Willie Nelson Watercolor Portrait

Willie Portrait Watercolor on 200 lb. paper
22" x 22"
I had lots of critique help from my Canvas by Canvas friends, Maryann, Cindy Y, Betty, and Connie, today at the Upstairs Gallery. We painted on personal projects and really didn't get on a roll until after our wonderful lunch at Sweet Tomatoes. a new restaurant in Arlington. We all ate a good healthy lunch with fresh salad if you could keep from finishing it off with chocolate brownies and ice cream and we all failed.
I painted Willie on a 50/50% water and matte medium coated watercolor paper. I see several things that need to be tweaked but I will need to live with it for awhile.
I received the release from the photographer to paint it in January 2007 but I'm just now getting around to painting it and I think I've been encouraged by of the experimental methods discussed and demonstrated in the Myrna Wacknov workshop. Let me know if you see places that need to be changed.
Oh, yes, why not listen to Always on My Mind. Songs and singers don't get any better than this.

Acrylic Abstract

"Glacial Terrain"
24" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas, 1 3/8" depth gallery wrap, black edges

This is the third of four abstract paintings I've completed for the Upstairs Gallery Show and delivered them Wednesday. You are invited to their annual show and sale of art by the students of The Upstairs Gallery, and the show will be up until May 27, 2008. Several friends mentioned the look of ice and translucency the painting had so that is how the title derived. One comment at the opening reception when viewing one of the abstracts, "Oh, you've changed your style?"....Nope just added another as I'm still wanting to try a lot of painting styles I find. Another said "Whatever your style, I can pick your paintings out" and I don't see how yet but I found the statement interesting.
Other abstracts can be found on my web site which is always under construction.
Listening to conversations (think cell phone in the grocery store), lyrics and friends' suggestions all can contribute to your arsenal of song titles. I jotted one down last week from the grocery store when I heard a woman telling a man, "I'm not paying $5.00 for something like that." I wanted to turn around and see what she thought was overpriced but instead just took out my journal and pen and make a quick note. Since I'm now a GPS owner, I'm waiting for my painting titled "Recalculating". There will be one.
Happy Mother's Day to all and enjoy this special time set aside to honor mothers, living and dead. It's a time to acknowledge your mothers contribution in your life and I suggested to my children, they spend the day with their spouses, girl friends, boy friends or significant other and not be put on a guilt trip to visit, but maybe just call - certainly not going out to eat as the National Restaurant Association says this is the most popular day of the year to eat out. That means to me - stay home. Don't come over today but call me as we have several family graduation events for the last of May when we can enjoy each other's company. I know you love me. It's o.k. We'll celebrate then. Google the history of Mother's Day and it's an eye opener. It began as "Mothering Sunday", then a Mother's Day for Peace and now it's a highly commercialized holiday with flowers, cards and gifts. Maybe by next year I can have my kitchen back in the cooking mode and I can invite my children to dinner.
At present, I have numerous (think maybe hundreds) of watercolor paint tubes out on the table preparing my palette for the Myrna Wacknov workshop tomorrow at the Visual Expressions Gallery and School. Myrna has addressed the problem of too many palettes with this post and it's for me:
"I have too many palettes and most of them have been loaded with paint! In an effort to use up some of the paint and not be wasteful, I started painting sheets of watercolor with random wet into wet washes. I would take these watercolor starts to model sessions and then I would draw the model on the paper with a Japanese brush pen that takes ink cartridges and finish the painting with pastels. It was amazing how these random colors worked so well every time! I love the look of the watercolor peeking through the pastel and part of the ink drawing showing here and there. It's a fun process. Give it a try."
As I am thinking watercolor after making the abstract jump, I've discovered a wonderful watercolor video of about 15 minutes from Jim Chapman that you can watch. If you'd like to paint along go find your watercolor paints in colors: cadmium yellow, raw sienna, raw umber, burnt umber, cadmium red light, red-purple, purple, ultramarine blue, cerulean blue, cobalt blue, peacock blue, viridian, yellow, black, and your Aquabee sketch pad and brush (now your kitchen table is looking like mine). He sounds Texan but he's a Georgia boy (and he can paint and talk at the same time) and he has a fresh, loose sketch approach to a still life set up of a cowboy hat, bottles and a quilt. He leaves specks of white which I like and some art instructors say nay, nay and you do it your way. Also read his art columns about taking workshops and how to expose yourself to better media coverage.
The email from last evening brought excellent information and a lot of it about online marketing can be found in the recent post from the Art Group DFW blog. The ArtGroupsDFW News Blog is devoted to news of art events in the North Texas Area and is updated frequently and you can subscribe.
Enjoy your day and thanks to all the Mom's who have directed our paths.

