Arched Rock Bridge

 Looks like a peaceful scene to come across on a hike.

I'm still finding ways to use up the left over paint from the palettes of our students a few weeks ago.  As long as I put it in the freezer between uses, oil paint will last a long long time.

By the time I finally get through all the little left over piles of earthy hues, I may be ready to paint with some bright red, orange, and purple!

My weekly-ish challenge was "Manmade."  It took me a long time to settle on what I wanted to do for that.  I wanted to think of something where everything was nature except that one thing.

I'm going to love seeing this one on my own wall until someone wants it for their own.

Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Meyer Creek

 

Meyer Creek played a vital part in the lives of my mother and her family.  They used it for bathing and laundry washing. They kept their gardens and animals watered from it.  Meyer Creek was a constant in their lives.  When I helped my aunt create her autobiography, she gave it the title, The Tallents of Meyer Creek.

There were so many stories revolving around Meyer Creek... well, a whole book full of them.

I'll write about MY memories of Meyer Creek.

I was #20 out of 21 cousins. A visit to Grandma & Grandpa's house in summer meant walking to the swimming hole in Meyer Creek.  The aunts and uncles would give us towels, tell us to be careful, and send us on our way. Once we got there, the older cousins would first throw rocks at the snakes that would always be sunning themselves on the big gray rocks.  Once the snakes had slithered off the rocks, we'd have the all clear. (Now... seriously... think about that for a minute... Where did those snakes go? Into the water probably?  Into the cracks of the rocks maybe? Hmmm... ) It was time to try to wade in. I say "try" because the water was sooooo cold.  On the hottest summer day, lips would be blue, teeth would be chattering, and limbs would be shivering.  The big boy cousins would get in and splash around.  The big girl cousins would spread their towels out on the low-water bridge to lay out.  (Of course they'd squeal and have to jump up whenever a car would come.) The other little cousins and I would wade up to our ankles or knees then probably think it would be more fun to go and play on the big rocks. (Totally safe since the snakes could no longer be seen.)

So... why did I decide this was a good time to paint this one?

Well... 

When cleaning up after our OLLI class, (Click HERE if to see that.) I scraped all of the students' left over paint onto a couple plates.  Hmmm... what to do with all those greens and blues... 

There's still plenty left.  I may have to do a whole series using only the left overs on these palettes.

Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Beside Still Waters II

 

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

                                                                           Psalm 23: 1-3 

This image must speak to my soul.  I find it soothing and like having it on my wall.  Whenever it sells, it makes me happy/sad to see it go to a new home. Then after a while I paint it again and put it back on my own wall for a while.

2009

2017

2020

My painting partner Julie and I are preparing to teach a landscape class for seniors this next week.  I can't think of a better landscape image to use.

My weekly art challenge was "Quiet" this time.  "Quiet" can be a (lack of) sound or a feeling.  This landscape captures both the sound and feeling for me.

Thanks to Robert Woods for making how-to-paint books over 30 years ago that are still great references today.

Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Beside Still Waters (Mini)

Yes, I know it looks familiar, but who doesn't make time for a rerun of something you enjoy! I do love this scene from one of Robert Woods old how-to-paint books.  I painted it about 10 years ago... again about 5 years ago... again about 1 year ago... and again a few months ago... and now this little mini version.

For one thing, I love it.  It's just got all the things I love about home... Rolling mountains, pastures, woods, fall colors, a creek, a fence that hints that there must be cows or some other farm animals back there behind those trees...

A second reason to paint it is that my painting partner, Julie of JujuBeePaints, and I will be using it as we teach a group of senior citizens in a beginning oil painting landscape class in a few weeks. I needed to practice painting it before doing it in front of students.

Finally, I did this tiny version for my art exchange group.  There are about a dozen artists from 3-4 different countries and 8-9 different states who take part in the group.  Every quarter we're given a theme then paired up to exchange a postcard-sized piece of art and letter. The theme this month was "Home or Showcasing Where You Live." This scene looks very much like Northwest Arkansas to me, so I thought it would be perfect to send to my paired partner, Darlene in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Oil painting on 5"x 7" Canvas Board

[GIFT - ART EXCHANGE]

Quiet Summer Resting Place

Because I'm the artist, I get to decide...  

