Plein Air Moab 2

Near Canyonlands
9" x 12" Oil
$195.00 + $10. s/h

This is the second plein air painting from my recent trip to Moab, Utah.  We stopped painting around 4:00  because we wanted to head further down the road to photograph the late afternoon shadows on the canyon walls.  At the time, I thought I'd come back and add more to the piece, but now, I'm not going to.  It works as is.

Here I am painting away...I know, my umbrella should be all white on the outside and gray on the inside.  But, my all white umbrellas is so large (it covers my easel, me, anyone who's looking) that I use it only in my back yard.  This one was left over from when the kids were small, and being my frugal self, I'm using it!

Here are some of the spectacular views in Canyonlands National Park:

We spent our 29th anniversary in Moab, and to celebrate went 4-wheeling.  We drove across the bottom of one layer of the canyon:

You can more or less see the 4wd road (going diagonally across.)  Then, we headed up the canyon:

Believe me...it was not pleasant going up!  I think that I deserve the what did you do on your anniversary award!

Plein Air Moab

Late Afternoon On The Colorado
11" x 14" Oil
$295.00 + $10. s/h

I just got back from a 10 day trip to Moab, Utah.  It is an incredibly beautiful location and should be on every one's bucket list.  It's like Disneyland for the outdoorsman with 2 National Parks (Arches and Canyonlands), hiking, touring, mountain biking, river rafting, 4 wheeling, ATVing, OTVing, so many photo ops;  the list goes on and on.  

Moab is about 7 hours from Colorado Springs.  We took 1 1/2 days to travel each way stopping numerous times.  

While there I participated in part of the 2nd annual "Plein Air Moab."  It's a week long event where artists can paint within a 50 mile radius and be involved in 3 Quick Draw paint outs.  This was my location, and painting, for the first Quick Draw which was held at the Red Cliffs Lodge Winery which sits along the Colorado River. 

 The event was from 3:00 - 6:00.  At 2:45 there was a line to get your canvas stamped.  By 6 you had to be back in line with your painting framed.  When they said "quick" they were right!  When plein air painting you have to capture the light and shadow at a particular moment and not change it.  You don't want to chase the light.

Every where that you looked was a painting waiting to happen!

The Year of the Buffalo

The Year of the Buffalo
6" x 8"  Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h

I love it when we're up in the mountains and drive by a herd of buffalo.  That's when I know I live in the west!

Not As Curious

Not As Curious
6" x 8"  Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h

This guy didn't seem at all interested in me!  Much more in interested in his meal!

You Gotta Love Her

You Gotta Love Her
6" x 6"  Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h
SOLD

It's great how cows just love to look at you.  They are so curious!

Rose Garden - 100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings 90/100

Rose Garden - 100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, 90/100
6" x 8" Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h

SOLD

This piece is from earlier this summer.  Just now realized that I'd never posted it.  My plein air group, Garden Artists, painted in the most beautiful garden that day.  I love the way the light and shadows created a pattern on the fence.

Sit A Spell

Sit A Spell
11" x 14" Oil
$295.00 + $10. s/h

This rock is on our property in the mountains.  When our kids were little, we'd climb up on the top and "sit a spell."  We decided that if we were a mountain lion, this would be our look out!

Paint The Parks Top 100

Afternoon Light

16" x 20" Oil

I'm thrilled that my piece, Afternoon Light, got juried into the Top 100 of the National Parks Show, Paint The Parks.  The exhibit celebrates our country's national parks, with a portion of the proceeds benefitting the National Parks Foundation.  The painting will be a part of the Paint the Parks National Exhibition, as well as presently in the PaintAmerica online gallery: www.paintamerica.org.

Those of you who follow my blog know that my husband and I love to travel and as often as possible our trips include National Parks.  This light house is from Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego.  I just happened to be there when there was an incredible sunset and the light was right on the light house.

Fresh Tomatoes - 100 Garden and Floral Oil Paintings 89/100

Fresh Tomatoes

9" x 12" Oil on board

$195. + $10. s/h 

The tomatoes have been incredible this year.  The cherry tomatoes in our garden have been so sweet!

For this still life, I also did a quick value study.  After I'd set it aside I realized that the value of the cut tomato was too light.  Because it's a study I didn't feel the need to go back and repaint it, but it certainly helped me realize the true value(s) of the inside of the tomato in the final painting.

Friday, September 30th 5 - 8 pm is the Opening Reception for the "Breast Cancer: The Courageous & Beautiful" Artists Coming Together for the Cure! Art Show at Cottonwood Center for the Arts, Colorado Springs.  I'm happy to have three pieces in the show.  Please join us as Susan G Komen for the Cure of Southeastern Colorado presents their art show to raise awareness and funding in their search for the cure.  Stop by if you live here in the Springs.  The show continues until October 18th.  

