Dear and Fawn - SOLD

On our way to the Grand Canyon North Rim in September, Rich and I drove through Pagosa Springs, CO where I spotted some deer in a farmer's field and yelled, Stop! Rich is used to this and doesn't freak out when I say it. He knows what's going on. So we turned around. By the time we got to the deer they were walking into the woods just as the sun was going down. I started taking pictures and they kept looking at this strange person following them. Not camera shy at all. This is a 6 x 6 oil on canvas panel available in my Etsy shop. Click here to view my shop.

Fawns in Shadow

Rich and I took a trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon in September. We drove through Pagosa Springs, CO and saw some deer grazing in a farmer's field. We did a U-turn and drove down a road to get closer. At that point the deer were heading for the woods because the sun was going down. I followed a deer and two fawns with my camera in hand. The light was almost horizontal at that point — just beautiful. I'm entering this painting in a local juried show so it's not for sale. The grass was the hardest for me to figure out. I'm not even sure I'm done. Sometimes it's best to stop and stare for a while.

Vase Full of Color

I just got back from a 4 day workshop with artist Carlo Russo on Whidbey Island near Seattle. The workshop was on painting flowers. I love Carlo's work and wanted to learn his oil painting process. He asked us to buy a set of round pointed sable brushes which are never used by most of the artists I've taken classes and workshops from. Turns out Carlo is a true renegade. He was told by an art teacher in the university he attended that he would end up painting in antique shops if he continued using those brushes. He's now in some top galleries and making a good living selling his art. He also paints on very smooth double primed linen canvas to get the look he wants. He starts by using very thin paint to block in the picture. Then he lets that dry and next uses thicker paint not mixed with medium. The most important thing I learned was that I shouldn't clean my brush by swishing it around in solvent when I'm painting. Too much solvent makes the brush more likely to pick up the paint I'm trying to cover. He wipes off most of the paint on a paper towel after one dip in the solvent. I painted the above painting in the workshop. It's a 9 x 12 inch oil on a linen panel available in my Etsy shop. Below are some photos of the workshop demos done by Carlo. To see his work, check out his website. 

Hiding

I have developed a fascination with jackrabbits since living on the prairie. This painting isn't finished yet but I'm happy with the progress. I decided to start with the eye — the most important part of this painting — and move on from there. Jackrabbits flatten their ears and hold very still when they see you approaching trying to hide even though they are in plain sight. I have a great camera lens that lets me stay far enough away so they don't bolt. This is an 8 x 8 inch oil.

Sunset Drama - SOLD

This is a 5 x 10 inch painting inspired by the views I see from our front porch at sunset. It's available framed or unframed. You can see this and my other paintings/prints available on my Etsy site

Bison Bull - SOLD

I tried something different with this painting. I used red acrylic paint as an underpainting and let it dry. That made the colors I used tend to be brighter and shift to the primaries (red, yellow and blue). Just experimenting. This is a 12 x 16 gallery wrapped canvas available on my website.

Cat Bliss - SOLD

This is a larger version of a painting I did last year. It's 14 x 14 inches on gallery wrap canvas which means it doesn't need to be framed. I fell in love with this cat’s face. I smile whenever I look at this painting. Thanks to Ariane Kraemer at pmp-art.com for allowing me to use her photo to paint from. You can see this painting and others I have available in my Etsy shop.

Kingbird in Aspen

This Western Kingbird was perched in an aspen tree at sunset. The light made its yellow belly even more bright and the aspen bark glowed. I used a gold metallic oil paint on parts of the feathers to show the glow. This is a 5 x 7 inch oil painting on a linen canvas panel. It's available in my Etsy shop.

Sunset Moon - SOLD

One night last summer the moon was rising as the sun was setting. The clouds below the moon turned orange and looked like they were on fire. But the clouds above the moon were dark blue silhouettes. It was a magical scene — almost unreal. This is an unframed 18 x 18 inch oil painting on stretched linen canvas. It's available in my Etsy shop.

Young Jackrabbit - SOLD

I live on the Colorado prairie where jackrabbits are common. They are really comical. I went outside to take photos of this one and it ran away. But then it stopped, turned around, and watched me take its picture. I think it was young and curious. This 10.25 x 5.75 inch oil painting is available in my Etsy shop.

Best Pair Yet - SOLD

 

My 8 x 10 pastel painting titled "Best Pair Yet" was accepted into a show called "Rawhide and Spurs" at Mountain Trails Fine Art gallery in Santa Fe. Show is up till July 23rd. Santa Fe is the 3rd largest art market in the U.S. NYC is 1st, Los Angeles is number 2. See the show here.

Prairie Sunset - SOLD

This is my largest oil painting to date. I began this painting not knowing if it would turn out. A bigger canvas is definitely a bigger challenge. I have wiped them out before. But I am pleased with this one. I have been staring at these glorious sunsets from our front porch for over a year now and my observations are starting to sink in. This painting is a 24 x 36 inch gallery wrapped canvas meaning it hangs without a frame. It's available in my Etsy shop. 

Jackrabbit Nap - SOLD

This young jackrabbit came into our yard but couldn't find its way back out. So it decided to take a nap. This is a 6 x 6 inch oil painting available in my Etsy shop. It's not framed but I can frame it for you. Just email me for details.

Prairie Rain - SOLD

This is a common sight on the prairie where I live in Colorado. The clouds are huge. They even make the mountains look small. This 11 x 14 oil painting is available in my Etsy shop.

Sparrow on a Broken Vine - SOLD

This beautiful little guy was perched on a broken grapevine behind our home. I am a bird lover but the wonderful light is what inspired me. This is a 6 x 6 inch unframed oil painting available here.

