Wednesday

I am excited, as I have sold two of my paintings this week. It really feels great to know that others appreciate my work enough to buy it and hang it in their homes/places of business! :)
Have a blessed day and happy painting to my felllow fine artist,
Sandra

Monday

I have been super busy during the holidays, so I haven't been able to post in a while. Our youngest son had a quick job transfer- 3 states over- so we left to go help him out, and just got in late last night after being gone for 10 days. We had a wonderful, white Christmas (which doesn't happen to often to folks from south LA and south TX), and were blessed to have a great house and cat sitter family while we were away; so it was an extra special time for us. Somehow we got to visit a lot of our family members, and still make it back to TX before New Year's Day! I love traveling, but there is no place like home! Oh, BTW, I painted up until the day before we left. I have started a huge lion painting in oils, and was also working on a few other pieces, Hopefully I'll get out there and finish them soon so I can post the newest stuff. But, I just found out one of the grand-girls is on her way to see us tomorrow, so I may have to hold off on the painting a few more days!!!
Blessings and Happy New Year to all,
Sandra

Wednesday

Hello, everyone Another Wednesday! Christmas is rushing toward us at full speed!!!

I have been working on a new painting, and touching up a few older ones. I hope to finish them all before the holidays.
Wishing you all a Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year!

Blessings and happy painting to all,
Sandra

Wednesday

Just a reminder that I am giving a 20% off discount on all paintings until Christmas. And, a portion of my profits go to Saint Jude and The Ovarian Cancer Research Center, in memory of my daughter,Michelle, who loved the Christmas season so much!
Blessings to all and Happy Painting,
Sandra

Monday

What a beautiful day. Nothing close to being wintery around here; as our temperture is back up in the upper 70's and holding! Although, it was a little cloudy, and a sprinkle came along earlier, the sun popped out again for me to paint in my patio/studio.I finished my cute flamingo. I hope you'll like him (or her). I painted it in oils from a photo that I took a few years back at Moody Gardens in Galveston,TX. Stretched linen canvas, 8" X 8", painted on sides so it can be framed or unframed. $75.00

Wednesday

Well, another week has past. Actually, can you believe nearly another month has flown by!
I have been painting, although not as often as I'd like. I am actually working on three small paintings, and touching up a few of my older ones. Also, my dear husband helped me to reorganize my studio. I got two new shelves and some much needed containers for my art books and magazines. I love my "new" space. It really seems to be so much larger!!! :)
Happy Thanksgiving to all and Happy Painting!

Sandra

Wednesday

Wow! It is Wednesday,again! Where did this week fly to is beyond me. We are having beautiful days here, and you would think I'd be spending them painting, but instead I have been going through art magazines and art books that I recently purchased from an estate sell of a local artist here. I took several lessons from this sweet lady, who passed away last year. She was an amazing portrait painter, and I am thrilled to now own some of the books from her huge collection.I keep telling myself I am going to stop and go to my studio and paint, but I keep finding great information and can't seem to put the books down! All of this is part of being an artist, so I might as well "chill out" and enjoy the learning experiences without freaking because I am not holding a brush everyday! Still, those empty canvases are calling my name...
Blessings and happy painting to my fellow artist,
Sandra

Wednesday

Good morning! I just posted my newest creation,"Has Anyone Seen My Master?". I just adore him, don't you? His eyes are saying that he is heartbroken, and can't find his master! Is he lost, or did his master abandon him for a few days on a vacation where dogs aren't allowed.

Blessings and happy painting,
Sandra

Wednesday

Well, this morning I got my second rejection from the Texas Daily painters blog. I thought it was about painting, and wanting artist from all over Texas to participate, not what they like or don't like. And, who are "they"???. But, this isn't the only time my work has been rejected. I will press on and paint because it makes me happy. I talked with a very successful, elderly artist a few years back. He had some great advice that I thought I was listening to, but somewhere along my way I fell back into that rut of trying to please others when I applied to the Texas Daily Painters blog- again! I forgot to not listen to anyone- just paint what I like. Eventually, someone will appreciate what I do, but it shouldn't matter. I am an artist because that is what I love being. I paint for me. If you like my work,follow along, if not, follow someone else. Thanks,Mr Herd, you are my mentor for life!

