Favorite Nest of 2018

Wishing you all a terrific and creative 2019.

Artist Note

This is my favorite nest of last year

I painted it three times.

The one above

 It is 8"x10" oil on canvas.

Lots of layering went on...

and on... and somehow 

I feel as if I built this nest -

instead of painting it!

It is a Bluejay nest.

Friends from Santa Fe gave it to me a couple

of years ago when they were having an addition

put on their house and found it. 

It is on a beautiful sycamore branch in my studio.

The one below was 24"x24"

HUGE for me. 

I LOVED painting it.

 Ladybugs, grasses, feathers, leaves, 

are all in there -  part of nest making!

.

Sunrise colors are behind the large one but 

I became creative with blue twigs

in the top one. I found I enjoyed playing

around with colors and glad I stuck to it.

So, as you see, the same nest provided me

with hours of pleasure

How many of you thought I meant the 

PAINTING at top was my favorite

and not the nest itself?

Interesting how we read things. 

Though I better put it right!

Both of them sold and I hope the owners 

enjoy finding little areas of interest 

that have my heart and soul

embedded in them.

Again....happiest of years ahead 

and thank you for following my blog.

New Mexico Snow

New Mexico Snow

6x8in oil on canvas panel  $125.SOLD

Snow arrived in time for the Holidays.

We are fortunate here in Southern New Mexico
because the sun shines well over 300 days a year.
We still get a taste of all seasons though and
that makes me appreciate living here all the more.
I would go nuts with the same temps year round.

Below is the same scene during the summer
- painted last  year.

Leslie Saeta's 30 day Challenge 

starts today.

Because I genuinely believe it helps me 

keep my painting mojo in good order

 I am going to TRY to participate.

This is day1.

Callas and Roses - Correction Made

Roses and Callas

12x9 watercolor on Yupo paper

Artist Note.

It was good to read all the positive 

comments on my last post

and I thank you for them.

I agree and do believe that there 

may have been more 

energy it that version, but once I saw 

something 

I did not like, I had to make the change.

Culprits... the two

facing callas, left and right,

I thought of "horns" when I finally "saw" them

(see below)

To make the change I became cautious.

I painted some paper I matched with 

the general background

 color and hovered over the two shapes

to decide which one I would change.

The dominant right one had to go

.

Hats off to clever Sea Dean who 

spotted my  problem with the first

version. Sea put it this way

" PS I bet it's the clone Callas left and right,

 but sometimes these aberrations are what gives

 the painting it's quirkiness and prevent the

chocolate box effect. 

That's where artistic license comes in.

Excellent -  Now I have to figure out

if they are  too chocolate boxy 

Any thoughts anyone?

Check out Sea Dean on DPW

Organ Mountain Sunrise

Organ Mountain Sunrise

6x8in oil on canvas panel  $125. SOLD

Artist Note.

This is a "site specific" landscape.
The Rio Grande with the Organ Mountains
in the distance.
The Organ mountains are the
jewel of the southernmost part
of the Rockies and are 9,000 ft high.

I cannot fudge and be my own landscaping
company with this one.
This is the only place where the river
bends to have the mountains as a backdrop,
otherwise, it always runs parallel.
After painting the previous two landscapes
in an abstract manner, and having leeway to
place masses for design impact -
I had to stay true with this one.
Fortunately, it is a view I love to paint.