Several new projects.

I have been working on bowls.  This one is very interesting. I think it was hand made. The bottom of the bowl consists of a circle of thick dowel rods.  This was pretty beat up when I bought it at a thrift store.  I just couldn't pass it up.  It is 10" in diameter and 3" high.

This one is 10" in diameter and almost 5"high. It was perfect for a desert scene.  I take photos of craft items before I put the finishing coats of polycrylic on them because I don't get a flash refection on them as I do if they have a shiny finish.  When I looked at a close up of the photo I noticed I had not erased my chalk lines in the center circle design. You may notice it when you look enlarge the photo.  That will be gone when I apply the polycrylic.  I hope to show these bowls at the new SAAG gallery this summer.  I also will be showing the paintings below.  These are new versions of paintings that I have sold in the past. 

 

 

Mata Ortize Saguaro and Surreal Saguaro are both 6X12 and Endless Rose is 11X13.

Roses in Talavera Vase

"Roses in Talavera Vase"
11X15

This is my latest painting based on flowers featured in Mexican Folk art.  In my research I found the story of the rose which I will post below. I also decided to put them in a Talavera vase.   When I have time I will do more research on Talavera pottery.  I have use that theme in many previous paintings but don't know the history of the pottery.  I think the next time I do another version of this painting I will make the roses white.  That will give it more balance with the white cloth and also make the vase  more of a focal point.  Here is the story of the rose:
· Rosa (Rosaceae Rosa)

The rose is probably one of the most popular flowers around the globe, often symbolizing love and beauty.

Roses have a special place in Mexican religious culture as they play a central roll in the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe appearance before peasant Juan Diego on Tepeyac hill.

The virgin asked him to climb the hill and to pick the roses that he would find in bloom, despite being winter, and carefully arranged the flowers inside Juan Diego's tilma asking him to unfold it before the Bishop as prove of her appearance.

When Juan Diego did as told, the roses cascaded from the cloth showing an icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe miraculously impressed on it.

Calla Lily and Sunflower History Lesson

"Favorite Flowers of Mexico"
9X12

This is my most recent painting. I have mentioned in the past my love for Mexican Folk Art and being inspired by it in choosing subject matter in paintings.  I also mentioned researching why the calla lily and sunflowers are featured in so many Mexican Paintings.  I finally found the answer today and rather then trying to type out what I found I copied and pasted it below.  Much easier doing it that way.  I thought the answer is very interesting in that I wondered why Diego Rivera featured calla lilies in much of his work.  While this doesn't have the exact answer as to why it does answer the question of why you see the calla lily in Mexican folk art.  It is BECAUSE Rivera painted them!  Hope you enjoy the history lesson.
 

Alcatraz (Zantedeschia aethiopica)    (Calla Lily)

Calla lilies became a very popular flower in Mexico thanks to Diego Rivera's paintings which portrayed indigenous people carrying alcatraces.

Nobody knows for sure why he chose these flowers, some historians say it was President Lazaro Cardenas who asked Rivera to do the paintings, and others say Frida Kahlo, his wife, loved calla lilies. Whichever it was the reason the Alcatraz became an icon in Mexican culture.

Girasol (Helianthus annuus)   (Sunflower)

Although it was believed sunflowers were domesticated in the Mississippi River Valley and brought to Mexico by the Spaniards, studies led by paleoethnobotanist David Lentz have revealed the sunflower plant was domesticated in the northern part of Mexico around 4000 years ago.

The Aztecs called it chimalácatl and its significance was related to the sun and the war. The plant was used for curative, aphrodisiacal and ritual purposes. Nowadays in many communities around Mexico sunflowers are still used in healing practices.

Natural and paper sunflowers are widely used as decorative flowers to add warmth and joy and have inspired many artists around the world including Dutch post-Impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh.

San Xavier Mission and other desert scenes

"San Xavier Mission"
11X14

This is my painting of San Xavier Mission.  Actually we had friends visiting us from Surprise, AZ and one of the things we did was visit the mission. When I saw the real thing I have to admit that I took some artistic license with my yellow sky, terracotta mountains and lush desert.  There is no parking lot in my painting!  Below are a few more desert scenes.  That I did in the past few weeks. I would like to apply to the new SAAG gallery in the Casas Adobe Plaza for the next session.  I am trying to get some smaller sized paintings ready for that.  Hope you enjoy seeing them.

"Golden Sky"
11X14

Two 8X10  Classic Desert Scenes

Sunflower in Flames

"Sunflower in Flames"
8X10

I did this 8X10 painting yesterday.  I had the background ready the day before and drew and painted the sunflower in just a few hours.  I love the way it turned out...so much so that I think I will do a larger version of it.  As I painted the petals and before the center was in all I could see were flames.  In fact, when my husband saw the completed painting he said "ring of fire".  I thought of using that for a title but because the word flames had been in my head I decided on "Sunflower in Flames".

 Last night while I was off playing Mexican Train dominos with some lady friends I left my husband a honey-do project.  I had around 16 odd sized frames that need canvas so while I was gone he cut canvas to fit them.  I am often asked what I paint on.  The answer is canvas board.  I get them online from Dick Blick.  I take advantage of the discount on buying 36 or more and order the 24X30 size.  I then cut them to fit the frames....or should say have Roger cut them.  Now that I have canvas and frames ready I have to come up with some ideas on what to paint.  I think I may do a painting of San Xavier Mission next.  That will take longer than a few hours!

Calla Lilly Cluster

Calla Lily Cluster
14X11

Here is one of the inspirations I had that I was finally able to get on canvas.  My Endless Rose painting is so popular that I thought I would try a border to border calla lily painting. I got the idea when I did my Lady and Lilies painting.  I have done research to try to find out why the calla lily is featured so often in Mexican folk art but haven't found the answer yet.  Does anyone out there know?  You can answer in the comment section.  For my next project I have started work on some small desert scenes.  I sold all I had at the De Grazia show so it is time to paint some more.

Two different items

I completed two items that will be going to my daughter in New Mexico.  One is an old saw and the other is an old table.  I did a primitive farm scene  which is loosely based on the type of work done by Grandma Moses.  Since I am getting more recognition as an artist as I get older I jokingly compare myself to her!  My other project is an old table that I recently acquired.  It had a faux granite top which had become scratched so I decided to redo it then coat it with polycrylic to protect it.  The photos are posted below.