Jimmie Anne Stephens' A Painting A day blog

Saddle Up Santa

2012-01-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

Here is the Santa painting we did in Monday night class for Christmas 2011. This one was a challenge for the ladies due to all of the many different colors used in the back ground as well as the white horse. I guess next year they will choose something a little simpler. This is painted on a 16" x 20" gallery wrapped canvas.

Mountain Man

2011-09-15T19:12:00.001-07:00

We just finished this painting in the Monday night class I teach. I may add some more detail to it, but it is for sell now. It is a 24" x 30" oil on gallery wrapped canvas. $425

White Magic

2011-09-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Here is the finished painting that Terry Smithhart and I did a couple of years ago. It has been hanging in my den for a while before I realized that I never did post the finished painting. I now have a facebook page and I am listing all of the paintings I want to sell. This is one of them. I call it "White Magic". It is 36" x 36" oil on gallery wrapped canvas. $500

Racing Barrels

2011-03-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

This is done from a drawing I did a while ago from a photo taken at a local rodeo. I used it as a project for my Monday night painting class. It was a challenge for the ladies to do a painting of this size. We usually stick to 16" x 20" canvas, but I thought this one needed to be much bigger. And sometimes it is good to have students step outside thier comfort zone. I am also pushing them toward doing more subjects from real life. Check back and see what we will be doing next.

40" x 30" oil on canvas $500 unframed

Le Christa

2011-03-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

I had a lady contact me that saw the reproduction of one of the Dorman Burns cowgirls that I did as a teaching subject for my Monday night painting class. She asked me if I could do the same painting but put her face on it. Here is the result. It sure changes the look of the painting.

Water Melon Treat

2010-08-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! Has it really been this long since I posted a painting on this blog? I have really been busy taking care of my husband who had a stroke last year about this time, and working in Dallas ( Barvo, the artist who taught me to sculpt about twenty years ago, calls me every so often and asks for my help in doing sculptures for him). I worked four or five days a week for about four months this time.

I have still been teaching the Monday night painting class and doing a few small paintings while working in Dallas. This one that I am posting today is a commission I just finished. I thought it turned out to be so cute that I decided to take some time to post it. All I had to work with is a small black and white photo ( as seen in one of the pictures above). This is oil on a gallery wrapped 8" x 10" canvas.

Aspens in Fall

2009-12-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

This was a commission done very quickly for Christmas. It is oil on a 24" x 48" canvas.

Hard Riding Santa

2009-11-28T15:01:00.000-08:00

Here is the new Monday night class Christmas painting for 2009. The original drawing has another horse following with a sack full of toys. Everyone was wanting to get the painting finished in time to have Christmas cards made, so I cut the drawing down to just Santa on his horse. Debbie and Sharon put snow flakes on theirs. I decided not to add any snow to mine so that all the detail would show up, but the premise of the painting is that Santa is in a hurry to deliver the toys because it is starting to snow. I do plan to paint the entire scene on a larger canvas later on.

This painting is in oil on a 16" x 20" x 3/4" gallery wrapped canvas. The scene wraps around the sides so it can be hung without a frame if desired. Priced at $300. To purchase contact me personally at sassyfrasinn@yahoo.com with "painting" listed in the subject line.

Big Hat Cowgirls

2009-11-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

I did not realize that I was this far behind in my postings. Life has been forever altered since Jack had his stroke the first part of June. He is doing alot better now and is going twice a week to physical therapy. He can walk on his own without a walker now, but is still somewhat wobbly. There are alot of things that he can do for himself which has been a relief to me, but his care still takes so much of my time.

I still teach my Monday night painting class as well as a few private lessons. Here is a couple of the paintings we just finished in class the last couple of weeks. They are our versions of Doreman Burns' cowgirls. I only have pictures of mine this time as Debbie and Sharon are still adding some bling to theirs. It doesn't show up well in the photos, but I added some sparkle to the earrings, conchos and belt buckle on the girl in chaps, and put crystals for buttons down the front of her shirt. The girl in red has crystals on her earrings and on her ring finger as well as some red glitter dust hearts on her boots and a glitter and crystal star on her hatband. These are really fun to do. They are 16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas. Contact me at sassyfrasinn@yahoo.com for information.

Sandy's Stenograph at the Beach

2009-09-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

My friend, Sandy Lease, asked me to do a painting of the steno machine she uses for a convention she was going to this weekend. It is being held in Jacksonville, Florida, so she wanted the machine painted on the beach. I thought it would be more appealing if it was under a brightly colored umbrella. Here is the result. Sandy was very happy with this painting and called me from Florida to tell me that the other people attending the convention were asking about getting prints of it or other paintings done for themselves as this one was to be auctioned off. Who knows, maybe I'll get some commissions from this one.

This is done in oil on a 20" x 20" gallery wrapped canvas. To contact me about a painting email me at sassyfrasinn@yahoo.com or call me at 903-288-9216.

