LIKE NEW oil on canvas on board, 6x8

This little blue Beetle was a lot of fun to paint! I saw it yesterday and took pictures of it so I could paint it. It has such personality sitting there by the road waiting for a new owner.

WINDOWSILL SUNSHINE oil on canvas on board, 6x4

I painted this yesterday afternoon in my studio when the sun was on my windowsill and the azaleas were mostly in the shade. This bottle of wine was given to me by my friend because it's such a pretty bottle and remains unopened. One day, we'll open it... I used a #8 bristle flat on this, except for my signature. I always use as big a brush as possible to keep me from painting details.

BLUEBIRD HOUSE oil on board, 6x4

Plein air-- I sat on the swing on my front porch this morning to paint this view of our bluebird house. We usually have bluebirds raising young at least once each season, sometimes twice. The weather is perfect, about 70 and mostly sunny. What a beautiful day to be able to paint!

OAKS AT ROUND TOP oil on canvas on board, 6x8

I painted this little study from a photo I took when I went to the OPS (Outdoor Painters Society) paint out in Brenham in March. This is in the little town of Round Top, a few miles from Brenham. I'm working on a 24x30 painting of this scene.

RED GLASSES oil on canvas on board,10x8

Here's a portrait I've been working on the past few days.

MANNA oil on canvas on board, 5x7

Avocados are my favorite food. We eat them almost every day, so this is a normal scene in my kitchen. There were 2 light sources for this still life--the indirect light from the window on the left, and the direct incandescent light from the right. That made for an interesting study of colors and temperatures and I'm pleased with the results.

MORNING LIGHT oil on canvas,12x16

3/21/10 Almost plein air... I painted this from my hotel room window early Sunday morning. I started out the door and saw this bautiful scene, but it was about 36 degrees with a very strong wind, so I didn't paint outside, but through my window. I hated to leave this beautiful place, but I packed up my things and drove back to Lufkin--about 3 hours away.

BRENHAM BLUE oil on canvas on board, 8x10

Still in LaNell Arndt's studio in downtown Brenham on Saturday, I painted this from a photo taken by Marchita Priest. We didn't see very many bluebonnets--guess we were a little early.

Saturday evening, we all met and showed our paintings from the past 2 days and then went to dinner together in a nearby restaurant.

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.