Still Life with Roses VI

Still Life with Roses VI
Original 24" x 30" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

This painting is the most recent in the Still Life with Roses series, which has been very popular with my patrons. As a painter I find that still life paintings are among my most favorite to paint. I have a patron in Austin who has purchased quite a few still life paintings from me, who has filled most of the wall space in her home with my paintings. She told me recently that she's almost out of room, but that she's got some ideas for paintings at her boyfriend's house where there is plenty of wall space to work with.

Quote of the day: "Art is not so much expressing oneself, as it is discovering oneself." --Anawanitia

Lavender and Blossoms

Provence Lavender Commission
Original 36" x 48" x 1.5" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Oriental Blossoms IV
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

The paintings in today's post are among my favorites. The Provence Lavender commission was something I did for a patron in Washington who wanted a gift for his wife that would remind her of their trip to France.

The Oriental Blossoms series has been really popular with my patrons. I had to paint another in the series today, because the painting I posted here and listed for sale yesterday sold today. The buyer was a patron in Mississippi who's bought several of my paintings. I'm always pleased to see her back--she's a great lady to work with.

Quote of the day: "Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone." --Joni Mitchell

Today's Paintings 3/29/09

Oriental Blossoms III
Original 24" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Springtime Aspens Commission
Original 54" x 24" x 0.75" painting
Three 18" x 24" canvases
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's paintings celebrate the beauty of Spring. Oriental Blossoms III has been in my head for a couple of years now, and I finally put it down on canvas. It was inspired by the crabapple tree in my back yard. Each Spring I look forward to when this tree erupts with those vibrant pink blossoms, and I can't wait for that to happen again this year. I find great joy from the natural beauty in this world, and sharing it with the people I love.

I've created several paintings in the Springtime Aspens series. This commission was requested by a patron who found one version in my web site portfolio. I've created several single and multiple canvas versions of this composition. I am always willing to expand any of my compositions onto multiple canvases at the patron's request. Some of my compositions really lend themselves to diptychs (2 canvases) and triptychs (3 canvases).

Quote of the day: "Beauty is a fragile gift." --Ovid

Mountain Sunset II

Mountain Sunset II
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

This composition is popular--so much so that it sold on one of my sales venues less than 24 hours after listing it. So I felt compelled to paint another one today in the hope that history repeats itself on the sales front--not to mention the fact that this composition is fun to paint.

Quote of the day: "Words and ideas are only useful if they are put into practice." --Thich Nhat Hanh

Today's Paintings 3/27/09

Prairie Sky at Sunset II
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Mountain Sunset
Original 24" x 30" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's paintings use sunset themes and were inspired by photographs from friends and my husband. Both Mountain Sunset and Prairie Sky at Sunset reflect dramatic skyscapes that are fun to paint and which my patrons like very much.

Quote of the day: "I am an artist… I am here to live out loud." --Emile Zola

Abstract Apple Tree III

Abstract Apple Tree III
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

This is the latest edition in the Abstract Apple Tree series. Part of my newest decorative line of paintings, I'm putting more emphasis on earth tones and larger "over-the-couch" type of works. A patron is requesting another edition in this series for her new home. She has some very specific color requirements, which I am happy to provide--in fact, it actually helps me when a client let's me know what works for them, as it takes some of the guess work out of painting something that meets their specifications and requirements.

Quote of the day: "Art is just something that human beings need to do. Some get to make art every day. Most just make their art when they get the chance. History does not care. History gets the work." --Peter William Brown

Poppies on Blue Sky X

Poppies on Blue Sky X
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's painting is the latest in the Poppies on Blue Sky series. This is the largest single-canvas version of this painting that I've done. My patrons really love this composition, and I've sold each edition in the entire series. This series was inspired by a friend's photo and my imagination.

I'm still getting a reasonable number of commission orders too. I have a few more in the pipeline, and am grateful for the work. Painting has been my day job for over five years now, and I want to keep it that way. So thank you, patrons, for allowing me to paint full time.

Quote of the day: "The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude." --Friedrich Nietzsche

Love Times Nine

Love Times Nine
Original 36" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Three 12" x 36" canvases
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier Acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's painting was inspired by the love I feel and share for and with my family--my two lovely daughters and my husband.

Quote of the day: "We all need love. Love brings us joy and well-being. It is as natural as the air." --Thich Nhat Hahn

Early Summer Sunrise

Early Summer Sunrise
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's painting was inspired by photos from last summer near Belleview, CO. We had our first spring rain last night, and the landscape will hopefully start to green up soon. Yesterday was warm and sunny. Today is cooler and windy. Typical Colorado springtime weather. I love it!

