Bend in the Road

"Bend in the Road", 10x8", oil on gessobord

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Sunlight is painting.—Nathaniel Hawthorne

I snapped the reference photo for this painting in Montana right at the golden hour. The sun, rapidly setting behind the distant mountains was sweeping light like magic to create long shadows across the landscape. The tree along the bend in the road was totally lit up in the glow of the moment. This was one of those instances in your life when you know—beyond a shadow of a doubt—you were exactly where you were suppose to be at that precise moment in time...my soul on fire with joy. 

Thank you for following my work.
—nancy

To see more of my art click Online Gallery • Email  • Website  •  Graphic Design Studio • Fine Art America

Montana Moments

"Montana Solitude" 6x6" oil on Gessobord
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"Something opens our wings. Something makes boredom and hurt disappear. Someone fills the cup in front of us: We taste only sacredness." —Rumi

I painted this plein air piece on the first morning we arrived in Montana, from atop of the hill where my sister and brother-in-law's main house is perched. Gazing out across the property I noticed the isolated house off in the distance. It lay nestled in the lap of golden valley, surrounded by looming mountains, donned with a touch of lingering snow on the farthest peak. The house looked a bit vulnerable, as if it were about to be devoured and disappear into the foreboding shadowy background.

As the morning ended I realized, I was the one who had been swallowed up, up into the delightful solitude of the moment. 

Painting is always my medium of choice to disappear into a day! 

Thanks for viewing,
nancy

To see more of my art click Online Gallery • Email  • Website  •  Graphic Design Studio • Fine Art America

Watercolor Sketches from Montana

5x7" "Flying the Stillwater"
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7x5" "Wood Ranch, Nye I"
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7x5" "Wood Ranch, Nye II
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7x5" "Wood Ranch, Nye III"
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Heading back on down the highway once again...we were blessed to have spent some time in Montana this month on my sister and brother-in-law's glorious property. These watercolor sketches are some of the views from their lovely home which nestles on a hill along the Stillwater River in Nye, Montana.

I hadn't painted with watercolor in years, but loved the easy setup and no-fuss cleanup. I also love the looseness and transparency this medium provides.

I have a few more sketches from our next stop in Colorado which I'll post tomorrow.

Thanks for following my journey.
—nancy

To see more of my art click Online Gallery • Email  • Website  •  Graphic Design Studio • Fine Art America

SOLD -Hike Every Mountain

"Hike Every Mountain" 10x8" oil on gessobord

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"Obstacles are put in your way to see if what you want is worth fighting for." 

—www.livelifehappy.com

This painting was taken from a photograph of my friend Angela while hiking in Santa Fe. She made it to the top of the hiking trail and was caputred enjoying the surrounding vista. 

I've had the photo of her for over a year, but was afraid to tackle it. To my surprise, I am actually happy with the resulting painting and feel like I captured her adventuresome spirit. 

This girl's quite the stud muffin, not only does she swim circles around me, she recently walked 25 miles—as in one day—to raise money for Children's Cancer Research. Today's her birthday...so if you happen upon this post...happy birthday, Angela!

To other viewers, I hope you will challenge yourself to do what ever it is that you've been procrastinating over for fear of failure. Life is way too short, climb every mountain and cease the moment...it's a gift!

P.S. My sister Barb sent me the quote for today. It sure fit nicely.

Thanks for viewing.  

nancy

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Another Day in Paradise

"Another Day in Paradise 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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"Such golden earth-light is the natural sister of shadow and cradle of illumination." 

— John O'Donohue

In his book, Anam Cara A Book of Celtic Wisdom,  John O'Donohue says, "the world has become so familiar to us we no longer see it anymore." Sadly we've grown accustom to racing through the world wearing numbness blinders to what surrounds us. I guess we unconsciously think we know what's there, so we don't think of looking again?

It's interesting to note that the human eye selects what it wants to see. This photo at first glance may appear as an ordinary street scene in Taos, NM. Nothing special here, just a couple of people walking down a street with parked cars. In fact, it's so ordinary this same scene could be found in any city in the world. Luckily the speed limit was only 20 miles per hour or I might have missed it also. Now look again, look at the sky filled with bright clouds in a backdrop of majestic mountains. Colors appear on dappled pavement from cool shadows of looming telephone poles and signs, lofty graceful trees shade the baked adobe shops lining the street with their branches.

Simple awareness shines a spotlight on ordinary objects waiting in light and shadow to bring joy to your day. Perhaps we should ask ourselves at the end of each day, what did I really see today? What was special? 

Thanks for strolling by and seeing my painting.  

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

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

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

Between Two Worlds

"Between Two Worlds" 11x17" oil on stretched canvas

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"Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs."

