Trying out linocut printing for the first time at work and it's pretty fun!  I am enrolling in a follow-up course so that I can do some more great stuff!

Here is Poppy, my beloved Jack Russell Terrier!  First print was done in two steps with both the "negative" and "positive" versions of my linocut plates in red and then black on top.  The second one we just took the black inked plate and put it alone on tan paper.  Both very cool!

Hope you like them as much as I enjoyed making them!

So, I felt like doing another charcoal today and I came across a great photo I had taken of Poppy not too long ago.  It's a rare moment when she's quiet and resting.

My Beloved Poppy

9"X12" charcoal drawing on buff paper

Just as I decided to jump back into drawing by taking a drawing class at my new workplace, Atelier 6000, I also was asked to join in on an intro to printmaking class as well.  I have never really known much about printmaking, but seeing the studio has made me curious for sure!  So, Monday evening was my first foray into printmaking.  It was a blast!!  I could see how this could be addicting too!  Not much in the world of art isn't interesting to me though, so now I have a new avenue for my art inclinations!

Enjoy the best two prints I made Monday.

The first one, First Love, is the original monotype print, meaning it's the first run through the print press.

FIRST LOVE

Then we ran it through again, using wet paper and I tweaked a few things to get a slightly different image.  The second run through of a monotype print is called the "ghost".

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE

I felt the need for warmth, romance and a little mystery today when I found my inspirational reference photo. I choose a horse grazing at the edge of Aspens and wanted to leave a lot of it to the viewer's interpretation so I stayed as loose as I could for today.  Enjoy this late summer day!

"Horse in the Aspens"

20"x30" oil painting on 1 1/2" profile canvas

$575.00

You paint!  We had downpour after downpour and gloomy weather, so I started looking through my inspiration file that houses all my reference photos I collect to get my creative juices flowing, and I found this bright, cheery scene of lovely spring daffodils.  

It didn't take much to decide this was a good subject on such a dreary day.  I will create my own sunshine!

Hope you enjoy.

"Ushering in Spring"

24"x12" oil painting on 1 1/2" profile canvas

$625

Today I got my latest painting submitted with a nice high score into the Main Gallery of www.nobullart.com, where I have an online gallery and participate in reviewing art with other artists around the country. 

Visit my gallery at:  

 

http://helengallaway.nobullart.com

"Wildflower Field" - by Helen Gallaway

Category:

Paintings

Collection:

Flowers

Style:

Painterly

Medium:

Oil On Canvas

Rating:

8.83 of 10 (private)    

Description:    an eclectic floral depicting poppies and other wild flowers

Mar 22, 2013 Review (private)

The colors make the flowers alive.

Mar 20, 2013 Comment (public)

Most beautiful flowers! Exquisite composition, gorgeous colors!

After a drawn out move, some travel mixed in and a lot of adjusting to a new town, I have gotten my studio space set up and finally put some time aside to paint yesterday.  I decided to "go big" and painted a 20"x30" floral painting.  Pretty ambitious for not having picked up a brush in over a month, but I loved the process, tried some different techniques and loved the result.  It brought me right into Spring and Summer on a cold rainy night here in Bend.

 I hope you enjoy it too!

"Wildflower Field"

20"x30" oil painting on 1 1/2" profile canvas

$750

Took advantage of the wonderful winter sunshine and painted another floral small.

"Warm Azaleas"

8"x8" oil painting on museum quality flat panel

$100

Today, on a super snowy winter day, I found good light, so I decided to paint.  I looked through my hundreds of reference photos, but kept coming back to flowers.  So today I did a rose and I might get one more painting in before the early dusk settles in.

"Pink Rose"

8"x8" oil painting on museum quality flat panel.

$100

So I am a little later on my Christmas cards than I had expected to be this year and when I was rooting around my photo files I could not find any new pictures of this past year that I wanted to share, so I decided to paint a card instead!

"Christmas Ornament"

8"x10" oil painting on museum quality flat panel

$45

I was drawn to flowers again today, but in a much different format.  I haven't painted on a flat panel in ages and I remembered why today.  The slick feel of the panel doesn't give me the nice toothy feel of a canvas and so the paint acts in a completely different manner.  It produces a whole new texture than I typically like, but I liked the way this turned out.  Enjoy!

"Wildflower Mountain"

11"x14" oil painting on museum quality flat panel

$100

I started to paint today and really wanted to get poppies out of my system so I could find a new and more intriguing subject.  Although I still adore poppies, I am thinking it's time to branch out and find something completely outside the box and my comfort zone.  Time will tell if I find that subject!

So for now, enjoy the poppies!

"Poppies III"

10"x10" oil painting on 1 1/2" profile canvas

$100

Today is my anniversary.  I am married to the most incredible man.  It feels like we have always known each other and have been together since we were kids.  Hard to believe it any other way.  I guess that is what it feels like when you find someone so very compatible and on the same wavelength when it comes to the important stuff.

My dear husband is out of the house today working and I decided to paint and I guess I felt inspired and loved and so very content.  I hope I put those feelings of joy and love into this painting today.

Enjoy!

"Close Up of a Poppy"

12"x12" oil painting on 3/4" profile canvas

$125

I decided to use my long skinny canvases for a set of paintings that could be used together or separately.  So far I have completed 3 of the set.  I chose to use complementary color palettes and keep them simple and graphic.  Enjoy!

