The gift that keeps on giving!

Spent Bulbs, 6 x 6

A bowl of Paperwhite Narcissus arrived on my doorstep at Christmastime from my dear friend Jennifer. They bloomed and filled the room with gorgeous flowers... and then died back. When I pulled them up, I was thrilled anew. I think I love the bulbs themselves just as much as the flowers! They have such great shapes and hold a sweet promise of blooms to come! I used them in my still life class today and had to come home and paint them myself.

Breaking the rules...

Field of Maize Study, 6 x 6

I am always, always drawn to bits of light that peek through large tree forms. I love the shapes and mystery. Here I also experimented with placing the tree grouping and horizon line right in the middle of the canvas (which is generally not advised.) Sometimes it's fun to go ahead and break the rules intentionally. Just to see... :)

Click here to purchase at Small Works site ($100 + $12 s/h)

New Online Gallery and Store

Long Shadows, 6 x 6, SOLD

Many of you have inquired about purchasing my work online, especially these smaller pieces. So... today I am launching my new online gallery and store called "Laurel Daniel Small Works" where I am selling small original oil paintings at affordable (even gift-giving) prices. How will it work? Whenever I post a small piece on this blog, it will have a link to the gallery site where you can view that piece (and others) and make a purchase. You can also go straight to the site at http://www.laureldanielsmallworks.blogspot.com/

Thank you for your continued encouragement and support!

Still Life Treasures

Threads of Prayer, 10 x 10

My friend, Becky, is a knitter and has a huge yarn collection. In her many bins, she has special yarns that she uses for "prayer shawls". These are given (with many prayers knitted in) to people in nursing homes and hospice. Families report back about the many comforts these shawls provide... for the recipients themselves and for faithful caretakers who stay by their sides. Becky let me raid her bins and special threads for some still life objects this week - that's just the kind of girl she is. And this one is for her (with prayers painted in).

Cool Air, Crisp Light

Winter Light at the Creek, 12 x 16

On Thursday, I painted outside with a new painting friend from Idaho, Bob Bissett. Since Austin was in one of its every-other-day temperature swings, I had on my fingerless gloves and was all bundled up. He thought it was comfortable... hot even. But that cold air seems to clarify the light somehow - it was glorious to be out.

From small to large

Standing Guard, 30 x 30

This is the large version of yesterday's study. This line of trees juts out into the lake and appears to be standing guard at the foot of the mountains. I loved how beams of light were able to sneak through here and there...

.

Monarch Lake, near Granby, CO

Planning Ahead

Standing Guard (Study), 6x6, SOLD

Painting smaller studies in the studio can be helpful for planning a painting... I can work up different compositions, tweak color and simplify shapes before committing to a huge canvas. I finished the large one last night and will post it tomorrow (need to photograph). The little paintings have a certain charm of their own, and the trick is to try and stay this loose in the larger scale.

From drawing to painting

Loading Time at the Garden Shop, 18 x 18

graphite sketch, 8 x 8

This painting came from a graphite drawing I made a few Saturdays ago when I was out doing the International SketchCrawl event. You may remember the image. It was so cold that day, but the bright light and blue sky made it satisfying to be out.

Classroom Leftovers

Pretty in Pink, 12 x 12

Today my still life class started back up and I always get a hankering to paint while I am strolling around the room. So, when I got home, I painted this vase of orchids which was from one of my still life setups. It was like a little treat for myself.

A Mountain Adventure

Mountain Pass, 24 x 24

Encountering these soft, misty mountains from the sunlit meadow literally stopped me in my tracks. The warm light was moving in while remnants of morning fog seemed to be pushing back, layer upon layer... it was stunning.

This studio piece is based on a small plein air study; on the way to Columbine Lake, Tabernash, Colorado.

In the studio...

Afternoon Grazing, 24 x 30

This week I have been working on some larger works in the studio. For these, I typically revisit my smaller plein air work where I can really observe nature firsthand... so important for a landscape painter. This piece comes from a September study done in Livingston, Montana.

"Nature must not be forgotten... she demands that she be not occasionally but often consulted. Otherwise there is liable to be trouble."

- Edgar Payne

Cold Day at the Horse Farm

Spicewood Farm, 12 x 16

The arctic front moved in but we still painted at Spicewood Farms this morning. I guess compared to some parts of the country 44 degrees seems warm today. However, when the ranch hands were "blanketing" the horses, I knew that it really WAS chilly.

