SPRING DAYDREAMS - work in progress

"SPRING DAYDREAMS"

work in progress

This is Challenge painting #50 in progress - I should finish and post the final painting tomorrow. She looks very dreamy, kind of like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz -I'm lovin' it!

NEW 150 CHALLENGE PAINTINGS

CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO SEE PAINTINGS #52 AND #51 ON DEE'S 150 CHALLENGE!
www.150challenge.blogspot.com

NEW WORK

My newest 150 Challenge painting in progress -

"OUR MOTHER'S LOVE"
10"X8"
COMMISSION - SOLD
I miss my mom. Everyday. I miss my grandmothers. I believe that we, as women, nurture the world. We take care of our partners, we raise our children, we teach, we make a home, we make a living, and collectively, I know that we are the glue that holds up the world. Hence, this is for you India, and your friend, and I hope she likes it. Dee

"VISITING"

"VISITING"

8"X8"

SOLD

Yesterday was a busy day. I finished up two commissions, one daily painting, and three 150 Challenge paintings. Also, my little lab, Bella, got stung by a bee and her face got to about three times its size, so it was off to the vet for us. She had to get a shot and she seems to be fine this morning.

I was working on a commission similar to the painting above, and I thank Scott for giving me the idea. It's a combinastion of an adobe church, canyon women, and flowers. I like how it turned out so well that I created two more. The contrasts are all there; the blue of the canyon women next to the orange of the flowers, the blue mountains against the red/orange roof of the church. This painting totally says New Mexico! Purchase information is below:

Also, click on the link below to see the three new 150 Challenge paintings:

www.150challenge.blogspot.com

2 NEW DAILY PAINTINGS!!

"THE STORM"
8"X10"

SOLD
OLDCan't you just see the sun setting behind those dark clouds? I love this painting, which happens to be my second one of lightning. I promised my friend Pedro the very first lightning painting for his birthday and I finished it last night in time for his party. I liked it and thought I should do a few more. There's also a lightning 150 Challenge painting too, you can see it at this link - www.150challenge.blogspot.com. Anyway, purchase information for "THE STORM" is below:

"SWEET MEMORIES"

"SWEET MEMORIES"

8"X8"

SOLD

The New Mexico sun setting on a descanso. I like the little bit of yellow at the bottom of thehorizon and the strip of pink on the right. Purchase information is below:

works in progress

These are two daily paintings I'm working on which may be finished tonight. If you are interested in first pick, please email me. Also, click on the link below to see the two 150 Challenge paintings in progress: www.150challenge.blogspot.com

New Challenge Paintings

I am now on painting #57 of my 150 Challenge - wow, it seems like I just started. I am finishing up commissions this week and over the weekend, so I will be busy. BUT, I'm taking Saturday morning off to go play a little - I need some rest and relaxation. To see all the new 150 Challenge paintings, go to: www.150challenge.blogspot.com

LOOKS LIKE RAIN - work in progress

A LITTLE RAIN - work in progress

10"x10"

I am loving this painting - it really feels like spring to me and the little cloudburst tells me that it's raingin somewhere off in the distance. This is going to be a 150 Challenge painting but I think I may make an attempt at a daily painting today if I have time.

work in progress

HOLLYHOCKS

6"x12"

work in progress

This is a 150 Challenge painting in progress. I'm working on finishing up commissions and trying to get a few pieces going, so I stay on schedule. It's going good and I'm starting to get excited!!

"COSMOS FIELD WITH SUNFLOWERS II"

"COSMOS FIELD WITH SUNFLOWERS II"
8"X10"

at gallery
I did a larger painting like this for my last art show and wanted to revisit it for a couple of reasons. First, it is SO New Mexico - the adobe house with the tin roof, the field of cosmos and the stand of sunflowers in the background. Plus all of the cottomswood and greenery. I wanted to see what it would look like as a daily painting and a 150 Challenge painting. I'm also working on a commission of this subject for one of my very good friends. I thought about trying to paint it just like the painting from the art show, but ended up working from the original photograph, because I wanted it to be fresh and spontaneous. So I have three versions going of the same subject. That may seem like an "assembly line" process, but it's not. At some point, the photograph gets put away and I work on each painting individually, giving it the little tweaks that make it unique. This is the first of three. I will post the others tonight.

