new 150 Challenge paintings

Click here to preview the three new paintings on my 150 Challenge blog. Only 115 more to go!

Oh, I also have a new weight loss gripe blog. It's mainly for my own ranting, but click here if you'd like to take a peek or sign up to follow.

new painting available

"HOLLYHOCKS ON GREY"

6"X6"

oil

SOLD

This is what I call buttery, chiseled, and luscious! These are hollyhocks against a grey adobe wall and I love how it turned out. So simple but says so much.

new 150 Challenge paintings

"AUTUMN COWS"

8"X10"

#139

This is a scene I painted from a photo - a trip to Taos in the fall. The only problem is, I have so many awesome photos just like this, that I can't remember which trip it was! Oh well, does it really matter anyway? These cows are so lucky, they get to live in one of my most favorite places in the world.

"TURQUOISE TRAIL SUNSET"

8"X10"

#140

Ah, how many of us New Mexicans have seen this sunset and a thousand other variations just like it? I love this state, with its beautiful horizon lines and sunsets just like this.

"AUTUMN FLOWERS ON RED"

10"X8"

#141

Hey, I'm almost in the 130's! You know, once I actually get started I could paint for 24 hours straight - it's just the "getting started" part that is hard for me. I love these three new paintings. The color is still a little off with my new camera. Like on the Taos cows painting above, the sky is actually blue. I'm going to try to work on that today. My scanner actually gives a pretty good true color scan, but with oils, I have to wait at least a wek or two until they are dry to the touch. I hope you enjoy these. To view all of the 150 Challenge paintings, click here.

new 150 Challenge paintings

"CANYON ROAD GERANIUMS"

10"X8"

#142

I'm having a difficult time getting a good color resolution on my images. Tomorrow I'm going to try shooting them outside in the shade and see if that helps. This is a beautiful window with pots of geraniums up on Canyon Road in Santa Fe.

(detail of paint texture - you can see that I'm enjoying this!)

"THE SILVER LEAF MAPLE"
8"X10"
#143
Just a sweet painting of what I think is a silver leaf maple tree and some hills around Jemez, New Mexico.


"SUNS IN THE GRASS"
10"X8"
#144
Love this one - so much nice texture and pattern through out the painting.
I will have an auction painting available sometime tomorrow. Goodnight!
You can see all of my 150 Challenge paintings here.

My studio is almost clean!

The 150 Challenge paintings

Canvas ready for toning and painting

my oil painting area

My roll around cart filled with reference photos

My french door to the side courtyard

I had to steal this from my cousin! Hilarious

Figurative Paintings

No, this is NOT a painting - yet. This is one of the wonderful vendors at the Los Ranchos Grower's Market. It has felt a little like spring this week and I'm still organizing my studio. I have gathered all of my figurative subjects together; the grower's market, the state fair, the lavender festival, etc. and I hope to begin painting them next week. I am excited and a little scared too.
I emptied another trash can full of things in the studio I've been saving for some time that I really don't need. I organized all of my subjects by category and put them all in pretty black photo boxes on a roll-around cart that I can move around at will.
My main project this week has been organizing paperwork for the 2010 tax season. I would almost rather have my teeth pulled out one by one...hopefully you will see a 150 painting tonight and also a smaller one up for auction. Have a wonderful day!

"COLOR FIELD 1"

"COLOR FIELD 1"

30"X40"

Okay, let me say that this painting...was HARD. My first large oil painting. It is for a live auction for Casa Esperanza's annual fundraiser coming up in March.

The canvas was in the studio just staring at me - I had no idea what I wanted to paint. So I decided to put everything into it. I painted a sky, I painted mountains and hills, and a little church, and Canyon Women, and sunflowers, and trees...you get the idea. When I blocked everything in, I hated it. So, I scraped it off. I smeared it. And I started over.

This is the wonderful result and I love it. It has a beautiful band of yellow running through the middle ground and a lot of shadows running through the foreground. The poppies make wonderful patterns throughout and there's always something to draw your eye. I painted it black around the sides (in acrylic) and added my usual turquoise signature as well. Let me know what you think! Detail below.

