"JEMEZ HACIENDA"

"JEMEZ HACIENDA"

10"X8"

SOLD

This painting is from one of the photos I took on my day trip to Jemez recently. We were at a beautiful family owned combination gallery and herbal cosmetics establishment. The view I took was from the parking lot. There was a an L-shaped adobe sitting up against the mountain surrounded by vegetation and trees and I knew it would make a nice painting. I included the photo below for you to see. In the original, the house is very similar in color to the mountains and the dirt, so I had to make a few adjustments for color and composition. Purchase information is below the original photo:

Commission sketches

Commission sketch for "FIESTA FLOWERS." This painting is drying and I will post the finished piece tomorrow.

Commission sketch for "PASSAGES." This painting is also drying and will be posted tomorrow.

Next up are three commissioned paintings for "NEW MEXICO FLOWER GARDEN."

All but the varnish

This is the detail of my sunflower painting. On a piece this large, once I finish all of the lining, I have to go back, tape individual sections off, and make sure all lines are connected and there are no broken streams. Of course, I always miss something, no matter how thorough I am!

"CANYON SUNFLOWERS:

36"X36"

The finished painting before varnishing, which will be completed tonight. If you are interested in this piece, it will be arriving at one of the galleries in a few days. You may contact me by email for more information.

Tomorrow: finishing commissions and maybe a daily painting

When I was at Ghost Ranch last week, I saw this postcard and I had to buy it. What a beautiful photo - Georgia OKeefe at Ghost Ranch, just contemplating. Maybe she was thinking about what she was going to paint next. I watched a documentary on her last night and it said that she usually made her own clothes and ate food she grew from her own garden. She had a certain austere purity that I really admire. She was so sure and focused. Aah, to dream...

I am ALMOST totally finished with my big sunflower painting. I'm also wrapping up four commissions that will be mailed out this week. And I just came back from my neighbor's mom's 77th birthday party. Gonna relax and enjoy the rest of the evening. Back to work tomorrow!

THE GILLMAN TUNNELS"

THE GILMAN TUNNELS

8"X10"

a gift for Tom

I have a collector who has become a dear friend - and I wanted to paint this for him.

Coming upon these tunnels was a complete surprise and we all had a wonderful time that day.

I was just playing with this, it's not really to scale but I hope it reminds him (and Marilyn) of that day.

Finished commissions

Morning glories and a windmill

The lavender at Los Poblanos

The moon over the church at Los Ranchos


Cosmos field with Sunflowers

Hello everyone! I have to say, these paintings photographed a little dark in my studio.

Well, after the 150 show opened, I just sort of sat back and went, Whew, I'm tired. I finished up my previous commissions and have had a hard time getting back into the studio. It's very hot and muggy here now, and the weather just makes you want to stay inside and go to sleep. BUT, today I am in the studio and continuing my work on the remaining painting commissions on my list. I hope to have the first four finished by Sunday to ship out on Monday.

I have my lavender cancases toned and will start painting those on Monday. I only have a couple of weeks and hope to take about 20 paintings to the lavender festival the weekend of July 11=12. While I've been resting, my mind has been thinking, thinking, about some upcoming things I want to do. I'll explain more about that later.

Lou Diamond Phillips won on "I'M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE!" He was playing for his charity and it's the Art Has Heart Foundation, which I've been participating in for about the last 6 years. So that's going to be a lot of money to send underpriviledged kids to art school. yea!

Oh, and out of 150 paintings, the gallery has sold over 90...thanks everyone.

Chimayo in the rain

Just playin'!

ROAD TRIP!

A room at the Abiquiu Inn with a beautiful flowerbed

My cousin Kay and I at the pull-off spot at the Rio Chama with beautiful mountains in the background

At Ghost Ranch about 12 miles past Abiquiu

Beautiful Santuario de Chimayo in the rain

What a fun day we had yesterday. My cousin Kay and I left Albuquerque at about 9:45am. It was raining the whole way. cloudy, cool.. We stopped in Tesuque, right outside of Santa Fe, and had breakfast. The temperature was 59 degrees! Then we turned off at Nambe and drove to Chimayo. It was raining pretty good by then, but I managed to get a few photos of the church. Then we went to Espanola and turned off to go to Abiquiu. We stopped and looked at the church in Abiquiu, then on to Ghost Ranch. Everything was so green and beautiful. Wow, what a day! We had lunch at the Abiquiu Inn and the enchiladas were wonderful. All in all, it was a great day and we are already planning our next day trip. I made a couple of short videos that I will post tonight. Oh, and Happy Father's Day to all you fathers out there!