Purchase information is below:

"CINCO"

"CINCO"

8"X8"

at gallery

Five beautiful cholla cactus blossoms on a muted, soft background. I think the colors contrast nicely together - you can see little tiny parts of the red-toned background. It almost looks like little spots of sunshine. There's also a version of this subject in a new 150 Challenge painting today. Purchase information is below. I will be working only on commissions today, but will start posting them this evening. My favorite quote for today:

"You know what's more fun than reading magazines? Reading maps. Let's go somewhere." My youngest daughter tacked this on my bulletin board years ago. And she is going to Guatamala this summer!

SEE NEW 150 CHALLENGE PAINTINGS AT: www.150challenge.blogspot.com

Click on the image above to see Dee's 150 Challenge paintings, #67, #66, and #65!

www.150challenge.blogspot.com

"HILLSIDE ASPENS"

"HILLSIDE ASPENS"

9"X12"

150 Challenge painting #68

I've been working on small commissions this week and 150 Challenge paintings. I actually have six challenge paintings painted, I'm just working on the lines. This is the first. Coming up are: a Corrales acequia, a field of wildflowers, a sunflower meadow, a sunset landscape, and a Corrales treescape with a Sandia cloudcover backdrop. That will take me down to #62. Wow, I don't know if I can get all the subjects in that I want to have for the show. I'm going to have to sit down and plan out the rest of them. The show will start on Friday evening, I believe it's June 5. The paintings will hang for two days prior, so everyone has a chance to see them all together. I should have all of my commissions done and shipped out by the end of next week and then I have to do a fundraiser painting for a Legacy art event, and I'm still working on three large paintings for Weems, although I think I have a LARGE PAINTING BLOCK right now - I just can't sem to focus on those pieces. Enjoy your weekend!

"TRES CRUCES"

"TRES CRUCES"

Abiquiu Morada

8"x10"

SOLD

Okay, this morada was hard to paint. It was a grey overcast day and the adobe is plastered grey/white. How do you deal with that? I do like the orange/pink in the upper portion of the sky - I'd say it works for my first effort at painting this subject. Purchase information is below:

"ALGODONES SUNSET"

8"X10"

This is 150 Challenge painting #69. I finished it late this evening, so I'm posting it here too. Tomorrow I have an Abiquiu morada and some completed commissions to show you. I'm also hoping to finish a daily painting.

These sunsets are so fun to paint. I will probably attempt it many times in order to get the one painting that just makes me go "Aha!, that's what I was going for." I hope you enjoy this one.

To see 150 Challenge paintings: www.150challenge.blogspot.com

ABIQUIU

The sunset on the way home

Ghost Ranch

I think this is an old morada near the church at Abiquiu

Wow, what a beautiful drive I took yesterday...

We left for Abiquiu about 1:30pm, I'd never been so it was all new for me. We headed through Santa Fe, and turned off in Espanola, went a few miles to Abiquiu, then about 12 more miles to the famous Ghost Ranch. It is absolutely breathtaking. I came away with so many photos and so much inspiration. The trees, flowers, and vegetation aren't green yet, so I'm going back in about a month. Needless to say, I will be in the studio painting all day - finishing up some small commissions, and painting Abiquiu.

For more information, check out:

www.ghostranch.org

"SPRING IS HERE!

A momma, a daddy (I think) and a brand new baby

Corrales blossoms
I am looking for inspiration today, that's all I'm going to say. Even though I have tons of "inside my head" ideas, and lots of photos of my own, and lots more reference photos - sometimes I just need something NEW to give me motivation. So I will let you know tonight if I found it. I better, because I have several small commissions, a few larger ones, and lots of daily and 150 Challenge paintings to complete! Have a wonderful Monday and here's my quote for today:
"Just to be is a blessing, just to live is holy."
-Rabbi Abrshsm Heschel

Yesterday

Beautiful study of clouds taken from my backyard

Yesterday was a lazy overcast beautiful day. We were going to a big family Easter picnic but the weather didn't cooperate. It did, however, make for some great picture-taking for future paintings. I went up by the Sandia mountains but all I could see were purple mountains and cloud-cover, so I drove down by the river and ended up going into Corrales. That's where I found most of my photos. This is San Isidro, the old church.

The Sandia Mountains from Corrales. You can see snow on the top and beautiful clouds. The cottonwoods aren't green yet, but they're on their way. The field is my favorite cornfield, which I've painted a few times. This is my favorite view from Corrales. I'll go and take another photo when the corn is coming up. On the other side of the trees is the Rio Grande river.
I should have a daily and a 150 Challenge painting done tonight. Bye!