Detail of poppies

The smeared background addes a nice deepness to the painting and makes a nice support for the brushstrokes.

Dueling Cellos - Smooth Criminal

Check this out:

"SWEET PUP"

"SWEET PUP"

10"X8"

commission - SOLD

This has to be one of the cutest pups ever. She has the sweetest face. I didn't want the background to overwhelm her, so I kept it simple. I also didn't want the linework to overpower her, so I kept it to a bare minimum on her body. She is playing with a big plush toy, not sure what it is, but I wouldn't try to take it away from her! Animals are hard for me, much more linear and the feeling of having to bear a decent likeness. I think I suceeded.

what I'm working on...

in progress

10"x8"

Hello everyone - I haven't posted in a few days but I've been busy. I am working on a large painting for Casa Esperanza, the "home away from home" for cancer patients coming from out of town to the UNM cancer center here. They are a lovely organization and do so much good for so many. Their event is coming up in March but the deadline for work to be completed is Saturday. So you know what I will be doing!

The work above is a small painting commission that will be completed by next week.

I have new 150 oils coming plus a couple more little auction oils coming up for the weekend.

It is very cold here again, but the temp is supposed to be sunny and in the 50's in a few days. I can't wait...

"MASON JAR FLOWERS" - 7 day auction

"MASON JAR FLOWERS"

6"X6"

7 day auction - click here to bid

SOLD

This painting makes me feel like I was born to do what I love. Be a painter. I LOVE LOVE it. The loose, chiseled look of the brushstrokes, the thickness of the paint, the color combinations bumped right up against each other. To me, this painting sings.

I also have four new 150 Challenge paintings completed. Click on the link below to view the 150 Challenge blog: http://150challenge2011.blogspot.com

"STARRY NIGHT"

"STARRY NIGHT"

after Van Gogh

6"x6"

SOLD

Click here to place your bid

- Hello - I wanted to let you know that I finished two 150 Challenge paintings today and also that I am putting some small oil paintings up for auction as soon as they are completed. This is the first, "STARRY NIGHT", after Vincent Van Gogh. I have been going through art books and keep coming across this painting again and again. I painted a bookshelf like this for Casa Esperanza last year and ever since, I have wanted to paint a smaller version. I like these little works because I am painting on my new easel and it is far enough away from me that I can't add too much detail. I am also using the biggest, longest brush that I can use, which makes me squint and just get the basics down. Great practice and out of my comfort zone at this point. Maybe by the time the 150 Challenge is done, I will be an old pro. We'll see! I hope you'll go to the auction page and check out the painting. The bidding begins at $50 for each painting and each auction will run 7 days. The painting will ship as soon as it is dry to the touch.

"NIGHT ANGEL"

"NIGHT ANGEL"

10"X8"

finished commission

I'm working on two small commissions now, this is the first. She is a Canyon Woman walking down a pathway lit by farolitos and a beautiful night sky. A bit mystical, I think.

Today we have snow on the ground and it is 1 degree outside - it's strange, I just took the dogs out early (they sleep in my studio) and it didn't feel that cold, maybe because there wasn't any wind at the time. Anyway, it's early, and they're back in on their warm nlankets and I'm going back to bed! I hope the sun comes out later today - this is not my kind of weather.

almost ready...

HELLO.

I know it's been a few days since I posted. I've had a good excuse! I've been finishing up an 18"x24" commission (I'll post a photo tomorrow), and cleaning my studio. It's weird, but once I started working on the 150 Challenge, I had a little nagging feeling in the back of my brain that I wasn't quite ready. I didn't know why. But I knew I wanted to CLEAN. So, I cleaned out my bedroom closet first. I got rid of 7 boxes of vhs exercise videos and movies. I got rid of 8 boxes of books. Man, that's a lot of boxes! I cleaned out some drawers. I cleaned out my cookbook cabinet. And today, I just started in on the studio. I wasn't exactly sure what I needed to do - I just knew something wasn't RIGHT. I started first with my acrylic paints. I had 11 bins of acrylic - just too much. I cut it down to one bin, with just one or two of each of the 18 colors I use. Then I moved on to the art books - some of them I've had since my girls were small, even before I knew I was going to become a painter. I got rid of four boxes of art books!

