Seagull #3

Number three on the seagull thing. Based on one of the same photos that Kent took. Threw in some pinks on this one. Along with the blues. It's kind of fun to do the same composition with a different color scheme. Nice practice! Can go a little mindless on the form and concentrate on color. Another 8x8 size canvas panel. I really like this size, however not all stores carry this size frame.. I have stocked up on some 8x10 canvas panels and plan on working on that size. 8x10 frames are much easier to find. I have found a web site that carries the odd sizes, Pictureframes.com. I have ordered an 8x8 and I am pleased with the quality. Happy painting everyone!

Psalm 47:1-2
"Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with crys of joy. For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth"

Seagull #2

Another one based on a photo Kent took for me on vacation. I kept with the more traditional colors this time. I enjoyed the rolling waves up in the upper left corner of the painting. Another bright bright day. I remember having to squint even with dark sunglasses because of the sunshine. The wind was cooling and lots of shade under the palm trees. Beautiful. Fun painting to do. Took me right back to the beach!

Matthew 5-14-16
"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowel. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Seagull #1

A little 8x8 that I did from a photo that Kent, my husband took during a  cruise last year. We were on an island for the day called Coco Cay in the Bahamas. It was a beautiful, bright day. Everything was just sparkling! The sand was bright, bright white.  Kent is a great photographer and ran around taking all kinds of reference photos for me. He is a sweety! I have to say he is one of my greatest fans and is supportive and encouraging. I played with the color on this one. Wanted to do a different kind of color combination with the greens and rusts. It made for some crisp contrasts. I like his bony little legs too! (The seagull's that is. However, Kent does have nice legs!) Ha, Haaaa.

I Corinthians 13:4-7
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Sunflowers #1

I did this 12x12 as my first attempt at painting sunflowers in May of this year. I like the contrast of the blue background with the yellow on the flowers. After I finished this one, I thought it looked a little "Vincent Van Gogh..ish"! Did not intend to, just happened. With us smack dab in the middle of summer.. sunshine and heat, sunflowers seem to be appropriate at this time. We are in the middle of days and days of 100plus degree temperatures here in Oklahoma and little rain. Hope the sunflowers will survive!

Psalm 37:3-4
"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

"Who's There?"

This is an 8x8 I did a while back for the Daily Paintworks Challenge. Again, did not submit it, just did it for fun! Has lots of texture to the feathers. With the quirky little turn of her head. Isn't it weird... the red eyes? But that is how it is with most chickens. I am learning alot about animals while painting them!  I am posting this one up in honor of my sister, Lisa. She really likes the funny looking birds I have done. This was a fun one to do. Enjoy it Lisa!

Psalm 145:8-9
"The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made."

Farm Land

I am basically a small town, country girl who appreciates wide open spaces. My husband grew up on a farm.  So I love the look of newly planted fields. The dark soil contrasting with the new crops. I like the symmetry of crop rows or plowed soil. I was going for a contemporary look to this painting with very simple lines. Peaceful. Hope you like it.

2 Thessalonians 3:16
"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you."

Baby Ostrich

This is a 12x12 I did of a baby ostrich.  This is a painting that always makes me smile. This little guy is so homely and awkward looking that you can't keep from it! Actually, I have taken this painting to a patient of mine (I am a Home Health RN) in hopes of  coaxing  a smile from her. It worked! While working on this painting, all I could think about is "how strange looking this little guy is". So I just concentrated on the lights and darks and just painted what I saw. The shape of the head and the deep dark eye are really different. But this is what he looked like. Honest! He does have a sweet spirit about him.

I Peter 3:3-4
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

Little Lady Bug

This is a painting I did just for fun. NOT as a commission. I could not resist putting a lady bug on the flower petal!. I used a reference photo to get the look of the lady bug.  Isn't it weird how God made these little bugs with the big dots on them. I guess to make them look like big 'ol eyes to scare away any predators. Just a guess. I primed this 8x10 canvas panel with the varied colors for the background first and let that dry. Then painted the flower and lady bug. I had fun with the flower center with the interesting dots of color. I enjoy doing these really close ups of flowers. I will do more. Click the image a few times to get a closer look.

Jeremiah 17:7-8
"But I will bless those who trust me. They will be like trees growing beside a stream, trees with roots that reach down to the water, and with leaves that are always green. They bear fruit every year and are never worried by a lack of rain."

Sunflowers

I love the imperfection of the big flower in front as well as the little buds in the background. Can you make the little guys out in the back? I finished this 8x8 oil of sunflowers as a commission for a client. I delivered it today in a wooden, deep brown, rounded, 2 and 1/2 inch wide frame. It was a nice contrast to the yellow. Made the flowers "pop" as well as brought out the color of the flower's centers. I am always really nervous when delivering a commissioned painting. I worry if the client will like it, if it is what they wanted etc, etc... It is getting easier as time goes by and I do more commissioned work. But it is exhausting! So after I finished this one and letting it dry, I have done a couple of fun ones. Just for me!. I will post them later.  Much more relaxing to do! Then I will get back to my commissions.

I Corinthians 12:1-6
"There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but they all come from the same Spirit. There are different ways to serve the same Lord, and we can each do different things. Yet the same God works in all of us and helps us in everything we do."

Fireworks in the Sky

I am still feeling the patriotic thing and putting on canvas some images from the 4th of July. I primed this 8x10 canvas panel with a mixture of color to come up with this dark blue/midnight sky. Let it dry. Made for a nice contrast for the fireworks. Then just had fun playing with the color of the fireworks and flashes of light. Framed up it will be a nice seasonal, patriotic addition to any home. My mother-in-law has a lovely home that she is so good at decorating for all the different holidays. I am so thankful for our country and all the wonderful freedoms we have. Lets continue to celebrate!

