New from the studio

 This is Aloha.  She is a palette knife painting.  The inspiration for her came from a buttercup photo, but by the time I was done with the colors, she just looked tropical to me.

Krystal is my latest succulent.  She is 24" high and 36" wide.  As you know, I usually like a dark background, but in this case the icy white just seemed to fit.  She looks great in a black plein air frame.

Christmas cards

Xmas agave 2012

I know that it is early to start thinking of the holidays, but they'll be here before we know it.

In preparation, I recently completed my 2012 Christmas/Holiday card designs.  I have a new agave, shown, on the left, with the ubiquitous Texas Christmas decorations.  In addition, I created a new little frog, peeking out a stocking.

Xmas Frog 2012

In addition, I also am continuing to offer my previous designs, shown here.  Cards are $20 for a box of 10.

Xmas frog 2011

Xmas Agave 2011

A flurry of small paintings

Beth

Debbie

Delilah

Sandi

Holly

These are all beautiful, little 5x7 panels.  You'll recognize compositions similar to my larger pieces.  I just wanted to try a smaller scale and am pleased with the results.

New from the studio

 I hadn't realized how much lax I had become with my blog until I wanted to post my latest paintings.  So, here they are and I'll try to do a better job of keeping my blog up to date.

This is Ruth.  She is 36" high and 12" wide.  A friend (Ruth) gave me this photo and I just loved it.

 This is Kaleidoscope.   She came from some photos that a friend (Sis) brought back from Africa.  She is 12x12.

Oscar is just too cute.  He is 12x12.

And, this is Zsa Zsa.  I was ever so pleased with the reds and blues in this painting.  She is 11x14.


I hope that everyone is/has enjoyed their summer.  We got a little rain this weekend, which was very welcome.  In addition to the moisture, it also cooled us down, again, very welcome.

All my best
Nancy

Just finished Phoenix.  Phoenix is a 20X40 inch canvas, so she'll be perfect over a fireplace.  She looks pretty nice in a vertical hanging position, too.

I love the soft turquoise with the violets hues.

This is Allison.  She is a cute little 7x5 oil painting on Ampersand board.  She was fun and poured out of me.

I have also recently finished a 20-x40 painting, but you'll have to wait to see it - I am having professional photos of it taken next week.

I am also now represented by Sunset Canyon Pottery http://sunsetcanyonpottery.com/

I know that it's unusual to have paintings hanging in a pottery showroom, but Sunset Canyon Pottery is an unusual place.  I hope you stop by and see what all they have to offer.

Simply Marvelous

 This is Marvelous Marvin.  He is just a load of fun.  He is an adaptation of a photo sent to me by my dear friend, Wren Pearson (Sign of the Wren on www.bigphilrecords.com). 

Marvin is 12 x 12 on a 3/4 inch gallery wrapped canvas.  His background color - that luscious pink - is actually thio violet.  Transparent orange adds some pop to the colors. 

I recently had some coffee mugs made with some of my paintings.  I did a wrap with three of my paintings and am quite pleased with how they turned out.

Mobile laughter

 You may think that you recognize this frog from a previous painting, but this is actually a new one.  This is "Upwardly Mobile" and he is so new that he is still wet.  I painted his brother (who now resides in his purchaser's home) horizontally, but got so many comments about him being vertical that I painted a new one.  "Upwardly Mobile" is all about climbing.  He is 36 " high and 12 " wide.

I also just finished "Fat Albert".  Albert is 24x24 and is also still drying.  I  just love his big, fat leaves and the way he seems to be falling out of the canvas, full of warmth and laughter. 

These photographs were taken by Bob Cook of Wimberley.  Bob offers a photo service and for those of you out there who are artists, I can highly recommend him.  You can find him at http://www.bobcookart.com/

I am on the recovery from some little virus that seems to be making it's way around our area.  I'm up and about in time for our studio tour on Saturday.  If you are in Dripping Springs, please stop by and visit my studio, Dragonfly Studio.

New work

 A few new things for you.  This is Baby Froggie.  He is 7X5.  He is a miniature of "Froggie", a 24x20 that I painted for a dear friend.  I just liked him so much that I did a smaller version.

