Paintings for Happiness by Jane Hunt

Good news....bad news

2011-06-21T16:26:00.000-06:00

Good news: We had an amazing trip and my head is swimming with inspiring landscapes to paint!

Bad news: I have acute Carpal Tunnel+ in both wrists and have had both hands in splints for over three weeks. That means no computer (a friend is typing this), no painting - pretty much no doing anything that involves my hands.
Aaaaarrrrgggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

I apologize ahead of time for not being able to reply to comments, e-mails, or visit any blogs.
I seem to be healing, so I'll continue to rest my hands and be back when I can...

On the road again...

2011-05-29T14:46:00.000-06:00

I'll be gone for the next couple of weeks as we're driving from Colorado to California and back! Not sure what, if any, computer access I'll have.
We'll be going through Utah, Arizona, California, and Nevada - so stay tuned for some interesting new landscapes when I return...

How to improve your paintings....fast

2011-05-26T16:28:00.002-06:00

"Muted Mountains"
Oil on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

I've discovered a couple of things in the last few weeks that have really made my time spent painting more productive. I also believe these simple changes have improved my paintings and allowed me to learn more deeply as I paint. I share these tips in my latest Empty Easel article: two quick and easy ways to improve your paintings...fast!

$195 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Our latest winner...

2011-05-21T10:01:00.000-06:00

We reached 300 followers last night - so a name was picked at random to win a painting this morning.
Congratulations to Julie Hill - the latest winner!

Julie: see the "painting winner instructions" at the bottom of my sidebar.
Everyone else: There will be another painting give-away at 400 followers - please spread the word and we'll get there faster :)

Springtime in the Rockies

2011-05-18T12:25:00.000-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

I switched back to canvas panel for today's painting. If you look carefully you can see the texture peeking through - especially in the clouds where I did a lot of scraping off of paint.

$195 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Field in sunlight

2011-05-15T08:18:00.003-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel
5" x 7"
Click on image for detail

“The secret of life is in art.”
- Oscar Wilde

SOLD

Layers

2011-05-11T18:47:00.000-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel
5" x 7"
Click on image for detail

This piece is for the Daily Paintworks "Paint your vegetables" challenge. I don't often do still lifes so this was a fun departure.

"Life is like an onion: you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you weep"
- Carl Sandburg

$95 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Mountain Backdrop

2011-05-07T14:35:00.004-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel
10" x 8"
Click on image for detail

A great time was had by all at last night's Artist's of Colorado opening.
A big thanks to Brushstrokes Gallery for hosting this event!

Artists John K. Harrell, Kit Hevron Mahoney and Anita Mosher run this fantastic working studio-gallery. I've admired the work of all three for a while so it was a treat to see it up close. As I often find, their paintings are even more dynamic in person, and all three are just delightful to be around. Definitely visit this fun studio-gallery if you're ever in the Denver area and see them in action!

I also enjoyed meeting several other artists who I've only known online, and catching up with old friends. Check out more pics from the show on Pam Holnback's blog.

Below: Kit Hevron Mahoney, Anita Mosher, and John K. Harrell

SOLD

Spring Field

2011-05-02T08:57:00.002-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel
10" x 8"
Click on image for detail

Our inaugural Artists of Colorado Show will be opening this Friday at Brushstrokes Gallery in Denver from 5 - 8pm.
Hope to see you there!

SOLD

Kauai

2011-04-29T08:24:00.000-06:00

Oil on Panel
36" x 18" x 2"
Click on image for detail

Today is my dad's birthday...and I thought I'd surprise him here with his gift (the painting - not an exotic vacation!)

This spot in Hawaii is very special for my entire family (in fact I got married a few yards from here!)

My dad is amazing, and I'm blessed to have him in my life. He's traveling right now, so hopefully he won't mind that a few hundred people "open" his present before him ;)

"There's something like a line of gold thread running through a man's words when he talks to his daughter, and gradually over the years it gets to be long enough for you to pick up in your hands and weave into a cloth that feels like love itself." - John Gregory Brown

NFS

Western Field

2011-04-26T16:11:00.002-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

I think this will be my entry for the American Impressionist Society juried show - I'm proud to be an associate member and support this wonderful organization.

NFS

Double your chances to win a painting!!

2011-04-25T08:20:00.000-06:00

We're now only a mere ten followers away from another painting giveaway winner! Another name will be randomly drawn at 300 followers (or closely thereafter - if I'm sleeping and we go over like last time you'll still be included!)
I notice I have a long list of e-mail subscribers now - which is wonderful, and humbling, thanks :)
Even though in the past I've picked just from the names of followers, I've decided it's only fair to include my subscribers also.

Soooo - if you both follow and subscribe, I'll count your name twice in the drawing.
Now's your chance to do both and double your odds of winning....

Help Japan auction painting

2011-04-24T08:44:00.008-06:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

Happy Easter!

This painting is part of the Daily Paintworks Help Japan effort. So far over $28,000 has been raised to help those still struggling in Japan. Click Here for more information or to bid on any of the over 460 wonderful donated paintings. Bidding on my piece starts at $100 - all proceeds will go to the Japanese Red Cross Society.

Color Challenge - split complementary

2011-04-22T10:58:00.002-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

The latest Daily Paintworks challenge was all about how various colors enliven each other.
I dug out my color wheel and chose a split complementary scheme (blue and the colors adjoining it's true complement, red-orange to yellow-orange).

For non-artists reading this: Painting without a foundation in color theory is like writing a novel with no understanding of grammar - it basically doesn't work. I've been painting color intuitively for so many years I figured this would be pretty easy. I have to admit I was surprised by how difficult it was! I tend to dive in and not pre-plan my color scheme. This was a reminder about the importance of slowing down and thinking the painting through before picking up a brush.

$100 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Clusters - latest print

2011-04-19T15:50:00.004-06:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
48" x 24" x 2"
Click on image for detail

I just found the greatest product - 'Gloves in a Bottle'!

I hate wearing gloves to paint. So I don't, even though I know I should as a lot of these art supplies contain some pretty nasty ingredients. Instead, I always promise myself before each painting session that this time I won't get caught up in the moment and start painting with my hands.
Hours later, as I do my walk of shame to the sink, hoping to scrub off the colorful toxins, I wonder what went wrong.
So the other day I was given a free sample of 'Gloves in a Bottle' at my local art supply store. You rub on a few drops before you paint and it supposedly creates a shield between your skin and the paint. I just gave it a try and it's pretty amazing. Today my hands were as caked in oil paint as usual, but it washed off really easily...love this stuff!

SOLD (Prints available)

Contemporary Green Field

2011-04-14T09:54:00.003-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel 11" x 14"
Click on image for detail

Back to the palette knife (and a stick) for today's piece. It's a curious process of adding and subtracting paint - different than how I'm used to working, but a lot of fun!

SOLD

Stretch

2011-04-11T18:23:00.000-06:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
48" x 24" x 2"
Click on image for detail

"The artist gazes upon a reality and creates his own impression. The viewer gazes upon the impression and creates his own reality."
- Robert Brault

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape."
- Author Unknown

SOLD (Prints available)

Geman Landscape

2011-04-08T06:18:00.005-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

This is my entry for the latest Daily Paintworks challenge. Carol Marine took the reference photo in Germany last year. It's really interesting to see to see how different artists interpret the same image.

$100 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Orange Field

2011-04-05T07:04:00.014-06:00

Oil on Flat Panel 11" x 14"
Click on image for detail

New York was fun - but freezing!
I saw a few shows - my favorite was In the Cypher. I highly recommend seeing it - fresh, funny, and thought provoking.
It was very interesting to check out the galleries in Chelsea. I didn't see much work in my genre, but it was very inspiring. The paintings I'm always drawn to are contemporary, almost abstract up close - but look more recognizable the farther away you get. I guess that would be modern impressionism. I returned excited to paint - knowing more than ever the type of work I want to create, and vowing (again) to loosen up my brushwork.
To that end, I made heavy use of a palette knife in this painting....it's hard to get overly fussy when painting with a knife!

$175 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Plains 2 - latest print

2011-03-24T06:41:00.005-06:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 24" x 48" x 2"
Click on image for detail

This is the latest addition to my prints page on Fine Art America (see sidebar for link).
I'm off to NYC for a week. It'll be great to check out the galleries, visit the Met, see old friends.....

SOLD (Prints available)

Mountain Sunset Panorama

2011-03-19T21:41:00.001-06:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 18" x 40" x 2"
Click on image for detail

"Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add colour to my sunset sky."
- Rabindranath Tagore

SOLD (Prints available)

Prints finally available!

2011-03-15T12:16:00.001-06:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
40" x 30" x 2"
click on image to enlarge

I just set up an account with Fine Art America to make prints available of my work!
It's a pretty amazing service - they print everything from greeting cards all the way up to large stretched prints on canvas.
I'm going to slowly start adding images to my prints page. I'll feature new prints here as I get to them. You can always click on the Fine Art America link (in sidebar) to see what is currently available.

