Tag: #southwestart

Thumb Butte

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Thumb Butte

“Thumb Butte”  Acrylic on Vellum Paper 

Thumb Butte is the Iconic Landmark in Prescott. I am fortunate enough to have a beautiful view of it right outside my window.  It is one reason I bought my home 15 years ago, and it never disappoints me as the seasons go by, the weather changes, and the sun shifts over the butte.

It has been a special place to me since moving here. The Yavapai Indians call it the Sleeping Lion, and it is sacred to them. No wonder I am drawn to painting this butte frequently. I have painted it in all its splendor, and in all it’s seasons. This time I painted it as an early morning study on vellum paper.  I love these small studies 9″ X 12″ matted to 12″ X 16″ and ready to frame.

My paintings of Thumb Butte never last long. So let me know if you are interested.

Have a marvelous New Year, may it be the best ever.

~Pam~

Antelope Canyon

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IMG_2310

“Weathered Sand” 9″ x 12″ acrylic on Vellum Paper,  matted to 12″ X 16″

A short road trip found me at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and then to Antelope Canyon.  If you are not familiar with this small slot canyon it is situated on the Navajo Reservation and you need permission from the tribe to visit it.

They took a group of us 3 1/2 miles  through a dusty plain in a  WWII deuce and a half with no seat belts and wide open to the elements; that meant hot beating sun and windy conditions.  As I spit out the sand lodged in my throat I will continue.

We came to this amazing slot canyon and the magic began.  Under the excellent guidance of our Navajo tour guide we proceeded into the canyon by foot, a bottle of water and my cell phone the only things I was allowed to carry in.  The water for survival and the cell phone for pictures.  Thus began the most beautiful images I have ever taken photos of.

The abstraction of the light streaming through the opening above and the unusual shapes made by eons of water running through the canyon created abstract forms of color and sensual movement that mesmerized me. It also gave me plenty of inspiration to start a new abstract collection of studies on vellum that will be ready for the open studio tour in October.

This is the first one and is ready for sale now. If you are into Southwest design you will love these.  If you are a lover of abstract art you will love these. If you love pink, orange, or purple and all the various shades that they come in you will love these.

Give me a shout out and let me know what you think…  More to come…

 

 

Praising Winter Rain

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PRAISING WINTER RAIN

“Praising Winter Rain”  9″ X 12″  acrylic on vellum

Welcome to 2019 and the winter that we have been waiting for. Those of us who live in the Southwest pray for winter rains and those like myself who have the great fortune to live in the mountains of Arizona are thankful for snow falls.

Any moisture is a blessing…

This year is starting off with plenty of it so I created this praise painting to express my gratitude to God.

Praise paintings are early morning studies on vellum paper that I create after my meditation and journaling when I first step into the studio. Simple heartfelt quick studies of what is on my mind.

If you want to see more of my work, please visit here.

Praising Winter Rain, Original Acrylic Painting

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

$75.00

Creating Atmosphere

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STORMS A COMING

“Storms A Coming”  9″ X 12″ Acrylic on Vellum

This is one of my early morning studies where I was practicing technique. I wanted the feel of a storm coming yet the sun was still shinning through that sucker hole as my meteorologist husband would say.  So the painting is bright and colorful yet the sky is threatening. It definitely makes the colors pop and the shadows interesting; a favorite of  many of my followers.

It is a practice of mine to work on vellum paper to warm up in the studio before I start my day of painting.  It keeps my skills honed and allows me time for experimentation. This is an example of atmospheric experimentation,  I wanted my sky full of drama yet a landscape full of promise. Spring flowers popping up from winter rains.  Though we are experiencing extreme draught in our part of the world I am ever hopeful that God will nurture our arid lands.

This painting is matted and ready to frame total area 12″ X 16″.  A great value since I sell them far below my canvas work.

“Storms A Coming” Original acrylic painting on vellum.

Painting is 9″ X 12″ matted to 12″ X 16″ Ready for your own unique frame.

$65.00

Creating Early Morning Studies

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SPRINGTIME ON THE MESA

“Spring Time On The Mesa”  9″T X 12″W  Acrylic on Vellum

I started a practice at the first of the year to force me to hone my skills and bring me into the studio and away from the office.  I have found that this art business of mine renders me more time in the office doing marketing than in the actual studio.  I must get an assistant, but I digress.

I call this practice my early morning 10 to 15 minute study. I have a pad of Vellum that I use strictly to create quick studies.  I work the first 10 minutes of the morning laying down on the paper what ever comes to mind. This practice really is a marker as to how I am thinking that day and the mood I am in. I never finish the study in one sitting but instead put it aside and pick it up again the next morning.  The next day my mood may have changed and I may go in another direction with the study. Eventually I finish it and may find I like what I have created so I will mat it and sell it way below what I charge for a normal acrylic painting done on gallery wrap canvas. The customer ends up with a Boutique Art Original at a much lower price. That is how many of my new customers have started their collections of my work.

This practice loosens me up and allows me to experiment with new techniques so I am constantly getting better. It also quickly gets me ready for a day of work in the studio.

So what do you do to start your day?

