Metamorphosis

Years ago I had two separate painting styles. Sort of...

I had my whimsical pieces full of sea chickens and flying fish, and my first attempts at Plein air painting landscapes- what I called "serious" work. I chose to go the "serious" route because I needed to make a living. Luckily, I found myself falling more and more in love with landscapes and their ever changing beauty so I didn't feel the loss of that imaginative play that comes with the whimsical work.

My husband, Nick, (a king of country living and all things manly) said something the other day about my style being so different from most other landscape painters that I could paint the twin fawns we just saw and it wouldn't be like other wildlife pieces. I started looking closer at my work, trying to see what made it so different.

I was mulling over the two cattle ramp pieces I just finished, and my next painting adventure (this next one includes a bet and an odd sort of commission) when it hit me-
Quietly, over a relatively short period of time, the whimsy has found its way into my "serious" paintings. Or maybe it was always there and I just didn't see it. Or maybe it was trying to be there but can only come out when I let the painting paint itself.
However it got there, I'm glad it came. It's like seeing an old friend, and knowing the friend is here to stay.

Painting is such a lovely form of self exploration and discovery. The whimsy in my work is like that inner being that I am, always have been, and always will be. (The spirit. That part of us that is forever in contact with Infinite Intelligence.)
Sometimes I lose touch with my inner self and everything seems to fall apart. Then one day, something clicks and I see that everything I thought I had lost has been there the whole time.
How cool is that?



The piece in this post is one of my recent cattle ramp pieces. It'll be in Whistle Pik shortly. The other will make its debut at the November show.

(I apologize for the picture quality, I took it with my phone. I'll have a better image on my website later, and the gallery will have one when the piece goes in. If you would like purchasing information, feel free to contact Ms Mary or Ms Julie at Whistle Pik Galleries.)

20x30
Oil on canvas

Morning Fog

I can't stress enough how much I love where I live. This place has more variety than you could shake a stick at... But it all still fits.

We have been getting these gloriously foggy mornings lately and I got about a million reference photos to and from dropping Soren off at school last week. This is from my first batch of pics. I'd like to do some larger paintings like this, but am having a bit of a love/hate relationship with anything over a 5x7 right now. Which is not such a bad thing, since the gallery doesn't have many of my small pieces right now.

I like this one. It'll be in Whistle Pik as soon as it is dry!

Morning Fog
5x7
Oil on canvas panel

Uppers and downers... but mostly uppers!

So I'm running without a camera this week. Its in the shop. (Canon has excellent customer service, by the way)

But that really doesn't matter much because I have done very little painting. I have been assembling canvas panels, cleaning brushes, trying to figure out what I did with that other tube of yellow, and sketching a lot, in a very mild attempt to plan the next painting.

And... I get to spend six weeks in Texas visiting family -starting Monday!! So I've been a little preoccupied with planning for that as well. My brother-in-law (Brad's doublemint twin) and nephew are coming up for a visit this weekend so I will probably get to paint on Saturday or Sunday. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Some really good news: I got a formal invitation today from Whistle Pik Galleries to participate in their 2009 Christmas Miniature show. The show will run for the month of December in the "Main Street" gallery, and the Show Reception/Artist's Wine Reception will be from 6 to 8 pm on Friday December 4. I will be there if anyone wants to come say howdy. I'll be posting the info again the closer we get to December.

And just when you think the deal couldn't possibly get any sweeter, it does. I get to see my family again when I go down for the show! Awesome! Its not exactly "home for the holidays," but its close enough. I haven't been in Texas in December in years and years. Maybe I'll get lucky and be there when the Kristkindl Market/festival is going on. How fun!

I get to be a tourist in my hometown! I appreciate the touristy stuff in Fredericksburg so much more now that I don't live there... aint that the way, though?