  — Henry Ford  

 

I spent another afternoon at Heron Lake on a hill above the marina. Dave was somewhere down the steep bank wading and casting his fly hoping to snag a fish. As soon as I had my easel set up, puddles of paint squeezed from the tubes, and had picked up a paint brush it started to rain, thunder and lightening. I stood there for 30 minutes huddled under my umbrella, but ended up soaking wet. The rain continued, so I finally moved my gear inside the entrance to the park restroom nearby. YUCK!!!...This was not a pleasant place to hang out with flies, but I was in no position to be picky. After an hour, the clouds finally parted and the sun began to start drying out my wet clothes. I finally finished my painting late in the day. This photo is not the best.

I don't know why the light in New Mexico is so different? For me the colors just seem to crystallize into facets of colors screaming at the top of their lungs. To paint it, you just have to break the job down into smaller pieces. I simply see the bits of color, mix paint to match, and place the small dabs where I see them. It's similar to working a jigsaw puzzle. Once you step back and view, it all somehow magically comes together. Fun, fun, fun!

Thanks for viewing my picture puzzle painting. 

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

SOLD -Santa Fe High

"Santa Fe High" 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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 "A desert is a place without expectation."

— Nadine Gordimer, novelist  

The mountains in this high desert sanctuary whispered my name this morning. I arose at dawn to celebrate another day in Santa Fe, a Spanish name meaning "Holy Faith." Santa Toledo! There is much to sing praises about in this sacred place.

I painted plein air this morning, just a few feet from our camp site. Try to imagine waking up to this breathtaking sight every morning. The mountains surround us on three sides which feels like a big blue hug. This has to be the closest thing to heaven, we have even had a family of cottontail bunny hopping around our camper.  

 

We leave today for northern NM on the Chama River, so stay tuned for more adventures.

Thanks for joining me today in the desert. 
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

Around the Bend

"Around the Bend" 6x6" oil on canvas panel. 
Painted from a photo by my friend, Angela Fletcher


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"The future influences the present just as much as the past."

— Friedrich Nietzsche 

Our futures are all just around that next bend in the road. This painting reminds me of all the hills and valleys I've crossed and climbed to get to this very spot on the road. Although the climbing seems to get harder and harder, the journey gets more and more interesting. I can't wait to see what's coming next. 

And, speaking of next we'll be Heading on Down the Highway next week for four glorious weeks of camping in total peace and solitude, living simply and musing in the wild. I'll be able to paint and blog every day, while my husband writes poetry and fly fishes. I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!! This year we'll be heading up to northwest New Mexico and then into Colorado with our Ma and Pa Kettle pop-up camper, which we lovingly refer to as our "retirement package."


Abraham Lincoln said, "The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." I can't believe it's been two years since I started this blog on day one of our last trip in 2010. Today's post/painting is number 240! I never would have dreamed having a blog would have become such a fun and enjoyable part of my life. I have been especially blessed to have had over 33,883 visitors on this site from every corner of the world.


Life sure is an exciting and daring adventure. Thanks for joining me on my journey! See you around that next bend. 
 
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

Oneness

"Oneness" 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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"Quantum physics thus reveals a basic oneness of the universe."

— Erwin Schrodinger 

In this Daily PaintWorks challenge, the instructions were to look at the photo below and choose one word that describes the feeling you get and to render that feeling in a painting.

I chose the word "Oneness" because although every element in this scene on the surface may appear unique and unrelated—be it land, tree, mountain, water, sky, or figure—quantum physics tells us all life, energy, matter are all connected.

“The quantum field is the web that connects all life, energy, matter and existence into a single system. Everything we experience has a single interconnected source.”

Read more about Where Science and Buddhism Meet: Emptiness, Oneness and Nature of Reality - Part 2 [Video] on:
http://buddhist-meditation-techniques.com/where-science-and-buddhism-meet-emptiness-oneness-and-nature-of-reality-part-2-video/?utm_source=INK&utm_medium=copy&utm_campaign=share&

“The quantum field is the web that connects all life, energy, matter and existence into a single system. Everything we experience has a single interconnected source.”

Read more about Where Science and Buddhism Meet: Emptiness, Oneness and Nature of Reality - Part 2 [Video] on:
http://buddhist-meditation-techniques.com/where-science-and-buddhism-meet-emptiness-oneness-and-nature-of-reality-part-2-video/?utm_source=INK&utm_medium=copy&utm_campaign=share&

In order to capture this feeling in my painting, I first primed the canvas with a unifying wash of red. I decided to make gray the predominate color since gray is a mixture of all three primary colors red, blue and yellow. Then I used the gray in different values and combined small amounts of it with the other colors used in the painting. I also tried to keep the brush strokes as uniform as possible. I wanted all the different elements to reflect a commonality. Like pieces of a puzzle they all needed to fit together and connect atop the tinted background.

There is an underlying silence and unity at work here can you hear it?

Thanks for viewing my/our entry!  
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