Sacred Spaces

"Sacred Spaces", 9x12". oil on gallery wrap canvas

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"A painter shows me what he painted, 
but an artist shows me why she painted."

—Clint Watson

Here is a little slice of sacred space in our home. What's sacred about it? It's right smack dab at the heart of our home, and the first thing to grab your eye as you enter the front door. It's a part of our living space full of chairs and couches where family and friends gather to share.

Our most recent stray, sits perched atop my grandmother's wooden trunk ready to pounce on our unsuspecting chihuahua. We have used this trunk for years to store childhood Halloween costumes, grandma's once beautiful silk gown, boa and lacy robe, dance recital costumes, pom-poms and cheerleading uniforms, pirate swords, ruby slippers, princess crowns and fairy wings. It's a treasure chest sure to produce screams of delight and excitement for bored grandchildren on rainy days. 

Nothing in our small 70s home matches, nor is it fancy, or expensive, but rather an eclectic collection of hand-me-downs from parents and grandparents. Pieces of furniture wounded over the many years with scars, scratches and nicks, yet somehow healed and made whole by the memories they bear. 

I loved painting the natural light—creeping in like fog through the north facing paned windows of the french door—silently sweeping across oak floors buffed in chalky reflections of cool morning light. 

The key role here is played by the little table lamp casting rays of luminous warm light from the focal point of the painting; a beacon to all who stop by for a visit, perhaps to share in a glass of wine, and bask in the rich abundance of our humble abode. 

Thanks for stopping by,
nancy

To see more of my art click here, or one one of these additional links: Online Gallery • Email  • Website  •  Graphic Design Studio • Saatchi Gallery • Fine Art America

One Orange Cup

"One Orange Cup", 6x6" oil on 1/2" deep wrapped canvas

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"After the ecstasy go do the laundry." — A Chinese axiom

Surprise! I am not dead, at least not yet. It feels like eons since my last post, but decided to take a little time off from painting to catch up in all the other areas of neglect surrounding me.

What I wasn't expecting is that when I finally showed back up at my easel, somebody else would be standing in my shoes. It was like I had never held a brush before and needed to learn to paint all over again. First I tried working on a large portrait for several weeks...big mistake and extremely frustrating. It's now sitting in a corner of my studio waiting for the enlightenment fairy to pay a visit and wave her magic wand.

So today, I decided to go back to basics and paint something small and very simple. I have come to understand that there are extraordinary miracles in everyday ordinary objects, that can be found even in one simple orange mug. Now how hard could that be? Enamored with the cast shadow, I snapped photos of this cup months ago. As G.K. Chesterton said about children, contemplatives and mystics (I'd like to include artists), "They have learned to look at things familiar until they look unfamiliar again." I felt inspired and jumped in. Although I truly struggled with this piece, I decided to go ahead and post my efforts. 

It does seem that 99% of life is doing the laundry, while waiting for the ecstasy as author Ronald Rolheiser talks about in his book, Against An Infinite Horizon. Guess I better get back to that mounting pile of laundry.  

Sorry I missed you...I'm off to buy more Tide biodegradable substitute.  

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

Mountains, and Streams and Gorges, Oh My

"Taos Rapture" 10x8" oil on gessobord

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"It's like trying to describe what you feel when you're standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon or remembering your first love or the birth of your child. You have to be there to really know what it's like."       —Jack Schmitt

Stream in Taos Ski Valley

View of Rio Grande Gorge from Bridge

We spent the day today with towering pines and aspens in the Taos Ski Valley area. This was the little scene where we fished, painted and had a picnic with Wheeler Peak in the background. It was cooler up in this higher elevation and very windy. I have learned to put rocks in my plastic trash bag that hangs from my easel. This keeps it steady and prevents it from blowing over. 

This next photo was taken at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge which is located just 7 miles outside Taos. The photo doesn't begin to convey the magnitude of this expanse of land. I've never seen the Grand Canyon, but this was stunning. Standing in the middle of the bridge and looking over the railing at the ribbon of a river hundreds of feet below makes you feel as tiny and insignificant as a flee on an elephant's back.

Thanks for touring with me today and 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

Pagosa Drama

"Pagosa Drama" 16x20" oil on canvas

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“And if I let a gust of wind or a sprinkling of rain turn me aside from these easy tasks, what preparation would such sloth be for the future I propose to myself?” 