2009-07-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, here it is July 19th and I haven't painted anything new for days. My husband suffered a stroke on June 9th and was in the hospital for about four weeks. Fortunately it was a moderate stroke and only did a small amount of damage. It was very scarey for both of us at first. Jack had lost the strength in his right arm and had minor short term memory loss. Therapy helped him to be able to use his right arm and be able to eat by himself, and to get around using either a wheel chair or a walker. He also had surgery on the artery in the left side of his neck which was 95% blocked and was the cause of the stroke. He has been home for two weeks now and is receiving home health care which includes physical and occupational therapy as well as a nurse visiting a couple of time a week to check his vital signs. He is progressing, but this will take time for him to get anywhere near to what he was before the stroke.

I did get a couple of small paintings done while he was in the rehabilitation center at the hospital. Those were the last two paintings I posted here. But since he has been home I have not had a moment to myself to paint anything. As I get into a routine of caring for him I am sure that I will get a chance to start back painting. I have still been teaching Monday night class. It takes about a month and a half to produce a painting in class due to the step by step process I teach. Hopefully I will have a painting to post soon. Right now I am just worn out with my husbands care, but will back to normal soon.

3 via Delle Cascine, florence, Italy

2009-06-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

3 Via Delle Cascine, Florence, Italy. This is the second painting I did for The Virtual Paintout. I think I like it better than the first one. I will submit it also. I don't know if that is allowed, but I did see another artist that listed two paintings earlier in the month. There are some really nice paintings that have been entered. I hope that this challenge will help me improve my skills in painting buildings.

Viale degli Olmi

2009-06-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here is my first attempt for a new painting challenge I ran across that is called "The Virtual Paintout". At the first of each month a new city is listed from Google's Virtual map. Any artist that is interested can click on the map link that will take them to the vitual map of that particular challenge and use the little yellow man to walk the streets of the city to find what they would like to paint. The artists then have a month to finish and submit the paintings.

I found several places, printed them and chose two to paint. I will post this one today and try to finish the other one and post it either tonight or tommorrow (it is turning out to be the better of the two paintings). This one is a 5 3/4" x 4 1/2" oil on canvas and is for sale for $49.95. Email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "painting" in the subject line to purchase.

Cowgirls progression

2009-05-26T10:32:00.001-07:00

Here are the results of last night's class. We are just a little futher along in the underpainting. Mine is listed first, then Debbie's, and then Sharon's.

Cowgirl

2009-05-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

We started this painting a couple of weeks ago in the Monday night painting class, but I didn't get pictures the first night. This is where we were in the second class and I only have the pictures of mine and Debbie's at this stage. Sharon was in Japan last week and missed this class, but I got her caught up in last nights class which I will post the results of next.

We found a picture in a magazine of this cowgirl done by Doreman Burns. My two students, being born and raised in Texas, just love anything along the Western lines. So naturally, being girls and all, they wanted to learn to paint this cowgirl. Doreman Burns does his paintings in watercolor and we work primarily in oil, so it will be interesting to see how our interpretations turn out. We are just at the underpainting stage right now. Mine is the first picture and Debbie's the second picture.

Gunfighter progress

2009-05-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sharon and I started the gray underpainting of the skin tones on Friday May 15th. I forgot my camera that day and didn't get pictures of it until last night. We still have a lot of work to do before we can get to the details. This is a rather large painting and will take some time to finish.

Mine is on the right and Sharon's is on the left.

Gunfighter - Work In Progress

2009-05-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning phase of a new private painting lesson for Sharon. It is an ambitious undertaking, but I feel that she is ready to learn the steps it takes for portraiture. I will be taking her through the old masters' techniques of under painting the flesh areas in grey tones (known as grasaille) first, then add skin tones in transparent veils of color. When that is accomplished we will work on the background, clothing, etc. This is just the first posting and I am sure it will take quite a while to complete as we only have three hours once a week when our schedules permit. It will be interesting to see the final outcome of this one. Sharon's painting is on the left and mine is the one on the right.

Companion to Diana

2009-04-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have been following the "Differnt Stroke From Different Folks" which is a bi-weekly challenge for any artist who wants to participate. A subject photo is posted every other Wednesday and each artist can do their interpretation of it and email it to be posted. It was started by one of my favorite artist, Karen Jurick. She posted the first photo the week of September 3rd, 2008 and there were 55 participants for the first challenge. Of course the number of participants has grown since then. This is week 27-28 and I decided to take a few hours off from sculpting (I am very behind with a portrait commission) and try my hand at this. I do hope that my painting will be accepted. I would like to be able to participate again in the next challenges. Anyway, here is my little painting of Diana's Companion done in oil on a canvas pad.

Where has the time gone?

2009-04-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

I did not realize that it has been over two months since I last posted a painting. I am so far behind with a couple of sculpture commissions that painting has had to take a back seat. And I am sorry to say that the sculptures are still not completed to my satisfaction as of yet. I hope to have one of them ready for approval within the next two days. As it is, all of the paintings I have been posting the past several months have been the progress of my painting students and not much of my own personal work. When I do get caught up on sculptures I will be spending time doing small paintings to help get me back into the groove again.

