Things are getting exciting. It's Fall now, and Santa is peeking around the corner, trying to nudge the Thanksgiving turkey out of the way. This is one of my Santa portraits.

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beautiful metal prints

And here is a purple still life painting...I used to get daisies once a month, and painted them often. I think the flowers here look very much alive.

still life art purple acrylic prints

The Southwest is in My Blood

I have visited the Southwest about ten times, give or take a couple. When I am there, the time goes by quickly. When I am away from there, the rocks, hills, and mesas call to me. This painting is an imaginary landscape with a partially imaginary rock wall, accented by a tower. The old ruins are made of rock.

sky canvas prints starry night art

Still Life Paintings with Pears

Still life with fruit can be a beautiful form of expression. There is the shine, the texture, and the surroundings. In each of these pieces, there are golden pears. In one scene, an apple takes center stage.

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Plein Air of Palo Duro Canyon, Near Amarillo Texas

This painting is acrylic on stretched canvas. Clicking on the picture will take you to the prints. We were staying in the Lighthouse cabin at Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Panhandle, and I wanted to paint on location! The wind was strong, but I was determined. I did manage to paint most of the scene en plein air, adding touch-ups later.

It was a great experience. On the first night, we heard thunder, rain, and wind. I opened the door and peered out. There was no rain, no thunder, and no lightning, but much wind, bounding down the canyon and whipping around the rock cabin. I went back to sleep, to the sound of pounding--wind!

On the second day, I found a small snake in the living area of the cabin. It had been hiding under my shoe. We managed to see him safely out of the building.


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Finn Hotel of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana is Popular

This old hotel once stood by the railroad tracks in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana. Those old enough remember it as an old building in disrepair. But it was once a beautiful hotel with livery stables, waiting to shelter weary travelers. I used an old photo as a reference, deliberately putting emphasis on the building itself.

I really love old buildings. All the images below can be found at LouisianaPainter.com

nostalgic prints
http://syrupywine.blogspot.com/
nostalgic framed prints

LouisianaPainter.com

old buildings art

ruins art

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Art and More Art

Much of my artwork can be seen at fineartamerica.com I am adding more every day. Here are some examples:
Old ruins in Tasmania Oakwood Cemetery in Jefferson, Texas

A lot of the artwork on Fine Art America is photography, and while that can be beautiful, do not deprive yourself of hand painted art. The hand of the painter on the brush, using real paint that gets on their hands and on their easel and well as on the canvas, is a time-honored tradition. Many of the artists, including this writer, have original paintings available as well as reproductions of various types, such as stretched canvas, metal, and archival paper.
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Louisiana Artwork

Fine Art America is a wonderful art site, full of reproductions and original art, including the art of Louisiana, my home state:

louisiana paintings
Beautiful paintings! 

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Canvas and Other Art Supplies

Buying and Using Stretched Canvas

1. When buying stretched canvas, check to make sure the stretcher bars are not warped. I lay the stretched canvas on the floor, tapping it here and there to make sure it doesn't rock. It should lie flat on the floor.

2. If you do find yourself stuck with a warped canvas, a good, sturdy frame will likely bring it back into shape. However, you should not try to display an obviously warped, unframed canvas, even if you've carefully and beautifully painted the unstapled sides. (Note:  This happened to me!  I was displaying in a multi-artist show and did not realize the thing was warped until the show had begun.  It happened between the hanging and the show.  Ouch!)


3. You may have to add more gesso to your stretched canvas. I know most of them advertise double gesso, but if you hold the canvas up to a light, you may see tiny openings. Oils will seep through the openings and leak to the other side. So, if you see tiny holes, put on more gesso.


4. Be careful where you set your canvas. Even after several years, I've leaned a stretched canvas over things that poked dents in it. It's worse if you end up with holes.

Extra thought: Beautiful art is more important than beautiful consumable art supplies. 
I used to have a problem messing up my nice, pretty new pastels, pencils, or paint tubes. I didn't want to mess up the points or tear off the paper. I wanted to keep them pretty. I began to realize that I could either have attractive paint and pencils, or I could have great art. So when Pencils and pastels start to wear down, and when tubes start to get crinkled, great. You've been hard at work.