ALL IS WELL oil on canvas, 10"x8"

My mother-in-law, the sweet little lady I painted on June 30, passed away on Jan. 22 and we were gone to the Rio Grande Valley for over a week. We've been home for several days, now, and I've been back painting the past few.

This is a study I did and I'm now working on a big painting (48"x36") of the same scene, but I'm not finished with it, yet.

I'm also needing a bigger studio. I've looked at several places to rent, but... I'm now considering building a studio--well not me building it, but having someone build it for me. I'll let you know what I decide to do.

WINTER SUNSHINE oil on panel, 4"x6"

Today is a beautiful day! It started out with a thick fog, but it lifted pretty fast. It lifted before I could get outside to paint, and there was just a little fog left in the distance when I painted this en plein air. I wanted to capture the cold, crisp morning with the warm sunshine.

RED PAJAMAS oil on canvas, 20"x16"

I've been working on this figurative painting and I think it's finished.

I also have my website up and almost finished. I still have the bio to add and some more paintings, but it's presentable. Check it out: http://www.annreyesart.com/

BEYOND THE SHADOWS oil on canvas, 24"x30"

I've been working on this landscape the past few days and I think I'm finished. I'm intrigued by the bright light beyond the trees. That's what caught my eye here. I did a small painting of this scene a while back and have been wanting to paint a larger one.

A MOTHER'S LOVE oil on canvas, 24"x20"

Here's what I painted today. I've been wanting to paint this picture I took about a year ago of my niece holding her baby. It's 31 degrees and it's nice to look out the window of my studio and not have to go out.

EVENING GRAPEFRUITS 8x10, oil on canvas on board

This is a plein air painting done in La Feria, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley on our recent visit with my in-laws. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and the temperature in the 60s.

BROWN EGGS oil on canvas on board, 5x7

I've been wanting to paint these eggs ever since I've had them and these are the last three. I really enjoyed painting them on the embroidered cloth in front of the window in my studio. I used a limited palette--only ultramarine blue, raw sienna, and white. It's a beautiful day, cold and clear. How wonderful to be able to paint!!!

EVENING SHADOWS 8x10 oil on canvas on board

Back home and then to my dad's farm in central Texas for Thanksgiving, I painted this Wednesday evening as the sun was setting. I was looking up the hill toward the house which is out of view on the right. Yes, it is a beautiful place.

BLUFFS AND WATER 6x8 oil on canvas on board

Same location on the Basse Ranch, but looking the opposite direction toward the white bluffs above the stream.

RIPPLING WATER 12x16 oil on cavas on board

This is also the Basse Ranch near Fredericksburg. This stream rippled across rocks and down the little waterfall as it made its way across the ranch. It was heaven to stand here and paint this beautiful place and listen to the rippling water

BASSE RANCH ABOVE THE CREEK 8x10 oil

This is the view from the hill above the creek on the beautiful Basse Ranch where 40 OPA members painted all day. It was cool and mostly sunny.

RAIN COMING 6x8 oil on canvas on board

I did this one evening as the sun was setting and the sky began looking stormy. It started to rain about midnight and rained most of the next day. On the rainy day we visited several art galleries in Fredericksburg.

TOWARD BOERNE 8x10 oil on canvas on board

I attended an OPA (Oil Painters of America) Paint Out last week in Fredericksburg, in the Texas Hill Country. I borrowed my dad's RV and had a wonderful time painting and taking photos for 5 days around the area. I got to meet many oil painters and see some beautiful country. These are all plein air paintings.

BRIGHT PASTURE oil on canvas, 8x10

After I painted this, I realized that I had painted almost the exact scene before. I was looking through some previous paintings and, there it was--the same scene. It's a little different, but the same place. I used a palette knife for this and the paint is really thick. For some reason, I just kept piling it on. I'm not sure why.

EMPTY oil on board, 6"x4"

This is a painting I did last night using a palette knife. I can get a lot more paint on the canvas with a palette knife than I can with a brush. This has a good bit of impasto.

STANDING WATCH oil on canvas, 9x12

I finally have something to post!!! I'm having a lot of trouble finding enough time to paint and finish anything. But, this is finished--I think. It's a donation for our museum fundraiser. The John James Audubon exhibition opens at the Museum of East Texas this weekend and everything donated for the auction has to be about birds.

I love humming birds! A hummingbird feeder and this dreamcatcher hang about a foot outside my kitchen window, so I watch them a lot and photograph them often. This is a Ruby Throated Hummingbird. He's guarding the feeder.

CHOLULA WITH FRUIT & FLOWERS acrylic, 8x10

The Museum of East Texas Art Camp is over for this summer. This is the last demo I did for my students, so I thought I might as well post it, even though it's not a finished painting. I'm, now, working at the museum temporarily, filling in for the Curator of Education while she's on maternity leave. So, I'll be busy, but I think I'll have a little more time to paint than I did during Art Camp. Teaching of any type is all consuming. I've always taught--high school, college--and it takes over you life. I'm not saying teaching's bad, it's just different than other jobs. Teachers are entirely responsible for what goes on in their classroom and they must plan at home, purchase materials, take items such as still life contents with them, and pay close attention to everything and everyone at all times in their classes, then often take home papers to grade and plans to make for the next day. It's all consuming. Teaching is very difficult and stressful (if done well) and good teachers deserve more respect than they get.

VIOLET IN WHITE watercolor, 12x9

YOUTH watercolor, 12x9

GLADS AND ROSES watercolor, 6x4

TOMATOES WITH LIME watercolor, 9x12

These 4 paintings are watercolors, not my medium of choice, but fun to do. I thought I'd post these since I haven't posted for a while. I'll get back to my oil paintings as soon as I have time.

INSIDE LOOKING OUT oil on canvas, 8x3.5

It was fun painting this little flower on the window sill in my studio. I love how the light comes through the clear glass and how the colors look through the glass. The flowers came from my neighbor's yard.

LOOKING UP oil on canvas, 6x4

I did this plein air palette knife painting yesterday afternoon in 100 degree heat! Can you tell how hot I was? I sat in the shade in front of my house and looked up at our flag waving in the breeze and painted as fast as I could. I started out in the shade, but finished with the sun on my legs and my palette, actually getting sunburned legs. I know--you're saying, "Why didn't you paint early in the morning before it got so hot???" I don't know... Anyway, here's the finished painting.

GREEN ON BLUE oil on canvas, 3 1/2 x 8

I couldn't resist painting these delicious grapes. They're so much fun to paint. If you look closely, you can see many colors and translucency in them.

Green on Blue
8" x 3 1/2" (20.4cm x 8.9cm)
Oil on canvas
$79 plus $6 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.

LILLIES oil on canvas, 8x10

My son, Russell, brought me this bunch of lillies from his garden when he came to visit over the weekend. I'm glad I took pictures of them because they don't last long. I painted them yesterday and some of them were still pretty. I looked at a photo to get the composition and the actual flowers for the colors.

Lillies
10" x 8" (25.4cm x 20.4cm)
Oil on canvas on panel
$99 plus $12 shipping and handling in the US
E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries.