Avery

 8"X10" oil on panel SOLD

This is my friend Darlene's precious granddaughter, Avery.
Thank you, Darlene for the adorable reference!

"Winston"

8 x 10" oil on canvas panel SOLD

This is Winston. It is a tribute painting for a friend
to give as a gift to his owner. I don't have any
background info, other than he was dearly beloved
and terribly missed.

Kshama

6 x 6" Oil on Canvas SOLD

This is Kshama, another gorgeous tiger who resides
at In Sync Exotics Rescue. She is one of the fortunate
few to end up at this incredible refuge.

Please take a moment to visit their website and Blog to
read about the wonderful work these angels do for all
species of exotic cats. Donations are always needed and go
a long way in assuring the health and comfort of the animals.

Party Animal IV

6 x 6"
oil on canvas panel SOLD

This little party girl doesn't seem too happy about
it, but then, every party needs a Wallflower. She
belongs to fellow Artist and Pug-lover Nancy Medina.
Thanks Nancy for the use of your photo!

Here's a little background information from Nancy:
"This is Winnifred Wigglepants, my most precious girl
I lost to GME encephalitis 3 years ago. This is the outfit
she was wearing the day she won the silver cup at the
Spring Bonnet Contest for the Bluebonnet Pug Club of Texas.

Winnie Wiggles was a diva in every sense of the word, and
finished in the show ring as a full champion before we adopted
her to give her a family home for her retirement. Winnie Wiggles
was my little velcro muffin, she was small, but mighty, and an old
soul who I was so honored to have in my heart and my life. One
of her sons went on to become one of the top 10 pugs in the nation,
and I have her brother, Howard Pee Pugpants, here with me today,
to remind me every day of how special she was."

Party Animal III

6 x 6" oil on canvas panel

Contact Dutch Art Gallery
214-348-7350

Party's on! Here comes another little guest.
I think it's so funny that these little dogs are
completely oblivious to how ridiculous they look!

Party Animal II

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel

Contact Dutch Art Gallery
214-348-7350

This little guy looks like he really knows how to
party and can't wait to get to the action! He's only
the second in the Series but I think he's already my
favorite.

I only have a few more references for the Series so
if any of you or your friends have some silly pet
photos, please send them my way!

Grumpy

16 X 20 oil on canvas
nfs

This big guy isn't part of my Party Animal Series,
but he could have been with that personality!

Grumpy was a beautiful 20 year old Tiger who past
away this last summer. He belonged to the wonderful
angels at In-Sync Exotics Animal Rescue in Wylie, TX.
They are a non-profit that is the last hope for these
exquisite rescued animals.

They acquired Grumpy in the summer of 2010. He was part
of the "Leona 6", 6 Big Cats that were rescued from deplorable
living conditions in Leona, TX. Although Grumpy only lived
another year, his last year was spent in comfort and happiness
for the first time in his life.

I am excited to say that I have received permission from the
owners of In-Sync to paint more of their beautiful cats. I will
try to figure out how to link a Donation button, but until then,
please hit the link above and visit their Website and Blog.

Party Animal

6 X 6" oil on canvas panel SOLD

This little kitty looks like she's saying "Where's the
party? Am I late...and the only Feline?"

I hope to make this a new series called "Party Animals".
If any of you have photos of your pets wearing this sort
of festive collar, please email them to me!
gwen347@gmail.com

"Nectarine Reflection"

10 x 10" oil on canvas panel SOLD

I've been wanting to paint this dark brown cup for
the longest time and finally found the fabric to go
with it.

You know how I am about food props. This nectarine
barely had time to touch the ground before I gobbled
it up!

"Savory Roots"

10 x 10" oil on canvas panel SOLD

This combo didn't last long. It's Spaghetti Sauce now! 

The purple thing that looks like a beet is a red onion.

Don't know why it was shaped that way but it was and
you know how that goes...paint what you see.

"Milk & Cherries"

10 x 10" oil on canvas panel
$300.
ships from The Dutch Art Gallery

This painting started out a little bit differently. It
was a dress. I don't know what possessed me to
take on a dress (with an invisible zipper...and lining)
after nearly 30 years of not sewing. It was a disaster!
But I did need some fabric to go with this bright red cup,
so not all was a loss.

"Radiant Turquoise"

6 x 6" oil on canvas panel SOLD

The thing that kept popping in my head over and over
as I painted this was "Take better care of your toys!"