SOLD

Golden Trees

2011-03-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
48" x 24" x 2"
click on image to enlarge

"The beauty of the trees,
the softness of the air,
the fragrance of the grass,
speaks to me.
The summit of the mountain,
the thunder of the sky,
speaks to me.
The faintness of the stars,
the trail of the sun,
the strength of fire,
and the life that never goes away,
they speak to me.
And my heart soars."

- Chief Dan George

$1,200 + $60 Shipping
International buyers please contact me

Sunlit Field - fundraiser

2011-03-07T10:58:00.004-07:00

Oil on Panel 24" x 48" x 2"
click on image to enlarge

This is the larger version of the study I did last week.
This painting will be in an auction this weekend to raise money for our local school district.
Colorado is ranked 42 in the U.S. for per-student funding, well below the national average - and it's only getting worse as the state just announced plans to slash millions more!

If you'd like to buy this piece please e-mail me directly before Friday -
100% of the proceeds will go to local schools.
You get an original painting - and the warm, fuzzy feeling of helping the kiddies!

SOLD

White Mountain Commission

2011-03-03T07:40:00.003-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 24" x 48" x 2"
click on image to enlarge

This is another commission I just finished. My client wanted to commemorate a place that is really special to him - he actually climbed this mountain in Mexico!

The pictures on the left show the photo my client sent me, and one of my paintings - to which he hoped to create a similar feel. It was a bit of a challenge to combine the two - especially in terms of handling the trees. This ended up being a really fun piece to paint.

SOLD

Sunlit Field (study)

2011-02-28T13:51:00.002-07:00

Oil on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

This is a little color study for a much larger painting I'm about to embark on.
It's a nice way to work out any kinks. For example, I know now that I want to lighten up the color in the mountains in order to have them recede into the background...

SOLD

Real Red Rose

2011-02-20T22:12:00.002-07:00

Rose and Textured Acrylic on Panel
24" x 12" x 2"
Click on image for detail

This was my entry for the Daily Paintworks Rose Challenge.
I always enjoy embedding real flowers in my paintings - talk about an inspiring texture!

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns,
or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."
- Abraham Lincoln

$425 + $30 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Field with Bushes

2011-02-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 10" x 8"
Click on image for detail

It's great to be back with Daily Painters Gallery and all the CFAI related blogs after my hiatus - thanks Micah and Kimberly for welcoming me back!

SOLD

Textured Sky with Tree

2011-02-17T18:08:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
48" x 24" x 2"
click on image to enlarge

I've done so many variations on this theme....and I never tire of it.
I look forward to seeing real leaves again soon!

"And see the peaceful trees extend
their myriad leaves in leisured dance—
they bear the weight of sky and cloud
upon the fountain of their veins."
- Kathleen Raine

$1,200 + $60 Shipping
International buyers please contact me

Field of Green

2011-02-10T08:13:00.004-07:00

Oil on Panel 18" x 36" x 2"
Click on image for detail

I don't usually say this, but I'd recommend clicking on this one to see the detail - there's a lot going on here that doesn't show in the small version.

$775 + $40 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Serenity

2011-02-01T08:25:00.003-07:00

Oil on Wood Panel
24" x 12" x 2"
Click on image for detail

"I love the sweet smell of dawn -
our unique daily opportunity to smell time,
to smell opportunity -
each morning being, a new beginning."
- Emme Woodhull-Bäche
“To the attentive eye, each moment of the year has its own beauty, and in the same field, it beholds, every hour, a picture which was never seen before, and which shall never be seen again”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

$425 + $30 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Winter Trees

2011-01-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 11" x 14"
Click on image for detail

I've always wondered why I don't see more paintings featuring bare, wintry trees. Well, mystery solved - It's really hard to do!
I've never really attempted them before, but I figured - less leaves, less painting time. Not so!
I think the biggest challenge was finding the balance with how much sky should peek through the branches.

SOLD

Clusters

2011-01-20T16:31:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 48" x 24"
click on image to enlarge

“If you could say it in words there would be no reason to paint.”
- Edward Hopper

SOLD

Commission and studio sale!

2011-01-13T08:11:00.023-07:00

Oil on Panel 24" x 48" x 2"
Click on image for detail

This commission is larger than most of the oils I've done. Still experimenting with scraping off and layering the oils to create more texture....

The year of creating a daily painting was a great experience - but my studio is only so big, and I need to clear some pieces out! In an effort to do this I've joined in with the studio sale at Artful home (this link is acting up, so if it doesn't work use the "Artful Home" link in sidebar on the right of my blog). I'm uploading ridiculous deals on original art every couple of days through Jan. 26 - hopefully by the end I'll be able to move around my studio more easily!

SOLD

Breeze

2011-01-05T16:15:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"

Click on image to enlarge

$85 + $10 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

New Year - new gallery

2010-12-28T20:39:00.004-07:00

It's been a while....hope the Holidays were wonderful for all.

