12/18/10 Brian Hall

This as you all, or at least many, know is a second portrait of Brian Hall, my trainer who perished on Mt. Hood a little over 4 years ago. I did this one for his little sister Angela. Brian's parents moved to Idaho to be closer to Angela, who was still having trouble with the loss of her beloved big brother. I didn't feel that this portrait was quite complete so I went through some clippings and found one of Bri's favorite sayings : the Apache Blessing

May the Sun

bring you new energy by day.

May the Moon

softly restore you by night.

May the Rain

wash away your worries.

May the Breeze

blow new strength into your being.

May you walk gently through the world

and know its beauty all the days of your life.

When I came up with the idea to include this on his portrait I just KNEW it was what Angela needed to read from her brother. Now it is finished. I also wrote the blessing all around the sides of the painting. I will let it dry and seal it and hopefully get it in the mail soon - not in time to make it for Christmas probably but soon.

Thank you for viewing my blog and reading my ramblings.

12/17/10 Ruidoso Chapel (commission)

After working on and off for over a month or six weeks I finally presented this painting to Lindsey today. She was thrilled with it and was very excited with the way it turned out.

This is where her mom got married and it is to be her Christmas present! I had no idea that this would be so challenging. I did a lot of scraping and repainting and nearly started over about two weeks ago. It took the whole studio to help me straighten and paint this so it looked correct. I can still see quite a few mistakes but that is water over the dam now.

Thanks for looking and having patience with me through this painting. I think it might have been easier to "build" a log cabin than paint this!

11/14/10 Chapel in the woods - revisited

Kay helped me today to find out what was wrong. The whole painting looks off but all I had to go by was a photo and the angle was weird! Tried my best to straighten things up and it looks MUCH better than it did. Just hope Lindsey is pleased with the result. Will look for a frame for it tomorrow.

Thank you for taking time to look at a struggling artist.

P.S. I don't foresee any log cabins in my future painting!

11/14/10 Sweet Temptations- found a home!!!

This piece of fluff is finally going to a fabulous home. Kelli Hale bought it for he daughter's playroom where the walls are brown. It should look really great. Hope Keaton doesn't try to scrape off some of the icing since I built it up a bit with impasto and it LOOKS like real icing.I had a lot of fun doing this one. Might try doing another but a single and really applying the impasto and lots of sprinkles!

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog.

12/13/10 Chapel in the woods

Not finished with the details on this little chapel. Wish I was more pleased with it. I have struggled from the beginning. I think I'll just turn it upside down and try it that way again!! It is looking better but it is not my best by far. I need to finish it and deliver it to school by Friday.

12/08/10 Mixed Media

This is my first mixed media piece and it is for my nephew Brian McNally,who recently got a wonderful promotion. He works for a big real estate company here in Dallas. I have included a lot of pictures of old and new Dallas. I am not finished obviously, but am shocked at how challenging this has turned out to be.

I want to include some of the buildings my father built:Temple Emmanuel, Exchange Park, Christ the King Catholic Church and a part of Ursuline Academy. I am sure there are others but these are the ones I'm most familiar with.

Thank you for taking time from your busy day to check out my blog and ANY suggestions or comments are welcome!

Open studio tour was a grand success!

These are just two pictures of the set up for our Cedars Open Studio Tour this past weekend. It was a lot of fun and quite a bit of work that we all enjoy on a yearly basis. Several paintings were sold and new friends made. The lovely lady next to her buffalo is Sharon Hodges, one of my fellow painters at the studio. Try to come on down some time, why wait until next year?

11/19/10 Painted with a one-hair brush!

It is titled "Boats." I did this and another 6x6 painting for the 6x6 show. I always tell people that I painted it with my one-hair brush! Painting this small is difficult and challenging to put in details. I have found with these that "less" is better. They will be on display at our Open Studio Tour tomorrow from 12 - 6. Please come join us.

