TEXAS LAYER PAINTING IN PROCESS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

On my easel now is a 41"x12" cradled board with the beginnings of what I am lovingly called my Texas Layer Painting.  We are considering a move to Texas at some point, so this is my way of finding that beauty that lies in every place one might find themselves.  I suspect there will be more of these paintings.  This first photo is of the middle...you can see I have attached my paper cast life spiral, and the other marks you see over the papers and paint will be cactus. FUN!

As you know I have been working and moving towards brighter color in this latest artistic "growth spurt".  In a time of growth and change for an artist it is important to spend some time considering what parts of the previous work is still valuable to you and where you want to grow and change a bit.  FOR ME, keeping the pattern and texture is very important, but moving towards brighter colors is where I believe I'm headed.

 Rock Cliffs (sold)

 Pine Canyon

Rocks and Clouds

In this new layer painting I've added lots of paper as you can see.  You can ALSO see that I've changed my mind about which bluff I wanted to add at the top...ha...it's just vine charcoal, so no biggie.  You can see the colors I've chosen and the design coming together for the cactus and where I am including my extra texture element in the life spiral paper cast.

There is going to be a road with Texas blue bell's (I believe) in the center and on the sides like are in so many Texas landscapes.

Here you can see I've begun to add color to the bluff after adding texture and painting the sky.

This painting will be much like my other "layer paintings" as I call them.  My layer paintings are taking bits and pieces of scenes in and around the area and layering them into a composition as I move down my support.  Remember these two?

 

Colorado Layers (sold)

Mt. Evans was the focus 

 Nebraska Layers (sold)

a farm cilo I drive by on my way to Nebraska

note the Grant Wood influence here...FUN!

SO, on I go...working my way down the support for this Texas Layer Painting...

FOR FUN the other day I sat in and played with some local artists at the AAR RIVER GALLERY in Westminster.  Susan Schmitt; one of my inspirational artists was teaching a fun stamp making class.  Now, I know how to make stamps, BUT, it is important to mix and be with other artists...it keeps that inspiration moving right along!

 My stamps!  FUN DOINS!

HAPPY CREATING!

"MT. EVANS IN FAUVE" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA LANDSCAPE © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Mt. Evans in Fauve"

30" x 24" x 1.5" deep gallery wrap canvas

$900

Available in my WEBSITE

See it in person at SUMMER ART MARKET

June 13-14, 2015

Come visit me at booth #54

I've painted my view of Mt. Evans in every medium I've worked in, every style, so it only seemed fitting to paint it again with my current experimental way of working as I weave my way to artistic growth.  There was a base of acrylic put in that you can see here and there peeking through.  After that I started painting in oil.  I used a palette knife for a good portion of this painting.  I also worked with stamps and stencils to pull in pattern; which you can see most obviously in the sky, but if you look closely you can see the honeycomb pattern repeated; though more subtly in the foreground.  There is also a bit of paper throughout as well.  

 This detail image shows the paper peeking through as well as the honeycomb shape repeated

 The trees are applied almost intuitively...not much emphasis on realism; thus moving ever more close to my need for more abstract in my work.  The rocks are painted more with color as was the fashion of the fauves (wild beasts as they were called in the late 1800's and early 1900's)

This painting comes ready to hang.

HAPPY CREATING!

"ROCK CLIFFS" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA LANDSCAPE © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Rock Cliffs"

12"x36" mixed media on gallery wrap canvas

see in person at SUMMER ART MARKET

June 13-14

200 Grant Street, Denver

Booth #54

Another larger piece that reflects my growth in the direction of color and a bit more abstract.  I'm really enjoying working in this new way.  The background is acrylic in base with a bit of the honeycomb pattern subtly added.  The rest is oil.  Note how you can see a bit of paper and pattern reflected in the rocks...a hail to my earlier work.  Most of this painting was created with palette knife.  FUN DOINS!

detail 1

detail 2

I hope you can join me at SUMMER ART MARKET in a few weeks.  There will be a smathering of my earlier work as well as this new. I am also bringing the pet portraits that I still have...who knows maybe you will find one that looks like your pet kid! 

I will add Rock Cliffs to my website as soon as I finish the photography session.  I have painted around the 1.5" deep edges on this one as well.

HAPPY CREATING!