I'm delighted to have been invited to join Translations Gallery . It's a beautiful gallery located in downtown Denver's historic LoDo District.

Below is the postcard for an upcoming show at the gallery - I'm proud to be a part of it!

short hiatus

2010-03-10T08:04:00.005-07:00

Those of you who've been reading for a while know I spend most of my time dealing with my little one's disabilities and epilepsy. I don't talk about it a ton here because I see my blog as a place to focus on art and escape for a little while. Needless to say, I've been struggling to "do it all", and just can't pull it off right now. We have some important medical decisions to make that I need to focus even more time and energy on. I'm sad because I would much, much rather be painting than reading neurology journals - but, c'est la vie!
I hope to be back in a few weeks. Thanks for the continued support - I hope you'll all bear with me.

Warmest Light

2010-03-04T08:25:00.005-07:00

Oil on Panel
36" x 18" x 2"
Click on image for detail

"One kind word can warm three winter months."
- Japanese Proverb

"As an artist, all I need is my paints and brushes - and someone to drag me away when the canvas is done."
- Pablo Picasso

$775 + $40 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Morning

2010-03-01T13:38:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 4 x 4"

SOLD

Moody Mountains

2010-02-26T17:11:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.4"

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves."
- John Muir

$125 + $10 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Frozen Lake

2010-02-22T08:00:00.001-07:00

Oil on Wood Panel
24" x 12" x 2"
Click on image for detail

In this piece I decided to keep it pretty monochromatic and focus on the textures the snow and ice bring to the lake. I'm starting soon on a commission piece of a nearby pond - at least, of how it would look in the summer. Let's hope I can remember back to when everything was green!

$425 + $30 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Hill with tree

2010-02-19T13:43:00.005-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

"In painting, as in the other arts, there's not a single process, no matter how insignificant, which can be reasonably made into a formula. You come to nature with your theories, and she knocks them all flat."
- Pierre-Auguste Renoir

SOLD

Portrait of Karin

2010-02-16T08:21:00.001-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

Many of you are familiar with the "Different Strokes from Different Folks" challenge blog.
It's been run for years by the tireless efforts of Karin Jurick - herself an amazing painter.
As a thank you for Karin, 118 of the participating artists painted a portrait of her. The portraits were then made into a book which was sent to Karin.. All of the portraits can be seen here.
I'm glad Karin enjoyed her surprise. We all appreciate the huge contribution she's made to the online art community - her paintings continue to inspire!

NFS

Distant Mountains

2010-02-14T12:36:00.008-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

SOLD

Purple Sky Tree

2010-02-07T20:19:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
24" x 12" x 2"

SOLD

Back into hospital - see you next week

2010-02-07T10:18:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow we move back into Children's Hospital for the week for more testing on our little one.
This time it's a brain scan - they hope to pinpoint the source of the seizures to see if that part of the brain could be removed with surgery.
In the past I've attempted to post from Children's, but this test is rough - sleep deprivation (to provoke seizures), no more than a couple hours sleep a night is allowed - ugh.
So, I'll just focus on that this week, and I'll be all the more grateful to be back at the easel next week!

Mountain color sketch

2010-02-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 10" x 8"
Click on image for detail

Thanks to all of you who participated in my Artful Home studio sale - I have more room to move around now!

"The morning pouring everywhere, its golden glory on the air."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

$100 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Commission pond

2010-02-05T09:56:00.001-07:00

Oil on Panel 18" x 36" x 2"
Click on image for detail

This painting is a commission I did recently. They wanted their kids and dogs in the scene. Always tricky to find the balance - having figures noticeable, but not dominant in the piece.

SOLD

Colorful Field

2010-02-04T12:09:00.002-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

I agonized for quite a while about whether or not to experiment with my work. After all, I've spent years cultivating collectors and galleries that expect my "signature" textured paintings. We are constantly told as artists the importance of finding a specific style of our own. The problem with this is that once we find a degree of success with that style, we may feel trapped in it. Don't get me wrong - I love texture, and am not abandoning it. I just feel this overwhelming pull to try other media and see what else might work better. I think I've pushed acrylics pretty far - but to propel my work forward oils may be the way to go. I love the organic feel texture brings to art, so I'm sure I'll figure out a way to incorporate it into my oils too.
In a lot of ways I feel like I'm starting over - exciting, but scary!
I hope you'll all bear with me as I find my way.

SOLD

Mountain Barn

2010-02-01T08:23:00.002-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

Still playing around with different under-coatings. This one is a burnt sienna base - it's tricky to have enough show through to add interest, without having it take over the painting.

