Abstract Heart #2

An 8x10 oil. The 2nd in my Abstract Heart Series. This one is done on a more neutral primed canvas. Actually based on a heart shape made of roses. Used simple lines and strokes and just had fun with the color! My husband always gives me roses for Valentine's. Love that! I guess the month of February has inspired this series. I will keep going and use up all of my primed canvas for this project. Thank you for looking.

Exodus 23:20
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and bring you to the place I have prepared,"

Abstract Heart #1

An 8x10 oil. I am experimenting with shapes and color with a series of 5 stretched canvas'. I have primed all 5 canvas' with broad strokes of color. This one I primed with a mixture of orange and yellow. Then painted the abstract heart. Scattered color in the empty edges/corners to tie it all together. This was fun to do. I plan to do similar heart shapes in different styles and colors for the each canvas. Thank you for looking!

Mathew 19:14
"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.' "

Yellow Sky, Ocean

An 8x10 oil I finished today. This piece is a gift for my nephew that my husband and I just reconnected with this year. He is a young man serving our country in the Coast Guard. He seems to have a real love for the ocean, Ships and all that goes along with his work. He is an Artist himself and has shown me some of his work. Paintings of the ships he has served on. Very detailed and wonderful. Hope he likes this tribute to him and the beautiful Oceans of the world.

Zechariah 9:16-17
"The Lord God will save them on that day, because they are his people, and they will shine on his land like jewels in a crown. How lovely they will be. Young people will grow there like grain in a field or grapes in a vineyard."

Single Sunflower

A 12x12 Oil. This painting is based on a close-up photo I took of one of the big sunflowers that was in this year's Birthday bouqet from my son, Charles. Love the yellows and oranges in these flowers. And they are so big and sturdy!

2 Corinthians 3:17
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty."

Koi Fish #2

Took the day off today. I decided to re-work the water a little bit on this one. Took out the attempt at ripples in the water to the right side of the painting and added some more bubbles. I also re-shaped the head of the lower Koi a little too. I think I am NOW finished with this one. Got to stop! Thanks for looking. Have a great day.

Mathew 11:28
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Koi Fish. Shoot and Paint January Challenge

An 8x10 oil I completed this weekend for the Shoot and Paint Challenge. I decided on a different composition. I wanted to show the curve of the fish in movement. Along with how these Koi fish just look up at you asking to be fed! My husband and I went on a weekend trip a few months back and stayed at a hotel that had a little indoor pond/stream with these beautiful Koi in residence. Since then, I have wanted to do a painting of them! This challenge urged me to just do it! I tried to achieve a since of motion with the curve of one of the fish, bubbles and ripples in the blue/green water. And of course ..I love the eyes just looking right up at you! Thank you for looking. Have a great week.

Mathew 10:32-33
"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."

Cup Cakes

An 8x10, oil I have just finished as a gift for my niece. She is a professional Baker and it seems that one of her favorite creations are Cup Cakes. She is very talented and she makes the most imaginative designs ever! I had to stay with the basic cupcake for my painting. My favorite flavor she makes is red velvet chocolate with these tiny little chocolate chips mixed in. Yummy!!! She is a sweet spirited young lady and a joy to get to know. My husband and I have just recently been able to spend some time with her and her family. She and her husband have been a great help to my brother, who has been ill.  It is my hope she likes my painting...a tribute to The Baker! Thank you for looking. Have a great weekend.

Matthew 6:3
"Seek first the Kingdom of God."

A Storm is Coming

A 16x20 oil I finished today. Whew, it has been a long week at work and this is the first chance I have had to relax and paint. Yea!!! Here in Oklahoma we have this weird greenish light that comes along just before a storm. I have been wanting to try and capture that light in a painting for a long time. This is my first attempt. I am happy with it. Do you see that greenish tinge to the left side of the sky? Also in those minutes before a storm breaks loose, you see a brightness to the yellow fields that is just fantastic. Great contrast. Hope all is well with everyone.

Revelation 21:4
"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away."

Denna's Favorite Paintings For 2011

This is a collection of some of my favorite Oil paintings for 2011. I give credit to artists Leslie Saeta and Norma Wilson for this idea. Thank you! It was fun to go through all of my paintings I completed this past year and choose a few. Some are sold, some are not. Others I gave as gifts. I am so glad that I started to document all of my work so as to look back and remember! Each painting brings back memories and all are pleasant. I guess that is why I paint. Very therapeutic! Thank you for looking. Happy Painting!

Titus 2:11-14
"For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ."

Daily Paintworks Christmas Aftermath Challenge

An 8x10 oil I just completed for this week's Daily Paintworks Challenge. Tell me we aren't the only ones that deal with the tangle of Christmas lights every year! I wish I could figure out how to store those things without just stuffing them in a box. We had a good Christmas, but it is always good to take down all the decorations and get the house back in order. I had fun with this one, reflecting the colors of each bulb onto the other light bulbs. Had a hard time taking a photo that shows the color accurately for some reason. I wish you a safe and Happy New Year! Thank you for looking!

Revelation 22:16-17
"I am Jesus! And I am the one who sent my angel to tell all of you these things for the churches...The Spirit and bride say, Come!....Come! If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It's free!"

