Dragonfly Pond

Grab your book and a blanket or just sit quietly and wait for a dragonfly to land nearby. The photo this was painted from was taken in Colorado. Talk about a peacerful, serene setting. It's been a long time since I've been to Colorado in the summer - I much prefer it over winter trips. I hope we can go again sometime soon.

Dragonfly Pond

12"x16" oil on canvas, $220

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.

Fewer Tiaras, More Laughs

I had more fun with this painting than any I've done before. I painted a sweet pose of this little girl for her grandmother, but along with the pictures she emailed me was one of her with Groucho-ish glasses on (I guess the current Groucho glasses don't include the moustache?) The minute I saw it I thought, "Oh, I have to paint that!"

I call it "Fewer Tiaras, More Laughs" because about the time my teenage daughter was a toddler (many long years ago!) the marketing onslaught of princess regalia began and I always felt I wanted so much more for my daughter than a label of "princess." Granted, I am as much a sucker for all the fluff and sparkle, but we all need to strike that balance for our girls between catering to their girly selves and drawing out the true riches of the kingdom....laughter (displayed here), faith, love, wonder, sharing, caring, and so much more.

This painting is not for sale, I will enjoy it for awhile before giving it to the above-mentioned grandmother. My blog postings may be a little sparse in the upcoming month as I am working on a VERY large sized commission (the canvas is taller than me!); a wonderful opportunity for me...but I will be painting other, smaller canvases in between drying times.

May laughter come your way today!

Living With a Painting

Sometimes you just think you're finished with a painting and then, after living with it for awhile, you finally get the picture in your mind of what it really needs to finish it off.

The finished painting in comparison to the previous version has the new addition (among other things) of a little foal energized by the electricity of the approaching storm. Meanwhile "mom" is calm, her casual eating of the grass letting her foal know that there's nothing to fear. Personally, I know my enthusiasm for watching an approaching storm from our porch (respectfully appreciating it's power, yet enjoying the drama and excitement) has been passed down to my children who now yell out, "Mom, come see the clouds!!" If you live in Texas, you may be more acquainted with these quick changes in weather. I never remember being quite as drawn to the clouds when I lived in California (less rain, I suppose).

"Approaching Storm" 11x14 oil on canvas,

No longer available - Private Collection - http://artbymj.com/

WELCOME to my BLOG

I suppose it's unusual, and maybe not so business-savvy for an artist to start an art blog with a photograph of her dad rather than one of her paintings. When I tried picking out a painting, I couldn't decide. Then I ran across this photo of my dad that I put together with this quote awhile back. It struck me as a perfect way to start out on another new adventure, that of blogging.
I look at my dad standing there, such a symbol of strength and hard work - He's truly an inspiration in my artwork and my life. And I know that he's my guardian paint angel, sitting on my shoulder with each brushstroke, cheering me on.
When he was a young boy, his mother wanted him to be an artist and she wanted to preserve his hands from the harsh ranch work. His father thought otherwise and said that if he could sell a few paintings then he would consider allowing him to stop his farm work. Poor guy - needless to say, not too many people were buying paintings during the Great Depression. He may have not had the opportunity to sell his paintings, but 70+ years after the Depression, here I am, creating and selling my paintings. We may not always have the success we desire for ourselves, but sometimes we pave the road for our children. Thanks, Daddy!

"...The stout heart stays trying by night and by day!"