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!

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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.

Happy New Year, 2018!

Feeding my youngest grandson, Danny! He is named after my dad. ❤

A fresh new start! I love the New Year, it always gives me that feeling of renewal. A chance to hit the restart button. This year, the new start is personal. We are busy working on getting our house ready to sell. It goes on the market next Monday and we are having a moving sale this weekend. Time to get rid of the old, deep clean, pack up cherished belongings and get ready to move to our dream home! We aren’t sharing where that will be just yet. We have an idea, but we are saving the surprise for once the house is sold and we are on our way! Met with our real estate agent on Tuesday and found out it is now a seller’s market, so I guess our one year wait was worth it. All the street construction is done near our house, FINALLY! Fingers crossed it sells quickly!

Once the cleaning and packing is done, I will get back to my studio and working on my art for the new year. I have another mural coming up in the next month or so, waiting for the tile guy to finish his work before I can start on mine. This one will be down south in Las Cruces, and it will be an interior mural. It will also be my largest mural to date! I’m painting all 4 walls in a pretty large bedroom. Can’t wait!

I also have a show coming up in March at the NM Cancer Center Gallery, so I have a lot of painting on canvas to do to get ready for that.

My two youngest sons with their sons ❤

I hope y’all had a lovely holiday season! I was blessed to be able to finally see my second grandson again last Sunday. Took several photos and was able to hold and feed him. He is looking more like his daddy now. I bought them matching outfits for Christmas. I sure hope they will get the chance to be close cousins. ❤ ❤ ❤