"I was so naive as a kid I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing."
- Johnny Carson

SOLD

Blogiversary Tree

2010-01-29T07:22:00.002-07:00

Oil on Flat Panel 10" x 8"
Click on image for detail

Today is the one year anniversary of when I started this blog.
What better way to celebrate than with a tree - the same way I began the blog.

I've learned a lot in the last year - both about life and painting.
My readers are now in the thousands each month and growing. I feel so honored (and a bit shocked and intimidated) that so many people take the time out of their busy day to read my blog. Thanks to all of you who have joined me along this journey!

SOLD

Mountain Abstract

2010-01-27T21:03:00.006-07:00

Oil on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.5"

I'm really enjoying experimenting with oil paints. It's very freeing and so different than what I'm used to. I don't have great studio ventilation so I've avoided oils, but these water soluble ones are fantastic!
So far they seem to be a lot more versatile than acrylics - the drying time is so long it allows tons of time to play with the paint.
In this case I did an under-painting first and then went back and painted on top.
I admit it - I'm addicted to layering!

NFS

Mountains with red

2010-01-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

Oil on Canvas Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

“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

$100 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

First Oil Landscape

2010-01-24T15:30:00.003-07:00

Oil on Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

I decided to finally try out the water soluble oils my husband got me for our anniversary last year. It's been almost twenty years since I've used oil paints and I'd completely forgotten how! The method I use for acrylics involves dozens of wet on dry layers. The wet on wet blending of oils is so different it was quite a challenge. Still, it was a lot of fun. Once I get the hang of it again I look forward to playing with more texture.

$100 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

Yellow Sky with Mountains

2010-01-21T07:52:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

"There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is always the same"
- Chinese Proverb

"The heights charm us, but the steps do not; with the mountain in our view we love to walk the plains."
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

SOLD

Rocky Mountain Home

2010-01-19T19:00:00.006-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

I can't believe what a difference not painting for three weeks makes - I've been really struggling the last few days to produce anything I'm satisfied with.
The time off gave me lots of ideas and inspiration, but actually getting them onto canvas is another story!
I look forward to getting back into my groove soon.

SOLD

Green Apple

2010-01-16T14:43:00.005-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

I enjoyed going back to a simple still life today.
Plus, it had the added benefit that I got to eat my subject when I was done!

$85 + $10 Shipping
International buyers please contact me.

We have a winner!!

2010-01-16T14:24:00.002-07:00

As promised, I drew a name at random this morning once we reached 200 followers.

And the winner is...... (drumroll)
.....Sheila of From Forensic to Fine Art

Congratulations, Sheila - you can scroll down to the bottom of my blog sidebar to see "Painting Winner Instructions". I look forward to seeing which one you pick!

Everyone else - I'll be randomly picking another winner from my followers once we reach 250!

I'm Baaack!

2010-01-15T17:35:00.011-07:00

I'm finally up and about! We actually got back almost a week ago from our vacation; immediately a crazy virus knocked me completely out of commission. Not sure what that was about - perhaps the 75 degree temperature drop when we arrived in Denver?!
Anyway, I'm getting stronger every day and raring to paint!
Thanks to all of you who followed along on my visual trip down memory lane. I'm glad I pre-posted all those entries as I ended up having no Internet access at all in Mexico! I really appreciate each and every comment that was left and apologize that I wasn't able to respond (when I get a burst of energy I'll go back and answer any of the questions). A special thanks to my #1 fan, AutumnLeaves, who came by every day to comment!
As for our first big vacation in five years?
It was wonderful to be in the warm air, collect shells, have some time to contemplate life, and to wake to the sound of the ocean every morning.

#1 Cluster of Trees

2010-01-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - October 7

I've done several variations on the tree cluster. I think the negative space they create is fascinating - I never tire of painting them.

Thanks for coming along on this visual recap with me - I really enjoyed doing this countdown.
Now for some new work....

SOLD

#2 Oak Tree

2010-01-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

Original post - September 28

This was one of my favorites from 2009. I like the muted colors and to me it feels contemporary while still being somewhat realistic.

_______________________

"Our ordinary mind always tries to persuade us that we are nothing
but acorns and that our greatest happiness will be to become bigger,
fatter, shinier acorns; but that is of interest only to pigs. Our faith
gives us knowledge of something better:
that we can become oak trees."
- E.F. Schumacher

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#3 Purple field

2010-01-09T08:16:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - October 22

I spend a lot of time thinking about color - and purple is my favorite. This may not sound like a huge deal, but to me it is. It's kind of like having a musician name the song they'd chose to be stranded on an island with - it's a big commitment!
Even though I love purple, and paint with it a lot, I'm often dissatisfied with the result - perhaps because it doesn't naturally occur often in nature and can end up looking too contrived. I decided to only use shades of purple in this tonalist piece and I like the way it came out.

