If you visit this Texas State Park sometime late April through early May, you can catch the cacti in bloom. The wildflowers are always beautiful, but this year was spectacular!
I’m so happy to finally be sharing my favorite photos from the camping trip (among the flowers, we also spotted some critters enjoying the beautiful weather and butterflies).
After seeing all these beautiful blooms, I feel inspired to make a new cactus painting…the only problem is picking a favorite photo to work from (so many good options!)
Inspired by the famous hike in Big Bend National Park, this painting is a colorful take on the epic sense of awe one gets while walking between the Rio Grande’s canyon walls.
Inside Santa Elena Canyon, acrylic on canvas, 24″x36″
Hiking into the canyon.
We sat and watched hikers cross the trickling river while listening to the warbling song of canyon wrens. It was so peaceful! This photo became my reference for the painting.
Tracing the photograph and simplifying the outlines.
Painting in the outlines after they’ve been transferred to canvas.
Almost finished!
Detail of the people crossing the river.
Before starting the final painting, I made a smaller 12″x12″ version as a way to test the bright colors before committing to them. This was a slightly different way of working for me and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed creating the same scene in different sizes and shapes. It was a challenging but also freeing, so I plan to continue this process with my next painting.
Inside Santa Elena Canyon, acrylic on wood panel, 12″x12″
Because the small version was finished first, I was able to exhibit it at the Austin Studio Tour’s Group Show, then the Neill-Cochran House Museum (where it won an Honorable Mention award!). Shortly afterwards, it was purchased by a collector in South Austin. I’m thrilled by the reception this painting got as it’s personally one of my favorites – the brightness of the red canyon walls makes my eyes happy!
I’m incredibly grateful for the continued support of the community and can’t wait to see what I create next! Thank you to everyone who has purchased a painting or print, come out to art openings, followed me online, and showed up at the art markets – I couldn’t do this without you!
After a restful January spent lounging at home, I emerged from hibernation with renewed creativity. I started cooking more and even baked some bread, then I began to play around with some art ideas that have been on the back-burner since November: a bandana to celebrate the upcoming solar eclipse and a simple desert scene made up of line art.
The simple desert scene depicting a saguaro cactus, which I used to make a fun, glittery sticker.
I was also honored by Tacoma-based band Prickly Paranoia when they asked me to design a T-shirt.
Such a fun project!
In February I was suddenly inundated with opportunities to share my creations: I participated in an emergency art show / fundraiser to help Big Medium recover from a fire that broke out in their new gallery, popped-up at the Galentines Market hosted by Clover + Maven, and delivered one of my largest paintings to the Visions Unbound group show at ArtUs Co (on exhibition thru March 16, 2024).
My painting “Taco Raptors” at Big Medium’s Fire Recovery Exhibition.
A group of art lovers appreciating the wall where my painting “Topographic Map Of Barton Creek Greenbelt” hangs at ArtUs Co.
It’s been great to be so busy and full of energy, but I’ve missed painting. I cleaned out my studio and made a larger space for my easel, but there always seems to be something more pressing to attend to. I wonder if I’m finding reasons not to work on my painting.
Every so often this kind of fear-based procrastination creeps in. Painting can feel SO BIG, so vulnerable, because I love it so much, and because I’m putting it out there.
But I know just how to solve this problem. All I need to do is start, after that, everything else will flow. Starting is the hardest part. And so, I begin…
COMING UP You can find me and my art at these events and exhibitions:
Saturday, March 9, 2024 Art In ATX Babes Market with live music from DJ Dámino serving Nu Funk/ Tropical House & Ecstatic Dance Sets. Shop from local businesses and artists ranging from baked goods, to fine art paintings, jewelry & much more! Batch, 3220 Manor Rd, 12-4pm, FREE
Saturday, March 9, 2024 Salon-style group art show with on-site artist studios to explore, a photo booth for guests to commemorate their experience, and a drink making cocktail machine debut by Mixim. Drinks are free for guests 21+. Nonalcoholic beverages provided by Liquid Death will also be available free to all guests. Highland Collective Gallery, 6401 Airport Blvd, 6-11pm, $10
April 26 – May 27, 2024 May Market with 100+ regional artists and artisans under one roof! (open weekly Friday-Sunday + Memorial Day) Blue Genie Art Bazaar, FREE
Hope to see you there! (ask me how my painting is coming)
As promised, I’m going to backtrack a bit and share some of last year’s adventures.
