Copper and Pomegranates

Copper and Pomegranates

9x12, pastel

This painting won second place at the Anything Goes show at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery earlier this year. The reference photo was from a dear artist friend, Angie Brown. She was such a fabulous artist in varied mediums. I asked permission from her daughter to use this photo for the painting and entry. 

Stay safe!

Spoiler Alert--------Don't Look If.......

He Knows If..............

4.5 x 6.5, watercolor

So......if you are on my Christmas card list, your card will not be a surprise now! I was not going to send Christmas cards this year, just in one of those moods, you know! Well, after recuperating from 3 solid days of cooking and cleaning, and cooking and cleaning some more, the mood hit last night!

For the last 8 or 10 years I have painted my own cards. This practice was started by taking a workshop with Angie Banta Brown. In that first workshop, we created 8 cards in 6 hrs!. The paint was flying! With successive workshops she toned it down to 4 in 6 hrs! Love and miss that sweet lady!

So, due to the detail of this one, it took me several hours to complete, but I am pleased with the result. I was always told that Santa sees all, so, " you better be good for goodness sake!"

Fire in the Sky

Fire in the Sky

10"x 20", pastel

The previous versions of this painting were done as studies to see if I could pull this painting off. Decided not to add water to the equation on this painting and I like it. Again the foreground was improvised as the original photo was simply a black foreground. That is really testing my comfort level as I am a 'paint what you see kind of artist'.

This painting is available through Pitzer's Fine Arts in Wimberley, Texas. Drop by to see it and other fabulous art both 2D and 3D.

Sad news, my dear friend and mentor, Angie Banta Brown, lost her hard fought battle against cancer yesterday. She has been an inspiration to so many in the art world, she will be missed. But her voice will live on through the hundreds of artists she has taught throughout her career. I constantly hear her in my head as I am painting, her words of wisdom guide me to be a better artist. She was always telling me that I see too much.....translation...."Don't paint every hair on that dog!" We shared some special times and for that I am grateful.

Persimmons

Persimmons

8" x 8", pastel
Click to buy

Early in January, I received an email asking me if I would do a demo for a pastel society meeting, and not a local society. I was floored, and immediately set about listing all the reasons to say no. My family thought I was nuts for not jumping at the chance for the opportunity. After consulting my art mentors, I decided to bite the bullet and give that first ever demo! The kicker was that it is to be a still life demo.

When watercolor was my main medium, still life paintings were my 'go to' subject. The reason being that my teacher, Angie Banta Brown, provided the most wonderful reference photos from which to paint. She was kind enough to help me in that area for this demo. Setting up a still life requires stuff, wonderful, colorful, varied objects to display in an interesting way and Angie has the most amazing props. We had such fun arranging and rearranging all those props. 

Persimmons is my first painting from that day. Decided I had better practice a little, don't think there has been a still life created since 'Caffe' Italiano'. Stay tuned for more still life paintings, as I prepare for the upcoming demo.

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.

The Very First!!!

Bountiful Harvest     (10 x 8, pastel)

I was notified today that this painting has been accepted to The Appalachian Pastel Society's 2012 Juried National Exhibition!!!! This painting was one of 74 paintings out of 230 submitted that was selected by the juror, Richard McKinley, PSA, PSWC-DP, NPS. It will be displayed October 18 - December 14, 2012 at The Asheville School Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina.

This is my first ever acceptance into a juried show!!! I have to thank Rita Kirkman (check out her blog, Rita Kirkman's Daily Paintings) for the workshop that ignited my desire/ability to work in pastel and for encouraging me to enter shows outside of our local gallery. I also have to thank Angie Banta Brown (check out her web site) for years of instruction, encouragement and friendship, helping me to get to this point in my art experience!!!