I have been tagged!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Beauty & the Beast

8x6 cotton covered panel
$85 (email me if interested)Sold

If you have viewed past posts, you know we love old trucks. My husband and son just bartered for this truck and it now sits at the side of the house. I love the nice patina of rusted metal. We were even discussing if there was a way to keep that patina when restoring . I wanted to preserve the way it looks now so I painted. I felt the sunflowers added present life. I like the contrast of life long gone and life in the present.

In my studio

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

I work from my own photos, still lifes set up in my studio and plein art. My shadow box was still set up from the peppers, and I saw these two coffee cups sitting together unintentionally. I liked the two colors together. So Wah La! a still life was born. The small chest that I painted and stained is my most favorite thing in my studio. It is from IKEA. What a fabulous place for storage goodies! I particularly like the aqua reflection in the green cup. Do you see it?

Pepper Tray

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

I cast these peppers aside in my studio after painting Peppers Ole!. They began to turn red. I saw another opportunity to paint them again. This time the red of the peppers seemed to scream "Teal" for the background. I really like the silver tray with these two colors. They are changing their character as time goes by. I am not discarding them yet, another painting may emerge.

Peppers Ole!

8x10 stretched cotton canvas
$85 (email me if interested)

What a challenge! As I began to paint, I realized how many reflections were taking place in the plate. Not only did I have to deal with the reflections, there was also the raised stars on the plate. I had to take each color and each shape one at a time.The canvas is 1 1/2" thick. I have painted the sides so it could be hung without a frame.

Abandoned

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

There's something about an old abandoned truck. It makes you feel as though it has a past filled with hard work. For every old truck you see out in a field all alone there is probably a man and his sons that worked hard every day to keep food on the table. These trucks were seen out in a field in historical Gruene,Texas. If you are ever in the New Braunfels and San Antonio area you have to go by and visit Gruene. A great place to stroll, shop and eat. They have the oldest dance hall in Texas, Gruene Hall. Watch for a painting of Gruene Hall I just got inspired talking about it.

Taos Truck

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

One of my favorite places to visit is New Mexico.
Back in October 2006 I took a workshop from Don Ward through the Taos Art School. I spent 5 days plein art painting, going to galleries, and taking photos for future paintings. I was in heaven! Don was able to take us to some locations that you had to have special permission to go. If you ever have a chance to take a workshop through the Taos Art School, take it. On one of my photo taking days I came across this truck in a field. The skys were gray and overcast and this pink truck really stood out. I think I will paint this truck again and this time I will do a larger painting with more of its surroundings.

Alice's Tea Cup

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

According to my son, this painting is creepy. Do you think? The cup came from a Bailey's Irish Creme gift set about ten years ago. It was a series of cups. This one was designed and signed by Helen Hunt, the actress. I feel I captured the antiquity of the books. It was fun mixing colors to get that soft aged color. Do you also feel like this could be a scene from 'Alice in Wonderland'?

2 Lime Halves

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

I really enjoyed the challenge of "not" painting a glass bowl. I have registered with Ebay but I am having a little trouble registering for a paypal account because there is already an account in our household using some of the same info so paypal is really confused. Hopefully I will get it worked out soon so I can start selling my work. Please keep looking and enjoy!

3 Red Pears

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

A preview of new work.

Site Under Construction

I am hoping next week I can start posting my works. I am anxious to get my blog up and running but other responsiblities came up I have to deal with. I am still finding time to paint though.Please come back and check it out!