Crystal Path

5x7 inches oil on board
There are paths all through the land around Vanessa's house created by havalina and other wild critters roaming through. My dog Zig is my painting buddy and loves all the wonderful sights and smells. She's a great dog pal. I think she liked this particular spot a lot.

Bolder Balance - SOLD

7x5 inches oil on board
I'm enjoying translating what I see into dabs and swipes of gooey paint onto a little board painted orange - fun!

Granite and Cactus II - SOLD

5x7 inches oil on board - painted Dec. 28, 2011
This was painted in the afternoon sun. The moving shadows dramatically change the whole composition as I'm painting. I'm hoping there is something I figure out about how to approach plein air painting besides, "hurry!"

Granite and Cactus

5x7 oil on board - painted Dec. 27, 2011
Thank you Jack, for cutting a bunch of 5x7 panels for me to paint on! I hope to get better at covering this small space before the sun changes too much. A friend commented on the colors in my paintings. Yes, I see these colors, don't you??? :)

Shadows

10x8 oil on panel - painted Dec. 26, 2011
This is my second Yarnell painting in Vanessa's backyard. I did not succeed in capturing the landscape I saw with my eyes. The shadows moved too fast for me to keep up while I was figuring out how to paint the prevalent dried dead limbs. But, I love that I played with my pallet knife and persevered. I'm accumulating experience/knowledge - I can feel it.

Vanessa's Backyard - Afternoon Sun - SOLD

10x8 oil on panel - painted Dec. 25, 2011
I'm on a new artistic adventure. I've come to Yarnell, Arizona to deepen my relationship to my creative self - create art and music, love my family and friends and discover more about how this strange landscape of granite bolders and scrubby trees and bushes open my creative heart.
This is my first painting here (painted Christmas afternoon.) My friend Vanessa's home and studio are surrounded by views that thrill me. This is one of my favorites that I'm sure I will paint many times as the shadows and light change all day long with the sun rising and setting.

Exuberant Elements - SOLD

24x30 oil on canvas
This painting is the expression of my artistic abandon. I simply wanted to play with color and texture and quiet the negative or instructional voices that sometimes show up when I paint. It was fun, fun, fun.

Mother Dear

Mother Dear
I visited my Mother. She is the dearest woman in my life. My Mother's nature is loving, accepting, generous, helpful and she has a sweet wonderful sense of humor that flashes over her face still, through the dementia that has changed everything about her life. She was a loving helpful daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, friend, mother of four children and devoted and hard working wife. My Mother is an amazing woman.

Canna Lily Colors

20x24 oil on canvas
In getting my house ready to sell I moved my easel and computer out of my master bedroom (that tells you a little too much about me) into the smallest bedroom in our Briardale house. I managed to only paint one small Slice of Life painting in that room. I did start this painting but brought it to the Nueva Street Gallery to finish. It dawned on me recently that we used that bedroom very little in the last eight years. Maybe it's not lined up so well with the creative forces that be. There are just some places I've been where I feel "plugged in" and buzzing with energy and creativity. Even though the Briardale house was a great place for me, my three children, their friends and a past relationship, I'm ready to venture out of my suburban life there. This will probably be the last painting created in that house. I'm ready life! Where shall I paint next?

Lazy Longhorn - SOLD

Slice of Life - #25 - 2.5x8 - oil on wood panel

Finally, I've started painting pictures instead of walls. My house is up for sale and my "to do" list has gotten smaller and smaller. Huge love and thanks to the people who have helped me work on that list that was overwhelming in the beginning - Marianne, John and Spencer, Jack, Joe and David, Jack, Lyle, and Wes.

Playful Cannas

20x24 - oil on canvas

Don't you just love Canna Lilys??? I do. They are just crazy and colorful and other worldly. These live on the San Antonio river behind the Pearl Brewery. Loved painting them.

Canna Lily Bees

20x20 inches - oil on canvas

I took a picture of some beautiful cannas on the river behind the old Pearl Brewery. When I was looking closer at the photo I noticed some tiny bees among the flowers. I zoomed in and saw the painting. I tried to use the paint more like I use pastels with layers of color on color. Fun.

Me and My Mural

14x13 ft. mural - made of 3/4 in. tiles

My friends Marianne and John and I visited the new mural made from my Arneson River Theater painting. Each little tile was a colorful piece of art itself. It's located outside in a lovely patio area at the Franklin Park Sonterra Senior Living Center in San Antonio, TX. (Read a bit more about it.) Afterward we celebrated the occasion with dinner at Chuy's - yum.

Two New Slices - SOLD

Slice of Life Paintings
#23 - Cool Water Creek - 2.5x8 inches - oil on wood panel
#24 - Country Home - 2.5x8 inches - oil on wood panel

Still on my way to 100 Slices. I'm enjoying painting on the gessoed wood surface.