―  Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre 

I've been working on this large 16x20" painting of the San Juan River from here in Pagosa Springs, CO. I spent an entire day working on this piece on location in plein air, that is until a huge gust of wind came up from out of nowhere and blew my entire setup including the painting face down in the dirt. The wet paint was covered with lumps of dirt. This happened right before the storm hit. Oh well, such are the hazards of this trade. Plein air ain't for sissies. You have to take everything in stride. Once the paint dried, I was able to flick off all the dirt and make the touch up repairs. I decided to finish this piece from the security of our tiny little camper, which works fine as long as Dave stays away fishing. 

It's rained most every afternoon we've been here, the sound of the rain on the roof of our camper is enchanting, sounds like the sound made by an Indian rain stick. There's always a silver lining to every storm.

Thanks for viewing my restored painting. 

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

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

SOLD -No Rock For A Stepper

"No Rock For a Stepper" 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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 "You've got to follow your passion. You've got to figure out what it is you love--who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dream.”

— Oprah Winfrey

Here's a photograph of my easel with today's painting on location. This beautiful spot is where we spent the day yesterday on the shores of the Conejos River in southern Colorado. This mountainous and rocky area made me reflect on the power and purpose of rocks in our lives. 

"So many things I would have done, but rocks got in my way."

Okay, so I took a few liberties with Judy Collins' 1967 hit song, but isn't it interesting how rocks block our paths from time to time on our journey down the river of life? They force us to slow down and reflect, or even stagnate into pools of indecisiveness for a time. We think we're stuck and can't—or won't—move forward, afraid and unsure of our course. We may lack the courage to move forward in spite of tugging currents nudging at our souls.

However, rocks also cause the flow of water to build energy and generate strength before propelling us forward into new stretches of the river out of our comfort zones. Rocks in our lives can be gifts that allow us the time to gather courage before navigating a change of course in a new direction. Where are you in the river?

Thank you for wading in the river with me today... and for 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

Trout Fishing

"Rio Chama" 6x6" oil on canvas panel

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"And when white moths were on the wing. 

And moth-like stars were flickering out, 

I dropped the berry in a stream

And caught a little silver trout."

  — William Butler Yeats,  
The Song of Wandering Aengus 

 

We did some more exploring yesterday around the Chama area, by late afternoon we ended up at this local fishing spot on the Rio Chama, downstream a few miles from our campsite.

I loved painting this quiet scene from the bank above the river by a rickety old bridge. Tiny chipmunks scurried all around my easel munching on dry river grasses, deer grazed on the tender green grasses lining the banks, and a flock of geese soared in precise V-formation in the overcast sky. The only audible sound was the current of the river tripping over rocks in its course, which sounded like a symphony to me. Dave waded through the waters with line and hook for hours and never had a bite. I on the other hand caught a trout!

Thank you for coursing my waters 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

Outside the Lines

"Outside the Lines" 6x6" oil on gessobord

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Lost in a creative world all her own, Annie gets in touch with her inner artist. I painted this from a photo of my niece as she blissfully included most of her arm as part of her extended canvas. Children are so naturally uninhibited and unaware of boundaries including those thick black lines of coloring books that we were so terrified to cross outside of as children. Who decided that we had to stay within those lines anyway? I think most people got discouraged and gave up on art once the guidelines were imposed on us. We were even graded as to how perfectly we could stay inside the lines. Or for that matter, who told us that trees HAD to be painted green with brown trunks? I've always wondered if children don't see more than we do with our conditioned brains? Perhaps trees really are purple but we ceased to see the purple after someone unknowingly handed us a green crayon and basically told us what we WERE suppose to see, rather than allowing us to see what we were seeing? I wonder what else we once saw and heard that was filtered out? Hmmm... food for thought.

I usually simplify and edit unnecessary information in small paintings, however I included all the surrounding details here to show Annie in her magical world of toys, fun and bright colors. Draped across the back of the chair, Annie's golden fairy princess dress awaits her next adventure. Life was so simple and magical back then...what happened?

Thanks for entering my world of color today.

nancy

My blog: www.headondownthehighway.blogspot.com

E-mail: njparsons@suddenlink.net

My books  NEW 2012 Daily Planner and Head on Down the Highway A Blog Book

My graphic design: www.graphicdesigngroup.net