I also plan to participate in the "Different Strokes for Different Folks" painting challenge that Karen Jurick started several months ago. I have been following that blog from the very first painting everyone did from the first photo (which was of Karen's dog, Jack, who has passed on). I absolutely love seeing all of the different inturpretations that come about from the photo. There are still a few days before the deadline of the current challenge and I may steal a few hours and do a small painting to submit too. It just looks like so much fun to participate in. I will be entering as many of these challenges as I can when I do get my work load under control.

Anyway, here is a picture of one of my past paintings. I hope you enjoy seeing it.

Wolf Progression

2009-02-19T10:05:00.000-08:00

Sharon and I finally got back to working on our wolf paintings. We have progressed down the head just a little. This is a big painting and is taking a little time to create.

Sharon's painting is first and mine is second.

Bear Endings

2009-02-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

Here they are at last! The finished Bears. This was a long lesson, but I believe that Sharon and Debbie learned a lot from it. First listed is my bear, then Sharon's, then Debbie's. Please feel free to post a comment about these paintings. And keep in mind that these ladies have only been taking classes from me once a week for two years! I am very pleased with their progress!

Bears Progressing

2009-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

I know I am late posting these bears. This is the progress from two Mondays ago. Last Monday I forgot to take photos in class, so there will be no pictures of that stage. We didn't get very much further due to there being so much more detail in the head of the bear. This coming Monday we will finish the paintings and I will post the final results. This has been a bit of a challenge for the ladies, but as you can see they are doing great with all of the fur. The first picture is Sharon's, then Debbie's, and mine is last.

Polar Bear Under Painting

2009-01-21T16:50:00.000-08:00

We finished doing the under painting a week ago, but I am just now finding the time to post them. My painting is first, then Debbie's, then Sharon's.

This week we started over painting the fur, but I didn't get pictures on Monday night, so I will take the pictures of that stage this Friday and try to post them this weekend.

I am so pleased with the way each panting is turning out. These two ladies have learned so much in the two years that they have been taking classes. I am very proud of them.

Bear Beginnings

2009-01-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

Here is the new project for my Monday night painting class. This is the beginning of the under painting stage of a polar bear. First painting is Sharon's, then mine, and then Debbie's. These are being painted in oil on 16" x 20" gallery wrapped canvas.

Wolves in Progress

2009-01-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

Sharon and I finished the under painting portion of our wolves and also did some over painting on the back ground yesterday. Mine painting is on the left and Sharon's is on the right. I also posted this photo of the drawing I did of Kamotts that was used for this painting.

Sharon's Santa

2009-01-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Sharon did some more work on her santa and wanted me to post the final result. Now all she needs is to frame it.

2009-01-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

This is a photo of a little still life that I set up to paint. I know Christmas is over, but I still want to complete the painting. I think it will be a nice little painting and will post it as soon as it is done.

2009-01-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wolf painting in progress

2008-12-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

Sharon and I finally got back to the wolf painting. We are still in the underpainting stage, but you can already see the wolf coming alive. I can hardly wait to get to the overpainting and the finishing touches. When we are done I will post the finished paintings along with the photo of the actual wolf we are doing a portrait of. Sharon's painting is the top one and mine is below her's.

Christmas Puppy

2008-12-28T10:53:00.000-08:00

I don't know why it is that every holiday I have problems with my computer, and this Christmas has been no exception. However, I have finally gotten the problem straightened out and can start posting again -- Ye-a-a-a-h!!!

Here is one of the small paintings I taught the girls in my Monday night paint class. I meant to post this for Christmas, but as I stated above, my computer decided to take the holiday off!

I wish I had taken pictures of the progress of this one too, but just didn't have the forsight to do so at the time. Sharon had Christmas cards made of her's, and also of her painting of the bluebird in snow. They really did turn out great. I was very pleased with everyone's finished paintings. The original was a picture that Sharon found in a catalog and asked if they could learn to paint it. The background of the original was white. I decided it needed to be red for the holidays. We also added a few other features that were not in the original picture. This was quite a challenge for them, and Sharon and Debbie both did a wonderful job with this subject. Happy Holidays!!!!

Finished Santa paintings

2008-12-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

Last night we finished the Santa paintings in oil painting class. The ladies were happy with the results they obtained and I think they learned alot with this one. I will probably add a few more details on mine before I call it completely finished. Sharon's painting is listed first, then Debbie's, and mine is last.

MERRY CHRISTMAS YA'LL!

Latest Santa class

2008-12-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

We still have much to do on these Santas, but the ladies are progressing along nicely. It is my hope that we finish them in the next class. I would love to post the finished paintings before Christmas. Pictured first is Debbie's, then Sharon's, and mine is pictured last.

Third Step

2008-12-11T11:41:00.000-08:00

Here we are over- painting the face, the hat and beginning the overstroking of white on the beard and eyebrows. First is Debbie's painting and then mine. Sharon was not at this class, but I got her caught up a few days later.

Second Step

2008-12-11T11:36:00.000-08:00

This was the next step in painting the Santas. Unfortunately, I only got a picture of Sharon's painting in this phase, but you can still get the idea. And yes, they do look ugly in the early stages of painting!

