Within Arm's Reach - Red Dress Painitng

"Within Arm's Reach"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board

Somethings are just within reach....just reach out...take that step,

"Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. " -- Mother Teresa

Iris Oil Painting with Palette Knife

"Everything Else is Nothing"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board

I do have trouble coming up with interesting titles and sometimes fall back on something like "yellow tulips" "red roses".....just a descriptive title. I have nothing against descriptive titles but I guess I'd like to be able to come up with something charming and creative for my artwork. I once exhibited a painting of aspens which didn't have the word "aspen" in the title. Some viewers thought they were birch and some thought they were aspens - the viewers made up their own minds as to what they were seeing. I like that.

And yet I think a title of a painting plays a role in it's success. I have sold paintings after I've changed the title; is it a coincidence?

Last night I was chatting with a friend who typed this phrase. It was part of a longer sentence but I liked the sound of it...."everything else is nothing". So there you have it.

I am going to ask everyone who reads this blog a favor of doing one of the following. Please

1) Post your thoughts in the comments section

2) Tell a friend about my blog and paintings

3) Please subscribe to this blog

4) Email painting ideas, title ideas and comments to judy@judymackey.com

Thank you!

Cheers and Hugs,

Judy

Judy Mackey Oil Palette Knife Painting of Roses

"Long Stem Roses"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board

Available

Today's thought:

"If you come to a fork in the road, take it." -- Yogi Berra

(I know the thought has nothing to do with Long Stem Roses. My friend tells me he gives his wife Long Stem Red Roses for every year they've been married. Lovely!)

Palette Knife Daily Floral Painting - Tulips

"Pink Tulips"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board

Thank you to all who visited my blog the past few days and left me comments on the last painting, Solitude. Your comments and your visits have really made me realize that I might be sitting at my painting table or easel alone and yet I am connected. This blog is also posted on FB, so, THANK YOU to my Facebook friends too.

I really appreciate you!

Palette Knife Painting of Rowboat - "Solitude"

"Solitude"

14 x 14 x 3/4 inches, Oil on Canvas

I woke up this morning and opened the window - there is a thick fog and the sun tries to shine through it. The fog makes the morning whisper.

A couple of days ago when I started this painting, my thoughts were in a fog and this painting is of that feeling. I didn't know whether to title this "Adrift" or "Solitude" but this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson just seemed appropriate for it that I settled on "Solitude". I sketched this out using a brown pencil and when I didn't like it I wiped it off but the color that remained on the canvas after a few sketch attempts was a quiet sepia which I liked so I did this painting in a somber sepia monotone with just a touch of blue in the rowboat.

Ralph Waldo Emerson's quote:

"What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think. This rule, equally arduous in actual and intellectual life, may serve for the whole distinction between greatness and meanness. It is the harder, because you will always find those who think they know what is your duty better than you know it. It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great person is one who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude."

Just Because - Flowers in Vase Painting

"Just Because"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board

Back in the seventies, stone age, I know, Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand had a song called "You Don't Bring Me Flowers". The song used to tug at my heart - two people fall in love, feel the rush, teach each other things, laugh together, experience things, need each other...how could two people stop telling each other that they love each other, how can the love song stop....how could they forget to bring flowers?

I hope that if you will remember that all flowers need the sun and rain and nurturing as do relationships. And if you do have someone special in your heart, a spouse, a lover, a friend, a sibling you will always "give them flowers" to remind them that they are special to you always. It's the little things we do in our every day lives that keeps love and caring alive.

The title of this painting is "Just Because" because I would want to receive or give "Just Because" flowers....

Penny For Your Thoughts - Pink Flowers Palette Knife Oil Painting

"Penny For Your Thoughts"

6 x 6 inches, Oil on Board/Palette Knife painting.

Available

Yesterday evening, though it drizzled a little, I went to check out the Art Walk at one of our local cities, Keller. It was a fantastic evening of catching up with other art friends I'd not seen in months. The Art Walk started at the Keller Town Hall where Ann Hardy had her opening reception. Her paintings are stunning! It is such a learning experience to visit fellow artists' shows and exhibits.

Then on to Art251 Studio where my friend and potter Kim Norris exhibits. I love her "inspirational word bowls" and found one that was perfect - it reads "I'm still working on my fairy tale" Yep - that I am.

So, anyway a bit of a ramble - the title of this little painting...I love the sit-com "Big Bang Theory" on CBS - do you watch it? I sometimes feel like Penny...sometimes I think I know it all and sometimes I don't.

Happy Friday to all of you!

Chrissy Joe

"Chrissy Joe"

5 x 5 inches, Oil on Board

Meemo Bedhead's mom asked if I'd do his sister, Chrissy. Here she is. I did have a photo to work from which showed Chrissy - just after her beauty parlour visit with bows in her hair but I chose to work from a photo which looked like she too was having a sort of a "bad hair day" to match Meemo's bedhead look.

Two Lemons

"Two Lemons"

12 x 12 x 3/4", Oil on Stretched Canvas

I have a question - Do you buy, rent and watch Art Instructional videos (or DVD's)? I've been asked several times about palette knife painting and Nancy Medina said, "Make a How-To" video... But do people find them useful?

Leave me a comment or email me: judy@judymackey.com

Thanks for your thoughts!

Where To From Here

"Where to From Here"

30 x 15 x 3/4", Oil on Stretched Canvas



I painted with Nancy Medina at her home studio, the Flower Mound Studio, with three very helpful studio assistants, Howie, Java and Annie. Painting together with Nancy was fantastic on many levels - first it was New Year's Day - that must mean that I'll be doing something I enjoy for the rest of the year. And it was nice to discuss art, talk about different paints, mediums, substrates, recipes and general brainstorming. And oh! oh! oh! Nancy's husband Carlos made cups of coffee for me as well as a fantastic quiche lunch! Now that! was a real treat.

I did get a good bit of the painting above done at her studio. I titled it "Where to From Here" because it is a new year's painting - so where do we go from here? Time to think about what we'll be doing this year.

Happy New Year - Auld Lang Syne

Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
And days of old long past.

And surely you will pay for your pint-vessel!
And surely I will pay for mine!
And we will take a cup of kindness yet,
For old long past.

We two have run about the hillsides
And pulled the wild daisies fine;
But we have wandered many a weary foot
Since old long past.

We two have paddled in the stream,
From morning sun till noon;
But seas between us broad have roared
Since old long past.

And there is a hand, my trusty friend!
And give me a hand of yours!
And we will take a right good-will drink,
For old long past.