LYLAS 5 ~ "BARBIE" ~ Contemporary Abstract Figures

SOLD
LYLAS 5 "Barbie" Acrylic
9" x 12" Gallery Wrapped Canvas, 3/4" profile black (depth)
LYLAS is Internet slang for Love You Like A Sister and it gets used a lot in the emails that fly back and forth between the nine Canvas by Canvas member collaborative group. Since I don't have a sister they all fill that special sibling spot. See the post on April 13 to read the whole story and the one day workshop I gave for the Lylas at the Upstairs Gallery.
Yesterday as I was posting and updating my web site, one of my "painting sisters", Maryann, emailed the question, "Aren't you going to give each of the Lylas one of our names?" Great idea, MAS.
And now, here she is, the one and only "Barbie"..our Barbie, Barbara Hackney.

Abstract Acrylic ~ Pasodoble ~ Upstairs Gallery

"Pasodoble"
24" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas, 1 3/8" depth gallery wrap, black edges

This is the second of four abstract paintings I've completed for the Upstairs Gallery Show and delivered them Wednesday. You are invited to their annual opening reception show and sale of art by the students of The Upstairs Gallery, May 10 from 5-8 pm. The show will be up until May 27, 2008. My friend and Canvas by Canvas member, Connie, emailed after seeing this painting and suggested the title as she was watching "Dancing with the Stars" and this painting reminded her of the word, Pasodoble. I don't watch the show but like the word.
I got an email from Creative Catalyst this morning and went to their site to see if the Nicholas Simmons art dvd was available yet. No, but some good news they are placing some of their art instruction dvd's in retail stores.
On their site you will find a wide selection of carefully edited and content rich art instructional video DVD workshops conducted by the nation's finest artist-instructors.
While on the site, I saw a Judy Morris checklist for success that I thought artists would like to review.
Today I will begin packing art suppliesfor the Myrna Wacknov workshop at the Visual Expressions Gallery in Cedar Hill. I'm so glad I can commute and not be trying out all the suitcases in my garage. She got 2008 off to a great start and a great honor - read about it here and see her creative portrait.
I became a fan after reading the October 2007, Watercolor Magic article, "Face Forward" and she included a lesson on Photoshop about Capturing Expression Through Photoshop. You can read about these steps here. I started writing her fan letters and contacted a local gallery that might sponsor a workshop. Myrna started a blog and ran a contest for one of her drawings for getting blog subscribers. I have 2 drawings that I cherish and she has progressed with more subscriptions and she shares freely with her drawing and painting knowledge. I've never gone to art school (but have taken my share of workshops) so I appreciate any technical help with photo manipulation in drawing preparation. Now I see today she's posted something from Sue Archer about drawing being the heart of art. Oh, Myrna, what am I going to do with you. I see you have upgraded to Photoshop Elements 6 and I only have 5 and that probably means PE now includes some cool new tool I can't live without, but I've got the brushes you suggested. One salient point from her blogs I have to repeat from the Feb. 19 post.
"The other thing I noticed in myself was how quickly I want to give up and tell myself this isn't for me because I'm not any good at it. We don't give ourselves very much time to succeed, do we?"
The artists I know are all pretty guilty of that one..just throw in the towel if their work doesn't look like a piece of art that an experienced artist produces that may have produced 500 pieces before - mea culpa - just some ground work in case I produce more turkeys next week. (Don't ever change colors on these posts if you use a black background because you have no idea what the original color was..If you change to white then you can't see it in your edit post.) Makes me want to throw in the towel!!