11/11/10 The Majestic View

Just finished this rather large painting last week. It really helped when I added some purple to the mountains and broke up the grass at the edge of the mountain. The Grand Tetons are so rough and jagged and they still have the magnificent colors and amazing skies - I just couldn't resist.

This image was taken by my friend Terry Porter. Now I'd like to go paint plain air in the Grand Tetons next summer!

If you are in East Dallas this weekend, please come visit me at the Lakewood Market and Home Tour. This painting will be displayed and for sale there this weekend.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog.

11/08/10 Marathon Mom

In honor of the ING New York Marathon, I am posting a painting of someone who was in that race last weekend. Congratulations Tami Darlington!

This painting is hanging at The Wine Therapist in Lakewood for the NLAPW show. It will be there until December 12th. The judge was the curator of the Biblical Arts Center in Dallas. Susan Moss said he kept coming back to Marathon Mom and commented on how much he liked it. I didn't win anything but I sure am happy that Susan told me that he commented on it.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog.

11/07/10 The Runner in person!

This is a picture of Rick Rainey and his sweet wife, Kari. They came to the NLAPW opening at The Wine Therapist last night. That picture next to Rick's shoulder is of him at the "Too Hot to Handle," race this past August. I asked him for permission to paint his image and he gladly gave it. Not only did he purchase it, he made it his Facebook image! How cool is that?

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

11/06/10 Rest stop in Vermont

This is another painting from a picture I took while up North a few years ago. The two figures are my friends, Lucy and Frank, who were resting while I rambled around taking pictures. It was a lot of fun to paint

Thank you for your patience with my camera difficulties. There is always more than one way to skin a cat! Problem solved.

Thank you for looking at my blog and I'm looking forward to many more posts.

11/02/10 Still on the fritz!

This is my dear friend and trainer, Brian Hall who perished on Mt. Hood in Oregon almost 4 years ago. It doesn't seem possible that it has been that long that he has been gone. I painted this portrait in an almost Pop-Art style that I thought his sister Angela would like. After drying properly, I will send it to her.

Thanks for your patience with the camera ordeal and a thank you goes out to Kay for taking the picture for me.

Camera is on the fritz!!!

I tried to download some pictures today and the camera refused!! Will get back with you as soon as it gets well!

10/15/10 Cowboy Paisley

This painting is a small dyptich. I have been working hard on portraits and landscapes and just wanted a change. I pulled out two small gallery wrap panels and applied a couple ribbons of color. It almost looks like a paisley print but everyone at the studio thought it looked like cowboy boots; thus the title Cowboy Paisley. It would be a cute decoration in a boy's cowboy room or a cabin in the mountains. I just liked the colors a lot and they sort of told themselves where to go like a lazy river.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. I will be getting ready for a show next weekend and may not have much to post so be patient with me.

10/09/10 Lakeside - still on the easel

I've been working on this painting since last Tuesday and it still needs something! Not quite sure what but I do love the crisp sails and the colorful Fall foliage. It was nice to paint water,that isn't ocean water, for a change.

I'm also painting these little mascot paintings for the Hyer Christmas Bazaar that the kids will love but are BORING!!!!( to paint)

Thanks for taking time to look at my blog.

10/03/10 Finishing touches

Even though their shirt and dress are white, there are many reflected colors in them as well as their faces. I put several glazes on their tops and faces as well as hair. Yellow, green as well as purple and a bronzy - orange!

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog. Hope you're enjoying this fabulous weather.

10/02/10 Northern seaside

Put the finishing touches on this dream place up North.

Thanks for taking your valuable time to look at my blog.

01/01/10 on the easel

It is always relaxing to paint a landscape after a stressful painting. I started and am almost finished with this lovely northern seascape. It is where I would like to go and just chill out for a couple days.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog.

09/30/10 The KIDS

Well, we had a harrowing evening at the studio! Suzy heard a loud POP and the lights went off - she called some people and we had Oncor out this morning. Turns out it was a wire on the outside!!!! Oh well, we have defrosted and cleaned out the little refrig and I plan on getting to the big one. NO food poisoning for us!

