Monday, October 20, 2008

San Antonio Visual Artists




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.

Friday, October 10, 2008

Big Bend Desertscape


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.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Rio Grande Gorge 2


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.