"..the lands of sunrise and sunset you fill with your joy."

"the lands of sunrise and sunset you fill with your joy." (Psalm 65)
11.25x14", watercolor on 140lb. cold press
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I had so much fun painting this watercolor inspired by the photo below by photographers Yann Meersseman and Moria Fitzgerald at Vinyard Colors. Their work inspires me to pick up a brush and grab my paints. I have had this image stashed away in my heart since 2016. 

Watercolor seemed the perfect media for transparent layers of clouds, dazzling light and churning waves of foamy water. 

When I came across a quote from my Morning Prayer, I knew immediately that had to be the title of the piece because just seeing the photo filled my heart with joy. 

Here is the reference photo.

Thank you for viewing.

nancy

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

The Beach Boy

The Beach Boy, 10x8" Oil on Gessobord

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"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop." — Mother Teresa

Today's painting is a recently commissioned piece. The photo reference I worked from was 20+ years old and so faded there was very little color still visible in the well worn image. However I have found over time, that if I pay close attention and focus in on each and every individual value shift, adding color isn't really a problem as long as I apply the same values found in the reference. In this reference there were also sand dunes in the background, so using a little creative licensing, I decided to add the cooler blue-green ocean behind this little beach goer for added color and contrast to his sun kissed flesh tones, and to also mimic his luminous sky-blue orbs. 

When I paint a portrait, I really have to completely forget that I am working on a portrait and not even try to think about capturing an exact likeness, or I will freeze up faster than a drop of water landing on the apex of the North Pole. I try to work all over the panel focusing on and breaking it all down into shapes formed by shadows, mid-tones and highlights. Once I am able to isolate a specific shape and value, and recreate that same value, each spot becomes a piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Somehow when I adhere to this limited focus approach, magically a little boy begins to emerge out of the paint. I might not always get an exact likeness, but somehow the underlying spirit and energy seems to rise out of the chaos.

I am not a great painter, only a very insignificant artist struggling to survive in a world surrounded by so many other more talented and formally educated masters. My desire is to disappear into the ocean of my work and experience over and over the tides of joy creating at the foot of the Master. That is enough. 

Thanks for dropping in today!
nancy

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

Walrus

"Walrus", 29x24" Prismacolor drawing on paper

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I have been working around the clock with my Graphic Design business leaving me with literally no time to paint. So, rather than lose touch, I thought I'd show you some of my earlier artwork rendered in Prismacolor, a brand name of colored pencil in case you are unfamiliar with the medium. 

This piece is one in a series of six drawings of endangered species I drew in the mid 1980s (not to date myself ). Working with colored pencil is a very slow layering process of building up values and color. I begin with a mid-tone colored paper and from there build up countless layers to the lightest lights and the darkest dark. A piece this size usually taking 30-40 hours to complete.

My goal in this series was to capture the souls and spirits of our voiceless neighbors with whom we share the planet. I was captivated and haunted by their anthropomorphic eyes so familiar in their longing and need, seemingly pleading silently for their future and ultimate survival.
 
The walrus threatened with endangerment twice has made a come back both times with the help of humans. Most people don't realize the walrus plays a vital role in the ecosystem of the waters. Since they feed off of food from the bottom of the waters, their movements allow a variety of nutrients from the floor of the water to be mixed up. Without this happening it is unknown how many different plants and organisms would also be lost to the world forever. 

Thank you for checking in today. 
nancy 

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

Freedom's Song

"FREEDOM'S SONG", 8X8" OIL ON MUSEUM QUALITY GESSOBORD

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 "In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety"  
                                   — A.W. Tozer

I shot the photo reference for this painting in Galveston, TX several years ago, but have been unable to paint it; somehow I couldn't feel the freedom I was seeing in the bird's flight. Today was different, I felt the wind, rode on currents of air, and soared while basking in the warm light of joyful bliss and abandonment. Today I flew!

I give thanks for the gift of freedom and life.  
nancy

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

Austin Workshop Day 1

"Seascape Drama", 12x9" After Colley Whisson

I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to attend a 4-day "Impressionist Painting in Oils" workshop in Austin last week. I returned home late Sunday evening exhausted, but loved every moment taught by internationally recognized Australian painter, Colley Whisson. Colley paints very loose and is a master of light which totally hooks me. His paintings almost look more like watercolor than oils. I learned so much over the 4 days my head is still spinning. 

The workshop was very challenging working 9-4:00 each day with just a short lunch break. We used paints, solvent and a lean medium all of which I've never used before. I usually work with small 1/4" and smaller brushes, but in this workshop we used a 1" hog hair brush, and an enormous 3" synthetic brush that looked more like you could paint a house with it. At the very end of each painting, we were allowed to use a fine brush for just a few final details. Here's one of his U-Tube painting demos.

Today's painting was the first one we worked on from a beach scene in Australia. If you zoom in close you'll see there are a couple of figures sitting in the sand in the dark shade. 

Colley's methods are a unique approach for me, so I sucked it all in like a thirsty sponge. I can't wait to see how my future work will be impacted by my new wealth of knowledge. 

I'll be posting the 3 other paintings we completed over the next few days...to be continued.

Thank you for tuning in. 

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

  


 

SOLD -Feed the Birds Cheetos?

"Feed the Birds Cheetos?" 8x8" Oil on gessobord

SOLD

"But let there be spaces in your togetherness and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. Love one another but make not a bond of love: let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls." 

— Khalil Gibran

I snapped this amazing photo of my granddaughter last week while at the beach as she was enticing seagulls with her Cheetos Puffs. I hope she didn't turn them all into junk-food junkies. 

I wasn't sure I'd be able to capture—or, for that matter, even paint—all those birds in such a feathery-frenzy-of-flurry motion. But I am happy with the way it came out. Rather than trying to paint all the birds in full detail, I opted to paint only the largest bird with the most detail and then just loosely indicated the rest of the flock. This helped maintain the impressionist quality I love so much, allow the birds to recede in the composition and not compete too much with the foreground figure. 

* Sorry this painting sold to my daughter before I was able to post.

Thank you for dropping in to view my 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

Down By The Bay

Down By The Bay 10x8" Oil on gessobord

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"All rivers, even the most dazzling, those that catch the sun in their course, all rivers go down to the ocean and drown. And life awaits man as the sea awaits the river."

~Simone Schwarz-Bart

In case you've been wondering where I have disappeared to for the past couple of weeks, we've been camping on Lake Conroe, and then spent six days on Galveston Island. I painted most every day, but was unable to post without any Wi-Fi service. Drats! Oh well, at least I have some new work ready to post this week.

This painting was a killer! I painted it plein air in 100 degree weather while battling countless armies of the hungriest bay-area mosquitoes I've ever encountered. As the sacrificial lamb, I am still covered with bites, but what the heck...somebody had to do it. ; )

Here's a photo of my granddaughter Hayley feeding the gulls with scraps of bread. This was out on the deck of the house where we were staying. It was a perfect spot located on the canals and overlooking the coastal bay. The surrounding sights were an estuary of delights. The warm sea grasses dotted the water's banks and surface in bright green patches dotted with an array of scavengers including: heron, egrets, gulls and pelicans swooping down for a catch.   

Thank you for floating by to view my 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