SOLD -Samantha's Straw Hat

"The countenance is the portrait of the soul, and the eyes mark its intentions."   

                              —Marcus Tullius Cicero

I thought I'd share a commissioned piece I've been working on from a photograph. Meet Samantha, she's the granddaughter of my friend Carol Ann. I haven't worked on a lot of portraits, but really enjoyed this one. I am finding there really is not a lot of difference between painting a still life, landscape or portrait as long as you forget about trying to create a likeness and instead focus in to try and duplicate all the values, shapes and colors changes where you see them. Somewhere in the process, as if by magic, the spirit of the subject emerges through all the dabs of paint. Isn't she a cutie!

Thanks for viewing my painting of Samantha. 
nancy
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Morning Melody

"Morning Melody" 8x10" oil on gessobord panel

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"The light which puts out our eyes is darkness to us. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a morning star."

— Henry David Thoreau

This scene is the same field as yesterday's painting, only earlier in the day. It's that melodious time at dawn when mystery still shrouds the earth in a layer of ghostly atmosphere. The time of day when soft glow of morning rays begin sweeping away lingering bits of mist and haze. Light streaks across clouds and expanse of sky with watery-tints of pastel, shaking awake dew-covered loam lingering under silvery blankets of web. The promise of another day; the birds see..no wonder they can't help but sing.

Thanks for dropping by this morning and viewing my painting. 
nancy
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To see more of my art or to contact me: 
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SOLD -Hidden Treasure

"Hidden Treasure" 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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 "I have seen light break through to illuminate a small field for a while and gone my way and forgotten it. But that was the pearl of great prize, the one field that had the treasure in it..." 

— R.S. Thomas, "The Bright Field"

There is a field bordering a section of Longmire road a few miles from my house. Over the years, I have driven by hundreds of times, always feeling there was something special at work there. Recently I was driving by the field—early one morning—returning from an appointment just as the sun was breaking across the field and illuminating baled rounds of golden treasure, setting the field and surrounding tree tops in a fiery glow. I was so excited I almost ran off the road! It was one of those magical moments. I wanted to stop dead in my tracks and pull out my paints, but all I could manage was to pull out my cell phone and blindly snap. Luckily, my friend Angela went back a few days later and shot the photo above. 

I love hay bales. To me they are a profound symbol of our own bounty. All we have ever known and have been over a life time, gathered up into the harvest. The past not gone, it's all there carefully rolled up inside and held tight in layers of hugs gathered and readied, waiting to be snapped away.  

Thanks for viewing my painting. 
nancy
_____________________________________________________
To see more of my art or to contact me: 
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Breath of Spirit

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         "Best of all is to preserve everything in a pure, still heart, and let there be for every pulse a thanksgiving, and for every breath a song. — Konrad von Gesner

I haven't been able to paint as much as I would like lately. My world has been moving at a furious pace with design work demanding most all of my time. However yesterday, my spirit finally caught up with me... and I painted! 

 

I never seem to know what I am going to paint until I show up. It's interesting how the breath of inspiration always comes as a surprise visitor, spontaneous and unpredictable. Digging through photos of last summer, I came across this one from the Taos Ski Valley. I could again feel myself standing beside this bubbling mountain stream, soaking in the warm sunlight, as spirit summoned breath out of the dark sleepy shadows of late afternoon forest.  

Making time to wander in silence, my heart opens wide to inhale breath of spirit in all its mystery and splendor.

Thanks for pausing today to listen to my song and for viewing my painting.  

nancy
_____________________________________________________
To see more of my art or to contact me:  

Gallery  •  Blog  • NEW Website • E-mail  • Graphic Design Studio