Big Trip

Burst of Autumn   available

8 x 10

Pastel on Suede Mat Board

It really feels like fall now with our first big rainstorm yesterday. Fall colors are starting to pop up all around here which reminded me of this painting from my inventory - enjoy.

Well, I have some really great news. My husband and I will be traveling to a very far away place tomorrow. We will be gone for 2 to 3 weeks and  because neither of us have a laptop and we will be on the go so much, sad to say I won't be able able to blog until we get back.  I'll tell you about it when I return.  I just put in a slide show on my side bar so please check it out and enjoy it while we're gone.

Also if your new to my blog or not, here is a review of some of my paintings from previous posts . Again enjoy.

Bon Voyage for now.

  Dancing Lights     SOLD

This was my very first post in August.

Hillslope in Spring      available

Originally called Blooms on Hillside.

Sunset Serenade       available

Blue  lagoon      available

Heron Lake Enchantment II     available

Marcia's Lillies       SOLD

Winter at Fish Slough IV       available

Gossamer Pond II       available

Simon's Monet II      available

Solitude       available

Winter's Glow      SOLD

House Addition Warming Party and Art

Foothill Spring Rhythm

17 x 24

Pastel on Canson-Mi Tientes Paper

This painting was in the preview show  for Sierra Art Trails artists open studio event held last weekend

at Stellar Gallery in Oakhurst, California ( see post of Sept   ). It's back at my home studio/gallery now.

 It's amazing how a painting can bring so much joy to the viewer and to a home. I just came back from an open house gathering at the home of a dear friend who is an artist who loves and collects art. The open house was for a new addition add on of a bedroom ,studio and bathroom all very lovely and built with fine craftsmanship. My friend has a lovely home. One cannot help but notice her beautiful art. It lights up every room, catches my eye instantly. Her home is warm amd welcoming. The atmosphere is inviting. The art engages my interest instantly. It's a happy home.

Frogs and Fog

Lagoon Morning Fog

14 x 16          

Pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes Paper     $700

It was spring, sometime in late March in the mid 90s when we went on our first backpack of the season in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It was a beautiful spring day. Perfect weather, incredable flowers were in bloom ( we even spotted some shooting stars along the trail). Anyway we set up camp overlooking  a lovely lagoon. Now this lagoon is a hangout for frogs, cute brownish frogs as I remember. We all retired early for bed. It was sometime in the wee morning hours when I was awakened by a surround sound symphony of, I want to say, thousands of frogs croking in unison but it was probably hundreds. Anyway it was incredable, I shall never forget it. I went out of the tent to use nature's out house to find myself shrouded in thick fog also unexpected.  It was at 3:00 am when suddenly in unison the croking stopped. Now that was something to behold. I will always associate this painting of the logoon with the frogs I heard that night. The next morning when I saw the beauty of the lagoon with the fog beginning to burn off showing a glimpse of sun breaking through, I thought to myself how priviledged am it to see and experience this. I'm a studio painter who takes digital pictures but actually being there and experiencing makes all the difference in the world to me . So a photo I use but it's my memories and feelings I refer to when painting. The photo is a reminder and should only be a reminder. How do you out there in blogland feel about your camera.

Someone please comment.......

A Decision for Now Has Been Made

Winter's Cool

7 x 6

 Pastel onLa Carte Pastel Board  $70

I was gone most of the day taking care of business (went to my framers) and personal things ( Dr. appointment, flue shot, marketing and several other stops in Fresno). Just finished dinner while watching the playoffs. Yeah GO DODGERS now COME ON ANGELS. Anyway while all this was going on I sold some more paintings and got a nice commission to do. It's been a crazy day for this artist who is used to most days of mostly solitude. Don't get me wrong, I love to sell my work almost as much as I love to paint. But given a choice I'de rather we walking around the lake, chatting with people we know while walking, walking our dog in the neighborhood, doing a few chores around the house and painting, listening to music, painting some more and blogging. I really like blogging but people this women rathered frazzled at the moment has realizied that for the time being I am going to suspend blogging daily and doing a painting a day. I have some major works that need to  be executed and my classes will be starting up soon. It is a sad but necessay decision that had to be made for now. I will continue to blog and to post but not on a regular basis for now anyway. Please you out there keep checking in with me don't give up on me. I will keep checking in with you when I can. Love to all for now, I may be back tomorrow. I may not. I'm taking each day as it comes.

Timberline Gallery

Pond's Edge

8 x 10

Pastel on sanded paper

So I worked at Timberline Gallery in Oakhurst today. I love being there. It's such a lovely gallery filled with wonderful art works. I took some pics while I was there to show you . Here they are. You also click on http://www.timberlineartgallery.com/ .

                                      

These are my paintings.

                                      

It was a very pleasant day. I had time to do some painting, will show you tomorrow. Tired now going nitey nite.

Photos Are Not for Copying

Storm Clearing

11 x 14

                         Pastel on Pastelboard              $300

Yosemite had its first road closure due to snow yesterday and Yosemite valley had a low of 9 degrees .

