A Portrait of La La's Garden

"A Portrait of La La's Garden"
16x12"
oil on 1.5" gallery wrap canvas

"Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it. —Rumi

This latest painting is of a very special garden where I visited last summer. I was commissioned by my friend, Angela, to paint a spot in her mother, La La's, garden hugged in on all sides by adobe walls nestled into high desert hills overlooking the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico. It's here where homes magically and seamlessly blend into the rough dry, rocky backdrop like chameleons. 

Finding a scene to paint inside this hidden garden was hardly a problem as I meandering through lush gardens filled ever so delicately with a vast assortment of tall slender grasses, plants, and flowers, tucked in among shimmering aspens, pools and fountains of trickling water and rocks. Every element of the design was woven together into a patchwork of hue and texture that sparkled with light playing into shadow. 

I spent a good deal of time taking photos at different locations and times of day for reference, but finally narrowed my selection to this enchanted, mid-morning scene. The air was dry and cool with the promise of a bright sunny day as billowy white clouds churned up on the horizon. What finally won me over to this image was the beautiful path covered in soft dappled light that lured my eye through cool deep viridian shadows and then splashed onto the brilliant lime green walkway leading to the birdbath perched in full light of day. 

It was obvious La La's garden had been nurtured and developed over many years of hard work and tender loving care. I understood immediately why Angela loved this meticulously manicured paradise. This, the garden she photographed so frequently, had now become her garden. As Alice Walker said so perfectly, "In search of my mother's garden, I found my own."

Happy Mother's Day!

—nancy 

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Praise For The Morning

"Praise For The Morning", 8x10", oil on Gessobord

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"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day."  

— Henry David Thoreau

I am happy to report the gallery show I was in last week was a huge success and packed all evening. And, my Trio in Triptych sold very quickly! It was such a fun night. Thanks to all who attended.

"Sun, sun, sun here it comes." Today's painting was taken from a photo snapped by my 5:00 a.m. lap swimming buddy, Angela, along a sunlit path on one of her early morning hikes around Santa Fe. She so generously allows me the honor to interpret her work in oils.

The sun was such a powerful player in the photo; I decided to try a new approach using thick paint applied with a palette knife. I usually paint very thin, so this was my first attempt to paint with a palette knife. I have to admit it felt very awkward and clumsy, however on a positive note, it facilitated a more abstract piece and added more emphasis in the sky and sun. I had a lot of fun with it. 

It's hard for me to imagine missing a sunrise... the very best part of the day! Thank you Angela and cheers to all lovers of the early-morning light. 

nancy 

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

SOLD - Grass Is Always Greener

"Grass Is Always Greener" 8x10" oil on gessobord

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"The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious awesome, indescribably, magnificent world in itself." — Henry Miller

Doesn't simply looking at grass make you want to rejoice? Even our forefather, Thomas Jefferson admitted," There is not a sprig of grass that shoots uninteresting to me."

In this painting, an entire valley of bright lime summer grasses stretches far off into the distance, lining the path for groves of aspens standing guard at the perimeters. Here, millions and millions of tiny sharpened blades battle their way through the oppressive weight of loam, silt and rock. Paper-thin shards erupt like silent viridescent geysers to face the compelling force of sun. 

Saluting skyward into blinding light of day, they crush together into one verdant blanket that covers the earth in a lush roll of softened hues; fecund fields of endless feast entice the hungry eyes of deer, sheep, goat, moose, elk, or whoever else comes to dine in this garden of victory. 

My eye also pauses to partake of this banquet. Grass is always greener with eyes open wide to behold the radiance and wonder.

Thanks to all of you who stopped by to graze today. 

nancy  

© nancy parsons, 2013

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

• Graphic Design Studio 

  

SOLD -All That Glitters

"All That Glitters" Oil on gessobord" Painting from photo by Angela Fletcher

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Somewhere out at the edges, the night

Is turning and the waves of darkness

Begin to brighten the shore of dawn. 

 The heavy dark falls back to earth

And the freed air goes wild with light

The heart fills with fresh, bright breath

And thoughts stir to give birth to color." 

                            

 —John O'Donohue, Matins

All that glitters can be gold. Sometimes it's the sun shooting beams over a mountain peak like a laser, firing in rapid succession.
Spouting and spewing its milk and honey glow over all that lies in its path. Like an eruption of shimmery lava, transforming light races down sides of mesas and hills, oozing its way freely to fill entire valleys, and gobbling up the dark like an enormous shark on a feeding frenzy. This ghostly lion trainer cracks its whip, forcing the wild and untamed back into molded cages of form, shape and color...reclaiming what was stolen by the night.  
  
Thanks for peeking in on my pot of gold today. 
nancy

© 2012 nancyparsons
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Windswept

"Windswept" 9x12" oil on canvas panel

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“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

 — Rabindranath Tagore

I snapped this photo at the Edward Sargent Wildlife Area lookout point in Chama, NM. The reserve is located at the base of the San Juan Mountains and covers 20,000 acres of wild high country extending to the Colorado border. 

A short hike up a rocky mountain path lined with wildflowers leads to this viewing spot...the best place to watch elk graze. The herds follow the river into this area yearly during the summer migration. I was told if you get here right as the sun is setting, you can sometimes can hear the male elk bugling his mating call. It wasn't quite sunset while I was there, so I never saw or heard the elk, but loved the view. My spirit was filled with awe and wonder at the billowy mounds of fluffy white clouds picnicking across that enormous cobalt blue blanket of a sky. It was a visual feast.

Hope you enjoyed the scenery. Thanks for viewing my painting. 

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

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

San Juan River

"San Juan River" 6x6" oil on canvas panel
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"I shall be a master at this art only after a great deal of practice.”

          — Erich Fromm

I finished up this painting from the bank of Colorado's San Juan River here in Pagosa Springs, just as those threatening clouds in my photo tried to rain on my parade. Luckily I was only about 25 yards from our camper and made it back dry as a bone. The forecast here is for rain everyday for the next week.  UGH! Oh well, that's all part of camping. 

It's been fun and challenging to paint rivers and streams for a change of pace. I hope you all don't get river sick. It's a wonderful opportunity for me to practice painting these inspiring mountain landscapes. I certainly never get to do that in Texas. The rivers all over New Mexico and Colorado are very low due to the drought from last year, however there is always a silver lining. The river is low but the rocks and sandy bottom comes alive—illuminated in the sunlight—with rich warm earth tones to complement the blue sky so perfectly.

Thank you following my trek around Pagosa Springs and for viewing my painting today.  

nancy

To view all of my available paintings in my gallery click here http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/nancy-parsons-122  

* Sold pieces are marked with a red dot.

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

My website:http://www.njparsons.fineartstudioonline.com
E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My book: Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design studio: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

Canyon Colors

"Canyon Colors" 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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 "Creation is only the projection into form of that 
which already exists.”
— Shrimad Bhagavatam
 

This is another view of the river from below the dam. After I painted yesterday's "Yellow Fellows" I thought I'd take a stab at the canyon walls downstream. It was very late in the afternoon and the light was fading, but I could still can see the amazing color in the rock formations. Don't believe the seemingly dull photo of Dave in the river fishing, the photo lies. Once you put on your imagination goggles and open your heart, the mountain reveals its true self and bears its soul to you in return.  

Thank you for stopping by and viewing my work.  

nancy

To view all of my available paintings in my gallery click here http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/nancy-parsons-122  

* Sold pieces are marked with a red dot.

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My book: Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design business: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

Heron Lake

"Lake Heron Horizons 9x12" oil on canvas panel

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 "To be awake is to be alive."

  — Henry David Thoreau  

 

We spent all afternoon yesterday at Heron Lake in the State Park...sure could have passed for Walden's Pond. Dave fly fished and I painted the landscape. Heron Lake is a silent lake—no motorboats allowed—sailboats, kayak and canoes are the only ticket to boating on this pristine paradise. All afternoon there were dark threatening storm clouds marching in constant processions across the sky overhead. I managed to finish just as the thunder percussion section began pounding drum rolls and the lightening slashed in brilliant symbols across the mountains. It was a beautiful day spent alone in the silence of majestic wonder and awe. 

We're heading back to the lake today. There are some high rock canyons that line another stretch of the lake, so you'll be seeing more paintings of Heron Lake very soon.

I really had fun painting this one and like the way the larger 9x12" piece turned out.

Thanks for pausing to reflect here today.

nancy

 

To view all of my available paintings in my gallery click here http://www.dailypaintworks.com/Artists/nancy-parsons-122  

* Sold pieces are marked with a red dot.

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My book: Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design business: www.graphicdesigngroup.net

Rio Grande Harvest

"Rio Grande Harvest" 11x14" oil on canvas

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The other day my photographer friend Angela sent me a photograph of this hostage image, captured in New Mexico. Knowing I love reflections, she knew I'd want to paint it. Then she asked me what my big attraction was for reflections?

I've never really put it into words before, but do freely confess to being obsessed with reflections which lay in wait, to mystify and delight me everywhere. Like Alice Through the Looking Glass, I can be casually gazing at a seemingly flat surface of water or wet pavement, when suddenly something shifts in my head and in a nano second, I slide down into the hole of right brain dominance.  

My husband confessed to me last night that he is almost afraid to walk into the house when I am painting reflections. Like out of an episode of Twilight Zone, he's sure he will find that I have been sucked into a painting, standing up to my waist in reflections, and waving back at him. He probably isn't far from the truth here... I'm sure the entire house could burn down around me while I stand in oblivion, trapped in the spell of the moment.

If you don't believe me, next time you are driving on a busy, rain-soaked street at dusk, I double-dog-dare ya to turn your focus on all the long red-trailing limbs of taillights and sudden explosions of red and green bombs at stoplights. Be careful not to have wreck but it's an incredible light show. Hum, maybe I need to paint this sometime?

Thanks for viewing my painting!

nancy  

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