"San Juan River"

11x14

oil

Couldn't have found a more beautiful display of fall colors than this view of the San Juan River in Pagosa Springs, CO. Painted while on a paint out with a group of OPS painters this past September.

9x12

oil on canvas panel

This was painted in San Angelo, TX in the Santa Rita area, late one afternoon on a recent OPS paint out. Loved the dancing shadows on this adobe wall surrounding a beautiful Spanish style home.

"Morning Light"

9 x 12

oil on canvas

sold

This is my "quick draw" painting from the Outdoor Painters Society weekend show, Plein Air Southwest at Southwest Gallery. The timed quick draw event was held at the Dallas Arboretum with about 40 artists completing a painting from 10-12. These were quickly framed, delivered to the gallery to be hung on the "wet wall" for the opening reception from 3-7. That's the reason for the hasty, not so good photograph. But I am happy to say that the painting sold within the first hour of the show.

Here are my other two plein air pieces that were juried into the show about a month ago. If you are in the area, visit the gallery for a real visual treat!

Here is the gallery link for all the artists in the show, along with their paintings:

http://swgallery.com/artists.aspx?style_id=28

"Mission San Jose"

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

plein air

Mission San Jose is the largest of the San Antonio missions and is considered "Queen of the Missions", founded in 1720 and restored in 1930. I'm ready to put my name on the list for another OPS paint out in San Antonio! Be sure and watch the youtube about the weekend that my husband put together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8iJYaIIgrg 

"Mission Espada"

9 x 12 plein air

oil on hardboard

Just got back from an Outdoor Painter's Society paint out in San Antonio. Had the joy of seeing, and painting, a few of these beautiful old missions. This is the first painting I did of the San Jose Mission, dated 1731. It is the southernmost mission along the San Antonio River trail of the five missions .

"Hill Country Tractor"

8 x 10

oil on stretched canvas

What is it about tractors that we find so intriguing? Maybe they wouldn't be so appealing if we actually had to use one for work! Saw this one last year on an OPS painting trip in Fredericksburg, Texas.

"White Rock Meadow"

9 x 12

oil on canvas hardboard

available at Southwest Gallery

This is a heart stopping painting, or should I say nerve wracking better describes it! This past Saturday I participated in my first Quick Draw, which is a timed plein air paint out with lots of other artists. We all met at White Rock Lake and painted in the area for the two hour contest, quickly framed the piece and delivered it to the gallery which hosted the remainder of the Plein Air Southwest Salon juried show. It has been an honor for me to be accepted into this show with such an incredible list of fine artists from around the country. If you are in the area be sure to stop by the gallery to see the juried show as well as the special wall of quick draw paintings. 

"Terlingua Ghost Town Chapel"

8 x 10

oil on canvas/hardboard

Many of the other stone buildings in Terlingua have been left to deteriorate while this chapel sits on a high hill as if to stand guard over the ghost town.

Big Bend Youtube

Thanks to my husband for putting together this great slideshow of our recent painting trip to Big Bend.

"Blue Door"

8 x 10

oil on hardboard

One of the most unique and most isolated places in Big Bend is the Hot Springs area, complete with old adobe structures, palm trees, and old stone buildings like this one with the weathered blue door. Just down the path to the right is the Rio Grande and a 115 degree hot spring that is walled off just like a modern day hot tub, a favorite place for hikers and young children.

"Boquillas Canyon" in Big Bend National Park

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

Have just returned from a paint out with the Outdoor Painters Society, all of the 28 attending artists making the long drive to The Big Bend National Park in far southwest Texas. On the first day we traveled over 30 miles into the park to Boquillas Canyon and had this fabulous view of the Rio Grand River separating the US from Mexico. I never dreamed there would be so much action in this remote part  of the world, hikers of course, but the Mexicans on horseback crossing the river about every hour to check on money that might have been left in the little craft areas they had set up on our side of the river. And then there was Victor standing on one of the large boulders on the Mexico side, serenading anyone who came into view in hopes of money being left in his cup on the US side. What an introduction to this part of the border!

"Nash Farm Tractor"

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

The Outdoor Painter's Society met for their monthly paint out in Grapevine, Texas yesterday and a big thanks goes to Randy Saffle for organizing the cold weather "paint in" with live models and still life setups, and also giving lots of suggestions for painting outside. Guess about half stayed inside while the other half painted outside in colder temps than we would have liked. This tractor was one of the many old pieces of farm equipment at Nash Farm, an old homestead preserved from the early settlement days of Grapevine. 

