Dragonfly

Dragonfly

Matted to 8x10, watercolor

Watercolor was my medium of choice for 20+ years. Then I discovered pastel..... I still create in watercolor just not to the extent that pastel is used. But some subjects just lend themselves to watercolor and that is just what this dragonfly needed!!

 

Cowboy Cook Off

Cowboy Cook Off

27 x 16, watercolor

Had the great pleasure of visiting with the subject of this painting this evening! Mr. Gunn was preparing the the Cowboy Camp Potatoes that were the national champions for several years. This painting was on display ever so briefly this week in the Texas Show at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery, before it went to its new home!

Drop by the gallery this month to take in the wonderful art.......minus this painting.

Oh, Yeah!

Oh, Yeah!

11 x 7, watercolor

Last week I had every intention of trying to paint a painting every day in November as many painters have been doing for several years..... 30 in 30 Painting Challenge.  This was the first painting. This cat was so trying to scratch just that perfect place! Very fortunate to catch him in this perfect post.

Oh, the 30 in 30....isn't going to happen for me. I did paint 3 in 3 the first days of November! The third one is a gift to a special person and will not be revealed till the first of the year. Then, I did not paint again until this morning..... it will be revealed soon! 

Let Freedom Ring.....

Let Freedom Ring...

7"x 11", watercolor

Matted to 14" x 11"

Couldn't watch the Stros last night, get just too nervous when I want a team to win so badly! So I spent the time painting.

This painting was on my heart. My heart breaks at the lack of respect being shown to our flag, country, servicemen/women by those who take their freedoms for granted. Freedoms that came from others willing to step up and serve this great nation.

The eagle is a resident of Long Lake in Wisconsin. We visited friends there several years ago. Juveniles and this adult eagle were in the treetops........so very majestic!

Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting

7 x 7", watercolor
Click to Buyhttps://www.dailypaintworks.com/buy/auction/752810

Second, no wait, third painting of this perky little painted bunting, but it is the first one in watercolor. If we are lucky, a couple of pairs visit us each spring. This little guy was photographed on the ground, believe it or not. But that just did not lend itself to an interesting painting. Can you believe it, I took artistic license and changed the background. I just may get the hang of this painting thing one of these days!

Treasured Day

Treasured Day

11" x 14" w/mat, watercolor

This painting is so very special to me. It is of a dear friend and our last adventure before cancer stole her from us. She had called the day prior and suggested we  take a road trip to Castroville to photograph the poppies. Sounded like an excellent plan to me!

We spent the day visiting, enjoying the beauty and, of course, a delicious lunch. We discussed any and everything, she was so excited to have all the wonderful reference photos. Think she had a painting completed the following day!

This is my first painting of that trip last April, just completed. I have been hesitant to try to capture the beauty/emotion of that day. Didn't think I could do it justice, but I am pleased with the results.

Miss you sweet friend!

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!"

Linda----a special commission

Linda

14" x 14", watercolor

I had the privilege of painting this remarkable woman in December. There is a definite challenge in painting someone that you do not know, have not met. I was supplied with additional reference photos and stories of her to help me capture her spirit. She loved the beach and so this was the photo of choice.

It is humbling to immortalize a memory, especially this one. Thank you, Charlie, for the opportunity. Wishing I could have met her.

Two Little Pigs, II

Two Little Pigs, II

8" x 8", pastel

Click to Buy

Painted another version of these pigs awhile back, and I guess I didn't post them. Thought I would try them again, but with a watercolor underpainting. The pigs were going to be shown in a local youth show and were shiny clean.

You Lookin' At Me??

You Lookin' at Me??

11 x 7.5, watercolor

Click to Bid

Finally, I have paintings to post. The New Braunfels Art Gallery show for September is "For the Love of Animals". I turned in 3 paintings for this show and this was not one of them----maybe it should have been?? You just never know!!

This cat lives in Italy and is the resident cat at the hardware store on Vannucci Street in Citta Della Pieve. He had the most perturbed expression in his eyes the entire time I was getting pictures--typical cat.

The NBAL show opens tomorrow. It should be a great one. Drop by if you get a chance this month.

TAMU Pride

TAMU  Pride

28 x 18, watercolor

This painting was a labor of love for the ideal of Aggie Pride. I took a dear friend to the next to the last Aggie home game last fall and she took me to the Quad to see the 'step off' prior to the game. Season tickets for two years and I had never seen that. The Quad was packed with people besides all the Corp members. It was awesome.

