Phoenix Series Continues

Meet Calliope

The latest Phoenix in my series

and

the one I've been teasing you with. 

Calliope
24"x24" Original Palette Knife Oil Painting
on Gallery Wrapped Canvas
Click for a Closer Look

"Calliope"
The muse of epic poetry and Inspiration.
Almost from the very beginning of this painting
I knew her name was going to be
Calliope.
I don't know why?
I just knew that had to be her name.
Calliope is usually depicted with a tablet, writing scroll
or wearing a gold crown.
The gold/yellow light around her head was
already painted before I looked up the
meaning of Calliope.
So yes, she was always meant to be
Calliope.

Apparently she also wanted swirling
fiery tendrils
and the first to have claws and talon.
She took a bit longer then I expected
but I think she was worth the wait.

Sorry this is not the best of pictures
but if I waited till I had her
professionally photographed
you might be waiting a very long time to see her.
And we couldn't have that!

As always, thank you for letting me sharing
my art with you.

If you haven't seen it yet,
I have a Brand NEW Website
Please feel free to go have a look see.

You can also find me on
Pinterest and Instagram

Just a Tease

Just in case everyone out there is thinking that I've been 

slacking when it comes to painting. 

I'll give you a little tease to the piece I've been working on 

for quite some time now.

It's 24"x24" oil on gallery wrapped canvas

and of course being created with my beloved palette knife.

Lots of wet paint here which can become 

a bit of a hazard as you'll see.

Sorry that the photos are a bit blurry.

They are taken with my phone and my left hand.

Not the best combination for great pics! :-)

Thanks for letting me tease you just a bit.

Just another day of swirls

Closing in on corner #2 and just a little peek of blue

Tendrils and Talons, oh my!

Corner #3. Only a side and a corner left to go!

This is what happens when you're  right handed
and you decide to paint from right to left.
Not the first time that has happened nor the
last, I am sure. 

Also be on the look out for the unveiling of my new website!

Just another little project that I've been working on. 

My goal is to have it up and running July 1st-ish. 

In the meantime, feel free to visit my current website

or follow my painting progress on Instagram

En Fuego

En Fuego
16"x20" Oil on Canvas
Available

Another Phoenix has risen.
I never know when I start painting what
the outcome will be.
I just start with a rough idea and go from there.  
Sometimes that can be a bit frustrating during 
the birthing process. 
Most of the time I love the  surprise 
of the outcome.
This Phoenix decided that it wanted to be wrapped
in a cape of fiery wings.  
Hence the name, "En Fuego" on fire.

If your interested in this painting, please email me.
It is not presently available on my website 
as I am in the process of creating a new website.
I apologize for any inconvenience. 

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Return of the Phoenix

"Isis"
12"x24" original Oil on gallery wrap Canvas
SOLD

As some of you know, 
my muse has had a wee bit of a fascination
with the Mythical Creature 
The Phoenix.

This is the third Phoenix I've painted and I'll let the cat out of the bag,
there are more on the way.
I finished this one just before Thanksgiving.
Yes, I am a little behind in posting my paintings. 
These Phoenix's just seem to want to flow out 
of me and insist on being born.
I loved that my muse gave her such
an elaborate headdress and lots of color. 
As well as the cosmos background. 
One note of interest that I see anyway,
is the wing can also be seen 
as other objects when just looking at the wing. 
Which is a pleasant plus.
Do you see anything besides a wing?

As always, thanks for letting me share my artwork with you.
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Bloom True ~ Week 5

The Fifth and Final week

This week had me feeling quite stuck and frustrated. 

I was missing the fun, loose relaxed abstractness of 

the first couple of weeks.  

I kept looking at my two canvases wondering where on

earth these were going to take me and not sure

it was going to be anywhere. 

I must admit I was a bit disappointed when I realized

that at the end of the 5 weeks I wasn't going to

end up with a finished painting. 

At the writing of this blog, a few weeks past week 5, I have

only finished one of the canvases. 

Which is canvas one. 

Though after looking at the pictures and being 

reminded of how colorful it was I am not 

100% thrilled with the outcome. 

But you'll have to wait to see the finished piece. 

