HAPPY NEW 2017 ALMOST HERE

Hey Dear Friends,  Are you ready for a another New Year?  Seems like we just rang in 2016, doesn't it?

I'm pretty sure I have heard the OLD folks say "the older ya get the faster the years go by".  Now I believe that's true.

Here is a little prayer that we all achieve what we truly want in 2017. 

Truly.

And here is a toast to our health and happiness.

And a great big thank you for supporting the arts.

Happy Trails

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hey Dear Friends,  A wish for you......May you have the BEST Christmas Holiday EVER.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Thank you for supporting the arts.

And visit more often.

Sue

JELLIES - IN THE MAKING

Hey Friends,  This was easy and hard at the same time.  Hard because of all the tiny marks.

Easy because it was a pretty simple composition.

Hard because I had to remember to stop and take photos.

I'm hoping it looks float-y to you.

This is a 16x20 worked in acrylic.

I have several pieces now that need to go to onto my website.  Once my Babes go home I SHOULD HAVE  the time.

I'll be back soon.

Happy Holidays

Process/Progress of "Being Loved Deeply"

Hey Friends,  More progress shots !  I feel like someone should pat my head and say "Good Girl"

Above, on a 24" x 12" canvas that I had stained sometime before, I put some texture paste on pretty thick in some areas.

Had to wait a couple days for the thick stuff to dry.  Then added a bit of color, not sure where it was headed.

I love burgundy so that got me started.

Then touches of more primaries, thalo blue and yellow.

Then mixed the blue, yellow for green and made some drips.

I know some people don't like drips but I do for some reason!  And I love splatters too!

Please tell me if you think I carry them too far.

I like circles and squares too.  Maybe I can use them next, if I remember to be a "Good Girl".

Having a great time finishing out this year and hope you are too.

But if you can, make it go a bit slower.

Happy Trails

POND IN PEARISBURG

Hey Friends,  I remembered again to take progress shots, this is just a couple of them.

I have a photo of the wonderful pond in Pearisburg, Va. on my Chrome Book.

A closer look at the water lilies.  They were not in bloom at the time I took the photo.

That is a bridge way in the distance.

The Koi are another figment of my imagination but they fulfilled their purpose.

There were lots of reflections and sky patterns in the water.

Here is the final piece at 24" x 18".  The colors are very true.

This is available in my website, www.suefurrow.com .

I love process shots on other people's blogs and hope you enjoy them too.

Please feel free to comment.

Happy Trails

BROKEN WORDS LANDSCAPE PAINTING

Hey Friends,  I remembered to take process shots, YAY!!  I took a lot more than this but did not want you to leave bored.  I started this 24" x 24" piece as usual, trying to feel my way thru.

Even went so far as the gravel road and grass.  Looking pretty mundane at this point.

I taped some plastic over it and tried a couple thoughts and was confident enough to continue.

And this is what I ended up with.  Another YAY !!  I like it and it's abstract enough for me.  If you click on the image, you should get a larger version and maybe you can see the words.

This way of painting or maybe I should say this process, takes longer to complete.  For me it does, but the greatest reason I paint to start with is the process.  Not because of a technique or the finished product but for the process.  It is like meditation, I can be lost for hours.  And enjoy every minute.

Comments are welcome.

Happy Trails

I BELIEVE THIS ONE IS DONE

Hey Friends,  Only one photo of the process.  I need to kick myself for forgetting this so often.

I decided to call this "Blue Streak".  Doesn't look like the same painting does it?  It is the awkward angle on the beginning photo.  It measures 12x24.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this new direction for me.

More coming up, bear with me.

Happy Trails

Travel Safely

PANTONE'S TOP 10 COLORS FOR 2017

Hey Friends,  Another sunless day here in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mtns. of SW Virginia.

I just looked up the color picks made by Pantone for 2017.  They say the top color will be NIAGARA,

a denim-like blue.  On the bottom row up there.

I have decided to participate in Leslie Saeta's 30 day challenge in January.  That made me go look for the 2017 colors.  Jan.'s challenge seems easier for me to do because it is winter and mostly you have to stay indoors and paint anyway.

I would like to have a theme this time too.  Past challenges, I remember a flower theme and maybe a plein-aire theme and all were small paintings.

This time I would like to do larger sizes maybe 16x20's would be realistic.

And I'm trying to decide between Figures or Tropical.

If anyone has an opinion, please share.

Happy Trails

BUCHANAN VIRGINIA HAS A SWINGING BRIDGE

Hey Friends,  Have you all been busy?  Busy with Life?  And busy with Holiday stuff?  Some people thrive on this season.  Seems like I remember being that way, years ago.  Maybe it was because I had kids at home then.  Or maybe because I worked in the holiday decorating industry.  Or could it be because I have now turned into a stogy old crumpet?   NAH !

On to something more pleasant.  I just picked out, randomly, something I have painted recently.

Above was my starting point.  It is 24x18, acrylic on canvas.

I am attempting to simplify and abstract the scene of the swinging bridge over the James River in Buchanan, Va.  Not very far from my home here in Salem, Va.

I bet I know what you are thinking, Simplified maybe BUT abstracted?  No Way.

One little detail photo.