"SOUL"

"SOUL"

10"X8"

SOLD

Today is Good Friday. On television this morning they are showing people walking towards the church at Chimayo and the hills at Tome, some carrying crosses, some walking short distances, some walking miles and miles. Some of my family, including my daughter and mother-in-law, are walking the hills of Tome, and then we are having a Lenten lunch; pinto beans, chile (no meat), spinach, corn fritters, sopa (bread pudding), tortillas, Indian bread, etc. I just like the beans and spinach! Anyway - I thought having a descanso for today would be fitting. Purchase information is below.

I also have two new 150 Challenge paintings for your viewing: www.150challenge.blogspot.com

"SPRING DANCE"

"SPRING DANCE"

8"X8"

SOLD

Yikes, this is my last daily canvas until I venture out to get some more - I'm out!

This dancer is in a folklorico dress of my own creation and is just enjoying a beautiful spring. Purchase information is below.

Tonight I will post my 150 Challenge painting, #72, a larger piece, 16"x12", a beautiful (I think) wildflower vertical painting. I will offer three or four of these larger paintings for $150 at my June show, which is defnitely a steal. I am going to send out a postcard mailing soon, but we will have my favorite guitarist, Lenore Armijo, there that night, and also lots of great food. The paintings will hang for two days before opening night, so everyone can see all of the 150 paintings on the wall. Mostly so I can see all of the paintings on the wall! I am just painting them, leaving them in the studio for a day or two, then boxing them up. It will be like opening treasure boxes when I take them out at the gallery. I can't wait!

I decided to do the 150 Challenge mainly because I wanted to see if I was capable of creating that many GOOD paintings, and most of all, as a nice payback to my regular customers, some of whom have become very good friends. I just think we're going to have a blast on opening night...

"LITLE CHURCH COMMISSIONS"

Placitas 6"x8"

Old Town 6"x8"


Canyon Women 6"x8"

sunflowers - a work in progress

Sunflowers a work in progress

30"x40"

I've been trying to complete this sunflower painting for about a week. I keep getting sidetracked by my smaller work. Maybe if I post it and tell you that I will finish it by Wednesday, then I will actually do it! It's for Weems Gallery. Also check out paintings #74 and #73 on my 150 Challenge blog: www.150challenge.blogspot.com

"THE OLD HOUSE"

"THE OLD HOUSE"
8"X8"

at gallery
The old house is in Placitas, New Mexico. The hollyhocks are from Old Town in front of a quaint little shop. I wanted to paint the house but it was late autumn when I was there and it had a dirt yard and two little scrappy trees with no leaves. So I improvised. It reminds me of some places I've seen up near Canyon Road. Purchase information is below. My 150 Challenge paintings are finished and drying. I'll post them tomorrow.

"IN THE SHADOW OF THE MOUNTAIN"

8"X8"

SOLD

Recognize the Sandia Mountains? This is the watermelon color that we love so much. This little church was taken from somewhere up north, and placed where it looked like it belonged. I love everything about this painting and I think it will be a postcard one day. Purchase information is below. I also have another daily painting coming tonight - a Taos blue door with hollyhocks. And TWO 150 Challenge paintings; one is a red hollyhock aainst adobe, the other is an autumn red chile stand against a mountain backdrop. Yes, I've been working all day long! See ya later tonight.

#75

Click on the image above to see painting #75 of Dee's 150 Challenge:

www.150challenge.blogspot.com

"TAOS SPRING"

"TAOS SPRING"

8"X8"

at gallery

This painting is my version of meandering through Taos backroads and coming across a beautiful stand of spring trees and blossoms, hidden in a secret valley. I'm not headed to Taos until July, but I can't hardly wait! It's Friday already, wow time passes too fast. Enjoy your weekend... Purchase information is below:

Also, check out painting #77 in my 150 Challenge: www.150challenge.blogspot.com

"SYMPHONY"

"SYMPHONY"

8"X8"

This sunset painting reminds me of a song - each color feels like a different note of music or a different instrument, low notes at the top, high notes right at the end of the day - oh my, I must be getting tired! Purchase information is below:

Also, there are two new 150 Challenge paintings:

www.150challenge.blogspot.com