"Blue Whale"  

8"x24" oil painting on canvas

$60

"Hammerhead"

8"x24" oil painting on canvas

$60

"Sea Turtle"

8"x24" oil painting on canvas

$60

I felt particularly inspired lately to paint and with some new ideas that came to me late at night.  I have 7 paintings lined up and ready to go...

Here is the first of the sea life series drawn from my sister's love of the ocean, diving and her adventures down below.

"Hammerheads of Galapagos"

18"x18" oil painting on 1 1/2" profile canvas

$200

This really touched me today and I will keep it close for a while and make it my truth.

"True art means if it helps you become silent, still, joyous; if it gives you a celebration, if it makes you dance-whether anybody participates with you or not is irrelevant If it becomes a bridge between you and God, that is true art. If it becomes a meditation, that is true art. If you become absorbed in it, so utterly absorbed that the ego disappears, that is true art.

...Art can be the most prayerful thing, the most meditative thing possible.  If you can be in any art, music, painting, sculpture, dance, if any art can take a grip on your being, that's the best way to pray, the best way to meditate.  Then you don't need any other meditation, that is your meditation.  That will lead you slowly, slowly, step by step, into God.  So this is my criterion: if it leads you toward God, it is true art, it is authentic art"

 - Osho, Creativity, Unleashing the Forces Within

I felt all warmed up after painting Ganesh for my friend's daughter and after a little peanut butter and jelly pita, I decided to paint another instead of cleaning up the brushes and palette.  This felt good!

"Rooster"

12"x12" oil painting on 3/4" profile museum board

$140

My friend Katy Latta has a lovely little 3 year old daughter named Deva.  She's full of life, full of love and since she thinks Ganesh is the coolest thing ever, I decided to paint the elephant God for her so she could have him look over her all the time.

Hugs to my friends!

"Deva's Ganesh"

16"x20" oil painting on canvas

Sold

A great artist and friend, Dreama Tolle Perry, talked about "just showing up" on her blog yesterday and it got me inspired to get in front of my easel, even though I wasn't really sure what I wanted to paint or feeling especially moved to paint.  

I rifled through some of my reference photos and was tickled by the feel of some poppies, so I just "showed up" and let the rest happen.  

Here is the resultant painting.  Makes me smile, so it's a masterpiece in my mind!

"Poppies II"

12"x12" oil painting on canvas

$150

Today's painting!  My largest painting to date.  I am hoping my sister will want this for her Florida home!  Took me a while to get the whole canvas covered, but it was fun and I love the tranquility I feel from the colors and light.

"Manatee"

48"x24" oil painting on canvas

$400

I do enjoy doing these paintings because I hope it will spark some interest for art into a young child's heart.  It's something only I can do for them and I sure hope they enjoy having this on their wall/door/dresser!

"Zuri's Horses"

8"x16" oil painting on 3/4" profile canvas

Not for sale - a gift for an 8th birthday!

Well, I am drawn once again to the jelly fish today when I was looking through my inspiration photos.  I hope the people who keep asking for jelly fish like this!

Jelly Fish

18"x18" oil painting on 1 1/2" profile canvas

$200

I am still just craving the color, luminosity and fragility of flowers.  Here is my second attempt at poppies.

Pink Poppies

14'x11" Oil painting on 1 1/2" profile canvas

$80

Well, at least that is what I have decided after an incredible "aha" moment today and a big breakthrough on a tough pose.  After less than a year of dedicated yoga practice and a month long intensive teacher training I am doing things that I never thought would be possible and I am 90% pain-free at this time.

I was able to kick myself up into a full arm balance or handstand (adho mukha vrksasana  http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/788  ), hold it for almost a minute and come down with a little grace.  If someone had told me a year ago I would be able to do that, I would have thanked them for the confidence in me, but laughed it off for sure.  My upper body strength and suppleness seems to grow daily.  My core strength is getting really good.  My legs are tightening up in a good way and loosening up where they should.  Yoga has done wonders for my body.  It has done wonders for my memory, my ability to focus and my overall attitude towards life.

So, now I am able to start seeing beyond the past limitations of my body and see that I am now ready for what comes my way and will be able to make a big list of new resolutions and goals that I will be able to meet and possibly exceed.

I am starting my list today....here's a taste of what I now believe is possible!

1.  get up into headstand (sirsasana)

2.  do a cartwheel

3.  walk on my hands

4.  arm balances

5........

6................

7....................

More to come for sure!  I just feel strong, vibrant, confident, and completely able.  The absence of pain seems to really be the biggest blessing and certainly lends me the optimism to truly believe that all things are possible now.   I feel like at 46, I am only just beginning my life.  Pretty incredible feeling, honestly.

Thank you yoga.  Thank you fellow Seattle yoga students.  Thank you universe.  Thank you husband for allowing me to move forward with this with your full support.  Thank you life.  Thank you love.  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Well the Iris painting got me all warmed up for this larger painting.  It is exactly as I had hoped it would turn out.  The flowers are really giving me an opportunity to stretch myself.  I am thoroughly enjoying the process!

I present...

"White Poppies"

12"x12" oil painting on 3/4" profile canvas

$150