Psalm 126:2-3
"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, 'the Lord has done great things for them'. The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy."

Colorful Bottles and Jars

Trying to stay focused!
Our son, Charles left today to go of all places...Africa! He is a professional basketball player and has been asked to join in a big deal national tournament. Happy for him, but sad to see him go so soon. He usually is home from playing basketball in Spain, for the whole summer. But this new extra "gig" has taken him away a little early. He is a good son and calls home as often as he can (thanks to Skype).
Sooooo...this painting was fun to do with all the color and textures. Can you tell that the jar on the left is full of pickles? You win a prize if you guessed correctly!

Proverbs 2:1-4
"My child, you must follow and treasure my teachings and my instructions. Keep in tune with wisdom and think what it means to have common sense. Beg as loud as you can for good common sense. Search for wisdom as you would search for silver or hidden treasure."

Spanish Window

This painting was inspired by a scene in Spain while visiting our son, Charles. I just loved all the wonderful color in all the buildings in the towns of Spain. Some vibrant in color, others muted and soft looking. It seemed all the windows had lovely pots of flowers on the window ledges. I had my camera up taking photos all the time! This painting was sold to some dear friends here in Kingfisher. I was happy to see this one go to this couple and their lovely home.

Psalm 7:10
"You, God, are my shield, the protector of everyone whose heart is right"

Ocean Wave

Isn't it interesting all the different colors that show up in water?! I remember back when I was a kid about 8 years old....my mother showed me how to "color" an ocean. She started picking up all kinds of colors out of my crayon box and colored a beautiful ocean scene, using almost all of my colors in the crayon box! I guess that could count for my very first art lesson from my Mom! Wonderful memory. As a matter of fact, I need to give credit to my sister, Lisa, for helping me on this little 8x6 painting. I had sent her a photo of this painting in progress. I was having trouble with some of the color in it. She gave me sound advice! I sold this one at this year's Kingfisher Festival of Arts. Soooo...thank you Lisa for your help!

Psalm 5:12
"Our Lord, you bless those who live right, and you shield them with your kindness"

Pink Bowel and Green Apple

This one was an experiment after seeing one of the challenges on Daily Paintworks. The challenge was to paint using one stroke per color, not reworking it or fussing with any of your strokes. It was a great exercise. It produces a more loose, abstract painting. Keeps the color more pure and "un-muddied". I tried to set up a pretty simple still life and I like the colors.

Psalms 1:1-2
"God blesses those people who refuse evil advice and won't follow sinners or join in sneering at God. Instead, the Law of the Lord makes them happy, and they think about it day and night."

Baby Owl

Who....Me? This little guy is the sweetest thing! I came upon some reference photos of owls of all ages and this one I could not resist. He has such a surprised look in his eyes and the little cock of his head to the side as if asking a question. I played with the color, departing from a more grey color of the photo. However, the photo showed a hint of the green that I used here. I just played up the color a little. This piece sold at this year's Kingfisher Festival of Arts. I hope to do more of these cute little owls.

Proverbs 25:28
"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self control."

Good ol' Abe

This is a painting I did  in response to a Daily Paintworks Challenge. I did not submit the painting to the web site. Didn't know how. Still on a little bit of learning curve on all this! I just did it for my own enjoyment! Was my first attempt at a portrait. I like the loose style of it and gave Abe blue eyes just for fun. Still feeling the patriotic thing around this 4th of July season. Thinking about doing Goerge Washington. Doing some research on some possible photos to use for it. Abe was a black and white that was provided on the challenge.

Psalm 24:3-4
"Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god"

Horse of a Different Color

This one was really fun to do. Did it with a 2 inch brush and played with the color. The big brush encouraged a loose look.  I had pink, blue and green paint everywhere! These pretty colors showed up in the most unexpected places!  I took this one to the Festival of Arts show this year and you would not believe the number of little girls that gravitated to my pink horse! It was sweet. Would look great in some little girl's room!

Proverb's 1:33
"but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm"

Oklahoma Sunset #2

Another beautiful Oklahoma sunset! I ended up using so much paint! Just layer after layer on this one. I learned that the precise point of  some sunsets at the horizon is sometimes almost white! What a surprise. The big contrast of the bright sunset on the right compared to the dark on the left away from the sunset is dramatic in this painting. This one sold at this year's Kingfisher Festival of Arts. Fun one to do!

Acts 13:38
"Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you"

American Flag

Happy 4th of July! This is a day to remember how blessed we are as Americans with all of the freedoms and liberties we have in this great country. Let's be sure to protect these freedoms! Thank you to all the military men and women who serve our nation.
Just finished this one. Waiting for it to dry and then will frame it. This painting was fun to do, creating the look of the waving flag, up close, and the different colors to create the shadows. This painting was done on commission for a dear friend of mine I work with. I will be framing it in a black chunky frame to contrast nicely with the red, white and blue colors of the painting.

Ephesians 6:18
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people."

Oklahoma Sunset

This is a typical Oklahoma scene with the wide open sky, yellow and green fields, grain elevators in the distance. A simple and beautiful site! The sunsets here can be almost unbelievable. When you look closely at the distant grain elevators you can see the colors of the sky reflected. You can click on the image several times to magnify and look at detail. I plan on doing more sunset landscapes. Fun to see the colors come together.

Luke 4:40
"At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sicknesses, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them."