Two new projects completed

"Lacy Opulence"
22 x 28

I have not done one of my "fantasy flower" paintings in a long time.  I had this very large gold frame which I thought would be good for that style of painting.  I used a fairly neutral color pallet.  Since the canvas is so large I decided on a wide border.  Somehow, not intentionally, when the border was completed it looked like lace to me.  I got carried away with doing the vase and flowers using metallic paint and much detail.  It had a very over the top, opulent look so that is how this painting got it's title.  Sometimes I do a painting with a title in mind but most often I decide on the title when I see the finished product which can be a surprise to me because what my vision was is not necessarily what my hand creates!  This painting was one of those surprises.

"Red Calla Lily Tray"

On the other hand, this tray came out exactly as planned.  My daughter-in-law Sarah saw one of my blue calla lily trays and said she would love to have one done on  red.  I had just gotten this long metal tray at a yard sale.  It measures 24 X 5 and is quite unusual.  I thought it was perfect for a calla lily painting.  It is on it's way to San Antonio as I write this.  It should be there in time for a Christmas party they are having this weekend.  Check out older posts to see a photo of the large calla lily painting I did that is hanging in their apartment.  I think this tray will complement it nicely. 

Three New Paintings

On this Thanksgiving Day 2011 I am posting photos of three paintings that I finished in the past couple of weeks. 

Talavera Tortoise
11 X14

This is the latest painting in my Talavera collection.  I got the idea when I was doing the St. Phillip's art festival and saw someone wearing a tortoise necklace.  I decided a deseert tortoise would be fun to paint in my colorful style.  I may do a Kokopelli as my next Talavera painting.

Sunflower Saguaro
24 X 10

I have done a number of traditional sunflower paintings in the past few months which proved to be popular so I decided it was time to put them on a saguaro.

Pastel Cacti
11 x 14

This is a painting that I started a couple of months ago.  I was going to put it in a gold frame.  As I worked on it I was not happy with how it was progressing.  I think it is because I usually do vibrant intense colors and I was not happy with the pastel look.  I put it aside and haven't looked at it for awhile.  When I went yard sale shopping for frames I came accross a couple of really nice yellow frames.  Last week I was thinking of what I could paint to compliment the yellow frame when I spotted the pastel painting I had put aside.  I set it in the frame and realized how the color of the frame brought out the color of the painting.  I went to work on finishing the painting and am now happy with the results!

Peggy's Bowl

This bowl is a commissioned piece.  It is going to Peggy from MI.  She was visiting her sister who is a friend.  She bought 4 paintings and ordered this bowl and another small painting which I will ship on Monday. 

Yard Sale Treasures

I am asked how I can sell my art at such affordable prices.  This photo is the answer to that question.  This is what I got at yard sales today.  I spent slightly over $20 for all this stuff.  You know how expensive frames are when you by them at craft stores and frame shops and if you have them do the framing it will cost BIG bucks.  I do all my own framing and if necessary refinish the frames.  Many are good as is.  I think all of what I bought today are in wonderful condition. I have mentioned before that all my paintings are created to compliment the frame.  The prices of my painting include the frame and since I do not have much invested in the frame I pass the savings on to the person who buys the art.  I do the same with my functional items.   The bowl and trays I bought today are a little rough but with a bit of sanding and my creativity they will make a great piece of art!  Check out my older posts to see what I have done in the past with my yard sale finds.

"Pause for Beauty" and" Breasts for Life"

Above is a flyer with information on a very special project to call attention to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  The Opening is this Saturday.  Please read the flyer for information on when and where this event will take place. 
Below is a photo of my entry. 

"Rose in Full Bloom"

St. Phillip's Art Festival Report

This past weekend was the St. Phillip's in the Hills two day art festival.  It was a large two day festival with very talented artists.  It is a beautiful setting and the weather was...well great in the morning but got a little hot in the afternoons.  My space was in the courtyard which helped because there are trees and grass which made it a little cooler.  Many people attended and I got to see old friends and previous customers and made some new friends.  There was good conversations and a lot of networking. I also got ideas for subject matter of future paintings. Sales were pretty good but not as good as previous years but I think that is a sign of the times. Between the two art festivals this month and commission work I had a good October. 
I have my home gallery set up again and am ready to get busy on some commissioned work.  If you are interested in having something painted for a holiday gift contact me.  You can also stop by my home anytime to see completed paintings. Just give me a call at 520-825-6817 to set up an appointment.  Below are a couple of photos of my home "gallery".  It will give you an idea of what I have on hand.

