"Dave's Happy Place" - Somewhere in Connecticut

As my profile states, I am a deskside technician for a large corporation. The project lead at work, Dave Carroll, posted a photograph of this; his favorite resting place (somewhere in Connecticut) out on FaceBook. I advertise my blog on FaceBook and was perusing when I came upon it. I immediately asked his permission to paint it, and he gave me the go-ahead. I started with this sketch to get an idea for the acrylic painting.

This one's for you, Dave. I'm still working on the acrylic piece; it should be done by sometime next year (at this rate). :o) The painting is taking so long I thought I'd surprise you with the pastel version here on my blog. Thank you for allowing me to capture this beautiful image my way.

Let me know what you think...Just click on the "comment" hyperlink below the posted piece.

Luv ya,
Trace

"Irises On My Mind"

Inspiration spoke flowers; this purple, bearded iris. Memory was the source material...I have planted and watched many grow and bloom.
I have come to know one who has affected me in ways I cannot describe with words. Suffice it to say that this friendship has changed me profoundly and forever.

The color purple fit as this person brings all of the elements it represents.

For those of you who don't know, purple is the color of good judgement; the color of people seeking spiritual fulfillment. It's said that if one surrounds oneself with purple, peace of mind will ensue. Purple has been used to symbolize magic, mystery, and royalty, is the color of purpose, and is associated with the Crown Chakra - this links individual and universal.

I couldn't wait to share it with you. Thank you for stoppping by to take a peek.

Felicia's Artwork

Hello to all...I'd like to introduce you to Felicia and to share her work with you all...here, on my site.

I met Felicia this weekend when I was visiting with girlfriends. She's delightful, quite pretty and thought enough of me to show me her work, and then to gift it to me.

As an advocate for creative expression I feel a deep-seated need to share the wealth; thus, what you see here. I think she's a natural, don't you?

Felicia, I hope you enjoy having your work published, and I am honored that you shared with me. It really was so very nice to meet you. And, I really didn't mind scrunching in the back on the way home to keep you safe...ok?

"Roses Study"

I haven't challenged myself with acrylics lately and so thought...it's time. I don't call this a painting.....more, a struggled study. The image is cropped to remove distracting practice strokes I put onto the panel when I was working on it.

It all began when a friend surprised me with a dozen pink roses as a gesture to brighten my spirit at the end of a long, miserable day. According to my friend I "lit up" immediately when presented with them, and the first thought was to attempt to capture them on canvas.

I've never before even entertained the idea to paint roses because everything I've ever heard said about it amongst my art friends is...roses are tough to depict. Still life's are not my forte' either.

I am disappointed with the outcome, but encouraged that they are a reasonable facsimile of the real thing....When I showed this piece to my daughter, Amy; she told me I should post them for the sake of learning.

Please comment as to what you think I can do to make the next attempt a better one?

As always, thank you for stopping by, and for your valuable input.

"Calico Cat in Doorway"

This little guy was
painted for my friend Mark.

Mark is always complimenting
my work and provides source
material for my effort regularly.
He is also a gifted computer technician.

Mark, I hope you enjoy owning this piece as much as I enjoyed creating it for you.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by, and please feel free to leave your comment.

Purple, Potted, Pastel Pansies - Perfect !

The name pansy is derived from the French word pensée meaning "thought", and was so named because the flower resembles a human face; in August it nods forward as if deep in thought. Because of this the pansy has long been a symbol of Freethought.

I love to plant and have had many flower gardens over the years. Pansies, especially purple, have been planted in every one of them.

....inspiration to paint them with my favorite medium comes naturally.

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed painting them.

Finished Acrylic Desert Landscape for Anthony

This is the finished, acrylic rendition of the two January, '08 prep work postings you see on this blog. The image is taken directly from a "canned" desktop image in the Windows XP computer operating system.

Anthony, you asked me about this painting when you helped me move, and here it is. I hope you like it. I did it with pallette knives, mostly. The only brushwork you see is in the sky.

I love you, Anthony. Thank you for taking interest in my passion for painting and for being there when I needed you. Aunt Tracey

"After the Snow Falls"

"After the Snow Falls" is a compilation of three separate images I took favorite elements from, and voila !

Roughly 20 hours went into putting it together, and I must say I surprised myself. It's a first attempt at a monochromatic approach. There's usually lots and lots of color in whatever I choose to paint...I guess I believed that color keeps the composition interesting. I'm learning that color plays a small role in an interesting composition.....

For me, one of the beauties of creative expression is the learning......the unexpected lessons are most interesting and fun!

The last time I used black pastel paper I wasn't sure I liked the outcome. This time - I'm pleased. What do you think? Please leave a comment to let me know. As always...thank you for stopping by !