"SPRING ASPEN" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA ON CRADLED PANEL © SAUNDRA LANE FINE ART

"Spring Aspen"

18"x18" mixed media on cradled panel

$500

To paint aspen for me is a joy!  I spend so much time in and around the aspen tree, I feel like they are family!  This painting was from a need to feel the spring time at the tips of my fingers!  I love the soft colors that bring spring, and that is what this painting is about.  You will see bits of paper peeking through, and a mark or so here and there from charcoal to define a bit of the abstract feel of the leaves.  I usually paint the subject matter in oil, so the top of it all will be oil.  This 18"x18" cradled painting comes ready to hang.

The sides are stained with a grey stain to compliment and unify what you see in the trees themselves.  This gives the painting a completed, contemporary look.

here in this detail shot you can see the paper peeking through and some of the fun stamping that makes for interest.

more fun implied texture and pattern in this detail

KEEP LOOKING FOR THAT INSPIRATION!

"SPRING GROVE" 24"X24" MIXED MEDIA OF ASPEN © SAUNDRA LANE FINE ART

"Spring Grove"

24"x24" mixed media on cradled panel

$800

Available through my website

I have a special love for this painting as it went through quite a few birth pangs in it's process.  As I have said before to new artists and as a reminder to seasoned artists that we should never let fear or attachment to a painting stop us from wiping it clean if necessary to get to a desired result.  It is a common issue with beginning artists for sure, and some seasoned ones as well to keep working a painting practically to death because we may not want to start over, or give up on a painting we have gotten attached to.  The best advice I can give is to just wipe off and start again, or sand it down if it is dry, or even paint over it or tear it up!  See the value in lessons learned in a painting that is not going as you would have wanted...I have found that at times when I have completely sanded down a completed painting that wasn't making me happy that there were hidden gems in the bits left behind...which increased my creative thought and the end result from these experiences is often a painting I LOVE!

I began by laying in a base background and paper for this painting as you can see below.

TIP: **If you ever get stumped as to a color scheme a favorite method for me is to look at magazines until I find a photo of anything that has a color scheme that appeals to me...you can also find it in LIFE...but the photos are a fun way to immediately filter out all the middle colors that may make a color scheme a little too much. 

I stamped a bit on this beginning phase to get a little implied texture.  I don't worry at this stage if the stamps are covered over...it is an inspirational tool I use to get my creative juices flowing... Next was to add my aspen.  I use acid free paper to define this step.  It isn't necessary, but a good way for me to visualize before committing to a composition as I can move the papers around until I have a pleasing end result for composition.

It is after this stage that I began to lay in my lines and such on the trees...I was fine there, but when I started with the foliage I changed my mind 3 times which meant I wiped a good bit off and started over!  This is frustrating at times, but the end result is fun as some of the paint stayed behind making a FUN bit of this or that for the final result!  I used more painterly strokes for the trees, I stamped the leaves with my hexagon stencil and then defined them in areas with charcoal.  THIS step is very exciting to me...to play with lots of different media to affect the end result I was looking for.  Below you can see a little detail in my process. I learned in my painful birth pains on this one that less was more in the leaves...BELIEVE me I had much more in a couple different methods and I was not happy with it!

I settled on the soft colors within the leaves that highlights the beginning of spring...and if you look closely you can see the definition I added with line in some areas.  The end result was a fun and soft aspen stand that made me quite happy I wiped this painting until I reached the goal I had in mind! I then stained the sides of my cradle to compliment the piece and it was finished!  A long birthing process for this painting, but well worth it when I can smile at the end result!

 HAPPY CREATING!

"ASPEN DREAMS" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA © SAUNDRA LANE

"Aspen Dreams"

6"x17"

Mixed media on 1.75" deep cradle

$160

Click HERE TO MY WEBSITE

This fun aspen painting is a re-work that I was just never happy with. As you know, most artists that

have something on their wall will eventually find something that bugs them and work on it some more...that's why I always tell my collectors if you see something you like you best get it or I'll re-work it! lol...HOWEVER, I believe it usually makes it better...as in this case I think.  Below you see the original version.  It had lots of texture on the left side, but honestly, unless you were pretty close you didn't notice it...that always bugged me, so I added a bit of paper and a tad more oil with some texture pattern here and there and I believe it works so much better.  I'm laughing as the two colors of background are merely the way the light was when I photographed it. Let's see if I can describe the color...well, it is a lightish or tinted version of turquoise with a hint of ultramarine thrown in here and there as a mix...so, the one up top seems closest on MY monitor, but every monitor is different...perhaps a touch more greenish...so take my word for it...it works! lol

 IF you have followed me for very long you may notice that all of a sudden the Galloway has dropped off of much of my on line presence...my website address is NOW saundralane.com.  My new ETSY address is saundralaneonetsy.com.  NO, I still have my wonderful hubby...we are STILL and always will be together...I'm just simplifying is all.  This will take some time, but I felt it important.  SO, take a gander at my website...saundralane.com. It is still in process, but I've cleaned it up and simplified some things...and I will be announcing some contests and on line projects in the near future through my newsletter on my website, so if you have not yet signed up, hop over to my website and sign up! FUN DOINS!

