Mail Time

'Mail Time'

This is a painting that I did just for fun. It is a full sheet.
I was driving through Andrews one day and saw this door and stopped and took pictures of it. Seems like we don't see things like this anymore! Or at least where I live we don't.
The door had several places where the lock had been replaced, and it was all scratched up and rusted which made it even more interesting. It won't ever be a painting that anybody wants, but I just had to paint it! I had planned on using a real stamp but changed my mind and painted it instead. I love getting mail, and this intrigued me!

Flag Day

"Calm Day'

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible,
with liberty and justice for all."


Today is Flag day! June 14th. Our flag is very special to me. I love to see it
waving ! It has a lot of history behind it! When it is folded each fold means something specific. There isn't enough room here to add it.
One of the most somber things is to see it being folded at a funeral.
We have seen it twice in my family, and you never forget it.

I am sure there are a lot of stories about our Star Spangled Banner! How it brought comfort, joy, sadness,hope, etc. When Ken was in Navy boot camp, he said he would never forget the feeling he had when he saluted the flag with his gun.

This painting is 12"x30" and is done in gouache, on watercolor paper.

Fashion Statement 3

"Fashion Statement 3"

I am still experimenting with my under paintings. The Flamingos work great for what I have been doing. I still have a couple more views that I plan on painting. I decided why not just have a 'series' of them. I like the way the design of the under painting works in the water.

Memorial Day Demo

Memorial Day Demo

Our art association has a demo at the monthly meetings and the artist that was going to come, had to cancel, so I offered to do it.
I love to cut paintings up and weave them back together so I decided to do a flag, in honor of Memorial Day that we just celebrated.
To do this, you have to paint 2 of the same composition. I try to vary the values so it will show up more. In one of the paintings, I had a lot of purple in the sky, in the other one,I just had a pale cobalt blue sky. You cut one vertically, and one horizontally, then weave them. I cut these in a wavy line becauseI wanted, or hoped it would look like a waving flag.

Parade Memories

'Parade Memories'

I painted 'Parade Memories' several years ago, after going to a Memorial Day Parade in Hobbs, NM. When Ken was in the Navy, he was in the Admiral's Seabee Band. He played a tuba. He was in the band from 1967-1970 . He was stationed in Port Hueneme, CA.
We were so thankful that he got in the band, and didn't have to go to Viet Nam with his battalion. They told him he could be in the band after his clothes were shipped over. It was a blessing from God that he didn't have to go. He went to all the flights leaving and coming home from Viet Nam. He would let me go with him when they came home, but he wouldn't let me go and watch them leave. It was always so hard for him to see them leave. I remember going to Point Magu one night for a flight coming home, and there was no family members there to greet them as they got off the plane. Only the band playing stars and stripes, etc. When they left they played Anchors Away, and still every time I hear that song I cry! I appreciate so much all the veterans and their families.
I can not even imagine losing a loved one in a war. It has to be so devastating, and there are so many that have. We are so blessed to live in a free America, thanks to those who have served, and for those serving now, no matter where they are!

Fashion Statement 2

Fashion Statement 2
I have been experimenting with under paintings, and on this one I looked at a piece of fabric, and drew the small flowers . The fabric had large and small flowers, so I I drew them in all over the whole paper, then painted them with Quin coral (A Daniel Smith color) along with some yellows, and greens.I have found that the under painting needs to be in your mid tone range. After I got the flowers painted on, I took my flamingo drawing and positioned them where I wanted the flowers to end up. The other flamingos I did, had the blue background, but in the photo that I took, it had the green water, and the greenery behind it, so I thought I would try the green color and liked the outcome.

Fashion Statement

Fashion Statement

13.5x17.5

This was done with another under painting.  I enjoyed doing it so much, I have done another view of them, and plan on doing another one.  Ken (my husband named it) I had another name, but when he saw it, he said that looks like a Fashion Statement to me! I thought that was a  good name for it.

I looked up Flamingos and these are Chilean Flamingos. They are mainly white with some pink.