Quote of the day: "When you are courting a nice girl an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder a second seems like an hour. That's relativity." --Albert Einstein

Oriental Blossoms

Oriental Blossoms
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's painting was inspired by the new spring growth that's starting to blossom everywhere. There's a hint of green on the lawns, trees are starting to leaf out, and blossoms like these are beginning to appear. Spring is such a wonderful time of renewal, growth, and change. These blossoms were behind the garage where I rarely go, so it was a gift to find and appreciate them.

This painting sold the same day I listed it on my sales venues, too!

Quote of the day: "When we have a toothache, we know that not having a toothache is happiness. But later, when we don't have a toothache, we don't treasure our non-toothache." --Thich Nhat Hahn

Quilts Blowing in Afternoon Breeze Commission (update)

Quilts Blowing in Afternoon Breeze Commission

Original 36" x 48" painting
Golden, Liquitex, Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Here is the (hopefully) finished version of the Quilts painting, including some close-ups. I'm still awaiting approval from my patron. With commissions I send photos to my patron for their approval, and make any requested changes to the painting. I feel that it's important for my patrons to feel like they're part of the process with commissions.

This painting was inspired by a painting I did a few years ago, and which is in my portfolio on one of my sales venues. I also do commissions from patron's photos, examples of which can be seen on my web site.

Quote of the day: "There is no enlightenment outside of daily life." --Thich Nhat Hahn

Quilts Blowing in Afternoon Breeze Commission

Quilts Blowing in Afternoon Breeze Commission
Original 36" x 48" painting (in progress)
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics

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This patron inherited some money from her late grandmother, and I'm thrilled that she commissioned this painting to honor her. She requested a canvas size I don't normally keep in stock, so I am using bulk roll canvas and will stretch it myself. This commission was inspired by a painting I did a few years ago.

Quote of the day: "Art is about paying attention." --Laurie Anderson

Autumn Aspen Commission

Autumn Aspen Commission
Original 12" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

This is one of two commissions I'm painting for a patron who contacted me after viewing my work on one of my sales venues. She asked me to reproduce two paintings that had previously sold, which I often do for patrons, and specified the canvas sizes she was interested in.

I offer to reproduce any of my paintings as commissions, and include standard canvas sizes and prices in my sales venue listings. I have found that a lot of patrons often require different canvas sizes for the space they are decorating, and appreciate having other options than the canvas size that I happened to choose for any given painting.

Current pricing for reproductions of my originals can also be found on my web site.

Quote of the day: "Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks." --Simonides (500 B.C.E.)

Today's Paintings 3/18/09

Green Onions III
Original 12" x 36" x 0.75"
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Carrots
Original 12" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's work includes two new paintings in my Culinary series: Carrots and Green Onions III. These are larger paintings in that series. My previous paintings in this line were all on smaller canvases, so these are for the food aficionado who wants their culinary art to have a larger presence in their kitchen or dining space.

Quote of the day: "There is one thing one has to have: either a soul that is cheerful by nature, or a soul made cheerful by work, love, art, and knowledge." --Friedrich Nietzsche

Today's Paintings 3/17/09

Boulder County Farm II
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Still Life with Red Wall
Original 24" x 30" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's work includes a composition that I have not used in quite some time. Boulder County Farm II was inspired by the rural settings in eastern Boulder County, Colorado. The second piece is a floral still life, which my patrons really love. I find that depicting the glass and floral arrangements are challenging and fun to paint.

Quote of the day: "No amount of skillful invention can replace the essential element of imagination." --Edward Hopper

Today's Paintings 3/16/09

Autumn Sunrise V
Original 64" x 20" x 0.75" painting
Four 16" x 20" canvases
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Utah Sunrise Manti La Sal National Forest V
Original 54" x 24" x 0.75" painting
Three 18" x 24" canvases
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas.

Today's work includes the newest edition in the Autumn Sunrise series, done on four 16" x 20" canvases (total width: 64"). This painting's big sister sold over the weekend to a new patron in New York, and will be on its way to its new home today.

The newest edition in the Utah Sunrise series also has a big sister that shipped today to its new home. My family and I were on vacation two years ago, and were camping in Utah when I took the photo that inspired this series.

Quote of the day: "We live in a beautiful and orderly world, not in a chaos without norms, even though this is how it sometimes appears." --M.C. Escher

Today's Paintings 3/15/09

Abstract Apple Tree II
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Autumn Aspens Commission
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's paintings include a new, larger version in the Abstract Apple Tree series. I'm using more earth tones in my decorative line of paintings.

