These Three

While doing yard work the other morning, I noticed that our apple tree was full of darling little apples. These three caught my eye and seemingly begged to be painted. So, here they are.... worm holes omitted!
5x7, original, oil on board SOLD

The Green Apple

I really enjoyed painting this one. I've had the copper coffee pot for quite some time and finally found a combination that I felt would work. I suppose an artist always sees more that could be done but we must learn when to stop. That is the case here. It is already tighter than I would like and working on it any further would make it even more so. Having said that, here is The Green Apple.
11x14, original oil, linen on board

WIP: Ballerina

I am not quite sure this is finished which can only mean it isn't. I'm going to look at it for a few more days and decide what, if anything, I will change. I may just call it done and move on, though I don't think so. It's so close to what I am after that I would hate to move on just yet. This is Emily, the big sister of The Littlest Ballerina. You can probably tell that from the similar pose, outfits and background.

6x8, original, oil on board

The Little Ballerina

Inspired by the latest DVD series by Peggi Kroll Roberts and precious little Hannah Warnken, here is The Little Ballerina.

6x8, original oil on board

Words of Wisdom and Encouragement

"It is well to remember that, as one artist said: "No one is on the road to success until he feels at times that he is entirely beaten." The emotional make-up of the artist naturally causes depressed spirits as well as exhilaration. Both go with the profession. Therefore, the student should realize this fact and consider discouragement as the normal thing and withstand it philosophically. He should know that the pendulum will swing to the other extreme when new confidence, better feeling and finer composition will result."-From Composition of Outdoor Painting by Edgar Payne

I can personally attest to the truth of the above quote. Take heart and remember the words in red when your pendulum seems be swing in the "wrong" direction. You will come out of it a much better artist each and every time you go through this experience. Gaye

Tuesday, Friends and Art

Here are the lovely ladies I painted with yesterday, less one. From l-r, the lovely Liz Maness, www.lizmaness.com, who was the hostess with the mostest, Kathy Perales, www.kathyperales.com, current president of the New Braunfels Art League, www.newbraunfelsartleague.com, and Jean Crow, www.jeancrow.blogspot.com, current Artist of the Year with NBAL. Pat Haberman, http://pathaberman.com, managed to get away before I could gather everyone for a photo.
Liz had a wonderful meal already prepared with the most delicious pimento cheese and the best pumpernickel bread ever, along with some delicious Swiss chard from her very own garden. It was a great day!!!

Summer's Coming

Yesterday several of us met at the beautiful home of Liz Maness, www.lizmaness.com, for an "art" day. After a tour of her lovely garden, we got busy painting. It wasn't easy choosing from all there was to offer but I settled on the beautiful potted geraniums on Liz's deck.
8x10, original, oil on board

Cunningham Ranch

I absolutely love our native persimmon trees. Their smooth, gray trunks & branches catch the light and glisten as if they were polished silver. Their growth habits also add to their beauty. In my opinion, they are one of the most beautiful little trees in all of Texas! This one was done en plein air but I took MANY photos of others and am planning a series of persimmon tree studies. As a side note, this was a wonderful day, with the exception of the rattlesnake that less than welcomed us as we unloaded our gear! Thank God it rattled or it would have been a very bad day for one of us!

Rockwall Ranch

Here is a painting of a small building at the Rockwall Ranch in New Braunfels. It was so charming that I had to paint it. The weather was perfect and the day was beautiful and relaxing. I walked around to see what the other artists were painting and found that one was painting me while I was painting this little building. It was so cool!
6x8, original, oil on board

Spring!

This little painting was done at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. Our fall and spring rains made all of Texas burst into bloom! I encourage you to visit your area botanical gardens. Ours is so very beautiful this year!
6x8, original, oil on board

Henry Yan

This is Henry Yan with one of the demos he did in a recent workshop for the Coppini Academy in San Antonio. Charcoal drawing was like learning a totally different language for me. Henry is a great teacher, a fine artist and a very humble and kind man. I am very excited to tell you that he will be offering a Figurative Oil Workshop at the Coppini in July. If you are interested, please see the Workshop link at http://www.coppiniacademy.com. You can also learn more about Henry at his website, http://www.henryyanart.com.

Meemaw

The winds of change have been blowing for a while now. At first they seemed gentle, pleasant and positive but, right now, they are not so comforting. The matriarch of our very large family left us on March 1st at the very tender age of 100. Who could ever imagine that even having someone for 100 years would not be enough?
This is my grandmother, Regina Bowen Davis, the woman who loved me. There are so many emotions and yet so few words to adequately express them. She was an example of strength, stubborness, survival...and beauty. Just look at that face! "As a white candle in a holy place, So it the beauty of an aged face"-Joseph Campbell.
I close this post with one more quote. I wish I had taken note of the author. "Death is not extinguishing the light; it is only putting out the lamp because the dawn has come!"
I love you Meemaw!

Mountain Scene Study

Here is a painting I have been working on. Actually, it is one of seven I've been working on so I have NOT been slackin'!
8x10, original, oil on board

When You Start Working...

A friend shared this wonderful quote with me the other day. It gave me goose bumps before I had even finished reading it. Here's to you whose hearts beat with the same passion as the author. Wishing you inspiration! Gaye

When you start working - everybody in your studio; the past, your friends, enemies, the art world and above all, your own ideas - are there.
But as you continue painting, they start leaving , one by one, and you are left completely alone. Then, if you are lucky - even you leave.
-Philip Guston quoting John Cage

Extending the Drying Time of your Oils

Sorry about the original post. I changed the color of the font so it would look better on the blog but it was too light for those of you who follow via email. Here is the post again. Hopefully, this will be better.