SketchCrawl

Over the Back Fence, 7 x 5.5

Garden Shop Lineup, 6 x 9

Loading Time at the Garden Shop, 8 x 8

Today our Plein Air Austin group joined an international drawing marathon - the 21st SketchCrawl (to be exact with the title.) The idea is that artists all over the world go out on the same day and sketch... and crawl... and sketch some more (kind of like the English pub crawl idea.) I did these drawings at The Great Outdoors Nursery, a very cool garden shop here in Austin. It was so much fun! Thanks Kate, for organizing us!

Places of the Heart

Sea Marshes, 12 x 16

We all have special places of the heart and this is one of mine. My husband's great-grandparents built this beach house on St. Simons Island, GA in 1927 as a summer getaway from Atlanta. It was well-loved by five generations of family who gathered there for vacations, reunions, birthdays, funerals and weddings. Bill and I even spent our honeymoon there. Without too much effort, the memories flood back... the outdoor shower, the screen door slamming, kids running through on some grand adventure, and gathering for meals (kids first, adults second). Although Sea Marshes is gone, we will always carry a piece of it with us. That's how it is with places of the heart.

This is a special request painting for Rawson, my son, part of the fifth generation to love the beach house. xoxo

Taking Notes

Colors of the Dusk, 24 x 30

When I was in Georgia at Christmastime I saw this incredible sunset. Though I didn't get to paint it at the time, my brother-in-law took a photograph and sent it to me. I had to paint this small glimpse of eternity before the memory disappears... like taking notes of the really important stuff.

Ringing in the New Year

Village Creek Landing, 20 x 24

It's 2009 and time to get started on all those new goals! Mine include lots of painting, so there is no time like the present to get back at it. :) I have been working on some larger pieces in my studio this week - this one is an enlargement of a plein air piece I did in August. I loved the reflections in the creek and the light on the marsh in the distance... it was fun revisiting the moment. Happy New Year!

Holiday Eclipse

Paperwhite Narcissus, 6 x 6

Don't the holidays totally eclipse everything? Today was my first day back at the easel after several weeks of festivities and honestly, it was like starting over! After several wipeoffs of a larger canvas (and I mean multiple, full wipedowns), I decided to just try something small and ease my way back. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

PS - We had a wonderful Christmas visit with our family in Georgia - it was worth it! :)

Big Bend finale

Desert Ocotillo, 6 x 8

.

This is my last Big Bend painting. I painted this typical desert scene along the Maverick Road, a "drive at your own risk" washboard with very few takers on this particular day. The light kept changing and everything looked completely different 30 minutes later. That's the fun - seeing all the different faces and colors of a place. It was a great trip...

Ghost Town

Sunlit Pueblo, 12 x 12

Terlingua (a quirky little town just outside of Big Bend National Park) has a the remnants of a ghost town - an old mining village. There is still enough left of the old pueblos to fuel the imagination of life in another time. And because they are made of the earth, they appear to be truly part of the landscape.

A little bit of history: Mercury-bearing ore was discovered in Terlingua in the 1800's. The mining population grew from 300 to 1000 by the turn of the century and they even had a post office. "Terlingua" means "three languages" because the inhabitants spoke 3 different languages. The mine was closed in 1905.

Cottonwoods in the Desert

Cottonwood Oasis, 12 x 12

Cottonwoods at Sunset, 12 x 12

.
Driving through the desert, I was amazed to see some trees changing color. These cottonwoods thrive next to streams and creeks, and I found their appearance in an otherwise starker landscape very compelling.

Terlingua Creek

Dry Creek Canyon, 12 x 16

This is another piece from my Big Bend trip. Terlingua Creek runs through the town of Terlingua and empties into the Rio Grande. It's pretty low right now but it fills up fast when the rain finally comes.

Santa Elena Canyon

Canyon Reflections, 12 x 12

Santa Elena Canyon is breath-taking - a massive wall of rock that has been cut through by the flowing river over millions of years. On this particular morning I loved how the sun lit up the rock (although it came and went) and how the reflections shimmered.

Rio Grande River

Snaking Rio Grande, 12 x 16

Another angle of the Tex-Mex borderline... right now the Rio Grande is high and flowing fast, although sometimes you can go there and see almost no water at all. (The flow is controlled by a dam in Mexico according to local water needs.) From high on a hillside it looks quiet and peaceful as it meanders through the land - but it is a rushing force of power.

