Painted Ladies

These two lovely paints were painted as an anniversary gift from a husband to his wife. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit them in person and take a series of photos before deciding on the composition with my client. It was a tremendous help when it came to sitting down at the canvas and trying to capture their personalities. I also had the privilege of being there when he presented it to her and that made my heart sing to see the happiness in her eyes when she unwrapped it. It feels good to know you've created something that will be a treasured keepsake.
11"x14" oil on canvas, private collection

Something Different

I stared at the leftover paint on my palette Saturday afternoon and decided to paint from my imagination. To play!! That's a big stretch from me who likes the comfort of a well-planned out piece of artwork, start to finish.

Letting my imagination guide me, I ended up with something very different from usual...and I had a blast doing it. At first glance, this little 8"x10" looks dark and moody (I was wishing for my photographer friend's help with capturing it adequately!) but with closer inspection, you are invited in to one of my favorite hours of the day - that moment of dusk where the remaining glow of the day is barely hanging on and lights are coming on inside homes. For me, it's a magical, dreamy time....it's not yet night, but neither is it still daytime.

Novelist Zane Grey quotes: "People live for the dream in their hearts. And I have yet to know anyone who has not some secret dream, some hope, however dim, some storied wall to look at in the dusk, some painted window leading to the soul."

Dreams at Dusk, an 8"x10" oil on canvas board, is currently available on my website: http://www.artbymj.com/images/Dreams_At_Dusk.html.

Aspen Meadow Gathering

In an earlier post, I showed you a study I did of a mother horse and her foal. Here's the final painting with mother and foal in their entire surroundings: a Colorado meadow on a cloudy summer day. Several times while painting this, I would pause and wish I was really in this spot, enjoying this scenery, breathing in fresh mountain air.

24"x30" oil on canvas, available here.