Abstract Acrylic ~ Awakening ~ Upstairs Gallery

"Awakening"
24" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas, 1 3/8" depth gallery wrap, black edges

This is one of four abstract paintings I've completed for the Upstairs Gallery Show and will deliver them today. I wasn't planning on painting abstracts anytime soon but a chance encounter changed all that. Yesterday I "awakened" way too early after a painting dream and my mind was racing about how to get down on canvas some of the ideas in my head. Blank canvases had been sitting for months in the entry hall and I started gathering up supplies and clearing off the kitchen table. (I have a painting room upstairs but it's too cluttered, too far from the water, snacks, and cd's). This one is abstract #1.
Several things just came together - meeting Jonas Gerard at Southlake, visiting with Maureen Brouillette Sunday about seeing his performance art at Artizen, and it could have been the buffet dinner the previous evening at the Dallas Museum of Art.

The Farewell Party for Corinne Sunday at the Upstairs Gallery, Maureen front right in yellow:



Monday evening at the DMA was Arts and Letters Live and Texas Bound, stories connected and "bound" to Texas. Four short stories were read by Sally Nystuen Vahle, Ash Smith, Raphael Parry and Judith Ivey. Authors were Bret Anthony Johnston, Tim O'Brien, Sybil Raney, and Steven Salzman. (Tim O'Brien has been hailed as "the best American writer of his generation" by the San Francisco Chronicle." The buffet before the program is always fabulous. Copies of Texas Bound I and II can be purchased here.
The previous evening's food and stories could have played a part in this early morning rising and painting foray but I think it was a convergence of events that just shouted "Do it now..now is the time." And it resulted in an all day affair with some abstract paintings.
Next on the agenda, watch for Canvas by Canvas to sally forth and see what happens when 9 collaborative artists try their hand at an abstract. Stay tuned.

Grackle Love ~ Acrylic Bird Painting ~ TUG

SOLD $40 purchase on the Canvas by Canvas web site
Acrylic on canvas 6" x 6" mini
I like to paint grackles because of their iridescent plumage. See another post of a grackle painting http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com/search?q=grackle
This painting is my third assignment for the Neil Sperry Home and Garden Show the last of February and I may have to paint this one in a larger format for my painting blog.
Members of CBC who were at the Upstairs Gallery studio today were Maryann Stephens, Cindy Yandell, Cindy Campbell, Barbara Hackney and Karen Foster and I will add their paintings below.
Cindy Y, our resident oil painter, worked on a bear today and now we all want to explore oils.
I forgot to mention on the Graham blog post that while on that trip we were made aware of a fabulous oil painter who lives in Graham and if you're an oil painter you will want to check out her web site Kaye Franklin.
Because I don't follow oil painters I was not familiar with her work but it is lovely. It seems I have concentrated on who's who in watercolor and acrylics.

Self-Portrait ~ Watercolor ~ Spring Show ~ Find the Best Price ~ Tell Me

NFS
22" x 15" watercolor on 140 lb. paper
The photo was taken at a pool party prior to taking a dip with the CBC friends. I painted it in watercolor and it was purchased by a relative and now hangs in Denver. My friend wanted it also and a repainting was promised for a Christmas '06 gift. Yes, '06 I hate to admit but I just completed it today while painting with the CBC group at the Upstairs Gallery so I guess my friend will get the frame this Christmas and the painting. Yes, I did remove age spots, wrinkles, and glasses.

These are 4 6" square acrylic paintings by members of CBC completed today at the Gallery, Top Left, Barbara, Top Right Karen, Bottom Left, Cindy C, Bottom Right, Maryann. These ladies are getting a head start on our February show, The Neil Sperry All Texas Garden Show, February 29, March 1 and 2 at the Arlington Convention Center. We plan to do a series of mini acrylic paintings depicting items you might find around a garden plus some of our larger canvases found on our web site.
If you like to comparative shop and to find the best price when you shop online, you will love this site. One click can offer help for price comparison and coupon codes. Type in the item desired and Cheap Uncle will help you find the best price and maybe a coupon for free shipping.
I've heard about this fabulous telephone number that can give you driving directions any time, any place and they are free. I have programed it into my cell as I tend be a little directionally deficient. For voice prompted driving directions call (800) 555-8355 Tell Me. The main menu has categories like, Business Search, Ring Tones, Stock Quotes, News Center, Sports, Entertainment, Travel, and Popular Shortcuts. If you're confused about directions, you want Travel and then you have more choices but eventually you will hear Travel Directions and you will be able to give your present location and where you want to go.
Good luck in finding your way and making sure your Christmas gifts stay on schedule.

