Merry Christmas to all!

Dusky Wings, Gold Leaves (mixed media on paper)

Art can say "Merry Christmas" without the traditional symbols and colors!

Some Good News

Flight of Dragonfly, Fluid Acrylic, 21 X  14 inches IM, 29 X 22 inches FR

Just got the news, Flight of the Dragonfly received an Honorable Mention award in the 30th Annual Mississippi Watercolor Society's Grand National Juried Exhibition, Juror: Paul Jackson.

Aspens in Early Light

 

Aspens in Early Light, Oil, 12 X 9 inches

 

Demo Painting for the River Cities Art Association Meeting 9/14/14.

I used 6 color primary process to mix a variety of greens, quickly developed the major shapes and values in the composition, then added refining details.

Obelisk

Obelisk, Fluid Acrylic, 14x10 Inches
I like dragonflies, birds, and butterflies. They are creatures of  the earth, the air and also water.  I have several varieties of dragonflies around my backyard pond. This pose I have learned is called obelisking and  is something dragonflies do to help stay cool by presenting less of their mass to the sun.

Green Dreams

Green Dreams, Fluid Acrylic, 14X10 Inches

I love the colors of early spring.  Some greens are so bright they almost hurt your eyes and some are more brownish.  I began this painting in early spring and finished it recently. The greens seem highly saturated so that the air almost look greenish gold.  

Great Blue

Great Blue, Watermedia, 29x22 Inches

What I like about this painting is the stillness of the bird contrasted with the energy in the background.  These birds are very patient and still by nature. 

Work in progress 2

Fluid Acrylic on WC and Rice Paper, 21 X 14 inches 

I finished the painting with the addition of dead trees in foreground and a marsh hawk. The painting seemed to suggest a place of quiet and waiting.  I am drawn to contrasts in nature: light and dark, warm and cool. With the contrast between the live trees and dead trees I attempted to imply that nature is constantly in flux.

Work in progress

Untitled (step 2)

I began this painting with a cool blue wash then dropped in some warm browns. I had thought about putting some rich gold in the landscape but liked the contrast of the brown and blue. The initial wash suggested a landscape so in step two I developed the trees.  I was thinking field and trees, but before I went to bed at 11:00 PM, I added the distant treeline.  The process suggested water and marsh.  I saved some of the "accidents" from the first wash and am trying to let them be a part of the finished painting. 

the Gift (2)

The Gift (Step 2)

 

I have added some distant details to give a suggestion of shoreline based on landforms along the Northwest coast. I also a second layer of wash to the water while saving the sky from the beginning wash.

the Gift

The Gift

This is a the beginning wash for a new painting I am working on.

It is inspired by a relaxation visualization. 



Dawn's Promise

 

 

Dawn's Promise, Watermedia, 29 x 22 Inches

 

Rivers are threads connecting communities .  Rivers are always flowing constantly changing.  Dawn is a time of new beginning, symbolic of the promise that every day is an opportunity for growth and change.  As the sun rises, light gradually pushes back darkness.  The painting is symbolic of the battle of dark and light, but the mood evoked is one of peace with the promise of dawn offering hope . 

Miles to Go

 

Miles to Go Before I Sleep, Acrylic, 36 x 21 inches

For Mike, Happy Birthday.

 

 

Water Dragon Landing, Watermedia

 

This painting (sold) recently won Best of Show in the Hoover Watercolor Society's 57th Annual Spring Exhibition in Shreveport, Louisiana.  The exhibition was held in Norsworthy Gallery, 214 Texas St. The Show will travel to Michelson Museum of Art in Marshall, TX, July 8-August 30, 2014.

 

February 6th, 6:45 PM Artist's Talk

Ouachita River Art Gallery, 308 Trenton Street, West Monroe, LA 

Contrasts

Great Blue, watermedia, 21X14 inches (IM) 29X22 inches (FR

I love long legged wading birds. The stillness of this great blue heron is a nice contrast for the movement in the background. 

Chill Wind

A Chill Wind that Blows No Good, Watermedia: Acrylic,  29X22 inches (FR)

 

Part of my wind series, the tree is from my grandmother's yard, but everything else is from my imagination.  As a little girl I loved the trees in Mamaw's yard because their twisted and knobby character was evidence of their history.  More than 100 years of life in a farmyard serving as everything from playhouse to butcher's hoist.

Louisiana Swampscape

Twilight, Acrylic on Composite Board, 30 X 24 Inches, 2010 www.ouachitariverartgallery.com

 

This painting one of 4 paintings that marked the beginning of a change in my recent work. Twilight is an attempt to capture not only the physical imagery but the emotional myth of the Louisiana swampscape; the eternal battle between dark and light, myth and truth.

Dream Portal

Dream Portal, Acrylic, 18 X 24 Inches

 

In Dream Portal I try to use color and light to evoke the filtered light common on woodland trails, inviting the viewer to take a walk with me.  I love the woods and have been exploring all of my life.  I am also a dreamer and more likely to daydream than be fearful when alone in the woods.



Beyond

Beyond Me, Acrylic, Watermedia Acrylic, 28X21 inches (IM), 36X28 inches (FR)

 

This time of year the sky seems infinite and you can really look up and see.  So look up and find something beyond. 

Infinite Mysteries

Infinite Mysteries, Watermedia Acrylic, 8 X 6 inches (IM), 13 X 15 inches (FR)

"Why" is not just a question that 2 years olds ask.  I think we ask why all of our lives.  The answer is one of the Infinite Mysteries of Life. The contrasting colors green and red represent the answers to our "why?" or mysteries of life.