Flowers and Stripes

Flowers and Stripes
8"x6" oil on linen panel $150 SOLD

Artist Note.
I am always fascinated with stripes.
The hard part is fracturing them
so they are not hard and straight
but still look like stripes..

I was playing around with  leaving
the natural linen color as a border.
It didnt work for my style.
Bummer!

There is a wonderful artist
who does this very effectivly.
Check him out  - see link below.
  Click on
one of his landscapes to enlarge
and see how effective it is.

Jeff Cochran


A little aside for those who know
what is going on in my life.
The house was just appraised
on Tuesday by the VA. We have no idea
how long before we get the results.
Fingers crossed!

The Ginger Glass Vase

The Ginger Glass Vase

6"x6" oil on Raymar panel $125. SOLD

Artist Note

A lot of work goes into making 

a full size still life onto

such a small board.

I was trying something new...

so, please

let me know that when

you first saw it 

you could tell it was mine.

Poppy and Red

Poppy Red

6'x6' oil on Raymar panel 110.

SOLD

Artist Note

I have a new red tube of paint

I wanted to try out.
Holbein's Rose Dore

I thought it was a cool red.

Wrong!

Look below 

The swatches are of transparent reds.

I found

Rose Dore 

to be a beautiful transparent red.

All colors cool down adding white but the 

Rose Dore managed to stay warm

by comparison. 

I like it.

I will add it to my box for when 

I want a glowing, transparent underpainting

I went to the store and 

bought a beautiful red silk poppy 

and held it under a light.

It was fun to paint ...

and not so much fun to photograph.

It took as long to get the above image

closest to the real one as it did to paint it.

P.S.

House under contract again!

February 21st closing.

Fingers crossed. We really like

the family. A military family.

Farmers Market #25

Farmers Market #25
8"x8" oil on Raymar panel SOLD


Artist Note

I thought a spot of sunshine for my
blog followers in the brutally 
cold areas
would be a reminder of what
lies ahead for you all!
Sending warmest thoughts
your way.
Keep safe!

I enjoyed painting this and kept adding 

to the composition...putting in and taking out.
taking me time and having a good time.

It is from sketches and photos
I have done here at the 
Farmers Market in Las Cruces -
but I took out the buildings along 
Main Street.
Could be in France!


I enjoyed the most marvelous
time before and after Christmas,
 even though we all had to clear out
of the house
for viewings a couple of times.

The kids took it well and piled
all their "stuff" back into cars
  because the closets had to
be kept neat!

No sibling fights,
lots of laughter and reminiscing
about good times in the house.
Perfect.
Now the perfect buyer is welcome
at any time.

Some Favorite Things.

Some Favorite Things

8"x6" oil on Canvas Panel  SOLD

Artist Note

I just enjoyed a wonderful 

few hours in the studio.

I gathered a favorite porcelain vase

to go with some beautiful flowers

I was given over Christmas plus

a table runner that was my mothers,

and blissfully went into 

a zen zone.

Christmas was very, very special 

as I hope yours was too.

This will be the last post of the year.

Once again I thank you all for

following my blog.

Also for the friendship as well as

the encouragement I feel

you give me. 

I AM GRATEFUL!

I get so much pleasure out of 

visiting your blogs 

and being inspired, 

 not only with the images 

but also the words you write.

Thank you.

.

I AM GRATEFUL!

May 2018 be one of good health

and personal happiness for you all.

Bosque Del Apache, NM. Sunrise

Bosque Sunrise 

8"x 8" oil on canvas panel $200.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note

I finally had time to paint this 

amazing sunrise view

from my visit to the Bosque in the Fall.

(If you look carefully at this

on the early morning of the 25th 

you will see the Santa's sleigh 

going across the light!!)

I held my annual December 
Fracturing Technique Workshop

and it was a pure delight for me

 due to a very compatible  

and also

 a talented group of artists 

who were willing to push themselves

into new territory.

Thank you all for honoring me 

with your painting trust.

Now it is MY time to paint 

before the new classes start in January.