Canvas One
Layer 9  This was the Peacock canvas

Canvas One
Layer 10

Canvas Two
Layer 9

Canvas Two
Layer 10  Got Bold and added marks and color

I will admit it was fun to be Brave, Bold and 

step out of my comfort zone.  

I did learn that I love to paint with me fingers and dripping

dropping and letting the paint run.

I can see myself creating abstracts in the future

using the technique of the first few layers
but no more black and white for this girl.

It'll be interesting to see if I integrate 

any of these techniques into my daily painting life?

For now, I'll say that I am happily back to my beloved oils

with my best friend colors.

I did procrastinate getting back to the canvas,

but now that I am back I've been 

painting daily. 

Have fun with me on Instagram
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Welcome to my Website

Blooming True ~ Week 4

Apparently I am a little behind on my posting.  

Travel and birthday's and such diverted my attention 

for a little bit.  

Week 4 was about vulnerability,

lessons learned, work with what's working 

and stepping up to the edge being brave.  

Easier said then done for all of the above.

To have the courage to be vulnerable, like sharing layers 

of paintings when you have no idea where they are going. 

Lessons learned, like what colors mix and make 

beautiful colors.  And maybe not every step of the 

process in this course works for everyone.

Finding a color, a spot or a line that you like in 

the painting to expand upon. 

Stepping up to the edge of fear  and being willing

to step off the edge and see what happens. 

I found the below quote in week 4 and it really spoke to me.

Be willing to step up to the edge and "let go"

Which is right there with my theme for 2014

of letting go. 

Below are week 4's layers. 

Thinking at this point that Canvas 1 is going to turn

 into peacock feathers? 

Canvas One
Layer 7

Canvas One
Layer 8 

Canvas Two
Layer 7

As you've probably figured out by now,
don't get too attached to any part of these paintings
as I can promise they will continue to evolve and change! :-)
With one week of the course left to go,
I am thinking there will Not be a finished painting
at the end of next week.

Follow my progress on Instagram
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For more info on the Bloom True E-Course

Blooming True ~ Week 3

Week 3 of Bloom True had us finding Inspiration

What things enliven us? 

What stirs our soul?

Also finding/having Gratitude for all things.

Big. Small. Everything in Between

You are probably seeing by now, this course isn't 
just a course about painting but life as well.

Our painting days are Tuesday's and Friday's each week.

Tuesday's week 3 layer was incorporating 

personal imagery. 

For some reason this had me holding back. 

Maybe it was due to the fact I was really NOT liking

my paintings since the black and white layer. 

Maybe a little bit of fear creeping in

that I was going to make even more of a disaster

on the canvas then what was already there.

But I decided to hold off on this layer till after I
had seen Friday's lesson.

In the meantime, one of our exercises was to get out in Nature. 

Now this I can do!  

As some of you know, one of my favorite things to do

is to head to red rock canyon and do some hiking.

So off to red rocks I went to spend some time

with Mother Nature. 

Here are just 2 of the pictures I took while I was there.  

Calico Basin in Red Rock Canyon

Yes there are plants in the desert
Mother Nature's Mandela

Friday came and it was time to bite the bullet 
and add some imagery. 

Insert deep breath here.

After hanging with these 2 canvases for the past week 

and seeing if anything was speaking to me,
which honestly wasn't much!

This is what came of week 3's session.
I will say, I am not in love with the outcome 
and as you can see, I stayed away from B&W.
But as Flora says, we are exactly where we are suppose to be.
I sure hope she's right! LOL

Canvas One Layer 6 

Canvas Two Layer 6
No the face wasn't planned

A couple of things I've learned during the process so far:

 I prefer not to have music playing while I paint.
Or at least for now.

This I knew from my oil painting but it was suggested

to listen to music to help you "flow."

Apparently, my muse flows quite nicely in silence.

I prefer to paint with my fingers.

That 24"x24" canvases are too limiting and I should 

have gone with larger canvases.
I am sure there will be other lessoned learned as 
the process continues. 

Curious to see how the layers evolve in Week 4? 
Me too! 

Follow my "real" time progress on Instagram
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For info on The Bloom True Workshop