CRUMBLING WALL oil on canvas on board, 8x10

3/20/10 I painted this in the studio of LaNell Arndt in Brenham. On Saturday, it rained and stormed all morning and then continued to get colder and windier, so about 16 or 18 of us painted here. I was looking out the window at this very old wall behind her studio with the rain collecting in front of it. So, this isn't quite a plein air painting.

CLOUDS MOVING IN oil on canvas on board, 8x10

3/19/10 plein air painting. I drove around again and found this scene, set up my easel, and painted. The beautiful weather of the morning was turning into mostly cloudy and very windy for the afternoon. the sun kept going behind the clouds and the whole scene would change. I finally was able to finish this and pack up my things and go to my hotel.

SUNNY POND oil on canvas on board, 6x8

3/19/10 plein air painting. I attended an OPS (Outdoor Painters Society) paint out in Brenham last weekend and had a wonderful time. This is the first painting I did on Friday morning. The weather was beautiful and I drove many back roads in the Texas Hill Country searching for the perfect subject to paint at a place where I could pull off the road and set up my easel.

HEAVENLY FINCHES, 6x8, oil on canvas on panel

In Memory of Bill Pennington

My dear friend, Bill, passed away this morning. He always had a cheerful word and a hug for me and I will miss him terribly. These finches are for him. Maybe he can see them.

WINDY DAY AT WINSTON RANCH oil on canvas on board, 8x10

I had a wonderful morning painting at Winston Ranch en plein air on Friday! I must say that plein air painting is sometimes challenging, though. The sun was shining and it was about 55 degrees, but the wind was blowing 15-20 mph (so the weatherman says...but I think it was at least 50 mph!). I fastened down my canvas and held on to my supplies and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I had on a hooded sweater and a coat, and the wind was at my back, so I wasn't cold. I didn't really do everything I wanted to on this painting, but...

WAITING oil on board, 8"x10"

This is a study for a larger painting. I actually started the larger one first and then decided to work out the problems in a small study. So, now I can complete the other painting. There are a few things I'll change, but it will basically be like this one. I combined several photos that I've taken and really enjoyed doing this painting.

CACTUS IN THE SNOW oil on board, 4"x6"

We have snow again, our third time this winter. It's really unusual for East Texas to have snow, and I'm so glad we do. This is a study I painted from a photo I took of our beautiful snow. I plan to paint a larger painting of this scene. I stretched a 16x20 canvas and will begin painting it tomorrow.

OFF BOXCAR ROAD oil on canvas on board, 6x8

This is a plein air painting I did this morning. The weather was beautiful--cool (about 60) and sunny. I didn't have to drive far from my home to find this place.

Sunshine Award

I am so honored to receive the Sunshine Award!!! Thank you, Becky Joy! The Sunshine Award is for creativity and positivity in blogging.

In order to accept the award, you must:

• Link to the person from whom you received this award
  
• Put the logo on your blog or within your post


• Pass the award on to 12 bloggers


• Link the nominees within your post


• Let the nominees know they received this award

The following are my nominees, in no particular order.

1. Jala Pfaff
   
2. Susan Carlin


3. Rob Ijbema


4. Tom Brown


5. Betty Dalsing


6. Cooper Dragonette


7. Alex Perez


8. Lisa Daria


9. Mary Maxam


10. Laurie G. Miller


11. Pam Holnback


12. Xiangyuan Jie

FIRST SNOW oil on canvas on board, 5"x7"

This is a study I did yesterday from pictures I took a few days ago when it snowed. I'm working on a larger painting of this scene for a show this fall.

Winter Snow 8x10, oil on canvas on board

This is a plein air painting done from my back porch of some storage buildings in my back yard. We got a rare snow last night--about 3 inches. Everything is nice and white and beautiful. I'm glad I don't live where it snows a lot, but I do like snow once or twice each winter. This is the first time I've done a plein air painting in the snow and it was a little different. My fingers got cold, even with gloves on. I'll take a better picture when the sun comes out.

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

SOLD 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.