Garden Of The Gods Visitor Center

 

I'm excited to have work displayed at the Garden Of The Gods Visitor Center                                          here in Colorado Springs.  

The show, "Our Natural Splendor", continues through May 16th.   The paintings                                  depict the land and skies found here in the Pikes Peak region. 

Merry Christmas

 

Fresh Snow

Oil  12" x 9"

Recently Sold & sent off to Pennsylvania!

Merry Christmas to you all!  

Thank you to my family, friends, collectors, galleries & followers for all 

of your support and encouragement throughout the year.

River's Bend

River's Bend
plein air oil  12" x 9"
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$395.00 + $10. s/h

Day 2 of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration was another great day!  We painted at DM Ranch.  Here is information from their site:

"The DM Ranch contains three miles of the South Fork of the South  Platte River and associated riparian corridor, a globally rare plant  community, and large meadows that support livestock and hay crops. A  historic survey revealed that 17 structures on the property qualify for  listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The ranch is now  available for public fly-fishing, by reservation only, at South Park Fly Fishers (DM Ranch). 

Conservation easements held by Colorado Open Lands encompass 612  acres of open space comprised of montane grasslands, willow shrubs, and  mixed forest that support a rich diversity of wildlife, including big  game and migratory water birds.

Funding for the conservation easement was provided by Great Outdoors  Colorado, NAWCA, the Colorado Wetlands Initiative Program, and the Park  County Land and Water Trust Fund."

My first painting was along the South Platte River.  I loved the bends and curves of the blue against the willows.
(I might have to re-photo this one..the colors are just a bit too light.)

Old Bristlecone Pine

Old Bristlecone Pine
plein air oil  14" x 11"
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$395.00 + $10. s/h

Earlier this month I participated in the annual South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration in Fairplay, CO. I love this celebration and go every year.  It's a 4 day event where artists paint at ranches and different locations that the committee arranges throughout Park County. Or, you can paint anywhere nearby.  We have mountain property in South Park.  So, for me, I love seeing local ranches and close by locations that I don't know about.

The first day of the event we painting at Bristlecone View Ranch.  We painted there several years ago, so I knew that I wanted to paint one of the old bristlecone pines.

There are three closely related species of bristlecone pines one of which is the:

• "Rocky Mountain bristlecone pine (Pinus aristata) in Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. The most populous species; capable of forming closed canopies and, unlike the other two, is commonly cultivated."  (according to wikipedia)

All three species are long-lived and highly resilient to harsh weather and bad soils, (which definitely describes South Park!)   The oldest bristlecone is more than 5,000 years old making it the oldest known individual of any species.

(more from wikipedia:)  "Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 ft (Fairplay elevation is 9,000 feet) elevation on dolomitic soils.^[4] The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomitic soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive.^[8] Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons,(again, great description of Fairplay)  the trees grow very slowly. Even the tree's needles, which grow in bunches of five, can remain on the tree for forty years, which gives the tree's terminal branches the unique appearance of a long bottle brush."

Glowing Sunrise

Glowing Sunrise
Oil  6" x 8"
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$100.00 + $10. s/h

This is the view out our kitchen.  We look out over an almost 700 acre park.  We are blessed to have this view every morning (at least the mornings I'm up early enough to see the sunrise!)

I love how the warm yellow rays are just starting to touch the far side of the park!

Playa Palm

Playa Palm
Plein air oil. 8” x 6”
$100.00 + $10. S/h
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Playa del Carmen, Mexico is a booming, loud, colorful, vibrant Mexican town.  During all but the hot summer months it is filled with tourists from around the world seeking warmth, beautiful water, and fun.  For my husband and me fun entails warm weather, lots of walking, painting and yoga for me, tennis for him.  All of that is here!

I’ll be posting a few paintings from Mexico and more when when we return to Colorado at the end of January.  I admit, posting on small devices is challenging!

We are lucky to have the opportunity to travel.  We are lucky to have a wonderful house sitter.  

Pond Reflections

Pond Reflections

plein air oil  12" x 9"

SOLD

Earlier this month I participated in the annual South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration in Fairplay, CO. I love this Celebration and go every year.  It's a 4 day event where we can paint at the ranches and different locations the committee arranges.  Or, you can paint anywhere nearby.  We have mountain property in Park County.  So, for me I love seeing local ranches and close by locations that I don't know about.

One of this years locations was Warm Springs Ranch.  It's a former huge, working ranch, which now has several areas of houses and miles of open space.  It was beautiful!  This was one of the many ponds on the ranch.

WAOW -- Women Artists of The West National Juried Show

I'm thrilled that "Field Of Clover" was juried into the Annual Women Artists Of The West
Tallgrass Rendezvous.  This year's exhibition is at Price Tower Arts Center in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.  Stop by and see the show, which is on display through October, if you're in Bartlesville.

Aspen Grove

Aspen Grove
plein air oil  12" x 9"
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Fall is upon us.  I think it's such a beautiful season.  September is a gorgeous month no matter where you are.  I'm not sure that it's possible to be a plein air painter in Colorado and not get out and paint the autumn aspen.  This is a recent painting done in the mountains a bit west of Colorado Springs.

Nearby Meadow

Nearby Meadow
plein air oil  8" x 10"
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was $195.00

November/December Holiday 20% Off Special $174.00

As I do every Holiday season, my paintings are marked down.  While I can't go back and change every post, if there is a painting that you would like, please email me!  

