Southwest Artist Exchange

I was happy to participate in the Wet Canvas Southwest Forum Artist Art Exchange.  My partner was Jenna and this is the piece that I created for her.


Things here have been busy.  With the new house, traveling, and being sick its been hard to paint.    The three months of being sick has taken a bit of a toll.  Not painting everyday has left me feeling a bit intimidated when looking at a blank canvas on the easel.  I think I have my studio set-up where I can be happy painting again and since I'm feeling better I have no excuses. 
My hope this year is to start painting bigger.  But now I really have to paint bigger.  I ordered a couple of large format canvas boards along with my usual sizes, but there was a mistake when the company shipped them.  Now I have 50 large canvases and the company didn't charge me for the panels since it was their mistake..  Told me just to keep them.  Hmm must be a bit of a God Wink going on.  So painting bigger it is. :D

Montezuma's Well Cacti

5x7 OIl  Hardboard

      Did this one during a visit to Montezuma's Well. I liked how the cacti was nestled out on a ledge. People thought I was a bit nuts just doing the cacti when there was so much open space to be painted. Ah well its not their painting its mine!  :D  

    Still not used to people taking my picture with my painting, which I took it in stride. Then there are the people asking me if I would pose with their family too. Now this request I found to be extremely odd. The ones that wanted me in their family pic all came from China. After the third family asked to have a group picture with me, I was itching to ask if it was a cultural thing. But because I didn't know how to phrase it without making it seem awkward I let it go. Made me feel a bit odd/weird. 
       Joe says I'm just to personable for my own good.   Nah.. That is not it the case. But right now I'm just waiting for the adoption papers to come through.    :D

Anyway.. took only a 1/2 hour because I had premixed some earth tones and reds the night before so was not hard to slop it on to the canvas.