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.

Hill Country Colors - SOLD

8x8 Pastel on Canson

Just had some fun with colors.

Blues

12x12 oil on canvas

Not quite finished with this one but just love the blues.

Happy Cows - SOLD

8x8 inch oil on RayMar panel

I grew up on a farm in Collinsville, Oklahoma with cows, shetland ponies, chickens, dogs, etc. It was a great place to play. We had a holstein cow with a heart on her forehead, named Gertie, that let me and my three siblings ride on her. So, I have a very soft spot in my heart for cows.

Upside Down From Over Head

When your brain has a hard time seeing the shapes and colors in a portrait, or any painting, turn everything upside down! This photo was taken by Heather, a photographer for the Air Force who found me at the Nueva Street Gallery painting last Wednesday. She needed a subject for a class she was taking and I was it. When she asked for a ladder I knew it was going to be interesting. Happy Halloween everyone!

Trumpet Flowers - NFS

10x8 oil on canvas panel
Just loved the shapes and colors.

Sonia - 1983

pastel on canson (1983)
Another reminder of the art I was making in 1983. Sonia and I reconnected during my last visit to Santa Cruz and I look forward to seeing her this coming week during my next visit to California.

Andy in Santa Cruz - 1983

pastel on canson
I loved coming across this photo today. This is a pastel portrait I did years ago (1983 - you do the math) of Mezzo's friend Andy. What I remember about Andy is that he was mighty cute, really smart and funny.

Early Morning Boat Ride - SOLD

14x11 oil on panel
I'm at the gallery today and just finished another Riverwalk painting. This was an exercise in deciding what elements to include from my reference photo - which was very busy. I simplified. Now if I can get looser...

Hill Country Vista - SOLD

10x8 oil on canvas

Gathering Sunflowers - SOLD

16x20 oil on canvas
Love all the colors in this painting.

Waterlily Radiance

16x20 oil on canvas
This painting started a year ago when my sister and I went to the McNay Art Museum for her birthday. We took lots of reference pictures and had a great time. This waterlily called to me.

Time For a Walk - SOLD

6x6 oil on panel
The first title that came to mind was, "How Many Cups of Coffee Does It Take To Write a Song? Then, "Song Unsung." Then, "Maybe Some Coffee Will Help." Then, "Time For a Walk." Whew. What would you have titled this painting?

Under Rosita's Bridge - SOLD

10x8 oil on canvas
Rosita's bridge in just a short walk from Susan's Gallery. It crosses the San Antonio River to the Arneson River Theater which is a popular performance stage for cultural dancing. The river boats are a fun and informative cruise on the San Antonio River through downtown.

Early Morning Riverwalk - SOLD

10x8 oil on canvas
Riverwalk San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. This painting is of the heart of the Riverwalk where you can cross the bridge and find all kinds of shops and restaurants on either side.

To "The Blue" - NFS

8x10 oil on canvas

My Alpine, Arizona friend and I took some great long drives in the forests around where she lives. This painting is from a photo I took on our way to "The Blue," as the locals call it. It's a little town named Blue in the Apache Forest. It was a beautiful cloudy day and I loved the icy blue bushes along the side of the road. I tried to find out what the name of them was but couldn't find it in the "Plants of Arizona" book. If anyone knows, let me know!

The painting is for sale. If interested, send me an e-mail.

Mezzo At Her Computer - NFS

6x6 oil on panel

I painted this before I left on my trip in early June while I was watching the gallery. The shiny places are where I just made some corrections and signed it. I'll take a better picture after it's dry and the rain has stopped outside.

The Texas Flower - SOLD

6x6 oil on panel
I wanted to start and finish something at the gallery today, yes, bluebonnets. It's for sale framed or unframed. If interested, send me an e-mail.

Texas Spring - SOLD

8x10 oil on canvas, framed
I'm trying out this new "floater frame" on my latest Texas landscape. It's nice in that you see all of the canvas. With a regular frame you loose about 1/4 inch all the way around. I painted all the way around the edge of the canvas because it is visible in this frame.