Monday Night Painting Class for the Holidays

2008-12-11T11:04:00.000-08:00

We painted two small canvases with a bluebird in the snow and a puppy in a wreath in our Monday night class during Sept. and Oct. (Sharon had her's made into Christmas cards that turned out beautiful). When we finished the puppy painting I asked if the ladies wanted to paint a Santa for our next project and they said yes, but could it be a cowboy Santa. So here is the beginning of the underpainting of those Santas. Here is how they are listed on the blog: Mine shows up first, then Sharon's, then Debbie's. All are on 16" x 20" canvas painted in oil.

Painting Class

2008-12-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

At class yesterday Terry and I did a little more work on our white horses. Terry's is on the top and mine is below her's.

Alpha Wolf

2008-12-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

This is a painting lesson in progress with my private student Sharon. I have a photo of the alpha male wolf , Komats, that Jim and Jamie Dutcher were studying in the Saw Tooth Mountians several years ago. He had such presence about him in this picture that I decided to do a painting of him, and Sharon wanted to learn to paint this wolf also.

I first did a large drawing and then we each transferred the drawing to a 30" x 40" gallery wrapped canvas. We went over all of the lines of the drawing with light gray oil paint. In our next lesson we added the background color and painted the eyes, and then started to add some of the dark markings. This is as far as we have gotten with this painting, as Sharon is recovering from a little surgery she had done. We should get back to it in the next week or so. I will post the progress of this painting as we go along. Mine is on the left and Sharon's is on the right.

I am very pleased with how well Sharon is progressing with her painting skills. It is so exciting to take a talented person and show them how to use that talent to create beautiful artwork. This painting is quite a challenge, but Sharon is loving every minute we get to work on it, and so am I.

About the painting lesson

2008-11-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

One of my private students, Terry, wanted to learn to paint this white horse on a 36" x 36" canvas. This is a painting in progress --just the under-painting at this point. I am very pleased with her progrees so far. Terry has never painted anything this large before, so it is quite a challenge for her. She was hoping to do this painting in time for the Holidays, but because we only have two to three hours a week for her lessons, and this painting is so big with so much that she must learn, I am afraid it will take several more weeks to finish. Her painting is on top and mine is below her's.

White Horse Lesson in Progress

2008-11-27T15:47:00.000-08:00

Bluebird In Snow

2008-11-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

11" x 14" oil on gallery wrapped canvas. $250

Quahadi Stallion

2008-11-09T11:21:00.000-08:00

This painting was done as an instruction piece for the Monday night painting class I teach. I had been reading through some interesting historical material about the Commanche Indians. One of their tribe families was called the Quahadi of which Quanah Parker was a member. The Commanche were well known for their horsemanship across the plains of the American West. The ladies in my class were wanting to paint a horse, so I decided that an Indian stallion would be the perfect subject for the class. Of course, each student's painting came out a little different from mine and from the drawing I did for them to use as reference, but that is the beauty of art. Each person has their own unique way of seeing and creating what they see.

Quahadi Stallion is a 16" X 20" oil on canvas panel. Available for purchase at $475.00. Contact me thru email at pyrmom@yahoo.com using "Painting" in the subject title of your email.

Fountain Cherub

2008-10-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

I am afraid that I have been so overwhelmed for the past couple of months that I haven't posted anything on this blog. My sister and I just went through the unfortunate loss of our father to a sudden and very unexpected death. Dealing with his loss and everything that goes with it has taken me away from producing much in the way of art. In my sadness I have just not been inspired to do anything creative. I have a few paintings that I had done prior to his death, but have not taken pictures of any of them. And I have a commission for two scultpures that are only partially done that I must now get back to work on.

It will take some time, I am sure, before the tears stop welling up in my eyes when some one mentions his death or happens to ask how I am doing since his passing. Right now it still hurts to the point that tears are rolling down my face as I type this. Daddy will be greatly missed by so many people. The one thing that helps is the fact that he is now reunited with Mother (who was his first and greatest love) who passed from this life some 34 years ago. So today I am posting a picture of a cherub (that I sculpted to go on a bronze fountain several years ago) as a small tribute to my now departed parents. I do not have the clay piece as it was destroyed during the mold making process, but I do have pictures. And one day, when I get over this awful heartache I plan to do a sculpture of both of my parents, as well as paint portraits of them. But for now this cherub is a symbol of my love for my father and my mother. I miss you both so much.

Under painting of horse

2008-07-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Under painting of horse head I am working on in the new painting style. This is on an 18" x 18" gallery wrapped canvas. I will post the finished painting in a few days. To purchase any of my paintings contact me directly at pyrmom@yahoo.com or sassyfrasinn@yahoo.com.

Hereford Cow

2008-07-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas panel. This is a different style of painting that I saw at a gallery recently and decided to try my hand at it. I might have gotten a little carried away with the background color, but I like more color. I feel it brightens it up. I used this as a lesson for two of my advanced students and I wish I had pictures of their paintings to post. I must get them to email a picture of their paintings so I can post them for everyone to see. My painting is for sale for $320.00 without the frame, or $375.00 with the frame. I am working on other paintings of cows and horses in this style and will be posting them soon.