“Spring Time On The Mesa”

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

$75.00

Morning On The Mesa

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Morning On The Mesa

“Morning On The Mesa” 12″ X 13″ Acrylic on Gallery Wrap

Wow, this is my first post of 2018 because of six weeks working on a Wizard of Oz set for our local Youth Theater.  As their set designer I have been busy down in the basement of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Prescott, AZ creating a large, 7′ X 12′ story book that will be the backdrop (Center Stage) for the show.  But more about that on a later post.

So you can image how exciting it was to finally paint for fun today.  So I choose some of my favorite colors, purple and teal, and used their softest hue for each by adding white and formed a pastel palette.  Then I took my favorite subject a desert mesa and added a river (always wanting to quench my thirst) then drew my inspiration from memories.  A soft, dreamy painting of a sunrise, that mirrors my expectations for a new beginning to 2018; a year of possibilities in the studio for teaching, showing and selling art.

I am so glad to be back in the studio creating one panting at a time…

 

 

WHAT COLOR AM I, or another way to define who I am.

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FAR AWAY LANDS

Far away Lands  24″ X 24″ ON Gallery Wrap Canvas

Any of you who use Facebook are familiar with those quizzes that alway pop up on your feed.  One in particular is what color are you.  As if they can really tell you this with a five question quiz.  Then in an artists group that I belong to we were asked to describe ourselves by color, scent, taste, and sound in other words by our senses. But it did get me thinking that there are many ways to describe oneself, and to better understand oneself.

So here goes… I am going to describe myself in a way that you may see me, understand me, and see what feeds the inspiration for my art.

I am the color Turquoise, grounded in the Southwest, calm in spirit but full of positive energy. A bit wild like a mustang, yet solid as the mesas that watch over this land. My soul is deep and those that meet me can feel it. Purple is my secondary color, I am deeply spiritual, a friend of justice. Mother Earth is where my energy comes from; in nature is where I would rather be. I am a loner at times, a deep thinker, a true friend, and honest to the fault. I am not to everyone’s liking, but loyal to those who are my tribe. I am spicy with lots of warmth, kind of like the spice Cumin. My scent is sage after a rain, earthy, friendly, someone who makes you feel at home. My melody would be an anthem, ringing out the praises of God. Lastly my touch is soft and free flowing like my art.

So there you have it. Can you see me now?  Creating beauty one painting at a time…

ASPENS

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ASPENS

Aspens 14″ X 11″  Acrylic on 1 1/2″ gallery wrap canvas

Just down the street is a beautiful clump of Aspens, they are the first in the neighborhood to turn brilliant yellow. They herald in the passage of time and the dance of Autumn. The riotous colors of the pears and ash were cued to bring forth there graduar and I got a quick step to my gait. Yes Fall is my favorite season of the year; no wonder that my first demo of the Artist Studio Tour was this little gem.

This is nowhere in particular but it was nestled in my heart and spewed out on Friday last. Reminicent of Granite Mountain and the meadows of Aspen that grow in Flagstaff.  It appears to be a composite of beautiful memories of Northern Arizona.  God’s tapestry that brings me joy.

Enjoying the beauty of Autumn on painting at a time…

ASPENS 14″T X 11″W, Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Beautiful fall scene. Original one of a kind art, sides painted, and ready to hang. UV coating to protect the colors from fading. Shipping Free in the United States

$230.00

SUNSET LAKE

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SUNSET LAKE

“Sunset Lake”  16″ X 16″ Acrylic on 1 1/2″ Gallery Wrap Canvas

Recalling memories while hiking up a trail this magnificent lake came into view. A beautiful sunset played over the waves and I knew I was home.  My heart was content, my soul was full of wonder and the light of God reflected from my eyes. The Divine was everywhere that day, and I was privileged to see his works.

I created this piece during an art instruction. My student wanted to paint a pond, and show movement in the water.  I usually paint along side my student so that I can demonstrate techniques when asked to. I painted this lake as the movement of water flowed through me.  I try to explain to my students that whatever you paint has to be felt to be truly authentic, and if authentic, it will have movement or emotion or feelings or what ever you want to portray. The longer I create the more it becomes me, my truth, my why and my life. It is as simple and as difficult as that.

Creating my life one painting at a time…

 

 

 

MARCH OF THE TREES, or marching along in the studio.

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MARCH OF THE TREES

“March of the Trees”   9″ X 12″on 150 lb. pressed paper

Today is #19 in my 30 in 30 challenge, you may have notices that this isn’t going very well. I have 5 days till the end of the month and 11 paintings to go. So I think I already lost the battle but not the war. The success of the whole exercise is keep marching along. I had decided long ago that for my own mental health that I needed to take weekends off. So that is what I do, I walk out of the studio on weekends and devote time to family and friends.

Just yesterday at church someone introduced me as a REAL ARTIST to one of her friends. She explained that I did all the sets for Park Avenue Theater. That got me thinking, working all day in the studio and running an art business for the last 10 years does not qualify me as an artist but designing sets twice a year for 6 years does. I guess it is all in the perspective of the beholder so I will just keep marching along with those trees.

Marching along painting one tree, one set, and one painting at a time.