Blessings and happy painting,
Sandra

Tuesday

I am so glad that I voted a week or so ago, because I was so in the mood to paint ! Not only was there a ( much needed)  rain storm this morning, but I was betting there was a long line at the polls!
I have been working from an adorable photo that I took many years ago, while on one of our family vacations. This time it was near Ruston, LA. We had stayed in a cabin on beautiful Lake Claiborne for a few days.Leaving out, I spotted a couple of sweet burros. When my husband stopped the car, they came running up to me, hoping I had a snack for them, but I like to think they were posing for their photograph! The female was heavy with her pregnancy, so I am naming the painting,"Mr. and Mrs. Don Key" !
I hope you will enjoy this fun painting as much as I enjoyed painting it.

Happy painting and blessings to all,
Sandra

Friday

Good morning! What a beautiful (and finally) cool weather day for us in southeast TX! Yesterday I worked on cleaning up my studio, organizing my "painting ideas" file, that always seems to get into a mess far too quickly!
I am starting a painting of Monet's, which is something I have wanted to try for years. We can all learn from the old master's, no matter if we are fine artist, or just spectators.
Also, I recently took some new photos of future ideas for still life's. I love photography. It is one of the things that I have found  to be comforting, and spontaneous. If I am not in the mood to paint, or straighten up my studio, I try to grab my camera, and go! Whether it is on a short day trip, weekend getaway, or just in my own back yard, it is always amazing how many "willing" subjects I can find.

Happy painting and blessings to all,
Sandra

Tuesday "Linked" Abstract

My newest creation,"Links", is an abstract, painted in acrylics on a gallery wrapped, 16"x20"x2.5" linen canvas.I have used a bright copper paint, among golds,reds, and browns. It reminds me of all of the autumn colors going on around us right now. The earthy colors create a very soothing mood.
$125.00

Friday

"FRYday"

I seem to be on a roll with the roosters lately. My newest creation is painted in oils,on a 5"x7" stretched linen canvas. Isn't he sassy and the cock of the walk with is bright hues! But, alas, his name is FRYday.
$45.00 plus shipping and insurance.

Blessings and Happy Painting today,
Sandra

Thursday

Good day to all! I am back form my trip to Louisiana, where I am originally from. I had a great visit with family and friends, but it is so good to be back in Texas. There is no place like home, and your own bed! :)
I enjoyed visiting with my younger son's landlord, who is an interior decorator and like minded fine artist. We shared some advice and tips, and talked on and on about our love of fine art. Today I am catching up on chores and other duties that call for my attention. I can hardly wait to get to my studio and paint.All of that beautiful weather outside is passing me by....

Have a blessed day, and Happy Painting to my artist peers,
Sandra

Tuesday

I finally put the last strokes to one of my favorite paintings."Yokohama" is a breed of long tailed roosters with brilliant colors. He is sassy and beautiful, standing boldly among brightly colored fruit and vegetables, leaving the other rooster to take third place! I love bright colors, as they make me feel great! I hope this painting makes you feel great,too.

Happy Painting and Blessings to all,
Sandra

Wednesday

Somedays are not for meant for a paint brush on canvas, or paper, but rather soaking in our world, created by the greatest artist. I am really enjoying this beautiful pre-fall weather. I've been gardening, attented a neighborhood night-out gathering last night, and just paying attention to my surroundings this morning on my early morning stroll. As an artist, I love to pick up a fresh new canvas,my favorite paints, and brushes and "go for it", but today, my canvas is my mind, my eyes are my brushes, and the paint is already there,right where it should be.

Sunday

I am really trying to take advantage of this glorious weather we are having! I went walking before 8 AM today, went to my studio and painted awhile, and had a late lunch with my husband. After that, I ran errands, painted some more, and went walking again at 5:30 PM.

I must be on a rooster kick, as I have started another rooster painting. This one is more detailed than the last one, having two roosters with colorful fruit around them. I also started an abstract using fall colors and lots of texture. So much fun!
Blessings and happy painting,
Sandra

Saturday

This week has flown by.Yes, I have been painting, but can't seem to finish a thing! I have pulled out several older paintings, and touched them up a bit, all the while painting on two new paintings I've started! I am famous for doing that, especially to my dear husband. He never knows what will be hanging on our walls, and what will be removed, and look totally different the next time he sees it (or in some cases, he may never see "it" again)! :) I think that is part of growing as an artist- seeing things differently as you learn what to really look for in your work. I always want to be learning and growing. I had one grandmother who passed 6 months before her 100th birthday. She was still traveling well into her nineties, driving, quilting, gardening, chatting on her cell phone, and always wanting to learn something new. She was such an inspiration to me and so many others!
Also, I was excited to see a check in my mail box today for another one of my paintings. It feels great to know someone loves your work enough to buy it and hang it in their home or work place :)
Blessings and happy painting,
Sandra