I condensed my acrylic painting area and expanded my oil painting area. Now I have two tabletop easels for my oils and one for acrylic. I got all of my paperwork in one spot so I can start organizing for tax season. I NEVER can seem to get that right - always playing catch-up. I also put all of my bins with my reference photos on a roll-around cart so I can move them around and locate them easier. I still have about ten photo organizer boxes to organize. They hold all of my postcards, mailing lists, hooks, wire, etc., everything that's too small to really have its own spot. I hope that I am completely done by tomorrow.

Oh, and yesterday I did about five hours of yardwork. It was SO pretty and we're supposed to have a couple of days of bad weather - the high on wednesday is only 15 degrees!! I trimmed bushes, raked underneath trees, cleaned a flower bed, and got rid of some junk we didn't need in the yard. We also just had some guys come and remove nine tree stumps a couple of days ago, so I hope to have a beautiful yard this year. And a GARDEN!

BALANCE

Tomorrow I am also starting my eating plan again. A modified version of Weight Watchers. I don't like the new points system (too complicated), so I am doing my own thing. And I'm still exercising almost every day. I feel very much in balance right now. Bring on the 150 Challenge!!

Oh, and the photo above is from a feature article in SU CASA magazine (I can't remember the issue #). It's an architect's home here in NM and she has one of my large paintings in her beautiful dining room. I think it's beautiful....

"CASITAS AND COTTONWOODS"

8"X10"

#149

This is SO fun! Yes, it's kind of a pain to set everything up and make sure I don't get oil paints all over me. And I can't paint up close because I'm working on my plein air easel. And I have to totally mix everything differently. But - these paints are like BUTTER. And they blend together so beautifully. I absolutely cannot wait to see all 150 framed paintings on that warm rust colored wall at Weems Old Town.

This painting is a montage of two different photographs. One was of the casitas and another of the cottonwood trees. I am working my way towards painting people; at the grower's market, at the Lavender Festival, downtown, etc. I have them all stacked and ready but they frighten me! Seriously. I'll just have to jump in. Anyway, when this dries, it will be posted on the 150 Challenge blog. Tomorrow I will be working on a couple of commissions and then Monday - meditate, work-out, and then into the studio.

two new paintings available

"SUNSET, ELENA GALLAGOS"

10"X8"

I LOVE grasses. I love the texture, I love to see and hear them blowing in the wind. That's why I really like how this painting turned out. It is from a PAPNM paint-out day up at the Elena Gallegos recreation area in the Sandia mountains. I didn't encounter any other painters but I loved the light, the solitude, and the stillness. I caught the last of the sunset sinking below the horizon and it put a nice glow on the hills and trees. Can't wait to go back in the spring.

You may purchase by clicking the Paypal button below.

"TAOS GORGE, SUMMER"

"TAOS GORGE, SUMMER"

8"X8"

I love this spot coming into Taos. I could just set up camp here, stay for a month, and paint every day. The mountains in the background are amazing, they never look the same. Always a little hazy and always beautiful. You may purchase by clicking the Paypal link below.

commission in progress...

This is my acrylic palette - I like to paint on plates when I'm in the studio. I know, it's totally not environmentally correct, but I have to work with what's best for me. I use the same 18 colors all the time. Sometimes I'll throw in a turquoise or a different blue but this pretty much my standard.

I've toned the canvas with my favorite burnt sienna and red wash and lightly sketched in the drawing with loose paint and a brush. You can see the rough in in turquoise for the window.

