I have four new Retro Challenge paintings!

to view, please click HERE 

or go to www.deeretrochallenge.blogspot.com

finally...a little vacation

We just had our 37th wedding anniversary

and decided to celebrate by going to our favorite place,Taos, New Mexico.

We rented a house and spent two nights.

I have put the images in large format so you can better view them.

Please let me know what you think.

Taos and the surrounding area is always beautiful, even in the height of summer.

We got rained on coming in to the canyon and this was our view of the 

Rio Grande Gorge after horseshoe curve.

It was very misty and mysterious.

Arroyo Seco was beautiful too. 

Lots of puffy rain clouds and beautiful mountain shadows.

The house where we stayed had these beautiful horses 

running around in the field next door.

We found the secret to getting them to come and talk to us - apples!

A beautiful sunset on Blueberry Hill.

This so reminded me of an ocean wave - I almost expected a surfer to emerge!

I just painted my version of this, #74 on my upcoming Retro Challenge show.
I had to eliminate the telephone wires from the panting.

To view on the Retro Challenge blog, please click HERE.

As usual, Arroyo Seco is beautiful.

I really want to live there!
I envision having art retreats and painting workshops in my little adobe casita.

The picture below is a little shop full of colorful scarves, red chile ristras, 

and that old beautiful truck.

I took a drive through Valdez one morning.

This little village has a beautiful view of Taos mountain.

This is a cute little hacienda driving through the main road.

I loved the orange color of the wood on the roof mixed
with the turquoise windows and the brown of the adobe.

My favorite Taos horse.

This guy lives on the road to the Taos pueblo.

I have painted him several times.

 A thistle in bloom.

There weren't too many left but lots of spent blooms.

I think if I had come a week earlier, 

I would have seen fields of thistles in full bloom.

I drove into town to take a few photos.

My destination was a row of hollyhocks along the main street.

This truck happened to be in my way!

There was a grower's market going on and this was about 6pm in the evening.

I loved the sign!

One of the hollyhocks next to the truck.

Love the dark deep burgundy color.

Another favorite horse.

Actually, he was a new friend.

Look at all the beautiful sagebrush and chamisa surrounding him (or her).

 The beautiful village of Arroyo Seco.

We got breakfast burritos from Abe's the morning that we left 

and ate them by the stream.

A scene painted on one of the adobe walls in Arroyo Seco.

Not sure what's going on here, but I do see Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The most beautiful village of Valdez along the toad to the Taos Ski Valley.

I love the shadows on the mountains in the back!

My husband Mac posing next to the little tower by the stream.

i don't know if you can see the water behind him but it was running strong.

I guess you're going to find graffiti everywhere.

This is the first day trip I have been on since my friend Tom passed away

and my cousin moved to Atlanta to be with her kids.

It just felt really weird. I just kept wanting some fellow creative person

to share my photo and experiences with.

My husband is as tolerant as he can be, but he'd rather be hiking or playing

frisbee golf or something that involves physical activity.

Anyway, I'm slowly getting back into the groove.

I want to than all of you who offered support when Tom passed away.

i miss him every day and know he would have loved to take this trip.

He was there in spirit.

ROLLING ALONG

Here we are halfway through July and I am plowing along,

almost to the halfway point in my 150 Retro Challenge small paintings.

THEN I start on ornaments.

THEN I start on the 20 larger paintings.

I am feeling good right now.

Here is #88, "THE DAHLIA."  

 To see all of the completed Retro Challenge paintings, click HERE.

This is one of my entries into the one day Weems Gallery Show and Sale.

It's titled "FIERY" and is 30x30."

I'm going to try to get to the gallery about 10:30 - a little late, I know, 

but I want to see all of the great paintings and say hi to everyone.

I have about 28 paintings in the show, some large, some small.

The doors open at 10:00am and it's usually pandemonium for about

an hour and a half.

If you are interested in paintings, you can go to Weems and preview the show tomorrow.

Contact weems@weemsgallery.com or check out www.weemsgallery.com.

Life

WHAT'S GOING ON

I have been remiss in not posting more often but 

i just really haven't had time.

I've been painting a lot, getting ready for the retro Challenge show.

To see all Retro paintings so far, click HERE.

 This painting is #89, "TAOS CASITA."

I'm also working on a large 30x30" painting for 

Weems Gallery's upcoming one day $285 show.

It's on Saturday, July 19, and everything in the show

is $285 or less.

I figured painting a sunset would be the easiest to do

and I love the colors in this one.

 I finally had time to run by and take pictures of my favorite field.

There is a gorgeous background of the Sandia mountains.

I went a little late in the day so the lighting is not great,

but I have never seen the field this green.

And the clouds were perfection.

One of the reasons I haven't posted so much is because of my granddaughter.

Man, I love this girl.

She just had surgery to repair her cleft lip and this is about a week after surgery

when her stitches came out.

She's not very smiley yet, because I think her mouth is still sore.

They also repaired part of her palette inside and I think that is sore too.

She has her next surgery to repair the palette inside her mouth in October.

I have my Retro show September 26 and Weems Artfest on November 13. 14, 15, and 16.

If I don't have any paintings for the Artfest show,

 I hope you will still come by and say hi - just kidding (I hope).