Other blogs where I post:

http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com

http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com

http://myspace.com/nancystandlee

TO PURCHASE PAINTINGS: Go to Paypal on http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com

Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

Night Before Christmas Coffee Cake ~ Junior League of Arlington ~ Holiday Magic

$50.00

11 x 7 ½ unframed pen and ink and watercolor on 140 hot press Fabriano paper

I painted this small format watercolor today at the

Upstairs Gallery while painting with other members of Canvas by Canvas, the collaborative group I belong to. This weekend (November 30 – December 2, 2007) we will participate in the annual Holiday Magic Gift Market held by the Junior League of Arlington and special 25th-year celebration activities are planned. This group of women is committed to promoting voluntarism and developing the potential of women with educational opportunities. The October/Novermber 2007 issue of Living with Panache, an advertising supplement of the Star-Telegram, did a feature on the Holiday Magic Market and the publication of their first-ever cookbook. It will be sold only at this year’s event. Among the special goodies in the cookbook will be the recipe for this Night Before Christmas Coffee Cake. You mix it up the night before and when you wake Christmas morning, just place the pan in the oven and bake and enjoy with a cup of coffee while gift giving.

To read the rest of the post and see the recipe go to Artist Food Network.

Other blogs where I post:
http://artistfoodnetwork.com
http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com
http://marketplace-daily-art.blogspot.com

TO PURCHASE PAINTINGS: Go to Paypal on http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com

Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

Yellow Flower, Yellow Vase ~ Acrylic on Canvas ~ Nancy Standlee Art Blogs ~ N

NFS
16" x 20" acrylic, unframed on stretched 5/8" deep canvas, secured at the sides with staples
This was painted last winter during a class with Vern Johnson at the Upstairs Gallery and tonight he is having an opening reception of his Midland works at the Gallery. Vern teaches drawing and painting classes there. I see the Gallery has started a blog.
I found my Vern flower painting and decided to post it as I haven't painted anything new this week. On Monday I painted at the Gallery in gouache and those two paintings need some more attention. My week has been spent getting a little corner of my house organized. I've attended so many workshops the past 6 weeks and had so much fun this house stuff can really be boring. I still like to paint in my kitchen to be near the music and the snacks because the one room upstairs does not have a water supply. Basically I'm moved a bunch of kitchen stuff to the living room and now need to straighten the living room. My children have been warned about the need of a big dumpster when it's time to have the estate sale but in the mean time, my daughter mentioned a "fire hazard". I discourage all visitors and prefer meeting them in the front yard until I get some of this under control. You know what I really want to be doing today? I'm scheduled for an Arne Westerman workshop in a few weeks and I want to sit down with his book and do his color exercises. I've taken from him in Fort Worth several years ago and I think I'm ready to absorb some more from this wonderful painter.

SWS Workshops

Arne Westerman Workshop, November 12 - 16, 9:30-3:30
Jaycee Park, Irving
Demo: Wednesday, November 14, 7 - 9 PM
Fretz Recreation Center, Dallas

Other blogs where I post:

http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com

http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com

http://myspace.com/nancystandlee

TO PURCHASE PAINTINGS: Go to Paypal on http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com

Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

Cross ~ CBC ~ Blog

6" cross, acrylic on canvas to be added to a large cross painting
I painted on CBC projects today at the Upstairs Gallery with a few other Canvas by Canvas members. This part of Texas has been in a severe weather alert with cold temps and high winds so we turned on the gas stove and engaged in a little chatter, no music but the wind, and the sounds of an occasional brush swishing in the water. I got to finish up some previous workshop paintings that I will post later in the week. Our collaborative group has been preparing our entries for the 25th Holiday Magic Christmas Market, November 30 - December 2, presented by the Junior League of Arlington at the Convention Center. There will be shopping, fashion shows, luncheons and a fun time with friends and the funds will provide support to women and children in the North Texas area. The JLA has raised over $1 million dollars in the past. We will have a booth showcasing our paintings and note cards. In the October/November Living With Panache magazine (an advertising supplement of the Star-Telegram, there are several pages devoted to the JLA and our painting, Sunstruck, is shown. Back issues of Panache can be read on the site.
Our paintings are more impressive to view in person so we invite all of our friends to drop by and say hello. Tell us you saw us on the web or a blog so we can get to know you.


