Recently Adopted!

These four paintings recently found new homes. Thanks to my wonderful collectors!

 Sunset Pines

11 x 14

 Dusk-Edge of the Woods

18 x 24

 Aspen Twilight

20 x 24

Winter Morning

18 x 14

Road Through the Pines

Road Through the Pines

8 1/4 x 9 1/4
Vine Charcoal on handmade Twinrocker paper
Available at Deborah Paris Fine Art

I've been working away on the paintings for my solo show next month at M Gallery in Sarasota. But, I'm still finding time to continue this series of drawings.

I've also added a new class- The Painted Sky- to my offerings of online classes this spring. Its all about learning to paint beautiful, atmospheric skies. More information about this class can be found here.

Finding Inspiration

As I've written here and here, for many years I painted all over the West and routinely sought inspiration in the big views it affords from the Rockies, to the high desert of New Mexico , to the splendor of Big Sur in California. When we moved to northeast Texas in May 2007, the landscape here felt comfortable, much like the north Florida and Georgia landscapes where I spent my early years. What I never expected was to be so utterly and completely captivated by its ordinary charms. As I've described before, this part of Texas is where the prairies of north central Texas meet the piney woods of the South. Its also a very rural, agricultural area which was once dominated by cotton and logging, now by a variety of crops and ranching. There are wide expanses of ranch land, cultivated fields, woods full of pines and oaks, streams and ponds- scattered around gently rolling hills, all in a distinct four season climate. While there is nothing dramatic or majestic about any of it, it is a constant source of inspiration for my work.


Perhaps most surprising of all is how close to home my favorite painting grounds are. In fact, the southwest corner of our property is my favorite place of all-particularly at this time of year. The sun has migrated far enough south that it streams through these trees in late afternoon. Every evening is different and often different minute to minute. I sometimes think I could paint this- just this- forever.

Evening Pines

Evening Pines
24 x 20
Available at Galerie Kornye, Dallas

As I've mentioned before here, this part of Texas is called the Piney Woods. I think its one of the reasons the landscape here resonates with me. There is a pleasing combination of open fields and pastures, ponds and creeks and these tall, elegant pines.

Evening Pines

Evening Pines
10 x 8
Sold

East Texas is referred to as the Piney Woods. Tall, elegant stands of loblolly and long leaf pine can be found just about everywhere here. I am particularly fond of them, not only because they are visually interesting but because they remind me of north Florida (where I grew up) and south Georgia (where I spent some time in school and on horseback). I have in mind to do a number of larger paintings of pines and this little piece is a start on that project.

Gratification-Delayed

Winter Greys
6 x 6
Private Collection

Yesterday I took a drive of about 60 miles round trip over to the vet's to pick up medicine for Sophie (our oldest Corgi). Its a trip I take about once a month and I always look forward to it. Although the landscape along the way is very similar to where we live, it does have more of the tall pines this area of Texas is known for (more about that later). Yesterday,the fog was thick and I was fascinated by the variety of greys- from the violets and blues in the distance to almost maroon/wine colored greys in the near trees. By the time I got home, I had an entire painting composed and painted in my head.

I have never been a patient person. I tend to want what I want, when I want it. Instant gratification- a birthright. As my husband says of me in former days, before we came to the Bubble, "you were in a hurry". So it is probably a great cosmic gotcha that I have adopted a mode of painting that requires me to paint, wait, paint, wait, paint, and wait some more. Which is why I am posting a painting today done this time last year and not the one I started yesterday.



Deborah Paris Fine Art- Small Gems -Big Art in a small package

Piney Woods Sunset

Piney Woods Sunset
8 x 10
Contact me if interested in this piece.

This part of Texas is referred to as the Piney Woods. I love the look of a pond through these tall pines, particularly at sunset. This painting is also a study for a larger work.