Decided to put more color into Kaitlyn but it made your eye jump around too much! Scraped it off and made a new color and applied! I think I like this.

Worked on Beth Anne's curls and got 'em! This is pretty good - hope their parents like it!!

Thanks for your patience and for looking at my blog!

09/30/10 Little Kaitlyn

This is a portrait of my neighbor's grand-daughter, Kaitlyn. She is 23 months old and so cute. I am not sure about the background. I didn't care for the solid pink and this bluish shade helps but I think I will add some more color to it . You will certainly see the result.

Thanks for checking out my blog.

09/29/10 John Jr. and Beth Anne

This is a portrait of two of my little neighbors. I have a few finishing touches to put on Beth Anne's hair but it is pretty much finished. This one was a challenge because there were no strong shadows to help with their features. I had fun doing this one!

Thanks so much for taking the time to look at my blog.

09/23/10 Rick Rainey

Worked hard on this picture yesterday and he came together in about four hours! It is undistinguishable as Rick but I'm sure he will know it is him. Does that make sense?

Thanks for checking out my blog.

09/19/10 Covered Bridge

Ran down to the studio this morning to deliver some paintings for the show. While there I wired a couple of paintings and signed others. This little fall picture I put the finishing touches on and signed. Now I am off to Greenville, TX. to pick up paintings from a show. I will take some pictures to put on the studio blog so everyone can see how they look!

Thanks for looking at my blog.

09/18/10 Covered bridge - still on the easel

Spent a nice day at the studio painting with Grant, Gail, Karen and Sharon. One of our former studio members stopped in to say hello and visit. It was good to see Donna. I can't help thinking about Kay Wyne's daughter tonight - she is getting married. Congratulations Lindsay.

This little painting will be ready for the Hyer Carnival in October. I need to work up some inventory. I spent some time framing and getting things ready for the Wine Therapist. We will be hanging on Tuesday and I haven't completed enough runners. I wanted to have six or more runners from the East Dallas area to display. I have about four done and ready to go. Oh well, I can always hang them at the Lakewood Home Festival.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog.

09/16/10 On The Easel

Just began this little covered bridge from a photo taken three years ago when I was on a Fall Foliage Tour with some friends. Thought it would look nice displayed with the Vermont Country Store.

Tomorrow is my last day subbing at Lakewood and I am SO ready to get back to my painting. We have to hang a show at the Wine Therapist on Tuesday and I have a LOT to do. I will also be going up to Greenville, Tx. to pick up our paintings at the Rally Around Greenville show on Sunday.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog.

09/15/10 The Champ

I was totally stumped on what to add to this picture to give it some spirit. Sharon suggested that I add some highlights --- and I did! It looks like confetti after she won the race. At least it conveys a happy spirit.

Thank you so much for taking time to look at my blog.

90/12/10 The Champ

I had a lot of trouble getting my computer to work tonight. I have tried several times to post this blog - don't know what is going on.

I am disappointed in the background of this picture. I really wanted Lindsay to POP and it doesn't.

Any suggestions? I tried a green and it looked like Christmas! No good.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog - any suggestions are welcome - and a double thanks to you!

09/07/10 Lindsey - Warrior Dash- on the easel

This is a picture for our up-coming show at The Wine Therapist. It was from a shot that the coach, and a friend of mine, from Lakewood Elementary, had after last year's Warrior Dash. She might kill me but she is so cute and joyous that I couldn't resist! I really got the mud very well. The mud made the arms difficult because I had to define her muscles in something other than flesh tones. I think her "guns," show well. As you can see I have tried some different colors for background and I kinda like that pthalo blue color. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks for checking out my blog on this dreary, soggy day.

09/04/10 Carolina pines

I painted the background last weekend and took out my palette knife and some impasto and just had a blast! These trees are in my nephew, Dr. Michael McNally's, back yard in Greenville, North Carolina. I had admired how Suzy had painted her aspens and Kay did her colorful trees so I attempted this almost completely with my palette knife. Similar but very different from both of theirs. Great afternoon of painting.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog. Have a great Labor Day weekend!

