More Biltmore

Autumn Stroll

8 x 10, pastel

Click to Bid

Here is the original painting that I took Strolling at the Biltmore from (split participle there, I believe!) Really like this painting, too, but Rita was correct about the other being more intimate. I am so blessed to be able to have Rita Kirkman as a friend. I have learned so much from her.

This Saturday is Market Days at the CRRC on Mabel Dr. just below Canyon Dam. The other times I have participated I have felt like I did not have enough paintings to hang----not so this time!!  There will be live music, food and numerous booths to explore. Hope you can drop by and visit with me.

Basset

Basset

7 x 5, pastel
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This is a smaller version of an earlier post. It was started as a demo while working at the NBAL gallery months ago. Unfortunately, I forgot to take my reference photo--bummer. So I painted it from the photo I had on my Blackberry's tiny screen. Think it turned out OK though.

100th Blog Post!!

New Braunfels Art League Flyer

Above is a flyer produced by the New Braunfels Art League has been distributed around town to acquaint visitors to the gallery. I am excited to have Cow Dog in the upper right corner for all the visitors to see!!

Also, I was notified last week that Cow Dog was awarded Honorable Mention in the Mungyo Gallery Pastels 2013 Summer Contest offered by Jerry's Artarama. The contest was open to anyone who used Gallery pastels to complete their painting, any one in the country. You can check out all the winners here:

http://www.jerrysartarama.com/galleries/2013/mungyo-pastel-contest.html

Strolling at the Biltmore

Strolling at the Biltmore

9 x 12, pastel

Click to Bid

Really thought I had posted this painting. (It is heck to get old!) There are two versions. The first has 2 couples on this path as the original photo showed. The photo was taken last November at the Biltmore Winery on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.

One of my very talented artist friends, Rita Kirkman, was over and said it would have more intimacy if I reduced it to one couple. I immediately decided to paint it again, something I would never do years ago. Of course she was right, much more intimate, plus I simplified the foliage and increased the size of the painting.
Still pleased with the original and will post it another time.

Gypsy in Italy

Gypsy in Italy

12 x 9, pastel

Well, folks this is the final painting accepted into the Artoberfest Show and it is a 1st place winner! This painting won the pastel division. I was so thrilled, excited, speechless, but it gets even better. My good friend and long time art teacher, Angie B Brown, purchased it. Angie is a fabulous artist, winning many awards. In fact she won the oil/acrylic division tonight. To have her purchase one of my paintings, is very humbling.

I had traveled to Italy with Angie, where we saw this woman standing against a building in the street in Citta Della Pieve playing her hand organ. But there is more to the story than I have painted here. She had wooden marionettes attached to her feet and legs. As she played the the organ, she moved her knees/feet and had the marionettes dancing to the music. It was amazing. So I can see her being the subject of more paintings down the road.

If you have the opportunity to visit the gallery this month and the first 2 weeks of November, please do so. There are some lovely paintings. The show will run through Wurstfest.

Orvieto Alley

Orvieto Alley

24 x 18, Pastel

I know you have seen this painting before, but it is one of the 3 paintings accepted in the Artoberfest show. Last fall it was accepted in the Texas Pastel Society National Juried Exhibition. I am thrilled that it was accepted in the Artoberfest show. 

Autumn in the Carolinas

Autumn in the Carolinas

8 x 8, pastel

I promised that I would let you know if any of my paintings were accepted into the Artoberfest Juried Show at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery. Well,----------all three of them were!!! Woohoo!!! And it gets even better, they told me that one of them won an award!!! Woohoo, again! I won't know what kind of award or which painting won until the reception tomorrow evening 5-8pm when the winners are announced. If you are free and would like to enjoy free food, wine and lovely art, drop by tomorrow.

This lovely area is on the Biltmore Estate, I believe. I took so many photos last fall while in Asheville, N. Carolina that I cannot keep them straight. It is one of the three paintings on display in the Artoberfest show.

Also, other good news received today, Daily Paintworks chose my painting, First Peek, to be a Facebook Pick of the Day. It will be on display at the site all month I believe. They choose 6-8 new ones each day. You may check it out at, www.facebook.com/dailypaintworks  or go back a couple of posts to see the painting.

Sky Study

Sky Study

6 x 8, pastel

Decided to try to paint a beautiful south Texas sky yesterday while working at the NBAL Gallery. We witnessed this scene when returning from a TAMU football game. There were intermittent showers and then the blue sky shown through. Think I got a pretty good likeness.

Today I submitted 3 paintings to be juried in the Artoberfest Juried Art Show at the NBAL Gallery. I will let you know if any were accepted in the show. The reception and awards will be Friday evening 5-8pm. Drop by if you can, I saw some beautiful paintings.