Two new daily paintings!

"LAND COLORS"

8"X8"

SOLD

My second daily today! I'm playing catch-up a little. I am going on a day trip tomorrow, which will be total fun and relaxation (hopefully), and I'm planning on coming home so inspired. I am missing a day of work, but I do need a day to just goof off. I am already working on my commissions and finishing them one by one and I have my larger 36"x36" that I started at Old Town that I want to finish too, so I am basically organized and moving along. I have a cool idea for a group exhibition next March that I will fill you in on later....anyway, wish me luck for tomorrow and hope I get lots of good shots for painting. Purchase information is below:

"STROLLING WITH THE MISSUS"

"STROLLING WITH THE MISSUS"

10"X8"

SOLD

I love roosters and I found an old photo of these two and I knew I had to paint them. It's always the male who has the beautiful plumage and the strong little female who lays all the eggs! Anyway, I hope you like it. I do. Purchase information is below:

"JEMEZ HILLS"

"JEMEZ HILLS"

8"X10"

SOLD

My daily painting is done - the first in a while. It's so nice to get back to it! I'm happy with this one, it reminds me of Jemez quite a bit, I've never seen red hills like this in any other place. I am going back soon. There was a little stand there selling Indian bread (bought some) and some delicious flat little pies that were baked in the outdoor hornos. Mine was pumpkin and my friend got cherry. They were so good. I don't think I could come close to duplicating the taste at home. Anyway, I hope you like this newest painting and purchase information is below:

"JEMEZ HILLS"

"JEMEZ HILLS"

8"X10"

work in progress

FINALLY, a daily painting in the works! I am finishing up commissions but I was really feeling the need to paint something new and since I just took a trip to Jemez....here it is!

It should be finished tomorrow. Saturday is my day trip to Tesuque, Chimayo, and Abiqiui, I am so looking forward to that. I will take tons of pics and hopefully some video. Goodnight!

works in progress

Commission - the lovely lavender fields of Los Poblanos

If you look closely. you can see where I've started the link work.

Commission - windmill and morning glories at the Botanical Gardens

Well, I got my studio a little cleaned up yesterday. I also cleaned my fridge and all of my bathroom drawers and cabinets! I got rid of two big bags of old, outdated STUFF. It is amazing how good it feels to clean and get rid of things that you don't realize bog you down. Right now I'm headed to the gym, then back home to finish up these paintings, and then try to finish my big sunflower so I can take it down to Old Town before this weekend.
I am excited about the upcoming drive to Tesuque, Abiquiu, and Chimayo. I can't wait to do some major picture-taking. I'm hoping it's semi-cloudy. Just have to wait and see....have a great day and I hope to post some finished work tonight.

Old Town painting

It was a beautiful day for painting last Saturday on the plaza at Old Town. It stayed cool and cloudy all day long with lots of local people and visitors from other states wandering about.

This is the rough sketch and placement of the sunflowers during my painting demo. I really had no preconceived ideas about what I was going to paint until I got there. We had been to Jemez, so I decided to paint red mountains (although I forgot my red, so they're a little subdued at this point), along with a sunflower meadow.

JEMEZ WITH SUNFLOWERS"

36"X36"

Here is the finished underpainting. It took about three hours to get to a good stopping point. Now the painting is in my studio. I will work on it a bit more, refining the flowers, adding red glazes to the mountains, and putting in shadows and highlights. Then the line work begins. I am hoping be finished sometime next week. Then I have two 48"x60" canvases to think about!

Hello everyone!

I'm just checking in tonight. Tomorrow I will post the large work in progress that I started down in Old Town and hope to finish early next week. I went down today and picked up my easel and met a photographer there who was shooting the 150 Challenge Show for an upcoming magazine article, so that was kind of fun.

I also bought several canvases today for a few commissions and will also start doing some paintings for the upcoming Los Ranchos Lavender in the Village Festival. I am going on a day trip soon to Tesuque, Chimayo, and Abiquiu, New Mexico, as a relaxing getaway after getting ready for the show. Then I head to Taos for a five day Paint-Out, then on to San Francisco to watch my husband and mother-in-law play basketball in the National Senior Olympics. THEN I start getting organized for Weems Artfest in November. Last year I took quite a few paintings, so there will be a lot to do! I may create another blogsite for you to watch those paintings.

I am also going to try my hand at creating my own website. I have an official site, but I want to be able to do the work myself, and input events, new work, etc., in a more timely manner.

These are some ideas running around in my head;

Do another challenge of some sort

Look for a studio space around other artists

Paint a whole series on the Town and Women of Willard, NM, complete with story and paintings

Create a whole new body of work and look for representation outside of New Mexico

Have home studio events, complete with food, good friends, and collectors

Curate a show of my own and invite other artists to participate

Do some teaching or workshops with kids

Get together with a poet and create paintings around poetry

Start attending live model classes and focus a bit more on drawing

Do a whole series of shows around small framed oils

Do a whole series of nudes

Create huge paintings of large floral and forest scenes involving really loose paint and lots of drips

Any other ideas??

What's new...

This is a photo of an old adobe house a few blocks from me. It was overgrown and really cluttered. One day I saw a For Sale sign and called on it right away. Not that I would be able to buy it, but I'm always imagining sweet little places that I think would make a great home for a working studio and small gallery of my work. They would never call me back about the house, and then one day, people swooped in, cut all the trees, carried off all the junk and really cleaned up the house. I'm wondering what's going to happen to it now. I want it!!

EVENING SKY 2
This piece is a 30"x30" older painting (one of two that I found in the back room of the gallery a few days ago). Love the red in the sunset.

Hollyhocks in my neighborhood. These are at a little bitty house on 4th street. All of the hollyhocks and a lot of other flowers are in full bloom now. Tomorrow is a photo-taking day at Old Town and any other flower-blooming sites along the way. Tomorrow I will also be gathering canvas and supplies to finish some commissions and start on some small lavender paintings for the upcoming LAVENDER IN THE VILLAGE festival. I hope to also have a new daily painting available. Have a great Sunday!

150 CHALLENGE paintings sold: #8, #96, #127

"NIGHTSCAPE, TAOS"

"NIGHTSCAPE, TAOS"

12"X12"

This is a painting that I found at the gallery yesterday, tucked away. I forgot I had it, so I am taking it to Weems Old Town when I go there to paint today. It's from a photo that I took on a paint out to Taos last year. The photo was near dusk, and I used a lot of leeway in the colors! This painting will be available at the gallery for a limited time for only $150. It's 12"x12", which is square so you don't see all of it here. Call the gallery at 505-764-0302 if you are interested in this painting.
ALSO, COME OUT AND VISIT ME WHILE I'M PAINTING TODAY FROM 12PM - 2PM AT WEEMS OLD TOWN, IN THE PLAZA DIRECTLY WEST OF SAN FELIPE DE NERI CHURCH!

150 CHALLENGE PAINTINGS SOLD:

#39, #48, #94

Jemez Day Trip

Springtime is in full bloom on the way to Jemez.

A statue of Jesus at one of the churches


A really OLD adobe down a backroad. We saw several of these.

Beautiful red dirt mountains of Jemez.

Check out more pics below.

Jemez Day Trip

A prickly pear cactus in full bloom right beside the river. I'm using the super macro lens on my new digital camera.

The river snaking through the canyon below the Gilman tunnels (more about them tomorrow).

My friend Tom at the base of huge red rock formations.

The red cliffs of Jemez

What a fun day! We took off, went to eat at The Laughing Lizard Cafe, went to a couple of art galleries, kind of got lost and ended up at the most beautiful river site, visited Soda Dam, and just had a wonderful, relaxing time. I will post more photos tomorrow. Also:

SOLD:

#6, #26, and #108

Still some favorites!

"TAOS HOLLYHOCKS

12X9

#44

"ASPEN HILLS"

10"X8"

#6

"LITTLE CASITA"

8"X8"

#35

We still have some of my favorite 150 CHALLENGE paintings for $150 - if you're interested, please email me or call Weems Gallery at 505-764-0302. The show ends the last week in June and then they will be going away. Also, come out to visit me this Saturday from 12pm - 2pm on the plaza in from of Weems, I will be painting outside!

