Rainy day news!

It's raining.  REALLY REALLY raining.... enough that our house might level out and all the nicely patched cracks will probably re-crack back to the old 'normal'..  Anyway, if it continues through the day (and it is supposed to) then our drought will have been conquered for the time being.  Hope it is raining over the area lakes, Medina, Canyon, McQueeney.  They have all been so low.

I was painting with the Outdoor Painters Society group for the last 3 days.  We had sprinkles, gray skies, and damp air, but our paintings were beautifully done.  A good time was had by all, including great Mexican food, lovely wine and cheese  'happy hour' and Olive Oil tasting!  Yes, we did get some painting done, too!

Oil Plein Air from Espada Aqueduct

Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard, Plein Air

I am also including the dragonfly paintings I did during the Dragonfly Festival at the Bitter Lakes Wildlife Refuge in Roswell, NM and the painting I did at friends property in Laguna, NM.  I have really thrown my energy into plein air painting, lately.  I'm loving it a lot!  But I have 2 dog portrait commissions to complete in the studio, so I will be working on them this week. 

today, however, listening to the rain and getting some rest!

Keeping you in the loop!

Oops, missed last week's post.  Sorry, all... our house is undergoing a makeover and I have been hard at work painting walls, cabinets, organizing closets and drawers.... Oh, what FUN!!  (sic)  But, soon the new floor will be in, making the new counter tops and sinks look even better.  We have finally found a really good contractor, who is honest, thoughtful, creative, and reasonable.  He actually does a great job!  Anyone who wants a worker in SA, call me... I will hook you up!

So, what's up in my art... sad to say I haven't painted anything for 17 days!  except walls, of course.  But I heard today that I have been accepted into the Boerne Texas Hill Country Invitational show, and I will be participating in the quick draw competition as well.  SO EXCITING.  Here is a little blurb with a link if you want to find out more.

The Texas Hill Country Invitational, a premier art show and sale, will be held Oct.19-21 in historic Boerne, Texas, and promises to be a true fine art experience. More than forty talented artists in diverse artistic media will display their works. Additional activities will include a paint-out with silent auction, an opening night preview event, a quick draw and live auction, artist demonstrations, and a breakfast with the artists. For additional information visit boerneprofessionalartists.com. 

 Another terrific thing is also coming up... I will be participating in the Kerrville Outdoor Painters event, also in October... and here is a link for that....      http://www.kacckerrville.com/kope.html

http://www.kacckerrville.com/kope.html

A Whole Week Without Painting

Good Grief!  This week has been all about emptying my living room, dining room and kitchen in preparation for new flooring and paint and counter top.  No time to paint.  Man, am I ever itching to go outside to do a dozen or so paintings!!  LOL

On a very positive note, a couple of really great things have happened.  First, I was named the first Artist of the Month by the Shertz Area Artz Council to have a hanging of work in October.  Better get busy buying frames!!  The work will be displayed in the Shertz Civic Center through the month of October.  Hope some of you can come see.  I am in the process of choosing my paintings to hang, no easy task!

Another thing, and maybe good of a longer duration, I have been asked to have a small display, only 6 paintings, at a local, very upscale, boutique/designer showcase/decorator center called Five Broads Off Broadway.  They plan a reception by invitation to their clientele of designers and decorators.  I really hope this becomes a consistent source of revenue and leads to recognition by several galleries here in San Antonio.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.  I can use all the positive energy I can get.

A fun little show

On August 1st, my birthday as it happened, I hung a small show of my recent plein air work at a local gallery/cafe.  We had a reception on Aug.4th, and the place was RockIN"!!  We filled all the seats and there was standing room only.  Such fun, and I made some sales, which made me very happy!  A good time was had by all.

Thesis Work

Here are the paintings that made up my Thesis Project. 
Profound Relationships:  Animals and Their Humans.

Each painting represents a moment of time in which I caught the subjects at their most revealing.  My concerns were to show the subjects naturally in available light, depicting candid moments, and showing the  relationships between the animals and their humans.

Finally!

Well, I finished my MFA degree in May.  The last few months of school were hectic and somewhat disappointing in terms of the learning standards I had been used to.  Perhaps that was the intent, to give me the space to start becoming the artist I have become.  At any rate, it did force me to start thinking for myself, whereas before I was thinking mainly of how to please the instructors, and make the grades.  Aside from the intense work I was doing, and the giant leaps of learning I was making, there was always the need to make the grades!

As school drew to a close, I began to realize that I was going to be on my own, making my own art decisions, making my own choices, finding my own way in the art world.  So here I am now, brand new degree on the wall, boxes, and portfolios, and stacks of paintings taking up space in my studio, time on my hands, and looking for work!

Last week, I hung a small show of my landscape plein air paintings.  During the reception of my show I sold 3 paintings.  This was a wonderful way to start off my "new" life.  Thanks to the Gallery at Rise for hanging my show, and thanks to all my clients, students, and friends who attended.  I hope to continue this passion for plein air work, as well as doing studio paintings.  I have plans for several different series of works, so in the next few months, you will see some of those ideas take shape on this blog. 

Thanks for the support you all have given me over the years, and thanks for your continued interest and support.  I hope to be more regular with this blog in the future, as I get used to the "new" daily grind!

Crisis of Life Changing

I guess we all go thru this at one time or another, but today, it really hit me that my life as I have known it for the last 25 years is pretty much over....and there is a big brand new life beckoning me, tantalizingly, just over the horizon.  I guess I am panicking in case it doesn't work... Maybe I have just wasted the last 3 years and tons of money, and p.o.'d lots of friends cause I have been too busy for them for nothing!  I hope that is not the case, but right now, it looks pretty scary.  I am afraid I can't cut it, that I won't be good enough.  But you know what!  I am giving it my all, I am giving it the good ol' college try.... literally!  I know I have learned more than I have ever learned before, my art and my craft have both improved, and I am understanding myself more.  Sooooo, wish me well, pray for me, keep me in your thoughts, and cross your fingers....  I can sure use it!

Here is my latest painting and one of my entries into the Salon International Exhibition this year.  This was a fun painting to do...