"Colorado in the Fall"

8 x 10

oil on hardboard

Last year we spent a week in the Fall with friends in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. This was painted from a photograph taken on one of our many hikes through the area. Although this was painted in the studio, I'm hoping to get more involved with plein air painting, especially now that the Texas temperatures have dropped below 100.

"Birdie"

7 1/2 x 8

oil on hardboard
sold

Birdie is our friend's year and a half year old shih tzu, a cuter face is not to be found!

"Patty Cake"

8 x 8

oil on hardboard
sold

I was out shopping yesterday and saw this adorable child with her grandmother, who I quickly asked if she minded if I take a photograph. Gave her one of my cards so she wouldn't think I was a stalker! But I was instantly taken in by this happy little girl, and with so much hair at such a young age. She immediately started playing "patty cake" when I took my camera out. Had never painted dark skin tones, so refered to Color Mixing Recipes by William F. Powell for a good formula. A great reference book if you haven't read it.

"The Gifts"

8 x 10

oil on hardboard

This painting is a set up of two gifts from friends. The stein was a surprise from an artist friend who knows I like to paint still life's and the peaches were given to my husband by a friend at church. The terra cotta rim around the stein seemed to be a perfect match with the peaches.Thanks, Angela and  Sandy.

Postcard

Just had these new postcards printed at Vistaprint. Not quite the moo.com card but similar. I've had "writer's block" lately or do you call it "painter's block". I have been painting but not anything I wanted to post, you know, something that would come back to haunt me in a year or two!

"Fishing In Pagosa Springs"

8 x 10

oil on gessoed hardboard

The Some Texas Artists Like to Paint blog has a different theme each month and for September it's "fish". Not having any idea what I would contribute, I looked through some past photographs and found this, a guy fishing in the stream in downtown Pagosa Springs. We were fortunate to spend a week with friends in Colorado last year and I remember snapping this photo from a bridge along the river walk. Thought the overhead view and foreshortened figure looked a little abstract amidst the water and rocks.