Early Morning River - SOLD

11x14 oil on canvas

Earlier this Spring I roamed the Riverwalk in downtown San Antonio with my friend Marianne scouting new reference images for paintings. The Casa Rio Restaurant is a landmark in San Antonio, Texas. Read more about it here. This painting is available at the Nueva Street Gallery, San Antonio, Texas.

Wimberley Lavender Longhorn Trio - SOLD

Each painting is 5.5x8 inches oil on wood panel
Put together they are 16.5 inches wide.

My daughter, her friend and I visited four lavender farms participating in the 2011 Blanco, Texas Lavender Festival. I had my camera in hand hoping for some reference photos for paintings. The lavender was late in blooming, for lack of rain, so I didn't get the lavender photos I was hoping for. But, I hit the jackpot when I spied these beautiful longhorns who were pets at the Wimberley Lavender Farm. After asking permission to photograph them, I got to get close aand personal. With only an electric wire between us, they all looked right at me and said, "I'm ready for my close-up!" while chewing happily on fresh hay.

They are available at the Nueva Street Gallery, San Antonio, Texas.

SA Culinary Institute at Old Pearl Brewery

14x11 oil on canvas

San Antonio Culinary Institute at the Old Pearl Brewery
Available at Nueva Street Gallery, San Antonio, Texas

Yellow-Crowned Night Heron - SOLD

2.5 x 8 inches oil on wood panel

I went scouting for painting references a few weeks ago with my friend Marianne. One of the places we walked is the new extension of the San Antonio River that is by the old Pearl Brewery and flows behind the San Antonio Art Museum. I spotted this bird in a beautiful little pond with a waterfall behind the Art Museum. He was so beautiful and statuesque that I did a double take. He let me take several pictures of him before he stretched his head way up and looked like a different bird. He was fun to paint as a slice but I think he probably deserves a large painting in the future.

Since posting this painting I Googled this guy and he is a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron - and a very handsome one at that.

Texas Longhorn - SOLD

2.5 x 8 inches oil on wood panel

I realize it's been way too long since I've posted on my blog. I have been painting, just not posting. Here is "Slice of Life" painting #19. The day I posted it, it was sold with two other slices. I'm enjoying the challenge of painting so small and also creating compositions that size and shape. Check out my other slices.

"Just Paint Over It!" she said. - SOLD

12x12 oil on panel

This is Watching For Spring Rain revisited. When painting with oil was new it was a new concept when my sister told me, "Just paint over it." I have since done this many times. I'll finish a painting and keep looking at it and realize it's just not right so I just paint over it or part of it. That's what I did here. My sister would also say, "Don't touch it, just paint something else!" Sometimes I just can't. I have to try and fix what bothers me. I like it now. It's for sale at the Nueva Street Gallery, San Antonio, TX.

Watching For Spring Rain

12x12 inch oil on panel

I remember seeing those great clouds and taking their picture thinking they would be great in a painting one day. It's for sale at the Nueva Street Gallery.

Roadside Blue Bonnets

24x18 inch pastel on Wallis paper

This is a pastel I thought I completed years ago but never framed. I pulled it out of an old portfolio box and had fun reworking it. It's for sale at the Nueva Street Gallery.

Tulip Dreams - SOLD

13x16 pastel on sand paper (love sand paper)

After I ran out of time to paint for my show, (because there wasn't enough time for new paintings to dry) I worked in pastel. I love pastels.

Summer Creek - SOLD

7.5 x 7.5 pastel on canson

This little pastel landscape is one of my favorites hung 3-3-11 for my show at Nueva St. Gallery, San Antonio, Texas.

Floating By The Casa Rio - SOLD

10x8 oil on canvas

The gallery where my paintings hang is by the San Antonio Riverwalk. Many of the gallery visitors are tourists looking for souvenirs. I enjoy painting the river and people like to buy them. It works out pretty good.

Spring Drive - SOLD

10x8 oil on panel

There are some artists who are compelled to paint the same place over and over. I'm one of those artists. I first painted this image in pastel and now I've painted it a couple of times in oil. It's one of my favorite days - driving with Joe and the kids when they were little. The sky was putting on a cloud show - it's a great memory.

San Antonio Riverwalk - SOLD

8x10 oil on canvas - framed

I'm loving this latest San Antonio Riverwalk painting. I was able to achive a more impressionistic feel which is almost always my goal and one of my biggest challenges.
It has painted sides and is set in a floating frame and ready to hang. It will be available at the Nueva Street Gallery, 1-26-11, or contact me directly.

Succulent Squared - SOLD

12x12 oil on canvas (1" deep with painted sides)

My new succulent is finally finshed and dry and on this beautiful sunny day I was able to take it outside for a picture. I'll have it for sale through the Nueva Street Gallery, 1-26-11, or contact me directly. It's ready to hang and because of the painted sides, it can be framed or unframed.