My Cup of Tea

 24x24 oil on linen

One of the recent deliveries to Russell Collection and framed in a nice contemporary gold frame. Its a nice transition between gold impressionist style and sleek and modern.

Its pretty cool to have my art represented at Russell Collection where they have a broad range of styles of art available, but also some of the old master's works. Its like a museum and next month they have a show featuring Pissarro and 5 of his descendants' work. Pretty cool. If you are in Austin you should definitely visit the gallery. What a legacy.

Maybe some of that magic will rub off on me.

(note: I'm updating this blog still sometimes because I have no idea if people follow it still, how they follow, or if they are moving to the new website/blog or follow on something like Bloglovin'. Technology!)

Bistro Business

16x16 oil on cradled panel

Available - $1,575

During a visit to Indiana in August, I asked the folks at Castle Gallery for some good local venues to try that would be good painting inspiration as well. One suggestion was "Paula's on Main" which has a seafood shop in the entrance and then a nice little restaurant attached on the side. We had a lovely lunch and I took lots of photos. The restaurant had an upstairs and I got my first birds eye view to paint of diners. Very fun.

Just Desserts

18x18 oil on panel 
Ask Gardner Colby Galleries about this painting

The Slice of Life show opened last Thursday at Gardner Colby and I had a lovely email this weekend telling me about an article written about my work in the show. The article focused on the aerial perspective that I use in some of my paintings. I am really flattered to have sparked people's interest, especially Tom Hall, Arts & Exhibits Correspondent
of Southwest Florida. :-)
Click here to read the article.  

Exit Row

24x18

oil on 2" cradled panel

Ask Gardner Colby Galleries about this painting

Afternoon

24x18

oil on 2" cradled panel

Ask Gardner Colby Galleries about this painting

I am so clever with titles. Not. Anyway - this is a larger bird's eye scene than I have ever done before. I love to paint these scenes as they are so simple and almost abstract. Its always fun to play with shadows. I think though that they have taught me how to fill in large empty spaces in interesting ways. With subtle shifts in temperature and color and by varying brushwork, the empty fields are not boring. Its also taught me to make interesting greys.

This week is spring break in central Texas and I sure wish I was able to visit Naples, FL for the opening this week. If you are in the area, go and tell me how this show is. I'd love to see all these artists work in person, and see their subjects. Would be very inspirational.

A Hard Day's Night

 

6x6 oil on panel

$125 + s/h - sold

Coffee Break

6x6 oil on panel


I actually broke out some small panels last week in the hopes of getting a few paintings to send to the "6 inch Squared" exhibition and sale at the Randy Higbee Gallery. The one above is shipping today and the opening reception is December 8th.

Color Guard

12x9 oil on cradled panel
sold

Happy Halloween everyone! I've been running around like crazy the last few days between a weekend campout, Halloween prep, school activities, etc. I hope this isn't the slippery slope into the holidays. I need to be doing more painting! 

Stripes

12x12 oil on cradled panel

Available at Gardner Colby Gallery.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people in my favorite city (NYC) and the whole Northeast dealing with Sandy. What a terrific storm. I hope all will be well soon and that the damage is soon cleared up. Be safe, my friends!

Morning Stroll

12x12 oil on cradled panel

Available at Gardner Colby Gallery.

Birds Eye

8x8 cradled panels each
sold

This set is probably arriving at Edward Montgomery Gallery in Carmel today, but is already spoken for we believe. I'll post otherwise if they are still available.

I'm in Jackson hole right now and this is likely the last Internet service I will have. It will be good to be "unplugged" for a bit.
This incredible landscape is just stunning! I want to move here. I don't think any words or pictures can do it justice. I'm walking around town continually staring upward at the mountains and tripping all over. Does anyone get used to this scenery?

Today we will get to visit a few local galleries and then head to Yellowstone.

City Beat 15

6x6 oil on linen - sold

Its always fun to play with this perspective. Its almost abstract; all about the bold shadow and the marred pavement. A nice break after laboring over larger works.

City Beat XIV

6x6 oil on linen - sold

City Beat XIII

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + s/h - sold

Fun in the studio this week - but not much to show for it. Yesterday I was derailed by my chocolatier friend wanting me to design her trade show booth asap!! Needless to say, I was thrown off my balance there. Sometimes people think that because you create one kind of art, you can do ANYTHING. Well, maybe some people can, but I'm not one of them.

But I did get her something in the nick of time and I get paid in chocolate!

