"A BEAR IN PARADISE" MIXED MEDIA ON CRADLED PANEL © SAUNDRA LANE FINE ART

"A Bear in Paradise"

18"x18"

SOLD

Mixed Media on Cradled Panel

This bear painting was done as a request from someone who saw "Bear Visit" I did a year ago; that sold, and she loved it so much she wanted one similar...Which is good, as similar is all I would be able to do on something like this...You can see the first one below IS similar, but different...ha...I enjoyed working on it to try to give her what she wanted.  

I think each one has some fun qualities, so I didn't mind doing it...

 detail...I think she will enjoy the different paper...I know her well enough to know this...

 This gives an idea of size when put in some type of decor...

This one is cradled...I used a combination of grey and leather stain to compliment the painting.

STAY INSPIRED IN ANY WAY YOU CAN!!

"ACORN LIFE" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA SLICE OF LIFE PAINTING © SAUNDRA LANE FINE ART

"Acorn Life"

20"x20" mixed media on .75" stretched canvas

$300 

Available through my website

I really enjoy my "slice of life" paintings as I call them.  It is literally a slice of something displayed on a specifically textured canvas...always with a little sumpin sumpin on the bottom.  This one sports an American proverb which says "from little acorns mighty oaks do grow". 

This has so much to say about life in general as well...it only takes a little change to make a big difference.  THAT is my biggest and best message within the nature that I find so beautiful that I chose to display to get my message out! As I do with so many of my wrapped canvas paintings, I've painted around the sides so this painting is ready to hang as is! This gives the painting a contemporary look.  But, for those of you with a bit more of a traditional feel you could also frame it.

I've begun with acrylic in the background and then added my own handmade oak leaf stamps with some acid free paper before painting in the acorns in oil. 

FIND INSPIRATION WHERE EVER YOU CAN!

"CHERRIES 5" ORIGINAL MIXED MEDIA ON GALLERY WRAP CANVAS © SAUNDRA LANE FINE ART

"Cherries 5"

8"x16" x 1.5" deep

Mixed media

$225; FREE shipping in US

Available in my website

I love painting cherries...there is just something about them.  I love their strong colors, I love their shape and when I paint red cherries the contrast is always strong.  I love that the most of all!  Some years ago when I began to add papers streaming throughout a painting I found that cherries lended very well to just add them here and there as the paper streamed across the surface. So, now and then I enjoy adding a cherry or so to a canvas.  It is an automatic smile for me!  The green paper you see streaming across the surface is hand made.  It is actually some paper that was under a project I did recently of aspen trees.  As I cleaned off the stencil it began to be a fun color combo.  So, I like to use whatever is in front of me when I work, and this paper fit perfectly into this painting I think.  I love the strong black and white paper that I've used quite a bit in my work; a great combo!  The background starts with acrylic and then the papers go down...but the rest of the surface usually ends up in oil along with the subject matter.

"Cherries 5" is painted on the sides for a contemporary look. I put wire on the back so it's ready to hang, but the 1.5" depth also makes it awesome for sitting on a shelf or mantle among other fun cherry matching items!

BE INSPIRED!

"SUNFLOWER IN SEASON" OIL ON MIXED MEDIA CRADLED PANEL © SAUNDRA LANE FINE ART

"Sunflower in Season" 

18"x18" oil on mixed media panel

Available through my website

What can I say, it was just TIME to do another sunflower.  The days have been warm of late, and that always makes me think of sunflowers, so, it had to be done!  This bloom is on an 18"x18" cradled MDF panel with stained sides to compliment.  I'm thinking acorns and cherries coming soon!

BE INSPIRED!

"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!!

"Cupcake Parade"

12"x12" oil over textured canvas

$110

one of my "slice of life" paintings

Available through my website

This fun little "slice of life" painting is cupcakes today.  I am finding that just about any subject matter will work in my SOL paintings and I plan to keep it up to see just how many subjects can work with this fun little composition.  The beads below that look like they are just randomly scattered below are a red coral I believe...I've had them in my jewelry supplies I am fairly certain that is what they are...I put them on to give that fun texture and a way to bring the unifying color below the slice...I just LOVE TEXTURE!   You can't really see the texture that is over the entire front surface of this 12"x12" canvas...but it is there and adds a great amount of interest to this off white surface.  You can see my signature paper streaming through this little cupcake parade as well.  I like that this can be an affordable option for a painting with a smaller price tag than would be if these little guys were covering the entire surface!  My way of trying to bring affordable and fun art to everyone!

Another thing I love about these slice of life paintings, as I am calling them, is they lend themselves perfectly to layering in your decor!  So many now are layering artwork on mantles and shelves, and this is a great way to meld this wonderful piece into your decor as the example of my little pear hanging out bringing the greens into focus!  FUN DOINS!

HAPPY CREATING!

"ORCHID TRIO" © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY; OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW!