Tuesday

Oh, wow, the weather is awesome today! I had errands to run, and chores to do  :(  but, I hurried as fast as I could to finish everything on my to-do list, so I could grab my brushes and paint! I finished my little rooster, so I hope that you will enjoy looking.
Blessings and Happy painting,

Sunday

I'm sorry to have skipped my posting for a few days, but my husband and I took a most welcome trip up to the Texas Hill Country. Not that the leaves were turning their glorious colors yet, nor was it (finally) cooler weather, but because we just needed a break! We stayed in a wonderful B&B that used to be a stagecoach stop-over. The house we stayed in was built in the 1840's. It refreshed me, and I can hardly wait to get back to my painting!
Happy painting to all, and praying blessings are being sent your way,
Sandra

Tuesday

I just finished a lay-in for a small acrylic painting, with heavy impasto, that I hope to work on more tomorrow. I love to switch from oils, to acrylics; maybe a drawing or two, then some pastels every once in awhile. It keeps me motivated! There are so many interesting medias when it comes to art, including collage,pen and ink, charcoal, airbrushing, watercolors. The list goes on and on. So many people say they can't draw or paint. I read an interesting article the other day, that states," When people say they can't draw or paint, what they are really saying is they can't draw or paint realism." This may be true, but with a little effort, most everyone can make something artistic! I can't carry a note of music on the right scale, but I can sing. I just sing to make myself happy. The same goes for art- make yourself happy with what you like to do!Don't worry about what others think or say.

Happy Painting!
SRC

Tuesday

Good morning! I finished up my seascape painting last night. It is in oils, on an 11"x14" stretched canvas. I limited my palette colors, trying to produce a more flowing,peaceful scene. Credit for the photo reference goes to Marion Boddy-Evans.
I named this one "Sand and Sea Horses"

Thursday

Yahoo! I really got some painting in today. It was actually pleasant in my (covered patio) studio. I probably had an hour w/o my A/C on! :) I even went back to my "challenging" Indian painting (the one I said I would hide in a closet for 6 months). I am just too stubborn to give up on anything! I am working on three paintings. I hope they are all what I want them to be!

 Blessings to all, and Happy Painting!

Tuesday

Have you ever had something really give you a hard time, and you were so determined to "beat it", but the harder you tried, the more you failed? Well, I am at the point where I am going to have to say,"You won" to one of my paintings (whatever that really means) Does a painting really fight against an artist? I have worked for many hours on this portrait, and the more I paint on it, the worse it becomes. I have tried allowing it to dry, so the paint won't mix and make mud (that's what happens when you paint with oils and you don't allow your layers to dry).I have tried changing my palette colors, even using the colors and paints suggested by several famous portrait artist;but nothing is helping! I hate to give up on anything, so I will say that I am going to lay this one to the side, (like in my deepest,darkest closet) and start on something new. Maybe 6 months in storage will give me a different perspective on it!
Happy Painting!

Monday

Yeah! I think I have called my longhorn finished. He is rather a big boy, on a large canvas ( 24x30). I used  thick paint in some areas, several large brushes, and changed my mind about so many things, so many times.It is a wonder that I could ever really call him finished. I hope you will enjoy looking at him.
Happy Painting!

Wednesday

No rain today, so I painted for hours on my longhorn. I can hardly wait to finish him. Since he is on oils, I have to be patient! I take lots of digital photos of my paintings in stages, so I can see my work from a different perspective. I do move back, away from my painting at times, take breaks, etc., but I find that seeing the painting on my computer screen shows me my mistakes, and/ or areas that need work a lot more clearer than any other method I have tried so far.

Blessings, and happy painting,
Sandra

Monday

I hope everyone had a blessed Labor Day. I labored in my studio; layering paint on my longhorn! Isn't that sentence rather like a tongue-twister? :) It stormed at my house, and we lost power once, but my husband grilled burgers while I painted. I can hardly wait for him to retire, so I can paint more- if he will cook like he did today- yummy!
Happy Painting!!!

Saturday

Wow, the days fly by! And, when I am painting, the moments fly like a breeze on an April day!
I am working from a photo of a longhorn bull. I don't know whether he is a Texas Longhorn, or another breed, as my husband and I have heard different stories and are looking at different articles on longhorns. It seems there are so many breeds that we didn't know about in the USA! Interesting stuff.
Anyway, I took this big guy's photo on a TX Hill Country getaway a few years back. Right now I have the lay in, but haven't decided whether I want to paint him with a palette knife or brushes!