HAPPY CREATING!!

"BEAR VISIT" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA ON STRETCHED CANVAS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Bear Visit"

18"x18" mixed media on stretched canvas

$500

Available through my website

Living in the mountains affords me a wonderful opportunity to capture some of the wildlife that comes to visit from time to time.  This young bear is one of our visitors.  "Bear Visit" is painted in mixed media on a stretched canvas.  The background is largely acrylic with the trees painted in acrylic over paper.  The paper is very thin, but it seems to give a bit more depth.  There is acid free paper added to the background as well. The bear and some detail is painted in oil.  Bear Visit will be ready to ship on September 10, 2014 when the oil parts are dry.  "Bear Visit" comes ready to frame in your favorite 18x18" frame.

detail

As I said, this was painted to go in my own house...but, as with most paintings in my life, this one is for sale too...so I will enjoy it while I have it.

Here is the frame that it will live in while it is with me...I'm lovin the turquoise this year!!  HOWEVER, when the painting sells, this frame stays with me...I have an idea for an abstract that may live in it later...BUT, for now..."Bear Visit" lives here!

 I'm enjoying the last of our sunflowers for this year...the deer have chopped off leaves on some of them down low...but that is life on the mountain!

HAPPY CREATING!

"ASPEN STORAGE BENCH" ORIGINAL UPCYCLED FURNITURE © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Aspen Upcycled Piano Bench"

$120 + $10 delivery in town

contact me for shipping out of town

 

 

I used to upcycle furniture even before the term was created.  I love taking something and adding to it to change it in some way.  This started out as a piano bench...and can STILL be a piano bench, or sit at the foot of the bed, or be a coffee table (it's a little tall for feet on it, but who would want to put your feet on this!!)...or, or, or...  The inside is 2 1/2" high, the dimensions are:  21" tall; 24 1/2" wide; 13 1/2" deep.  I've put my signature aspen all around the sides and on the top.  I enjoy the tapered legs for that vintage feel, but the black accents give it a contemporary look.  The neutral color is "oregano"; which fits into just about any color scheme!

Yes, the trees go all the way around!  The oregano color is inside as well!
 

 

I will be taking "Aspen Piano Bench" to the AAR River Gallery in Westminster for the holidays, so if you are out of town and interested, please contact me before you purchase! 

 

 

 

 

aspen detail top

 

AND, what will she do next you ask...well, I've got a cute little thing goin on with blue and yellow...This one is distressed and rugged...and now the fun part...how I embellish!!  This little guy is heavy and solid...I'm initially thinking something bird"ish"...but who knows til I get my hands and creative eye on it!!  FUN DOINS!

HAPPY CREATING!

 



"ASPEN ON GUANELLA PASS" ORIGINAL OIL ON GALLERY WRAP CANVAS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Aspen on Guenella Pass"

12" x 4" mixed on gallery wrap canvas

$85 + $8 shipping in US

 



This strong contrast piece is a bit of oil and paper all rolled into one.  I LOVE, LOVE adding paper to my compositions when I can...it's just a little more ME!  I wanted to show the whole piece, thus the photo expanded to the wall a bit...This gallery wrap canvas is 1.5" deep. This is from our trip to visit the aspen this past year up Guenella Pass above Georgetown here in lovely Colorado.  There is an area where the aspen are so tall and skinny...those are my favorites of all! 

Yesterday I was trapped up here once again...SNOW...AGAIN...but I enjoyed our visitors ouside my kitchen window...They are so comfortable with me now they often don't even turn around to check me out...

I call this one "Backsides"...not only are the deer not interested in smiling at me, but a little other visitor was showing me his "best side" as well...tee hee!

I call this "Birdy's Got Back"...

and, FINALLY...I got a profile at least...

 

and, then...I get these moments to see my grandson...and suddenly the snow doesn't seem SO bad...

His dad called this one "Big Gulp"...

 

HAPPY CREATING!

 

NEW OFFERINGS IN MY ETSY SHOP and REVISITING A FAVORITE!

"Little Cone"

4"x4" oil on 1/2" deep panel with slots for hanging

$25 +2.80 shipping in US

I may have posted this little guy before...I just love him...and he is a HE by the way...I read that pinecones that are soft and have not opened up are males...interesting factoid I think!

