Two Girls in a Tub

This was really hard for me to do.  Mainly because the faces are so small and my brush is not.  I realize that a bigger face is easier. Elizabeth

Autumn in the Gila

Here is my attempt at painting from my memory of the willow and cottonwood in color. I don't feel that it is finished but a good start. It felt so good to be spending the day in my studio again.

San Juan Baker

This is the town baker, Lucio.  I was inspired by a Millet painting of a woman baking. I love the theme of people at work. -Elizabeth

Home Again

With the support of wonderful friends I'm back home again. Hope to be sending on some paintings soon.

Arroyo
I love the arroyos of New Mexico....the bright sandy bottom and the dark shadows of the walls of the canyons. I stopped on the way to Bill Evans Lake and did a quick "sketch" of this scene and a photo. I always wanted to "finish' it and this is my attempt. my values are more contrasted than the sketch....perhaps because I was painting in the sunshine.

Dusk in San Juan

This landscape is from the same village of San Juan.  The dirt path leads down to our friend's house.  I love the view but what I found most difficult was rendering the stone wall on the right. Especially with the time constraint.  I wanted to keep it loose but it had to read as a wall.

 - Elizabeth

Quote for the Day

"Happy are the painters, for they shall not be lonely.  Light and color, peace and hope will keep them company to the end...or almost to the end of the day." - Churchill

Chamisa

This is one of my favorite plants. I've been watching it as the low light of November falls across it in my yard. I photographed this one on my painting excursion with Bill Gallen. I'm still working on photographing my paintings so that they look more lifelike and without glare. Grrr!

Leila at the Dance Studio

This portrait does not really look like Leila.  I found it difficult to get across the feeling and expression in her eyes.  Also I found it difficult to do the face of the man in the background.  I enjoyed the process though.  I sketched it in pencil first, then mixed my colors like Frank Gardener and then used the Mcpherson lightest light, darkest dark, easiest color, darks, lights, technique. Now David wants me to do him! - Elizabeth

Quote for the Day

Art is much less important than life, but what a poor life without it. - Robert Motherwell

Election Day

On Election Day, I knew I wanted to do something with blocks and letters so I experimented with arranging them vertically and horizontally. Finally decided I wanted the arrangement the be less obvious on first glance. I wanted the primary colors on top with complements together. On reflection, I think I'm going to repaint the colors once it's dry so that the red will be at the top and the yellow will be surrounded by the shadow. The "A" gets a little washed out on top. I also think this type of painting needs to be developed more slowly - first painting the blocks with shadows and then adding the details after it's dried instead of all at once like I did. It was hard to control the wet paint for such small details. All in all, a good learning experience though. ~Gay

Thanksgiving, the Turkey

This is the grand turkey, whom Aaron named "Thanksgiving" and was so big he wouldn't fit in the oven. He was so beautiful that I always wanted to paint him. ~Jane

Maria the Clown

I was inspired to try a portrait today.  What I found most difficult was getting the likeness of Maria.  This does not really look like her but it is a first attempt.  Something about the eyes makes her look older than she is.  She loves clowns and is always dressing up with wigs and clown shoes so it does capture something about her spirit.  I'm going to try one of Leila next week.  I have been looking at paintings of children lately and decided it was time to paint the girls. - Elizabeth

Two Pears

Well, this is actually the 3 hour painting I worked on yesterday since today is not looking too good for painting. I'm going to have to remember not to commit myself to baking pies and going to dinner on "my" painting day - ha! I actually have a special Election Day painting that I've started but it won't be finished today. Going back to the pears - I have a white bookshelf in my painting room and I'm going to be experimenting with how different colors reflect onto this surface so you'll probably see more paintings with a white background. Being such a SLOW painter, three hours is hard for me . . . hopefully, I'll get faster on these. ~Gay

Pomegranate Series

O.K., you two, this is really amazing! I did three paintings in 3 hours in the middle of construction, calling lists for Obama, Aaron arriving and planning an election viewing dinner party, a walk with dogs and Aaron, installation of a new HD satellite for our new theater size TV, etc etc. A really wild day with painting in the middle...I was so grateful for 3 hours of painting!! So, this is the Pomegranate that John gave me from his carefully nurtured tree among tears and hugs as we drove away .... leaving him in the house without Linda. That's what these days have been like....each one new....without Linda. Aaron looked at them and said, " The pomegranate looks like a heart floating". I guess that's right. It's not a work that I'm particularly proud of....but I'm really glad that I did it....amid tears and paint up to my wrists. I'm really grateful to you two friends who are pushing me to paint....that right now we can! ~Jane

Sheep in San Juan

My beeper just went off signaling the end of 3 hours. I stopped the timer when I did other things and then came back to paint and started it again. It was actually a fun exercise despite my initial anxiety.
We went to San Juan Chicomezuchitl for Day of the Dead. On sunday I walked around the village searching for an image. This field of marigolds was behind someone's house. They kindly let me in to take the picture. The sheep eat the marigolds which I didn't know. They are also the flower that people use to decorate the cemetaries. ~Elizabeth