The Subtleties of Green

I loved painting this little pear and all of its imperfections. It served to remind me of the Wabi-Sabi aesthetic. Finding beauty in imperfection and accepting life's impermanence is such a beautiful concept. Nothing lasts. Nothing is finished. Nothing is perfect.

Happy painting!

Bountiful Blessings

Study in Gray

It is a cool and cloudy day here, so this painting is very low key. It is a still life of mostly found things. After a recent thunderstorm, I found this little nest blown from our pine tree. Fortunately, all of its occupants were grown and gone. I've had the dove's feather for a while. I stumbled across it on one of my morning walks, and Mark found the old glass bottle for me. It was filled with dirt, but it washed up nicely. The little egg is the only non-found item. I used a reference photo taken of a nest in our holly tree a few years ago. I'm attaching it for you. If you would like, please feel free to paint it or use it as a reference.

I hope you're having a great week! Happy painting!

Peach with Vintage Crate

These peaches have been so fun to paint. I'm already looking forward to next summer's crop.

I hope you're having a great week! Happy painting!

Temple Bottle with Grapes and Fig

Usually, I spend my Sunday cooking and puttering around the house, but this week, I finished with all of my chores on Saturday. So, today has been spent blissfully painting in my pajamas. I'm thankful for an understanding husband that doesn't mind my craziness. Life is pretty sweet.

My favorite part of this painting is the pureness of the morning light. It is a bit bigger than normal and measures 9x12 inches.

I hope you're weekend is relaxing and full of your favorite adventures. Happy painting!

Silver Cup with Peach

One more of Dad's peaches.  I've sure enjoyed staying in under the air conditioning and painting these peaches. It's been a great way to beat the heat. Stay cool!

Balance

On Sunday, Dad picked a bushel of the most beautiful peaches for me. With all of the wonderful rain, this has been an incredible summer. The fruit trees are loaded with abundant produce. I don't remember a summer quite like it. After so many drought years, it feels like such a blessing. Balance, in life and in nature, is a good thing.

I hope your week is off to a great beginning!

Still Life with Cherries

Private Collection

In life, these cherries are so plump and pretty (and quite tasty.) Ah, summer...the living is easy!

I hope you're having a great weekend! Stay cool!

Silver Cup with Pear

Private Collection

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and a great Father's Day! Happy painting!

Peanut Butter with Oklahoma Sand Plum Jelly

Private Collection

This is one of my Dad's favorite sandwiches. We share so many things in common, but this isn't one of them. I do love to paint PB&J, though!

It's been a rainy weekend here. I had to break out my clamp lights this afternoon. I always prefer natural sunlight, but it seemed to work out okay.

I hope you're having a great weekend!

Hawkeye

Private Collection

Yesterday, I had fun painting this little guy! When my friend Jessica sent this photo, I loved everything about it. The angle, the colors and most especially, Hawkeye's sweet face. Too cute!

I hope your week is off to a great beginning!

Melon Slice

Cantaloupe is on my Top Ten List of fun things to paint. They practically paint themselves. The perfect subject for a lazy weekend morning.

Happy painting!

Still Life with Temple Bottle and Cherries

May was such a good month with regards to painting. I was fortunate to have my painting "Promise of Spring" selected as a "Judge's Pick" in the Daily Paintworks  monthly contest. And my painting "Three Little 3-Year Olds" was selected as the winner of Contemporary Fine Art International's Spring Juried Show. I am so honored to be included with these inspiring painters, and I wanted to share my good news with you. Please check out their wonderful work!

I hope you have a great weekend! Happy painting!

Still Life with Cup and White Grapes

This handmade cup is one of the treasures that I found at Tlaquepaque in Sedona. I really enjoyed seeing and painting the highlights. With all of our recent rain, the landscape is so beautiful and green. I loved seeing it reflected in the highlight. It is a most welcomed end to our long drought.

I hope your week is off to a great beginning. Happy painting!

Sedona Light: Still Life with Teacup and Blueberries

Private Collection

After spending a wonderful week painting in Sedona at the Abbey Ryan workshop, it is nice to be home! I have a lot of catching up to do today, but I wanted to share this painting with you. My focus for the week was painting highlights. Commit and simplify.

The weather in Sedona was perfect. Temps in the low 70s and partly cloudy skies. Mark and I enjoyed hiking, sightseeing and celebrating his birthday. Tons of fun!

Have a great week! Happy painting!

Still Life with Handmade Bowl and Cherries

Private Collection

Recently, my very sweet and thoughtful niece, Holly, gifted me with this beautiful, handmade bowl. I love it, and I couldn't wait to paint it. So, when I saw that cherries were in season, they felt like a fun fit for it.

This week, I am planning and packing for Abbey Ryan's workshop in Sedona. It will run from May 18 through May 22, 2015. I am so looking forward to a week of painting, painterly fellowship and beautiful Sedona. I will try to take lots of photos for you.

Have a great Monday!

Still Life with Shallots

I painted these shallots on Tuesday, but I am late posting them. If you've seen my painting set-up, you know that I only paint with one No. 6 round brush. I think it is time to add a smaller brush for painting the roots of shallots. Oh, well, there is always next time, right? 