Russell's Painting

2008-07-05T09:23:00.000-07:00

My niece, Kim, recently had a baby boy that she named Russell. This is a special painting I did for him which now hangs over his crib. It is an acryllic painting on a 14" x 14" gallery wrapped canvas. If you would like to have a special painting done like this one contact me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "baby painting" in the subject line. I have several designs for boys and girls. The price of one this size is $125.00.

Cabin Retreat

2008-05-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

Cabin Retreat is my latest 11" x 14" oil on canvas. With the frame it sells for $225.00 and without the frame it sells for $175.00. The photos really don't do it justice. Some day I will invest in a better digital camera so that the wonderful color in a painting like this one will show up better. If you are interested in purchasing this painting email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "Painting" in the subjuect line.

King's Landing

2008-05-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

King's Landing is on an 11" x 14" canvas panel priced at $100. You can purchase this directly from me by emailing me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "PAINTING" in the subject line.

Barn in Spring

2008-05-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Here is wishing a Happy Mother's Day to everyone. I just hope that the day is as beautiful where ever you are as it is here in Canton today. The sun is shining and there is a wonderful cool breeze lightly blowing. It is a wonderful break from the recent storms we have had. The painting I am posting today is one that we finished a couple of weeks ago in the Monday night class I teach. As always, mine looks a little out of kilter because I have to stand so far to the side of the painting so the students can see what it is that I want them to do. You can really tell the difference between my demo paintings and the ones I do alone in my studio. Still it is not a bad painting for a quickie. Barn in Spring is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas priced at $125.00.

Sunset Mist

2008-05-10T16:34:00.000-07:00

Sunset Mist is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas priced at $125.00.

Blue Bonnet Creek

2008-05-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

A real Texas scene , this is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas priced at $125.00. This was a class project for my Monday night painting students.

Deep Red Rose

2008-05-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

Has it really been a month since I posted a painting? I have been so busy that I haven't had much time to take any photos of my paintings, but here is another deep red rose painting I just finished like the ones I posted a few months ago. It is a 10" x 10" oil on canvas for sale for $100. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "painting" in the subject line.

2008-04-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

I did not have time over the weekend to finish some of the paintings I have been working on, or take pictures of a couple of the ones that I did get finished. This was First Monday Trade Days weekend for April here in Canton and I had all of the rooms at The Sassyfras Inn (my Bed and Bath business) full from Thursday through Sunday, with a change out in three of the rooms for Saturday night. But please be sure to scroll down to the painting I posted just before I wrote this entry. This was also the weekend that Buffalo Girls Hotel sponsered the CASI Chili Cookoff that benefitted Citizens League for Animal Welfare. A good time was had by all, and the auction and chili cookoff went well. I don't know the totals as of yet, but was told that they raised more money for C.L.A.W. this year than last year, so that is great. There will be more funds to take care of the rescued dogs and cats while they are finding good forever homes for them. The painting of Hank that I donated to the auction was bought by one of the C.L.A.W. members which makes me happy. I plan to do more portraits of these rescue dogs and cats and donate a percentage of the proceeds to C.L.A.W. so be sure and watch for these paintings in the next few weeks to come. And I promise to be better about listing more of my small dailey paintings on a regullar basis, if not every day then at least three or four times a week. I still work in Dallas a few days a week, but I shouldn't let that keep me from listing these paintings. I also promised to get to that painting of Samson, but still have not been able to bring myself to start the painting, as his death still hurts me so. Perhaps painting all of the other rescue dogs will be the therapy I need to get me to the point that I can finally paint a portrait of this magnificent animal that I got to share thirteen years with. And here I am crying again so I'll publish this post now and go. To leave this on a lighter note I must tell you about the saying I saw on the side of one of the trailers behind a pickup at the 1st Monday flea market this weekend. It said on the back of the trailer "Like A Band od Gypsys We Go Down The Highway!" and on the side it said "Women On A Mission!" These ladies are some serious shoppers! I'll bet that they filled up that trailer with all kinds of things that they bought at this flea market and had a ball doing it!

Spring Vinyette

2008-04-09T15:42:00.001-07:00

Here is another lesson I taught my Monday night class on painting vinyettes. Of all the things I thought they might have trouble with, like the flowers around the outside of the oval or the ruts in the road, the thing they had the most trouble trying to paint was the puddle in the middle of the road! It was, however, a fun class with alot of laughter! this painting is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas for $125.00. If you would like to purchase this one please email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "painting" in the subject line of your email.

Hank

2008-03-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

Hank is one of the rescue dogs from C.L.A.W (Citizens League for Animal Welfare) that has been living with a foster family here in Canton, Texas. I did this portrait of Hank as a donation to be auctioned at this years 9th Annual CASI Chili Cookoff on Saturday April 5th presented by Buffalo Girls Hotel on the Mountain in Canton. All proceeds go to benefit C.L.A.W.

