and other things.... This is my daily art blog. I'm artist Dee Sanchez and I live and work in Alameda, New Mexico - the land of blue skies, red hills, and three unique cultures. What a beautiful place to paint! Join me on my daily painting quest, my plein air adventures, my video logs, my "getting ready for a show" preparations, my painting tips, and I may even throw in an opinion or two...I also document my struggles with getting healthy and my crazy family life
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
lucky customers waiting in line for Weems Gallery to open. Some have been there for HOURS! You can see the chairs for comfort! For the first 30 minutes, people can only choose two paintings on the wall in order to keep the playing field level so everyone has a chance to get a painting.
I just really liked the light in this one. Two customers deciding on a piece. This may become a painting one day!
We went back to Elena Gallegos recreation area last night. This is a photo of the sunset - isn't that gorgeous?? I want to paint some large pieces like this!
This is the Sandia (spanish for watermelon) Mountains. They are just getting their "watermelon" color from the last sunlight of the day. When we first got there, the thunderhead-looking clouds were right over the mountain but they veered off to the north. You can just barely see them at the edge of the photo. I am brainstorming - I want to paint very LARGE plein air paintings, like 30x40 and 50x50. From the back of my SUV! I have to try to figure out a way to do that. There is just nothing more fulfilling to me as an artist to stand out in nature and paint the first impression of what you see. They would be oils and I might have to use big putty knoves and they wouldn't have linework, so I don't know how popular they would be, but they would include framing, which would make them look AWESOME! I need some feedback....should I prepare and go for it????
Oh, and look below to see my latest daily painting in progress......
We went back to Elena Gallegos recreation area last night. This is a photo of the sunset - isn't that gorgeous?? I want to paint some large pieces like this!
This is the Sandia (spanish for watermelon) Mountains. They are just getting their "watermelon" color from the last sunlight of the day. When we first got there, the thunderhead-looking clouds were right over the mountain but they veered off to the north. You can just barely see them at the edge of the photo. I am brainstorming - I want to paint very LARGE plein air paintings, like 30x40 and 50x50. From the back of my SUV! I have to try to figure out a way to do that. There is just nothing more fulfilling to me as an artist to stand out in nature and paint the first impression of what you see. They would be oils and I might have to use big putty knoves and they wouldn't have linework, so I don't know how popular they would be, but they would include framing, which would make them look AWESOME! I need some feedback....should I prepare and go for it????
Oh, and look below to see my latest daily painting in progress......
"THE CUTTING GARDEN"
10"X8"
SOLD
This is my idea of a New Mexico cutting garden. Of course, it HAS to be in a little hidden canyon in the mountains somewhere! If you look closely, you van see that I've just begun the line work. I will finish it up and post tomorrow.
I went back up to the Elana Gallegos recreation area tonight. I wanted to show it to my husband (who hadn't seen it since he was a boy scout over 30 years ago) and see the beautiful sunset.
We didn't know it but they were having a miramba band concert up there too. We walked the trails, saw a hidden pond, dragongly, lizard, butterflies. And little gnats. LOTS of little gnats. I will post photos of the sunet tomorrow and some of them will surely end up as paintings for Artfest.
Friday, July 16, 2010
8"X10"
The second of my plein air paintings. This is a view sitting at the trailhead looking down below. You can see the foliage in the foreground; chamisa, sage, etc. Then the darker areas of the pinon trees. Right after that, there is a huge drop off to the valley below and you can see the sun barely glinting off off the buildings and streets. I love this kind of work. I would love to have a big pick-up truck or camper and just travel New Mexico and paint HUGE plein air paintings outside.
If you are interested in this painting or any of the future plein air work I might do, feel free to email me.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
8"X10"
oil on hardboard
There is nothing like painting on location! At 6:30 in the evening, it was HOT out there. I found a spot with a little pinon tree for some shade and this was my scene. It's the side of the Sandia mountains looking towards Santa Fe. Lots of pinon trees and scrubs. The thing about painting outside that I love is that it's so much harder than studio painting. You take a minimal amount of materials with you. It's hot, it's dirty, there are gnats and flies buzzing around you, the ground is uneven. And you have to make yourself focus and decide on a place, a subject, a view, and just get to work and do it. So this painting is my "impression" of what I was seeing in front of me. Talk about being in the moment.....
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
8"X10"
SOLD
My first finished daily painting in a while. I know, I said I wasn't going to work much while I was working on this "losing the weight" thing, and it's hard to balance the two worlds, believe me! This painting is from a photo I took at Old Town and these hollyhocks just get a little more spectacular every year. They are lovely against the backdrop of adobe and turquoise.
work in progress...
8"X10"
work in progress...
My first new painting since the Lavender Festival. This is a shop on the north end of Old Town that has changed hands a few times. But no matter what, these hollyhocks burst into bloom every June. They are beautiful and remind me of the flowers that grew all around me when I was growing up. This will be finished tomorrow. Also, I went on a paint out to the Elena Gallegos recreation area tonight from about 6:30pm to 8:30pm. It was hot when I got there, but I found a pretty good spot and I got two oil paintings completed. I will post them as soon as they are dry.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Back to work today....
This is a morning view of my studio. I've spent the past few days trying to clean and organize. I have everything ready except two file cabinet drawers that need to be categorized - some business paperwork, but mostly reference photos that I use for painting. The dahlia painting belongs to my daughter. She is asking for a few changes (!). I don't want to mess with it, so it may be a while, I have a lot of other things calling my name right now.
I am working on a new painting for the Weem's poster this week. Plus I am back to daily painting. Plus I'm starting my new Artfest blog this week. PLUS, the Weems $285 Show is this Saturday - starts at 10am and I plan on being there, if anyone wants to come out and visit. Such a fun time! Breakfast goodies, GREAT sales on art too.
Then the weekend after that is my daughter's wedding. I am getting so excited!
Oh, also a paint out tonight that I may attend. AND a Rainbow Artist's meeting at the same time. DARN - so many things......
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, July 02, 2010
WEEMS UPCOMING $285 SHOW
WEEMS GALLERIES
on Montgomery in having their annual
$285 SHOW AND SALE
on Saturday, July 17, 2010.
This show starts at 10am and is a sell-out by 12pm. There are many artists participating this year and EVERY PAINTING or piece of art in the big room is $285 OR LESS. It is so fun - people line up early in the morning and everything is gone in a few hours. If you have any questions, please call the gallery at 293-6133,
My big poppy piece, 'TWO REDS", which retails for over $1000 will be $285. I saw it at the gallery yesterday and it actually has more blue than green in the foreground.
I have about 27 other small pieces in the show, ranging from $45 to $125. I will be there right before 10am if you'd like to come visit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)