LIGUSTRUM & OLD COPPER

Ligustrum & Old Copper

20 x 24 inches

Oil on Board

Currently available through The Gallery Collection at La Posada de Santa Fe

call Sara Eyestone at 505 954-9668

This is called "Ligustrum & Old Copper" and it's the largest of my oils so far. It was painted from a photo that I had taken about 2 years ago. I was digging through my photos for something interesting to do on a 20 x 24 panel that I had prepared and this seemed to fit the bill!

Ligustrum has a gorgeous fragrance and the flowers that are in the painting produce really dark purple berries in the Fall. I may have to do a remake this Fall when they are at their fullest. I can use some of the same props and see how different it might look!

I am now represented by La Posada de Santa Fe... Call Sara Eyestone at 505-954-9668.

QUEEN LILY

Queen Lily

Oil on Canvas

20 x 10 inches

Currently available through The Gallery Collection at La Posada de Santa Fe

call Sara Eyestone at 505 954-9668

It's been such a long time since I've posted anything on this blog that I'm feeling guilty! I've found that Facebook has overrun my life and I've neglected my blogging friends.

Well, I'm back and I want to let you know that I have a solo show up at 764 West Gallery in New Braunfels, TX. This is the very last painting I completed for the exhibition and I think it's one of my best new works for the show.

Maybe sometime in the next few days I'll post the other new work. It's been a long dry spell for my easel but I finally broke through and finished 7 new paintings (some of them are really small, I admit it!) which were all completed in the frenzy of the month leading up to the show.

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

The story behind "Queen Lily" was kind of serendipitous (is that a real word?) I was planning to put a white Prickly Poppy in this one and I carefully drove down FM2722 looking for some with my husband. I used leather gloves to handle them since they're rather viscious and gingerly brought them home, held them with pliers to anchor them on the flower frog in the bottom of the bowl, and set up my still life. I got so involved with painting the copper (one of my favorite subjects) and the rocks and water that before I started painting the flower it was far beyond dead!

I felt a little guilty about ripping a perfectly happy wild plant from it's roots and was anticipating going through the entire process all over again.

On a trip to the supermarket, I decided to just cruise through the flower department and found this lone group of Oriental Lilies. It was pretty impressive so I took it home and here it is...far more regal and it smelled WONDERFUL in my studio for the entire week. I've been back to look for another bouquet of them and I haven't seen any since then. The universe certainly had a hand in this painting!

I can't wait to find another one so I can do a few more paintings of this gorgeous flower!

"Onion Soup"

"Onion Soup"

19 x 7

Oil on Cradled Wood Panel

$375 (plus shipping and tax if applicable)

This painting is on a cradled wood panel with painted edges. It can be hung unframed or you can add a custom frame.

"Onion Soup" will be at the New Braunfels Art League in my Artist of the Month exhibition for the month of November! Come in and see it in person or you can click on the PayPal link above and buy it now.

Yes! I painted a cow!

"Youngster"

9x12

Oil on Canvas

$250 unframed(plus tax if applicable)

This is the second cow that I painted at the "First Ever ASBA (American Society of Bovine Artists) Art Show and Sale" and Paint Out.

It took place at Cactus Jack's in Gruene, TX and it was a great success!

This and the other painting that I finished there will be in my Artist of the Month exhibition at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery starting on Monday Nov 2. Come see it there or if you want to buy this painting now, just click on the PayPal link.

I'm a little bit sad...

I made a decision this month to give up my lovely studio.  I've been so busy at working on our "new home" that I haven't had any time to go to the studio and paint over the past two months. You can see what's been going on there if you go to "the trailer dailies" that I've been posting on my website.  I finally updated the pages on Wednesday night so it's now pretty complete.

That was only half of the reason, though, why I've decided to give it up...

With gas prices going up and the impending move to Canyon Lake, I decided that I will paint at home for a while. It's about 20 miles (one way) from our property so the round trip costs me dearly!

I'll still be painting again when the dust clears from the construction and I'm looking forward to it.  The longer I stay away from painting, the more I miss it.  I'm trying to see this as a "summer sabbatical" which will end soon! 

Since I haven't been painting much, I thought I'd put up a photo of the watercolor painting that was recently accepted in the 23rd Annual Conservatory Art Classic at the Bosque Conservatory in Clifton, TX. There were 159 works accepted from 859 entries. I've been told it's pretty difficult to get into this show so I'm thrilled to be chosen.  The show will be on exhibit from September 20 - 28.

 

"Tiny Pumpkins, No. 2"

14" x 11" 

Transparent Watercolor on Twinrocker Handmade Watercolor Paper

Also in September, I will be part of a three-artist invitational exhibit at the Ray Goldstein Gallery at the Dell Jewish Community Center  in Austin, TX.  I'm looking forward to this show since it will be the first time that I will have a showcase of my work in oils, acrylics AND watercolor. I'm grateful to the selection committee for inviting me and I'll post additional information when it's available.

"Three Tomatoes"

"Three Tomatoes"

6" x 8"

Oil on Panel

It's been so long since I've spent any "quality time" in my studio!

I did this one day recently while I was there and it came out fairly well. It's a little different style than my normal work but it was fun. Maybe I'll do more of them.

I've recently been invited to show my watercolors at the Dell Jewish Community Center in Austin. It's a three artist exhibition in the Fall including two photographers and myself.  I'll post more information when it's available.

Now that Art City Austin is over...

...I'm looking forward to working in mediums other than watercolor for a while!

I spent the last two months concentrating on getting stock ready for the festival and it will be fun to break out my oils again. I've had several ideas that I want to try so the next few months should be interesting. I'll also be making a quick trip out to CA (work for Paul and a mini vacation for me.) 

Then it's back to the studio.

"Art After Dark" 

Booth #114 at Art City Austin,  April 12, 2008, 7:30 pm (cell phone photo)

PS. I've decided that Art City Austin is probably not the best venue for my watercolors.  Although I received nothing but the best feedback about my work, sales were just not there. I sold a few reproductions but that was it. I'm contemplating the reasons and I've decided that unless I can include oils or acrylics to my booth, I will probably not do the festival again next year. 

Maybe, just like last year, the best outcomes of the festival are not the sales but the contacts that were made. I've met some interesting new people, made some wonderful new friends and reached some enlightening new conclusions so all is well!

A step forward...

Me, standing next to "Three Tulips" Watercolor 24" x 12"

photo courtesy of Gaye Sekula

"The Gallery at the Hacienda de las Rosas" show is now over and it was a lovely weekend event. Some of my good artist friends, Kay & John Reinke and Gaye Sekula were also in the show along with 9 others.
There was a nice crowd of art lovers at the reception on Friday night and lots of others came by to see the show over the weekend.

Now that this milestone is behind me, I can get back to work on more paintings for Art City Austin in April! Come see me at booth #114 on April 12 & 13.

Paint on...

Coming Events!

Does it seem that I've been busy lately?  Well you're right!

There are two events coming up in the near future.  

I've been invited to exhibit in San Antonio at the Antique Rose Emporium in "The Gallery at the Hacienda de las Rosas" annual fine art show on March 29 - 30. I'll have several of my watercolors on exhibit along with a number of outstanding area artists. Try to come by!

Art City Austin is also coming up (April 12 & 13) and I'm painting like a fool...

If you would like to visit me there I'll be in booth #114.  Come by and tell me that you found me through my blog I'll have all of my watercolors for sale on site and I think they look better in person!

I'll be watching for you!