Play A Song For Me

"Play A Song For Me", 10x8" oil on canvas board

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"The musician writes for the orchestra what his inner voice sings to him; the painter rarely relies without disadvantage solely upon the images which his inner eye presents to him; nature gives him his forms study governs his combinations of them."   

— Hermann Ebbinghaus

 
This is a painting of my son, Rob when he was younger. It doesn't really look like him in the face, so I am sure he will not recognize himself. However when I look at the painting, I get a distinct sense of satisfaction knowing I have captured his creative genius and spirit of love for music. Whenever I've watched him perform over the years, I can see him disappear pulled along by the hand of the illusive inner voice, enveloped into the sound of the great abyss. I recognize this sanctum, as I suppose is true with all artists. It's an inner sanctuary you simply fall and melt into similar to meditation. It happens quickly and...poof you're mind, heart and very soul are no longer in the space your body still occupies. I don't know where this zone resides, but for me if I'm not there, I am not creating. 

For me this was a successful portrait. 

Thanks for listening today.
nancy

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To see more of my art or to contact me: Online Gallery  • E-mail  •  Website  •  Graphic Design Studio •  Saatchi Gallery •  Fine Art America

Division in the Family

"Orange Reflections", 11X14", oil on gessobord

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"Fruits... like having their portrait painted. They seem to sit there and ask your forgiveness for fading. Their thought is given off with their perfumes. They come with all their scents, they speak of the fields they have left, the rain which has nourished them, the day breaks they have seen." — Paul Cezanne


On the last day of my recent figure painting workshop with David Shevlino in Fredericksburg, our live model was a no show due to icy roads. Thus this lush family of colorful fruits volunteered to come to our rescue in bright allure. However, there must have been serious trouble in River City cause they carefully kept their distance and never said a word to each other all day. Such a pity. In spite of the family feud, they were an interesting group to paint. I especially loved the reflections their fiery anger created on the sides of the copper pot.

The boards I have been painting on are primed with a gray gesso versus my standard red tinted grounds. Can you see the difference? I wasn't sure I'd like it, but now think it worked quite nicely by helping to set off the bright colors. I think I'm going to stick with the gray for awhile. 

Thanks for letting me bear my soul.
nancy
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To see more of my art or to contact me: Online Gallery  • E-mail  •  Website  •  Graphic Design Studio •  Saatchi Gallery •  Fine Art America

Figure Painting

"Reclining Nude", 20x16", oil on gessobord

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"He who does not master the nude cannot understand the principles of architecture." — Michelangelo

I am happy to report I am not dead nor behind bars, but rather took some time off to attend a 5-day figure painting workshop in Fredericksburg, TX with nationally know oil painter, David Shevlino. It was pure joy to paint from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. or later each day with such an accomplished artist. David is an excellent teacher with a great gift for patience. I will be digesting all I learned for years to come. 

This 16x20" nude study is the only painting successful enough to post. The human body, with it's angles and curves is the most difficult of all subjects to paint, but also the most beneficial for the growth of an artist. Rarely having the opportunity to paint from a live nude model, I truly struggled and at times wanted to pull my hair out. It's always a challenging experience to draw the human figure, but to then mix the delicate skin tones in just the right values of lights and darks which accurately capture each subtle value shift in every shape and form of the body required 100 percent concentration and focus. Needless to say, I left the workshop completely exhausted, yet ever so grateful for the experience. 

I was also blessed to have shared a room with my dear friend, and one of my very favorite painter's, Rene Wiley. Rene is a highly accomplished and FABULOUS artist from Galveston, TX. If you've never seen her amazing work check out her gallery. 

Thanks for baring with me today. 
nancy 

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To see more of my art or to contact me: Online Gallery  • E-mail  •  Website  •  Graphic Design Studio •  Saatchi Gallery •  Fine Art America

Songbird Note Cards by Nancy

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Songbirds, a set of ten folded note cards by artist /graphic designer nancy parsons featuring five birds from original oil paintings.   

I am excited to announce my songbirds are now available in a beautiful set of note cards. Sure to delight bird lovers, these beautiful full color note cards are 5"x6.5” in a vertical orientation, are digitally printed on a premium 80# white card stock with a matte finish for easy writing. Inside cards are blank for your own personal message. Each card comes with a blank, 60# Cougar A-6 natural white envelope. 

These note cards will arrive safely packaged in a gift box, tied with raffia, and protected in sturdy packaging to reach you in perfect condition. All orders can be gifts, as no paper invoice of the transaction is included. Click on the link above to purchase a set of (10),  or more for an entire flock.

For full details visit my Etsy Store.

All images are protected by US Copyright Law and may not be reproduced without the consent of the artist. All rights reserved.

Thanks for visiting my nest today.

nancy ____________________________________________________________________________________
To see more of my art or to contact me: Online Gallery  • E-mail  •  Website  •  Graphic Design Studio  

Lemon Light

 

"Lemon Light", 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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 "Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it."

— Terry Pratchett

Talk about bringing light into darkness, my husband and I have a dear friend who, for a number of years, has gifted us with her homemade limoncello at Christmas. And, I can certainly tell you, it is to die for! Today's not-so-still life captures a cordial of this delicious lemon liqueur, posing along side one of the very cool bottles she so delicately decanted full of her sumptuous golden treasure. 

Perhaps it's just my imagination, but I am sure the step sisters huddled up against the glass are staring in amazement and green with envy at the smooth creamy transformation of Cinderella. Not to worry sisters, at the stroke of midnight she will have vanished leaving only her empty glass behind. 

Thanks for sampling my wares today.

nancy
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To see more of my art or to contact me: Online Gallery  • E-mail  •  Website  •  Graphic Design Studio  

Watch on the Wild Side

"Watch on the Wild Side", 4x4" oil on black canvas board

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"The call of the wild is a call to the elemental levels of the soul, the places of intuition, kinship, swiftness, fluency and the consolation of the lonesome that is not lonely."

— John O' Donohue

Swallowed alive by the demands of the holiday season, it felt good to return to the solitary retreat of my loft studio, brushes, the smell of paint, and the hours of quiet that sustain with the fullness of silence. 

I sat for a long time today watching a myriad of wintering birds fluttering from limb to limb outside my window. They darted in and out of dry seed pods at the tips of barren crepe myrtles, creating lacy umber patterns against the cold blue sky. Under the empty bird feeder, a small flock of morning dove peck and forage for scraps rudely knocked to the ground by a rowdy band of squirrels. These uninvited guests barge in and squander while hanging upside down from the fast-food diner in search of the choicest entrees of corn and sunflower seeds. 

Just over the fence, the noisy celebration continues among a lush canopy of loblolly pine, sweetgum, oak, magnolia, dogwood, just to name a few. Shrouding a host of low lying natives, this piece of forest provides protection for a multitude of bird-loving plants, berries, grasses and shrubs like: american beautyberry, black cherry, pigeonberry, turkscap, redbud, yaupon holly, maiden hair fern, trumpet and grapevines, dwarf palmetto, and hundreds of others whose names I am unfamiliar.

Today was just another extraordinary day camouflaged in the ordinary.

Thanks for viewing today's songbird the Wood Thrush. Happy New Year!

nancy

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To see more of my art or to contact me: Online Gallery  • E-mail  •  Website  •  Graphic Design Studio