 I have a Do Not Disturb sign on

my studio door.

 My friends are honoring it!

We have been blessed with 

not selling the house yet 

and so my kids & families 

are coming in for one last 

holiday blast in the home we all love.

Wishing every one of you who 

follow this blog, a wonderful

Christmastime of Love, Peace, and Hope.

May our fine military forces,

the first responders everywhere

and  especially the amazing firefighters 

in California

get to be home or at least be able to 

skype/facetime their loved ones

for the holidays.

I will be back before 
the New Year.

Orchids

                                                                                   

Orchids

6"x12" oil on canvas panel  $200. SOLD

Artist Note

This was a demo for

 the last class of the semester

at the Artist Guild SNM

It was painted on a surface 

already colored

by a previous wipe-off.

I started with the transparent
darker areas first, adding
the colored opaque areas bit by bit
as I gradually moved into
the whitest areas,

I used a photo I had taken
at Trader Joes of the
tops of the orchids through
the  clear wrapping.
Purple, yellow and white flowers.
Beautiful together.

This is an unusual size but I like
how it flows
and do not want to crop it.
It will need a custom frame.

Thank you for all the
great comments on my last post.
I am sorry I have not had time
 to answer them.
Busy, busy with Thanksgiving
and fun company.
Plus...
the house still on the market!!

Blessings Are Everywhere.

Blessings Are Everywhere

watercolor on Yupo

Sold

First, let me wish you all 
a grateful and peaceful

Thanksgiving

Every 7 years it falls on my birthday

and this year is THE one.

My daughter will be doing the cooking!

Artist Note

I painted this one in the car going

to and from the dentist. 

A trip of an hour each way.

It was almost finished 

by the time I got home

(as you can see in the car photo.)

I spent another hour tweaking it

in the studio. 

I really, really like it,

partially because it is 

totally from my imagination.

Pulling on my memory of shapes

and movement of the birds, etc

It is larger than 

my usual daily paintings 

and when matted and framed

I hope it will continue to please me.

Steps

to start...

I deliberately used a staining blue

and took it right across

the page and then lifted it off leaving 

a light blue foundation.

Next, using a big brush I 

placed puddles of 

yellow pale

transparent orange oxide 

and transparent brown oxide

then fractured into them.

I lifted off the shaped of the birds 

with a paper towel and water.

I then began the details...

the fun part, but also what takes

the longest and is the most absorbing

with all the decisions to be made.

Great Blue Heron

 Great Blue Heron

Bosque del Apache NM

8"x 6" oil on canvas panel  $150. SOLD


Artist Note

I joined other artists at
New Mexico's amazing
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
where we
hoped to catch the fall colors
and see the cranes.

We left in the dark
for the two hour drive
and was rewarded with
Wow -
a gorgeous sunrise

This beautiful refuge has a long loop road with
bird watching sites and boardwalks at regular intervals.
Our cameras were busy clicking away
and I wrote down color notes.

Lots and lots of Snow Geese

The Blue Herons
are usually on their own so we
were looking for them along the ditches.
which led to us finding
this extra stunning ditch
with the green weeds.
 I cannot wait to paint it.

There is a photo/video link below
of a  Blue Heron
eating a HUGE fish at the
Bosque del Apache.
And I mean HUGE

I found it pretty fascinating
(seeing is believing}
but only because of the
stubborn nature of the Heron
...who obviously was
determined he wouldn't have to relay
the traditional fishing story
to his mate, when he got back to the nest.
You know the one...
" the one that got away!"
Heron eating fish

Aspen Colors

Aspen Colors #1

8x6" oil on canvas  SOLD

Aspen Colors #2

8x6 oil on canvas panel  SOLD

Artist Note

It's the Blue Sky 

Gold and Scarlet leaf time.

  I always try to paint an aspen

or cottonwood

every year.

 I did two this year -

experimenting with the different light 

on the same group of trees.

I am quite sad really 

because it reminds 

me that the clocks go back

and I drive home

 from work in the dark!

Does anyone else dislike that?