 I managed to get out to Corrales for about five minutes last week to take photos of

my favorite cornfield.

I also ran across this chile field at irrigation time. 

Love this photo.

I can't wait to take more pics when the chile is higher and ready to harvest.

 Here is a photo of the cornfield, it still looks really awesome, 

especially with the mountains in the background.

hollyhocks in my neighborhood on the same day

Well, I have lots of ideas rolling around in my head right now:

- finishing up the Retro show small paintings

 - painting 50 ornaments for same show

 - painting 20 large paintings for same show

- painting for Weems Artfest

- Sawyer's surgery in a couple of months

- knee replacement surgery in January and again in late April

- getting back to daily paintings for sale

- painting figures

- a new direction with plein air painting

- finding a little truck to facilitate my plein air adventures

- looking for a little house in Taos

- more date nights with my husband

- teaching some workshops

- starting a women's art group

And that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Please hang in there with me and if I'm not posting that often,

it's because life is calling!

- 

- 

finally

Back at it. Finally.

Hi all - 

I am playing catch-up here.

I've been working on my Retro Challenge paintings,

enjoying a visit from some nice out-of-town facebook friends,

photographing hollyhocks around town,

pulling weeds in the garden,

enjoying my granddaughter,

and everything else that goes along with summer.

Now I really have to sock it into high gear - 

I haven't even started on ornaments yet!

Please keep in mind that I am painting the Retro Challenge paintings 

for a big show that opens on Friday, September 26, at 

Weems Gallery on Montgomery NE.

It should be a blast!

If you want to know how to purchase Retro Challenge paintings,

please read the link to your right.

Have a great summer ya'll!

(Hint, hint, "ya'll)

Guess where my friends were from??

To see the newest Retro paintings, click HERE.

 This is painting #99, "AUTUMN AT BLACK MESA."

 These are a couple of shots of hollyhocks at a beauty shop 

near where I live. 

 Love the cool colors in this one.

It almost looks like fall with the rusts and oranges.

And fourth of July with the flag!

 This is my friend Connie from Fort Worth, Texas.

We had never met until she came for a visit and now I adore her!

She is so sweet (along with her husband John, and friends Claudia and Earl)

and we went on a day trip, ate lots of Mexican food, and had a great time.

I hope to see her again soon.

Taos Connie, remember??

On another note, this is a photo from my facebook friend Nicole,

who lives in France.

She posts the most beautiful photos and gave me permission to paint this.

And I'm going to!
Thank goodness for wonderful facebook friends....

simple things

Hi all - 

I am not writing about art tonight.

I drove around town a couple of days ago for about an hour 

and took pictures of anything that struck my fancy.

I have been mentally kind of under the weather since January 

and I just needed some simple (and beautiful) things to life my spirits.

Flowers will do it every time.

I'm making them extra large because that's how I saw them.

 Pear cactus in my neighborhood

Even the spent blossoms are interesting.

 cholla cactus  

The yellow is the old stem that held the flower. 

a yard full on Coreopsis near the Rio Grande Nature Center

 beautiful hollyhocks near Old Town

and the metal mariachis - so cool!

If they don't put you in a good mood, then I don't know what does!

Back to art tomorrow...

RAIN, FLOWERS, AND LOVE

RAIN

We have rain guys!

It has rained on and off all last night and today and

all I can say is, it is HEAVENLY.

We get excited about raindrops here -

mostly because we're in a drought and it is dry.

But this is beautiful.

It means I don't have to hand water the tomatoes.

It means my car got washed off.

And everything outside is a lovely shade of spring green.

And it is cool.....

stream right outside Santuario de Chimayo

I was going to paint today but I think that's out.

This is reading and sleeping weather.

hollyhocks from last year

Next week I am planning an in-town day trip.

To take photos of flowers and especially hollyhocks.

Old Town has some beautiful varieties and so do different neighborhoods.

Memorial Day means a backyard barbeque, of course!

I am going to attempt steaks, corn on the cob, and baked potatoes.

Normally I don't grill anything but burgers and  hot dogs, so this will be a stretch.

I don't really care about the food, I just want to hang out with my kids,

my new granddaughter, and enjoy life.

What will you be doing?

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!!

New Retro Challenge paintings

Hi all - 

I have just finished three new Retro Challenge paintings and

I will soon be out of the 100s and into the 90s. Yay!

It has been fun so far and i hope that you all plan

on coming to see the show in person on Friday, September 26, at Weems Gallery Uptown.

To see all of the Retro Challenge paintings, so far, click HERE.

"HUMMER"

10x8"

#107

"SPLENDID V"

"SPLENDID V"

6x6"

oil on hardboard framed

$185

To purchase now, click HERE.

This is one of my favorite floral scenes.

The yellow/orange flowers against the contrast of the purple - 

and all of the little notes of color thoroughout,

just makes me happy.

I am thinking about putting some of my oils up on auction

 while I am working on acrylics, so stay tuned!

"IN THE POPPIES"

"IN THE POPPIES"

6x6"

oil on panel, framed

$185

While I'm working in acrylics these days, 

I am posting some of my available oils.

This is a thick and textured painting of a field or meadow of spring poppies.

It looks much richer in person.

To purchase, click HERE.