I continue to play with some small pieces again in between working on finalizing some larger pieces. I've learned to appreciate the process of larger works and am enjoying slowing down a little. Its all part of the learning and growing process.

Birds Eye Views

After Lunch
12x12 oil on 2" cradled gessoboard


Crosswalk
14x11 oil on 2" cradled gessoboard


On the Plaza
12x12 oil on 2" cradled gessoboard

All available at Russell Collection

These are the last of the pieces I painted for the Best of Texas show. I really like these overhead views and was sort of testing them out in this market. I'd like to do some larger ones. Maybe really big. (for me, that might be 24x36) People seemed to like them so I am going to do for it.
I enjoy doing these because they are more simple and graphic in design, the shadows often are the most interesting part. I like cast shadows. I have fun with them in the museum paintings too - where a person is in the spotlight and their shadow falls on the wall with the paintings. These more modern pieces are hung unframed too on the cradled hardboard.

I've been lazing about here for the last week. I think I just needed some downtime. I had so much going on between Girl Scouts, Destination Imagination and prepping for this show. Its been nice to just "be" for awhile. And do some spring gardening. Next week is our spring break so I can do a little more R&R and then back to work. Ideas are forming!

Oh - and there is one more exciting thing going on in conjunction with Russell Collection and this show. Their Best of Texas artists have been invited to create a work on the theme of "hope" for the new Seton Breast Cancer Center. Each artist will paint a 24x24 canvas which will be previewed at Russell Collection April 6-10 in honor of Susan Lubin.

Birds Eye View - Winter Series

8x8 each, oil on cradled canvas board

Available at Edward Montgomery Fine Art in Carmel February 8th.

I love painting these. I think its cathartic after painting complicated cafe and restaurant scenes. The shadows and blocky shapes are simple and graphic. They are painted on a 2-inch deep cradled board so they don't need framing. I think I will try a couple on larger canvases too. Maybe much larger - very contemporary.

City Beat 12

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h

I've actually painted this guy before in a larger canvas, and no matter how careful I am, the arm looks awkward. Its the perspective and his angle.
I am currently struggling to get my calendar all figured out and get my business stuff organized. Its amazing how busy one gets when school starts. There are like 5 school events in the next week, registration forms due, etc. etc. And then I am trying to make contact with all my galleries and update work for them and paint new ones. And I always seem to have side projects and ideas that want attention. It sometimes makes me want to run and hide. With a nice hot chocolate.
But, as my mom would tell me, time to pull up my big girl panties and get to work!

City Beat 11

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h

Its been a long time since I've done some of my bird's-eye-view paintings but I felt the desire to play with this perspective again. Its fun to experiment with the simple design and flat ground of an aerial view - and the shadows almost tell more of a story than the figure - in some cases.

What I am learning about these small paintings in general, as I begin doing them again regularly, is to paint something simple, and to allow my brush to just touch the panel in places and not blend or scrub too much. I practice just laying on the color, sometimes almost blocky. It carries into my larger pieces too and I like the effect. In the larger works, I use this technique to put in those final highlights, the "money shots" as Skip Whitcomb described them!

Progression

20x10 oil on glass

This was an experiment I did a week ago. While I am online here (updating my pet project Austin Art Openings) I thought I'd show you all this. I am sticking to my plans though and all my focus lately has been on Christmas and home projects. Who knew I had so much to do - art is an escape as well as a demanding boss.

What to do with a painting on glass? Its just a thin piece I had laying around and was too small for a palette. It was an interesting surface. Every brush stroke shows. Pretty cool. But fragile.

I plan to do this same scene as a very large painting (on canvas) soon. I still seem to be drawn to these very stark, simple scenes.

City Beat X

8x8 oil on panel
$175 + $12 s/h

Another in my ongoing series of overhead views of people downtown. I really do like this point of view and painting just the simple figure and shadow pattern is a real relief sometimes from other work.

Most of my day was spent varnishing, framing, packing and shipping paintings going to Tidewater Gallery. And then celebrating my hubbie's birthday.

City Beat VIIII

8x8 oil on panel
$175 + $12 s/h

This is a little larger than the usual blog pieces. But its still a deal. After expressing my frustration yesterday I have been humbled by all the support and reminders that art is supposed to be a bonus. And it is. And I did manage to get things accomplished yesterday. And I'm relaxed again. Thank you for talking me down!
Now I am going downtown for inspiration and a late lunch.