge challenge for me considering I work really slow and I have never done a painting this large with so many aspects to work out.
When I walked up on this wall and fence along Canyon Road in Santa Fe I was caught up in all the shadow play along the pink adobe wall. With the contrast of the pink wall and the aqua fence I immediately saw a painting in my head. Now that I am finished with it, I am happy to say I started a smaller painting today. It was so nice to see today’s painting develop so fast. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. I know I did.

I have been tagged!

2007-12-22T20:19:00.000-06:00

Savannah Home

Joanne, sorry about the delay in responding to your tag. am thrilled to get your tag, I have been visiting my son who is in the Air Force at Charleston, SC. He wasn't able to come home for Christmas so my Mom and I went to him. We stopped in Savannah and Beaufort, SC to see the beautiful old homes along the coastal waterways.

Here are the rules: 1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog. 2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. 3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as wellas links to their blogs. 4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are 5 things about me:
1. Jim and I spent six weeks on a motorcycle traveling from Texas to the west coast and back.
2. I once raced in a powderpuff motorcross.
3. I ran all the electrical wires and pvc pipe in our house, of course with directions from Jim.
4. I owned and ran a liquor store for seven years, two years ago we sold it so I could paint full time.
5. In 1993, while teaching high school art, I was able to take some classes at the Savannah School of Art and Design.

You are tagged:
Jennifer Bellinger
Sandra Flood
Deanos-Den
Chris Bivins
Michael Naples
Have Fun!

Winter Taos Truck

2007-12-05T07:25:00.001-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

I am still painting, I just haven't had anything to post because I am working on a large 24 x 36 painting. Other bad excuses I have is of course the holiday rush and I am also preparing for a road trip the week before Christmas so I have to have all my Christmas preparations done before I leave. Here is a painting I did before I started the larger one. It was from a photo I took on one of my trips to Taos. I tried to make the background feel really cold.

Rio Chama, New Mexico

2007-11-14T18:06:00.001-06:00

6x8 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75(email if interested)
I was told this scenic drive along the Chama River in northwestern New Mexico was worth the trip. Having very sketchy directions in hand, I set out to find this dirt road. Posted at the turn off was "Private Property for the next 3 miles". So I thought I had the wrong road, I continued on. After another 5 miles I decided that was the turn off so I doubled back. For the first 10 miles, I was a little nervous being alone and traveling an unfamilair road. Finally another car passed me coming from the opposite direction. I relaxed a little and begin to enjoy the scenery. At some points the winding road was very steep and narrow. A car actually had to pull over and stop for a passing car. I believe I only met two cars during the whole trip. I was surrounded by sandstone canyons with willows, cottonwoods and Ponderosa pines along the rivers edge. It was breathtaking. At the end of this 13 mile road is the Christ in the Desert Monastery. Their solitude and quiet is assured being surrounded by the Santa Fe National Forest.

Farmers Market

2007-11-12T21:34:00.002-06:00

16x20 oil on stretched canvas
$350 (email me if interested)

Any new place I go I am drawn to the local farmers market. I like the fact that you can not only find fresh produce and baked goods that you know are going to be exceptional, but there is always a touch of homemade crafts. The people you see at a farmers market always strike me as healthy and happy. Who else would get up in the early morning hours just to buy some apples and maybe a bouquet of flowers to brighten their day? When I saw this particular table at a Santa Fe market I was attracted to the group of mason jars on the white table cloth filled with Dahlias.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-11-09T22:05:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to brag some on my very talented family. My Mom is a wonderful quilter. She has been quilting for twenty six years. She has such an eye for color that I admire. I just received this quilt from her for my birthday. It looks fantastic on my iron bed which was made for me by my husband and son. Didn't I say I had a talented family?

Rio Grande Gorge

2007-11-08T08:20:00.002-06:00

12x16 stretched canvas
$200(email me if interested)

I have been working on a larger piece this past week. My blog was looking a little sad with nothing posted lately so I decided to post a painting I had done at my Don Ward workshop in Taos, New Mexico. It was almost dusk and we were all set up at a road side park across the highway from the gorge. This must be a popular spot to paint the gorge because when I was gallery hopping in Santa Fe last month I noticed several paintings from this same angle. During our painting session, we had a visitor drive up and actually buy a students painting right off her easel. I was a little starry eyed then. I like this painting because I feel I captured the late afternoon colors. I love the sage green and purples together.

La Hacienda de Los Martinez corral

2007-10-31T20:26:00.001-05:00

6x6 oil on cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

Visiting this thick adobe walled hacienda gives you a glimpse of what frontier life was like in the early 1800's. The 21 room hacienda opens into a large courtyard. Stables and corrals surround the grounds. I was drawn to the linear fence and the round kiva fireplaces sitting next to each other. I also wanted to capture the golden hues of the earth and the blue sky of New Mexico. For some reason I painted tighter than a did in my past New Mexico paintings.