This is the initial block in of the painting - a New Mexico adobe with hollyhocks and a flower garden, and a beautiful view of the mountains in the background.

the first oil of the 150 Challenge

#150

"RIO HONDO"

8"X10"

Well, I finally did it! And I loved it. I'll be posting this painting on the 150 Challenge blog as soon as it's dry to the touch. The scanner will give you a much sharper image than one shot with my camera. This is from a photo I took up in Rio Hondo during a paint out in the fall. Such a beautiful place. This was a little out of my element for me. Usually I paint "up close" and I had to force myself to use my long brushes and paint from a distance. It forces you to paint a more "painterly" painting because you're further away from your canvas. . Love it.The next photo you'll see is the palette I used:

I am using my Easy L paint box. It's mounted to one of my tripods and sits low enough on the floor that I can sit in a chair or stand up if I feel the need. It has a glass palette and I have placed a 12"x16" sheet of "GREY MATTERS" paper palette by Jack Richeson & Co. on top. Such an easy cleanup! I love the way that oils just glide around - so different from acrylic. I used Galkyd Lite medium made by Gamblin and Gamsol pure odorless mineral spirits.

This is my palette set-up. I laid out a lot of colors because I am taking my time choosing a smaller palette. I think this is the order: titanium white, cadmium yellow lite, yellow ochre, cadmium orange, cadmium red lite, Napthol red, quinacridone magenta, alizarin crimson, raw sienna, burnt sienna, viridian, terre verte, cadmium green, asphaltum, raw umber, Dioxazine purple, cobalt teal, cerulean blue, ultramarine blue, cobalt blue, prussian blue, and violet-grey (Old Holland). I will keep weeding these out until I have about 8 or so. I thought I had a sap green but I didn't, so I will get one. And I had a cool winsor emerald, but I couldn't get it open!

So, I am excited and can't wait for tomorrow...

my newest read, "the oil painter's biible"

This is my newest art read. I picked it up at Borders in their bargain section for $12.99 and it is definitely a bargain! Whether you are a new oil painter, someone just interested in the process, or a seasoned veteran, this little book is a gem of information. It's a spiral, so you can lay the book flat on any surface and it won't move. The index includes the following topics: MATERIALS, COLORS, TECHNIQUES, SUBJECTS.

The favorite parts for me were about color; mixing greys, using greys. There's also a section on advanced techniques; glazing, impasto, knife painting, scraping back, etc. The section on subjects includes landscape, buildings, people, and still life. Very readable and I think it's one that I will keep in my favorites and refer to for a long time. I will admit, I found it here at amazon - new and used - for a little less.

I'm starting the oils today. I have to admit, I am still on the fence about using frames. I found a cool floater frame at Dick Blick that I like, it has a black floater and the frame is an antique gold crackle finish. I just ordered 8 of them, so I could physically see them with a painting inside. The gallery prefers unframed and gallery wrap canvas, maybe painted black around the sides. I am just itching to see 150 oil paintings framed, all in one spot! I will post one when they get here and maybe you can give me an opinion. To see the frame, click here.

a quick getaway to Jemez

My cousin and I decided that we needed a few hours away to "play" as we call it. She had never been to Jemez, so we decided to take a little day trip. I also wanted to try out my new camera. I'm not sure if I like it yet, it's a little bulky. This is the Jemez mountains with the moon. Even in winter, it's beautiful!

A friendly horse - we thought he wanted to go home with us. He was out in the middle of the road, just grazing away. We passed him on the way to the Gilman tunnels and decided to visit for a bit. He ate a whole apple! And did you see his reflection in my side mirror?

The Jemez river. Even in this weather, you get a sense of the texture and colors in the landscape. Very peaceful....I've never been to Jemez in the fall when the colors are at their peak. That's a definite this year!

The red rocks. That's all I can say. And all within a 45 minute drive from my house.

Commissions completed, new iris painting

"IRISES, THE GARDEN TOUR"

10"X8"

in progress

SOLD
I've had my eye on painting these irises since last summer. I went on a wonderful garden tour in the north valley of Albuquerque. You can only imagine the flowers and garden art behind these adobe walls! On the painting you can see where the linework has begun. I love it at this point. My eye goes straight for the little orange/pink shapes - that's where I want to put my lines in first. I completely forget about the darker areas and have to stand back periodically and take a look. This will be finished tomorrow.

Oh and I realized something else today - about painting acrylics and painting oils. Instead of alternating days, I'm going to have to alternate WEEKS. That's the only way I can focus and give each medium the attention it deserves. So, this week will be all acrylics and next week will be all oils. Man, I don't know why I do this to myself!

