LARGE PAINTINGS FOR THE WEEMS RETRO CHALLENGE SHOW

Hi all - 

Here are several of the new larger paintings I will have at the show coming up this Friday.

I think I'm still missing two that I haven't photographed yet.

If you are interested in any of these painting, email me at dshadowtail@aol.com

TO SEE ALL COMPLETED 150 SMALL PAINTINGS,

CLICK HERE

 18X36"

 16X12"

20X16"

12X16"

 18X24"

 18X24"

 20X24"

 11X14"

 12X16"

 10X20"

 18X14"

 18X36

 16X16"

 16X20"

16X16"

 18X24"

 16X16"

 16X16"

37X37"

 12X16"

12X16"

Retro Challenge paintings done!

All retro Challenge paintings are done!

Wow, what a wild ride it has been.

To see all completed Retro paintings, click HERE.

Now, i am working on press releases, another postcard mail-out, larger paintings, and ornaments.

More details about the show coming up.....

Embracing Autumn

PHOTO JOURNEY

Last night was the first night I slept with the window closed in a long time.

I usually like to leave at least a little crack - it makes me feel like

I'm getting a little bit of fresh air, but it felt cold. And it felt like Fall.

In the midst of getting ready for a big show, I pay attention to nothing else.

Not the weather, not the house, not cooking, not paying bills, NOTHING.

It's all about getting the art finished and ready.

BUT - there is a certain smell in the air today that smells like autumn to me.

That smell makes me want to stop and just savor the day.

So, I am posting a few of my favorite pictures of fall in New Mexico.

I hope you enjoy.

In front of Weems Gallery Old Town working on a fiberglass balloon for Balloon Fiesta.

This was several years ago.

Corrales chile harvesters

I can't remember where this was!

 This is the ditch right near my house with the Sandia mountains in the background

This is a beautiful old cottonwood in my neighbor's yard.

I am sad to say that it fell down a couple of weeks ago.

It knocked over power lines, burned two fruit trees,

broke my coyote fencing, and destroyed my trampoline.

Sad to see that beautiful old tree go.

The Rio Chama near Abiquiu

autumn trees at Ghost Ranch

This is the village of Valdez below the road that goes to Taos Ski Valley. 

The road is at the top.

Colors in person were so incredibly beautiful.

Everyone's favorite Arroyo Seco truck.

Check out the dried hollyhock pods and the red Virginia Creeper.

Mac and I among the red chili ristras at Velarde.

Okay, so now that I have gotten myself out of the mood to work...

it's time to work!

Almost Done!

I am nearing the end of the Retro Challenge and it's bittersweet.

It's been a lot harder than I imagined.

And it has also really helped my painting skills.

It's hard to paint in a style you don't do anymore.

And it's been seven months since I have picked up an oil tube.

I thought maybe I had forgotten how to paint in oils.

But I painted in Corrales this past week and it came back to me.

This painting below is #22, "TALL TREES" and I am starting on #14 today.

The RETRO CHALLENGE show opens on Friday, September 26, at 5pm.

The paintings are sold on a first come, first served basis.

As you come in the door, you will be given yellow stickers.

When you see a painting you want, put a sticker next to it with your initials.

If a painting has more than one sticker, we draw a name out of a hat.

Buyers from out of state will have their sticker put on by Weems staff.

We will have food and great music by Mezcla Latina.

Please come hang out with us, view all 150 paintings,

and maybe you'll find one you have to take home with you!

To see all completed paintings, click here.

WOW!

SEPTEMBER 1ST

I can't believe it's already here.

I have SO much to do before the 26th, it's not even funny:

finish the 150 - box

finish the ornaments

finish the large paintings

send out another postcard

prepare press releases - mail

prepare the back of all paintings for hanging

create a flyer/poster for Weems - deliver

make a list of food for the show - buy

I'm sure there's more, but right now all I

can think about it getting the work completed and ready to hang.

Meanwhile, I painted in Corrales this past week - plein air!

I was so excited to be back out in the field, it's been 7 months

since I touched a tube of oil paint.

I only got to go out three times for about two hours each time

but I came back with three paintings that I love.

One was painted sitting in a big field of sunflowers during the 

hottest part of the day, surrounded by bees.

The second was painted at the Corrales Winery during the last light of the setting sun.

what a beautiful and peaceful place - hanging out with 29 other plein air painters.

The last was painted at the Corrales mercantile portal.

I was sitting under the portal, looking at a big pot of flowers and also 

painting the little adobe across the street - which was separated from me

by a big main road of traffic.

These paintings are all available for purchase.

They will be going to the Corrales JAZZY STARRY NIGHT event in a few days.

If you are interested, email me at dshadowtail@aol.com

Meanwhile, back to work!

Thanks for watching...

 "AMONG THE BEES"

8x10"

$285

 "SANDIA SHADOWS"

11X14"

$425

"UNDER THE PORTAL"

10x8"

$285

new Retro Challenge paintings

Hi all!

The Retro Challenge 2014 started because I needed a new challenge.

Something that would be hard for me.

Something that I maybe didn't want to do.

Because if it wasn't hard, then everyone would do it, right?

So what better challenge to do than create small paintings,

big paintings, and ornaments in a style that I don't do anymore.

I now paint in oils - big, loose and buttery. Plein air and studio.

To go back to my old-school style that is tight, refined and tedious?

Could I do it? Would people be appreciative?

We'll see!

To see all new Retro Challenge paintings, please click here.