I didn't paint any ants or spiders or other creepy-crawlies. I certainly painted no snakes, nor are there any hiding behind the rocks. Yes, I did paint a bit of poison ivy, but there are no thorn bushes or burrs anywhere in sight.  You can't see them, but I'm sure there are butterflies and frogs and probably lizards with blue tails. There's also plenty of birdsong and cicada noise in the air.  It's about 76 degrees with a very light wind. 

If this scene looks at all familiar...

... it's a smaller version of what's going on behind my house.

Yeah... I know... It looks like I have hardly done a thing in a month. 

I will now list my excuses for that...

* The garden keeps me busy in July.  (That's a good thing!)

* I've been working on other projects. (Good things too!)

* It's hot!  It is not 76 degrees in the real world.

* It's muggy!  The humidity is just ugh.

I will get back to it!  Soon!

If I stand under that window and look behind me, this is what I see. That's the reference for both this painting and the mural. 

No need to look for the stream.  That would be a bad place for a stream as it would flow directly into our back door. Remember that I have and artistic license, and I'm not afraid to use it.

A pretty healthy crop of poison ivy grows up there where I had to stand to take the photo of the mural.  I really should get up there and clean that out... (*See list of excuses above.)

Original Oil Painting on 12"x 24" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Smoky Mountain Stream

 

I'd love to spend some time sitting on a big rock right there. 

I think there are "beach people" and "city people" and "lake people" and "big-sky people"... Which one are you? I think we're "mountain people."

Ron especially loves stopping at creeks and just spending time watching the water flow over the rocks. Here are some photos from some time we spent in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee a while back.  I used one of them as a reference for this painting.

This pretty little stream is my response to the third art challenge with my friend Cheri.  This week's challenge was "Rocks."

Original Oil Painting on 9"x 12" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Green Pastures & Still Waters

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

                                                                           Psalm 23: 1-3 

For me, this is an image that fills the senses.  

I can see the mountains, 

     hear the rustle of leaves, 

          feel the breeze, 

               taste the water, 

                    smell the fresh air.

I find it to be tranquil and soothing; I hope you do too.

Thanks to Robert Woods for making How-to-paint books over 30 years ago that are still great references today.

Painted in response to Inspiration Collaboration's June Inspiration Image Beyond The Stream by Sara Harley.

Palette Knife Painting on 12"x 16" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD] 

Imagine a Place...

Imagine a mountain range...

     ... of cliffs and rock walls.... 

          ... that rise up from the ground...

                   to meet a moody blue sky...

Imagine a forest... 

...where the trees stand strong...

     ... branches still bright with reds and golds ...

        ... the ground littered with the leaves already fallen ...

Imagine a stream...

... winding through woods in graceful curves...

       ... reflecting the colors from above...

             ... and stones that line its banks...

Imagine a place...

... that makes you squint in wonder...

     ... "Who lived in that castle?...

              "Where do those steps lead?"...

Imagine a story...

... with a wand hidden in the grass...

      ... or a golden ring in the shallows of the stream...

            ... or a doorway ruin at the forest's edge...

Imagine yourself...

.... standing before that door...

       ... if you stepped through...

              ... you'd probably end up on the other side...

But...

... Imagine... What if...

           

"Mom, could you paint something for our new living room?  Maybe it could be like a forest... or a stream... maybe some reflections... or a path... kind of dark-ish or moody... and maybe a castle in the background... like on some mountains... kind of rough, not exactly realistic ... pretty big so it could go behind the couch... lots of reds would be good... with golds or oranges.... oh, and maybe some ruins like old stairs or a doorway... rocks are good too...."