I got some other GOOD news today. In addition to my June 150 Challenge show, I am going to be in a show that will open September 3rd with Esta Bain, Russ Ball, and BC Nowlin.It will be exciting because I will be painting several large works. I'm going to just let loose for that one and go crazy! Okay, I will finish the iris and post it tomorrow. Night!

"SUNFLOWERS, CANYON"

8"X10"

Commission - SOLD

"CHURCH AT SECO"

8"X8"

Commission - SOLD

"AN EYE ON THE SKY"

"EYE ON THE SKY"

CHURCH AT RANCHOS DE TAOS

8"X8"

SOLD

I can't tell you how many photos of this beautiful church I've taken - it would boggle the mind. It just looks different every time I go to Taos. The back of the church is the most photographed - I've painted it quite a few times. I've only painted the front once and I've never painted the top in this way. They sky was what actually drew me to take the photograph. It was absolutely beautiful; lots of purples, a few shades of bluish grey and some turquoise in there too.

Purchase information is below.

"OLD CROSS AT ABIQUIU MORADA"

"OLD CROSS AT ABIQUIU MORADA"

8"X10"

SOLD

My first daily painting of 2011! I realized something today - it either has to be an "oil" day or an "acrylic" day. It's too confusing to try to accomplish both. So one day I will spend on daily paintings and the next day I will spend on oils for the 150 Challange. I also finished up two small commissions and will post those tomorrow. Anyway, I am really excited to begin the new year and this was the photo that spoke to me today. It's from a day trip I took to Abiquiu this past year. The old morada is very close to Georgia O'Keefe's house and I think the colors came out lovely. Click on the image to enlarge. Purchase information is below.

"MESA SUNSET"

"MESA SUNSET"

16"X20"

SOLD

This is a sunset painting of Algodones coming back from Santa Fe. I just finished the linework today and I love the way it looks! You can drive home that same way every evening and the sunset looks different each time. The painting is on gallery wrap canvas, painted around the sides and is meant to hang unframed. This painting is available for purchase by clicking the Paypal link below.

"MESA SUNSET"

THE 150 CHALLENGE 2011

OILS!

NEW BLOG

My 150 Challenge begins on Monday, January 10, 2010

The new blogsite for this challenge is: www.150challenge2011.blogspot.com

THE SHOW

The show will be held on Friday, June 3, 2011, at

Weems Gallery Old Town

303 Romero St. NW

Albuquerque, NM 505-764-0302

Artist Reception: 5pm, music and refreshments

Show and sale starts promptly at 6:30pm

HOW IT WILL WORK

Each time I complete a Challenge painting, I will post it to this blog first,

with a link to http://150challenge2011.blogspot.com.

Each painting will have a number attached to it. I will be starting with painting #150.

If you see a painting you want, write down the number and title, and call the gallery at any time.

They have started a buyer list.

If no one else chooses your painting, you may purchase it in person or by phone . If two or more people want the same painting, a name will be drawn to decide the buyer. Contact the gallery for details. Shipping charges may apply.

Paintings will be available for purchase until March 1, 2011.
All works will be framed, 8"x8", 8"x10" plus a few larger 16"x20"paintings, also for $150.
One large painting will also be auctioned online during the Challenge to benefit the charity of my choice.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at deesanchezart@hotmail.com.

gettin' ready....

This is my set up for my 150 Challenge with oils. I've comandeered an end of one of my tables and set up my easel (so clean and pretty and new...not for long) and all of my oil paraphenalia. This is also my new plein air easel, although I still love my little Cuban cigar box.

These are my canvases, toned and set up for daily painting and gallery painting. I still haven't decided whether I will use panel or canvas for the 150 Challenge. I also have to decide fairly quickly about what I'm going to use for framing for these little gems.

These are Gamblin solvents and mediums. I'm so used to acrylic work that this will feel like Greek to me for the first couple of weeks. Even though I paint with oils on location, it's different with this 150 Challenge; a daily dose oil oil painting!