And just a note to thank you for your sweet comments. You keep me feeling inspired. My precious nieces were so fun to paint, and I appreciate your encouraging words. 

Happy painting!

Three Little 3-Year-Olds

Private Collection

I went way out of my comfort zone this week and painted from a photograph. It was so much fun, though, to paint these three sweet, little girls. My niece graciously permitted me the privilege of painting her daughters exploring on their first trip to the Texas coast. These tiny girls sure hold a big place in my heart.

How was your week? I hope it's been a great one. Happy painting!

Sweet Couple

These little tomatoes have been fun to paint. And good practice. With saturated reds and oranges, getting the values right is always a bit of a struggle for me.

Have a great evening!

Still Life with Vintage Cheese Crate and Tomato

After a wonderful rain last night, it is a rather blustery, spring day here. The light isn't quite right for painting, so I've been cleaning and organizing. So, I thought I would post this painting from yesterday. I've wanted to paint this rickety, cheese crate for a while. The lettering is almost completely worn and weathered, but I think it may say "Kree-Me." I love all of the technology that we have today, but it would be nice to go back to a time when milk arrived at your door in thick, glass bottles, and cheese was packaged in a little wooden crates.

I hope your week is off to a great beginning!

Still Life with Amber Mallet Bottle and Baby Eggplant

In life, this little baby eggplant is just about the cutest thing ever. 

In other news, we enjoyed a wonderful Easter holiday. Lots of egg-hunting and family fun. I hope yours was wonderful, too.

Have a great evening!

Still Life with Handmade Teacup and Clementine

Not long ago, I read that - in Renaissance art - oranges were a symbol of free will. Isn't that fun? It's like a glimpse into the artist's world. So interesting!

It is a gorgeous day here. In the Texas panhandle, a spring day with little or no wind is to be celebrated. I painted early, so that I can spend the afternoon in my garden. 

Have a great day!

Still Life with Temple Bottle and Garlic

Click here to purchase.

It is warm and extremely windy here today. It makes me happy to be painting indoors. I hope you're having a wonderful Sunday!

Happy painting!

Still Life with Handmade Teacup

When painting, I like to listen to Pandora, and usually, I'm a 70's classic rock sort of girl. I do, however, enjoy listening to the classical piano stations, too. Listening to the piano relaxes me and always reminds me of my first piano teacher (and Mom.) One of my favorite songs is Laura Sullivan's "Pachelbel for the Potomac." So beautiful and so talented. 

I hope your week is off to a wonderful beginning! Happy painting!

First Light of Spring

"For now the Heavenly Power makes all things new, and thaws the cold, and fills the flower with dew." ~ Alfred Lord Tennyson

Wishing you a wonderful first day of spring! 

Slice of Life

One of my favorite aspects of daily painting is having the opportunity to spend time contemplating nature. Even the most simple of objects - like a humble apple - are filled with gorgeous color variations. I am forever in awe of God's creation.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Bluebird

When I am having trouble deciding on "what" to paint, I tend to just place random objects on my set up. This was one of those days. I always take it as a sign. It's time to make a grocery run for still life supplies!

Have a great weekend!

Promise of Spring

This is the second painting in my "Promise of Spring" series. I'm drawn to the starkness of winter, and these paintings seem to reflect the quiet light of the season. In this painting, a branch of pussy willow brings the outdoors inside for a bit of sunlight and warmth.

I almost never re-work a painting. I prefer to just think of them as moments in my day, and I tend to embrace their many imperfections. I couldn't leave this one alone, though. I'm not sure that it can be considered any better, but the strong horizontal line of the cup isn't bugging me now.

Have a great evening!

Vintage Teacup with Red Grapes

I loved the way the light caught the gold edging on this little teacup. It was impossible for me to render, but so fun to try. 

I hope your week is off to a great beginning! Happy painting!

Tenmoku Jar with Artisan Tomato

Painting with snow falling outside = pure bliss. Such beautiful light streaming through my ice-frosted windows today. I could have painted forever. I realize this is not a popular opinion, but I love winter.

I hope you're having a cozy and relaxing Sunday. Stay warm!

Promise of Spring

Happy Valentine's Day! Wishing you a day filled with sunshine and love!

Cookie Shot

When it snows, I always make chocolate chip cookies for my husband. They are one of his favorite treats. He works outside in the cold all day and deserves spoiling. He prefers hot chocolate, but I used a little artistic license here.

Have a great day!

Chocolate Cupcake with Strawberry

I painted this yesterday morning, but it was far too windy for photographing it. Sometimes, I think that is for the best. It gives me time to look at it for a bit and make a few tweaks.

I hope your week is off to a great beginning!

Nestled Together

It is a cool, gray day here. The morning light was so soft and pretty. We're expecting another winter storm to move in this evening, so things may change soon. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of snuggling and football or whatever you enjoy most. Stay warm!

Winter Garlic

Last October, I planted a little patch of organic garlic. I'm not much of a gardener, so it is an experiment. Fresh garlic is such a treat, so I'm hoping that it works. With a little luck, it will be ready for harvest in June or July. 

Today, it is 73 degrees and gorgeous outside. Last week, though, it was cold and snowy. Here are a few pics of the ranch for you. We are thankful for the moisture.

I hope you're having a great week! Happy painting!