Sunday, September 27, 2015

ramblings

 "GRACE"
10x10"
oil on gallery wrap canvas

I am busy painting so much now.
I don't even notice much of what goes on around me
and when I do - it's only for a second.
My life revolves around the paints, the canvas, the brushes, the colors.

It's lonely and wonderful at the same time.
And blogging is so irregular!
To see all of the completed paintings so far, click HERE.

 I can always tell when fall is near because the sun
becomes much softer, more hazy, and it seems to have moved.
I love sitting outside in the swing now.
The air is a little cooler makes me more restful.

I love this photograph!
It's the tree in our back courtyard.
It's always the first one to get a few yellow leaves.
Just one or two, here or there.

Can you see the spider's web attached to the leaf on the left?

 Okay, this has me stumped.
I have never seen a butterly that looks just like a leaf before!
Is is a mechanism to protect him (or her) from predators?
He really liked this almost-empty hummingbird feeder.

 A view of my studio door in the changing autumn light.
Those rose bushes really need a haircut!

 Balloons are almost here!
Next weekend!
I am excited more than ever this year.
I don't know why - maybe it's because my granddaughter Sawyer
is old enough to see them and remember.

 Some special shapes....

 The Flying Pig and The Clock

 The Creamland Cow and The Old Woman in a Shoe

And Elvis, of course!

Have a great day and I will be painting!

Sunday, September 20, 2015

new paintings

New paintings

These are my two newest paintings for Sumner and Dene.
This is not my normal color palette at all.

Lots of light, earthy colors.

You know, a lot of people (most not from here)
think that New Mexico is ugly and brown.

Well, we are brown, but we are not ugly.

Where other people see dirt as just an ugly, washed out color,
I see richness. I see golds, sages, oranges, yellows, greys, 
and much more.

New Mexico is a jewel box of beautiful colors
and I'm so glad I live here!

 "ALGODONES VALLEY"
11x14"
oil on gallery wrap

"HILLS OF SAGE"
24x30"
oil on gallery wrap

Friday, September 11, 2015

palette knife vs. brush

  Which is better? Palette Knife or Brush?


 This is the block in of my newest painting 
for my November solo show at Sumner and Dene Gallery.
I am in the zone right now - 
once I start working on the big ones, I can't seem to stop!
I'm hoping to finish this one tomorrow.

SO....
I've been seeing a lot of palette knife paintings floating around lately.
I mean A LOT.
It seems like a lot of artists want  to try out the 
new and trendy style that has actually been around for a long, long time.
I know this because I was one of those people.

I have books on knife painting from way back that are printed in black and white. No color pictures at all.
That's how old they are.

They sat on my shelf for a really long time.
I would take them out every once in a while 
(usually when I was cleaning the studio)and look at them,
thinking that one day I would actually use them.

Fast forward to 2015.
I was rather depressed, stagnant, and unmotivated, for lots of reasons.
I left my very nice gallery, and decided to change my style.
To using a palette knife.

I didn't really experiment, I just jumped in.
And I loved it!
The feedback was great, and I thought, okay,
I'm onto something.

So I painted lots of palette knife paintings:






 And then,something happened.
I didn't like it so much anymore.
And I couldn't figure out why.

I mean, I thought they were decent paintings and I sold a lot of them.

And then, I figured it out.
I MISSED MY BRUSH.

I missed the feeling of being involved with the paint.
Of mixing it on the canvas.
And I know I can do this with a knife.
But it's not the same for me.

I missed the softness of my big brush.
I missed the blending on canvas, the big swirls and
not wondering if I was holding the stinking knife the right way!

So, I left the knife and went back to my brush.
And things started happening that I loved:

Softness reappeared.
I began having an intimate experience with my paint again.
I fell back in love with my brush.

So now, I use the knife sometimes at the end of a painting,
just for tiny little highlights if needed.

I have found my self again.

So, i guess my motto is this:

Don't be afraid to try new things.
They may lead you back to first loves.

Tuesday, September 08, 2015

painting in Corrales


 CORRALES

Not too long ago, I spent a week painting out in Corrales, NM.
For those of you who don't know Corrales - it's a beautiful
little farming village about five minutes from where I live.

When I need to get away, or when I'm feeling uninspired,
I jump in the car with my camera and just amble down the streets.
I go to my favorite places and I never fail to see something new.

I always photograph what I have come to call my cornfield.
I take pictures of the field during all seasons - planting,
growing, harvesting, mowing it all down,
tearing it up in order to plant again.
I figure one day it won't be there and I will always
have beautiful memories of it.
 They growers had just mowed this field and the ducks were loving it!
They were eating, resting, walking around, and flying in twos
in and out of this particular spot.

 This is the old beautiful house on Corrales Road.
It's looks badly weathered but when the light catches it just right,
magic happens.

 This is a wooden cross in the cemetery across from the old church.
Ar first, I thought it looked out of place with all of the other shiny white crosses.
But then I realized - they are probably all out of place
and he is right where he needs to be.

 So, I spent a week painting in Corrales with about 38 other artists.
I haven't been able to get outside and paint much lately, so it was a blast.
Hard, but a blast! 
Here is my palette - 
I am hunkered down between trees and bushes
to stay out of the sun because I didn't want to get my big
umbrella out of the car.

 
 The scene was two big sunflowers, wild four o'clocks, 
putple salvia, some other wildflowers, 
and a view of more sunflowers in the back right by the acequia.
I loosely sketched it in and started painting.

 I am almost done with the painting.
I may add a few highlights later.

 The finished painting, "MILAGRO."
This painting will be available soon.

 After the paint out was over, I came back.
Must have been about a week later.
I just went to see if anything had changed.
The corn had blue morning glories wrapping around everywhere
So pretty!

 I  painted this house once before with the flowers in the foreground.
They are different this year and I just wanted a photo of them.

 This was a beautiful scene.
I painted it during the paint out and it had such a misty feel.
It was early in the morning too, so maybe that was why.

 This is an older home with a bunch of purple phlox and red cannas outside.
I wanted to paint this, but it's a hard spot to get to, right on the road,
and there was always another artist there.

 Beautiful apples in the sun.

 This pup was at the Quick Draw competition.
I guess he wasn't too bothered with having roughly 20 artists invade his space.
Actually, there were about four other dogs that looked
just like him and they were all super friendly.

 My friend Carol Hopper has painted this gate several times and
each time it just looks more beautiful.

 Sunflowers and other little wildflowers make a pretty scene.

 Grapes hanging from the vines at the Milagro  Winery.

 A flying metal pig at the Milagro Winery.

 They also have a magnificent garden area.

 Funky metal chairs out in the flowers.

 This is my painting, "SOMBRA" that sold on opening night.

 This is my Milagro Winery garden painting.
I guess I was looking for the sunflowers.

 This was my scene for the Quick Draw competition.
I didn't win, but I did sell my painting to someone who saw it on facebook.
Thanks Kimberly!

 Finished painting, "RESTING.'
It's very hard to create a finished and cohesive painting in two hours.
The light keeps moving!
I was sitting with my little paint box on my lap and I dropped it!
I got paint on all of me!
But it was fun!

 The old church is as beautiful as over.

 The flowers are as beautiful as ever.

Corrales, I will be back.