Girls, ladies, women!

I will be sponsoring a page for FineArtAmerica.com. It is called Girls canvas prints.  We will see how that goes. Fineartamerica.com/girl canvas prints

<a href="http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/girl/canvas+prints" style="font: 10pt arial; text-decoration: underline;">girl canvas prints</a>

Beach Paintings

I am sponsoring a page for beach paintings I Fine Art America.comFine Art America Beach Paintings

My Giving Tree Event

   I was recently asked to participate in a charity event sponsored by My Giving Tree in Belton, TX.  This event was created by Leila Valchar, owner of My Giving Tree,  to benefit  'Aware Central Texas'  (ACT), a program that is devoted to educating the public about preventing child abuse.
Leila has gathered a group of Central Texas artists to donate a percentage of the sale of their art to this worthy cause.  The event is scheduled for November 16-17, 2012 at:

My Giving Tree
121 N. East Street
Belton, TX 76513

Please refer to the following link for more information.
http://awarecentraltexas.org/

Bar Paintings

I have uploaded a painting titled "My Amiga Ritas" and I am also sponsoring the fineartamerica.com page.  Please take a look.

<a href="http://fineartamerica.com/art/paintings/bar/all" style="font: 10pt arial; text-decoration: underline;">bar paintings</a>

ANIMAL PRINTS

I recently posted a painting to Fine Art America.com and I am also sponsoring a page for Animal Prints.

<a href="http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/animal/prints" style="font: 10pt arial; text-decoration: underline;">animal prints</a>

New York, New York

I have been thinking about visiting New York City in the fall.  I would love to see Central Park and the outlying areas away from the city.  I hear that New York state is one of the eastern states that has spectacular display of colors in the fall.  Until I plan a trip, I will have to settle for other ways to visit.  I recommend this site:

<a href="http://fineartamerica.com/art/all/new+york/prints" style="font: 10pt arial; text-decoration: underline;">new york prints</a>

My Soul, My Voice

The Flamenco is a personal expression of emotion that is artfully danced to the rhythm of a soulful guitar melody.  That connection between the dance and the music is a message that carries the audience through an emotional journey that reflects the complexity of the dancer's steps, claps and shouts. The dance with all it's movements, swirls and song is the dancer's voice.

So it is with this painting that recreates the dance with vivid and passionate colors and design.  I have allowed the Flamenco Soul music to guide my hand and brush to create a personal experience on canvas that relates to you the soul of the artist.  This is my voice.

“The dance can reveal everything mysterious that is hidden in music, and it has the additional merit of being human and palpable. Dancing is poetry with arms and legs.”

~ Charles Baudelaire

Brooklyn Bridge

An inspiration to paint maybe. 

 

This picture was taken while touring on the river in June 2006.  You can see the Brooklyn, Washington and Manhatttan bridges.

The Door

 

I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.  John 10:1-11

Icon Alley

  "If you can dream it, you can do it."  Walt Disney

      Other than taking a few courses in Art Appreciation in college, I have not had extensive formal training in Art.  I have always enjoyed sketching and composing studies of the human body, still lifes and general landscape scenes.  I have only begun in the last two years to devote my energy and thought to creating and painting art.  I have learned that with all things that I have imagined, I can at least do something and sometimes I can do a lot.  After all these years of focusing on the military life, family and career, I have finally arrrived at a place where I can devote an appreciative amount of time to paint, create and dream.  I have studied with a Master Professional artist and she has helped to rechannel my focus and fine-tune my abilities to create descriptive fine art.  That is just the beginning; I have to continue to dream and envision all those things that I want to create and then just do it! 

  This is a mixed media painting beautifully framed in a smooth and ridged ebony frame.  The frame is complemented with a thin gold edge on the inside as well as the outside edge.  The canvas size is 11X14 inches and the frame is approximately 3 inches wide. 

HOPE Prevails

     This particular work is classified as a Mixed Media which is using more than one element and technique to create an artistic expression in a composition. The technique is paper mosaic cut into different sizes and shapes and then adhered to the primed and painted canvas. I used acrylic paints in different consistencies before and after the application of the mosaic pieces to create a meaningful and symbolic portrait of Jesus on the Cross. 
     This painting is strikingly framed in a nailed distressed frame that is glazed in a dark charcoal and hilighted with a fine layer of metallic gold. 