Back from the Big Bend

Mountain Divide, 12 x 16

I spent last week painting in the Big Bend National Park with two wonderfully inspired painters Jill Carver and Kraig Kiedrowski. For me, it was kind of a "last hurrah" for the year and a peaceful interlude between holiday festivities. If you haven't been to Big Bend, I will be posting images over the next week for you to catch a glimpse. It is a diverse place of deserts, mountains, rivers and a little bit of the wild, wild west.
.
Pictured above: The Rio Grande River divides Texas and Mexico - land on the right side of the river is Texas; land on the left is Mexico.

Tag, You're It!

Tag is a game we played as kids, and usually involved chasing and poking. Well, you know what they say, "the more things change, the more they stay the same"? Enter blogtag.

Last week, my blog friend Barbara Muir from Toronto tagged me. In this version of tag, it's a huge honor to be "tagged" because it comes with a sort of "blessing" from the sender. It's affirmation, it's good wishes, it's blog-love. SO, thank-you dear Barbara M.!

Here are the rules if you are "IT":
1. Put a link in your posting to the person who tagged you.
2. List 7 unusual things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 other bloggers at the end of your post and comment on their blogs to let them know.

The Person Who Tagged Me: Again, Barbara Muir - please pay her a visit and let her know you were there with a nice comment.

7 Things About Me:
1 - I have lived North, South, East and West. In chronological order: N - Racine, WI during childhood, E - Lexington, MA after college (for only 1 yr.), W - Redwood City, CA for 19 years as young adult and raising kids, S - Austin, TX for the last 9 1/2 years and I love Austin!
2 - I met my husband when I was 12 and am still crazy about him.
3 - My two incredible children are grown up now... a huge bit of my heart will always be with them. My son, Rawson, lives in San Diego and my daughter, Emily, lives in Atlanta.
4 - My career life has always been in some area of art: studied fine art in college; taught art in private upper school; did graphic design for almost 20 years; now - full circle - back to painting.
5 - I teach painting at the Austin Museum of Art one day week during the fall and spring semesters.
6 - On the Meyers-Briggs temperment scale, I am an ENFP.
7 - Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday... a time to celebrate our many blessings and the important people in our lives; and to give thanks to our Creator for every good and perfect gift. Happy Thanksgiving all.

7 Bloggers I will tag:
William Wray - see his paintings of blight, places "worth remembering" - love them all.
Tom Brown - see a great demo and other fine paintings.
Mike Clark - see his brand new blog and watch for good things to come.
Rene - see plein air paintings from Holland, the Netherlands.
Ali Cavanaugh - see sensitive portrayals of body and soul.
Joan Breckwoldt - see her incredible Santa Claus painting.
And another kind of painting:
Erin Kleider - see my creative, talented sister and maker of beautiful dolls.

Enjoy!

Sunset Countdown

November Sunset 1, 6 x 8

November Sunset 2, 6 x 8
November Sunset 3, 6 x 8

Wednesday night, our plein air group met to paint the sun setting over Lake Travis. It all happened fast and I wanted to paint the sun at different stages, so I was painting like a fiend! When it was too dark to paint, the sky turned completely orange and the water was deep blue - perfect complements. That would have been number 4 if I could have managed one more.

The Great Paint Out

The Road Less Traveled, 12 x 16

This past Saturday I attended one of the "Great Paint Out" events sponsored by the Oil Painters of America at a private ranch outside of Fredericksburg. It was a cold and windy morning but the paintout was well attended by lots of wonderful and hearty painters. "The Road Less Traveled" (so named by the ranch owners) offered downhill shelter from the wind; as well as a great angle on the bluest blue sky.

Party on the Lake

Quiet Cove, 12 x 16

This is "party cove" on Lake Austin in the summers. Young boaters tie their boats together here to make one giant, floating unit and party for hours. On this quiet morning, no one was on the lake at all. It was as still as can be with great reflections and stunning fall color sparkling on the distant shore. A totally different kind of party... but we, too, stayed for hours.

Visiting

Hidden House, 12 x 12

Jennifer's Blue Door, 12 x 12

.

I am always looking for different, wonderful places to paint. My friend Jennifer Staub Myers is one of those people who says, "come any time" and really means it. Her fabulous garden (that always seems to be blooming) and beautiful blue front door welcome all who come visiting.

Day After the Elections

Hope on the Horizon, 30 x 40

.

Hope on the Horizon Study, 6 x 8

.

What did you do on Election Day? My good friend Lynn Cohagan and I got up early and painted the sunrise. I decided to just keep painting the sunrise, and the hope, all day - hence, the larger version. Whoever you voted for, it's a brand new day in this great country. New beginnings are always exciting... Arise and shine!