Once again this meadow of sun flowers was at Bear Creek Park, right next to our house.  The sun flowers were amazing this summer and being right out my door I couldn't stay away!  I loved how almost the whole hillside was covered with flowers.  Some years there are only patches of flowers.  Some years there are hillsides of cerulean colored grasses.  Who knows what next summer will bring.  It seems to me that if there were that many sun flowers, that millions of seeds would have fallen to the ground and millions of flowers would return.  Who knows?

Up The Hill

Up The Hill

plein air oil  8" x 6"

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was $100.00

November/December Holiday 20% Off Special $80.00

As I do every Holiday season, my paintings are marked down.  While I can't go back and change every post, if there is a painting that you would like, please email me!  

This painting was done in Stratton Open Space, about 1/2 mile from my house.  The sun flowers in this park were not every where, but grew in random locations.  I focused in on the blooms and yellows at the top of the hill.

Over The Meadow

Over The Meadow

plein air oil  8" x 10"

click here for PayPal

was $195.00

November/December Holiday 20% Off Special $174.00

As I do every Holiday season, my paintings are marked down.  While I can't go back and change every post, if there is a painting that you would like, please email me!  

I have several summer paintings that I haven't posted.  You'll be seeing those the next few days.  The big meadow in Bear Creek Park, right next to our house, was filled with sunflowers this summer.  It was wonderful to paint there.  I did many times while the blooms were out.

Golden Fall

Golden Fall
plein air oil  12" x 12"
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$395.00 + $10. /sh

I love the fall.  The colors are warm, glowing, beautiful.  It seems that no matter where you are autumn is a magical, colorful time.  The leaves are gone now from the aspens here in Colorado.

This plein air was done in September.  I had driven up to the nearby mountains to paint the yellow, gold leaves, but was drawn to the shadows and tree trunks.

In painting, and in life, it's good to be a bit flexible.

On The Ranch

On The Ranch

plein air oil  12" x 12"

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$345.00 + $10.00 s/h

The 2nd day of the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration we painted at the Platte Ranch.  This was a really fun day for me as this is the ranch we used to take our children to to horse back ride when they were little.  The ranch owner has since passed away, but I shared memories of him with his daughter.  

It was sunny and misty in the morning, windy in the afternoon, and rainy by dinner time.  We spent the whole day on the ranch.  One of the great things about this plein air event is that meals are all provided.  They're delivered to us when we're out on a ranch, (or elsewhere).  This night there was a huge ranch barbecue for artists and guests.  And a wonderful cowboy singer!

Below The Dam

Below The Dam

plein air oil  12" x 9"

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$295.00 + $10.00 s/h

This is the 2nd painting from the recent South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration.  The last post was painted from above the dam and Montgomery Reservoir.  For this one I was below the dam.  I love the fall colors.  It is so wonderful to paint near a stream or river and hear the sound of the water while painting.

Mountain Reservoir

Montgomery Reservoir
plein air oil  12" x 9"
SOLD
$295.00 + $10. s/h

Last week I painted in the South Park Plein Air Arts Celebration, in and around Fairplay, Colorado.  I've done this event for 4 years and love it!  It's one of the better plein air events in which I've participated.  Part of the reason I attend is because we have property in South Park and I can stay in our trailer.  But, also, the coordinators of the event go all out, far beyond what I've experienced in other events.

This mountain reservoir, Montgomery Reservoir, is outside of Alma, Colorado.  We painted there Wednesday, the first morning.  There is also an old mine, several water falls, and great willows and ponds below the dam.  The smoke from the fires in Montana and north was blowing over Colorado that week.  Many of the skies were misty and grayed.

Below are mine and water fall pictures:

Small & Wild

Small &Wild

plein air oil  8" x 10"

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$195.00 + $10. s/h

The next few paintings in the sunflower series are also done in Bear Creek Park, but in a field across the street and a bit south from the last two.  I found it very challenging to photograph the painting in the exact yellow.  Anyone else have trouble photoing yellow?  If so, what do you do about it?

The fields of yellow seem to go on and on!  These aren't the large, big-faced sun flowers that one thinks of as sunflowers.  But they're small and grow wild.  They evoke happiness!

Dip In The Meadow

Dip In The Meadow

plein air oil  8" x 10"

SOLD

$195.00 + $10. s/h

This is the 2nd of 5 sunflower paintings that I've done in the last week.  I guess that I'm channeling Van Gogh's sun flowers and Monet's series.  This meadow is along a path that I walk on regularly in near by Bear Creek Park.  I love the way the dip causes movement in the grasses, bushes, and colors. 

The photo below shows my set-up.  This was about the only patch of shade that day.  I focused in on just the dip area and not the whole hill side.  The challenge with this piece was the abundance of color.  Yes, there were lots of sunflowers but also lots of sage, different colored grasses, a variety of bushes, etc.  If I were to go back and paint this again I might try another approach...ie:  simplify all of the grasses and focus on the sunflowers.  What do you think? 

Meadow Of Gold

Meadow Of Gold

plein air oil  8" x 10"

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$195.00 + $10. s/h

We have been having monsoon rains here in Colorado for much of the last 5 weeks.  Our meadows are greener than ever and filled with wild flowers, especially these little sun flowers.

I live near Bear Creek Park, an almost 700 acre county park, which is filled with these flowers right now.  Whole hillsides look yellow from a distance.  It is so beautiful!

Eagle Rock

Eagle Rock
plein air oil  8" x 10"
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$195.00 + $10. s/h

Eagle Rock is tucked away behind Pulpit Rock on the backside of UCCS.  It sits behind the Heller Center For Humanities.  I love all of the hoodoo like spires that protrude from the base.  One can imagine an eagle, or other raptor, perched on a warm rock in the late afternoon looking for dinner.