Category: Fine Art

AUTUMN, I am thinking Fall

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IMG_1368

“Autumn” 9″ X 12″ acrylic on 150 lb. pressed paper

Finally the autumnal equinox has arrived and I for one am thrilled.  It is my favorite time of year. So out come the fall colors and switching out my wardrobe to cozy and warm sweaters, jeans and boots. It was natural that yesterday’s painting would have me gravitating to the above colors.  Yet I did not paint them in the traditional way with colorful leaves. I instead chose to make the sky and water brilliant orange and yellow, a juxtaposition of what you might normally see.  I like it, it makes the painting more dramatic, bold and screaming for you to look at it.

I am sure that in the coming days I will use more of this color combination and you may see me painting in oranges, purples, red and golds during the Studio Tour the first weekend in October.  I paint the seasons, and moods of my life here in the Southwest, and that will demand this color pallet.

Creating  a world of Autumn, one painting at a time…

JOY

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JOY

“Joy”  12″ X 9″ acrylic on 150 lb. pressed paper

Number 16 in my 30 in 30 challenge and this time it is an abstract.  I love doing abstracts and playing with patterns.  I used that bright fuchsia again.  It was still on my palette from the last two paintings.  I hate to waste paint and this palette is beautiful. The soft sage green and sky blue pairs well with the fuchsia.  The white ties it all together and makes the negative space come into view.  I think this abstract is stunning.

I chose to name it “JOY” because that is how I am feeling these days, Joyful.  It is also what I hope you experience when you view this piece. God plants plenty of joy in this world just open your heart to receive it. Joy is a blessing to receive everyday, look around you, from the smallest bud to the expansive sky to a beautiful painting joy is everywhere.

Here’s to experiencing joy one moment at a time…

PASSING THROUGH ON THE WAY…

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PASSING BY ON THE WAY

“Passing Through On The Way”  9″ X 12″ on 150 lb. pressed paper

Half way through my 30 in 30 challenge and the last half will be a bit more tasking since I have the Studio Tour coming up in two weeks. But that is another story and today I am still finding creativity oozing out of me. It has been fun experimenting with different color palettes. Fuchsia was todays color choice. I think I have painted mesas in every color imaginable, so today was no exception.

As for the reason I painted them Fuchsia… What could be more exciting than driving miles  down I-40 through Arizona and New Mexico heading on the way to somewhere.  You got the idea. I have traveled this route many times and the collective memories are etched in my brain. I have been thinking about a road trip after the Studio Tour, which lead me to remember the comforting rhythm of the car wheels traveling down such roads. The topography is mesas, hundreds of mesas. Mostly brown, but when the sun hits them just right, they magically turn beautiful colors. So todays fuchsia becomes mesas and the familiar cadence of a road trip.

Traveling in my mind’s eye… one painting at a time.

CANYON FALLS

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CANYON FALLS

“Canyon Falls” 16″ X 16″ acrylic on gallery wrap canvas format  

This is  #13 in my 30 in 30 challenge. I did this painting while doing a lesson with one of my students who wanted to paint waterfalls. Being that I hadn’t painted a waterfall in over a year I needed to rethink how to achieve the luminous quality of the water going over the falls and then relaying that to her.  Sometimes I learn just as much during a lesson as my student does. In this case neither of us finished our falls. This took a bit of reworking this morning but I believe I accomplished what I set out to do.

My student had a photograph of a falls in the High Sierras that she painted. Of course I very rarely paint from a photograph so my painting is completely from my mind’s eye; something from a memory of the Lord of The Rings, or the Hobbit I am sure. I did have fun painting this and it makes me happy to view it.  Plenty of positive-energy in this painting…

I diverted from my 9 X 12 on pressed paper format for this challenge and painted this on canvas. I really love painting on canvas best, this one will go on the gallery wall for the Open Studio Tour the first weekend in October.

Getting ready for the studio tour Oct. 6,7, and 8, one painting at a time.

ORANGE CLIFFS

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ORANGE CLIFFS

“Orange Cliffs” 9″ X 12″ acrylic on pressed paper

This is number 12 of my 30 in 30 challenge and today I worked in orange.  This challenge has given me the opportunity to explore many different colors that I might not normally use.  But fall is coming and it is when I usually pull out the oranges and reds. But for this exercise I decided to make the cliffs orange in this turbulent ocean. As a friend on Instagram said. Beautiful, so much Verve ( which means an energetic style) in this one. Yes, I do have an Instagram page and here it is.

I really do love the energy in this one. It is full of strong brush strokes and  bright complimentary colors.  As for why I painted it… we had a cold trough set up yesterday and blow through our area.  The wind was chilly and so invigorating after a long hot summer. It made me recall standing on the ocean shore feeling the strong breeze and watching the rough waves chopping in the water. It makes me realize that sometimes I miss living by the ocean but that was another time and another journey.

Today I am continuing on this great journey one painting at a time.

ORANGE CLIFFS

An original 9″ X 12″ acrylic painting on vellum paper, matted in white to 12" X 16" and ready to frame.