"Orchid Trio Triptych"

10x8, 8x8,8x8

$355

Available through my WEBSITE

These flowers were actually part of a larger painting I did a couple of months ago.  It just seemed there was too much negative space for my taste, SO, as artists will do if something is before them too long...I made it BETTER!  This fun little triptych can be hung in a variety of ways...makes for more versatility for your wall space.  Here is the original painting...don't you just LOVE the change? HA...well, I'm sorry if you don't, cuz I do, and well, that one is now THIS one!  FUN DOINS!

 ORIGINAL VERSION

just too boring for me!

This one is 10"x8" canvas attached to bass wood cradled panel and painted off white around sides.

I call this section the "Orchid Face" 

8"x8" canvas attached to cradled panel and painted in the off white around

This section I call "Half and Half"

8"x8" canvas attached to cradled panel and painted like the other two

side view.  The cradle is just under 1" deep.  Wire is attached to each painting for easy hanging.

Somehow I don't think this will last long...or, it could just be I love this one so!!

HAPPY CREATING!

"ROCKS AND CLOUDS" MIXED MEDIA LANDSCAPE © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Rocks and Clouds"

12"x36"

Mixed media on 1.5" deep gallery wrap canvas

$650

Available through my website

Rocks and Clouds emerged from my desire to play with a composition I created a few weeks ago in another painting that has since sold.  I wanted to see how I might handle clouds with pattern in the sky.(I also added the honeycomb in the foreground as well to keep a unified effect)..I started out with outlined clouds, but kept working to this conclusion for this painting.  I don't know just how I will change, but I know that I am changing in some ways I am enamored with color and wanted to explore it a bit more.  "Rock Cliffs" sold at Summer Art Market. 

What I know at this point is that I prefer to use bright color than realistic color in many instances.  As I continue to grow and move as an artist I will play with my "new" found interest and see how it fits in to numerous situations with numerous subject matter.  A note to all those who may be in the beginnings of a "growth spurt"...DO NOT FEEL TRAPPED!  Don't feel like you are married to ANYTHING at this point!  Let inspiration lead you to experiment with ideas that come to your mind...NOTE the things you like and any other "growing pains" that happen that give you another idea...go down that road...EVENTUALLY it will find a space that feels happy...and YAY!

What I am working through in my mind is the fact that I love all the paper that I added in my work behind the scenes...I think I miss the volume that shows through...so my next thing to explore is to bring back a bit more in certain places...MAYBE...there is nothing lost if you learn and end up in a place that feels good.  YOU WILL EVENTUALLY end up in a place that feels good if you keep at it.  FOR ME...I have no choice...I am drawn to create, so eventually I will end up in a happy place and settle in until the NEXT growth spurt...REMEMBER, it is all a journey and there is beauty in every stage!

HAPPY CREATING!

REWORKED "FIVE PINES" MIXED MEDIA ON CRADLED PANEL © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Five Pines"

12"x25"

mixed media on cradled panel

Available through my website

As I often do when a work stays home with me for awhile, I've reworked it a little.  It is the hazard or blessing that belongs to the creator of the work I suppose!  I like this MUCH better!  I was always bothered a little by the colors I chose for the sky, and I felt the body of the work needed a little brightening.  This all falls in line with my working with brighter colors and using a bit more pattern

or texture.  You will see that the sky is now a beautiful turquoisy blue with some bit of pattern throughout.  I brought the color of the sky down into the land a bit and repeated texture here and there for added interest and a unifying touch.  I also removed the garish looking yellow that bugged me too and toned it down a bit while keeping it light. 

 

previous version...this photo makes the sky color look two toned, in reality it was all more the blue to the left and the foreground was a little dark...just didn't appeal to me.  I also added a few highlights to the trees. 

It's ok if you were attached to the earlier version (though that no longer exists), but for my growth as an artist I need that brighter color with more texture!

HAPPY CREATING!

"PINE CANYON" UPDATE © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"Pine Canyon"

36"x12"x1.5" deep

Mixed Media on gallery wrap canvas

$650

There is not much updating to this painting except to add more highlights than previously existed on the trees up top.  I knew at the time of painting that it needed highlights to unify it MORE to the rest of the painting, but there was so much paint on it every attempt to blend just disappeared! HA.  It was fine like it WAS, but it is much better like it IS.  Just goes to show, a little can go a long way!

 You can see here the highlights within the tree that help to describe the lights that are happening in this landscape...they are subtle, but if strong sunlight was hitting from the left, it would show up more than previously described.  

Like I said, it is simple, but just gives a bit more information.

"Pine Canyon" is painted on it's sides.

And there you have it...I'm MUCH happier with it...so, as always, there is a reason some paintings come home with me!

HAPPY CREATING!

"WHITE ELEPHANT NECKLACE" © SAUNDRA LANE GALLOWAY

"White Elephant Necklace"

16" with apx. 3/4" white glass elephant pendant

$25

Available in my ETSY shop

Hard to see, but the elephant has some brownish accents in the cracks and crevices.

