It's raining cats and dogs... by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

I totally enjoy painting pet portraits, in oils, so much! Here are a few of my custom/commissioned pieces. I hope you wil enjoy them.If you'd like your own fur baby's portrait done, for a forever- treasure of your own, please contact me through this blog, or email me with your photos @ sandrasartart777@aol.com

Thank you so much for looking!

Rooster Yard Dog original oil painting on 24" x 30" canvas by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Adding a lose background, and some of the lay-in, using the darkest colors to start building layers of color.

A close-up shot, making sure I am happy with the drawing, and ready to add those bold rooster colors we all love so much!

Coming along on this large canvas oil painting of a brilliantly colored rooster.

Another close-up shot of the handsome rooster, "Yard Dog".

A close-up shot of the finished rooster, showing the wrapped and painted sides- no frame needed!

The finished original oil painting on a wrapped- all sides painted, no frame needed, high quality  24" x 30" x 1.5" canvas. I've taken the liberty to title this big boy,"Yard Dog" because he knows he is so dang handsome, and strong. He is  faithfully watching very carefully for any intruders who might try to seal from his harem in the chicken yard.

Landscape in oils impressionism style on 12" x 24" wrapped canvas

I have already prepped my canvas background with burnt sienna , thinned with turps (odorless turpentine), added a mixer of black, for my darkest "darks", like the trees that will be in the background. Dark pushes things into the background,wile light colors bring things forward. I've mixed some black with cadmium yellow medium to make a good earthy green. I have also added a touch of blue in the sky, still deciding on what blue will work for me. I am using a #5 palette knife, or a medium pointed palette knife. I will also be using a large brilliant #22 paint brush- wide with a fine edge. The copy of a painitg that you can see clipped to the easel is not this painting. I was going to repaint that one again- or something close to it, since it has sold, but I ended up allowing my imagination to take over today with something new.

With the pallet knife, I have scraped downward and to the sides a little, making the paint smoother, but lose. This is not the stage to use thick paint. I've added a small pond, or the illusion of some water using the blues I've selected for the sky colors. My blues are Winsor Newton French Ultramarine blue, Radiant turquoise blue by Gamblin, and WN titanium white- mixed.

As you can quickly see,I have not been great about taking enough photos during the process. I apologize! Sometimes I can stop and take pics, while at other times it is flowing so nicely for me, I forget to stop! I will try harder to take more photos of my steps in painting.

 So, here is my completed and signed painting, for sale, and listed in my Etsy Shop.

A side shot to show how the painting background wraps around the canvas- on all sides. Ready to hang with hooks and wire, no frame needed!

I appreciate you looking and watching as I create. I love painting in oils!


Blessings to you and yours,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
Fine Art

Palette knife landscape original oils on canvas by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

Palette knives were used to make this brilliantly colored landscape, impressionism style. Lots of texture.

 ****Always feel free to click on any of the photos to see an enlargement!

The depth of the 16" x 20" canvas is 1.5", so no frame needed!

Another close-up view of this landscape original oil painting.

A close-up shot showing the lose strokes and scrapes of the palette knife, as I pull it all together.

One last close-up shot,showing off some of the bright and cheerful colors in this original oil painting. I hope you've enjoyed this painting. It is for sale in my Etsy shop, under Sandra Cutrer Fine Art.


In my last blog I mentioned making new beginnings for myself. One of the many changes I will be making is trying to slowly transitioning my name, adding in my maiden name, Reeves, then slowly removing the Cutrer name, since it no longer pertains to my new life. Thank you for reading my blog. Please come back soon.

 Don't forget that I have started a new Facebook page called, "Still Magnolias". Using the word STILL, meaning, although many of us have been BRUISED, BEATEN DOWN in so many different ways mentally, physically, emotionally, or even spiritually by an abusive addict, we are STILL beautiful flowers, blooming and living until the day God picks us and takes us home with him.

Blessings,
Sandra Reeves Cutrer
Fine Art

New beginnings! Impressionism in oils by Sandra Reeves Cutrer

I am trying a new approach to my paintings. I really enjoy the freedom that impressionism style offers. I hope you will enjoy looking!

***Remember, you may click on ANY of my photos to see an enlarged view!

I haven't been blogging for a good while. I've experienced a complete upheaval in my life, going from being with- who I thought was- my soul mate, my best friend for the 25 years, to being single again, living in a new place, new city, and a new state. 

Some people might think this isn't the place for sharing a little of my life, but I say, why not? Life is DANG TOUGH, some people are nothing but cheats,liars,deceivers,adulterers, extremely weak with zero morals, or feelings for others...pure EVIL... and a whole dictionary full of nasty little adjectives... we all know those types, and have had our own personal experiences with a few of  these empty-souls. But, in spite of those few whose interest it is to destroy others, I like to think like Anne Frank, who, living through HELL, locked up for years in a tiny apartment with family- as well as "odd" and quirky strangers, hiding from devils beyond our comprehension, still had the heart and mindset to write in her diary, that she thought most people were still good at heart.

It seems harder to NOT trust people, than to trust them, and our God. Yes, we all make mistakes, but some people only live to create hurt and pain for others. I've ridden this horse before, was thrown off, got back up, and it happened once again. Now I am older, and maybe not very much wiser, because I can't think like those who lie in their beds at night, as the Bible describes, thinking up ways to hurt others. I will say that I am a whole lot sadder for those who are determined to destroy others in their path with selfish motives, and narcissism, because eventually it will catch up with them. Call it karma, call it not mocking God, "Be not deceived, whatsoever a man soweth, that he shall reap." It will come back to bite them, and bite them hard.

So, if you are experiencing anything close to what I have just spilled my guts about, hang in there, chin-up,, and carry on. Be determined that YOUR best is yet to come! 

So, let's toast to a new year, a new style or two of creating art (of any kind), an exciting life, whatever it is you like to do, with a bucket full of exciting dreams, strong-minded hope, forgetting the past, and moving forward to....

 NEW BEGINNINGS!

Front view of impressionism oils on stretched canvas

Up-close shot 

Sides of canvas painted, in case a frame isn't desired.

One more close-up view.