Rooster on the Run

I was taking a walk around our country roads and saw a neighbor standing still with a blanket draped around her arms. She was bending over and talking to this rooster. It took me only a second to figure out the rooster was loose and she was trying to catch him. I shot some photos but kept my distance. She must have succeeded because the next time I walked by Mr. Rooster was in the hen house. I did some painting with the knife on this one. I was inspired to try after seeing a demo by Jill Soukup a couple weeks ago. Jill has wonderful texture in her oil paintings. She applies it over an underpainting using everything from a credit card to a plastic window ice scraper for a car. Below are some photos of Jill's Demo. My 11 x 14 rooster oil painting is being auctioned at the Daily Paintworks website with a starting bid of $100. Click here to bid.

Rocky Mountain Lake

 

This was a study in subtle color shifts — the reflections in the water and the areas where you can see through the water to the rocks below. Quite a challenge! This is an 8 x 14 oil painting on canvas panel. I'm calling it Rocky Mountain Lake. It's available in my Etsy shop. Click here to get details.

Sundown Bunny - SOLD

 

​I am really happy with how this painting turned out. So happy I'm going to hang on to it for a while. Sometimes everything just comes together. I happened to use a canvas that had a pink tint on it from a painting I'd wiped out once upon a time. That pink tint was perfect under the snow. The light on the rabbit and grass behind as the sun was going down was a beautiful orange. I found a frame in my collection that has a copper inset which is a perfect compliment. All I can do is say "Thank you."

Sunlit Sparrow - SOLD

Just a beautiful little painting of a beautiful little sparrow. This is a 4 x 4 inch unframed oil painting on a canvas panel available in my Etsy shop.

Birdbath Gossip - SOLD

A flock of robins came to our birdbath in the fall. I'd never seen so many together. They reminded me of people gathered at the office water cooler  : ) This is an 11 x 6 oil painting being auctioned on the Daily Paintworks site. Click here to bid. Starting bid is $95.

Staying Warm

This red finch was staying warm on a rainy day a few weeks ago along with many of his friends. I call this getting foofy. They puff out their feathers to preserve their body heat on a cold day. It totally changes the look of their tiny bodies. Even more cute (if that's possible). This 6 x 6 inch oil painting is available in my Etsy store.

Prairie Sunrise

I'm painting larger skies. This one is 12 x 16 inches. I'm also using bigger brushes and experimenting with gallery wrapped canvas that doesn't need a frame. This scene is a sunrise behind our house. I'm a night owl but Rich gets up early and takes photos of incredible sunrises. It's such a blessing to see these wild displays of color morning and night, day after day, This painting is available in my Etsy shop. Click here to see price and details.

Joyride - SOLD

My husband and I followed this happy dog for a while on the way home from church last Sunday. I couldn't help but think what a great painting he would be. And I had my camera that morning! This is a 5 x 7 inch oil painting available in my Etsy shop. I'm calling it "Joyride".

Sleepy Pair - SOLD

I started this painting almost 3 weeks ago when I caught a cold virus. Then several end of the month to-dos kicked in. I just finished tax prep. Now I'm feeling better and looking forward to some painting time! This is a pigeon pair who have been hanging out in our yard. They often sit on the ground which seems a bit odd. Here they are taking a nap together. This painting is available in my Etsy shop. Click here to see it and other available paintings.

Pretty Dove

 

This is an eurasian collared-dove that was sunning itself in our yard this winter. It was sitting on the ground with its partner. They seem to hang out in pairs. Its feathers are poofed out because of the cold. They are a spectacle of delicate color especially when bathed in light. This is a 5 x 7 inch unframed oil painting. It's available in my Etsy shop. I can frame this for you. Just ask : )

Winter Greens - SOLD

This bunny came to our yard recently along with several others. They were finding green shoots starting to come up under last year's dead grass. We've had a few really warm days and some rain too. Bunny heaven in February : ) This 6 x 6 inch oil painting is available in my Etsy shop. Click here for more info.

Bird in a Bush

I am fascinated with how birds seem to disappear when they perch in a bush or a tree. This red finch has perfect camouflage with its striped belly. I started this painting upside down so that I wouldn't get bogged down in every little tree branch. It helped. This is a 6 x 6 oil painting on a canvas panel. It's available in my Etsy shop.

Pretty Blue Eyes - SOLD

This blue-eyed cat belongs to some friends who live on a farm in Colorado. I had many cats at home when I was a child but don't remember ever seeing one with blue eyes. The eyes are what made me want to paint this contented kitty. This 6 x 6 inch oil painting is available in my Etsy shop. Click here to see it. You can see all my available paintings here.

Prairie Sundown - SOLD

I'm focusing on learning to paint the sky this year. This painting was a lesson in perseverance. I was going to wipe it. Then I decided to use a fan brush to soften the edges. It looked better. I wasn't able to get back to the painting right away so it dried. That gave me a really nice underpainting. Moral of the story — don't give up too soon : ) This is an 8 x 10 inch framed painting available in my Etsy shop. Click here to buy. You can see all my available paintings here.

Tulip Time

I must have Spring Fever. I saw these tulips in the grocery store and couldn't resist. It's been ages since I painted flowers. This was fun! This painting is available in my Etsy shop. Click here to see the details.

Sparrow on the Grapevine - SOLD

Had to get back to painting birds because I enjoy them so much. This is a 5 x 7 inch oil on canvas panel. It's available in my Etsy shop. Click here to see the details. If you see an image in my Etsy shop that is only available as a print because the original painting sold, ask me about painting it again. I did that for a customer this summer.