 

I find this painting intriguing in it's photograph because I have photographed him about 20 times and every time in every kind of light the background looks blue like this which is NOT the case in real life! I can't figure it out!  It is really a pinkish/peachish color like in the side view...GO FIGURE! Anyhoo...I've just gotten around to adding him to my ETSY shop...you can see the sides have been painted black like the others in the shop, only his 1/2" depth allows for hanging, or sitting on a shelf or a little easel...OR, I can include him mounted on a black, lightfast backer board; 5"x5" so he can be framed in a 5"x5" frame as well...Note "Big Red" below and the framing possibilities with these little wonders!

 

"Big Red"

4"x4" oil on heavy textures 1/2" deep panel with slots on back for hanging.

$25 +2.80 shipping in the US

Speaking of "Big Red"...this one has also been posted at one time or another...under it's former name "Cherry"...which didn't really do it...this "little" cherry has a big presence on it's 4"x4" format!...I just had to re-name it and also put it in my ETSY shop...you can click the title to see it in my shop.

 

"Big Red" also has sides painted black, and it is also 1/2" deep which allows for sitting alone if that is what you choose...or, as stated above it can be mounted on a black 5"x5" backer board for framing in a 5"x5" frame shown as an example for framing below.

I was looking through my recent work and found a particular favorite re-work of mine.  You can see the trees here...formerly knowns as "Tree Line" I believe...but, to me it needed a bit of punch, so I added this darling little red bird and now it is lovingly called "Sitting Pretty".  It is painted in my mixed media style on stretched canvas...so, this is just a reminder that it is still here and avialable!

"Sitting Pretty"

12" x 36" mixed media on stretched canvas

framed in contrast grey metal frame

$525 includes shipping anywhere in the US

 

detail

 

HAPPY CREATING!! 





STUDIO SALE "ASPEN TRIO" ORIGINAL ACRYLIC BATIK WITH PAPER OF ASPEN © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Aspen Trio"
image 12" x 6"

10"x13" inside matt, acrylic batik on paper, with paper, mounted
16"x 20" with matt and frame

$125 + $15 shipping in the US

This fun little acrylic wax batik was SUPPOSED to be slated to enter the CWS state show, HOWEVER, the actual image was to small to enter, SO I decided to add it to my STUDIO SALE.  I painted it and then made my own paper to add to the sides...in keeping with me always wanting to add a little sumpin, sumpin!  I carefully mounted it on watercolor paper and matted, and framed it under glass.  I haven't even put this in my STUDIO SALE section of my website yet...this is the ONLY place you can purchase it from for the next little bit!!

 

I really enjoy working in all different types of ways, so the day I gathered with some friends to play with this batik method was well worth it! SO, it's back to working on a second entry possibility that IS big enough to enter...wish me LUCK!

 

HAPPY CREATING!

 



"FALL ASPEN" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA OF ASPEN IN FALL © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Fall Aspen"

12" x 25" mixed media on cradled panel

$400 

Check it out on my website

This is a re make of an earlier painting that was called "Aspen in Orange and Blue". It is true that if an artist has a painting long enough it may go back on the easel...that is the case for this painting.  Although it was OK as it was...full of strong color, I felt this particular painting was TOO strong, and the bright color coupled with it's size was overpowering the aspen; which were the star of the show.  It always felt a little strong to me so I reworked it to this piece that is much better for showing off my most loved aspen!

original verison of "Aspen in Orange and Blue"

 

I left the side color the Red Mahogony color it was as it compliments the shadows of the aspen nicely.  I will be taking this to my gallery in Louisville the end of the month (Creations Art and Gifts) if you want to see it in person.

It's been a busy time in the studio as I am working to frame and paint the last things I will be taking with me to the open house art sale I am hosting with my friend Susan Gordon. Follow this LINK HERE  and scroll down past the texture examples to see the details. I'm bringing what I haven't yet sold of my ETSY shop as well as some other pieces. It should be a fun time...and is a great opportunity to purchase art at "cleaning out my studio" prices in many cases!!

 

HAPPY CREATING!!

 







"AUTUMN ASPEN" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA ASPEN LANDSCAPE © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Autumn Aspen"

4" x 4" mixed media on panel

$25 +$2.80 shipping in the US

Available in my ETSY shop

 

A mixed media painting with all sorts of surprises! Stamping, book pages, layers of paint grace this small bit of aspen wonder...leaves turning as they do in late fall...with some hidden hints of birds and spirals (which, among other things signify balance and growth). 4" x 4" on panel with aspen and leaves painted in oil. Sides painted black. Offered mounted on an optional (at no extra cost) 5" x 5" black acid free/lightfast backer board so it can be framed with all sides showing. NOTE: the photo framed is a suggestion (not included at this price)...frame can be found at Michaels.

 

 

 

Well...I knew it was coming...SNOW has arrived on the mountain a bit early this year...we didn't get much, but you can see that the geraniums were a bit surprised!  and...it begins again...winter on the mountain! The sun has me smiling!!

HAPPY CREATING!!