RETRO CHALLENGE SHOW

Friday, September 26, 2014

150 paintings $150 each

50 ornaments $40 each

20 larger paintings

HERE'S HOW TO PURCHASE PAINTINGS:

1.Jot down the title and painting #s you want

2. Call or email Dee or Weems Gallery with your picks

3. On opening night, if no one else chooses your painting, it's yours for $150. Easy!

4. If two or more people want the same painting, we draw a name out of a hat.

You do not have to be present to purchase paintings.

We just need your purchase information and painting numbers.

BUT - you should be present because we are having a party!!!

FOOD, MUSIC, BEVERAGES, AND PRIZES

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

 CALL

Dee Sanchez  

505-792-1030

Weems Gallery

505-293-6133

EMAIL

Dee Sanchez

dshadowtail@aol.com

Weems Gallery

weems@weemsgallery.com

"GEORGIA"

8x8"

#51

it just happens

You can plan. 

You can sketch.

You can paint.

But, sometimes, something just happens when you're working on a painting.

This is not from a photograph or any one place in New Mexico.

It started as a road and just evolved into a beautiful 

somber painting that makes me want to sing.

One of those serendipitous moments that rarely happen.

My eye runs from the red in the road through the curve of the landscape

and up to the little spot of red on the tree on the far right.

This is what makes painting worthwhile to me.

That sweet little moment of saying to myself, "Wow, I did that?
And then thinking, "Wow, I really did that!"

To see the five new Retro Challenge paintings, click HERE.

.

Three new paintings finished!

To see all three paintings, click HERE.

Life is passing by way too fast right now.

Here's my schedule though Christmas:

63 small paintings to complete

50 ornaments

20 larger paintings

Exhibition opening on Friday, September 26

Commission for a large painting for a new Dion's pizza

8 day paint out in Corrales 

Weems Artfest in November

Makes me tired just looking at it in writing!

My motto is just keep at it.

Small increments every day and it gets done.

Well, we hope.

I am almost into the 50s on my upcoming Retro Challenge show. Yay!

I've been trying  to put in a full work schedule

 but things (procrastination) keep getting in the way:

meditation

biking

Real Housewives of New Jersey (saved on dvr)

lunch, snack time

talking to pups

organizing closet

organizing recipes (which I never use)

facebook, Instagram, checking stocks, anything on computer or smartphone

My goal is to eliminate at least one distraction this week.

I'm thinking biking....

Below are three that I'm working on now:

To see all of the completed Retro Challenge paintings so far, click HERE.

Two new Retro Challenge paintings.

To view all completed Retro paintings, click HERE.

I have four new Retro Challenge paintings!

to view, please click HERE 

or go to www.deeretrochallenge.blogspot.com

finally...a little vacation

We just had our 37th wedding anniversary

and decided to celebrate by going to our favorite place,Taos, New Mexico.

We rented a house and spent two nights.

I have put the images in large format so you can better view them.

Please let me know what you think.

Taos and the surrounding area is always beautiful, even in the height of summer.

We got rained on coming in to the canyon and this was our view of the 

Rio Grande Gorge after horseshoe curve.

It was very misty and mysterious.

Arroyo Seco was beautiful too. 

Lots of puffy rain clouds and beautiful mountain shadows.

The house where we stayed had these beautiful horses 

running around in the field next door.

We found the secret to getting them to come and talk to us - apples!

A beautiful sunset on Blueberry Hill.

This so reminded me of an ocean wave - I almost expected a surfer to emerge!

I just painted my version of this, #74 on my upcoming Retro Challenge show.
I had to eliminate the telephone wires from the panting.

To view on the Retro Challenge blog, please click HERE.

As usual, Arroyo Seco is beautiful.

I really want to live there!
I envision having art retreats and painting workshops in my little adobe casita.

The picture below is a little shop full of colorful scarves, red chile ristras, 

and that old beautiful truck.

I took a drive through Valdez one morning.

This little village has a beautiful view of Taos mountain.

This is a cute little hacienda driving through the main road.

I loved the orange color of the wood on the roof mixed
with the turquoise windows and the brown of the adobe.

My favorite Taos horse.

This guy lives on the road to the Taos pueblo.

I have painted him several times.

 A thistle in bloom.

There weren't too many left but lots of spent blooms.

I think if I had come a week earlier, 

I would have seen fields of thistles in full bloom.

I drove into town to take a few photos.

My destination was a row of hollyhocks along the main street.

This truck happened to be in my way!

There was a grower's market going on and this was about 6pm in the evening.

I loved the sign!

One of the hollyhocks next to the truck.

Love the dark deep burgundy color.

Another favorite horse.

Actually, he was a new friend.

Look at all the beautiful sagebrush and chamisa surrounding him (or her).

 The beautiful village of Arroyo Seco.

We got breakfast burritos from Abe's the morning that we left 

and ate them by the stream.

A scene painted on one of the adobe walls in Arroyo Seco.

Not sure what's going on here, but I do see Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The most beautiful village of Valdez along the toad to the Taos Ski Valley.

I love the shadows on the mountains in the back!

My husband Mac posing next to the little tower by the stream.

i don't know if you can see the water behind him but it was running strong.

I guess you're going to find graffiti everywhere.

This is the first day trip I have been on since my friend Tom passed away

and my cousin moved to Atlanta to be with her kids.

It just felt really weird. I just kept wanting some fellow creative person

to share my photo and experiences with.

My husband is as tolerant as he can be, but he'd rather be hiking or playing

frisbee golf or something that involves physical activity.

Anyway, I'm slowly getting back into the groove.

I want to than all of you who offered support when Tom passed away.

i miss him every day and know he would have loved to take this trip.

He was there in spirit.