While snapping pictures of the activities, I captured this moment. This man was the Commander of the Corp last year. In that mass of people, he seemed to be taking in the importance of the moment. So I worked on this painting for months, with the intention of giving it to a man I had never met, but felt I knew. When we went to move our Aggie home in May, I took this painting and left it at headquarters for him. From the email I received that afternoon, he liked it.

Sunlit Iris

Sunlit Iris

22 x 15, watercolor

Click  to Bid

Painting days have been few and far between these past several weeks. This painting has taken weeks to complete. There were weeks that it only got attention one day that week. It is a large painting by my standards and those are always a challenge for me. Another challenge, when do you know a painting is finished? Sometimes I just have to "step away from the painting".

Poppies

Poppies

22 x 15, watercolor
Click to Buy

I had to pull this painting out of the past. Unfortunately, painting just has not been a part of my life for the last couple of weeks.

Painting large is not something to which I gravitate, but I enjoyed this one. As always filling the the background is a challenge, didn't want to detract from the the stars---the poppies!

Four of my paintings are on display and for sale at the Arthritis Association, in San Antonio, off Medical Dr. It is a beautiful office and I hope the original art displayed by several artists brightens the day for visiting patients and their families. 

Workshop production

Orvieto, the Ratindra Das Way

15 x 22, watercolor
Click to Buy

Well, there is a little bit of normalcy returning to the household following the new addition. So it seemed like a fine time to take a workshop! I was able to attend the workshop because the Wimberley Fund Raising event did not have enough interest, unfortunately for them, but as they say, "When one door closes, another opens." That just might be what happened to me. I wasn't just chomping at the bit to take this workshop, but very glad I did.

I had a wonderful time exploring a new way (at least for me) to complete a watercolor. The paper was saturated, but as you can see I could still get hard edges. The opportunity to play with color, a number of them I rarely use was a freeing experience. So the weekend was a great time for learning.

I have been working on pastels of a most interesting Italian lady I encountered on my visit there. Will hopefully post one of those soon.

Challenge Painting

Challenge Painting

10 x 6, watercolor

Click to buy

Weekly on Daily Paintworks there is a challenge offered for those artists interested in a challenge, or stepping outside the box, or just want a different subject to paint. This week Carol Marine, (great artist, formerly from Austin area, Google her) offered a photo taken during one of her many workshops. This was taken in Texas, when one of her students graciously agreed to pose. 

I thought it was such a cool idea and decided to give it a try.

Harvest

Harvest

15 x 11, watercolor

Click to buy

This is the watercolor version of Bountiful Harvest. It was painted after the pastel was completed. 

By the way, I didn't mention it but Bountiful Harvest was also juried into the Austin Pastel Society Member Show in Austin along with Italian Man. It is extremely exciting and humbling to have Terri Ford select these two paintings to be included in the 50 paintings chosen for the show.. That show opens Monday, February 25 at the Corridor of Art on Lavaca St. in Austin. There is an award reception on March 17, from 3-5 pm if you happen to be in the area.

Apples and Sunflowers

Apples and Sunflowers

15 x 11, watercolor

Click here to buy

Apples are another fruit that I enjoy painting, but unlike pears, I enjoy eating apples. 

Rockport Cat

Rockport Cat

7 x 7, watercolor

Click to buy

My quilting friends and I try to go on a retreat twice a year and this is the resident cat. We stay at the Retreat House, just a fabulous set-up for quilters. I am not a cat person but this one was pretty friendly and visited routinely for several years. 

Sunny Apple

Sunny Apple

11 x 14, matted

 

 

Watercolor has taken a back seat to pastel lately, have you noticed? Got back in the swing this week. The last watercolor was the big one that I am still trying to decide the best background for it (back before Christmas).

 

Really enjoy painting apples, not so much, sunflowers. Really there is a love/hate thing going on. Love, love sunflowers, not so much painting them----but I will keep trying.

Italian Passageway #4

Italian Passageway #4

11 x 7, watercolor

Anyone out there ever have trouble with backgrounds, besides me????  The painting I have been working on is taking way too long. It is a person and he looks great (I'm pleased, anyway) but I am at a loss for the background. The photo has a number of people in the background. The plan was to put them in loosely, but now--not so sure. It is a large painting so there is a lot of background, making the task even more daunting. All suggestions welcome.

Italian Reflections is going to live in California after Christmas--check the October post to see it. You still have time to check out the Small Works for Big Holidays show at the NBAL Gallery.