Limes

A little 8x10 oil. I like the contrast between the lime green and lavender. A fun one to do. Another one for my future kitchen wall! I am thinking about a good friend of ours that is in the hospital, recovering from a 4-wheel accident. He is thankfully recovering and may be able to go home this weekend. Lots of prayers have been going his way.

Psalm 119:1

"Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk acording to the law of the Lord."



Adolescent Guineas

An 8x8 oil that I finished this week of a group of adolescent guineas of all things!. A friend of mine lives out on a farm and raises guineas. She asked me to do a painting of them! She has two kinds. One is called a lavender color and the other kind...I'm not sure what the color is called. A white color with blue/grey undertones. Lots of folks that live in the country have these flocks of guinea. They stay around the  "home place"  and put up a real loud, twittering/clucking sound when anyone comes around or anything unusual occurs. They kind of become an alarm system! I took care of a patient once that had a flock of guinea. It was hilarious! They would get all startled and waddle around making that sound! My patient would always be waiting for me at the door....she knew I had come into the farm gate by the sound of her guineas. In this painting I tried to show how the guinea kind of huddle up close to each other. My friend says that they don't really fly...maybe flap their wings a little and take flight for a few feet..that's all. Mostly they just waddle around. So funny!

Psalm 116:1-2
"I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live."

Church in the Spring #2

Did a few changes on this 8x10 I completed a few weeks back. The foreground was too dark. I added some lights and more color to indicate spring wild flowers. Scattered the color on up the hills in the back. I think I like it better. I just love working in oils...you can "redo" at any time!

Romans 121:21
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

Tomatoes

An 8x10 oil of tomatoes. Kept going brighter and brighter on this one. Couldn't stop! The green background made the tomatoes pop even more. We are planning to build a house soon. I have always had this idea of having a wall in my kitchen full of paintings of still life...food, fruit, veg, etc. Think I will do it!

Psalm 105:4
"Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always"

Apples

A little 8x10 oil I did quite some time ago. You can tell by my signature. I was still doing my full last name. My hands are not steady enough to do that anymore! I have always liked the loose brushes of color to the foreground. I think I will do more still life pieces soon. I always have more plans and ideas but I don't have enough time to do. One of these days I will retire from nursing and paint full time. Oh what a dream come true that would be! On the other hand... I don't know if I can give up nursing! So fickle!

Romans 15:2
"Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up"

Pumpkins

This is a 12x16 oil I did last fall. I am needing to do more fall paintings to get ready for the upcoming show in November. Have been on call for my job and coming home exhausted! No excuses! I should be at my easel every day! Ok, today I start new and will do that. Sorry I have not posted in a few days. Will do better. This pumpkin painting sold after my May show to a client that had seen it, called me about it a week later and just had to have it! I was pleased that she called. Got it delivered to her and she was happy. Oh! We planted pumpkins in our garden this year and we see some little pumpkins growing! I just love pumpkins..the look of them, symbolizing the cooler weather. Plus I will have some to set up and paint! I think I will even set up outside and paint the pumpkin vines too. They are pretty with their big broad leaves.

Psalm 97:11
"Light shines on the righteous and joy on the upright in heart"

Baby Emu

A 12x12 oil I just finished this evening. I just love this size of canvas. Gives me enough room to play and not so big that I get tired! Time for another funny little baby bird! I have taken a little liberty with the color. Added a little more of the lavender color to the fussy hair. The eyes are pretty spot on. I have seen some photos of Emus with even a more orange eye color. The expression looks like a cross between me in the morning before my coffee and me getting ready to burst out laughing at one of my husband's jokes!

Ephesians 4:2
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

Church in the Spring

An 8x10 in oil that I just finished. Wanted to achieve a simple, peaceful country scene, using broad brush strokes. Had to hold back to not fuss too much with this one. I like the distance with the hills in the background, the dirt road leading up to the church. I would really like to attend a service here! See what it would be like! Kent and I attend LifeWay Church here in Kingfisher. It is a "network" church with LifeChurch.tv via video. Craig Groeschel broadcasts the message or sermon each week.. Occasionally our local pastor or one of the other church leaders speak. Terry Payne is our local pastor. We have live music and worship along with the broadcasted message. Wonderful group of people. Really provides a strong church and spiritual support for us. We meet in a movie theater for now! Looking at buying land and building soon. 

Romans 10:9
"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."

Two Hearts

A 6x6 oil I painted for my Husband this past Valentines Day. To express my love for him. I just heard from my sister, Lisa, that a former church youth member died while serving his country in the military. She described him as a wonderful young man that loved the Lord. I know she will miss him and feels the loss deeply. You see, all of Lisa's kids are special to her. So... today, I dedicate this painting to Lisa and the young military man that lost his life and is with the Lord today.

Romans 8:26-27
"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for Gods people in accordance with the will of God"

Criss-Crossing Fields

This is an 8x10 I did a few weeks ago. I wanted to achieve a sense of distance and show that criss-crossing of different colored fields that I see so often here in Oklahoma. The green color of the fields here in Oklahoma have all turned that pretty golden brown with the hot weather we have had. This golden coloring of the landscape does not ordinarily show up until late August. The pale soft greens along with the golden browns are beautiful. I will do one with those colors soon I think. I have gotten some wonderful feedback from a couple of other artists on the web this evening. Very encouraging. I hope, in turn, to be able to encourage other artists too.

Romans 8:28
"And we all know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Church in the Fall

Has been a few days since I last posted. Just finished this 8x10. Oh...but that we could be there in the cool crisp air of the Fall season! This is a commission. My client wanted a painting with a church in it... in the Fall or Spring season. So this is my stab at the Fall season. I will do a Spring season one with a white church out in the distance with lots of color of spring flowers in the close foreground. At least that is my plan now.  Fall is my favorite season of the year. I am looking forward to an Arts and Crafts show coming up this November here in Kingfisher. I have decided to show my work again. It was so much fun this last spring at the Kingfisher Festival of Arts. Stay cool everyone in this hot, hot weather! (107 degrees predicted here today)

Psalm 73:26
"My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever"

Daisy..Daisy...

A 12x12 painting of Daisies! I again used my tried and true tech of priming the background with splashes of color...then painting the flowers after the background has dried. I think the flowers really pop in this one. I like how the flowers stand up so straight and perky. The fun centers of color in each flower.. I like the little imperfections in the petals too. Just goes to show you that beauty is seen in the irregularities,  imperfections in nature and lets face it... in ourselves!

Psalm 63:2-3
"I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is greater than life, my lips will glorify you."

Close up Sunflower

An 8x8 I did for the Kingfisher Festival of Arts. Sold to a good friend of mine! I primed this canvas panel with assorted color splashes first then painted the sunflower after the canvas dried. I like this tech with the close up flowers I do. This is a more graphic take on the sunflower. I had fun with the dots and dashes in the center of the flower.  Framed it with a golden toned wood frame. I was pleased with it. 

Psalm 55:22
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken."

Seagull #4 with Reflection

Ok..... so I think I'm done with the Seagulls for now. I actually was going to go with it for a couple of more, but have changed my mind! On to "something... entirely different"! I'm not sure what, but I will come up with a plan before the night is finished. This is an 8x10 of a seagull standing in the ocean shallows. Wow! What I would give for a cool shallow ocean wave to hit my feet right now! The high temps are getting out of hand here in Oklahoma....112 today. This is my first attempt at a reflection in water. It was fun. I guess the key is to really blur up the reflection. As always, I am thankful for this wonderful thing called "Painting". Such a nice escape and way to express God's beauty and praise to Him.

James1:22
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it - not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it - they will be blessed in what they do."