09/03/10 Texas Discovery Gardens

In case you missed it, Studio Art and Soul had a wonderful opening at The Texas Discovery Gardens last night. I tried to get pictures that made our paintings visible but it wasn't easy. We had quite a nice turn out and HATS OFF to Kay Wyne and Grant Schirpick for their sales last night.

08/28/10 On the easel - Big horn rams

This image is from the counselor at Lakewood that went on a Camp Gladiator Trip in Colorado. They camped out as they were climbing this mountain! She said they awoke one morning to find the big horned rams grazing where their latrine had been!! Oh my!!! Anyway, it was an awesome picture. I left out some of the big horned rams and began this painting today. Have to let it dry until Tuesday when I will return.

Thank you for taking the time to check out my blog today.

08/26/10 On the easel

Worked hard on this pair of cute racers. This picture was taken in July at the 2 hot 2 run race at White Rock . I was sweating like a pig but couldn't resist this father and son duo because they were simply adorable. This little guy still had his training wheels on and his helmet was tilted and he had the most determined look on his face. His dad is smiling and encouraging him the whole way. This must have been the 5 K race. I got the underpainting and background and most of the little boy but will go back either tomorrow or this weekend and work on Dad and the bridge. I hope to show these at The Wine Therapist in September and then ask at Run On (a running store) if I could display these for their runners in case someone would want to have their run immortalized. If I had ever run a race I would definitely want it immortalized!! (obviously I'm not a runner)

I will attempt to continue my blogging but there might be a few days in between now. I have taken a sub job for a couple weeks and it is usually quite wearing on my energy. This time there will not be homework and lesson plans so I might be able to paint for a few hours after work. We'll see. Anyway, thank you for taking your time to look at my blog today.

08/24/10 Maine Lighthouse

Well, the temperature gods must have gotten mad at me yesterday! It was 107* in Dallas and I came home from the studio to NO ELECTRICITY!!!!! Lots of candles and very few clothes. I was ready to give up and finally at 9:30 it came on. That is why this post didn't get posted! So sorry.

Thank you for taking the time to check this out no matter what time it is.

08/21/10 Elle's yard sign

I have some dear friends who have just had a baby and another dear friend is hosting a baby shower ( or sip and see) on Sept. 11th. Sylvia asked me to make a yard sign that says, "Welcome Elle." They are driving in from Oklahoma for this shower and she wants it to be special. I had no idea it would take me all afternoon to do it!!! And I'm still not finished! I have to make,"Welcome Elle." look like a fluffy cloud. I'll finish tomorrow!

08/20/10 Maine lighthouse

I decided to put the marbles away and let them dry today. I took out another Fall cool picture to paint. This is from a Fall bus tour I took with some friends a couple years ago. Oh how I wish it was as icy cool as that picture looks - 101* today and the studio was sweltering! Will work some more on this earlier tomorrow. I need to straighten out some of the shadows in hopes that it will help the lighthouse look straighter! Oh My!!!

08/20/10 In case you lose any!

I started this painting a while ago but I've found it tedious and frustrating. I put it back on the easel yesterday to get a lot more finished. I'll add a few more colors before I let it thoroughly dry and then add the transparent white glaze to make the lights that are shining off the jars. I think I'm hesitant because I've never attempted this type of over-glaze before. The new and unknown can be scary at first but I'll plow right on through. Send positive thoughts my way - I love the subject and would hate to mess it up!

Thanks for taking time to look at my blog today.

08/17/10 On the Banks of Turtle Creek

I am finally pleased with this picture. I added some deep shadows and highlights in the water and worked on that challenging tree trunk. I'll wait for it to dry some more and then frame it for the Texas Discovery Gardens show.

Thank you for checking on my blog on this sizzling August eve.

08/15/10 Still on the easel!