Tuesday

As you can see, I have finally finished "Gone Hunting". I guess all of this Texas hot weather and humidity has me yearning for cooler weather. I especially loved putting the bright colors on the canvas, and remembering some of my favorite vacations up in the Smokie Mountains of Tennessee.

Monday

Good morning! I spent a good part of my weekend finding,reading, and buying some interesting art books and magazines. I found a great article on how to paint metals; copper,brass, and such. I hope to experiment with the colors recommended by the artist. They even show a small demonstration on how they apply the colors in rings, and then their blending technique. So, I had better get my work done around here and go paint today!
Happy painting everyone, and enjoy a blessed day!

Wednesday

Today, I am making myself  a promise that I will  vacuum and tidy up my studio! I love keeping my home fresh and clean ( just finished cleaning,mopping,etc...smells so good!), but my studio is...well, you should see it.On second thought, maybe not!  Ha! Okay, since I blogged this, I now have to go out there and just do it... after I finish ironing my husband's shirts, finish up that one painting, take a nap, pay the bills... :)

Tuesday

I ran around like crazy today, so I could get my errands over with ( like grocery shopping-ugh) and get to my studio and paint. How time flies when I am painting! I had to rework an area in my autumn painting, over and over, until I felt it was right. Hard work, but I am always learning. Just hope this old mind can remember what I learned the next time that I need it!

Monday

It is another beautiful day to paint! Although, still hot here in southeast Texas, I can almost feel autumn in the air. I am painting a bright autumn scene, with Indian tepees.All of these bright and cheerful colors makes for happy painting :) I hope to post my painting soon. There just aren't enough hours in the day!!!

Friday

I finally got to paint two days in a row! I am working on a fall landscape and my Native American Indian, among several other paintings . I always have at least 5 pieces that I am working on at one time.With oils, as you may already know, it takes time for the lay-in to get "tacky" without making mud. My mind usually has way more than those 5 paintings in it at a time. I am always kidding aroundabout how I'll have to live to be 200 yers old so I can paint everything that I say I am going to paint!
Have a blessed Day.

Note:
Today is the 8th anniversary of my daughter's death. Michelle passed away from ovarian cancer at only 28 years old. If you are a female, and reading this, make sure you go for your regular check-ups with your OB doctor.If you are a male, and reading this, make sure the women in your life go for their regular check-ups. It is always better safe, than sorry.

Tuesday

Well, I finally got online! My computer ( or Internet service) has been acting really crazy lately! I love to get on, check my mail, etc- then get off ASAP because I have so many other things to do- like paint. But, today I have spent a good three hours trying to bring this thing up! Crazy day! Gotta go paint. I am still working on  one of my Native American Indian portrait studies.
Have a blessed Tuesday!

Wednesday

Another beautiful day today! Thanking God the latest tropical storm isn't coming our way, so more time to paint with all of the sunshine coming in through my two walls of windows!
Happy painting everyone!

Monday

Good morning. What a beautiful sunny day to enjoy! I did get a little painting in this weekend. I hope to get out to my studio and paint some more this afternoon. I am working on another American Indian portrait.

Thursday

Just a few chores to catch up on around here, then I am off to my studio to paint,paint,paint!!!
Have a blessed, prosperous, and creative day, everyone (:

Wednesday

I just got back from hanging my first "One Woman Show" at our local coffee shop! I am excited to show my work at different places, as one never knows who will love your work. While hanging my pieces, I got several compliments on my various genres of work, people asking for prices, and my blog site. It feels great, and there aren't too many other highs like someone loving your art!

Monday

I am back on, trying to download some pics of my paintings and (hopefully) make my Blog more interesting! You really can teach an old dog new tricks... :)

Chief Wantabee is my newest painting in oils. I took liberties with a photograph I shot (years ago) of my son,Nathan,who loved to dress up in his American Indian headdress. I really enjoy painting from photos if I can use my artistic license to create from them what I really want to see!

All of my paintings are for sell. I am also taking commisions.

Thursday evening

Wow,this month has really flown by! I still haven't gotten the hang of this Blog-thing (yet), or posting my photos like I want, but I'll get there!
We had the granddaughters for two weeks, and my older son came in, so we've been super busy. I just returned to my studio today,and actually got to paint some.Boy, did that feel great! Hopefully I'll finish the painting that I worked on and post a photo soon! Blessings to all!

My first post

Wow! Thanks to my older son, I am now ready to BLOG for the first time!
I hope that everyone who visits my site will enjoy my art work, as much as I  have enjoyed creating it.
I am just praying hard that none of the "predicted" hurricanes this year make their way into the gulf like some of the bad ones in the recent past, causing evacuations and a lot of damage to our area.