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#4 The Hills are Alive

2010-01-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 12" x 12" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - September 11

I included this piece because there's something really whimsical about it (and not just the "Sound of Music" reference.) The colors, the subject, not sure what it is, but this one just makes me smile.

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#5 Summer's End

2010-01-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

Original post - September 7

Again, I think the little punch of orange adds interest to this painting. It's easy for a monochromatic piece to become bland - so this was my solution.

_______________________

"There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart."
- Celia Thaxter

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#6 Peaceful Field

2010-01-06T08:27:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

Original post - August 22

I learned a lot from this piece. The original was fine, but lacking some oomph. So I went back and worked in the red and then created more layers on top of it. I like the way it came out and use this technique quite a bit now.

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#7 Summer of Hope

2010-01-05T08:20:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 10" x 10" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - July 28

Here's an example of a piece where I feel like the texture works well. It adds interest, but isn't overpowering. Plus, there's something about this scene that makes me want to go sit under those trees!

_______________

"Hope is the dream of a soul awake."
- French Proverb

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#8 Aspen Grove

2010-01-04T08:07:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 12" x 12" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - July 26

I paint aspen trees quite often. They don't work with my texture as well as some of the fuller trees do. Still, they have a magical quality that always draws me back to them.

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#9 Yellow Rose

2010-01-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic and Rose on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.5"
Click on image to enlarge

Original post - July 19

I love to embed things into my paintings. One of my favorites to use is real roses - they have such a delicateness to them. To be able to incorporate the flower into the piece like this creates a unique connection to the subject. I haven't really experienced that while painting from afar. It really feels like these pieces are a moment frozen in time - and to me that's largely what painting is about.

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#10 Summer Storms

2010-01-02T07:41:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 16" x 36" x 2"
Click on image for detail

Original post - July 16

This piece is probably my favorite from 2009.
Last summer was pretty challenging. Not only does painting keep me sane, but I notice that some element of hopefulness always shows up in the finished piece - even if all I could feel was despair while I was painting. In this case, the blue sky peeks out through the stormy sky. The heart in the sky was unintentional - I noticed it later.

The original post was accompanied by two wonderful quotes:

"There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm."
- Willa Sibert Cather

"Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things - with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope."
- Corazon Aquino

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#11 Jane

2010-01-01T08:17:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
36" x 18" x 2"
Click on image for detail

Original post - June 14

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A bit of a melancholy piece to start off the New Year - but that's where I was when I originally posted this one.
Here's hoping for a happy, healthy, peaceful 2010 for us all!

_______________________

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
- Edith Lovejoy Pierce

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#12 Colorado Mountains

2009-12-31T07:19:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 12" x 24" x 2"
Click on image for detail

Original post - June 11

Where I live is incredibly beautiful - nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. But, like anything that's right in front of us, I often take it for granted. Sometimes I'll go a week without really noticing it, and then suddenly the beauty will take my breath away again.
This is the way I see our mountains - in all their purple majesty!

_________________

"An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves."
- Bill Vaughn

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#13 Summer Vegetables

2009-12-30T07:11:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 10" x 10" x 1.4"
Click on image for detail

Original post - June 10

This piece was done for a Different Strokes for Different Folks challenge. I love that it pushed me out of my landscape comfort zone! It was also an opportunity to use my texture a bit differently - I 'molded' the shapes of the veggies into the body of the piece.

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#14 Sunset 2

2009-12-29T08:32:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
24" x 12" x 2.25"
Click on image for detail

Original post - May 3

I often face challenges painting with my texturing technique - occasionally I kick myself for making it my 'signature' style. Sometimes the texture works for a piece and sometimes it doesn't. But then I see what it adds to a piece like this and I remember why I started using it in the first place! Here, I think the texture plays as important a role in the finished piece as the color and subject do.

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#15 Horizon

2009-12-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 4" x 4" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - April 25

Clouds are one of my favorite things to paint. I think the bold horizon line adds interest and gives this piece a more contemporary feel.

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#16 Boulder Flatirons

2009-12-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - April 9

The Flatirons are Boulder's most famous mountains - I really enjoyed painting them!
In the original post I explain why Chief Niwot (an Arapahoe Indian chief) supposedly put a curse on this place.

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#17 Leaning Tree

2009-12-26T08:50:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - April 7

This painting has particular significance to me - there is a lot of symbolism here! This piece was painted as my daughter slept off a seizure next to me.
If you're interested in a behind the scenes glimpse into raising a child with epilepsy check out the original post.

