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)

Seasonal

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Office help

Tuesday, May 20th, 2008


 
Anole sitting on the stapler on my computer desk.

Today my little friend helped with the paperwork.

Magnolia blossom

Monday, May 19th, 2008


 

Honey bee checking out the other side of the flower. Magnolia blossom, Lewisville, Texas. Transforming Magnolia blossom, Lewisville, Texas.

Magnolia trees require so much energy to bloom, when they do the older leaves die and drop to the ground, temporarily leaving a rather shabby-looking tree and leaves on everyone else’s yard too. Above: a honey bee checks out the other side of a flower, and next: a flower in transition.

Today’s Nik-Pics

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008


 

Reflections - photography, sun poking through between storms.  Sunflower-heads, red variety, the plant is very healthy with plenty of flowerheads appearing.  Reflections #2 - Photography - Green Anole eating insects off of a spider web.

Reflections – Sun poking through between storms. Sunflower-heads, red variety – the plant is large already, and very healthy with plenty of flower heads appearing. I’m taking photos in sequence and will post those together when the plant is in full bloom. Green Anole eating insects off of a spider web, window reflection.

Today’s work, details

Friday, May 9th, 2008


 
Maple Leaves, details after a few more hours working today - 48 x 84 x 3 inches acrylics on canvas.

Maple Leaves, upper right details

Maple Leaves, details after a few more hours working today – 48 x 84 x 3 inches acrylics on canvas. Changes may be subtle from here on; time to set it against a wall and study for a while before adding more. It’s a good time to start another painting.

Maple Leaves, work in progress

Thursday, May 8th, 2008


 
Maple Leaves - 48 x 84 x 3 inches Acrylics on stretched canvas. Work in progress - 3rd day.

Maple Leaves – 48H x 84W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. Work in progress.

On paintings with such large surfaces, acrylics are used more like watercolors, with gradually built thin layers of paint and matte gel medium. Soon after this stage as I become more confident with the subject, paint is applied thicker in areas helping to give a better illusion of depth.

Painting large again

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008


 

Maple Leaves, 48H x 84W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas. Just started.  Maple Leaves, 48H x 84W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas. Work in progress.

This morning I started painting Maple leaves on one of the large heavy-duty frames we made last week. Trying to think of a catchier title as I work. 48H x 84W x 3D inches acrylics on canvas. It should be a good study of the color green.
And speaking of green, yet another photo of one of the Anoles running around in the back yard this morning – I love watching these little guys!
 
Male Green Anole in our back yard, Lewisville, TX

 

Little green feet

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008


 
Green Anoles mating

I see more little green feet in our future…

Single eggs, .25 inches small, are laid every two weeks between March through October and abandoned, hatching after 5-7 weeks.
Green Anoles mating

In the garden

Saturday, April 19th, 2008


 

Male Green Anole, mating season

It is Green Anole mating season. A male sits on the warm barbecue and sports his attractive dewlap. My hopes are that the Anoles will expand their family here, and that they eat fire ants!

Portulaca

Portulaca: low-maintenance, sun-thriving, cheerful colors.

Garden sculpture of a heron, made of vines and grasses. A sparrow borrows some material for its nest.

Homemade garden sculpture of a heron, which I replenish regularly throughout the year with branches, vines and grasses. This morning a sparrow borrowed some material for its nest.

White Pine Bows

Friday, April 18th, 2008


 

White Pine Bows, 20 x 34 x 1.5 inches acrylics on canvas
White Pine Bows, 20H x 34W x 2D inches acrylics on canvas, wrapped sides painted. (sold 2010)

Some paintings take a long time and change dramatically from start to finish. Others have a clear direction and seem to flow out in a day, as this one did.

White Pine Bows, 20 x 34 x 1.5 inches acrylics on canvas, just started White Pine Bows, 20 x 34 x 1.5 inches acrylics on canvas, phase 2

Post-dated note: showcased in Visual Arts Society of Texas’ 125 Show July 24th – August 15, 2008.
Also, Debby Davis a local Denton TX poet wrote a poem inspired by the White Pine Bows painting
Bouncing branch to bough within stiff white pines,
finding my eyes uplifted; what a show!
Violinist gently pulls; taut bow whines.

Bouncing branch to bough within stiff white pines,
like the beat of an orchestra playing.
Violinist gently pulls; taut bow whines
raining harmonies; colors displaying.

Like the beat of an orchestra playing,
my thumping heart strings tug me into now!
raining harmonies; colors displaying,
I am an audience of one somehow.

My thumping heart strings tug me into now!
It is the secret that only I shall know.
I am an audience of one somehow.
Fragile notes fracture light into rainbow.

Storm clouds

Friday, April 18th, 2008


 

Storm cloud formations

Here are some beautiful but ominous clouds in front of a major storm that just hit Mineral Wells, west of Fort Worth, with baseball-sized hail.

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