I also completed a commission in the Autumn Aspens series for a patron who's a school teacher in Oregon.

Quote of the day: "Art should astonish, transmute, transfix. One must work at the tissue between truth and paranoia." --David Whiteley

Today's Paintings 3/14/09

Red Prairie Sky and Creek IV
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Asparagus
Original 12" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

For today's work I decided to paint a variation of the Prairie Sky and Creek series featuring a red sky. There was a quote on the wall in the painting studio at CSU, my alma mater, which stated: "If you can't make it good, make it big. If you can't make it big, make it red." I always loved that quote.

The second painting I did today is on a tall (36") canvas depicting asparagus stalks. I've done quite a few culinary-type paintings over the years. Back in December I had a patron who is a chef purchase several of my smaller pieces depicting fruits and vegetables. These paintings are often displayed in my patrons' kitchens.

Incidentally, I varnish all of my paintings, and mount hanger wire on the back so that they're ready to hang right out of the box--no framing required. Although I have had several patrons who have chosen to frame their pieces. The varnish protects the paint, so if you do hang your painting in a high-humidity environment as kitchens tend to be, the paint is protected from the higher humidity levels or the occasional splatter if you're a little more flamboyant in your cooking style.

Quote of the day: "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." --Edgar Degas

Today's Paintings 3/13/09

Autumn Aspens V
Original 12" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Lemon Tree VI
Original 24" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's paintings are reproductions of popular compositions that I have had a lot of success with, and which my patrons typically snap up. I'm fortunate to have a large body of work to draw from, having been selling my originals for over five years now. I've had the good fortune to have built up a decent client base, and have had the privilege of sending my paintings across the globe to brighten people's homes.

Quote of the day: "Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing." --Marc Chagall

Today's Paintings 3/12/09

Prairie Creek and Sky IV
Original 24" x 30" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Springtime Garden II
Original 24" x 30" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Poppies and Blue Sky IX
Original 54" x 24" 0.75" painting
Three 18" x 24" canvases
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today was one of those painting at dawn kind of days. I have been working on commissions for weeks now, as well as painting new pieces to list on my sales venues. Today's paintings are recreations of compositions that do well on my sales venues. The Poppies and Blue Sky series is hot right now.

I have two more commissions in the works right now, and requests for a few more in the works. My job rocks! I love to paint, and have taken on an apprentice (my husband), who up to now has been my back office guy--he does the accounting, computer stuff, and shipping. It'll be interesting to see how that works out. I was thinking the other day that I take things like how to hold a brush for granted.

We're also lined up to teach classes on selling your art online. One of our classes starts next month at Colorado Free University. We're also in the process of developing a webinar to teach how to sell art online. More information is available on my web site.

Quote of the day: "Without atmosphere a painting is nothing." --Rembrandt

Red Trees and Shadows Commission

Red Trees and Shadows Commission
Original 42" x 56" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics

This commission was requested by a new patron who found this composition in my portfolio on my web site. She requested a much larger version of it than I had previously painted, and I was quite happy to accommodate her. Since she lives in Canada, and shipping a stretched painting of those dimensions was going to be prohibitively expensive, we opted to ship it unstretched, and she will have it stretched at a local frame shop where she lives.

Quote of the day: "Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them." --Albert Einstein

Springtime Aspens IV

Springtime Aspens IV
Original 30" x 40" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Today's painting is a larger version of a composition that my patrons and I really love. A stand of aspens with new spring growth give me a feeling of renewal, and there will be plenty of opportunities around here to see them in their springtime glory in another month or so.

My commission work is going well. I have a couple of large paintings in the works, and will post some photos of those as they progress. I'm a little stressed with the workload right now, but I'd always rather have too much to do than not enough.

Quote of the day: "The painting has a life of its own." --Jackson Pollock

Springtime Garden

Springtime Garden
Original 24" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

My thoughts turned to Spring this morning as I looked out on the sunny day and the intense blue sky. It's a chilly morning, but the birds were singing, and I see the flowers that will bloom in the fallow earth around me.

This painting was purchased by a patron in Canada who I know gets a glimpse of the season to be every time she looks at this piece. Despite losing an hour to daylight savings I still managed to get the full compliment of sleep--fortunately the time changes always happen on a weekend so I can permit myself that little indulgence.

Quote of the day: "Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!'" --Robin Williams

Garden Path VII

Garden Path VII
Original 22" x 28" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

The Garden Path series is a popular one among my patrons. This rendering is on a 22" x 28" canvas, and has an abundance of flowers and the blue shadows that I love to paint.

