Doing laundry…

12×12″ oil on canvas. One of the paintings I’ve been working on this week.

3:33pm on a Friday and I’m sitting at the laundromat washing bedding and clothes. I’ve lived without a washer and dryer before. Long, long ago when a week’s laundry consisted of 15-20 loads of mostly baby and kids clothing! Gratefully, these days, it’s only three loads because it’s time to wash the comforter. I can sit here quietly watching the washers spin without any children screaming because their brother just ran over their fingers with the rolling laundry cart they were told not to play in. Some days I miss those days, but definitely not while sitting at the laundromat!

12×12″oil on canvas. Another work in progress from this week.

It’s not hard to believe it’s already June, with the move and everything that has changed in my life over these past 6 months. We are still waiting to close on our new house but the end is getting close! I’m settling back into a painting routine and the rust is gone. My creativity has been flowing! I haven’t finished much, but I’ve been in a painting frenzy. Life is great!

Inspiring Surroundings

#7 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

It’s been a great week for art! I’ve painted every day this week! Yay! Starting to work the rust out and the ideas are flowing. My new surroundings are inspiring as hell! I look out the windows of my new studio and it still feels like a dream. It IS a dream, a living, breathing, dream! Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.

#6 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I’m feeling the love, so why not paint a few hearts? I’m digging the idea and what’s coming out of it. I have seven paintings in various stages of progress. A couple may already be done, not sure yet. The hearts are the most recent.

#5 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

The photos in this post are in order from most recent to least recent.

#4 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I’m playing with the paints, trying out new things.  My goal is to play, not get attached to any outcome, just let it flow. These are sketches in paint. Idea generators. Inspiration.

#3 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I can feel my inspiration pushing me to evolve my style into something different. I guess it’s always evolving from painting to painting. This feels bigger.

#2 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

I’ve already started putting more layers of paint on the canvas. Creating more depth, more mystery. Transparent layers showing a hint of what lies behind.

#1 work in progress 12 x 12″ oil painting on canvas

More progress photos and posts to come! Thank you for visiting my blog! 🙂

Settling In

12 x 12″ oil on canvas, work in progress

Five weeks since we moved in to our new house in Mimbres, New Mexico. I LOVE it here! Hiking 3-4 times a week, peace and quiet, dark skies full of stars, deer walking through the yard at dusk, the amazing view from my studio, etc!

I must admit, I miss the family up in Albuquerque. Especially my sweet grandsons! We have made several trips up north and were supposed to go up again this weekend. However, our car decided she had had enough! The clutch died on me while I was in Silver City on Tuesday. We have confirmation that we NEED to have two cars living out here!

I haven’t been able to work in the studio everyday, but it’s getting closer! Earlier in the week and today I was able to get some painting time in. I’m currently working on several 12 x 12″ paintings on canvas. All are still works in progress. At this point, I’m just working out the rust after months of not painting. Just like anything, practice makes perfect and when I haven’t painted for so long, I have to get back into it again.

I’m saving  a few new 20 x 20″ canvases to paint once I get the gears moving again. I’ve never been one to wait for inspiration, I just dive in and it usually comes along at some point. That said, I prefer to save bigger canvas for solid inspiration or ideas to come.

I’m planning/hoping to get back to a regular blogging schedule in the coming weeks. It’s so nice to be back in the studio! Stay tuned!

 

 

First Friday Opening Reception, THIS Friday!

My art and the art of 20 other artists has been hung at the New Mexico Cancer Center for the Gallery With A Cause show, “Movers and Shakers”. There is some really amazing art at this show! I’m so grateful to be included in such an awesome group of artists!

This Friday, March 2nd, 5:30-8:30pm is the First Friday opening reception. Located within the NM Cancer Center at 4901 Lang Ave NE, the Gallery With A Cause raises money to help lower income patients financially. 40% of every sale goes to the NM Cancer Center Foundation. Having lost family members and friends to cancer, this is an important cause to me personally as well.

“Believe”, 30×30″ oil on canvas, one of the “reworked” paintings for the NMCCG show

I have 19 pieces hanging in the show, 6 paintings on canvas, 3 guitar paintings and 10 vinyl record paintings. I hope you will join me at the reception to see the art and potentially support the cause with a purchase. There will be a People’s Choice Award, so I would really appreciate the support and your vote!

