new 150 Challenge is coming!

 BIG NEWS FOR 2016!

Hi all - I have exciting news.

There is a brand new 

150 CHALLENGE SHOW coming!

This show will be called "FACES AND PLACES"

and will feature landscapes as well as faces and figures.

And figures in the landscape!

The paintings you see below are pretty much the only people 

I have ever painted and I would like to become

a better figure painter.

And what better way than to get out of my comfort zone

 and challenge myself to paint a BUNCH of them!

I will also be going to painting day trips and painting the landscape.

I will paint 150 paintings in 150 days for $150 each.

They will be in oil and either on canvas or cradled gessobord.

 I will post each painting here on my art blog first with commentary

and then post to the 150 CHALLENGE blog.

SO...

Here's how the 150 CHALLENGE SHOW works:

I paint a painting.

 I post it on this art blog right here and also to a new 150 Challenge blog.

Each painting has a number.

You see a painting and want to buy it.

TO PURCHASE A 150 CHALLENGE PAINTING:

Call or email the gallery (information forthcoming)

Give them the number of the painting(s). 

Give them your contact and purchase information.

This information will be held for Opening Night.

No paintings are sold until the show opens on Friday, September 2.

On Opening Night at the gallery (Friday, September 2)

all of the 150 paintings will be displayed for your viewing pleasure.

If you have called the gallery with your painting choices, a

sticker will be put on your paintings with your initials.

You do not need to be present to buy your painting.
You can live in California or Florida!

Simply call the gallery with your numbers and information.

If two or more people have purchase stickers the same painting,

we will draw the winner out of a hat!

We have a big party with music and food

and it is great fun!

Plus, you get to see all 150 paintings on the wall at the same time.

Are you as excited as I am??

THE 150 CHALLENGE SHOW 

BEGINS WITH PAINTING #150 

ON FEBRUARY 1, 2016

 Stay tuned....
Oh, and the new blogsite for the 150 paintings is HERE.

Autumn Wrap Up

What I've Been Up To

Hi all - 

I haven't been able to blog regularly

 for a few weeks and it's killing me!

Lots of things have happened:

I went to Old Town to see my friend and gallery owner 

Jillian Maresco last week.

She is curating an exhibition opening Friday, December 4th

for a group I started called, "Let's Paint New Mexico!"

I love going to Old Town.

They haven't lit the big Christmas tree yet but 

it's still so beautiful down there.

I went on a cold morning and captured a few scenes:

 Artist setting up her jewelry display

 Patio flowers still in bloom!

Jillian's postcard for the show.

25 artists exhibiting three paintings each 

of Challenge images I have posted of New Mexico.
It should be a fun show!
And a lot of very affordable paintings.

 One of the patio courtyards in Old Town.

This was at a different location.

I had stopped on 4th street at the Little Anita's drive-thru

to get a breakfast burrito.

I pulled away and parked in the lot, turned around, and this was the scene.

Beauty is everywhere!

I ate my burrito while enjoying the acequia.

 Winter is on its way.

These leaves are right outside the door of my studio.

I love the contrast of the orange with the

blue-grey of the concrete. 

I don't paint leaves but someone should paint this!

 Another cool view of leaves.

The red are little berries from a thorny tree,

The bean pods are my husband's least favorite thing

to rake up before winter comes.

I love the little blade of grass poking up through the 

crack between the concrete slabs.

Nature wins every time!

My show at Sumner and Dene Gallery runs through November 28.

If you haven't seen it yet, please consider taking a trip to the gallery.

Several of the paintings are sold - I will post an update soon.

Much thanks to Roy and his crew for all of their help
and support. Such a great gallery and great people!

 On another note - it's almost Thanksgiving!

Then Christmas - my favorite time of year.

I was driving yesterday and noticed that my friend Loretta

was out putting up signs for her Christmas tree lot.

I have gotten my tree there for the last 14 - 15 years.

It's a ritual that we do a little haggling.

One year I traded a nice big bean pot for a discount on a beautiful tree.

 I am looking forward to sharing Christmas with my two year old 

granddaughter this year.

She is getting old enough to participate in some of the activities, 

so it will be fun!

Biscochitos anyone?

In Other News:

I decided to cancel my "SOUP AND SANTA" event.

After painting for shows and commissions, I am just beat.

So, if you sent a check, I will be returning it.

I may have something in January - 

definitely a small studio sale for old and unframed work.

Thanks to everyone who signed up.

**********************************************

I have also started a new facebook group called,

"NM ARTISTS PAINT SMALL!"

This is a group for any artist, professional or emerging,

who wants to paint and post small paintings.

Nothing over 8x10" - plein air or studio

If you are interested, go to facebook and type

NM Artists Paint Small into the search box.

Then all you have to do is ask to join.

Invite your fellow artists too!

**********************************************

Upcoming Plans:

I will have a solo show at Sumner and Dene in September of 2016.

Hmmm - 150 Challenge?

I want to do a lot of plein air painting.

I would love a few women artists who like to get together

and go on day trips to paint the landscape.