 

A friend recently asked about a tip I shared in a workshop we both attended. As I was answering her, it occurred to me that it might be something you would be interested in as well so, here you go:
 
I kept coming across articles saying that clove oil added to your (oil) paint puddles would retard their drying. But, I was also reading that some people were noticing brown spots showing up in their paintings long after they were completed. I suspect the brown spots were caused from the oxidation of clove particles in the oil but I can't be sure. Not wanting to add clove oil TO my paint,  I experimented with adding it to a cotton ball, an eye dropper full or two will do, and closing it up in my French companion when finished painting. Even though a French companion isn't air tight, it worked! All I can assume is that the clove oil fumes are good enough! I have since tried it in my small pochade, which is more air tight that the FC, and the paints stayed wet well over a month!
*Clove oil WILL burn any sensitive areas, eyes, nose, etc., and some people are very sensitive to it merely touching their skin so be careful!!!  Also, it will remove paint and will melt plastic so be careful where you put it on your palette. (Don't let this overly alarm you. Many essential oils are volatile enough to do this. Just be aware of what could happen and use it with caution). I always use a glass palette so it's not an issue for me. But don't let your brushes touch it or it will take the paint off of the handle anywhere it comes into contact.
One last thing, it will also retard drying ON your canvas. I guess you could use something like Liquin if you wanted it to dry faster on your canvas but that's the addition of too many chemicals for me to feel comfortable.
If you have found this tip useful, I would love to hear from you.
Happy Painting, Gaye

 

Dinner with the Arts

One of the honors the New Braunfels Art League  bestows on their Artists of the Month is a ticket to Dinner with the Arts, sponsored by the Greater New Braunfels Arts Council . This gala event was held last night and was a night to remember! How wonderful to spend the evening enjoying art, poetry, singing, etc. in the company of fellow artists. Such things make it seem that all is right with the world!

 

 

Artist of the Year

The Artist of the Year was revealed last night and the honor went to Jean Crow! She is a wonderful artist whose work always catches my eye when I go to the gallery. She also has a smile and personality that lights up any room she enters. I am so happy for her. The honor is certainly well deserved! CONGRATULATION JEAN!!!

Artist of the Month Show

The opening reception is Friday, January 8, 5:00 to 9pm. The Artist of the Year award will be presented at 6:30pm. The show itself is on display January 5-29, 2010. It is a GREAT show! I am truly honored to be exhibiting among so many wonderful artists!

Richard Schmid's New Book-The Landscapes

My copy of Richard Schmid's new book, The Landscapes, arrived just in time for Christmas. My only regret is not ordering the hardback because this is going to be a book I go through over and over again. What a wonderful compilation of beautiful, awe-inspiring works of art! Thank you Richard and all who helped compile this book and make it available to us all!!! Here's the link for anyone who may be interested. It's a bargain at any price! http://richardschmid.com

Carol Marine's New Book

I just received my copy of Carol Marine's new book. It's a great book of 100 of her small paintings. If you aren't yet familiar with her art here is her blog. http://carolmarine.blogspot.com.

If you want to "meet" Carol, she will be on Dr. Phil today. It won't be art related but you would at least get to meet her.

And yes, I am trying to paint!

Great Tip!

We have quite a few very talented and dedicated artists here in Texas. One of whom is Austin artist, Qiang Huang. http://qiang-huang.blogspot.com I would like to share a tip that he was kind enough to share at a recent demo. He spoke of having to paint at night which, as you well know, does not provide optimum lighting conditions. So, he set out to create his own "north light". He told us of a small halogen flood light at Home Depot and emphasized to look for the one with the blue dot in the center. Needless to say, I visited HD the very next day. What I found was a 50w, indoor/outdoor Par20 Flood, Natural Light Plus, bulb by Philips. It costs about $8 and fits in a standard size socket. This is THE bulb to get. Thanks Qiang!

Jake

I have been very interested in getting better at portraits so I signed up to take a workshop with Susan Carlin. Check out Susan's blog here http://susansartjournal.blogspot.com. This is the second portrait I did in the workshop. The first one isn't presentable YET but I think this is one isn't too shabby. Heck, I'm even encouraged!!! This is Susan's nephew, Jake.
8x10, original, oil on board

The Rose

Another yellow rose from this Texas artist. I am very happy with this painting. Carlene Reeves is a master at painting roses. It is always a pleasure to study with her. Please see her website http://carlenereeves.com/. If you would like to study with Carlene, she will be offering a workshop at the Coppini Academy of Fine Arts in October of 2010. http://www.coppiniacademy.com/
8x10, original, oil on board

The Honor of Being an Artist!

Though my blog seems idle it is not the case "behind the scenes".

I don't know that I have ever been as inspired to paint a subject as I am about this particular one. Once I've painted something/someone I usually move on to another subject. I have not been able to do that this time. You may recall my painting of Juan. Well, he graciously agreed to let me take more photos and take them I did! I got many good shots, several that I'm extremely happy with, and am now ready to try to capture not only his image but all that he evokes on canvas. You artists know very well what I am trying to say and yet am failing miserably to get across. I hope I will be able to put on canvas what I am unable to put into words so that you may be able to "see" what is inspiring me so! I WILL do it if it takes the rest of my life! How fantastic, this honor of being an artist!!!

I am still here!

Summer is over and it is time to get back into the swing of things. I am painting in my head almost all of my waking hours. At least that is something but I need to get them out of my head and on canvas. When this happens it is usually the sign of a flurry of work to come.That's the encouraging part of the process!

I bought a card the other day with a saying that I find very inspirational. I wish I could credit the author. "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" Think on it a bit. What would your answer be?