"MOONLIGHT"

"MOONLIGHT"

8"X8"

SOLD

My first daily painting in quite some time! I'm working on a commission of this painting, I like it and thought I would try a smaller version. These women don't look like they're walking, I think they're just waiting, enjoying the moonlight. Purchase information is below:

SOLD

#32, #130

"TAOS MOON"

"TAOS MOON"

8"x8"

SOLD (Scott)

Good morning. Well, I am back in the groove, The painting above is one of two of the beautiful church in Taos, New Mexico, that I am painting as commissions. These pieces were ordered before my 150 CHALLENGE opened, and I thank my patient collectors for waiting until I could give the paintings the proper attention. I love the way this one turned out. There are not really aspens and flowers near the church, but in my mind, this is the most beautiful, simple church in the world, and I like the adornment. It's a place I'd want to be on a cool Taos night.

SOLD

#7, #132

THIS SATURDAY!

I'M PAINTING OUTSIDE AT OLD TOWN THIS SATUDAY!

Come on down to Old Town this Saturday, June 13, from 12pm - 2pm - I'll be painting in the patio area outside Weems Gallery, right across from San Felipe de Neri Church. There should be great music outside and lots of conversation (yes, I can talk and paint at the same time!) Hope to see you there. I'll be working on something new!

AVAILABLE PAINTINGS

"HIDDEN"

8"X10"

#16

"TAOS MAGPIE"

8"X10"

#7

These paintings are available for purchase for $150 each plus $15 shipping. Please contact me at deesanchezart@hotmail.com if you are interested.

SOLD

#56, #135

AVAILABLE DANCERS

NEW MEXICO SENORA 8X10 #145

ANGELS AMONG US 10X8 #92

PASSAGES 11X14 #84
SOLD
These painting were still available as of yesterday late afternoon. The dancers were near the bottom os the wall and I don't think a lot of people saw them. If you are interested in one of these pieces for $150, please call Weems Gallery today at 505-764-0302.

SOLD

4, 22, 87

If you're interested in paintings, these are the #'s that are sold.
If you don't see your number here, that means your painting is still available, , please call Weems Gallery at 505-764-0302.

SOLD

1, 2, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24, 27, 33, 37, 38, 40, 41, 42, 46, 47, 50, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 69, 72, 73, 75, 77, 84, 86, 88, 90, 93, 95, 97, 103, 104, 105, 112, 118, 120, 121, 123, 124, 125, 128, 133, 139, 141, 143, 147, 148, 149.

If your particular painting was sold, you may call me for a commission of a similar piece and I will honor the $150 until June 15.

The 150 CHALLENGE evening was a great success! I think we sold over 60 paintings, which is over a third, so I'm happy.

We came in about 4:30pm and set up the food; crackers, cheese, chips, salsa, fruit, veggies, cookies, nuts, wine, lemonade. My guitarist got there at 5pm (she's actually living in a little adobe right on the plaza at Old Town, how cool is that!), and the church had a big carnival going on right outside, with a roller coaster, ferris wheel, the whole works. It was a very festive atmosphere.

I had a lot of family come out, including my aunt, who is 86 years old and got her daughter to drive her all the way from Willard, New Mexico.

Some of my friends were there, and a lot of collectors, some who have become good friends, and some new ones I met just last night. It was fun introducing everyone to everyone!

The purchasing began at 6:30. People who wanted a painting put their name and favorite numbers on a list. At 6:30pm, any painting that had more than one bidder was pulled, and we had a coin toss to determine the winner of the painting. If there were three bidders, we drew a name from a jar. After that was complete, then people could go and take their favorite paintings from the wall to purchase. The cutest thing was a little girl, 10 years old, who came over to me holding a hollyhock painting and said, "This is my most favorite one.! Her family bought two. I had so much fun and I just felt proud, that I had completed my project, I loved doing it, and I'm thinking, how can I top that for my next project, 365 paintings in a year?? Oh, and I decided to keep my last painting, #1 "ANGEL WALKING." My friend Connie from Texas gave me the insight that I really wanted that one to be mine. Thanks Connie and thanks to all who came out to support me. If you are interested in any paintings, pick your favorite numbers, call the Weems Gallery at 505-764-0302 and if they have them available, you can purchase with a credit card. I will try to get a numbers posting for sold paintings today. THANK YOU AND PHOTOS OF THE SHOW ARE BELOW.

Friends and collectors at the show

Betty (Weems Gallery manager) explaining the selection process for interested buyers

Half of the wall of paintings