time is flying

I can't believe it's already February.

The time is passing way too fast.

And the fact that we really haven't even had a winter

this year - not even a snow - makes it really seem like spring

is right around the corner.

Oh, how I want to trot out my "spring"

photos, but I still think it's too early.

We may get a snow yet!

I've been working on a few things.

I'm trying to balance my time and not take on

too many projects or shows, but

things seem to find me.

Here is my commission of two roosters,

"GERTRUDE AND HEATHCLIFF"

14x11"

This is for a good childhood friend of mine and

I hope he knows just how much I enjoyed

painting this for him!

I guess I am in the mood to paint flowers.

This is a wildflower bouquet that was just a joy.

I loved putting mounds of thick color between the flowers!

Now, when I get bored, or uninspired,

or just need a break, I take out my latest art magazines,

sit in the recliner, and veg out for an hour or so.

I never fail to be inspired by seeing other

artists' work.

I have to make sure I don't stay TOO long though.

Procrastination is one of my strongest traits.

 Okay, so an artist friend (Robyn Wellman) has an idea and

put it out into the facebook universe.

We already have a great challenge group called,

"LET'S PAINT NEW MEXICO!" that I started several

years ago and she wondered if there was a  

facebook group doing the same thing with still life.

I said no, but hey, let's start one!

So now we have a group called, you guessed it,

"LET'S PAINT STILL LIFE."

Each week, I pick a still life image and we all use 

it as a muse and paint our rendition of it.

This is our first Challenge - THE BLUE BOWL.

 Challenge Image 1 - THE BLUE BOWL

 Here is my rendition and boy, was it daunting!

Getting the bowl to have the right perspective was impossible.

So I gave up and just let it be.

This is Challenge 2 - ALGODONES DESCANSO

This should be fun.

The two groups are about the journey, not the destination.

And we accept beginners to professionals.

No deadlines and no judgement.

Now I am working on another project - a big one!

It's a big painting commission for my sister-in-law.

I don't want to get into the story but let's just say that this

painting is 8 years overdue.

Here's the sketch

 Here's the sketched canvas.

A little hard to see, I know.

It will be aspens, El Salto peak in Taos, 

water, flowers, and vegetation.

 In the meantime, I'm trying to paint every day.

This is last night's painting,

"WINTER TREES" in Algodones

The reference photo was not that great, 

but I dug out the palette knife and pushed paint

around until I was happy with it.

And this is my favorite painting I've done so far this year. 

"INNER LANDSCAPE"

I hope you are following your dreams and

making things happen for yourself.

But stay balanced.

It's the key to a good life.