My new oils...so clean, so untouched. I think I should've been the owner of an art store. I love to look at them before they get all messy and used up. I bought about 20 Gamblin and had a few others laying around. I will weed out the ones that don't work for me until I have about 10 paints for my regular palette and 4 for my limited. This will be an adventure for me, for sure!
Oh, can you tell that I am procrastinating?

Let's see, what else can I organize before I actually get started???

25 things you might not know about me

• I do like being alone. Sometimes too much. Being an artist is a lonely business sometimes, but we do need to get out and mingle.

• I don't like being alone. I love my family and friends; love having them over for food, great conversation, just hanging out. What a dilemma. Hmm, Jeckle and Hyde.

• I know a lot of trivia and am pretty good at games.

• If I wasn't an artist, my second choice as a passion would be photography and blogging about it. Oh wait, I kind of do that already. I also love organizing; photos, papers, you name it. BUT - I also don't put things back where they belong. Hence, the need to constantly be organizing.

• If I wasn't an artist, my third profession of choice would be one of those organic farmers who sells fruits and vegetables at the local grower's markets. I LOVE growing things and digging in the dirt.

• I love weird music. My daughter's shake their heads at my cd collection. Everything from rap and old hip-hop, psychedelic 60's, Tibetan, drumming, anything for spinning classes, Black-Eyed Peas, Hall and Oates, Mellencamp, nature sounds, birds singing, techno, etc. I love scouring thrift stores for unique music. And if you've ever watched Ellen Degeneres on her show when she dances, I want to BE in that audience, shakin' my groove thang.

• I collect Christmas cds and dvds. My favorite: Christmas in the Outback. Ashamed to say I haven't watched it yet.

• I want to take the open drawing class at harwood and brush up on my skills.

• My favorite Hollywood crush...Johnny Depp.
• Artists whose work I admire: OLD: Van Gogh, Sargeant, Homer, Cezanne. NEW: Karin Jurik, Halima Washington, Carole Marine, Stephen Goodman. These are all daily painters and very good at what they do. Loose, painterly brush strokes. There are SO many good contemporary artists out there now that it's impossible to pick just one. I love very abstract paintings, I love political pieces, I love realism! There's just no end to the inspiration out there. Magical.

• My favorite kind of painting: plein air. I wish I could just load up the car and be gone.

• My children are my biggest accomplishment and make me so proud.

• I want to make movies - the computer digital kind, where I can burn my own dvds and give them away to family and friends.

• I was in a spelling bee in 2nd grade. Lost on the word poetry. Left out the "r."

• I narrated a Christmas play when I was in elementary school. It was awesome.

• My family moved to a new town when I was in 5th grade. The beginning of a feeling of floundering and not belonging anywhere that is still with me sometimes.

• Both of my grandmothers had green thumbs, as did my mom. I'm glad I inherited that gene.

• I have killed a squirrel. It was necessary, she was suffering.

• I have lain naked outside and sunbathed on a trampoline. Okay, this was a long time ago, in the mountains where no one would come along, and I still get teased about it.

• I have been married for 33 years, together with my husband for 38. He is the be all, end all for me and always will be.

• The only bands I would go see in concert these days: Black-eyed Peas and Prince. In a heartbeat.

• A sunset, a sweet moment on tv, a wedding, someone doing something good for someone else - these can all make me cry and happy to be human. There is so much good in the world.

• I am a chocolate addict. As in big time. As in needs to eat more fruit and veggies. As in STOP eating for emotional reasons and out of habit.

• If I didn't have this blog, I would probably be writing THE BOOK in my spare time.

• I love connection - the feeling of letting people see who I really am as an artist. Artists sometimes put out this persona of who we want people to think we are, - gotta do the marketing, gotta make the sales, gotta do the shows. I live for the CONNECTION. When someone sees my work and it makes them feel something, that's what it's all about for me.

I'm sure there's lots more, but that's it for now.

What is one thing about you that people don't know????

preparation....

