Morning Serenity

"Morning Serenity" 6x6" oil on gessobord

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I must be stuck on painting "A" words this week. "A" as in animals and apples. So here we are today back in the bird kingdom where this little feathered friend was caught on film by, none other than "A" as in, Angela. He/she stole my heart away with its graceful salutation-to-the-sun looking pose, and those distinctive markings. I can't remember what the name of this bird is but what a looker. It seems to be at total peace and one with the universe.

You get another A+ in photography, Angela. I sure had fun painting this one.


I hope you enjoyed this birds eye view. Have a glorious day!


nancy

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My books  NEW 2012 Daily Planner 
and Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

Caught Red Handed

"Caught Red Handed 6x6" oil on canvas

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Stop thief! It looks like Alvin is up to no good again, stealing seeds from local bird residents. I've never seen a chipmunk in this part of Texas. I painted this one from a photo taken by my friend Angela on her recent trip to Santa Fe. I have to admit he's pretty doggone cute for a furry little rodent, even if he is a criminal. Those stripes down his back are going to look nice from behind bars. Better run Alvin, we're on to you. Just kidding... Smile your on Candid Camera!

Thanks for viewing my work!

nancy

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My books  NEW 2012 Daily Planner 
and Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

Bowl Me Over

"Bowl Me Over" 10x8" Oil on canvas

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Well bowl me over...it's a bowl of apples spilling out over the table top. I love to paint, as well as snack on apples, and thought these were especially lovely subjects! 

With two apples in the bowl and three outside the bowl, this painting could serve as a metaphor for the political arena. The apples inside the glass bowl are holding on trying not to fall out, while those on the outside are vying to get in. Although all the apples appear bright and shiny on the outside... some do contain worms.

Thanks for dropping by today!

nancy

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My books  NEW 2012 Daily Planner 
and Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

Morning Glory

"Morning Glory" 6x6" oil on gessobord

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Ah, the good life. This relaxed looking senior sits on a sunny park bench early in the morning, reading the sports page...no doubt, while sipping on a Starbucks coffee...I am sure. From here it's probably on to the crossword puzzle followed by a game of dominoes with his buddies, then grab a sandwich at the lunch counter at the grocery store on the corner before heading home for a nap. Ah, retirement...it sure looks like a good life...or is the grass just looking greener?

This is my entry to this week's painting challenge from Daily Paintworks. I was really surprised how much fun this was to paint. I cropped and edited out a lot of the distracting background and focused in on our morning glory.

Thanks for parking with me for a spell.

nancy

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

Click to order my NEW 2012 Daily Planner

My graphic design: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

The Lone Ranger

"The Lone Ranger" 6x6" Oil on canvas board

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The Lone Ranger rides again! After two weeks of fighting off a viral infection and an abscess tooth, I am back in the saddle and ready to look life in the face, along with miles of canvases to come. 

I am feeling so much better, I even got to teach my first one-day-mini workshop yesterday at our home. We had just completed some remodeling of my studio, so I was finally able to move my easel from the middle of our living room up into the garage apartment studio which is now donning a new staircase with a deck, new ceiling and lighting inside the studio. Woo-hoo...bring it on! 

This lovely, yet a little lonely looking, apple was our class model. We painted her in gray scale values and also in full color. She sat patiently posing for us all day and never once made a move or uttered a peep. We couldn't have chosen a more well behaved subject. This was my demo painting.

I had a great time with the brave souls who attended. I think they all learned a little and were good sports, especially Jack whom I periodically called David throughout the day. Mercy me! It ain't easy living in the right side of the brain.

Thanks for viewing today.

nancy

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

Click to order my NEW 2012 Daily Planner

My graphic design: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

Breakfast of Champions

"Breakfast of Champions" 6x6" oil on gessobord

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Want a bite? Breakfast is served. This painting is my submission to DailyPaint Work's Paint Your Breakfast Challenge. Nothing better than a hot bowl of Steel Cut Oatmeal to start the day off right. I like to top mine with a dab of butter, salt, pepper and a few nuts or seeds. Yum, yum, yum...keeps me going all morning. Throw in  a cup of coffee and grrrrrrr!!!