Or even friends who aren't painters, but love New Mexico scenery.

I have a big wedding to attend in July of 2016!

I have to get ready for knee replacement surgery next October.

Then another one in January 0f 2017.

I would love to do some collaborations with other artists.

Life is full of expectations and good things right now.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I 

upcoming events

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

I have two cool and exciting shows coming up!

SUMNER AND DENE GARDEN SHOW

OPENS FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2015

ARTIST RECEPTION - FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 5-8PM

SUMNER AND DENE GALLERY

517 CENTRAL NW

ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87102

505-842-1400

Come and join us, this is going to be fun!

I have 22 paintings in the show!

"WINDOWSILL"

8x8" oil on panel 

This painting will be in the Sumner and Dene show

and

CORRALES GARDEN TOUR

"SACRED GROUND"

8x10" oil on panel

Bad News - The Corrales Garden Tour is sold out.

You will miss seeing myself and 13 other artists

painting these beautiful gardens.

BUT

There will be an exhibition at the Old Corrales Church

of all of the finished paintings!

Tuesday, June 9, 10am - 2pm

Wednesday, June 10, 10am - 5pm

Plus, we will all have paintings of the old Corrales Church 

available for purchase during the show, including the one above.

I hope you will come to the exhibition to hang out,

look at all of the great art, and maybe find something you love!

Any questions, call me at 505-792-1030.

rambling

 I went on another studio cleaning spree yesterday -

 I ended up with one full trash bag of garbage to take out!

Now I just need to have an artist's sale and get rid of all of my art books

and extra canvas that I'm not going to use.

 I really need to paint that big canvas.

It's been in the studio for a while.

It blocks my view of the French door and my art books.

I guess I'm putting it off because I don't

want to think about all of the oil paint I'll be using,

especially if I use a knife!

 I went through ALL of my oil paints and squeezed them all to the top.

The ones to the left are tubes that are almost empty.

I'm going to bag those up and save them until I run out of a color.

 I am going to paint my studio this summer.

I am looking for a light green/grey.

This looks really pretty on the sample, 

but reads kind of dark in the studio.

I'm going to try a couple more before I decide.

 My newest little palette knife paintings.

They bring me a lot of joy!

I can't wait to get out in the landscape and see how I do with a knife.

 These are RayMar panels. 

I love their texture.

Triple primed linen.

The small ones on the left are Mona Lisa Speedball - I think.

 Okay, this is my 9 year old baby Roy Boy.
 Roy Boy got sick a couple of days ago.

He started just pacing around and panting a lot.

He didn't want to lay down either.

He spent two days at the vet getting bloodwork, xrays, and an ultrasound.

All his tests came back okay, except his spleen is enlarged,

and he was high on a couple of blood things.

He is shaved from the ultrasound and not real happy about it.

He has four meds - two antibiotics, an anti-inflamatory, and a pain pill.
His pill schedule looks like a spread sheet.

He is quite a bit better today.

It's kind of a wait-and-see thing.

He has to go back for a reassessment next week.

Such a good nine year old boy.
He has hardly ever been sick.

 This is Roy when he was a puppy.

So dang cute!

He was rescued from the City Shelter.

He likes to lay in the house with his nose pointing into my studio.

I guess so he can keep a sleepy eye on me.

 He used to love to lay around the cool water bowl in the summer.

I'm surprised he didn't lay IN the water.

 Okay, not even going to try to explain this!

I will see if I can find a good video of him to post.

 Since we've been at the vet for two days, and I've been working, 

I haven't even looked at the yard.

This rose bush is so pretty.

I love these runaways....

  I don't care what it is - you put it in front of an adobe wall - IT LOOKS GOOD.

 My poor birds, they probably hate me.

Their feeders are empty

 and their birdbath looks like a beautiful swamp.

I will remedy that this weekend.

 Another beautiful wild rose again the adobe wall

 This bush is so pretty, does anyone know what it's called?

Tons of little yellow flowers....

 These roses are right outside my studio door.

The heavy rain we had a couple of days ago really did a number

on the large heavy ones in full bloom.

They are just hanging over.

But these opening buds are beautiful.

 So pretty in the sun

 One of the (seems like) millions of lizards we have hanging around on our land.

He is actually pretty small, but I cropped out everything else and he looks HUGE.

I may have to paint him.

My Japanese Maple outside the studio.

I found this cool wind chime new at Savers with the tag still on. Score!

Coming up on Friday, June 5, is the GARDEN SHOW at

Sumner and Dene Gallery located at 517 Central NW, Albuquerque, NM, 87102.

505-842-1400, www.sumnerdene.com

I an an invited artist and will have 22 palette knife paintings in the show!

Join us from 5-8pm for the Artist Reception.

Next up is the Corrales Garden Tour Paint Out coming up

on Sunday, June 7, from 9am - 4pm.

Join me as I paint on location at six beautiful different gardens!

An exhibition and show will follow.

After that - new paintings and lots of plein air painting!

Thanks for watching....