Contemporary Abstract with Palette Knife

"Watch Over Me"

20 x 20 x 1.5 inches, Oil on Gallery-wrapped Canvas

I love that song "Someone to Watch Over Me"...I think we all have someone who watches over us and I'm sure we watch over someone. Not literally but in thoughts, prayers and well-wishes.

I love getting emails and phone calls that start with "I was thinking about you...." I've got to remember to do that myself more often and let the people I care know that I think about them.

Thank you for watching over me. Have a beautiful weekend

Celebration - Palette Knife Painting of White Flowers

"Celebration"

14 x 14 x 3/4 inches, Oil on Canvas

Thick Palette knife Painting

I had painted a painting called "I Celebrate You" last year and was asked to do another, so here it is. The background colors are deeper and the vase is blue rather than the dark green of the first painting.

It's already November!! Daylight savings, fall back on the clocks...where does the time go? Driving around at 4 in the afternoon feels like it is late at night and I hurry to get home.

And yet it was warm enough today to wish I was wearing sandals!

Lakeshore - Abstract Lanscape Palette Knife Oil Painitng

"Lakeshore"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on board, Palette Knife

This abstract came about from playing with color. I'd actually wanted a more teal color instead of this intense blue but I think it works with the warm red. I use a limited palette when painting and for this one I used just Prussian Blue, Cad Yellow Pale, Cad Red and white. I find it fun to be able to come up with various combinations using the limited palette, but magenta is a hard one to mix.

Kicking Back with a Glass of Wine and Sunset

"Kicking Back"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board, Palette Knife Painting

A little while ago, fellow artist Manon Doyle visited Arizona and put a photo of her feet up on a table, a glass of wine and the sunset kissing her toes. It was such a cool photo I asked her if I could use it as a reference for a future painting. Well this is it - Manon's feet. Thank you Manon for the use of your photo!

Merry Christmas and Poinsettias

"Merry Christmas"

5 x 7 inches, Oil on Board

We haven't had Halloween yet. But driving by my neighborhood I saw Christmas lights out! Several homes!! OK the first home had orange twinkly lights so I suppose that could be considered Halloween decorations but the others had multi-colored light. Maybe they were feeling festive....

We're having a mixed temperatures here in North Texas; it's raining today and slated to get cooler. The leaves on the trees just outside my window is turning yellowish-brown quickly.

Yesterday I found this critter in my bedroom. He's about an inch long. I scooped him up in a glass and placed him next to my computer on my desk as I was working. He had these beautiful big eyes. I asked a friend what I ought to do with this guy and the advice was let him free outside. I did that but I worry about the cold weather we might have ahead. He was such a cutie pie with those eyes!

Blue, Blue, Blue - Palette Knife Painting of a Lady in a Blue Dress

"Blue, Blue, Blue"

6 x 6 inches, oil on Board

It's just the color; I'm not blue. In fact so many interesting things have happened in the past few days that I've no time to be blue except for the fact that I'd not had a chance to blog.

This painting is available for auction - CLICK HERE TO PLACE BID.

The Artist reception at the Dutch Art Gallery was fantastic!. Thanks to Pam and everyone at the Dutch Art Gallery for putting on a wonderful reception. For me, meeting the other Texas Artists who are a part of the Artists of Texas was a real pleasure. Laurie Pace put together a slide show of the Artist Reception and it is available for viewing on the Artists of Texas Website.

Last week I visited my artsy friend Filomena Booth at her house in Waco, TX. She's been making Youtube videos and taught me how to make one too. So here is my first attempt at YouTube:

So, you see, I've nothing to be blue about!

Artists of Texas/Daily Painters of Texas

This afternoon I'll be at the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas for the "Somewhere In Texas" Art Exhibit featuring artwork by the Artists of Texas and Daily Painters of Texas. I'll be looking forward to meeting the other artists! If you're in the DFW area, please stop by:

Opening Reception
The Dutch Art Gallery, Fine Art & Custom Framing
10233 E. Northwest Hwy Suite 420
Dallas, Texas 75238
DATE: October 17, 2009
TIME: 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm

View works by Artists from across the great state of Texas who network and share their Art through online blogging.

For a Sneak Preview Visit
www.ArtistsofTexas.org
www.DailyPaintersofTexas.blogspot.com

Floral Palette Knife Painting - Be Still My Heart

"Be Still My Heart"

12 x 12 x 3/4 inches, Gallery Wrapped Canvas

Someone uttered that, "Be still, my heart" So many connotations....excitement? Love? Joy?

What makes your heart pound?

This is a larger painting of a very similar one I'd done a couple of weeks ago on a gessoed board 6 x 6 inches - a study. I liked the small one so much that I decided to paint a larger version of it.

It's been raining, raining, raining, here in North Texas. Very hard to tak a decent photo with the gray light. Hope you have sunshine wherever you are reading my blog.

Cosmos - Floral Palette Knife Painting

"Cosmos"

12 x 12 x 3/4 inches, Oil on Gallery wrapped canvas

Painted with the palette knife

Sometimes we are our own enemy. The last post mentioned regret for the things we'd not done, but why don't we just do it? Like the Nike Ad? "Just Do It"...well for many many personal reasons most likely.

As long as the reasons are valid. For here's another quote to contemplate:

"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right" -- Henry Ford

I think we can defeat ourselves by saying "I can't" just as you can do anything you put your mind to. So I think I'll challenge myself to not say "I can't" and see how I might be able to "can" and "do". Even if it takes a few tries. Like the The Little Engine That Could...I should be saying, "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can" and chug along.

Bittersweet - Palette Knife Oil Painting of White Blooms

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board

A quote of the day. Here's to stepping out of the box and doing something that scares you...

"Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable."

---Sydney J. Harris