Fall Morning

Fall Morning
11" x 14"  Oil
$295.00 + $10. s/h

The colors in Colorado in September can be amazing; they almost speak for themselves.  For this one, I wanted to pay close attention to the values as the colors were already there.

I did this quick value study prior to the painting.  I made a few changes in the composition and drawing, ie:  less sky, changed the shape of the small tree on the left, but stuck pretty much to the values.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Artwork by Pam Holnback, 88/100

Skyward -- 100 Garden and Floral Oil Paintings, 86/100
12" x 12" Oil on wrapped canvas
SOLD

This is another of the geraniums on our deck.  I am not ready for a fall frost!

This piece is one of three that I've submitted to the SE Colorado Susan G Komen "Breast Cancer:  The Courageous & Beautiful" Art Show at Cottonwood Center for the Arts, Colorado Springs.  The Opening Reception is Friday September 30th, 5 - 8 pm.

100 Garden & Floral Oil Paintings, Original Artwork by Pam Holnback, 87/100

Fall Hollyhock
6" x 6"  Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h

The hollyhocks in our garden are still blooming.  But, we could have a frost any time, so I wanted to get a few more garden paintings finished.

This week in our garden:

Born To Be Mild

Born To Be Mild
6" x 6" Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h

This is a previous piece, but it seemed appropriate to rotate it through again at this time.

I've had several questions about what to do with Hatch chiles.  Saturday evening we had them for appetizers:  sliced peppers and brie on crackers.  Last night we had them for dinner:  chile (pepper) cheeseburgers.  These were absolutely delicious!  Peel off the skins, slice, remove the seeds, lay onto the burger after flipping.  Swiss cheese is recommended!  I'll probably have enough menu ideas after a half bushel that I could write and illustrate a cookbook!  In the meantime, I've frozen them, 6 to a quart size freezer bag, and will use them all winter!

Mild Things

Mild Things
6" x 6" Oil
$100.00 + $10. s/h

Yesterday was the Fall Art Fair at Summerland Gardens.  It was a beautiful day, partly cloudy, but luckily no rain.  Summerland Gardens has been roasting and selling chiles from Hatch, New Mexico for the last few weeks.  Regularly, a truck drives up from Hatch to deliver the chiles and everyday they sell as many as they roast.

There were bushels of chiles, mild, medium and hot, just waiting to be roasted.  I set-up and painted this one in the afternoon.

I couldn't resist!  Smelling the roasting all day, I bought half a bushel...the exact ones roasting in this photo!  I confess, I bought milds!  Which ones would you have bought?

More Figures from Peggi Kroll Roberts Workshop -- Day 2

More Figures
9" x 12" Oil
$195.00 + $10. s/h

The workshop once again started with 10 one minute almost blind contour line drawings of figures.  Always a great way to warm up.

Each day something new was added to the value studies. These started the same as those done the previous day, ie: pre-mixing a dark and light value and painting only two values for each 20 minute pose.  Then, the cast shadows were darkened and the edges hardened.  The form shadows were lightened and the edges softened.

I'm not sure why yesterday, in the middle of the day, 5 posts were sent out to some of the people on my email list.  Oh well.  I guess it's better to hear from me too often, than too little!

Saturday September 17, 2011, I'll be participating in the Fall Art Fair at Summerland Gardens 124 East Cheyenne Road, Colorado Springs.  Hope you can stop by if you're in the neighborhood.

Value Figures

Value Figures
9" x 12" Oil
$195.00 + $10. s/h

I just returned from a 10 day trip to California which involved: a family wedding in San Diego, a visit with our daughter in San Francisco, a day with fellow blogger and friend Nancy Hartley (we saw the Stein collection of Matisse's, Picasso's, and more at SFMOMA), a visit with my college roommate, and a Peggi Kroll Roberts workshop.  Every minute of the trip was great!

I'll be posting from Peggi's workshop over the next few days.  Each morning of the workshop started with 10 one minute almost blind contour line drawings of the figure.  A good warm-up.

This painting is of figures showing only the light and dark values.  We pre-mixed piles of lights and darks, sketched the figure, then painted just the values.  We had 20 minutes for each figure.  Peggi did a great job of demoing and showing samples of the exercises.

Storm Study

Storm Study
11" x 14"  Oil
$245.00 + $10. s/h

Colorado used to have many late afternoon storms.  But, in the last ten years or so they are much less frequent.  This is a quick study of an approaching late afternoon storm.  I love how there's both strong dark and light in the sky.

Wildflower Field

Wildflower Field
11" x 14" Oil
$245.00 + $10. s/h

While many parts of the country have had heat and little rain this summer,  Colorado has been lucky.  In certain parts of the state we've had more than the usual growth of wild flowers due to frequent rains.

South Park Sunset

South Park Sunset
11" x 14"  Oil
$245.00 + $10. s/h

This is the view from our trailer in the mountains.  I love the moments just at the tail end of a sunset.