When life gives you lemons, draw them, 11 x 14 inches dry pastels, graphite on paper

"When life gives you lemons, draw them." (Nikki)

"Color! What a deep and mysterious language." (Paul Gauguin)

award winner

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Trees and Fields

Sunday, December 24th, 2023


 

Knox Mountain Trail, Kelowna BC - 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Honorable Mention Award for Art Room Gallery's online exhibition, Trees and FieldsKnox Mountain Trail (Kelowna BC), Summer Storm (Cochrane, Alberta) and Kananaskis Country, all 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper, won Honorable Mention and are showcased in Art Room Gallery’s online exhibition, Trees and Fields Dec. 24, 2023 – January 24th, 2024.

  Summer Storm, Cochrane, Alberta - 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper   Kananaskis Country, Alberta - 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper  
         

Skies

Saturday, November 18th, 2023


 

Cumulonimbus - Montana Sunset, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Cumulonimbus: Montana Sunset (2020), 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on 90 lb watercolor paper. For many years I’ve wanted to try painting night skies. In July 2007, I was driving through Montana to Alberta as the setting sun bounced golden-pink hues through the already fantastic storm clouds. I pulled over and took some photos, thinking that even if they didn’t turn out, something is better than nothing. Reference photos don’t have to be perfect to bring back the experience of a particular moment; they are just a starting point. I intend to paint this with acrylics when I’m through with my soft pastel kick.
Six pieces are showcased in Art Room Gallery’s “Skies” Nov. 17 – Dec. 17, 2023.

  Storm at Dawn, Denman Island BC Canada - 18H x 24W inches soft pastel on paper   Alberta Bound, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper   Summer Storm, Montana, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper  
  Summer on the Prairie, Smoky Lake, Alberta, 14H x 20W inches watercolors on 140 lb. cold pressed premium. 20H x26W inches approximate size framed.   Morning Has Broken, 16H x 20W inches soft pastels on watercolor paper   Finalist certificate for Art Room Gallery Skies Exhibition  
             

In Full Bloom 2023

Friday, August 11th, 2023


 

Eucalyptus Flowers and Seed Pods, 20H x 16W inches acrylics on canvas

In Full Bloom 2023 Silver Award for Eucalyptus Flowers and Seed PodsEucalyptus Flowers and Seed Pods, 20H x 16W inches acrylics on canvas with weathered-look wood frame, has won a Silver Award in the 2023 In Full Bloom Online Art Exhibition at J. Mane Gallery, August 14th through Sept.

Asian Elephant

Saturday, September 10th, 2022


 

Asian Elephant, Tad Sai Waterfall, Luang Prabang, Laos - 18H x 24W inches soft pastels
Fusion Art Animal Kingdom Award of Excellence for Asian ElephantAsian Elephant (Aug. 2020), Tad Sai Waterfall, Luang Prabang, Laos – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Green Tree Frog, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Received “Artistic Excellence” award and now showing in Fusion Art’s 7th Annual “Animal Kingdom” International Online Juried Art Exhibition, September 2022. ‘American Green Tree Frog’ (2022) is also in the exhibition.

Mind, Body, Spirit

Thursday, September 1st, 2022


 
Renee at Dance Class, 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper, NFS - prints only
J Mane Gallery 3rd Place certificate for Renee at Dance ClassRenee at Dance Class, (2007) 11H x 14W inches graphite on paper, NFS – prints only. 3rd Place winner, J. Mane Gallery Mind, Body, Spirit 2022 exhibition showing through September.

Flower Power Exhibition

Friday, July 22nd, 2022


 

Goldenrod, 12 x 12 inches acrylics on canvas
Bronze Certificate, Flower Power, Camelback GalleryGoldenrod, (2019) Ouimette Canyon, Ontario, Canada, 12H x 12W inches acrylics on canvas

Bronze Award winner in Camelback Gallery’s “Flower Power 2022 International Juried Arts Exhibition”.

Camelback Gallery International Achievement Awards

Tuesday, June 28th, 2022


 

Blue Flag Iris, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper
Nikki Coulombe IAA Finalist IAA CertificateBlue Flag Iris, (2021) 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Finalist Award, 2022 Camelback Gallery International Achievement Awards in Pastel.

Also showcased in Fusion Art’s 8th Annual Leaves & Petals Exhibition through August 2022.

Honorable Mentions

Thursday, June 16th, 2022


 

  Asian Elephant, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Honorable Mention in Contemporary Art Room Online Gallery 'Animals' exhibition   Healthy Squirrel, 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper. Honorable Mention in Contemporary Art Room Online Gallery 'Animals' exhibition  

Honorable Mention certificate, Contemporary Art Room Online Gallery 'Animals' exhibitionAsian Elephant (2020) and Healthy Squirrel (2022) 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper, each are $750, framed. Both ‘Honorable Mention’ in Contemporary Art Room Online Gallery ‘Animals’ exhibition, May through June, 2022.

Petrified Forest

Friday, December 24th, 2021


 

Petrified Forest, Crystal Forest Trail, AZ - 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on paper

Art Room Gallery merit award for Trees and Fields - Petrified Forest and Kananaskis Valley Petrified Forest, Crystal Forest Trail, AZ – 18H x 24W inches soft pastels on 90 lb. cold pressed watercolor paper. Framed size 27H x 33W”, white wood frame, crackle finish.

In addition to Kananaskis Valley (mentioned earlier in Grey Cube Gallery Forests and Meadows), this piece won a merit award in Contemporary Art Room’s exhibition, “Trees and Fields”, showing online through December, 2021.

Zen Garden 02

Saturday, May 9th, 2009


 

 Zen Garden #2, 48W x 24H x 1D inches texture medium, sand, white glue, modelling paste, kitty litter (new of course!)

Zen Garden 02, 48W x 24H x 1D inches mixed media: texture medium, sand, white glue, modeling paste, kitty litter (new of course!), plaster. Wrapped sides painted, frame unnecessary. Sold but can be recreated, not exactly, but in the same spirit as the original.


 

This painting won the Visual Art Society of Texas title of Artist of the Year (2009) for me at Thursday night’s meeting. This piece hangs vertically, horizontally or can be flipped upside down 2 ways; four different orientation hanging options.

Most of the Zen Garden series are experimental, seeking various ways to obtain the raked sand look without having to pay high prices for the ready-made texture mediums that don’t cover much surface. Zen Garden #2 uses kitty litter bought at the dollar store mixed in varying portions with the above fillers, scooped into a large ziploc bag that was cut in the corner and squeezed out like cake icing onto the canvas. I still had to maneuver the medium into place with fingers because it was so thick coming out of the bag, due to the new absorption factors of new brands of kitty litter. I’ll experiment with aquarium sand and pebbles, or any number of other pet products that are far less expensive than art supplies.

While titles and awards can help refuel encouragement, finding our own source of motivation keeps us working and growing continually, regardless.  Robert Genn in The Painter’s Keys has some interesting words about the subject of jurying and acceptance or non-acceptance, quoting Jung, Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.

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