Sugar Cookie

A 12x12 oil that I fully intended to finish before Christmas! But alas...such is life! Had a nice peaceful evening after work today and decided to get it done! This is one of about a dozen decorated sugar cookies that my husband brought home from his office prior to Christmas. It was hard to decide which to paint! There were Santa's, Christmas Trees, Stars, Reindeer.... Beautiful little works of Art. And delisous too!  Wanted to make the green pop so used a lavender color as the background. Used lots of paint on the icing to lend the frosting look. Thank you for looking. Hope your Christmas was a happy and peaceful one.

1 Peter 3:15
"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."

Shoot and Paint Challenge

A 12x12 Oil that I just finished this evening and submitted to the Shoot and Paint Challenge http://shootandpaint.blogspot.com/. I am feeling the urge to get in as many Christmas paintings before Christmas as I can. I won't feel like doing them after! Fun one to do. Lots of texture to this one. I used a #6 round to keep it loose and the paint went on fast. Thank you for looking.

James 3:17
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere."

Birthday Bouquet

A 16x20  I finished this morning entitled Birthday Bouquet. My son, Charles always sends me a bouquet of flowers for my birthday. I decided to do a painting of this year's bouquet. I tried to capture the full, wild look of this colorful fall arrangement. It sat on our round dining room table and I like the few dropped petals and leaves against the wood.  This is a bigger canvas for me. Have not done one this big in a while. Lended to a loose broad style. I like it!

James 3:13
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."

Christmas Trees

An 11x14 oil Christmas Tree painting. I primed the canvas first with broad brush strokes of various color. Let that dry. Then painted the Christmas trees in. Makes for a nice festive look! The background color was applied randomly and I like how it turned out. This scene reminds me of outings to the Christmas tree lots to choose the perfect tree. Nice memories! I still have the 16x20 of "Charles' Birthday Bouquet" on my easel. Have not finished it yet. Thought I would go ahead and post another Holiday painting in the meantime.

Hebrews 10:24
"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging on another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Momma Cat with her kitten

An 8x8 oil I just finished last night. Could not resist the coloring of the momma and kitten along with their beautiful green eyes. The little snuggle the kitten is doing is great too! Felt I just had to paint in the green background to bring out the green in the eyes. Thank you for looking. I have a 16x20 canvas on my easel now...doing a painting of a Birthday bouquet that our son, Charles sent me. Beautiful fall colors. Will post it next.

Lamentations 3:24
"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him...."

Mango...Mango...Mango

A 16x20 oil that I completed for a challenge by Daily Paintworks. The challenge was to divide a canvas in individual squares. Paint the same object in each square. Limiting your time to paint to 10 minutes a square. I changed the drape color for each mango square. Did it randomly. Then just started to paint! Listened to the timer go in the background. The loud DING startling me every time! I have it framed in a dark cherry wood contemporary frame. It makes the color in this painting pop! This one was fun to do. Thank you for looking!

James 1:22-25
"Do not merely read the Bible, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says...Whoever looks intently into the Bible that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have read, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do."

Hanging Christmas Ornaments

An 11x14 oil, holiday painting, using a canvas that I primed first with fun jewel colors using broad strokes and blending a little. Let that dry. Then I painted the Christmas ornaments hanging from delicate chains. The fun part was reflecting the different colors in the chains and in the individual ornaments. You know, it doesn't take much to make me smile! I really like the slice of the pretty pink ornament at the top of this painting. Like I said....It doesn't take much. Enjoy...thank you for looking!

Hebrews 13:6
"So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?"

Snowflake

My interpretation of a snowflake! A 12x12 oil I finished a couple of days ago and kept forgetting to photograph it and post. Nice and wintry looking with one of my favorite colors as a background. I might do a Santa Claus next! Right now I have a Momma Cat and her kitten on my easel. It is sketched in...not sure I have enough energy to paint this evening. Had to work today and have another full day tomorrow. Arrgg! I hate these on call weekends! But this too will pass. Enjoy this Snowflake painting. It was fun to do. Used alot of texture and layering of paint, using the white and blue to give it depth. Thank you for looking.

James 1:16-17
"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters, every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Late Fall # 2

An 8x8 oil I started out at Kingfisher Park a few days ago and just finished here in my studio. Wanted to capture the crisp cool air of that day and the since of piles and piles of colorful leaves just fallen from the trees to the ground. Fall is my favorite time of year! It was a pretty day with wonderful pathways to walk and the distant soft colors at the horizon. My painting buddy and I are committed to try and paint outdoors at least once a month. I am really loving it! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Hebrews 13:1-2
"Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it."

Late Fall

This is an 8x8 oil I did yesterday at Kingfisher Park. My Plein Air Buddy and I went out together for the first time to paint. We plan on going out at least once a month. It was great...a little windy..but nice cool crisp air. The day started out a little cloudy with filtered light. I think this is why my painting is a little muted and soft looking. A few yellow leaves still clinging to these three trees. The sky was a clear blue with the distance blurring to a soft green/grey color. This is my third time to try Plein Air Painting. I am surprised at how one can arrive at a spot and a certain view or scene jumps out to be painted. At least that is how it works for me! Loved the fresh air and conversation with my painting buddy! Thanks for looking! Happy painting!

Romans 14:19
"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification"