Veterans Day

Veterans Day
Oil  8" x 8"
$195.00 + $10. s/h
SOLD

I started this piece earlier this week on Election Day.  It seemed appropriate to post it on Veterans Day.     This is the flag that my dad received for his dad's service to our country.  My dad passed it down to my son.  I have painted and posted it before.

While today, Saturday, isn't Veterans Day, today is the big Veterans Day Parade in downtown Colorado Springs.  We have a lot of Vets here as the military is a strong presence in the town with Fort Carson, NORAD, Peterson Field, Schriever Air Force Base, and the Air Force Academy.  Many Vets stay and make Colorado Springs their home and many Vets return to live here when they retire.  Sunday is the actual Veteran's Day but it is observed on Monday with closures in all of the government buildings as well as our local schools.

I come from a family of Veterans.  I'll introduce you to some of them:

This is my mom, Rosalie Phillips Johnson (1921-1971).  She became a pilot after college.  She served in WWII as a WASP, Women's Air Force Service Pilot.   The WASPs flew new planes from factories to embarcation air fields where they were either flown or shipped overseas.

My dad, Oliver Sidney Johnson (1920-2004), is on the far left in the back row.  He served in WWII as a radio operator and machine gunner on B-24s and B-17s in the 490th Bomb Group flying out of England.

My grandfather, Charles Thomas Johnson, (1890-1964) is the one circled.  He served in WWI and also was a Colonel in WWII.  This is General Patton's staff (you may recognize him in the front row.)  I can't imagine how it must have been for my grandma to have her husband and only child both in Europe during the war.  She also served our country as an ambulance driver taking soldiers from Midway airport to the hospital.

My husband Peter's parents were also Veterans.  They both served in the Navy.  This is their engagement photo.  My father-in-law, Peter Carl Holnback, was a fighter pilot in the Pacific.  My mother-in-law, Olive Hird Holnback, was a WAVE:  Women Accepted for Voluntary 

Emergency Service.

The Sign of Morning

The Sign of Morning
8" x 8"  Oil
Commission - SOLD

This rooster has just been sent off to California.  It was painted for a woman who wanted a rooster piece in her kitchen.  I hope she likes it!  This strutter lives locally at the Rock Ledge Ranch.

Traditionally, in the philosophy of the Chinese Zodiac, one of the symbols of the rooster is showy behavior.  And, that they lead other birds in the flock to the food that they have found.  Hmmm....I think that I would prefer if they were more dignified and pushed and encouraged the flock to search for it's own food.

Fading Away

Santa Fe Fling

Fading Away
6" x 6"  Oil
$100.00 + $10 s/h

SOLD

Here's my Santa Fe Fling post for this Monday!  I love the way the paint on this door is just Fading Away!  Someday it might get repainted, but I hope not!

Last week I was going through another cleaning phase.  My studio used to be our dining room, which means there isn't a closet.  So, everything is on shelves or in china cabinets (the china that we inherited from my husband's grandmother is now in the pantry).  We all need to purge at times, so I was going through the top shelf where I have old studies, workshop paintings and pieces from the past.  When, lo and behold there in front of me was a painting from a workshop about ten years ago when I first started painting...

I think it's the same house!  I was not painting from my own photos, and don't recall how I got this photo, but....the door is so similar.  I guess I've aways loved these old doors.  It looks like there was a bit more paint on the bottom of the door ten years ago.  The tree on the left is gone, there was a car parked there last month.  Interesting!

And, click on Kelley MacDonald's blog to see her weekly Santa Fe Fling piece!  Check out all of her work on her blog!  

Heavenly Blue

Heavenly Blue

Oil 5" x 7"

$100.00 + $10. s/h

This is the second of four sunrise pieces that I painted last week.  I truly am grateful that I look at this view.  This mornings sunrise was a good one, beautiful blue-violets and oranges.  Maybe you'll see it one day!

Sit and Watch

Sit and Watch

Oil  5" x 7"

$100.00 + $10. s/h

On the mornings when I get up early enough, this is the view out of our kitchen deck doors (although, the trees have grown and I do see a bit less than this!)  I don't need to be in a hurry to get anywhere, so when the sunrise is spectacular, as it often is, I try to just sit and watch it while enjoying my morning cup of coffee. 

 

I have posted many morning sunrises on my blog.  I painted this sunrise, and 3 other skies last week.  It was the perfect time for me to paint them as it fit in with the DPW weekly challenge, which was "skies".  And, I sold 5 sky paintings at Summerland Gardens, Gifts and Gallery.  All in all a good week!  Beautiful sunrises here in Colorado Springs, great sales, and time to Sit and Watch!

Old Wooden Door

Santa Fe Fling

Old Wooden Door

Oil 6" x 6"

$100.00 + $10. s/h

I loved this old house and door on Canyon Road in Santa Fe.  Canyon Road has lots of great galleries, but it has wonderful architecture.  Every building is unique, every tucked away garden makes you want to sit and rest, every door makes you want to push it open.

In case you missed last Mondays intro to our Santa Fe Fling, here's a re-cap of what I posted then:  Santa Fe is famous for many things, one of them being its' old adobe architecture and wooden doors.  I've been there many times, it's just under five hours from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe.  I was there most recently several weeks ago for a workshop.  While there I headed to Canyon Road several times.  I photoed doors and buildings on that road as well as in several neighborhoods while driving around with Kelley MacDonald.

Kelley and I became friends four years ago in Santa Fe at a workshop, saw each other again two years ago in Austin at a workshop, and again last month.  (Many of the same people were in all three workshops...we planned it that way!)  We both love the doors and buildings, said that we wanted to paint them, got to talking about it and we're both going to be posting our Santa Fe influenced pieces every Monday.  So, hope you like these doors, and look for our next "Santa Fe Fling" paintings next week!

Here's Kelley's door:

Early Fall Morning

Early Fall Morning
Oil  9" x 12"
$195.00 + $10. s/h

This is about the same spot as the painting I posted on September 23rd.  There's a spring that bubbles up out of the ground making the soil spongey and soft.  The water then flows to meet up with the South Platte River.  I love the warm fall colors.  I think it's my favorite time to paint.

Let's Peek Inside!

Santa Fe Fling

Let's Peek Inside!
8" x 6"  Oil
SOLD

Santa Fe is famous for many things, one of them being its' old adobe architecture and wooden doors.  I've been there many times, it's just under five hours from Colorado Springs to Santa Fe.  I was there most recently several weeks ago for a workshop.  While there I headed to Canyon Road several times.  I photoed doors and buildings on that road as well as in several neighborhoods while driving around with Kelley MacDonald.

Kelley and I became friends four years ago in Santa Fe at a workshop, saw each other again two years ago in Austin at a workshop, and again last month.  (Many of the same people were in all three workshops...we planned it that way!)  We both love the doors and buildings, said that we wanted to paint them, got to talking about it and we're both going to be posting our Santa Fe influenced pieces every Monday.  So, hope you like these doors, and look for our next "Santa Fe Fling" paintings next week!

Here's Kelley's door!  But you've got to go to her blog!  Her paintings are wonderful!

Great September Day

Great September Day

Oil  6" x 8"

$100.00 + $10. s/h

SOLD

Autumn is my favorite season.  I love the weather.  I love the cool Colorado nights.  I love the warm colors in the landscapes.  September is usually gorgeous here, and this year was no exception.  October has been equally as beautiful.  We've had incredible, warm days for several weeks!

Jewel of a Flower - Coreopsis # 2

Jewel of a Flower - Coreopsis #2
6" x 6"  Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h

SOLD

I often paint two or three of the same subject at a time.  That certainly makes sense with flowers, as they're blooming at the same time.  I think that coreopsises (not sure what the plural would be...coreopsisi?)  look like little jewels dancing around the garden.

While there aren't many flowers left in our yard, the weather here in Colorado Springs has been unbelievable this week.  Our altitude is 6,000 feet, so October can be beautiful, or it can already be winter!

We live right next to Bear Creek Park, an almost 700 acre county park.  This is what it looks like right now:

I love this sign!   Do the park officials really think that the deer will stay on this path??!!

Corepsis

Coreopsis

6" x 6"  Oil

$100.00 + $10. s/h

I painted this coreopsis in September.  I think that they look great in a garden, adding a strong, wonderful yellow border.

Here they are in two different spots in our garden (earlier in the summer).

South Platte Valley

South Platte Valley
11" x 14"  Oil
$295.00 + $10. s/h

This little valley is tucked away by the South Platte River.  Occasionally when there we see a few other people, usually fly fisherman.  But more often than not we're the only people around.

Glow Over Buffalo Peak

Glow Over Buffalo Peak
6" x 8" Oil
SOLD

This is the view we have up in the mountains.  I've painted Buffalo Peak, and this view, countless times;  different times of day, different months, different seasons, different weather conditions.  Each time the sky and the clouds are completely different.  Each painting is so different from the others.

I can truly see how Monet could paint Rouen Cathedral in so many different colors, values, and seasons. Although, have you ever really looked at his Rouen Cathedral paintings?  The drawing part is so similar in each one.  It makes me wonder if he sketched out the Cathedral many times on many canvases and had them all ready to paint.  Does any one know?  Any thoughts?

Figure Color Study

Figure Color Study
8" x 6"  Oil
$75.00 + $10. s/h

I did this color study the other day while visiting Studio Incamminati in Philadelphia.  I sat in on a class that my sister, Natalie Italiano, was teaching.  The color class teaches seeing the light hitting the figure (or form) and how that light changes the local color;  making strong color statements; and constantly comparing one color mass to surrounding color masses.  Some of the points about color:  color masses are painted in in relationship to the masses next to  them;  learn to see color by looking at color relationships;  in a color study start with the brightest, easiest to see color.

I've been painting this week in my sister's studio and will post some of the pictures soon.    

Cascade Bell Tower

Cascade Bell Tower
8"x 6"  Oil
$75.00 + $10. s/h

Last week my plain air group painted in Cascade, a town just a few miles west of Colorado Springs.  I loved the light on the chapel bell tower.

Labor Day

Labor Day
8" x 8"  Oil on cradled panel
$195.00 + $10. s/h
SOLD

Today is Labor Day.  I thought that was a great day to post a recent flag painting.  I have painted and posted this flag before.  It's the flag my dad received for his dad's service to our country.  My grandfather served in both WWI and WWII.  This flag has been passed down to our son.

Labor Day is a day that was originally intended to celebrate the American worker.  Now it seems more to represent the end of summer.  I thought it also a great day to post our flag as a few days ago the Republican National Convention ended and this week the Democratic Nation Convention begins.  And, no matter what party we belong to, or what candidate we support, we can all agree that we as people need to do something to increase jobs and help the American worker.  So, again, this painting seems great to post today.  Here's to celebrating the "American worker."  Happy Labor Day!

Beautiful Morning

Beautiful Morning
9" x 12"  Oil
$145.00 + $10. s/h

This is the view from our kitchen deck, minus the fence around the back yard and shrinking the trees a bit.  I have painted this same scene many times; I did a whole series of this sunrise on small 5" x 7" panels.  

Western Slope

Western Slope
11" x 14"  Oil
$245.00 + $10. s/h

This is from a trip last October through the Western Slope (the other side of Colorado.)  I realized that I hadn't posted it!  I loved the way the light was peeking through the mountains.

La Foret Chapel Back Gate

La Foret Chapel Back Gate

8" x 6"  Oil

$75.00 + $10. s/h  

This is my second piece from La Foret.  This is the back gate into the Chapel garden.  

At one point in the morning I was inside the chapel and had climbed up a tiny circular stairway into the choir loft.  While up there I heard a motorcycle pull up.  Soon, a man walked into the chapel in his motorcycle leathers, and sat down and started playing.  You just never know what you're going to see when out for a morning of painting.

Springtime on Pikes Peak

Springtime on Pikes Peak
6" x 8"  Oil
SOLD

I painted this view of Pikes Peak one spring day when my plein air group, Garden Artists, was painting at the Garden Of The Gods Visitor Center.  It sold today at the Little London Market.  I love it when I get to meet the owner of a painting.  This man used to live in Colorado Springs but has moved to Arizona.

I recently got a "Square".  I've tried swiping credit cards and can't get it to work.  I used it successfully today by typing in the credit card number.  Any one out there using a Square and have any advise?