"PINE CANYON" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA LANDSCAPE © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Pine Canyon"

36" x 12" mixed media on gallery wrap 1.5" deep canvas

$650 + $25 shipping 

Available in my WEBSITE

Pine Canyon is a break out painting for me.  It is STILL playing with paper and texture and pattern, with a bit more abstract and more color!  At first it may be so strange to see something so different from some of my previous work like my Mountain Meadow through Aspen Eyes, but it still holds some of the same elements...just a bit less realistic, and more toward the abstract.  Much of this painting is done with pallet knife, the rocks just demanded it of me!  I still have paper and pattern and texture, I've just ramped up the color and contemporary feel I think.  My 101 Pet Portraits project helped me to feel better about playing with color.

Remember, an artist MUST grow to stay alive and keep the inspiration flowing.  I STILL love working with my aspen like in Mountain Meadow through Aspen Eyes, but I also have a great need to change a bit and grow, and this painting is the beginning of that process.  Either method is valuable, and each will appeal to a different collector, but both hold value in the process of creating art from the soul!

This gives you an idea of the size in relation to furniture and such.  The chest is a nightstand size.

This painting was created on a gallery wrap 1.5" deep canvas.  I enjoy making the cradles, but also love painting on canvas at times.  You can see I've painted the sides, so it can be hung as is, or for the collector that loves frames, that can also happen.  They make frames that work for these deeper canvases...a floater frame would work well for this painting as well.

I still LOVE pattern as much as texture...so I've added it in the sky.  This gives it a contemporary feel. And, I love working like this! 

to me, once I layed in the rocks up higher, it didn't need that full disclosure all the way down.  The abstract feel of this is very exciting!  You can see I've got a bit of paper under the paint...a tiny bit of writing shows through, and you can see I've repeated the hexagon pattern down below in a much more subtle way.

I will have this painting in person at SUMMER ART MARKET this June 13-14 if it does not sell before, so I hope you can find me at booth #54!

HAPPY CREATING!

"KIKI" 99/101 OF 101 PET PORTRAITS IN 101 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"KiKi"

6"x6" oil on slightly textured panel

SOLD to her pet mom; Bonnie.  Thank you Bonnie!!

KiKi is a sweetie pie who actually has more purply blues than just the blue she looks like she has.  AGAIN, I cannot seem to get my purple hues to show up...but, her darks look great in blue or purple!  A fauvist interpretation with these fun colors instead of black.  Kiki has wonderful turquoise/cerulean blues for the highlights I saw in her coat! I enjoyed the strong contrast between her dark coat and those beautiful green eyes!  I also have become enamored with stamping into some of these backgrounds...FUN! Kiki's Pet mom is Bonnie Wells.  Kiki comes ready to frame or sit on an easel as shown.

 This easel I found at Hobby Lobby.

 All these floater frames were purchased through pictureframes.com.  I think they can do better on shipping costs, but these frames were reasonable at $26.40.  Every time I purchased a frame I would comment that they need to improve on their shipping costs...who knows maybe one day they will! lol

MAPLE Floater Frame

CFS10

 BLACK Floater Frame

CF1

 GOLD LEAF Floater Frame

CFS3

HAPPY CREATING!

"RILEY" 95/101 OF 101 PET PORTRAITS IN 101 DAYS © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Riley"

6"x6" oil on slightly textured panel
On Hold for her Pet Mom

Riley is a "mitten paw" or polydactyl cat.  I love having a little insight into all these beautiful animals!  Rebecca Ferring Gschwend is Riley's pet mom...and says that he was her best friend for over 20 years!  I used some of my current favorite colors to paint Riley and slipped in a bit of pattern to add a little interest.  I probably didn't need to do this for this particular portrait, but Rebecca is a fellow artist and I thought she'd enjoy seeing it!  Riley comes ready to frame or he can sit on an easel as shown!

I love the way Riley is just LOOKING INTO YOUR SOUL! HA.  He looks good in all his display suggestions!  The frames can be purchased through pictureframes.com, and the easel I found at Hobby Lobby.  

 Maple Floater Frame

CFS10

 Gold Leaf Floater Frame

CFS3

Black Floater Frame

CF1

HAPPY CREATING!

"PARROT PORTRAIT"

"Parrot Portrait"

$25 + $2.95 shipping 4"x4" oil panel

AVAILABLE IN MY ETSY STORE...oops SOLD 3-1-2013

 

 

Getting back into the swing of things after my latest commission with this bright little oil painting of a parrot I photographed when in San Diego.

 

 

Here is a suggestion for framing...I LOVE these 5" x5" frames I get from Michaels....FUN DOINS!

 

PS...I forget to remind folks that, as always, each monitor is going to be a little different...they all show color a tiny bit differently...YES, there is pink in the background, however, it isn't as heavy as it looks on some monitors...this is just the world of technology...we do the best we can!!

 

 

 

HAPPY CREATING!