This is a 10" x 10" oil on canvas that retails for $100. If you would like one like it contact me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with pet protrait in the subject line of your email.

Tuscan Sunset

2008-03-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

Tuscan Sunset is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas (frame not included). This is the painting I did as an example for my Monday night painting class. The ladies in class were wanting to paint something a little different than we have been painting. They really enjoyed this one. This painting can be purchased for $225.00 without the frame. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com. Please put "Tuscan Sunset" in the subject line of your email.

Rocky Mountain Vinyette

2008-03-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

A lesson in vinyettes for my Monday night class. 16" x 20" oil on canvas. I have a couple of things I want to add to this one, but you can still purchase it and I will add them before shipping. $125.00.

Katherine with Sassyfras

2008-03-06T11:03:00.000-08:00

Boy have I been busy! I have not had time to post anything for a few weeks. I am still teaching painting class on Monday nights, and I am working a few days a week in Dallas on a project for another sculptor to help him get caught up. Dallas is an hour drive from Canton where I live so that has kept me away from the computer and unable to post anything new on my blog. I decided to post another picture of one of the sculptures I did. This is a lifesize portrait sculpture of an eighteen year old young lady named Katherine. She is holding my little miniature American Eskimo dog Sassyfras. This is in terracotta and sells for $10,000.00. If you are interested in getting a sculpture done of your teenager, wife, husband, or even a smaller child, or if you would like to purchase this sculpture email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "sculpture info" in the subject line.

Winter Cardinal

2008-02-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

This was another Monday night painting class lesson. It was done before Christmas. 16" x20" oil on cnavas. $125.00

Red Stockings

2008-02-16T11:10:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite daily painters is Jacqui Faye Michel. A friend of mine saw several of Jacqui's paintings and asked me to do an interpretation of a couple of them to hang in one of her bed and bath rooms she calls " The Saloon" as she could not afford to buy the original from Jacqui (I think the original were already sold anyway). This painting is my interprtation. I just hope I did it justice. And, of course, because it is a reproduction of Jacqui's work (and also done specifically for a friend) it is not for sale. It is oil on gessoed watercolor paper.

Cloud study

2008-02-13T11:05:00.000-08:00

Here is another "monkey see monkey" do lesson. 16" x 20" oil on canvas. $125.00

Terry's Flowers

2008-02-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

This was my painting that I did as a lesson along with a student that takes private lessons from me ( she calls these lessons "monkey see monkey do" because she sits right beside me and copies every motion I make with the brushes and paint). 16" x 20" gallery wrapped canvas. $325.00. The photo does not show the texture and vibrancy of color. This painting is much prettier than the camera can capture. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com and be sure to put "painting" in the subject line.

Lone Hay Bale

2008-02-12T16:35:00.000-08:00

One of my students kept after me every Monday night for about a month to teach how to paint a hay bale. I finally did a class on this subject, and would you believe that she didn't even come to class on that particular night! 16" x 20" oil on canvas. $125.00

English Tea House

2008-02-11T10:54:00.000-08:00

16" x 20" oil on canvas. Price is $100.00.

Sunset Storm

2008-02-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

16" x 20" oil on canvas. Price is $125.00.

Large Red Rose

2008-02-05T10:12:00.000-08:00

This is a very sad time for me. My large furry companion of 13 years passed away in the wee hours of the morning yesterday. Samson was a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog. He was absolutely the most elegant, gentle and loyal dog I have ever known. He was my constant companion from the time he was seven weeks old until his passing yesterday. I have a painting of him in the works and will post it as soon as it its finished. But right now my greif is so enormous that I can't bring myself to work on it until a few more days have passed. So today I post this Large Red Rose in his honor. Samson - April 28, 1995 to February 4, 2008. I miss you so!

Katie at the beach house

2008-02-03T17:42:00.000-08:00

Commission pencil drawing. One of a kind. Sold.

Moonlit Falls

2008-02-03T17:36:00.000-08:00

Here is the third waterfall study. I call this one moonlit falls. It was done on a white canvas instead of a black canvas that I used in the other two paintings. I also eliminated the vegetation. This painting oil on 11" x 14" canvas panel. The price is $75.00. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com.

Forest Waterfalls

2008-02-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

This originally started out as a practice lesson for my painting class. I was teaching them to paint a waterfall and how to make the water move. The next thing I know they have me putting in cliffs, rocks, shrubs and trees turning this into a full fledge painting. I now have three of these in different sizes. This one is 18" x 24" oil on canvas. Price is $150.00. There is also one that is 16" x 20" for $125.00. If you would like to purchase either one of the these email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with the title "painting" in the subject line. The third is a little different and will follow in the next post.

Cardinal

2008-01-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't beleive that it has been a little over a week since I posted the last painting! I have had a very full week with taking care of my very old Great Pyrenese dog and getting my husband ready for his trip to Colorado. I just have not had the time to photograph this painting until today. Another bird! I have a couple more that I will get painted in the next few days, but first I plan on starting a painting of a lovely old Antebellum home from photos we took during a trip to Savannah a couple of years ago. I just happened to run across these photos last night and remembered that I had planned to paint one of these lovely old Natchez, Mississippi homes when we got home from that trip. As you can see I am just now getting to it. So the birds will have to wait for a couple of days.