Thanks for viewing.

 nancy

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

Click to order my NEW 2012 Daily Planner

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

"The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" oil on canvas 6x6"

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Meet "Yoda" the mighty chihuahua, death-defying-kitty hunter and CEO of the entire world. 

I don't want him to hear me say this out loud, so I'll have to whisper but...he thinks he's the only dog in the world. Please keep it under your hat, I'd hate to burst his delusions of grandeur. Big things do come in small packages. Yoda also thinks he is my bodyguard, day and night, sitting in my lap when I am trying to work, and at night sleeping as close as he can get to me while I am burning up with hot flashes. Oh for joy!

I couldn't resist painting him as he sat relaxing in the bright sunlight streaming through the window onto the bed. I grabbed my camera while he posed. I am sure he's thinking, count yourself the luckiest person in the world to be the artist designated the highest honor of painting my official portrait to be revered for all ages to come. What an ego!

Thanks to all who were brave enough to enter today. Warning!!! Don't turn your back on Yoda when you leave or he'll nip you on the back of your heel, as if to say... And don't you forget it!

Yo quiero Taco Bell. : )

nancy

Cry of the Cock!

"Cry of the Cock!" 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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I really should have been a rooster, up and out of the house before the sun even thinks about peeking through the surrounding piney woods. However, on New Years Day I slept in a bit longer. When I walked into my kitchen to start the coffee brewing, I was greeted by the brightest of a new-year sun pushing and shoving its way through the wooden slats of the blinds, splashing luminous stripes of light beams like strobe lights across sleepy red walls of the breakfast nook. I grabbed my camera and started shooting the visual feast for this painting. 

It's the simple things in life that have the ability to surprise and delight us the most! Perhaps I need to sleep in more often or just change up my routine every now and then? No telling what other amazing things I'd find lurking about in the most overlooked of ordinary places.

Thanks for peeking in today!

nancy

Show Your True Colors

10x8" oil on canvas

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Do you think these Texas trees are dressing up for a masquerade ball? Check out those December colors! So where has all this color been hiding? For some reason, in spite of the worst drought on record in Texas with only half our normal rainfall, East Texas witnessed the most gorgeous fall color I have ever seen in this part of the country. The only problem was it didn't decide to manifest itself until right before Christmas! Now there is just something not right about hanging Christmas lights on trees that are still full of leaves and fall colors. I am not complaining mind you, but it has been a very unusual year. Who knows maybe we'll be blessed with snow this year?

Thanks for following along and viewing my work!

nancy

Get organized, place an order for my NEW 134-page, Not-So-Still Life-2012 Daily Planner (as seen on my blog), featuring 13 paintings from 2011. Available for purchase online, just click to view all the pages and add to your shopping cart.

"Candied Apple"

"Candied Apple"6x6" Oil on canvas panel

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Happy New Year!!! I'm back and am sorry for the long absence. All the holiday shopping, baking, cleaning, wrapping, cards, entertaining and cooking, plus being hit by a nasty virus sure took a toll on my painting and blog time.

A CHALLENGING CHALLENGE

Still Life

In today's still life, a bit of leftover holiday treat sat relaxed in a candy jar, that is until the big-bully-of-an-apple forced his way in pushing the hard-headed candies onto the floor. Poor little fellows...no telling what sugar-starved predator might gobble them up.

Under painting

Today's painting is another entry to a Daily Paintworks challenge. The way it works is to setup a still life and photograph it (see photo left). Then paint an under painting of the photo in raw umber paying close attention to the values (mid tones, darks, and lights which were rubbed out with a Q-Tip) (see photo below). Lastly, paint in full color on top of the value study, but substituting all NEW colors for the real colors (The end result was "Candied Apple" at top of page).

The moral of the story is, if values are painted correctly, you can paint in any color and it will still hold together as a painting!

Get organized, place an order for my NEW 134-page, Not-So-Still Life-2012 Daily Planner (shown above on right), featuring 13 paintings as seen on Head On Down the Highway in 2011. Available for purchase online, just click to view all the pages and add to your shopping cart.

Thanks for viewing my work.

nancy