"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say that I am a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.  I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one."  John Lennon

The Mouth Speaks

   This piece was created in response to a challenge to stylize and compose a moving work of art that conveys a symbolic gesture depicting loss, disenchantment and yet demonstrates hope. In my mind, I readily pictured a young woman, attractive and determined to remain steadfast in her beliefs.  The symbolic notes in this painting are the contrasts of darkness to light.  The colors represent mortality and rebirth and the yellow brings to light optimism and hope.  She holds her heart (values) close and is determined to hold fast to her beliefs. "Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks." Luke 6:45

Mr. Personality

     It is so true what people say about cats-you don't own them, they own you.  So it goes with our cat, who is really not our house cat.  He comes and goes at will, literally walking in one door and helping himself to fresh cat food and treats, and then asking to be let out another door on the other side of the house. 
     His name is Boo or Boots, as our twenty-something son calls him.  Boo was born on July 4, 2009; he came to us when he was 7 weeks old because our son wanted to rescue this tiny fur ball of a kitten.
Boo has been our constant companion in this house, sleeping in our bed, eating our nibbles and begging for as much attention as he can get.  He is definitely a people cat, always wanting to communicate and rubbing up against all the visitors that come to our house.  He charms the friendly and sometimes rowdy teenaged friends of our daughter and he always shows off his best side when I have my lady friends come over.  He loves to play hide and seek with the grandkids, and no matter what,  he decides when it's time not to play! 
     I have decided to capture Boo in this painting that shows that he can sit still long enough for me to steal a picture.  I asked him to smile and so it seems he has.  This painting will go to our son's apartment in the big city, because Boo has opted to stay in the country with us. 

Dedicated to Svetlana

     Yesterday, Robert and I took our Sunday drive and this time our target was the annual shoot for spring flowers.   Robert is the driver, navigator and pointer on all of our jaunts out to the country roads.  What a wonderful drive that was!  We not only found bluebonnets galore, but some other scenes that were even more special and visually exciting. 
     We found spring everywhere in all it's shades of green and freshness.  The day was typically windy and there were masses of rain clouds overhead with the sun peeking out every now and then.   I felt the sprinkles, as I would jump out of the truck to capture that must have picture, but a few drops of water did not dampen our efforts to collect our gallery of pictures.
     I would like to say that these fabulous pictures were mostly taken in Mound, Texas. This is no longer a town, but a community that keeps watch of the beautiful verdant rolling hills and the country roads that seem to unfurl into all those special spaces that only God can create. 
.  Eventhough the day was blustery, with the wind gusting at my back, I enjoyed the sights, fragance and the quiet of these country spaces.  As you can see from the pictures there is a solemn richness to the colors and the light of spring. So I hope that you will take the time to look around you as you drive the roads of Texas or anywhere you might be and enjoy this scenic and special time of rebirth. 

 Spring is the Period
Express from God.
~ Emily Dickinson

    
      
    
    

Ingenuity creates practicality!

     For so long I have struggled with storing my canvases properly and neatly out of the way.  I have tried to place them along the wall or stacked flat on some shelf and sometimes on the floor.  Recently, I looked online for art canvas storage and I found a very nice shelving unit that retailed for anywhere from $500 to thousands of dollars, depending on how many shelves and storage cubicles you added.
     After much thought and discussion with my husband as to how we could design and build a storage unit, we arrived at a very practical solution.  We bought a standard 5-shelf bookcase from Wal-Mart and laid it on its' side to create the compartments.  We stabilized the partitions by placing 1/2" X 3/4" stops  [cut to the width of the side panels (11 1/2")] on either side of the partition.  We simply nailed the stops to the side panel on both sides of the partition, so that the partition (shelf) slides in and out easily.

   
    

This was truly inexpensive as the wood stop that we used was actually purchased as a 12 foot piece, then cut to 11 1/2 " pieces. The price was $4.36. Along with the bookcase, the total price of the project to include the nails was $33.00, give or take a few pennies. What a bargain, easy to make and such a great storage unit to boot!
criselda.artistwebsites.com

Pieces coming together!

    This project was something where a special time and  the creative process was shared with a friend.  Actually, I introduced a friend, CW to the art of Mixed Media.  I provided lots of paper, ads, magazines and acrylic paints and two clean canvases.  I explained to Cee that there are no rules or limits to creating a piece of mixed media and that when completed,  the work is called 'Art' with a capital A.  I encouraged CW to create a self-portrait and use that as a starting point. We worked into the late hour, so engrossed in our ideas, conversation and the projects coming to life that the passing of time became irrelevant. 
      'Falling to Pieces' was inspired by the song 'Breakeven' by Script.  There is a resounding chorus that refers to falling to pieces and when I hear this music, I will always associate it with this picture of creativity and the friendship that inspired it.
    CW's  canvas is still under construction, but already, I see the likeness on her canvas.  Hopefully, soon we will post it and reflect on the good times well spent during the creative process.
     I often say that I am a constant student of Art. With this project I have learned that eventhough there are times when life seems to be falling apart, there is always an empty canvas waiting for your story.   

criselda.artistwebsites.com

Inspiration

I have been thinking about creating a new piece.  I was casually observing the trees move about in the gusty winds and the leaves were scattering.  I was trying to compose in my mind a painting that would present the movement of the trees and the colors that were flying about the landscape.  Abruptly, my line of vision and thought was interrupted by a bird.  He just happened to land on my back porch, hop around, and just generally flutter here and there.  There is a stunning comparison to what happens sometimes when we are focused on one thing only to be diverted or distracted to consider something else.

   Such is life and the vein of creativity is ever-changing.  What I began as a project evolved to much more, even drawing in the interest of  a prospective client. This original painting is no longer available, but please contact me if you would like something very similar.