2011 Sun City Art Festival

I had a very successful day yesterday. 17 paintings, 15 domino holders and 2 trays were sold.  This was the first time I used my new Gridwall display racks.  They were easy to put up and took less room and  held more paintings than the easels I used to use.  I think I will buy a couple more for the next show in a few weeks.  It was a good day but I have to admit that I was really tired and had very sore feet by the time it was over.  Next time I will take a second pair of shoes and trade off.  I think that may help.
 I have to thank my husband Roger for being the cashier and doing the book work.  I always did that part myself and it was such a help having him doing the job.  It freed me up to network with people.  I talked to old friends and former customers and met many new people.  I had 16 people sign my email art notification list.  I send out emails to let my art followers know when I am having a show or exhibition.  My list numbers around 130 people.
  It is less than 3 weeks to the next festival so I must get busy to replace what I sold.  I sold every domino holder that I took but still have a dozen that are unpainted that I will do for the next show.  I also have to paint more small desert scenes.  They were very popular and I only have one 8X10 left.  If I have time I will do another large desert scene as that one sold too.  October is a very busy month!

October 1 Art Festival

The Sun City Art Festival is coming up on Saturday Oct. 1 from 9 to 4 at the Social Hall on Rancho Vistoso Blvd.  I will be in the same place as last year.  I am booth number 1 which is the first one on the left as you enter the auditorium.  I am posting a few of the new paintings that I will be showing at the festival.  Some are new subject matter and some are new versions of old favorites that are my most popular paintings.  I have already posted quite a few of the paintings and functional items that I will be showing.  Scroll through older posts to see these.  I also have more paintings that I have not posted, most of which are smaller sizes.  As always, I will have special prices on the smaller paintings.  I also have a nice selection of domino holders.  I have not posted photos of these but if you go back you can see the photo I posted for last year's show.  I have used many of the same patterns.  If you have any questions about the show email me at rogpamd@msn.com or give me a call at 520-825-6817.



Crested Saguaro
10X12



Images of Arizona

16X20

Talavera Boots

10X13

Talavera Horse

10X13

Talavera Quail

9X12

Talavera Saguaro

10X13

As you can see I have added new subject matter to my Talavera collection. 

Hope to see you on Saturday!

Sunflowers

Sunflowers
11X14

I have been thinking about painting sunflowers for awhile.  I finally decided it was time.
I did a little research on Van Gogh's sunflower paintings hoping for some inspiration.  Can't say it helped much as impressionism is not my thing.  So...after staring at a blank canvas for awhile this is what I came up with.  I plan to show it at the Sun City Art Festival which is October 1. 

More Calla Lily Paintings

What can I say?  I have gotten hooked on painting calla lilies.  I did the above tray to match the bowl I did a few weeks ago.  You can see that in an older post.  Since I am always looking for new ways to paint saguaros I decided to try one with calla lilies.  My next art fair is just five weeks away so I will continue to try to come up with some new ideas for more paintings. 

Newest version of Images of Arizona

This is one of my most popular paintings.  Every time I sell one I do another version of the same subject.  No two are exactly alike.  I vary  the colors and the size (this one is 16X20).  I also vary the orientation and the placement of the three panels within the painting.  I never get bored doing this painting because each one is original in its own way. Price is $150

Another Talavera Saguaro

Back in May I posted a photo of a painting I called Talavera Saguaro which was based on Mexican Talavera Pottery.  It sold in a few days to someone from the Tucson area who saw it on this blog.

 A couple of weeks ago I got an email from Tony from MA who came across my blog while searching the web for paintings. He wanted to buy it but since I had already sold the original he decided to  commissioned me to paint another for him.  During the time I was working on the painting  we exchanged emails and I discovered he is also an artist.  He is a musician and singer.  We  have become a mutual admiration society.  I love his music and he loves my art!