This cardinal is oil on a 10" x 10" canvas panel. The price is $75.00. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com.

Apricot Rose

2008-01-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

Apricot Rose is a 10" x 10" oil on canvas panel. Price is $75.00. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com. Be sure to put "rose painting" in the subject line of your email.

2008-01-05T17:22:00.000-08:00

I said I was going to give you information about the mad bluebird the other day , but got side tracked. Here is the website that will tell you the whole story about Michael L. Smith and his photo of the mad bluebird: www.madbluebird.com. It is a wonderful story that I think you will enjoy.

Mad Blue Bird

2007-12-30T15:54:00.000-08:00

Birds have suddenly become a thing with me. Just before Christmas my husband and I visited the Town Of Mineola, Texas which is only about 26 or so miles from Canton and went into a store that sells all kinds of bird gifts and books and such. There was a garden flag with a photo of this adorable bluebird called Mad Bluebird that I just fell in love with, so I just had to have a picture of it. And then I just had to do a painting of it for my bed and bath. As a matter of fact I have decided to make cute birds the theme for each one of the rooms starting with this mad bluebird. I plan to buy all of the mugs, pillows, and garden flags of this little guy to decorate the first room, and of course, do a larger painting of him too. There is a whole story behind the photo of this little bird and the man who took the picture and I will come back later to give more information about it. But I am out of time to work on the computer right now, so see you later!

Little Orange Breasted Bird

2007-12-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

Although I usually paint from photos, this is painting was done from a printed page a friend brought me that she found on the internet. I don't know who the original artist is, but I sure wish that I could take a lesson from them. My interpretation is no where near as wonderful as the original. I can only hope to be as good a painter as the artist who did this little bird originally. Because this is a reproduction of another artist's work it is not for sale. This is just a study for me to learn from. I painted this in oil on a 9" x 12" page from a canvas pad. I will probably frame it and hang it in one of the rooms of my Bed and Bath which I am redecorating.

I found the cutest little bluebird photo and decided to do a theme of different cute little birds for each of the four rooms. I am sure that is why my friend brought me this little bird to paint. I just hope that the guests I have at the b&b will like my new theme as well.

Water Lilly

2007-12-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

Water Lily is approximately 4" x 4" oil on canvas. Price is $45.00. I found a photo of this water lily in Texas Highways magazine. White flowers are a challenge for me to paint. I struggle with finding just the right color for the shaded areas. I do think it turned out nice. The actual painting is much prettier than the photo shows.

If you would like to purchase this painting email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com.

Coral Mountains

2007-12-22T11:33:00.000-08:00

One of my students brought me this wonderful photo and I just had to paint it. It is a 9" x 12" oil on unstretched canvas. Price is $95.00. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com. Please put "PAINTING" as subject for your email.

2007-12-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

This is the same rose I had painted earlier in a deep red. I decided to try it in brighter reds this time. The photo does not do it justice as you can't see all of the detail and color variation that is in the actual painting. The deep red one is now sold. I hope this one will sell as well. It is a 10" x 10" oil on canvas panel. If you would like to purchase this painting email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "red rose painting" as the subject of your email.

Serenity

2007-12-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

"Serenity" is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas. Price is $125.00. It is one of the paintings I did for the class I teach on Monday nights. The lesson for the students in this painting is learning to paint reflections in water. To purchase this painting email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com . Please put regarding painting as the subject of your email.

Sculpture of Belinda

2007-12-13T09:55:00.000-08:00

As a change of pace I thought I would post a picture of one of the sculptures I have done in the past. This lifesize bust was created using a white ceramic clay that was kiln fired. Then a patina was applied to give it a bronze appearance. This sculpture of Belinda was on display at The Warehouse Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas where it was purchased by the building owner for her private collection.

Creating portrait sculptures for individuals by commission is what has been the mainstay of my art career for the past seventeen to eighteen years. With the economy the way it is right now I find myself doing more painting than sculpting lately. I do have a portrait sculture of a child in process at the moment, so I will post a picture of it soon. Okay, enough posting for today. I have to go paint now!

If you are interested in having a portrait sculpture done email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com with "portrait sculpture" as the subject of your email.

Macaws and Orchids

2007-12-10T11:11:00.000-08:00

My friend and also art student, Sandy, brought me a blouse and asked me to paint something tropical or exotic on the back of it. Knowing her love of bright color I chose these two Macaws. They are painted in acrylics on a chambry fabric. The picture just does not show the true brilliance of the colors, but at least you can see most of the detail in the painting. Sandy was ecstatic over it. I hope it brings her much joy when she wears it. It certainly was alot of fun to paint.

Cowboy Sunset

2007-12-08T10:48:00.000-08:00

Being the Texan that he is, this is one of my husbands favorite paintings. (I can never seem to do enough western style art for him). Sunsets with the forground subject in shadow is a favorite thing for me to paint. It turned out pretty good. I may spend a little more time with this type of theme in the coming weeks.

oil on 11" x 14" canvas panel $65.00. To purchase email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com.