It's a life long bad habit. I must say I'm better with the
brushes than I used to be. The ones pictured are at least
6 months old. They are Dinosaurs compared to the old
days when I would forget to wash them and return to
find them petrified with dried paint. Acrylic at the time.
Eeeeeewwwww!

~ Submission for DPW's "Paint What You Paint With"
Challenge. Better late than never!

"Missing Slice"

10 x 10" oil on canvas panel
$300.
ships from The Dutch Art Gallery

At first glance the missing slice might be obvious.
It's on the table, right? But on closer inspection,
the missing slice is actually on the apple.

When I was doing the set up, as usual, I got hungry
for a little taste of what I was painting. I took another
sliver off of the apple and continued painting. It was
only after I was well into the painting that I realized
that the slice on the table no longer matched the
slice out of the apple. Duh! Of course it changed it!
There was no going back. I tried to paint it back in
but it looked all wrong, so I returned it to it's original
missing piece.
No excuse, it was a case of stomach over mind.

"Mango Salsa"

10 x 10" oil on canvas panel
$300.
ships from The Dutch Gallery

Well, slowly but surely I'm getting back in the groove.
Feels good to be painting again.

It's hotter-n-blazes here in Big D and nothing cools
you off quite like Mango Salsa. I forgot to add the
Chilies and lime to the composition, but not in the
real deal. Also, you're really supposed to use Jalepanos
and Cilantro in the recipe, however, this time I tried
it with little Thai Chilies and Basil. It was still yummy!

"Watermelon Reflections"

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel
$75. +10. s/h
email me for international rates

This DPW Challenge was...well...challenging! The
assignment was to paint the image upside down.
If that wasn't hard enough, there was the additional
challenge of painting it reflected in glass.

I've done this kind of thing before but mainly with
drawing skills. Viewing a subject upside down makes
the negative areas pop out in ways the eye doesn't
ordinarily discern. It's a great exercise for practicing
portraying what you see and not what your brain tells
you it should look like. If you've never done it, try it
sometime. The results will amaze you!

"Balancing Act"

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel SOLD

Finally...a new painting! It seems like ages since I've
painted something new. This is my submission for
the latest DPW Challenge . I found it to be a fun subject.

I tried doing this composition on my usual patterned
background but it didn't work out at all. It was busy
enough with all of the cups. Must admit it was MUCH
less labor intensive. Maybe I'll stick with simple
backgrounds until I get my chops back.

"Japanese Maple & Orange" revisited

10 x 10 oil on canvas SOLD

When, oh, when will this painters block END???
I've gone from patiently waiting to abject panic.
Maybe the Painting Fairy, or Muse, or wherever
the magic comes from, has permanently left the
building. *sigh* If it doesn't end soon I'm going to
have to think about... dare I say it... getting a
real job. Ooooooh. That gives me chills. Never
mind. I think I'll hang on a little bit longer.

What is the longest some of you have gone without
feeling the urge to paint? For me, it is usually like the
need to eat, constantly there, so this is very strange.

"Mr. Pepper" revisited

6 x 6 oil on masonite nfs

This little piggy was one of the first paintings I
posted 2 years ago when I started my Blog. He
and his piggy wife, Salt, belonged to my dear
Grandma. I played with them for hours on end
and still consider them to be among my most
prized possessions. I know...weird. Let's just say
it doesn't take much to make me happy!

"Green Frisbee" revisted

6 x 6 oil on masonite SOLD

I painted this precious little boy several years ago.
He was playing Frisbee at the park with his Dad. Or
at least his Dad was trying to play with him. The little
boy was so mesmerized by the Frisbee itself that he
didn't want to throw it back. I like to think he was a
budding artist and was checking out how cool the light
looked reflecting on that bright green!

"Asian Delight" revisited

8 x 8 oil on canvas panel SOLD

I had completely forgotten about this Sake cup.
It is so cute so I don't know why I only painted
it this one time. As I remember, this painting
was also what got me going on objects reflected
in other objects, an exercise that I still find to
be infinitely rewarding.

"Odd Man Out" revisited

6 x 6" oil on canvas panel SOLD

Gosh, I feel like a broken record. I'm STILL not
able to paint! Hope you don't mind seeing yet
another painting from a while back until I can
get my brush in gear.

"Egg & Ginger Tea" for Japan

6 x 6" oil on canvas panel SOLD

This is my submission for the daily paintworks Japan
challenge. All of the proceeds from this painting will
go to the Japanese Red Cross. You can bid on the
painting at the DPO site. I painted this a few months
ago but thought it fit the "Home" theme since it includes
my Mom's antique teacup which is very special to me.
I love knowing that the proceeds are going to
such a worthy cause.