We had a glorious week weather-wise, but yesterday and today were much colder than it's been. There were some flurries even--a reminder that we're in that transition season where it can be toasty warm one day, and cold and snowy the next. The nice thing about Colorado is that if you don't like the weather you can wait five minutes (or a day) and it will change.

Monument Valley Sunset

Monument Valley Sunset
Original 24" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Two summers ago my family and I went on a vacation--our Southwest Odyssey--through Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. This painting was inspired by the truly awesome beauty of the landscape at Monument Valley in Arizona. This painting won an international award on Art.com last year in their Places competition--one of fifteen awards given.

I am fortunate enough to live in the West where the stark beauty of the desert is only a few hours driving from my home in Golden. It never escapes me each and every time I travel in the West what a privilege it is to be so close to such awesome beauty, and to be able to transform my photos and memories of those places into paintings.

Quote of the day: "I dream of a hard and brutal mysticism in which the naked self merges with a nonhuman world and yet somehow survives still intact, individual, separate. Paradox and bedrock." --Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

Path and Pink Blossoms

Path and Pink Blossoms
Original 24" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

The weather here has been very spring-like the past few days--too windy for my tastes, but warm enough to break out the capris and and sandals. This painting was inspired by the cherry blossoms that will present themselves in a few weeks, and which I truly enjoy seeing every year. I love the spring here: a time of renewal, new life, and sometimes lots of heavy, wet snow!

Quote of the day: "What art offers is space - a certain breathing room for the spirit." --John Updike

Tall Red Trees VII

Tall Red Trees VII
Original 24" x 36" x 1.5" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

The latest edition in the Tall Red Trees series, this painting was done in the abstract landscape style that I have grown to love a lot, and which my patrons also appreciate and have come to recognize as a signature style in my work. I love to celebrate color in my work!

Quote of the day: "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." --Pablo Picasso

Present Moment Living

Present Moment Living
Original 72" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Three 24" x 36" canvases
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvases

Having recently sold an abstract commission to an art broker in New Mexico, I decided to expand my repertoire in the abstract domain with today's painting. This painting was inspired by looking through a book of landscape photographs and taking note of the geometry of the landscapes themselves, and well as the geometry of everyday objects I see around my house and studio.

The Alaska commission shipped today, along with two other commissions, and two paintings that sold from my sales venues. Life is good.

Quote of the day: "Action is character." --F. Scott Fitzgerald

Today's Paintings 3/2/09

Sunrise Poppies VI
Original 18" x 24" x 1.5" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Sunrise and Autumn Trees
Original 24" x 30" x 1.5" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Four Abstract Trees
Original 72" x 24" x 0.75" painting
Four 18" x 24" canvases
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Red Poppies on Yellow Commission
Original 24" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Still Life with Blue Wall Commission
Original 16" x 20" x 0.75" painting
Golden, Liquitex, and Atelier acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

Word of the day: prolific. Some days I wake up and paint from dawn til dusk. I managed to produce three new paintings to list on my sales venues, AND two commissions!! I LOVE my job! The Sunrise Poppies series is hot right now, so I had to paint another one of those. Sunrise and Autumn Trees is a variation on a composition I played with last summer. Four Abstract Trees is the latest incarnation in the Abstract Trees series, and the first time I've done it on four canvases.

The Red Poppies on Yellow and Still Life with Blue Wall are both commissions. My commission work has really picked up in the past few weeks, for which I'm very grateful (thank you patrons!).

Quote of the day: "Every good painter paints what he is." --Jackson Pollock

Today's Paintings 3/1/09

Red Trees and Shadows IV
Original 60" x 36" x 0.75" painting
Five 12" x 36" canvases
Golden and Liquitex acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvas

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Still Life with Daisy Bouquet and Red Vase VI
Original 18" x 24" x 0.75" painting
Golden and Liquitex acrylics on gallery-wrapped canvases

Today's paintings are two of my compositions that both my patrons and I enjoy. The Red Trees and Shadows piece is a composition that I originally painted when I started out as a working artist. I've done several commissions of this painting, but this is my first multi-canvas rendering.

Still Life with Daisy Bouquet and Red Vase is a recent composition that has been very popular. This one is the latest in the series.

I'll be shipping the Alaska commission tomorrow (yay!) and starting on several new commission orders that came in last week. My commission work has really picked up, along with sales on my selling venues. I have the best job!

Quote of the day: "The world can only be grasped by action, not by contemplation. The hand is the cutting edge of the mind." --Diane Arbus