Frozen River

2007-12-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

Frozen River is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas. Another one of the paintings I taught to my Monday night oil painting class. Just about all of the studentss went home covered in blue paint. I guess it is part of the process to learn how to keep your elbows off of the paint pallette. Still, they have so much fun and are learning alot about color and brush technique.

If you would like to purchase this or any of my paintings email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com.

Still Lake

2007-11-28T10:28:00.000-08:00

Still lake is another painting I did along with my students that I teach on Monday nights. The rocks in the forground brought alot of groans from the ladies as they tried a new double loaded brush technique. What is a simple thing to me sometimes causes alot of anguish to my students. It is all part of the learning process. One day they will wonder why this seemed so hard to them.

This was done on a 16" x 20" canvas in oil. It is not for sale as my grandson has placed a claim on it. He likes the quiet stillness of the mountains reflections in the water.

Well this is the last post for a couple of days. This is First Monday Trade Days weekend here in Canton, Texas, and I own a small bed and bath business. I am totally booked from Thursday night until Sunday, and I have to go clean rooms and get ready for my guests. So it is no painting for me for the next couple of days. (I bet I do try to find at least an hour somewhere to paint something!).

Country Road in Spring

2007-11-24T13:08:00.001-08:00

Today is a cold wet dreay day, so I painted a Springtime scene of a country road with flowers blooming in the field and along the roadside. The rain did sneak in though as there are puddles of water on the road. It has made me feel a little lighter in mood. I hope it does the same for you.

This is a 16" x 20" oil on canvas. Price is $125.00. To purchase this painting email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com .

Peaceful Waterfall

2007-11-22T10:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Today I recieved an email from Rhonda Byrne (she wrote the book "The Secret") about gratitude and how just the two words "Thank you" can change your life. She is correct in that. We get so caught up in our day to day lives that we just completely forget to stop and say Thank you for even being alive! So today I share with you a painting I call "Peaceful Waterfall". It is from a photo I took on one of my forays in to nature. Just the sound of the quietly rushing water from this little fall soothed my soul and made me feel so alive in the moment. I am grateful to God for giving me artistic abilities to do my paintings and sculptures, and making it possible for me to share them with anyone who comes along to look at them. To me, art in it's simplist form brings light and beauty to our sometimes dreary world. I hope that viewing my paintings on this blog will bring a little brightness to your day as well. Have a joyous Holiday season .

Color Variation Study of Roses

2007-11-20T12:36:00.000-08:00

Today I am posting two small rose studies. I still have to put dew drops on the round pink and lavendar rose. These are both oil on wood. The yellow rose on the oval measures 5" x 3 1/2" and the pink rose on the round measures 4 1/2 ". They will be listed on ebay after the Thanksgiving Holiday. If you would like to purchase them before hand email me at pyrmom@yahoo.com. Purchase price is $45.00 each.

Deep Red Rose

2007-11-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

Roses are my absolute favorite flower to paint. I learned a wonderful technique quite a few years ago from a wonderful lady named Joan Johnson. She taught me just how to look at real roses and come up with the perfect color mixtures to create realistic roses on wood and tin surfaces. I also use this same method on canvas (if truth be known I will paint a rose on anything that will sit still long enough). I feel so fortunate to have taken lessons from this very talented artist when I did. Joan is no longer with us. She passed on about seven years ago. I do charish the knowlege she left with me and many other artists that were lucky enough to have learned from her.

This rose is painted on a 10" x10" canvas panel. SOLD.

Kalahari Sunset

2007-11-18T23:28:00.000-08:00

This painting was done from a photo I took while watching an episode ofMeerkat Manor on The Animal Planet network. I was surprised that I could actually take a digital photo of my tv screen. I used it as another subject for my painting class. I am always looking for new and different things for the ladies in my class to paint. This one is on a 16" x20" canvas.
Oh my goodness! I just looked at the clock and it is 1:38 a.m. I have alot to do tommorrow (I mean today) so this is the last post for tonight. Tommorrow I will post Roses!

Mountain View Lake

2007-11-18T22:32:00.000-08:00

I teach an oil painting class where I live in Canton, Texas. This is one of the paintings that I did while instructing that class. And because it was done while instructing there are things that are a little off kilter in this painting. I have found it hard to keep things in perspective while standing to one side or the other of the easel so that the class can see what I am doing. Some times I feel like I am hanging upside down from the top of the easel just so they can see!
It is as much of a learning experience for me as it is for them. This is a beginners wet on wet class, and I have to keep it simple for them as most of them have never picked up a brush before. You would be amazed at what these ladies have learned, and how beautiful their paintings turn out.

My First Post

2007-11-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

Posting a blog is a new experience for me, but I have been so impressed by all of the wonderful artwork I have viewed on so many painting a day blogs that I decided to join in the fun. It may take me a little time to get the hang of this, but here goes! My very first post!