The bid for this painting starts at $75.00. There are many
beautiful paintings on the site. Together we can give a little
relief to the grief in Japan!

"Sliced Pears" revisited

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel
$125.
contact The Dutch Art Gallery
dutchart1@aol.com
214-348-7350

Yep...still crazy around here, so I'm posting yet
another older painting. 2 more days of moving my
sister, then a garage sale, then hopefully I'll be
able to get back to painting sometime next week.

Although I didn't get a chance to participate in this
weeks DPW Challenge, "The Color Of White", I
thought I would at least post a painting that reflects
the subject. I am bummed at missing this one since
reflecting patterns in shiny objects is sort of my thing.

"Modi"

8 x 10" graphite on paper nfs

This is a drawing of my gorgeous friend, Modi. I did it
years ago before I ever thought about painting or Blogging.
I am so glad I took the opportunity to draw her, here in her
native Ethiopian dress, because we've lost touch over the
years. She has the most incredible bone structure of anyone
I've ever known! I always told her she reminded me of the
model Iman although she modestly never acknowledged her
own striking beauty.

I am back to posting older work again for a while. What a
crazy year it's been already! This week and next I'm helping
my sister and brother-in-law pack and move. That girl has
some stuff! The entire day yesterday was spent going through
her clothes closets and prying hangers from her fingers. In the
end, I must say, she did very well and let go of a stack that
piled 4 feet high, some of which dated back to the 80's.

I was the fortunate recipient of some of the wardrobe
she was purging. I've always called her my Fairy Godmother
because she has outfits for any occasion imaginable. Luckily
for me, we wear the same size. I, on the other hand, am a
Minimalist and have what I call "uniforms"...mainly covered in
paint. I wear the same old things over and over and over and
over until they either wear out or get paint on them, then I buy
more. I thoroughly expect those rude people from "What Not To
Wear" to show up on my doorstep and abduct me along with
my hideous clothes!

"Orange Scissors & Oranges"

6 x 6" oil on canvas panel SOLD

Here's this weeks submission for the DPW Challenge.
This time it was Carol's "one color per stroke" exercise.
Quite the challenge! I stuck to the rules with the
exception of switching to a smaller brush around the
tighter areas.

I must say it was a very nice...and much needed change...
to do a plain background. The crazy patterned backgrounds
have become my signature, but every once in a while it's
a nice to take a break from them. I had forgotten how much
time they take. This seemed like a breeze in comparison!

"Orange Reflection" revisited

12 x 12 oil on masonite SOLD

I'm having a crazy week and haven't been able to
paint anything new. From the looks of it, it may be
next week before I can get back to work, so in the
meantime, here's a revisit of an older painting. Keeping
my fingers crossed that I'll be back at it sooner rather
than later!

"Story Time"

6 x 6" oil on canvas panel
$75.+10 s/h
email me for international rates.

Here's a little different take on this weeks 10 minute
Challenge on Daily Paintworks. I decided to do them
in a way that it could be turned into a finished painting.

These kinds of exercises are always so helpful! Painting
the same subject again and again...and very quickly...
really helps zero in on the basic values. The actual painting
of the oranges took roughly 10 minutes and the background
another 10.

"Almost Guacamole"

10 x 10 oil on canvas panel SOLD

This is almost Guacamole...but not quite. I forgot
to include the lime and onions. We Texans are purists
when it comes to our Guacamole. No fancy sauces or
Mayo added. Just lots and lots of creamy Avocados.
Sometimes I add some garlic but for the most part, it's
just the basics. It's still crazy cold here so I'm about to
make some nice hot Nachos with plenty of cheese and
homemade Guacamole. YUM!

"Pass The Cherries"

10 x 10" oil on canvas panel
$300.
ships from The Dutch Art Gallery

I've painted these little elephants before but they
are so cute that I just had to do it again. This time I
thought I'd get playful with them and let them toss
around some toys.

"Big Red"

6 x 6 oil on canvas panel
$125. framed

This is my first palette knife painting. I've voiced my
concern about getting too tight with all of the wild
patterns I usually paint. Several have suggested that
I force the issue with some palette knife work. Today
was the day. I took a deep breath, loaded that knife
and went for it! It was so liberating! I thoroughly enjoyed
it and will definitely try it again.

While I have always appreciated palette knife paintings,
now I have a brand new admiration for the skilled
Artists who use this form as their standard style!