April 2020

Dear friends,
 In these difficult times, my thoughts go out to all of you. Social isolation must be so hard on so many, the elderly, the sick, people who are single come to mind. This virus challenges us in the way we have related to each other and expressed affection and concern forever. The generosity, spirit of community and solidarity are some of the encouraging things happening right now.
 I am grateful for the sacrifices grocery store employees and other workers are making enabling us to stay safe at home. I am grateful for the sacrifices nurses and doctors are making fighting for us to stay alive.
Please, stay safe, stay at home as much as possible! Thank you for social distancing!

Thank you for you reading my blog!
My family and I are doing well.
My hope is that the same is and stays true for you!

Molly, oil, 16 x 24"

Molly is the portrait of a dog who was so loving that I felt touched by it, even though I saw her only once. She had a fondness for confetti lantana.

Song of Solitude, oil. 12 x 16"

Song of Solitude is a piece I started in 2012 and was glad to be able to finish recently. The red hill remind me now of the fires in Australia and the lonely tree makes me think of the present time.

Adventures in Magic Realism, oil, 16 x 20"

Adventures in Magic Realism was another unfinished landscape. The foreground is a foreign element in this painting which is somehow satisfying to me. I am considering returning to this theme and seeing how I can play with a foreign part and integrate it or part of it.

Cipo and the Alamo, watercolor, 11 x 14"

Cipo and the Alamo is the portrait of a beloved cat for an Italian friend of the Alamo and Texas.


Shea Daniel Youngblood raised $1664 for the San Antonio Food Bank with her art auctions! Her art can be seen by appointment at Kapej Gallery and Cafe, 415, Camden Street SA TX 210-838-8681.

Cindy Morawski is and Maren Phillips was raising money for the SA Food Bank. All three are impressive artists. Check out their work at
www.sheadanielyoungblood.com; www.CindyMorawski.com and Maren Philips' Artlines-Home page on Facebook.

Every Wednesday, Linda Simone makes a watercolor painting on a recycled teabag, inspired by a photo in her Facebook feed. She sends the completed mounted art as a gift to the person who posted the photo. Her work can be seen at @teabagartsa on instagram.

As for me, I want to help the Society for Animal Rescue and Adoption (SARA) www.sarasanctuary.org. Starting right now and for the next 2 months 40% of any of my original pieces of art bought directly from me will go to the Sanctuary. On www.verasart.com there is a collection "originals for sale", with "click here to contact the artist". Shipping of the framed painting in the continental US is included in some of the prices!
If you would rather buy a print, a tote bag, a coffee mug..., I will donate 40% of my proceeds to SARA as well.


 

August 2019

This summer has gone by fast. First we had Gerald  staying with us. Then we had a wonderful family time in Connecticut and Quebec. We enjoyed being together with my cousin and Yolande and her family. I have a new favorite place: Quebec, where we saw beautiful landscapes and went whale watching.

Yolande's Canigou, oil, 16x20"

Yolande's Canigou in palettte knife is the result of re-examining the earlier version and making it more realistic. I knew the peach trees needed little alteration, the mountain was a different matter. The blossoms did need a gray blue in the hills to bring them out. A gray or white mist did not seem right, so I used the same color a little transparent. I played with different blues on the mountain and with texture, since there were a lot of previous layers.

Mondriaan Meditation, watercolor, 11x14"

Mondriaan Meditation is my first attempt to recreate my mini Mondriaan cats in a larger format. I wanted the cat to be a part of the geometric painting, not superimposed.

In September my art will be on display at La Tuna (Bar and Grill) in San Antonio. This time, I will show more oils than watercolors.

The Honoring Women exhibit will be at the School of Optometry/Rosenberg/Incarnate Word till its closing reception on Dec 8th. Thanks to all who came to see the show!

Thank you for your interest and support!

September 2018

Twin Falls is ready. It was a learning experience. I like the final painting so well, I was considering not selling it. There is so much movement, it is so different from my usual static art. It looks wonderful from far away and who doesn't like to look at a waterfall in the Texas heat?

Twin Falls, 16x20", oil on canvas board

 After some much needed rain, I am writing to you about my latest Canigou paintings. I decided I needed to consult my old watercolor sketches, in order to get closer to the real Canigou. After several of these more realistic paintings, I am going to paint one more just from memory.
I realize I never explained in my blog how my Canigou series works. People prepay me to paint them a Canigou palette knife painting. September is, probably, the last month of my Canigou paintings this year. I enjoy how different they are...

Amanda's Canigou, 9x12", oil on Raymar panel

Peach Orchard Canigou, 9x12", oil on Raymar panel

I am so happy with the way Hope's portrait was framed that I decided to include it in here.

Two events in September: I will be at the Comfort Art Festival on Saturday September 15th from 10-4 pm. I will be at the 8th Street Market, Vintage and Antique Store.

I will be at Pioneer Day in Dripping Springs at the Dr Pound Historical Farmstead on Saturday September 22nd from 10-4 pm.

March 2014

 I am working on "Caddo Lake (1)", a painting I started last year. I really like the top part of the painting, the bottom part needs adjustments. Looking through my files, I found a fast plein air painting I did in 2010. Tanya had invited me and Irena to her beautiful log house where I painted  and we watched the deer in the high grass from the balcony.

 

 The brown teapot was a fast study with 3 colors. I am glazing the white teapot, it needs more glazing and some more work on the teapot and reflections.

• . The first Wednesday of every month I work at the River Art Gallery in La Villita, downtown San Antonio. This week we had a lot of tourists from Canada and the cold northern states. Unfortunately it was not the usual warm, sunny weather.
• The second Saturday of April I plan to be on the porch of Texas Treasures in Boerne to show my paintings. 

Tomorrow, on Sunday March 9th, we have a reception for our spring show at the Emily Morgan from 6 to 8 pm. Anybody in the area is welcome!