 He sent me the above photo of the painting so I could see it in it's new home.  I was blown away by how well it matches his decor.  Keep in mind I had no idea of the color scheme of the room where it would be hanging.

 The whole experience has been fun for me.  I made a new friend all the way across the country because he found my art on the Internet.

 I'd like to share his music with you so just click the links below to hear Tony Gubelman singing Cara Mia and to also hear the band he belongs to, "Billy G and the Blue Zone"
http://www.youtube.com/user/namlebug#p/u/5/gYugbF-R9aA

http://www.youtube.com/user/namlebug#p/u/0/6yVnqW2Efis

If you are interested in their music check out iTunes or  amazon.com



Here is a close up of Tony"s Talavera



Desert Scene Side Table and Tray

I just completed two more functional items.  Above is a desert scene on a side table and below is a desert scene on a tray.  I am currently  working on another tray which is a companion piece to the calla lily bowl that is on the previous post. 

If you follow this blog and would like to know when I post photos of new paintings send me a friend request on facebook.  I always use facebook to let friends know of each new blog post along with a link to my art blog.

Bowls and Tray

I've been busy painting functional items.  So far I have completed two bowls and one tray.  I have another tray that I am working on now and have one more that I am prepping.   I have other bowls that I will do at a later time along with about 24 domino holders.Below are photos of what I have completed so far.

This is a rather large oval bowl ( 19" long) painted with calla lilies.  Price is $75.

This is a smaller bowl (10" round) painted with one of my dot designs.  Price is $40.

This is a 16" square tray painted with my endless rose pattern.  Price is $75.

I will be showing these items at my fall craft fairs although I will be willing to sell them before that if someone shows an interest in buying them.  You can contact me at
rogpamd@msn.com or 520-825-6817.

Two new paintings



"Peacock"
16X20

 Here is the peacock painting that I felt that I had to do because of peacocks haunting me on our trip.  It is a little different than my usual paintings but I did add lots of dots to keep my "Dot Lady" reputation.

"Red Mountains"
11X14

This is the last painting I did before we left on our trip.  I did not have time to post it before we left.  I love the old beat up rustic frame.

Now that July is half over it is time for me to get busy painting for the fall craft festivals.
I have quite a few paintings done already so now I am going to concentrate on functional items like bowls and trays and domino holders.  I'll continue to post photos as I finish each item.

Home Again!

We are home after a one month 5900 mile trip around the country visiting family and friends.  We got to see all of our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren along with other family members and friends.  Our stops were in NM, TX, TN, GA, WV, OH, MI, IL.  It was a wonderful trip. 

One of the places we visited was Graceland.  We went there to see some stained glass panels that Elvis had as a room divider.  One of our sons wants us to make copies of them for his home.  Here is a photo of the stained glass.

The subject matter is peacocks and it seemed everywhere we traveled on the rest of the journey we kept running into peacocks.

I even bought a peacock feather at one of our stops.  Since I seemed to be "haunted" by peacocks I decided my next painting will be of a peacock.  I am anxious to get started on it.  I also got other ideas for more paintings which I will tell you about in future posts.  I will also tell you about our visit to a stained glass factory in WV at a later date.

Part of what we did on our trip was to take some stained glass windows to family and a friend.  Below are photos of the windows when they were installed.




 

The last photo I am posting is of the calla lily painting I did for our son and his wife.

I wanted to show what it looked like hanging in it's new home in San Antonio.

We had a great trip but I am happy to be home and looking forward to getting back to painting!

How to buy a painting

I have had people contact me via email about how to buy a painting.  I have replied but think sometimes my emails may have gone to their spam or junk box so decided to post my phone number.  It is 520-825-6817.  If you email me about purchasing a painting and do not receive a quick reply check your spam or give me a call. 

Most of my paintings are for sale. If you are a regular follower of my blog you know that all my works are original and when I sell a painting I can always do another version of it if you would like to order one. If you live in the Tucson area you can come to my home to view my paintings or if you decide on what you want by seeing it here I can deliver it to you.  If you live out of the area I will ship it to you.  I have not listed the price of all of my paintings.  I will give you that information when you contact me but to give you an idea my price range is from $15 to $200 depending on the size of the painting.  This includes the frame.   I made the decision to keep the price of my paintings reasonable so that they would be affordable to anyone.  I can keep the cost down because I am able to do a painting in a few days and I use recycled frames.  If I have to ship a painting I add $20 for the shipping charge.  I hope this answers any questions on how to purchase a painting.

