Rising

Hi everyone,

I thought I would let you know about my latest painting. It's a small one, 6x4 oil on masonite panel. This is a great way to start a collection of art or add to your collection. I called this one, "Rising". He's just about to break the surface of the water and the reflection of him on the underside of the water surface is what drew me to this photo. I hope you enjoy. This is available for $40.

Rising

6x4 oil on masonite panel

Meet Logan Gerald Wade

Hello everyone,

I would like to introduce you to my new grandson, Logan Gerald Wade. He'll be here somewhere around February 16th to the 23rd. I decided to do this painting for my daughter for the nursery. It's the ultrasound image that was done of him. I think the blue tones are appropriate for boys. I hope you enjoy reading of my painting adventures and journeys. This one is 11x14 oil on stretched canvas.

Logan Gerald Wade

If you have someone who would like a painting done of their bundle of joy, contact me for pricing.

Healing Ceilings tile, "Bayou Bass"

Woop! Woop! I finished my first ceiling tile for the  Cancer Treatment Center in North Carolina. These are ceiling tiles that will be installed in the chemo rooms for the patients to look up at while they receive their chemo treatments. Wouldn't you love looking at all kinds of art work instead of plain ceiling tiles? The "Art Heals" movement from the group, "Healing Ceilings", has artists donate their time and artistic talent to paint these ceiling tiles and I am so honored to be a part of this. I didn't paint flowers or birds, being from Louisiana. My idea was to give the patients who are fishermen a place to escape to. I know, being an avid fisherwoman myself, that I could imagine catching this bass in the lakes of Louisiana. Here's to hoping that my contribution will allow someone receiving chemo treatments to relax and enjoy viewing my art while they get well. God Bless!

Spirit of Fortune Hunter

This one is almost dry enough for delivery. Fortune Hunter is one of Collins Natural Hormanship's horses. The reference photo was kinda washed out and taken in a pen, so I looked at other photos of Fortune Hunter to judge the color better. The background is so much better than an old yucky pen, don't you think? The rider is Dave Collins. I'm glad he can keep his seat. I couldn't remain there, that's for sure. This one is 16x20 Oil on Stretched Canvas.

Spirit of Fortune Hunter

16x20 Oil on 

Stretched Canvas

En Plein Air in Tennessee

Hello Friends,

I just returned from the most wonderful trip to Tennessee. I met the "crème de la crème" of artists. These women have been my very close friends and mentors. The support and advice is non-stop. They will give it to ya straight, if you ask for it. That's the most anyone can ask. I spent a week together painting in the studio and en plein air.

This is one caught in the mirror, so the painting looks reversed. I learned so much, it's unbelievable!

Below is the finished painting. It's 11x14 oil on canvas panel. I call it, "Poppies and Tea".

One of those days was spent painting on location in a park en plein air. When we returned to the hotel, I asked one of these ladies to assist me with my painting. I needed to adjust the values and the advice I received was priceless. I will always look at these paintings and remember the friendship that evolved over the span of a very short time. The following is my painting on location. It's 11x14 oil on canvas panel. I call it "Plein Air Tennessee River"

We had another day in the studio with another still life set up. I had a long time artist watching my canvas as I made my brush strokes. The approval was awe inspiring. The following is the finished painting. It's 11x14 oil on canvas panel. I call this one, "Around and Together".

Here is where these paintings will inspire me on a daily basis. This is my desk at work. I can rest my eyes upon my work and remember the lessons and inspirations, while I'm buried under operative reports and drudgery. LOL

Something is Missing

Hello again,
I know the tail is missing, but, trust me. There is a method to my madness...Lol.
         Have you ever went to a birthday party as a kid? I mean, one of those cool birthday parties, where there's all that cake and lots of ice cream? The ones with a whole bunch of kids, all running around, playing all those fun games. Well, that's how this painting came about. Collins Natural Horsemanship has some Gorgeous horses. They also have birthday parties out there for all the kids. So, Dave and Anna needed a donkey for pin the tail on the donkey and I volunteered. I had this piece of luan in my studio, so I decided to paint the donkey on that. I sealed it really well, so all those little hands in the cake and ice cream wouldn't affect the donkey's nose or ears. LOL And now, the little kids have a donkey to put the tail on...pretty cool, don't you think? I do.