I spent a good 4 hours at the studio. Got stuck painting the Elephant Ears on the bank and Grant reminded me to just paint shapes! Why don't I remember that? I got going with my palette knife and there is a TON of paint on that canvas! I painted shapes where the fluffy rushes were behind the tree in shapes also and then added some wispy strokes. I think I like it. Need to see how it looks tomorrow before I put my name on it.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog today.

08/14/10 On the easel

After working a tight painting and some delicate glazing, I wanted to be free and BIG so I chose to paint another painting for the Tex. Discovery Gardens show at the end of this month. I like my work for this show so much that I want to use it in another show that is more people friendly and more apt to be bought. Does that make sense? I might really like this one also but it IS going to TDG. This is part of Turtle Creek and I loved the reflection in the water. Started it yesterday and it will take a while to develop it into the painting I want.

Thank you for looking at my blog today. Keep cool.

08/12/10 Glazing - Sierra Blanca

I have worked on this painting for a while now. I wanted the delicate colors of sundown in the cool mountains to show without being garish. I need Kathleen Dello Stritto ( my teacher) to give me a lesson or at least direction again!! I guess I'll have to wait until she returns from Angel Fire in September. In real life, the colors show more than in the photo.

If anyone can direct me,please do. Meanwhile, thank you for looking at my blog this warm sunny day. Have a good one.

08/11/10 The Vermont Country Store

This little painting of The Vermont Country Store has been fun to paint. I remember my time with good friends and how much I loved their creative display . I think I wish I was in Vermont today with the temp predicted to rise to 106*!

Thank you so much for looking at my blog today.

08/09/10 In hopes of Fall

This is an image I took in Vermont a couple of years ago. I went on a bus trip with some friends to see the fall foliage and it was HOT! This was at a place in Vermont called the Vermont Country Store. Very cute place and quite full of the fall colors. I loved this old chevy truck they had parked in front and filled with beautiful pumpkins and mums and hay, etc. The truck itself is proving to be a challenge but I'm loving the rich variety of fall colors that I'm using to paint this image.

Everyone at the studio is hoping it will bring on the cooler temps. A magician, I am not!

Thank you for taking the time to look at my blog today. I will be sure to post the finished painting.

08/07/10 Sierra Blanca

I like this painting. I am going to try to put one more glaze on some of the clouds because it is so subtle that you can't see it! This is scheduled to be my brother-in-law's Christmas present because he LOVES Ruidoso, N.M. I took my time and it took a while for the paint to dry before I could go on. I really like using a pallet knife but it takes weeks to dry! Oh well, it is worth it.

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog today.

07/28/10 Too hot too handle

This is a VERY wet painting of my niece that I painted in two days! Her birthday is August fourth, so I am in a hurry for this to dry!!!! Keithly is a marathon runner, and she and her guy came to Dallas to run a short (9.5 mile run) about 2 weekends ago. I even got up before God to take pictures of this child running in the Dallas unbearable heat!

I would like to paint an entire series of runners . The muscles and sweat really make for a great painting!! I only have two and they are very fit females - so they aren't too shiny with sweat, but they make for a fabulous painting.

Hope she likes her birthday present. Thanks for checking out my blog today!

07/24/10 Grace and Megan are Finished

I didn't change the picture to differentiate their suits because I couldn't think of a way to do it that would have been effective. Today I worked on the details in the background and blending shadows. I also worked on Grace's eyes and the metal handrails. They turned out OK. I plan on using this portrait in the Wine Therapist show this fall. I hope their parents like it well enough to buy it.

Thanks for looking at my blog today.

07/23/10 On the easel

Just started this little beauty yesterday and have almost completed it. I want to use this either in the Wine Therapist show or at the Lakewood Home tour/ Market show in the fall. I'm trying to get some done ahead of time for these shows that are relevant to the areas where they'll be shown! White Rock Lake is a big deal in East Dallas. Since the renovation, the spillway is lovely. Got to get over there for more pictures.

Thanks for checking out the blog today.