Mark and Grandpa

I haven't spent a great deal of time painting lately...painting pictures anyway. Painting walls is another story. My good friend Thien commissioned me to paint a surprise gift for her husband for their anniversary. Mark is a beekeeper and was taught the skill by his uncle, aka "Grandpa." The painting depicts an image of Mark and his uncle heading out to check on bee hives.

I always love being part of special surprises such as this one!

If you remember, Mark surprised Thien at Christmas with a painting of one of their favorite places in Seguin. You can check that painting out here.

Wordless Wednesday

For more wordlessness, click here.

 

Golden Sunset

A single scene painted across 2 windows. I sold several of this scene last year.

Mirror Lake

One of my favorite places to explore when I go back home to the Ozarks for a visit, is Blanchard Springs in Arkansas. Every visit has proven to be peaceful and beautiful. Last summer was my husband's first trip to see the place I love so much. I would love to see the area in the fall, abundant with all the colors that autumn brings to the area.
Of course I took many photos of our trip, which can be found here.

When we visited everything was very lush and green. I took photos of the lake, always imagining what it might look like splashed in the colors of fall.

I decided to paint a scene of Mirror Lake (information about the area can be found here) but I decided to use a bit of "artistic license" and painted the image how I have seen it in my mind, abundant with color:

The painting is available on my etsy site here. It is painted on an antique window, also from the Ozarks.

Belize Window

Can you imagine waking up to this view every morning? A friend captured this scene with a camera while on vacation in Belize. This was the scene from their condo. I've been given permission to paint a few images of it from the photograph.

This window is available for sale on my etsy site here.

....Go in peace. Your journey has the LORD’s approval.

Judges 18:6

Florida Pier

Last year I was browsing a Florida friend's facebook photos and ran across one I wanted to paint. I requested permission to lift the photo to use and after receiving it began painting my version of the scene on a window:

... “Be still, and know that I am God...

Psalm 46:10

Harbor

I was so excited when I made my first sale on my etsy site. I was inspired to paint Harbor when some ladies and I were working on decorations for my daughter's debutante ball. One of the decorations was a large mural type backdrop for the entrance to the ball. We painted a scene of a harbor from an old postcard. See the painted backdrop here. As we painted that scene I kept thinking I'd like to paint it again. Soon after I painted the scene on one of my antique windows. I listed it on etsy and it sold rather quickly. "Harbor" now resides in California and it remains one of my favorites.

Prep Work

I haven't accomplished much as far as painting this week. I do have a commissioned window painting I need to work on. My customer, a good friend of mine, had already chosen the window she wanted but wanted the blue paint stripped from it. Saturday found me donning gloves and tackling that chore.

I sprayed the chemical and scraped and scraped.....

Saturday afternoon was beautiful. My husband was also outside, working on his motorcycle. While I was scraping paint he brought horseshoes over and we both took a break to play a round.

My game started GREAT! I scored 3 points and a ringer in the first few tosses! But then quickly lost my touch and hubby stomped me. I blame the gloves I didn't bother taking off. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Break's over, time to scrape more paint!

Eventually, just as it was getting too dark to see what I was doing, I decided I'd removed all that could be removed!

And just in case you ever wondered, paint stripper doesn't strip skin off! Just in case you ever drop some on your exposed toes. Not that I did that or anything!

This window is ready for a new scene! Stay tuned....

Aspen

I just completed a commissioned window painting, from a photograph my customer provided. It's a surprise for her husband and I love being in on these sort of surprise gifts!
I struggled some with the mountains and snow in this scene, but the great thing about painting is how forgiving paint can be and once dry, can easily be painted once more!
Here's the progress of this painting from start to finish:

Time for the Knife!

I'm working on a commissioned window painting of Aspen. Of course Aspen means mountains. I started painting some of them with a brush but hey, mountains are definitely more rugged than what a brush can do! So, time for the knife, the PALETTE knife! Nothing captures a mountain quite like a palette knife:

Sunrise at Highland Lakes

A few years ago I spent a week with the preteens from church as their counselor at preteen camp. While there, I would waken earlier than my girls and have my coffee and quiet time. One morning for quiet time I took my coffee and my camera and walked down behind the tabernacle to see the sunrise. It was so beautiful and amazing to watch the streaks in the sky behind the crosses. I took some photos...which of course later I turned into paintings. Here's the progress of the most recently painted window containing the scene:

Norfork River

When my husband and I take trips back to my hometown, one of our new favorite pasttimes while there is to go canoing with friends along the Norfork River.

Our first trip canoing together was one day of my 20th high school class reunion. We've been hooked ever since.

One such trip down the river inspired this painting, which is available for sale on my etsy site:

Pottersville Church

This particular painting is a church I've painted a few times. It's an old abandoned church not far from my childhood home. My grandmother used to tell stories of attending this church. Although I have no memories of ever attending here, her stories make it a place dear to my heart.

As I posted progress pictures of the first painting of it I loved hearing feedback from facebook friends who had special memories of the church.

This is the first window I painted of the church:

This particular painted window recently was up for an auction to raise money for missions:

Saffold Dam

In November my painted windows were on display at a local coffee shop downtown. In the months leading up to the show I was very busy painting as many windows as I could to fill the shop. One of my favorites was one I planned to use as a focal point of the show: a painting of a nearby favorite location. As soon as I posted the finished painting on facebook a friend contacted me wishing to purchase it. When I explained I had hoped to display it at the show, he purchased it and let me use it in the show. He wanted the painting for a suprise Christmas gift for his wife, my friend Thien, who blogs here. It was so fun anticipating her reaction to his gift!

Both Thien and her husband Mark watched the progress of the painting as I posted photos on facebook. Thien just never knew it would soon be hers!

It was an honor for me that they wanted one of my windows hanging in their beautiful home. Apparently this favorite spot of mine, is a favorite of theirs as well!

Davis Creek Church

After a much too-long absence from blogging, here I am once more. Only this time, I have a brand new blog. I may still try to find the time to post on my other blog, but for now my heart is right here.


Last year, after a 2 year break of no painting, I picked up my paintbrushes again. I'll never know why I went so long without painting. It just felt so right, having a paintbrush in my hand, a project on the easel, and paint under my nails and on my jeans.


It is my plan to showcase past and current works here, and even to let you see the progress of many projects. And maybe, as new ideas surface,I'll let you in on them first right here.


I'm also in the midst of getting available paintings for sale uploaded to my etsy site. Keep checking back there because I'm not quite finished with that task yet either and there may just be something for you there.


In the mean time I'll let you see the progress of a painting that is near and dear to my heart. I began painting antique windows a few years ago. This particular project is a recent window painting. My husband and I found some old windows at my Grandpa's place in Missouri the  last time we went to visit. I brought them home, and selected this one. I taped it and prepared it for painting:

I decided to paint a sepia painting of an old church on this window; the church I grew up in; the church where my parents were married; where I met my Lord and Savior; where my grandfather was baptised; where my aunt attended school.

I considered posting the finished painting for sale when it was completed but my husband said, "you can't sell this one. It's your Grandpa's window, and the church where you grew up. This one, you should keep." I think he's right.

So as of a few days ago, this painting now resides in my living room:

I think it looks as if it was made for that corner, don't you?