P.S. I also met the most beautiful Blue Bell I ever saw, but that's a story for another day. ;)

Color Checker for sale

Hello friends,

Heads up, my artist friends. I have made 3 color checkers. I have them available for $25 with $5 shipping within the United States. It's used to check the color on your palette against the color on your object you are painting. I have included a link to the video on how to use it. If you are interested in having this Fine Hand Made tool, please feel free to purchase. Have a great day, my friends!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuZ0t5FR9f0

These have all been sold.

YaY!

Plein Air Painting

Shared from Debra Bryant:

Charter members of the Triskele Art Guild will be meeting in Spring City, Tennessee, from Sept 13th - 20th, and participating in the 11th International World Wide Paint Out. The group formed through online friendships, with members in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee. Their love of all things art have bonded them online for years and now some of them will be meeting face to face for the very first time! Among the group are a jewelry designer and accomplished painters in multiple media and disciplines. Much time will be devoted to painting together, cementing friendships, and gathering painting reference photos from surrounding communities.

Find more information on how you and/or your group can participate in the International Plein-Aire Painters' Worldwide Paint Out, visit the IPAP website: http://ipap.homestead.com/

To see work by Debra Bryant: http://debrabryantfineart.com/

To see work by Barbara Pask:http://wwwlovetopaint.blogspot.com

To see work by Laura Pace: http://lapaceart.blogspot.com

To see work by Marilyn Harman: http://abrushwithtime.blogspot.com/

Trust is Earned

Finally, I got to deliver this painting today. This painting came about by following a Facebook page of https://www.facebook.com/DaveCollinsHorseTrainer. He has the most beautiful photos of horses on his page. I've been wanting to paint horses, so I sent him a message and asked if he would allow me to use some of his photos as references for paintings. He, graciously, agreed. So I decided to do a painting for Dave and his fiance, Anna. This was to say thank you, and show him my work. I delivered it today, and they love it! I am so excited! I can't wait to start my next one! This is 16x20 oil on canvas. I call this one "Trust is Earned". The trust that is displayed between this gorgeous animal and this girl speaks volumes, don't you think?

Hog Heaven

This is a commission that has finally been delivered. This is a camp that is shared between two brothers. I just love that idea! One brother's nickname is "Hog". This was ordered as a gift from one brother to the other. Makes me want to cry! He loved it! Do you notice who is on the rail? Yep, you guessed it...Ethel!! YaY! another fan of my work!

Hog Heaven

18x24 Oil on Canvas

Home for the 4th

Hello Friends,

I had the chance to go home for the 4th of July holiday. YaY! Mom's other child, Ethel, was able to join us for the family get together. She is one spoiled bird. In this painting, she is waiting on dinner to be served. She loves the service here. My mom's husband, PaP, started feeding her years ago and now that he is gone, mom has continued to feed this feathered child of hers. She will come in for family functions and when she's had enough, she flies away to her home. Wherever that is. This is 11X14 oil on canvas  panel and is available.

Home For the 4th

11x14 oil on canvas panel
$75

Here's The Plan

Hello Friends,

I've finished two commissions, but I can't post either one of them yet. They haven't been delivered yet, but I did this one for my daughter. This is a very, VERY special subject. This boy, contemplating escape, with his partner in crime, is my grandson, Aydenn. The "partner" is mom's dog, Sport. I caught them at it when I spent the weekend with mom and had Aydenn with me. A very good friend and fellow artist helped me with the name of the painting. Thanks, Marilyn Harman. The name is perfect for these two rascals. I grabbed my cell phone and snapped the picture. Then gridded it onto the canvas. I just love it. It's 8x10 oil on canvas panel. Hope you enjoy seeing it as well.

Thanks,
Nina

Heading Home

Hello Friends,
Anyone who knows me, knows that the Egret my mom's husband, PaP, started feeding years ago is inspiration for some of my paintings. PaP named her Ethel. Now that PaP has passed on, mom continues to have this other child to keep her company when my brothers and I can't be around. This is one more painting inspired by Ethel. This is 6x6 acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. It's available for $30.

Heading Home

6x6 Acrylic on Canvas

$30

Roses Orange and Blue

Hello Friends,

This painting is a still life set up I did in my studio. I so much want my glass in my art to look like glass, so it's brush time that will get me there. This vase was a gift from my mom. I had to go shopping for the roses. I found them on sale! YaY! I love it when a plan comes together. I set them up with a dark fabric in the background. This painting is the result. It's 6x6 oil on gessoed masonite and is available. It is unframed.