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#18 March Morning

2009-12-25T11:33:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - March 6

Living in Colorado I've attempted many mountain scenes - I really like the colors and simplicity in this one.

_________________

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!!

"I send my thoughts afar, and let them paint your Christmas Day at home"
- Edward Rowland Sill

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#19 North Boulder Barn

2009-12-24T10:57:00.003-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Original post - March 19

I picked this piece because I love the feeling a lone structure brings to a painting - for me it's a mix of nostalgia, melancholy and peacefulness.
___________

"Christmas Eve was a night of song that wrapped itself about you like a shawl. But it warmed more than your body. It warmed your heart... filled it, too, with melody that would last forever."
- Bess Streeter Aldrich

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#20 - Green Sky Tree

2009-12-23T10:46:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image to enlarge

Original post - Jan. 30

This was one of the very first posts back when I started this blog. As you can see, the border was a more integral part of the painting back then. This is one of my "botanical" pieces - where I embed actual plants and let them help guide the finished piece.

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Best of 2009 Top Twenty Countdown

2009-12-23T10:02:00.003-07:00

Why the countdown? you may ask. Is she some type of egomaniac? Isn't it a bit soon for a blog retrospective? Is she tired of painting every day?

All good questions! But no, the truth is actually more exciting:
We are finally going on our first real vacation in over five years!!
For those of you who've been following my blog for a while you know how amazing this is. My little one's life threatening epilepsy has made it practically impossible to leave the state - let alone the country.
So we've decided to just go for it, head to Cancun for a couple of weeks, and get on with our lives. Sure, we'll be staying right by the hospital which we'll acquaint ourselves with upon arrival, and sure, we'll travel with our own oxygen and pulsox machine - but still it's a vacation! It feels like freedom, and what better Christmas gift could I ask for?

So, for the next twenty days I'll post my favorite daily paintings from 2009.
It's been great fun to go back through my work - see how it's changed, and where there is still room for improvement.

Thank you all for the support and encouragement I've received from the online art community over the past year - I feel lucky to be a part of it.

I wish you all warm, relaxing, and joyful holidays!

Portrait swap

2009-12-20T21:18:00.009-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

This painting was for the Different Strokes for Different Folks portrait swap. For this challenge 180 artists from all over the world draw and paint each other. I was sent an anonymous photo of another artist to paint - check out the reference photo below:

I don't think I exactly nailed his likeness, but I had a lot of fun doing this one. I especially enjoy the challenge that glasses bring to a portrait.
Working from only one reference photo was very interesting. It made me realize just how much I usually rely on familiarity with my subject when I paint.

NFS

Purple Sky with Tree

2009-12-17T20:44:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 40" x 30" x 2"
Click on image for detail

I just finished this commissioned piece.
My client really liked one that had sold this summer - so I created this with a similar feel.
Now I just hope UPS can still get it there before Christmas!

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Snowy Mountains

2009-12-14T08:11:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

"One kind word can warm three winter months."
- Japanese Proverb

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer"
- Albert Camus

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Pink Poinsettia

2009-12-11T12:10:00.003-07:00

Textured Acrylic and poinsettia on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

"Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before:
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."
- Dr Seuss

NFS

Red Poinsettia

2009-12-09T19:46:00.004-07:00

Textured Acrylic and poinsettia on Canvas 10" x 10" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

I was at Whole Foods the other day and outside they had a display of "Fresh Cut Holiday Trees". Seriously? Is Xmas actually a four letter word now? (Well, technically it is, but you know what I mean.)
Inside, they had these cute little poinsettias - the ultimate 'holiday flower'.
The pronounced veins make it ideal for embedding in a painting.

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Winter Rose

2009-12-07T07:08:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic and rose on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

This piece was the last rose I picked and embedded this summer. I've been putting off painting it since then because it was was my very last one - but suddenly inspiration struck: I can go to a florist!
I can't believe this idea hadn't struck me before. I just figured I'd wait until the spring and continue my tradition of wandering around my yard to see what's growing.
But a florist opens up a whole world of exotic possibilities!

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In the woods

2009-12-03T08:45:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit."
- Robert Louis Stevenson

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Ten Trees

2009-11-30T08:45:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 18" x 36" x 2"
Click on image for detail

"The touch of an infinite mystery passes over the trivial and the familiar, making it break out into ineffable music... The trees, the stars, and the blue hills ache with a meaning which can never be uttered in words."
- Rabindranath Tagore

"I think people tend to forget that trees are living creatures. They're sort of like dogs. Huge, quiet, motionless dogs, with bark instead of fur."
- Jack Handy

NFS

Approaching Storm

2009-11-27T09:41:00.006-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

"Storms make oaks take deeper root"
- George Herbert

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I want to thank fellow blogger Dean H. for awarding me the Kreativ Blogger award - Dean is a fantastic painter and an all around nice guy, I'd recommend checking out his work!