I said “YES!” to every opportunity and ended up traveling much more than I’d expected to. I got burned-out from it all, but it was well worth it. And after getting some serious rest after the holidays, I’m feeling fulfilled and motivated – a great way to start 2024!
Here’s a quick tour of some of the new things I explored in 2023:
A surreal section of Old Military Road or “The Trail Of Tears” at Village Creek State Park, Arkansas.
Sandy hiking trails at Warren Dunes State Park, Michigan.
Lake Michigan at Warren Dunes State Park.
Huge crowds at Electric Forest in Michigan.
The beautiful, art-filled forest.
New music, performed among the trees.
A wonderful group of adventurous friends.
Breathtaking art at an enormous scale.
Colorful street art around Richmond, Virginia.
A slower pace of life in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
A giant mushroom at Lakes Of Fire in Michigan.
Illuminated dance floors.
Unusual water floats that were more challenging than relaxing.
Unforgettable metal sculptures.
The charm of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Ridiculous, climbable art at City Museum in St Louis.
Untouched wilderness in the Ozarks.
Slightly-spooky old buildings in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
A beautiful wedding in Vermont.
Funky, freaky, wonderful dancing at the Light Club Lamp Shop in Burlington, Vermont.
Rides and games as far as the eye can see at Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.
Giant pretzels and huge beers.
Silly games.
Nightlife in Berlin, Germany.
So, it was a jam-packed year and I’m relishing these chill, post-holiday days when I can finally take stock of it all and make my plans for this year.
I’m excited about the eclipse in April and getting to spend time with my family. I’m excited about my artwork and getting back on a routine in the studio. I’m excited about the friends I made and the inspiring things I’ve seen. But mostly, right now, I’m excited to be home and have time to relax.
Here’s to a restful, relaxing, and peaceful new year for us all!
November is the biggest time of year for the Austin art scene. It’s a great time for it, the weather is finally cooler and people want to get out and enjoy it together. And there’s plenty of chances with fun activities happening throughout the month.
The Austin Studio Tour fills three weekends with free events all over the city as Artists and Galleries open their doors to the public.
Here’s a list of all the places where you can find me and my art:
Nov 1, 8-10pm Austin Studio Tour Kickoff Party & Fundraiser George Washington Carver Museum Tickets and details
Nov 4-5, 12-6pm, Free Visit with me at my art studio, with special guest JFR Glass refreshments provided by Topo Chico, Desert Door, and Treaty Oak Austin Studio Tour Stop #140
Nov 4 – Dec 2, Free View artwork by Austin Studio Tour participants at the Group Art Show in the George Washington Carver Museum
Nov 11-12, 12-6pm, Free Visit with me at my art studio and watch as I make a new painting Austin Studio Tour Stop #140
Nov 17 – Dec 24, 10am-10pm, Free Shop at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar to see hundreds of local artists under one roof! 6100 Airport Blvd
Nov 19, 2:30-5pm, Free Watch me paint outside at Dear Diary’s popup art market with live music 1212 Chicon St #103
My latest painting “Inside Santa Elena Canyon” will be on display Nov 4- Dec 2, at the George Washington Carver Museum, as part of the Austin Studio Tour’s Group Show. You can get a sneak peek at the art and party with the artists at the Kickoff Party and Fundraiser on Nov 1, click here for tickets and details.
MORE FUN STUFF
I’m excited to add some new grackle stickers to my shop. I’m so happy to finally have a little flock of these hellions! Apparently, a group of grackles is actually called a “plague”!
