Oh, The Water

This painting is another gel medium smooszh painting. Yes, I know, it doesn't sound to technical but it is discriptive none the less. First the gel medium went on and some sap green paint. The large trowel and knives moved the color into what was a vertical pattern. I stood back, walked around the painting and saw that we had sails! It was either sails or another forest. I chose to bring out the sails. Ultra Marine blue and white with some olive green here and there, formed the waters and sky. You can see the underlying green of the first layer. Next came the sails themselves. A few licks of the knife here and there and we have, "Safe Harbor", 16"x16"x1 1/2" gallery wrap, acrylic knife work.


This beautifully framed oil painting has the sunset sky reflecting on the water. Up close you can see the foaming incoming tide water as a hungry sand piper scurries along looking for a late sand crab supper. The mood of this painting is a soothing one. Pinks and blues and lavenders fill this canvas. "The Pink Shore", 10"x20" framed, oil on canvas.

New paintings, Birds, Birds, Birds

This painting, "Seagulls on a Beach" I did at the last art show in Ft. Payne, as an exhibition painting. I really enjoy painting for the people and I think they like to watch the process happen.

Today I did two paintings, this one entitled simply, "The Rooster". I have been experimenting with a new technique and have really enjoyed it. I never know what the painting is going to be, I don't attack the canvass knowing, "I think I'll paint such and so..." This type of painting happens after I apply some gel medium and paint and smooszh it around some with knives. Yes, that is a technical term "Smooszh." I lay a color or two down and while it's drying the images I see while walking around the table and canvas become clear. This time it was a rooster.


This time it was birds on a branch. These Orioles came out last night. As a past resident of Maryland I just was thrilled to see them appear!

All three of these canvases have a 1 1/2 inch gallery wrap on the sides. The Seagulls are an 8"x8", the Rooster is a 16"x16" and the Orioles are an 8"x16".
Birds, Birds, Birds....!!!!!
By the way, the "Rooster" has SOLD!

Norhteast Alabama Art Council Art Show

This Saturday the 18th of September was the first annual art show for the newly formed Northeast Alabama Art Council. The event was held at The Grand Ole Lady house in Fort Payne Al.. It's the residence of Artist Anne Hamilton. Her home is an old Victorian style home painted a lively mint green with a lovely front porch which is featured here on the day of the show. As you can see there was a musician strumming and art placed around for the public to enjoy and purchase. Anne was a very gracious hostess to the event and is seated in the background wearing the black blouse and white slacks.
Also around the property were artist set up in booths. This is my side of the booth shared with Michele Lee. We both had easels set up and were painting on exhibit for the crowd.
Here is Michele seated on the other side of the booth, painting. This is her second piece to paint outdoors as the first one sold right off the easel!
This is one of the patrons with her purchase of my painting "Go Fish". She just knew right off the bat that this was her painting and exactly where she was going to hang it!

Michele and I stayed with Anne in advance of the art show to help with the preparations and to spend some quality time with this wonderful lady. She has taught me Sooo much, not only about art, she's a wonderfuly skilled teacher, but she's also a very intelligent and keen woman who has reinvented herself many times over in her life and she just keeps getting better and better. A perfect example of womanhood.
I look forward to next years event as it promises to be even greater than this past weekends.

Go Fish

Well, whaddaya know? I did another flow/trowel painting and look what I see, FISH! I was amazed that when I finished moving the paint around and it dried, there were little eyes attached to fins, staring back at me. Even my left brained ordered husband saw these little fish coming to life right before our eyes. A few brush strokes and few more layers and wallah, "Go Fish!"

Wolf Moon

The Wolf Moon is a full moon that occurs in January. Its name comes from hungry wolf packs that would howl outside the villages of Native Americans.
This painting is done in all reflective/ iridescent colors to give the full moon night sky a more illuminated presence. It's also done on a black gessoed canvas.

The Butterfly

This little butterfly is the last in a series of three. If you remember the past post info you will recall that my husband Jim True took the photo that this butterfly is modeled after, on our backyard butterfly bush this summer. These little paintings are the most zoomed in paintings I've done.

Winner of Free Drawing

Yesterday at the Athen's Art on the Square, I had the viewers participate in a drawing for a free painting. This was just my way of saying thank you to everyone who comes along to the booth. Most folks are just so kind and generous in thier ways, they make me want to just come back and do it all again no matter the work.
This is Kim Anderson, the lucky winner. Kim also purchased a painting while at the booth as well, so this was quite a surprise to both her and I that she would also win the drawing. There was one little girl who put her name in for the drawing, she carefully folded up her little slip of paper, put it in the middle of the bag and then turned to me and said, "You know you have to mix all those up before you pick one!" I assured her I would, Ha ha, what a sweety pie.
I believe I will continue this practice as I just want to continue to say , "Thank you".

Athens Art On The Square

Today was the Athens Art On The Square art show and festival. Here's a picture of me at the booth today. Because of the threat of rain , the arts council decided to move us all over to the Athens State University Gym on Pryor st.. I believe turn out was greatly affected because of the last minute change of plans, but the Athens folks are just real nice and surely made up for that. I would do this show again because of the people of Athens. Thank you to all of them who came by the booth today.

This is a lovely lady who stopped by today and really liked this painting called "Healing". She came by twice and finally decided she had to have it. So, off she went carrying her found treasure with just the perfect place in mind to hang it.
We also sold a few smaller pieces but I forgot to get pics of those nice folks. Sorry about that.

We had a free drawing for a painting and I will post tomorrow on the winner with a picture to share. That is, if I don't forget to bring the camera when I deliver it! Yikes! I am getting that old forgetfulness thing going on of late.

All in all a great day. Saw many old friends and made some new. The rain held off till after we loaded and went home.

Next week I will be at Ann Hamilton's art show in Fort Payne, Al..
I will be going with my friend Michele Lee of Artistic Finishes at atristicfinishesstudio.com
Stay tuned, more info to follow.

The Woods

My friend and I both enjoy a technique called pouring. I use a thinned out paint, and she uses a thickening medium in her style and I thought I'd give her style a try. The paint began to marry with the medium and I smooshed it around with a trowel, same as in my technique. The paint stays where you move it in this fashion instead of continuing to flow and blend with the other colors.
I stopped and while the first layer was drying, I began to look for a pattern, picture or inspiration to tell me what this painting was going to be. The colors were what actually inspired me to think of the woods. And, so it was, "The Woods". First the big tree appeared, then the others as well as the branches. What wood would be complete without the softly filtering down of autumn leaves? So, there it is. I must say I enjoyed this little venture and will probably try this again.

The Sandpiper

As I always do when wanting to paint but having no direction, the beach, once again. This time we have just the slight tinge of the pink sky beginning to appear on the horizon. I really love how the colors in the sky also change the colors of the sea.
In this painting we have a little sandpiper out to catch his last meal of the day. I can just imagine the little sand crabs scampering away and hurriedly burying themselves in the wet sand of the tide.