So, the rules are: I list seven things about myself and then pass the award on to seven artists I enjoy - they then do the same:

Seven things about me:
1) I became an American citizen last year.
2) In college I was banned from the Cleveland zoo.
3) I can't be in the same room as root beer.
4) I've been robbed on three continents.
5) I can't dance...
6) ..but, I'm really good at hula hooping and scrabble.
7) I got married on Kauai - one of my very favorite places.

Seven artists I admire:
1) Fongwei Liu
2) David Larson Evans
3) karinjurick
4) Dana Cooper
5) Coni Grant
6) Jan Blencowe
7) Cathleen Crehfeld

I'd highly recommend visiting their sites - beautiful, inspiring work!

Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T08:36:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 8" x 10"
Click on image for detail

Even though I didn't grow up with Thanksgiving, I can appreciate the beauty of the holiday. It's wonderful to be reminded to count our blessings and to focus on gratitude (and of course, there's the pies!)

I have so much to be thankful for - among them, this wonderful community of bloggers and blog readers I'm a part of!
I wish you all the happiest of Thanksgivings!

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."
- Melody Beattie

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Snowy Trees

2009-11-23T15:16:00.006-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 10" x 10" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

"Sunshine cannot bleach the snow, Nor time unmake what poets know"
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream."
- Vincent van Gogh

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Fall Aspens

2009-11-20T13:36:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel 24" x 24" x 1.75"
Click on image for detail

In reality, the last of the leaves are clinging to the trees now.
Luckily, this year I was more prepared, and started gathering reference materials in early summer. I have tons of sketches and photos of trees and landscapes in bloom - hopefully enough to get me through the cold months ahead!

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Field with Bushes

2009-11-17T16:01:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel 10" x 8"
Click on image for detail

"How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains!"
- John Muir

"Earth's crammed with heaven, And every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees, takes off his shoes - The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries."
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning

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Fall Morning

2009-11-15T13:07:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 12" x 12" x 1.5"

"One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. Which road do I take? she asked. Where do you want to go? was his response. I don't know, Alice answered. Then, said the cat, it doesn't matter."
- Lewis Carroll

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Self Portrait

2009-11-12T10:35:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Flat Panel
10" x 8"
Click on image for detail

I haven't done a self portrait in a long time. There are a couple of reasons for this: First, I've really committed myself to my texturing technique to keep my body of work cohesive - this presents real challenges when doing a portrait.
Second, and more important, I find staring at myself for long periods pretty disconcerting.
Overall, I had fun painting a different subject matter - it's good to mix things up from time to time!

$275 - Includes Free U.S. Shipping
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Yellow Sky

2009-11-09T11:53:00.013-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Panel
24" x 12" x 2"
Click on image for detail

"All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.
All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and then leading the individual towards freedom."
- Albert Einstein

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November Trees

2009-11-07T12:02:00.001-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 8" x 8" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

Another variation on the tree cluster today. Trees are endlessly fascinating to me - I love to try and capture the negative space shapes they make against the sky.

It's been back up in the 70's the last couple of days - amazing how much more you appreciate the warmth after being hit by a snowstorm!

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Tree Cluster

2009-11-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

"If a given combination of trees, mountains, water, and houses, say a landscape, is beautiful, it is not so by itself, but because of me, of my favor, of the idea or feeling I attach to it."
- Charles Baudelaire

"Never say there is nothing beautiful in the world anymore. There is always something to make you wonder in the shape of a tree, the trembling of a leaf."
- Albert Schweitzer

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Snowy Field

2009-11-02T11:14:00.002-07:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 6" x 6" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

"A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water."
- Carl Reiner

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily. "So it is." "And freezing." "Is it?" "Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."
- A. A. Milne

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Snow Day

2009-10-31T14:41:00.003-06:00

Textured Acrylic on Canvas 10" x 10" x 1.5"
Click on image for detail

It's been very snowy here this week.
It's no secret that I'm not a fan of snow. It's pretty, and I will suspiciously peer at it through the window, but I have no desire to actually be in it.
I've avoided painting it in the past - I figure to paint it is to acknowledge it, and I enjoy my warm and toasty denial.
So, this is one of my first real attempts to paint a snow-scape. I kept it pretty monochromatic. I noticed that my inner dialog about the inconvenience of the snow fell away as I focused on the patterns, shapes, and light it creates.

SOLD