My Favorite Painting of 2010

This painting was done at the tail end of Artfest last year. I had one large canvas left and decided to chose a photo I had of clouds. I loosely sketched in the shape of the clouds with cad yellow so you wouldn't see any sketch lines. The middle ground just sort of magically happened and the foreground....ah, my favorite part. Abstract grasses -I just let go and I loved the result. Of course, I have a few more favorites, all for different reasons! Now on to.....

PREPARATION

Yes, today I am planning to prepare my studio for actual WORK tomorrow! There is some organizing to be done and toning of canvases, panels, etc. I have to also organize a space for my oil work, which I want to keep separate from my daily acrylics. And I need to warm up my studio because it is COLD. Oh, and I'm also playing around with my blog design and colors, so if you see something you like (or don't), please let me know.

DAILY PAINTINGS

I will be offering 3 or more daily paintings per week for purchase. The price will remain the same, $99 plus $10 shipping. I may offer several up for auction on eBay and I have plans to have a monthly giveaway of a small painting to my blog readers. It will happen on the 30th of every month and I'll tell you more later....

150 CHALLENGE

This is so exciting! I am planning on going on as many paint outs as possible and also painting from my photographs. I plan to document with my camera and video as much as possible to make you feel like you are really out there "where I am." We will be hitting all the usual spots; Abiquiu, Jemez, Taos, Chimayo, Madrid, Placitas, as well as many public events. I want to try my hand at some figure work this year, so I need to be where the people are! My solo show will be in June at Weems Gallery. The new 150 Challenge blog is already set up. I will post each painting on my regular blog with a link to the 150 Challenge blog. You may also sign up to subscribe specifically to the 150 Challenge blog. This will probably be my last 150 show. I plan a new direction soon after.

FRAMING

I have my framer building a test frame for my new oils. I want them to be beautiful but simple. And with an antique feel.

PERSONAL

My goals for 2011? To be as balanced as possible. To keep losing weight. To stretch more. I just bought 12 new dvds - all stretching. To cook. No I mean REALLY cook....real food around the table with family and friends. To play more games. To ride a bike again. To work on preparation for getting my knees fixed. To go on dates with my husband. To do some volunteer artwork with kids. To go to New York, Hawaii, and Oregon. Why those? I don't know, they've always been in my head. I went to Hawaii on my honeymoon, which was YEARS ago, so I think we need a refresher. Anyway, to travel more and document everything I see and share it with you. My plans also include helping out with communication and publicity this year with the Plein Air Painters of NM. It's going to be a dynamite year; one of opportunity, one of challenge, and one of CHANGE. See you there!

A NEW JOURNEY ABOUT TO BEGIN
Hello everyone and Happy New Year!
I hope your holiday was wonderful and relaxing.
I am working on lots of plans right now - the first one being the new url for my blog.
The new site link will be www.deesanchezpaints.com.
It doesn't really mean any changes for you- you can still google www.deesanchez.blogspot.com and it will direct you to the same place, but it will be better for the new marketing and branding ideas I'm working on for this year.
Wouldn't you know it? I have so many things I should be doing right now and I caught a cold the day after Christmas that has kind of knocked me down a bit. I am feeling better though, which is why I'm posting tonight. It's rather cold in my studio, since I haven't been in here and it's about 10 degrees outside. I'm not kidding you, it is BITTER cold outside right now.
I'm gearing up for the 150 CHALLENGE; got my oil paints, got my easel, got my tripod, got my palette, got my new Nikon camera. I don't have my panels yet, but I have enough to get started. I'm working on some cool ideas for framing too, which I will explain in the next few days. Anyway, I hope to start taking some photos to post tomorrow. I really have to get organized and quickly.
Oh, and I wanted to ask you about this text you're reading. I'm trying to make my blog as easy to read as possible. Do you think this color works? Or would it be more readable if it was lighter, like this? Or maybe if my background was lighter? I think my paintings look best against a darker background, but I would love some feedback!

I expect this to be a FABULOUS year. I feel like I'm going to get lots of painting done, lots of day tripping done, lots of weight loss done, and lots of "living life to the fullest" done. I invite you all to come along on the journey with me. More tomorrow....