$75.00

CHERRY BLOOMS

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CHERRY TREES

“Cherry Blooms” 9″ X 12″ acrylic on pressed paper

Number 11 in my 30 in 30 challenge and today I looked around the studio and noticed I have several tubes of Pink paint so I decided to do something with it. Not always a fan of this color I envisioned things in pink to inspire a painting. Then I remembered the cherry tree in our yard when I was a young girl. When the blossoms arrived I got excited thinking of the coming season of plenty. My mom made the best pies, and jars of cherry jam each season. I would help her pit the fruit, my hands staining red. My dad would put a tent of cheese cloth over the tree because the birds loved those cherries as much as we did. In July I would climb into the tree and help him pick buckets of fruit. To think it all started with those Cherry Blooms.

Sometimes inspiration comes from days past and today I am feeling that Pink is my favorite color; because it brought back such a sweet memory of my mom and dad.

Creating memories one painting at a time.

CHERRY TREES

An original 9″ X 12″ acrylic on vellum paper, matted in white to 12" X 16" and ready to frame.

$75.00

HIDDEN POND

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HIDDEN PONDThis is number 10 in my 30 in 30 challenge, it’s moodiness is just perfect for this cool and dreary morning that lead to a wicked storm with hail pelting the deck.  But lo and behold the sun in shining at this moment with the sound of thunder in the background.  It has been a crazy monsoon season.

I love the depth of this painting which is created by putting pops of light colors in this instance turquoise next to patches of dark grey and blacks.  It is just layer upon layer of darks and lights until the right effect appears.  Not knowing what a painting will become until close to finish is exciting for me.  It is a very meditative process and my mindfulness of my surroundings always shows up in the painting.

I am loving this challenge as I journey through these 30 days one painting at a time.

 

HIDDEN POND

Original 9' X 12" acrylic painting on pressed paper, ready to mat and frame. A one of a kind painting by Artist Pamela Dunmire

$45.00

AFTER THE STORM

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BEFORE THE STORM

“Before The Storm” 9″ X 12″ Acrylic on Paper

Today as Floridians are waiting for Irma’s landfall I have been following some of my friends posts on Face Book, and their struggles and fears of losing the life they have been accustom to.  The concerns of not having a home to come back to, or what possessions they may end up with.  In the past I have been able to keep a one degree distance from the crisis; an easier path to observe and then pray for my fellow victims. This time it feels more personal.

I have close friends and relatives in the eye of the storm, knowing their fears and struggles, I somehow feel it deeper this time. My one friend who was fearful for her pets as she had to leave them behind hunkered down in the house as she boarded a plane. I wonder how those house cats will do as the pressure increases and they hear the storm approaching. My other friend’s mother choosing to ride it out, because she has no where to go, is wondering what will become of her body if she is killed in the storm. Neighbors who use to live next door and now live in the eye of the storm, wondering if they made the right decision to move permanently to Florida. Family members bracing for tidal surges and immense flooding, insurance agents and rebuilding.

It seems almost too much to bear in the last few weeks with Harvey, now Irma and the forest fires enveloping the west plus an 8.1 earthquake, terrorism, and DACA.  Life is dark today. Yet, I am an optimist, we are resiliant, fair and caring. We will roll up our sleeves and help others. Find shelter for those who have none and keep giving til it hurts.We will make laws to protect others, and contain global warming.  We will negotiate for peace and find common ground. It is always calm after the storm and it will be again.

Praying for Everyone today.

AFTER THE STORM

Original acrylic painting of the Gulf Coast done on 9" X 12" pressed paper. Ready for mat and frame.

$45.00

 

RED SKY WARNING

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RED SKY WARNING

“Red Sky Warning”   9″ X 12″ Acrylic on paper

Remember the old saying, “Red sky in the morning sailors warning” ? That is where my title for the above painting came from; you see I am married to a meteorologist and he constantly says that. Appropriate for a desert painting that is Surreal in feeling.

This is day four’s painting of the 30 in 30 challenge that started on September 1st.  I thought I would use this challenge for experimental expression and do some things that I don’t normally paint. I can’t get away from the colors I love though, so you will still see color, energy and movement in all the paintings that I am doing for this challenge.

The deeper that I get into this challenge the more I am feeling a creativeness starting to  bubble, like a well-spring, bringing new ideas and freedom of expression. Stay tuned for what pops up next in my subconscious.  It may be very revealing as to my nature and how I think.

So enjoy my blog as I paint the Southwest one adventure at a time. More of my works that are not in this challenge can be found  here.

Thanks for stopping by.  Pam

RED SKY WARNING

An original acrylic painting on 9" X 12" paper. Ready to mat and frame. Shipping is free in the US.

$45.00

 

CATTAILS… ADDING THE FINAL TOUCH

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CAT TAILS

“Cattails”  24″ X 24″ on gallery wrap canvas

This is my newest painting that I did during my latest workshop.  It was a demo but I absolutely love it for many reasons.  First, the colors are some of my favorites. PURPLE being number one and then teal is right up there in popularity.

I also love the flow of this piece, it just came together so effortlessly.  My workshop student wanted a pond painting which happens to be a favorite subject for me.  I have always called myself a “water baby”; I grew up on a lake and was nurtured by the sound of waves.

The cool colors with the warm accents always pull a painting together.  Those cattails and the rocks on the shoreline did the trick. Once the warm color came into the piece I knew exactly what was needed, so the final touch was the cattails. Those warm colors automatically direct your eye up to the cattails which is the focal point and title of the painting.

If you are interested in my thoughts when painting this piece or you want to purchase it CLICK HERE