New Paintings for March

After taking a month off, I have gotten four new pieces of art completed.

This first one is 16x20, and I have been working on it off and on since January.It was painted from photos I took of Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Highway) in Big Sur in 2008. It is called, "Pacific Coast Highway".  I have it hung in the "Angels' Little Kisses" store and it is selling for  $125.00. I have created a store on Facebook where I am offering my paintings with free shipping. I am not including frames, as that adds significantly to the cost of shipping. 

The second painting resulted when I used leftover paint to do the background on a new canvas. I liked the blending of the oranges and yellows so much I just started painting as though it were light on the trees at sunrise. It is called "Catskill Creek" because it really reminds me of the Catskills that we lived near for 20 some years. It was a joy to paint, and is 11x14. It's priced at $80.00.

The third one I worked on also since January, and although it was a labor of love, it was very difficult for me for some reason. I wanted this one to be somber as opposed to the glory of the resurrection atmosphere I wanted for the one I did in December, although the subject is really the same. This one is called "Good Friday" and it is 24x36. I am not offering this one on my facebook site because it is too big to ship without oversize charges. I price it in the store at $225.00.

The final one started when I taught a short workshop on the method I use to paint the background for my paintings.  I really was having fun- and after the workshop, one of the participants was looking through  items that were in the "Freebie" box. She found some lace circles and some fabric sort of like pellon in pink. I put it on my still wet canvas and painted over it- it was so much fun!  I had brought a small still life of a couple of pots of artificial flowers so that's what I painted the image of. This work is 16x20 and I have it in the store for $100.00.

So there is what I've been up to the last couple of months. Having fun lol. I start again on the works for May (I'm going to be gone to the Holy Land for much of the rest of this month.)

December Gallery Paintings

December First Friday was interesting. If it had been possible, I should have been in two places at once. I spent it at Angels' Little Kisses- my friend Linda's new shop in downtown Fredericksburg. Meanwhile, the Gallery at 915 had their opening. I have currently 10 paintings at the Gallery, while I have 16 at Angel's Little Kisses. I am trying to help Linda build her traffic to her new store, so I spent the evening there. We are sort of learning as we go along about promoting the art that we have hung there.

Here are the new works at the Gallery at 915: Four are small- 8x10 and 4x6, and six are 18x24. All are acrylic on canvas, except the first one, which is on canvas board.

Here are the pictures.

This one is 18x24 and is called, simply, "Holy Family". My son asked me to paint a picture of the Cross on Calvary, so after I did that I kept thinking of trying to paint figures (which terrify me) in another religiously inspired painting. This was the result. The figures are deliberately painted without faces - as I have no idea what Mary, Joseph and the Babe looked like. The focus is not on their faces, but the event that the figures symbolize.

In that same vein, at church one day I saw an icon painting that our Pastor did of Miriam (Moses' sister). I had just painted a background for my next painting. All of a sudden I could see it as a background for a painting of Miriam and Moses. So I painted it as I visualized it. This one is 18x24 inches.

This one is called "Roses, Roses". I painted this one because when I did the background, it seemed like I could see a garden of some sorts in the distance. So I went with that. It just developed into a whole lot of roses.

Two of the paintings are paintings left in the show from last month: "Moonlight Glow" and "A Riot Of Flowers". The file in a sixth painting got corrupted and I need to retake it when I go to the gallery next week. It's 18x24 in size.

There are four smaller abstract paintings: The first three are in a series of abstracts. They are 8x10 inches.

The fourth small painting is 8x6 inches. 

I have also been painting gifts for my family, which I will post later this month.

A website to offer my art for sale

Click the image to visit my new "Painterly Palette" site where you can view my art all together. Currently, I just have my acrylic paintings listed.

A New Venue To Display My Art...

A friend of mine has a shop that just opened (actually RE-opened) here in Fredericksburg. She has named her new shop "Angels Little Kisses".Angels Little Kisses offers fine baby items and also giftable items for mothers, religious items, and (as of last week) some of my paintings as well.
Not all are visible in this photo but you can see generally how she has them displayed. Her shop has a newly inaugurated blog, as well: http://angelslittlekisses.blogspot.com  Please visit her blog and say hello :-)

Something Different-- Beaded Treasure Christmas Ornaments

This year, The Gallery at 915 is doing a holiday tree with giftable art at giftable prices. Many of these items will be able to do "double duty" as ornaments but also as wearable art, home decor, etc. I have two types of ornaments that will be on display. The first are ornaments made out of jewelry components. These will be ornaments that might be also used as either (or both) suncatchers or earrings, or necklaces and/or bracelets.

The materials used to make these are gold or silver colored findings, Mother of Pearl frame beads, Celestial Crystal and seed beads as well as (occasionally) opaque glass beads. They cost $6.00 a piece or two for $10.00 in case earrings are the intended use. I will include earring bullets, or a suncatcher suction cup, if desired. The following are some images of those ornaments:

Publish Post

My October Gallery Paintings

I just realized I never put my October paintings on this blog. So here goes. There were six. My work has been moving toward an Expressionistic style. Good bad, or indifferent, that's what's been in my head lately lol.

"Blizzard of '75"

This first one is called "Blizzard of '75". Some have told me they see a blue dancer in it, but the purpose was to paint something reminiscent of a snow storm.

The next one is

Daisies Looking In

This next one is 

"Windblown"

The inspiration for it was a windy day in the garden when all the colors seem to blur a bit and there is that excited feel in the air.

Carolina Air

This one is Carolina Air, inspired from our days living in North Carolina, although it really reminds me more of South Carolina winters than North Carolina in a way.

"A View From A Southwestern Garden"

This one is "A View From A Southwestern Garden". Inspired by our days living in New Mexico.

"Snowed Last Night"

This final one is "Snowed Last Night"-- I love the way the landscape looks with fresh snow on the ground, especially early in the season, when the snows are light and there are sometimes some of the leaves still on the trees. This is my rendition of one of those mornings when you wake up and the world has been transformed.

November Gallery Paintings

November's First Friday has come and gone. It was a wonderful evening with great music, a wonderful featured artist, and good comments on my newest works, which are tending currently toward the expressionist style. Here they are:

"Moonlight Glow"

I have had this painting in my head for a while. I'm actually thinking of doing a series on it, as I have a few other ideas along that line as well. I wrote a poem to go with it:

Moonlight Glow

Moonlight spreads gold and silver on the sea

It illumines her waves, as they sparkle with glee

Now, the sea ripples and laps at the land

The beach dares the breezes to tickle the sand

And the winds whisper to the waves to tumble and leap

Who slap at the dunes (that aren't very steep)

So Night's games go on, till, day arrives on the scene

Moon hides her glow till again she is queen.  

-- Margaret Bena Wickham 2010

The next painting was inspired by a walk through a forest, when I happened upon a lovely little copse where flowers were blooming. It was fragrant and peaceful. This is the result. 

 Woodland Garden

The next one also has a poem to go with it.

Autumn Arrives

Autumn Arrives

Autumn arrives with her retinue

Of brilliant leaves of blazing hue

Who dance their swan song in graceful flutter

Down, drifting down, the lawn to clutter

Then washed by rains, and melting snow

Will dance again when spring breezes blow 

     -- Margaret Bena Wickham 2010

Here is the final one: 

A Riot of Flowers

I'm finding that I am tending (at least right now) toward an expressionistic style of painting. I feel I'm learning a lot. Don't know if I will go back to realistic painting or not.