Roses Orange and Blue

6x6 Oil 

$30

Koi's Looking at you

Hello Friends,

This is a painting of one of the most fascinating fish. The Koi. Their design and colors are gorgeous. I have always wanted to have them swimming in an outside fountain. So, I decided to paint one. This is an Acrylic painting on a 6x6 gallery wrapped canvas and the tail actually goes around the corner of the canvas a bit. I loved how it turned out. He looks as if he's about to tell some amazing news, doesn't he? This is available for $30.

Koi's Looking at You

6x6 Acrylic

$30 

Hibiscus and The Hummer

This is an earlier painting that I did of some Hibiscus flowers and a Humming Bird. I thought it was so cute! It's 16X20 Oil on an Oval stretched canvas and is available for $120 With Free Shipping within the United States.

Hibiscus and The Hummer

16X20 Oil on Oval Canvas

$120

Boom Boom Room

This is a Commission I just completed and has been approved by the client! YaY!! 18X24 Oil on Stretched Canvas. Using his own photos!! 

Boom Boom Room
18X24
Oil on Canvas

The Hammock

Hello Friends,

This painting is one that I did using reference photos taken from my mom's yard. The tree sits in her yard and gets cut back every other year or so, so it doesn't get out of control. She lives on the lake and I call her house, "a little piece of heaven". The hammock, she hangs every summer, so when you pass by, you can sit a spell and "rest your bones", my mom says. I almost added a boat in the lake somewhere, but I decided against it in the end. The simplicity appeals to me. Mom's swing and flowers make it a spot to spend some time. This painting is 16X20 Oil on Stretched Canvas and is available for $120.

The Hammock

16X20 Oil on Stretched Canvas

$120

Gator

Hello Friends,

This is a little painting I did, just for fun! Being from Louisiana, I am all too familiar with the Gator. He is everywhere! My son even tried to bring one home for a pet one time, tucked under his arm. I told him, his mom is out there and will come looking for him. Take it BACK! LOL That's the life with raising two boys! So funny. My daughter, who is the youngest, just tagged along like it was nothing out of the ordinary. This is 5x7 Acrylic on gessoed masonite and is available for $30.
                                                                         Gator
                                                                    5x7 acrylic
                                                                         $30

Lunch Time

Hello Friends,

This was such a fun painting to do. I absolutely loved the challenge of the stripes on this gorgeous animal. I wanted to see if I could actually indicate the intricate pattern of his stripes on his forehead and I did! I am so proud of how this turned out! I wanted to see if I could give the impression that he is juuuussssttt fixing to take his next mouthful of grass. I just love it when a plan comes together! This is Acrylic on Stretched Canvas and is 8x10 and is available for 55.00.
                                                                   Lunch Time
                                                                   8x10 Acrylic
                                                               on Stretched Canvas
                                                                       $55

Generations

Hello again, friends...

This is a new still life painting I have just finished. I just love, love, LOVE going outside my comfort zone in my painting. It's a struggle to begin with, but I learn so much from doing this. This painting consists of the amber colored glass, which belonged to my mom's husband's mother. I found it in her closet one weekend while I was looking for something good to add to my setup. It's antique and beautiful. It has purples and greens and yellows. It's called carnival glass, I am told. So this was the "old" in my setup. The clear glass is a newer wine glass that I had at mom's. So this was the "young" in my setup. So I set the "old" and the "young" together with the roses and started sketching on my canvas with my paint brush. This is always difficult and a challenge. It contains the awful "E" word, (ellipses). This is the top of the glass that makes a circle and the bottom of the glass that makes a circle. It took me a minute, but I think I did ok. I think it turned out WONDERFUL!! I've included two shots of the beginning of this painting to show you my progress. This is 11x14 oil on stretched canvas and is available for $100 with FREE Shipping within the United States.
                                                       
                                                                     Generations
                                                         11x14 oil on stretched canvas
                                                                        SOLD

 

Sea Turtle

Hello again, friends,

I just delivered this commission painting. This painting was so much fun to do! It's not my usual style. I loved the bright colors and how they came together. The reference photos I used for this were some of the clients own photos of a scuba diving adventure. I just took the photos and incorporated them into the painting. This is more "Pop Art" style than is usual for me, but I think I may have just found a new passion. This is 16X20 Acrylic on Stretched Canvas and the client LOVED it! YaY!!