Apple Orchard

2007-10-28T14:27:00.000-05:00

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

I stayed at a wonderful and endearing bed and breakfast in Chimayo, New Mexico. It is called Rancho Manzana. It was originally the family home and merchantile of the Ortega family. Located on the grounds is an apple orchard and an arbor loaded with grapes. The sweet smell of the grapes hit you as soon as you walked under the arbor. The home is connected to other buildings that once was the plaza. It was definitely a nice peaceful place to come back to after a day of sightseeing.

Chimayo Valley

2007-10-21T18:09:00.000-05:00

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

After two days in Santa Fe, I took off on what they call the High Road to Taos. This scenic road takes you through Indian pueblos and small villages where artists and craftsmen live and work along side families that have lived there for centuries. The high cost of living in Santa Fe and the beautiful countryside is why the artists have relocated in these quaint small towns. The landscape along Highway 98 takes you through the rolling high desert hills that are spotted with juniper and sand hill formations. Every turn on the road makes you want to stop and take a picture. Chimayo is famous for its apple orchards, weavers, and the ever famous Chimayo chile. I stayed at a wonderful B&B in Chimayo. More about it when I post my painting of their wonderful apple orchard.

Canyon Road Gallery

2007-10-19T14:46:00.001-05:00

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested) Sold

While strolling along Canyon Road in Santa Fe looking at all the galleries, this little courtyard caught my eye. I was delighted to see the shadow play on the adobe walls. I'm not sure what kind of tree the dark coral one is, but the yellow aspen and the coral together was so refreshing. To fellow artists: I have trouble signing my paintings. I never know where to put my signature. It seems to always be a distraction on the painting. I need some input on what you consider when signing your paintings. Does color, size, position, etc. come into play.

Taos October

2007-10-16T20:05:00.000-05:00

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75(email me if interested)

No wonder so many artists gravitate towards New Mexico to paint its magnificent landscape. No where else can you find such warm hues of adobe and the rolling high desert hills against such a clear blue sky. If you go in early October, as I did, you will also see the aspens and cottonwoods with vibrant yellow leaves. After spending two days looking at galleries along Canyon Road in Santa Fe,I am really excited to get back to work. This painting is the first in a series I will be doing of the beautiful sights I saw during my stay in New Mexico.Taos October is of the Penitents adobe Morada in Taos.

High Road to Taos

2007-10-07T15:25:00.000-05:00

Fall is coming...

I am packing my paints and my clothes for a weeks visit to one of my favorite places for inspiration, New Mexico. My itinerary includes Santa Fe for some gallery visits, Chimayo (hopefully for some plein air) and I also want to drive north of Espanola to see some art studios.
I visit other artists blogs on a daily basis and I am beginning to question what direction my painting is going in. I am hoping with some time off to reflect and be inspired I can find my direction. It seems to me reading and viewing other artists, they all seem to know what they are trying to evoke in their painting. I have just started painting full time less than a year ago and my conscience tells me to give it time but I am not a very patient person. I wasted so much of my life not painting ( I am 53 years old) I want it now.
See you in a week!

The beast, again

2007-10-06T11:23:00.001-05:00

6x6 cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

If you have been here before you know we have an old rusted International truck at the side of the house. I wanted to perserve the way it looks now before it gets a new live. This is another angle, you can almost make out the business name on the side of the door.

3 Green Pears

2007-10-04T07:33:00.000-05:00

6x8 cotton canvas panel
$75 (email me if interested)

I find working with threes always seems to work out in a composition. There are so many possibilities for paintings walking through the produce section of the grocery store. I had to pick up, turn, and look at a lot of pears before I decided on these three. I know the produce guy thought I was nuts. I have been noticing a lot of fall vegetables lately, pumpkins and gourds. I can't wait to paint them.

Oranges & Blueberries

2007-10-01T19:48:00.000-05:00

16x20 stretched cotton canvas
$350 (email me if interested)

Here is another larger painting I have done recently. I entered this one and the Taos Truck painting in the New Braunfels Art League Artoberfest. I got my call today they both had been accepted. I am so happy. I am not a very fast painter (that is why having this blog is such a challenge) so after I worked on the oranges for a bit, my flowers had wilted so the shadows had changed from my first layout. I decided to move on to the flowers before they were completely gone, then the orange peel was shrinking. I finally managed to bring it all together.

Another Taos Truck

2007-09-28T08:45:00.001-05:00

18x24 stretched canvas
$500 (email me if interested)

I wanted to show one of my larger paintings. Ever since I started this daily painting blog I have been so caught up in doing the smaller ones. Don't get me wrong, I actually perfer the smaller ones. I have so many paintings in my head, I may be able to get to them all. This truck was seen in someones yard on the way to Questa, NM for some painting. It was during my Don Ward workshop.