It was chilly here in Coarsegold. It felt wonderful. I'm sleeping peacefully with two blankets, yummy.

The beginning of fall colors, the brisk chilled air and a new season is budding and I'm thinking time for an artist's photo excursion day here in the foothills and maybe Yosemite.  While I paint from my memories and feelings, I use my photos as a reference. They are an important part of my painting process but they are not for copying. Photos jar my memory but memories,feelings and emotions are what drives me in my painting process. For example, this painting started with a photo of Oakhurst on a cold blustery day with on and off rain, sleet, hail and snow. There was no lake around and there was no clearing of the storm in sight. Once into the painting process I was reminded of a place I had been to with a lake and a glimpse of the storm clearing coming in the far distance. Hence you have "Storm Clearing".

Question: How do you regard your photos if you use them in your painting?     

The Day After: A Walk Around Heron Lake and Back to Painting

Today's Painting

Merry Pond

6 x 6

                  Pastel on Suede Mat Board          $70

Got a good nights sleep. The sun is out, the air is cool and crisp. What a glorious day. No more house and gallery to clean and curate. I feel so free and The best news is...I can paint and resume walking around Heron Lake again . How good is that!!. I'm off to Oakhurst with my husband to play catch up and run a lot of errands. Who knows I may in all probability run into other artists and of course talk about art and Sierra Art Trails.

Question:  Where does your inspirations for your creations come from? 

It was a Good Art Trails

Heron Pond Study

6 x 6

                Pastel on Suede Mat Board         SOLD

It was a good day yesterday with the sale of four paintings and my classes which begin in November are filled up as well. I enjoyed some wonderful stimulating conversations. Met new people as well as returnees. What does this day have to hold. Your answer is as good as mine. Ill be back tonight to finish my post. See ya Later.
Well it's near closing time now. I am as tired as I can be, no sales for today, but happy to say my classes are overflowing and Oh, I forgot Timberline Gallery in Oahurst sold a plainting yesterday. Soooo all in all, this year was a good year for me at Art Trails. and I met some wonderful people. But you know something folks. I'm glad it's over. Now to have dinner and probably go to bed early.

Friday Night Kick off for Sierra Art Trails at

Artist Ginny Burdick's lovely studio.

Here I am with Ginny.

Art Trails has begun at my home and studio.

Art Trails is Here

Marcia's Lilies

Pastel

                              16 x 29                    SOLD

It's a beautiful day here in Coarsegold. It's 4:00 pm now, two more hours to go for today. It's so nice to meet with people who appreciate art. It gives me warm fuzzy feelings. It makes me feel gratified that all those solitary hours spent in my studio gives pleasure to viewers even if only for a brief moment of time. To those who linger on in silence communicating with the painting, I bow down , I say to myself wow I have touched someone in some way. One heart and sole to another. And to those who buy a painting or two from me, well, I am ever so grateful. Complimentary words are wonderful to hear, but we artists need to buy our supplies, even more we need the nourishment our patrons so lovingly give with dollors. Continuings question ... Why do you paint? What do you get out of it?

Pre Art Show Jitters

Tree Shadows

                  Pastel on sanded paper         SOLD

17 x 25

It has finally cooled down here and it feels delicious. I'm actually using a blanket and I love hot coffee once again. Well, I'm as ready for the open studio weekend as I'm gonna be except for a couple details, no big deal. You know it's kinda nice to see my accomplishments displayed and ready for viewing. My doubts and fears and aprehensions are appeased for the moment anyway. Pre show jitters are calmed. Questions why do you paint, what do you want to get out of it?

Fall is here, Yeah!! Nice light this morning. View from my driveway.

My Studio freshly cleaned and ready for Sierra Art Trails.

For details on Sierra Art Trails go to http://www.sierraarttrails.org/ .

Mopping The Floors and Art

High Sierra Meadow

19 x 26

                Pastel on Sanded Mat Borard       $700

I didn't realize how appropriate this work is being that this is the week of Ken Burns' Special "The National Parks" showing on PBS. This painting is my take on a gorgeous meadow my husband and I backpacked through on our way from Twolumne Meadowns to Yosemite Valley a few years ago. I hope your enjoy it.

So I'm cleaning my house and studio along with my husband to get ready for Sierra Art Trails this weekend. Starting in the morning going through until 4-5 o'clock when complete and utter exhaustion sets in. The old aching bones are really acting up. It gets physically a little harder each year but you know how that goes if you're in that group we know as seniors. Anyway, why do I do this, why not hire someone or not participate. I guess the reason is I want the control to do myself, my way, to participate in my own life in ways I choose. Maybe that's why I love to create because I have control over my art, over the way I see things and  want others to see things that same way. We artists are masters of deception, we are slight of hand magicians. We direct our audience through the painting the way we want them to see it. We map out the journey for the eyes  of the beholder to follow. How do we do that......ahhhh!!! and that is the question I pose to you today. Would love to hear from you out there. Please someone post you thoughts, I need your input.