Talavera Saguaro

Talavera Saguaro
14X18

My last saguaro painting was based on Mata Ortiz Pottery.  This one is based on Talavera Pottery.  I love the bright colors and floral designs which fit my style of painting.  Below is a photo of a Talavera Pot.  You can see why I chose to convert this idea to one of my whimsical saguaros.  I must now start researching a new idea for my next saguaro painting.  Any suggestions?

Ortiz Saguaro

Ortiz Saguaro
14X18

I decided it was time for a new saguaro painting.  I am always looking for ideas of something different.  While looking through some books I saw  Mata Ortiz pottery and thought that style would be great for one of my saguaros.  This is what I came up with.
I love the color combination of terracotta, black and white.  I put it in an old rustic frame.  I did not refinish it but left it as is.  You can not see the character of the frame in the photo but it really compliments the style of the painting.  I am always looking for feedback so feel free to comment.

Calla Lilies in Black Vase



Calla Lilies in Black Vase
48X20

 

Side view of painting

 I have been busy the past few weeks with the things that come your way with everyday life.  I did have time for some painting though.  Here is my latest work.  My daughter-in-law Sarah requested this painting.  She and Brian have recently moved to a loft apartment in downtown  San Antonio.  She sent me a photo of a wall pop-out with the measurements so I could make the painting the perfect size for the space.  She told me the subject matter and colors that she wanted.  This is what I came up with. It is a large painting (48X20) done on a panel box.  I love the red, black and white color pallet.  I like the painting so much that I think I will do another one to sell at my next show.  I also plan to do a few smaller paintings in the same color scheme for Sarah as a little surprise. We will be visiting them soon and will deliver the painting.  I will post a photo of it in their apartment at a later date.  I look forward to seeing their new place and enjoying their urban lifestyle.  Can't wait to do the river walk again!

New Commissioned Paintings

 These paintings were commissioned by friends Barbara & Jack.  The above paintings are small box canvas paintings for their kitchen.  The paintings are 6X6X2 inch paintings.  I wrapped the painting around the side and also painted a boarder strip on the side.  They have a lot of dimension.

I titled this painting "Desert Garden". It is 18X22 and is for their living room.  I will post photos of them hanging in their new home at a later date.

Hotel Congress Exhibition

This painting was accepted for a group showing at Hotel Congress in downtown Tucson.  The show starts tomorrow and will last about a month.  If you are in the downtown area stop by and have a look.

Virgin of Guadalupe paintings

 This is my first painting of the Virgin of Guadalupe.  It just sold to the president of Ventana Medical Systems.  I decided to do her again in three sizes... 16X20, 11X14 and 8X10.  I will be showing them at the Gloss Studio Art Show tomorrow.  I have a nice selection of paintings in all sizes and subject matter that I will be showing. 

Gloss Studio Art Show

This is to announce my next art show.  It will be at Gloss Studio which is an upscale beauty salon.

It will be on April 16 between 3 and 7 PM.  For more information go to the following website.  To get directions click on location.

http://www.glosstucson.com/artshow.html

 I will be showing new versions of my most popular Southwest paintings along with other subject matter.

I have a large selection of smaller paintings along with some larger ones.

  Since we are getting close to Easter I did some paintings of spring flowers which you can see below. 



Iris and Tulips
each painting is an 8X10
cost is $40 each



Colorful Critters

"Colorful Critters"
9X20

Back to southwest style painting.  I finished this one today.  It is based on Oaxacan wood carvings.  If you are not familiar with them I would advise you do a Google search of images of Oaxacan Art.  They are very popular here in the southwest.  They incorporate vibrant colors and dots and designs like my own art.  Since I just finished the skull painting I was still in the mood to do something else "creepy".  What better subject than a scorpion, tarantula and gecko?  I have so much fun doing this!  Maybe I should do something soft and pretty next like a flower.  I have to think about it.....