Today I finished up the my latest piece for the Quilted Landscape series:

I also touched up two new pieces for the Southwest series. These were done 90% en plein air (outdoors) around Portales, New Mexico this spring.


Today I finished up the my latest piece for the Quilted Landscape series:
I also touched up two new pieces for the Southwest series. These were done 90% en plein air (outdoors) around Portales, New Mexico this spring.
Hiya!
While making a concerted effort last week to work more in my sketchbooks – they are invaluable tools for artists: they help one learn to see, think, play, practice and hone… I could go on but it could turn into an inarticulate ramble so I will move on to my point.
I discovered that I have been really wanting to make a “Portrait of Portales”. A collection of drawings or paintings that describe the personality and character of my town.
This is a project I sort-of began over a year ago with small, “en plein air” oil paintings done from my car, of scenes around town. Let me jog your memory with a photo-collage:
Grated, the above could really be paintings of anywhere in New Mexico, so common are the scenes of yellowed grasses, cows and crumbling adobe structures. Many of my new works will be specifically Portales, its stores, real estate, lawns, animals, abandoned buildings and neglected alleys. And as the title of this post suggests, they are being worked in my sketchbooks.
So now I’m back to venturing around town in my little mazda, and at the risk of looking like a creep-o or a cop on a stake-out, parking and sketching from the car. It really does make me feel like a cop… or okay, more like Stephanie Plum…
It is SO MUCH FUN and really IS showing me more about where I live. Nothing makes me appreciate a place more than painting it. Here are some examples of my work so far. I will share more detailed/close-up pictures of them in the future. For now you just get a taste:
I had a great day today with just enough painting time to finish up this piece. Would you believe it, it’s the last day of my twenties today!
It was a great day that I finished up by attending my community’s book club (the author was present!) followed by two hours with my tennis club. The rest of the day was spent studying for my Spanish 101 exam tomorrow – yeeeah! I love it.
My Dad and Grandma spent the past week at the family cottage on Go Home Lake. Thinking of them there made me crave the landscape (more than I already am) and so another lake painting was born.
These falls are accessible by boat and I remember special picnics there with our yellow lab Spencer. Maybe I’ll add him in this painting… I haven’t decided yet.
Happy Monday folks.
I am happy to say today is the last day of work on Quilted Lake. I’m pleased with the outcome and eager to move onto creating the paintings that have been accumulating inside me. If it weren’t for my tennis club meeting in an hour I’d start another painting right now! I’ve got some serves and volleys inside me too though, and they need to come out just as badly as the paintings.
I hope everyone enjoyed their labor day weekend and that you all have a great short week!
Well, it’s been a long day. I spent a total of 9 hours painting and regardless of hot packs, stretching and ibuprofen I am in quite a bit of neck/head pain this evening. I know the painting is not quite done yet, although I don’t know exactly how far I am to the finish line… let’s just say I’m a lot closer.
Here is the progress picture I promised you, complete with an appearance from Dragon, who leapt up onto a chair to look out the window as I pressed the shutter.
Good Friday morning to everyone!
It’s 9:30 and I’ve jogged, showered, breakfasted, cleaned, laid with the kitty and prepared my palette. I’ve been working on “Quilted Lake” for weeks now and it’s just really dragging. I did really really enjoy working on it yesterday though so I decided today was the perfect day for a painting marathon!
Meaning? I’m sitting down to paint now and I’m not going to stop until this painting is DONE… or my body gives out… whichever happens first. I’ll take breaks to stretch and eat obviously and maybe to work in a mini solo dance party or two (I listen to really upbeat music while I paint and sometimes can’t help dancing.)
Wish me luck. I will post my progress tonight whether it’s done or not!