Tag: #southwestscenes

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.

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…

RED HILLS

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RED HILLS

“Red Hills”  9″ X 12″ on 150 lb. pressed paper

Oh Gosh I am way behind on my 30 in 30 challenge.  It was a busy weekend and I took sometime off in the studio for rejuvenation and catching up with friends.  So this is #14 but actually should be #18.  So I better hustle, or should I.

These 30 in 30 challenges are to make you better not perfect; the idea is to continue to improve, elevate your creativity and build strong habits.  It is like boot camp for artists. It forces me to  get in there and paint even when the spark is lacking. But deeper than that it is helping me see where my creativity comes from. Somewhere deep inside I pull out glimpses of past experiences, feelings and emotions that silently bubble and wait to be brought forth.  Sometimes I don’t like what I see but most of the time I do.  In all cases it is very cathartic and keeps me mindful of who I am.

Red Hills is one of those paintings that reminds me of how much I love living in the West. It is of no place in particular, but some place I have been to in my dreams.

Challenging myself 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.

ABOVE THE REST

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ABOVE THE VALLEY

“Above the Rest”  9″ X 12″ acrylic on pressed paper

Another painting in my 30 in 30 challenge. Here I was experimenting in looking down on a Mountain from across the valley, standing on the opposite ridge line. The Aspens turning color is the key to making this work.   You see the hight of the mountain in the foreground and the broadness of the valley.

I like the colors I chose. Using colors opposite on the color wheel from each other really makes the mountain stand out. It really does make you feel Above the Rest. This is why I love the West, there is always a mountain in the distance.

After a short blip in my schedule I am back at the 30 paintings in 30 day challenge.  Let the journey continue, one painting at a time.

ABOVE THE REST

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

$75.00

LONE TREE

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LONE TREE

“Lone Tree”  9″ X 12″ acrylic on paper

Day five of my 30 paintings in 30 days brought me to a color palette of Ultramarine Blue, Brilliant Purple, and Sage Green.  I love working in triads and mixing the paints subtly together.  This turned out to be a quick painting, as was yesterdays.  I think I have found my groove. I love doing these experimental paintings it flexes my creativity, spontaneously riveting me into a firm painting.

I seem to always revert back to my purple and blue color palette, just seems right to me.  These colors lead me to a spiritual mindset and I begin to meditate as I paint. I feel blessed that I can find a mindfulness as I work. I love to reflect on the environment that I was planted into, the Southwest; an arid and empty space that gives you room to grow and nourish your thirst and vision.

Creating beauty one painting at a time.  Follow the Journey.

LONE TREE

An original acrylic on 9" X 12" paper, ready to 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

 

VERGA, STORMS IN THE HIGH DESERT

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VERGA

“Verga”  9″ X 12″ acrylic on paper

The monsoons are winding down, and we will have fewer of them as we move through September, our greatest chance for a nice storm will be this week. I love when they blossom into steady rain for our parched deserts here in the Southwest. No, I don’t want flooding like our dear friends in Houston have experienced just a nice gentle rain. I love the anticipation of their approach, the verga in the distance collecting over the mesas and foot hills, the feeling of moisture on your skin and the smell of sage and soil. This is when Arizona is the most beautiful.

The above painting, #3 in my 30 paintings in 30 days challenge, depicts this beautiful feeling in some of my favorite colors; turquoise and magenta. So onward with my challenge. I will be painting in the studio on this Labor Day holiday, enjoying the clouds building up in the distance with an expectation of sweet rain returning this coming week.

If you enjoy this blog please follow along and if you love this painting you may see more like it here.

Follow my journey through the Southwest one painting at a time.

VERGA

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

$75.00

 

 

CANYON VIEW

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CANYON VIEW

“Canyon View”  9″ X 12″ Acrylic on Water Color Paper

I just got back from a trip to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was my first time to the North Rim, though I have been to the South Rim many times.  The North is superior to the South in many ways.  First the amount of people is limited, which makes for a more intimate setting, and an up close and personal view of the vistas.  This side of the canyon is at 8,000 ft elevation and surrounded by Alpine Forest which provides a lush and varied vegetation.

The lodge built in 1916, is lovely and surrounded by forest shrouded cabins which are so cozy and comfortable.  We stayed in the West Cabins and felt like we had stepped back into the 1930’s and 1940’s, with all the conveniences of a modern hotel except for TV. Who needs a television when you have the canyon to entertain you.

While I was there I hiked the vistas and did some “plein air” painting.  Above is one of the memories that came out of a long day of the most spectacular views around.

This prompted me to begin a series of paintings dedicated to the North Rim and that beautiful Alpine Forest.  All of them will be 9″ X 12″ on watercolor paper.  Perfect for a mat and frame of your choice.  These are being sold at a cash and carry price of $45.00 yet you can purchase the above painting through PayPal just click above.

More stories of my days at the Grand Canyon’s North Rim will be forthcoming.  If you like this painting and want to experience more follow this blog or visit my website here.

See you next time, as I travel and paint the Southwest one adventure at a time.

CANYON VIEW

9" X 12" Acrylic Painting on paper. Ready to mat and frame.

$45.00