Karen is painting on her dog commission.


Pat if painting from one of her China photographs. She is blogging about her China trip and it is a very interesting read. See Pcasso's Page.


Barbara is finishing up her cross for the Holiday Magic Show.
Betty painted with us until lunch and I failed to get a photo of her work. Lunch was in Pantego at the Cafe 'n Chocolat, A Belgian Style Sandwich and Pastry Shop, for a hot cup of soup and a half a sandwich, with room to share a slice of French Silk Pie. Yum!
Other blogs where I post:

· http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com

· http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com

· http://myspace.com/nancystandlee

· TO VIEW MORE PAINTINGS OR PURCHASE: Go to Paypal on http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com

· Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

Gracie the Cat ~ Canvas by Canvas Mini ~ Acrylic Cat Painting

$40.00
6" x 6" Acrylic on canvas
I painted today with some other Canvas by Canvas collaborative painters at the Upstairs Gallery. This is my contribution to the cat mini series and can be purchased through the Canvas by Canvas web site. I think this will prove to be a popular series and we found ourselves talking to these canvas cats today as we painted them. We are preparing the minis for a special show at the Front Street Festival in Arlington.
More information about the Front Street Festival can be found HERE.
We will also show the minis in the Holiday Magic Show.
Other blogs where I post.

· http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com

· http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com

· http://myspace.com/nancystandlee

· TO VIEW MORE PAINTINGS OR PURCHASE: Go to Paypal on http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com

· Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

SOLD ~Copper Curls ~ Small Portrait ~ NeoCounter ~ Art Blog

SOLD to an art collector in Plainview, TX
5" x 7" Acrylic Portrait on canvas board

I have a fondness for painting girls with red hair. Red hair is more fun to paint than just plain brown. I see that this redhead may have gotten a little too much sun on her cheeks. Wikipedia has this to say about people with red hair and I learned that Scotland is the country with the highest proportion of redheads in the world.
And talking about countries, I've found the neatest, coolest web widget in the Blogosphere. When you scroll down my page you'll see a list of visitor's cities and countries beside their flag. I found it in operation on a site in Australia, Life in the Health Lane while visiting Blog Catalog.
Then I couldn't wait for Megha to click on my site so Australia would show up on my NeoCounter. You can download your free copy at Neoworx.
Today some from Canvas by Canvas painted at the Upstairs Gallery on an upcoming project of mini flies and lures and the rest will have to be a surprise (no sneak peeks yet). This is just the "bait"..sorry. But while there the gallery owner, J.T. Martin, stopped by from his UTA teaching position and I had to snap a photo of this handsome Southern Gentleman.

We have a NeoCounter on our Canvas by Canvas site and I am jealous. I see they have had 2 hits from my home town of De Leon, Texas (population 2200) and I haven't had one De Leon visitor. I think I may have to email some old classmates! Also, my brother lives in Midland and I don't see a Midland visitor yet..hey, Bro.. come visit my blog but there is a Midland visitor on the CBC web site. OK, this could get addictive.

Other blogs where I post:

http://artistfoodnetwork.blogspot.com

http://canvasbycanvas.blogspot.com

http://myspace.com/nancystandlee

TO VIEW MORE PAINTINGS OR PURCHASE: Go to Paypal on http://nancystandlee.blogspot.com

Eat Well ~ Paint Your Food ~ Laugh Often

Calypso Family Series #1 of 10 by Nancy Standlee

7.5" x 5.5" image
Acrylic on 140 lb. watercolor paper
The Calypso series was begun this play and paint weekend at a Canvas by Canvas members' home. Scenario: Member's husband goes to Europe, 6 painter friends arrive with cars loaded down with art supplies and food ready to work on Friday. It was late Saturday evening when my CBC work was completed and I began to think about some personal paintings. This series is the result of an intense focused weekend of painting. It is impressionist and painted more from emotions than photos. So as not to suffer from girl friend withdrawal, some members will paint together on Monday at the Upstairs Gallery. Watch our sites and blogs for an exciting announcement of new work to follow after our weekend of painting.