And I agree with you.  This might be as simple as I can get, right now.  At this point in my journey.  Heck, this might be IT !?  Only time will tell.

This was a rather tuff painting for me.  Always questioning what I should do next.  In spite of all the doubts, I kinda like it.

More to come.  I have painted several in the last month and can't wait to start on the next one.  As soon as I decide what it should be.

Hope all of you dear friends are enjoying your shopping and wrapping.  Hope you get to see all that you love this year.

Happy Trails

Travel Safely

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?

Hey Friends,  Do you get all sentimental, maybe a bit weepy, when you look at family photos ?

I sure do.  Thankfully no one sees me when I'm all weepy and snot nosed.  This photo brings out the cry baby in me.  I Love it.

My life would feel really empty without my Babes.

And this includes my 2 girls and my sister and brother and Mom.

My life would be very different without my paint buddies too.

And my friend, Cat and a few more.

Wishing a happy and stuffed Thanksgiving to you ALL.

Sue

Meals on Wheels Cards

Hey Friends,  Lynchburg's Meals on Wheels has some fun images on their fund raising cards.

Card order form is HERE.

You never know, you may love them and they ARE for a good cause.

Have a great weekend

Happy Trails

GOOSE CREEK GALLERY IN BEDFORD, VA. HAS NEW ART WORKS

Hey Friends,  New work is hanging at Goose Creek Gallery in Bedford.  The DLP of which I'm a member, swapped the display yesterday.  This new work will be up through the holidays.

Click HERE for info and directions to Goose Creek, and check out their FB page HERE.

Hope you have a fabulous day.

Happy Trails

New Work added to Website and FAA

Hey Friends,  I have finished a few new pieces of work this weekend.  This one above is available in my website, HERE, which is FASO and prints can be had HERE, inFineArtAmerica.

I am working to free myself from the representational.  Most of my life has been spent creating something we recognize.  I no longer feel the happiness it used to be.  My work now is headed in the direction I want to go.  Expressing a different view or a different idea. 

Such as this piece "Listen with Your Heart".  It has a tree and a barn but that's not the focal point.  It is the free spirit, looking to the future and hope for our kind.  I could never be happy without Mother Nature and I'm afraid the future generations will never see it.

This piece is meant to be uplifting, not sad, when you listen to my words.  But it needs to be said, and by a ga-zillion more like me.

LISTEN

Happy Trails

NEW SHOW BY THE DOUBLE LINE PAINTERS NOW HANGING AT THE SALEM MUSEUM

Hey Friends,  We, the Super Artists of  Double Line Painters of the Blue Ridge. hung our Holiday show at the beautiful Salem Museum today.

We rarely get a group photo so I'm happy to show you this one, taken for us by Alex, the new director.

And here is a photo of the exterior.  The staff at our Salem Museum does a lovely job all year, of keeping the grounds beautiful as well as the interior displays.

Admission is free and you will enjoy all the historical material as well as art by locals.

Must put this on your list of things to do before 2016 is a memory.

Happy Trails

NEW SHOW HANGING AT THE JEFFERSON CENTER IN DT ROANOKE

Hey Friends,  We, the DLP's, hung our show of new work at the Jefferson Center yesterday.

A wide assortment of work to peruse.  And if you click HERE you can see a few more photos.

Top photo, 2 landscapes on the ends are my work.  And this photo has 2 of my abstracts.

And here is a defibrillator  device with my abstract "Can't You Feel My Heart Beat" ( do you remember that old song?) hanging OVER it, not under it !!  I have tried, at least a dozen times to straighten this photo.  Could be my computer but I know how to do it and it looks correct in the folder it's saved in but when I load it to blogger it flips !!  WHY?

This is a great show and I hope you will allow enough time to see it when you go for one of their performances.  CLICK HERE to see their schedule

Glad you stopped in.

Happy Trails

THE MAKING OF STILT MAN !! (say it in loud boomy voice, like in the superman movies)

Hey Friends, I finally have gotten around to painting this man I saw on stilts about 2-3 years at the Bedford Centerfest.

Top photo are some of the papers I made for it.  And this photo is the new canvas with a bit of texture, that you can't see.

This is where I start adding the various reds !

Making a decision on where the MAN goes.

Putting down the gel for the MAN to stick tight.

His shirt went down first.

Then his LONG pants came next.

Next his hat and some more papers.

A close up to see the texture.

Here is the final.  SO O O O O O ooooo very disappointed, I was.

I can't even say this needs more work, it's so bad.  Just needs to be burned.

I will attempt it again.

Lord knows when.

Any Hoo, just wanted you to see the long road to a DUD.

Thanks for hanging around this long.

Enjoy your autumn,

Happy Trails

THE JOY OF NATURE AND A NEW ONE

Hey Friends,  I would like to Thank Judy Lochbrunner for sending this photo of ME painting in the City Cemetery in Lynchburg, Va. yesterday.  The DoubleLinePaintersoftheBlueRidge were in Lynchburg yesterday sharing the beauty of City Cemetery.

This is one of my recent finished studio paintings.  It is 18x24 and listed in my website for sale.

CLICK HERE for a closer look!

Glad you stopped in today.

Happy Trails