Sunday, June 29, 2008

"Eat Your Greens", Miniature Horses near Wimberely

This is a studio pastel done for a wonderful cause. These horses (miniatures) are taken to different functions and venues to help with disabled and mentally handicapped kids and old folk. This was a day at the Lavender Fields near Wimberely, Texas, & I fell in love with them.
I have donated this painting to help raise money for a wonderful cause.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Bull Creek, Texas

An earlier plein air painting done at the dog park area of Bull Creek. Just after I finished this one, a lovely (very wet) Labrador, came up to me, & shook his wet coat then stomped over my palette I had on the ground..Aghhhh!!
Luckily the painting was still on the easel.

Bull Creek, Austin, Texas

A wonderful plein air day at Bull Creek done only yesterday. I love this area smack dab in the middle of suburbia, how lucky are we, the artists, to have this area in our own backyard so to speak.
Again those darn greens, although I did manage to make more of the clouds reflected in the water to create an interesting passageway into the painting. The clouds were there in life, just not as bright. I also threw in some warms, to offset the coolness of the area.

"Look at This !" Barton Springs, Austin, TX

This was done en plein air last week, the figures were coming and going in the springs, so I decided to take photos of them, & place them in the painting when back in my studio that afternoon. A difficult painting with all those greens again, so I made more of the contrasts to gain some impact.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Quiet Interlude SOLD

This is the same house as the previous painting, Linda's on Lake Austin. I loved the small vignettes one could escape to, this was one of many.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Linda's House on Lake Austin, Texas SOLD

Another plein air painting, I did two this day at this fascinating home. It was a very complicated architecture, a lot of twists and turns, so I chose two different vignettes from which to paint. The umbrella just added a lovely color touch, and the shadows cast from the huge trees on the property gave lovely patterns on the roof and the walls.

Lavender Fields, near Wimberley, Texas

This is a plein air painting done only last weekend. It was a hot day, & we were all there for the lavender festival, only trouble was, no lavender in bloom. So I made a few extra colors within the clumps, I know, not the purist's way, but I just had to live up to my 'color' reputation.

Brushy Creek, Austin, Texas

This is a plein air painting done from an artist friend's backyard on Brushy Creek. I had that Texas 'green' going through it, & decided to change the colors a little yesterday, which I now like better. Green is not a great favorite of mine, & to have a landscape completely in that color, I always feel the urge to add oranges and mauves.
The creek was so shaded when we began painting, that the overall painting became too dark for me, so I also placed sky colors in the water, much more satisfying to me.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Early Morning at the Creek in Alabama

I was asked to do the photography at a recent family wedding in Alabama, and the day before the big event I took myself off to this spot nearby and painted in the morning hours. It was a wonderfully quiet and peaceful place, I had a great time with this painting.

Carol and Charles' property Lake Travis, Texas SOLD!

Another plein air morning painting, with the Austin Plein air Group. This property was gorgeous and we all produced some great paintings.
Thank you Carol and Charles, it was a pleasure to paint this vista.

FRONT PORCH, GALVESTON, TEXAS SOLD

This painting was done on a recent plein air trip to Galveston, Texas. It was very hot this day, & we painted only till around 12 noon, by then we were fried!
The house is a private dwelling & I liked the light on the steps, not to mention a great shade tree for me to stand under while painting.