                                                                         Sea Turtle

                                                                     16x20 Acrylic 

       

                                                                 

Dorothy Dent Barn

Hello Friends,

Last year, when I was off work because I had surgery, I had a lesson by Dorothy Dent on a Barn and old truck. My son joined me online while I was streaming, and wanted to know what year model the truck was. LIKE I KNOW! All I know is it's old. The barn reminds me of my grandpa. I remember him as being weathered and aged, but sturdy. I loved doing this barn and I don't know why I haven't done more of them. I think that is something I need to fix, ASAP! This is 16X20 Oil on Canvas Panel.
                                                                Dorothy Dent Barn
                                                          16X20 Oil on Canvas Panel
                                                                       $120
                                                                   

 

Emotions

Hello Friends,

Let me tell you about this painting that has just about put me over the edge! LOL I had purchased a tutorial DVD from Alan Kingwell on his technique of panoramic seascape. I watched and watched this DVD. I attempted to do a panoramic seascape over and over again. I always messed it up. So I had to put that away for awhile. I had painted a beach scene from a reference before with no problem. But I wanted the "SEA". I had in my head, what I wanted. I wanted a big wave, with lots of movement in the water. I wanted splash on the rocks. I wanted distant land masses. I wanted it out of my head and on a canvas. So I decided to get in front of my easel and play with color and paint. I decided not to use brushes, but to completely go outside my comfort zone and use only knives. Boy, howdy, that was a jump! I got the whole thing done and hated it! LOL The values were all wrong for me. One of my very close artist friends, Renate Dabney, sent me some acetate to help me see my values. It was amazing, when I looked at my painting thru the acetate, I could see exactly what needed to be done to get the idea I had in my head on canvas. I can't thank her enough! I am calling this one, "Emotions" because mine were in an uproar! LOL This is 20X24 Oil on stretched Canvas and is available for $100.
                                                                        Emotions
                                                                20x24 Oil on Canvas
                                                                         $100

LSU Tiger Close UP

Hello Friends,

I haven't posted this painting on my blog before. I don't know why, since it was such a challenge for me and so much fun. I loved the reference photo for this painting because of the TEETH! I wanted to see if I could actually paint those teeth and get the value right. I always love painting the eyes of any animal I paint, but this guy with the mouth open, was a whole different ball game. When I first started on the tongue, I had the color all wrong! I adjusted my color some and I feel like I got it dead on! I am so tickled with the way it turned out! This is a small painting. It is 6X6 gallery wrapped canvas, so the painting goes around to the outside edge. That way it doesn't even need a frame. It's 2 inches deep, so it sits upright without being on a stand. It's acrylic.
                                                                       LSU Tiger Close Up
                                                                 6X6 Acrylic Gallery Wrap
                                                                             

Business as Usual

ok, Since the other link isn't working, I had to repost this painting and the story that goes with it. This is a painting from last year and the thoughts I had while I was painting it.
Business as Usual

Hello again, everyone. I have not posted anything in a while. Between the new job and learning a whole new system, and getting acquainted with the Natchitoches Art Guild and Gallery, I have been pretty busy. This painting is one that I is inspired from my trip to Natchitoches.

When I got there, there was no electricity in the whole town. There was some kind of accident somewhere that had knocked out the power. All the shops and restaurants couldn't make sales or accept credit cards, except for one store. The Old General Mercantile store was an awesome store. They were ringing up people left and right because they used this huge antique cash register. It was so impressive, with all the buttons and the pull down total mechanism. I snapped a picture with my phone and viola! This is my impression. This is 11x14 oil on stretched canvas and is available for $80 with FREE shipping within the United States.

I hope you enjoy,
Nina
                                                                    Business as Usual
                                                                  11x14 Oil on Canvas
                                                                             $80

"Owl, Impressionistically Speaking"

Hello Friends,

This painting was another learning experience for me, where I stretched my painting style somewhat. The reference photo was of a person with this wonderful owl sitting on their arm. The eyes were the first thing that grabbed me about the photo. I always say, the eyes are the windows to the soul. I am always trying to learn something new with my painting. It chases the stress away and let's me escape. So, I took the owl off of the arm of the person holding him and put him in the forest, where he belongs. You all know how "close" I am to the forest. LOL Like, right out my door! Anyway...I wanted the eyes of this beautiful bird to be the focus of this painting. The rest of him, I wanted to experiment with the impressionistic style of painting. The background, I wanted to look like it was far, far away. I was streaming when I started this painting. He looked pretty rough, there for awhile. I even referred to him as a "chicken" a time or two. My wonderful friends who are also artists, and encourage me and support me ASSURED me, he did NOT look like a chicken! This painting is 8x10 on gessoed masonite and is available for $50 with FREE Shipping within the United States.

                                                    Owl, Impressionistically Speaking
                                                            8X10 Oil on masonite
                                                                         $50