I’ve partnered with The Shabby Wick to bring art prints to their Dripping Springs candle shop!
Somehow I made time to visit Munich for Oktoberfest for a friend’s birthday. After my adventurous summer, this is probably the most I’ve traveled in one year (except for that time I lived in an RV for 5 months) and I’m having trouble keeping up with blog posts about it all, but I definitely want to share some more pictures soon!
I’m loving the creative skeletons that I keep seeing all over Austin.
I’m back in Austin after taking the summer off to road trip around the Midwest and Eastern US. I visited friends and family and crossed two big festivals off my bucket list (Electric Forest and Lakes Of Fire). It was my longest road trip to date (that wasn’t in an RV) and it was awesome and exhausting and everything in between.
I’m still debating how I’ll write about it all (too much for one blog post!), but in the meantime, I’m shifting my focus to my home, my art, and some big art events that are coming this Fall.
I’ve settled into my art studio and started experimenting with simple compositions and bold colors.
I made a new colorful Austin sticker, available at Dear Diary Coffee.
THINGS I’M LOVING
Swimming at Barton Springs Pool – finally!
Adding sautéed leeks to my mashed potatoes for more flavor and texture.
Supporting Austin Wildlife Rescue, a local nonprofit that rescues orphaned, injured, and sick wild animals. I donated my “Twilight In The Heart Of Texas” painting for their upcoming Caring For Critters Brunch silent auction – you can still grab a ticket!
Traveling with friends and family has always been one of my favorite things. And so, amidst the chaos of packing up my home and studio and moving across town, I somehow managed to make enough time for a couple short trips – first to New Orleans to enjoy Jazz Fest with my family and then to Enchanted Rock for some camping with friends.
Exploring Bourbon Street at sunset
Catching some music after dark
Back in Texas, Enchanted Rock was absolutely bursting with wildflowers
It was revitalizing to slow down and spend some time in nature
There’s no shortage of laughter when camping with these goofballs
On top of all that, I installed my biggest art display yet at the Blue Genie May Market (you can still catch the last weekend: May 26-29).
My 8’x12′ wall of paintings and art prints!
With so much going on, I felt that my trips were too short, my home too disorganized, my body and mind exhausted, but I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m proud of myself for being up for tackling so many things and making it work.
I do wish I could spend more quality time with the people I love. It seems like it’s gotten harder to slow down and enjoy a conversation and that’s something I want to cultivate at my new home, where I’ll be able to host small gatherings.
I’m still working on my studio space, but it’s getting closer every day. I’d just started planning my next Big Bend painting when I had to take my studio apart to move.
Working on the outlines for a new painting
I won’t stay put for too long though, next month is going to be full of adventure. Stay tuned!
COMING UP
I’ll have a couple paintings at Art For The People Gallery as part of their Vibrance Of Summer exhibition (June 10 – Aug 11, 2023).
Stop by their sweet S. 1st Street gallery and see these babies in person!
Caprock Canyons, acrylic on three canvases, 30″x70″
Scorpion, black light reactive acrylic paint on wood panel, 12″x12″
I hope you’re finding ways to make time for the things that bring you joy!
Those weird stick-like plants that spring up out of the desert floor all around Big Bend National Park.
I timed my visit to catch the plants in bloom, when they transform themselves from dry thorns to delicately leaved stalks, each topped with a flame of brilliant red flowers.
These plants are so tall and strange, they remind me of something you’d find growing underwater, perhaps on a coral reef. (Even stranger, they’re more closely related to blueberries than cacti!)
The ocotillos that inspired me to make a painting, near the Fossil Discovery Exhibit in Big Bend National Park.
Tiny leaves and bright red flowers on the Ocotillo.
Planning the painting by first drawing outlines with India ink pens.
