American Women Artists Online Show

To say I was excited that "Power Flower" was selected as a finalist in the American Women Artists Online Competition, would be a definite understatement. To be amongst such amazing talent and to be selected out of over 500 entries! Wow! You can see the slideshow of the finalists on the American Women Artists page.

A Path With Heart

April 13th, 2013

Taken during my show at 55 Main Gallery in Bisbee, AZ

pictured here are gallery owner Cristina Plascencia (left) and myself

with the artwork.

  I was having one of those insightful moments a few days ago and it lead me to the thought "I should write a post about that!" So here goes...

  It came to my attention that I have had this blog for nearly four years now. Of course, there were periods of time where I seemed to endlessly fail to find the time to write a post but I did my best to write when I could and share some important aspects of my journey and artworks I created.

  I had pondered in the beginning what to call my blog - I wanted it to be fun and interesting and of course pertain to what I was going to share - thus the play on words  A Path with "Art" was born. It wasn't until recently that this blog name took on a much more profound meaning for me.

 At the beginning of October 2012, at a very low point in my life, a shift happened that I have been riding ever since. This low point caused me to become daring and I decided that I wasn't interested in being miserable anymore and I was going to follow my heart. I quit my job and became a full time artist - aaaaahhh! Scary right? Here's the thing, at the moment of my decision everything fell into place. Out of nowhere, a benefactor stepped forward and offered to cover my rent in order for me to focus on painting (pinch me). Luke, my partner of 14 years stepped in with tremendous support, driving me places, making me frames and canvas'. 36 days later I landed a great gallery, the 55 Main Gallery in Bisbee, AZ and 42 days later I had sold 6 paintings! Sometime around the beginning of the new year, the gallery offered me their April featured artist spot. My own show! Which I think at this point I was in shock as to how everything was happening so fast and with such positive force. I became aware of how powerful following a path with heart could be.  I learned that when we are doing what we love, the Universe opens up and leads the way. All I had to do was have the daring to take the first step and recognize the opportunities when they were revealed to me. 

So now, the cute name I gave my blog, A Path With "Art", now has a more significant meaning for me and I highly recommend that everyone out there follow your heart! It's worth it ♥

Painting Sunsets

 About three months back, I started painting miniature sunsets in oils. I was doing it as a sort of discipline and exercise at the time but found that it became a passion for me, painting these tiny, concentrated, desert skies.

After some time of doing these miniatures, I had the urge to go BIG! I wanted to see how the larger versions would look and would I be able to capture the same potency.

 "Brilliance II" 

24" x 30" oil on canvas

The first of the larger versions is seen above. I was very happy with how it turned out and thus began my new passion - painting large sunsets!

"San Pedro Sunset"

24" x 30" oil on canvas

"Sky Symphony"

20" x 16" oil on canvas

All paintings are available for sale! Please contact me for more information.

"Garden Delights" new oil painting!

"Garden Delights"

10" x 10" framed

oil on linen 

Available through 55 Main Gallery!

" Garden Delights " was inspired from a particularly beautiful summer garden we had here in Arizona. The sunflowers were in full force and in turn attracted many varieties of butterflies including the Monarch Butterfly, which is what I chose to paint here atop a vibrant and prolific type sunflower named the Mexican Sunflower. These are two of my favorite things in the natural world and of course means a real joy to paint!

"Brilliance" - 2.5" x 3.5" oil painting

"Brilliance"

2.5" x 3.5" 

oil on archival primed card stock

Contact 55 Main Gallery

Another miniature sunset added to the series!

   

Adventures in Painting Cotton

"Cotton Field"

8" x 8" oil on gesso board

In November I will be participating in a show in Bisbee, AZ that is in celebration of the Heather Green Studio's 2nd Anniversary since opening.  The show theme is called "Cotton Anniversary" and although the gallery is open to all media, subject and style with the only rule being it must have the dimensions of 12" x 12", I really wanted to try and paint cotton. I don't have a lot of background or relationship with cotton as a plant and I was curious and challenged by the idea of painting it. As it turned out, cotton harvest here in Arizona is in the month of October, so Luke and I set out in search of a cotton field so I could collect some reference photos and also get to know the cotton plants. We were very fortunate to find an amazing and perfect field in a nearby town and our timing couldn't have been better as they were in the process of harvesting right at that moment! I actually fell in love with cotton, it is such a powerfully beautiful plant and I managed to get some great shots. I was also able to absorb some of that "cotton magic" for later when I painted. To have that personal one on one with the subject always makes for a better painting experience.

I put together this fast motion painting video of  one of the cotton paintings being entered in the show. I am still trying to get the hang of this movie making thing but it was fun and gets the message across I think :) Enjoy!

Haunted House 6" x 8" oil painting

"Haunted House"

6" x 8" oil on canvas panel

wooden frame

$95.00 + shipping

click here

I came across this abandoned house in New Mexico during our return trip. I love forgotten homesteads such as this - they look to me to be so saturated with history they are sagging from the weight of it. It has been named Haunted House because everyone in my family keeps referring to it as such. It stuck...not to mention it's the right time of year for a name like that:)