Ummmm... That's a lot going on... Ummm...   I'm going to need to think about this for a bit... But somehow, all those fragmented ideas knitted themselves together to become this painting.

Original Triptych Oil Painting on 16"x 12, 16"x 16", 16"x 12"

[GIFT]

Buffalo River

"America's First National River: Established in 1972, Buffalo National River flows freely for 135 miles and is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. Once you arrive, prepare to journey from running rapids to quiet pools while surrounded by massive bluffs as you cruise through the Ozark Mountains down to the White River." Those are the words from the National Park Service.

"This is my happy place, the place I love to be." Those are the words my friend used when he showed me the image on his phone and told me he wanted me to paint it.

This gives you a little perspective about its size.

Original Oil Painting on 24"x 48" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]

Someday

I've got peace like a river...

I've got peace like a river...

I've got peace like a river...

in my soul.

Guess what...

This is my 400th painting.

I can not believe it!

Although I love the very first painting I did back in 2007, I do think I've improved as an artist over these 11 years and 400 paintings... ha ha... just a little bit! 

This painting began with a tutorial by Kevin on using the palette knife.  It also started out as a disaster.  I carefully followed instructions and ended up with a sky that looked like a tornado was about to drop down at any minute.  There was a definite tone of anger and a foreboding mood. Usually, I would have worked with it, but this time... I wiped all the paint right off, set my mind set on the tone and mood I wanted, and used my artistic license (which comes in handy). I also gave myself permission to use brushes as well the palette knife.  In the end I hope I created a feeling of peace instead.

I'm so glad this one ended up being #400.  
Peacefulness is a good representation of life right now.

     Someday…

     The other day… Hmmm… last Wednesday, I think…

     I was on my knees planting onions in the garden. 

    A light mist was in the air, but it didn’t matter.

    All was silent

        … except for the birds... and squirrels

        … and the tinkle of the wind chime...

     I looked around…

     I saw five colorful little chickens 

         pecking around under the dogwood on my right…

     I saw the cat in the flowerbed filled with daffodils on my left…

     I saw the dog lying under the little red bench in front of me…

     …And was taken aback by this thought.

             ...It’s Someday…

     Someday I’ll have time.

     Someday I’ll have a lush garden.

     Someday I’ll have chickens in the yard.

     Someday I’ll have a row of daffodils and irises.

     Someday I’ll make my own schedule.

     Someday I’ll make time to notice the sky.

     Someday I’ll learn which birds make which sounds.

     Someday I’ll relax.

     I literally sat back, looked around, and thought,

        “Oh, my goodness… I’m living a poem..."

Oil Painting on 12" x 16" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Beside Still Waters

And so... it begins.... retirement...

Teachers spent the weekend preparing their classrooms, set their alarms again, then started the week of professional development classes before the students arrive.

I know that routine so well, have never known any other... until now.

So, what have I done these last few days?

I spent Saturday with my beautiful nieces Kelsey and Karly and taught them to paint a landscape. We talked, painted, laughed, snacked, and had a lovely day.(And aren't their autumn landscapes gorgeous!)  Sunday was rainy; I took a nap. Since then I've been available to be with my dad for a heart check up, take dinner to another niece Erica (a teacher) with a new baby, gone to Pilates, spent a day with my Aunt Anita at her home, visited the farmers' market, done yoga, refilled the hummingbird feeders, made peach ice cream... 

I am so happy.

Psalms 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside still waters,

He refreshes my soul.

Original Oil Painting on 11"x 14" Wrapped Canvas

[SOLD]

Stream in Autumn

What's just around the bend in the stream?


Maybe that's why I'm drawn to paintings of streams, rivers, roads, paths, and trails.   I think that the real story is just out of sight.


This painting draws me in both through its subject and through its texture.  I like to touch this one - run my fingertips across it.  I used more paint than I usually do, and I like the actual feel of the rocks, the water, and the trees.  I even like the swirls in the brush strokes of the sky.


Original Oil Painting on 11" x 14" Wrapped Canvas
[SOLD]