"Little Westie #2"

6"x6"

Acrylic on 3/4" cradled board; does not need framed

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask to purchase this painting through Paypal

I am away from home and studio and had acrylics with me but no oils, so--an opportunity to try them out again.  A nice change!  I would love to learn to work with acrylics the way I work with oils.  Then again, it would just be good to see what acrylics do differently and to have fun with that.  I didn't even think about underpainting until the painting was about finished--would have been fun!

"Cloud Shadows on the High Desert"

6"x6"

Acrylic on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

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The high desert gets its green on this time of year, especially when we have had such a rainy spring! This is a scene from southest Oregon, close to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge. Lots of white clouds going back to the horizon and deep, deep shadows where they block the sun.

Guest Artist--Susan Luckey Higdon

"Mirror Pond Idyll"

8"x8", Acrylic

$195 framed

for purchase information contact Susan Luckey Higdon

Fellow artist and friend, Susan has been a huge inspiration to me with my own work for the past 10-15 years. First off, she is passionate about her subjects which range from the Central Oregon landscape to fly fishermen to red-winged blackbirds to vibrant steelhead--and so much else that shows the richness of the region we live in. She does beautiful work with both pastels and acrylics. Too, Susan is a founding member and partner of Tumalo Art Company, a collective gallery here in Bend that brings the idea of a "c0-0p" to a high level. Visit Susan's website for more of her work and the site of Tumalo Art Company to see more of the fine work that comes from our small area.

Guest Artist--Gary Vincent, "Breeze"

48"x60"

Acrylic on Canvas
Sold

I will be focusing on illustration work for the next three weeks so won't be able to do as many little paintings as I would like. So instead, I will be posting wonderful pieces by other artists from here in Bend, along with what I might have time for.

This painting is one of Gary's favorites. He derives inspiration for alot of his work from aspens. They are particularly stunning in the autumn as they turn beautiful yellow and orange tones that have an electric blue sky as background. This painting makes me think of how the leaves are almost like glitter as they catch the sunlight while being ruffled by the breezes.

"And For You?"

6"x6"

Acrylic on Board
contact River Bend Fine Art Gallery for purchase information

I spent the day finishing up framing for my show, so didn't get to paint. I'm taking advantage of the opportunity to bring back a little painting I did over a year ago. I had painted this subject in oils a few months earlier and was curious to see how it would be to use acrylics instead. I was pleased with my efforts, but I have to admit that I just prefer the oils. I still have this thought, though, that someday I will switch over! We'll see!

Cleaning Out My Studio Sale! "Along Tumalo Creek (sold)"

20"x16"

Acrylic on Board

$75 includes domestic s/h

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I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted here!! I have been working hard finishing up the "Luna the Tuna" illustrations and once I was done, just decided to dive into cleaning out my studio and a couple of other areas of the house--so no painting! The thing is, I live in a home with another artist (my husband) and for some reason, the space we have doesn't seem to expand at the same rate that we pile up artwork!

I have decided to rid myself of everything I can that does not support where I am and want to be as an artist. Over the years, I've kept work that is more sentimental than anything, nothing I really will show much. Some of it will end up here on my blog, like tonight's post. Some of it is being "shown the door" in different ways. It feels good--mostly. It is also difficult to let go of what was very meaningful to me at different points in time. I keep going back, though, to how much I love what I am doing now and that I need to do everything I can to honor my hopes and dreams. Right now, that means having more space to work with and letting go of the past. . .

This painting was done a few years ago when I was trying hard to work with acrylics. It is of a spot in a place called Shevlin Park along the Tumalo River. I remember what a bright, hot and sunny day it was--absolutely gorgeous! This was painted in my studio from a pastel painting I did on site.

White Chocolate Cherry Ornament (sold)

5"x4"

Acrylic on Board

One more little ornament! Doing these ornaments brings me back to one of the things that really appealed to me a few years ago when I started learning about the daily painters--how anything could be a subject. It really opened up my ideas about painting.

Red Bell Pepper Ornament (sold)

5"x4"

Acrylic on Board

Here's another! And like the others, this, too, has a hanger on the back and a gold ribbon through it--which can be removed to hang the painting on the wall.

Lemon Tree Ornament (sold)

3 5/8 in. x 2 5/8 in.

Acrylic on Board

Here's another of the little Christmas tree ornaments I've been painting. They have hangers on the back which are threaded with a gold ribbon. The ribbon can be removed so they can hang on the wall, too. These are fun little things to do. I'm enjoying using acrylics for a change and also the freedom to just paint whatever sounds like fun to me--no big productions!

Rooster Tree Ornament (sold)

4"x3"

Acrylic on Board

'Tis the season to be making even smaller paintings that will be ornaments for Christmas trees! The gallery I show at here in Bend has a tradition of its artists making these little creations. This little rooster will have a ribbon attached and a hanger, so it can also be hung on the wall.

"Late Afternoon at Santa Monica Pier" (sold)

6"x6"

Acrylic on Board

This is another painting from our trip to southern Cal. It was great to remember being on that pier as the sun was getting low and it was WARM while it was snowing today! I was having a hard time with this painting, so pulled out my palette knives--seems like that's just what was needed! Also, this is acrylic, and I'm not used to it! It was good to not be in control (do I really mean that?)!

"And For You?"

6"x6"

Acrylic on Board

$100 plus $10 domestic s/h

click here to ask about purchasing this painting through Paypal

I decided to keep exploring acrylics today and re-painted a subject I did an oil of last summer that was posted on June 27th. The oil definitely has a juicier look and I can see how I was able to get more of the colors I was after with the oils than I feel like I did with the acrylics. The fast drying time is a challenge for me. On the other hand, I enjoy how you can layer colors so easily with the acrylics, make changes and have some fun with lines and squiggles that don't get lost in wet paint. Think I'll keep playing with the acrylics this week!