Another in my JUST FOR FUN series, this glass white elephant is graced with other glass beads and metal chain. 16" in length with the apx. 3/4" elephant pendant hanging down. A little turquoise glass bead at the back makes it stylish and FUN from front to back! 

The end of this month is my wonderful mother's 75th BD, and she made a request of me...well, actually a couple...One was another horse like the "Soul of the Horse" WHICH I did, and the other was a mostly turquoise necklace like my JUST FOR FUN series...and, I did that too...Hopefully she will like it...but, SHHHHH...it's a secret! :)

I added a special little bit of personalization...note the JOY bead that will hang down the back...that's her name! :)

 

I have been VERY busy painting of late as well...REALLY enjoying my mixed media pieces between the ETSY'S...Here is a beginning that will end up a section of pine tree...FUN!

 I've got a couple fun things that will happen at one time or another; WHEN the inspiration hits...The barn is a co-worker of my husbands father's barn I believe that is how it goes...I love the contrast of the red with the snow!! I believe this is somewhere in Michigan...

 

and, I thought this little bird; that I've learned may be a JUNCO was outside my door last snow we had...I love his little self!

 

SO, busy bee days...JUST THE WAY I LIKE EM!!

HAPPY CREATING!

 

"DIMPLES" has moved to ETSY and a LIFE LESSON!

"DIMPLES"...remember her?

  4"x4" oil on 3/4" deep cradle

$40

NOW IN MY ETSY SHOP!

"Dimples" has quite a sunny personality; although you may not see it at first.  Her dimples imply the happy girl underneath all that bravado!  But, regardless, look at those beautiful eyes she has!  Dimples is painted on a textured cradled panel that has black painted sides.  She is perfect to hang as is in that spot where you can see her and smile, or sit on a shelf or an easel.  She can even be framed!  "Dimples" is traveling to my gallery in Conifer, but if you don't live near enough to visit Luna's Mandala in person, just let me know and I'll gather her up and ship her to you!

NOW, as artists I'm sure you have some life lessons you have learned in the process of finding locations for your work; the in's and outs of life in galleries and other types of venues.  HERE IS MY LATEST STORY.  I'm only bringing it up so we call all learn better lessons TOGETHER...perhaps it can save someone out there some frustration and loss of time and energy.  I DO NOT hold bad thoughts for the owner of this business; the latest venue where I had my work, HOWEVER, I've learned some lessons. 

The first thing I did wrong was to NOT insist on a copy of my signed contract up front!  My personality is so trusting at first, so I believed her that she did not have a copy machine and that she would e-mail it to me A.S.A.P.  The second thing I did wrong was to NOT be more clear in my insistence that I get an inventory of sales in a timely manner.

At first, it seemed to be going well.  This was a venue where I rented a space and was able to change things out as I saw fit.  I LOVED THAT part.  I signed a 3 month contract to see how things would go in a mixed venue as it was.  I sold a painting within a couple of weeks...YAY.  I also put jewelry and up-cycled furniture in my space to try to fit a variety of needs in the area.  My first niggle of doubt came when the owner asked for rent for the next month...hmmm...I had been told they would take rent out of sales...hmmm...SO, I asked, and she said "Oh yes, no worries".  My second seed of confusion was when she asked me why I had not signed off on inventory sheets.  WHAT INVENTORY SHEETS I asked...I've been waiting for them...Thus my first strong request...5 weeks after signing the contract I'm now asking for the copy of the contract AND the inventory of sales in December...I got many excuses...but no results despite more than half a dozen requests for the documents.

MORE concern came when she told me she'd lost her backer and did I know anyone with $100,000 to invest?  Um...a, NO...I didn't.  NEXT was two different stories of her bad financial past...conflicting stories...made me a bit concerned.  NEXT came the request that we could all "roll our profits" to cover rent two months in advance...and that would be better for "us". and, the final straw was the day before we were to receive our checks she said her business account had been hacked so checks would be late. That could have been true, but the timing on top of the other was suspect...and my trust was broken at that point, so it is NEVER wise to stay when there is no trust!

I'm still not getting invoices, and now I'm getting statements that infer that I am ignoring them...hmmm...SO, many red flags caused me to pull out a few weeks early.  When I went to take my things out, she gave me a lecture and told me how disappointed she was in me...I felt it best to be nice and just pack up and go.  I gave her a check to honor my part of the rest of my contract as that felt right to me regardless of the broken parts on their part of the contract, and left... EXHAUSTING!  Mentally...it felt like they were priming us to get December monies and then leave in the night...I drove by more often than I would have; checking for a truck out front! HA.  PHYSICALLY because I had to take out a LOT of stuff and get home to finish work.  EMOTIONALLY as it felt like I had been treated badly and I didn't feel it was anything I had done.  

LESSON:  a good idea to get the financials of a business before you invest your hard work in it.  BE CAREFUL of new businesses...she is new to the mountain area as well as a new business person...GET REFERENCES...IF they haven't been established you would be wise...SO...hopefully this will help anyone out there from having the stressful experience I did.  ONWARD AND UPWARD!!

HAPPY CREATING!