The final painting: Ocotillos, acrylic on canvas, 24″x36″
COMING UP
This weekend I’m bringing paintings, art prints, and stickers to Blue Genie in preparation for their May Market! It’s a great place to find unique treasures and gifts and the May Market tends to be less crowded than the winter one, so if you’ve never been to the Blue Genie Art Bazaar before, this is the perfect time to check it out. Find dates and times on their website.
I’m moving to a new studio in South Austin! I’ll have more space and will be closer to some of my favorite places (like Barton Springs Pool and the Greenbelt). I can’t wait to get settled in and share photos of the new setup!
Thanks for reading – I hope you’re enjoying this fabulous spring weather!
One of the most popular places to hike in Big Bend National Park, Santa Elena Canyon does not disappoint. The hike is a fun one with a water crossing and quick change in elevation that reveals wonderful views of the sweeping landscape below. Far off mountains and steep cliff walls give the feeling of flying.
One of the fun things about hiking along the Rio Grande is the temptation to cross the river and suddenly be “in Mexico,” although signs warn you not to, and there really isn’t anything over there but more canyon and miles of brutal desert, it’s a fun idea nonetheless.
The best thing about the canyon is being inside of it, listening to the warbling canyon wren songs echo off the walls, the subtle trickle of the river, and the golden sunlight breaking over the edge of the cliff. But when I decided to paint the canyon, my first thought was to capture the entire thing.
So, I’ve worked from a photo taken far away at the overlook, which shows the distinct shape of the canyon’s entrance. I used somewhat muted (for me) colors, with the purple that I saw in the far-off mountains pretty much everywhere I went in Big Bend.
Photo taken at the overlook.
Santa Elena Canyon, acrylic on canvas, 24″x36″
Detail showing the subtle texture and brushstrokes in the painting.
COMING UP
I’ll be back at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar for their May Market and I’m excited to have more wall space this time! This means I’ll be able to bring more original paintings as well as art prints and sticker sets.
The market will be open 10am–8pm, weekends April 28 – May 29, 2023 (Fridays – Sundays only, plus Memorial Day) at 6100 Airport Blvd.
I’m excited to have found the perfect solution for those who want beautiful, ready-to-hang artwork for their home, but who don’t want to purchase a large original painting. These canvas prints look fantastic, are professionally framed with wood finished in three choices of color, and are smaller and much less expensive than the original artwork. To celebrate, I’m now offering free shipping on all products on my website!
My first framed canvas print is the Cactus Love artwork, but I’m planning to add more. Please let me know in the comments if you have a favorite painting of mine that you’d like to see offered as a canvas print!
I’m excited to share the first painting from my series inspired by Big Bend National Park!
While camping in Chisos Basin, we asked a park ranger for places to stop on the way to Santa Elena Canyon; one of his suggestions was the Homer Wilson Ranch, which can be viewed from an overlook on the side of the road.
Once there, I was quickly distracted by the plants growing along the side of the cliff, especially this vibrant purple prickly pear cactus, which seemed to shimmer in the desert sun.
The original photograph I took near Homer Wilson Ranch.
Drawing the outlines of the image, in preparation for painting on canvas.
Purple Prickly Pear, acrylic on canvas, 24″x36″
Detail, showing the looser, more painterly style I’m embracing with visible brushstrokes.
I also recently finished a painting of Santa Elena Canyon and am currently working on one of the Ocotillo (those strange, stick-like succulents that have fiery-red blooms). I’m excited to share those with you soon!
THINGS I’M LOVING
This article about Austin, which does a fantastic job at exploring the issues I wrote about in my last post. I especially relate to the idea of “double vision,” as memories of old places exist alongside their replacements in this ever-changing city.
Listening to the Human Behavioral Biology lectures by Dr Robert Sapolsky, nicely organized on this website. Before switching to Fine Art, my first declared major was Psychology, and my interest in it has stayed with me.
The birds that visit the tiny bowl of water I keep for them on my porch. I’m starting to recognize specific cardinals and goldfinches that come multiple times each day. Their presence is a nice reminder that Spring isn’t far away!