“Ecstatic”, 20×20″ oil on canvas, one of the two brand new paintings I did for the NMCCG show

There will be a “Walk and Talk” event on Wednesday, April 18th, 6-7:30pm. If you are unable to attend either of these days, the gallery is open by appointment only. Call 505-828-3791 for more information or to schedule an appointment. All events are free to attend, and your support is greatly appreciated! See you there!

In Limbo…

Two of my painted guitars showing at the NMCCG March-May!

A couple of small details to complete and I am ready for hanging my art at the New Mexico Cancer Center Gallery this Saturday.

We’ve had home inspections taking up our time and thoughts the past couple of days and I am so ready to be done with the  whole selling/buying process! In the meantime, we have 2 1/2 weeks left before closing on our house on March 13th. At which point, we will hopefully have our RV ready to live in while we wait the extra two weeks for the closing on our new house.

Until then, most of my studio is packed and in limbo, waiting to get to the new studio. I so look forward to getting back to my regular studio routine and I cannot wait to share photos with you all!

I’m working on staying positive and relaxed, but anyone who knows me personally, knows this is very difficult for me during stressful times. Just another lesson from the Universe I guess! My patience and positive outlook have definitely been put to the test the last 3 weeks. May the next few weeks pass quickly and smoothly!

 

NM Cancer Center Gallery for a Cause

“Ecstatic”, 20×20″ oil on canvas, one of the two brand new paintings I did for the NMCCG show

I’m baaack! My work is basically done for the upcoming show at the NM Cancer Center Gallery for a Cause. I still have to paint a few sides and put hanging wires on the backs. Hanging day is Saturday, February 24th, which is under 2 weeks away! I’m really excited about this show. I’m showing with some great Albuquerque artists and I’m so humbled to be included in a show titled “Movers and Shakers: Works by artists who teach, lead and inspire”. I’m extremely grateful to be included in this truly great group of artists! The show opens with a reception during March First Friday Artscrawl, March 2nd, 5:30-8:30pm. The show is at the NM Cancer Center near Paseo del Norte and I-25.

“Believe”, 30×30″ oil on canvas, one of the “reworked” paintings for the NMCCG show

I ended up finishing five paintings on canvas for the NMCCG show, three were “reworked” older paintings I never did like. UNTIL I reworked them! Thanks to a critique from the curator, it turned out they were never quite finished in the first place. Now that they are finished, I’m really pleased! I also painted two completely new canvases. I’m deliberately getting into the layering and letting earlier layers show through. It’s exciting to see the evolution of my work. I feel like my style is seriously taking shape over the past year.

“Eternal Love”, 30×30″ oil on canvas, one of the reworked paintings for the NMCCG show.

Even more exciting to me, is that I get to show my guitar and record paintings in this show! Though I didn’t get my final guitar painted in time for this show, I will have two others hanging. Below is the guitar I’m currently working on. Hoping to have it finished in the next week or so.

Guitar painting in progress, acrylics on wood

Hoping is the key word in that last sentence. I’m not going to have a ton of time for painting over the next month because, we sold our house! Our closing is set for March 13th. We are getting close to making an offer on our next house and I promise to share all the details once that is done and accepted. Either way, we have to move out of our house of 17 years by the 13th, which leaves us just over 3 weeks. Luckily, we packed most of our stuff before we put it up for sale. We have very little left to pack, just the last few boxes of things we use daily, and a few pieces of art (give or take 100!).

“Cosmic Love”, 20×20″ oil on canvas, one of the two brand new paintings for the NMCCG show.

My goal is to get the show hung and finish up a few projects before we have to pack and move. Hopefully, there will only be a few days with everything in storage before we can move into our new house. Either way, we are taking a short vacation during the lag time! I would love to be moved in and working in my new studio by April, but we shall see!

 

One of those weeks

Detail of one of my works in progress, one of my “reworked” paintings

It’s been one of those weeks where I’m having a hard time motivating myself. Family issues, bad news, hormones, trips to the dentist… Some days I wish I had a cocoon I could hide inside.

