Friday, August 26, 2011

Dogs and Poetry

Here's Miss Maisie, on duty in front of my studio this morning. This is one of her many favorite sidesaddle poses.

I'm working on two abstracts right now but won't have them finished until I return from my second trip of the month to California. James is coming with me this time...we'll be helping my Mom again with some things around the house and property, including taking care of the queen of the farm, Lulu the cow.

I'll leave you for now with this awesome poem from Delights and Shadows. See you soon...maybe while I'm there I will post some pics of beautiful Petaluma!

A Box of Pastels

I once held on my knees a simple wooden box
in which a rainbow lay dusty and broken.
It was a set of pastels that had years before
belonged to the painter, Mary Cassatt,
and all of the colors she'd used in her work
lay open before me. Those hues she'd most used,
the peaches and pinks, were worn down to stubs,
while the cool colors - violet, ultramarine -
had been set, scarcely touched, to one side.
She'd had little patience with darkness, and her heart
held only a measure of shadow. I touched
the warm dust of those colors, her tools,
and left there with light on the tips of my fingers.

~Ted Kooser

Thursday, August 18, 2011

New Abstract

"Stepping Stones"
16" x 16" acrylic and collage on canvas

Here's a new abstract that finally came together after lots and LOTS of layering. I'm not complaining though...layering gives my work a more interesting texture and depth.

I've been struggling to get painting time in lately. Lots of health issues going on with my Mom so I will be flying out to California again in a week to help her with things.

Hope to be able to keep in touch more often on this blog, Facebook and Twitter soon. Hang in there with me!

Hope you've all been doing well!

Monday, August 01, 2011

New work!

"By an Open Window"
24" x 24" acrylic and collage on canvas

Just completed this new painting. I'm almost finished with another one so hope to show you that soon. I'm thinking this piece will be part of a new series, but I'm not sure what I want to call the series yet. I think the words will come as I keep painting.

I had to take my show down at My Sweet Bakery yesterday. It was sad to see the bare walls...but I'm happy that another Artist will be able to show her work there next. The Owner, Kelly, took a few pictures when my work was up and you can see them here on My Sweet Bakery's Gallery page.

So after packing up the artwork...James and I drove home with a car load of paintings...and a big box of pastry which we have almost entirely consumed (licking almond paste off fingers). If you live in Denver...get thyself to this place...their pastry tastes like the pastry in Paris!