 This one is fresh off my easel.  This is "Lauren".  She is 16x20.  The green in the center made for a challenge with background color and texture, but I am pleased with how she turned out and I learned some new things about backgrounds.  As long as each new painting teaches me something, I am happy.

Taking the background lessons that I learned from Lauren, I reworked Theodore, a lovely little Costa Rican frog.  I had never been completely satisfied with his overall look.  (What artist is ever completely satisfied with a painting?).   I am much happier with Theordore.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  I am looking forward to more work in the garden....and there is that closet that I've torn apart (new paint, shelving, etc).

Thomas

A big hello to everyone.  I am happy to report that Mr P's eye is doing much better and he is back at work.  He still cannot fly or drive his race car but, hopefully, he will get all restrictions lifted in a few weeks when we see the doc for his followup.  Then we can rebook our trip to Ireland.

In the meantime, this is what is coming out of my studio.  Continuing with the frog theme, I'd like you to meet Thomas.  He was a lot of fun to paint.  I am also working on a new succulent that I hope to show you soon.

If you live locally, I will be showing in the Wimberley ArtsFest  on April 28.  I hope you can stop by and say hello.

Audrey

Well, not much studio time this week. Most of the week has been devoted to my husband's eye surgery.  The surgery went well, but he has to stay facedown for a week.  He is dealing with the recovery with more grace than I could manage.  I wish I could make him better right away, but all I can do is hover and try not to be annoying.

I have managed to get some painting done.  This is Audrey.  I just finished her today.  She is 20" x 20" with a 2" thick gallery wrap canvas.  I was quite intrigued by the combination of greens and violets in the plant.  And I love the pinks.  Very Eastery (if that's a word).

Precarious

I call this new painting  "Precarious".  It is a wonderful succulent perched on the edge of a rockface.  The succulent is actually a South African native.  My friend, Cis, gave me photos from her trip to South Africa and I fell in love with this one. 

The succulent actually rests on a stalk of it's own dead leaves.  However, that didn't translate very well compositionally, so I added the rockface instead.

Precarious is 36 inches tall and 24 inches wide.

Winter travel in Italy

 I just returned from a winter trip to Italy, which is why you haven't seen any new paintings in Feb.   My friend Julie and I flew into Florence and out of Venice.  We had a wonderful time and saw some things that most travelers to Italy will never get to see.

David.....with no one around him.  That is actually my finger and a bit of my coat in the photo.  Cameras are not allowed, so I had to be surreptitious.

 This is Siena, in Tuscany, in the snow.  We were lucky that we missed the actual snow storm.  We met a couple that had gotten trapped in Rome by their first snowfall in 36 years.

Carnival in Venice.  A much more genteel affair than raucous Mardi Gras. Again, we luckily missed the icing over of the Venetian canals.












Sales signs in Italian shops.  I am guessing that summer travelers never see 70% off sales in Tuscany.








It was a wonderful trip.  I was happy to go and happy to return home.  I am looking forward to productive time in my studio and will have a new painting to show you soon.

High Wire

This is one my latest creations. I call him "High Wire". Of course, my friend Irma had me turn him on end and calls him "Pole Dancer". Either way, I think he's fun and a dancer, no matter which way you look at him.

Elaine

I just finished this beauty.  My friend, Cis, gave me some photos of succulents that she saw on her African trip.  I just loved the elegance and grace of this particular one and had to capture it on canvas.

Experiments

 

These are the same canvas.  The one on the left is the abstract that I created in my class this week.  The one on the right is the cactus that I painted on top of it today.  My reason for taking the class was to understand abstracts better so that I could have more interesting backgrounds in my paintings.  The class was great and I learned a lot, which I put to use today.  I am quite pleased with the results.   Thanks Dena and Jo for all the great lessons.

Natalie

"Natalie" was a wonderful experiment with light.  I am particularly pleased with the soft yellow greens in this painting.  

I am looking forward to a class that I will taking next week on abstract painting.  It is being taught locally by two of my favorite abstract artists.  I am looking forward to having something fun to show you from that class.

Shades of Mardi Gras

Marie, 20"x24"

I recently finished this painting.  I was experimenting with background techniques taught by Vie Dunn-Harr.  I am quite pleased with the outcome and just love the colors.