"White Rock Stables"

9 x 12

oil on gessoed panel

Another plein air piece painted in the White Rock Lake area of Dallas. Finding stables and horses not far from this large city makes us realize that we aren't totally a "concrete jungle".

Just found out that two of my paintings have been accepted into the Plein Air Southwest Salon 2012 at Southwest Galleries here in Dallas, a show that is sponsored by Outdoor Painters Society. The opening is April 7th. Mark your calender and plan to attend. Excited and very honored to be listed with this group of very talented artists. Below are the accepted paintings.

"Saints and Santa"

8 x 10

oil on hardboard panel
sold

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year with hopes of a lot of saints and santas in your holiday!

This past weekend the Outdoor Painters Society held their annual Christmas lunch and a "dirty Santa gift exchange". Over 30 artists attended and brought an 8 x 10 painting wrapped in brown paper, which were promptly traded and exchanged until all packages were opened. I am happy to show you my "gift" from pastel artist, Nancy Bozeman, who I had just met on a recent OPS paint out in the Palo Duro Canyon. Hope you'll visit Nancy's website and enjoy her other beautiful pastels. 

"Low Water Crossing in Palo Duro Canyon"

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

There were several low water crossings on the road in Palo Duro Canyon and this one caught my eye during the paintout with the Outdoor Painters Society last weekend. I set up just off the road where I was soon joined by two other plein air artists, several hikers, dirt bikers, other tourists, a white bearded gentleman from Florida who was in the area to play Santa at a nearby mall, and eventually a flock of wild turkeys. Never know who or what you will run into on a plein air outing!

"Palo Duro Canyon"

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

The Outdoor Painter's Society planned their monthly meeting in Palo Duro Canyon this past weekend. Often referred to as The Grand Canyon of Texas, the state park is south of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. It is said that wind and water erosion continues to widen the canyon even today, so I imagine that it is much wider after this weekend's high winds! Fortunately there is a scene worthy of a painting in every direction, so the goal was first to find a spot that had some wind protection. This is my first afternoon's painting where I was able to set up right next to some stables. 

After the six hour drive from Dallas, I knew I only had a small amount of time to paint before the sun started to lower behind these beautiful cliffs, so I used a Anders Zorn's limited palette of cadmium red light, yellow ochre, ivory black, and titanium white, plus ultramarine blue. The beginning of a great weekend with so many talented plein air painters! 

"Eulogy Sunset"

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

Eulogy, Texas, doesn't that sound like a town's name out of an old western novel? Well this is my second plein air painting from the OPS paint out in Glen Rose this past weekend. Friday afternoon we all went about 10 miles south of there to a ranch in Eulogy to paint and later have a barbq. There was a "painting waitin' to happen" in every direction you looked in this beautiful part of the hill country.

"Barnard Mill"

8 x 8

oil on gessoed hardboard

The Oil Painters Society met this weekend for a paintout in Glen Rose, Texas, about 1 1/2 hours drive southwest of Dallas. The temperature has finally cooled off a little after our record setting hot summer, so we had a super turnout for the plein air event, almost 30 really fine artists! It was exciting to be in such great company. The first morning a number of us painted Barnard's Mill next to the Art Museum (notice the stone building to the left, typical of Hill Country architectural material). The Paluxy River flows just behind the mill, or at least it would flow if it had any water in it. Lack of rain and the extreme heat have left a dry river bed for now. 

"Garden Gate"

9 x 12

oil on hardboard

This is a plein air piece painted on a recent OPS outing, the garden gate from the B&B where we were staying in Fredricksburg.

"Hill Country View"

9 x 12

oil on canvas board

Painted on the last day of the OPS paint out in Fredericksburg.  We had the most perfect location with these incredible views at the Tonkawaya Ranch, noted for being the highest point in Gillespie County. Would love to go back and spend a week there taking in the most breathtaking scenery, and that doesn't even take into consideration the fifteen longhorns grazing throughout the hills. What a true Texas experience! The Howard's were extremely generous in opening up their property for the artists. The is a view facing west, can you just imagine what the sunsets must look like!!!