Another work in progress, this is the smallest of the paintings I’m working on, 12 x 12″ oil on canvas

I’ve been slowly but surely getting ready for my next art show in March. I have about 2-3 more weeks to get finished up with 6 paintings. They are in differing stages of completion. I’m very grateful I’m going to be able to include my guitar paintings and record paintings because I don’t think I would have had 15-20 paintings done in time without them. Of course I’m also excited that I get to show my recycled art for a change. They aren’t always welcomed in a fine art setting. Luckily for me, the curator of this show is open to different things!

20 x 20″ oil on canvas, work in progress

 

Busy, Busy!

In painting mode, getting ready for a show in March. No time to write a blog post, but I can share some progress pics of what I’ve been up to in the studio recently!

“Light of Love”, 30 x 30″ oil on canvas, almost done!

20 x 20″ oil on canvas, work in progress

Detail from “Eternal Love”, 30 x 30″ oil on canvas, work in progress. This is one of my older pieces that I’m reworking into a new painting.

“Eternal Love”, 30 x 30″ oil on canvas, work in progress

Putting the base coat on my next guitar painting!

Down and Dirty in the Studio!

12 x 12″ oil on canvas. This is one of my works in progress. Started out as playing with paints, just to get my hands back in the groove!

Finally, after getting our house up for sale, I am back in the studio! I’m getting busy with painting for a show in March at the New Mexico Cancer Center Gallery. I promised 15-20 paintings, so I have my work cut out for me. So far, I have 1 painting finished, 4 paintings I’m reworking, and 2 I just started this week.

This is the “background” painting that was once called “Light of Love”. It’s a 30 x 30″ oil on canvas that is now being “reworked”. See below for updated WIP.

When I say reworking, what I mean is I had some paintings that I was never really all that happy with. I guess you could say they were never REALLY finished the first time around. So I’m “finishing” them or reworking them. Some parts will be completely painted over, others will stay. As an example, I’m sharing a couple of photos of a painting as it was and then where it is now. One such painting is getting closer to being finished now. After looking at this painting for literally YEARS, I decided it was nothing more than a background. I’m painting a design over that “background” and adding more detail.

Viola! A new painting! Actually, it’s still a work in progress, but you get the idea. I made the center spiral a bit larger and centered it more on the canvas. There will be more details painted into the background to basically cover whatever was there before.

Here is the “reworked” “Light of Love” in progress. Can you see how I left the old painting showing through on the flower petals?

The 2 paintings I’ve started are so far nothing more than a background of color. Waiting for the paint to dry can be slow, so I have to work on multiple paintings at once, rotating them as they dry.

I always get excited about having a deadline as it lights a fire under me and always brings inspiration in waves. I don’t know why I always seem to wait until the last minute to finish these things, but somehow, it gets done! After this, it’s back to painting murals, I have my next one lined up for sometime in February, but first? I have a LOT of painting on canvas to do! Stay tuned for more works in progress photos. Follow me on Instagram to get daily updates.

The Design Process

First rough sketch

It’s been a crazy, busy month. I haven’t really accomplished much, but it’s been busy. Unfortunately, my husband has been having an issue with his eye, so I’ve had to drive him to work and appointments. Of course, I would do anything for my sweetie! Next Monday he starts treatments, so fingers crossed his vision will be back to normal soon. In between my driving duties, I’ve been working on my latest painting on canvas as well as a design for my next mural.

First colored sketch

The design process is done now and I will paint the actual wall this Friday afternoon and Saturday morning! This one will be different from the others, as it will not have a background. I’m painting sunflowers directly on the wall with the color of the wall being the background. I’m so excited and grateful to get the chance to paint another mural!

Sketch Change #2

ICYMI: My Holiday Gift Sale is happening now, but it ends tomorrow at Midnight! 20% off everything on my website. I also have two 2018 calendars available! If you sign up for my email list or if you are already on my email list, you will/have also received an extra 15-20% off in addition to the automatic 20% off on my website. Giving you 35-40% off!

Final design idea, finished mural will still have the 3 flower design, saving time by only sketching one flower for the design idea.