Jean Levert HoodTexas Hill Country Painter

Bunnies

2010-10-11T14:37:00.001-05:00

We have a lot of cottontails, which I always refer to as "bunnies." These 2 were waiting for me to come to my studio yesterday. They're normally OK with my presence close by and I just happend to have my camera. Imagine that!

This one below didn't want to use any energy to run, it just flopped down and got comfortable! They're way up there on the "cuteness" scale.

The family seems to be settling in. Kittie is OK with it all, but I do get a little nervous when the tail playing starts.

I have a landscape painting to show you in my next post - stay tuned!

Hill Country Fall Beauty -- New Helper

2010-10-04T09:04:00.003-05:00

I was in the middle of the beautiful Texas Hill Country last week. Fredericksburg is beautiful any time of year, but after our mild and wet summer, it's gorgeous now! I have a few photos I want to share with you this morning. More to come soon!

The field behind our lodge was full of these yellow beauties:

This elk was magnificent! When he bellowed after his harem, I couldn't believe how loud it was:

The view is beautiful no matter which direction you look.

They insisted on coming along: More to come!

Clay Pot Oil painting, Vermillion Fly Catcher and Helpers

2010-09-26T10:40:00.000-05:00

Clay Pot With Red Flowers will be in my October Exhibit at Lee-Bunch Gallery in Del Rio, Texas.

Jean Levert Hood, Clay Pot With Red Flowers, 16x20, Oil on Linen

I think the most brilliantly colored bird we have is the Vermillion Flycatcher. I have 3 shots for you, they're all taken at a distance and not as clear as I'd like. This small bird sits in the same spot on the far patio fence each morning just about coffee time. We see this beauty in the summer and breeding time.

It hasn't yet come to the bird bath where I can get a better photo, but sits facing the field. We have a watering hole for the animals just outside of the fence, maybe he's watching for insects there. They do like open water, so this would be a better option than the morning crowd at the birdbath.

He's a beacon of neon red/orange! This one below is a tad fuzzy, but the best my lens can do.

Now, I have an important Studio Update:

Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time know that I started with just 2 helpers. Two. They worked out fine. No problems. Then, a friend came to visit - again fine - and then she decided to stay. Ok, I have a lot of studio work to be done, so that has worked out too. Soon they wanted a kitty. Fine, got them a kitty. I was a little concerned with kitty, but she doesn't jump on furniture or my palette, so all is fine again.

Well, remember how I said there was an awful lot of "High Five-ing" going on???? Now I know why. I really don't know what to say at this point and will have to get back to you later. They wanted 2 portraits:

Prickly Pear Oil Painting, Fawns, Antelope, Birds and a Bunny

2010-09-21T03:46:00.006-05:00

"Prickly Pear in Shadow" is a new oil painting.

This piece will be in my exhibit at Lee-Bunch Gallery in Del Rio, Texas for October.

I love how the antelope are lined up here. They generally take center stage under the feeders. The deer don't seem to mind and move away. You can see the twin fawns below:

and this one shows three fawns! (I had to size it down so blogger wouldn't crop off the one on the right.)

I see these 3 fawns every day. They come to the feeder in front of the house several times a day with their moms. We have 7 fawns in this area, but I've only seen them all on 2 occasions. Two others are showing up several times a week, but 2 stay away for the most part. I've also caught another set of twins on the game camera in another pasture.

We've had good weather and rains this year, not too hot and lots of rain. The animals have a lot to eat and all look so healthy. The next shot shows the male antelope's horns, they're growing so much this summer.

I'm continually amazed at the brilliant colors of our birds. These two are waiting their turn at the fountain.

Birds and bunnies are happy to drink together.

I've been seeing "High Five" around here like crazy, I'm not sure what's going on. Stay tuned.........

Sagebrush in bloom, Ice cream!

2010-09-17T11:12:00.001-05:00

The sagebrush has been a little strange lately, 1/2 blooming, stopping, not really in a full run towards flowering.. But this one, just outside of my studio is giving me a great show every day.

It's full of blooms yet to open, so it should be much fuller soon. This particular bush is light violet. When the hillside we over look from the patio is covered with sage in bloom, it's awesome. It's such a treat to see whole pastures brilliantly colored like this!

The flowers range from a very light violet to a vivid deep violet. Here and there you'll see a white bush, but really, it's not a pretty show like the violets.

You'll hear it called both "Cenizo" and "Ceniza." More common names in this area are Sage, Sagebrush and Purple Sage. The light silvery gray leaves always stand out when backed by the greens of the pastures.

Deer browse the sage if their normal food supply is sparse. Butterflies are loving the blooms, you can find 3 or 4 different types right now, all happily enjoying!

They wanted ice cream. Kittie likes vanilla.

Chicken Oil Painting and Mystery Bird!

2010-09-15T04:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, I admit it, I have trouble naming paintings. For right now, this one is named "Chicken." Yes, I know how lame that is - I'm hoping for something creative to pop into my brain!

This is another paintings I'll be exhibiting at Lee-Bunch Gallery in Del Rio, Texas next month.

Once again, I have to say that I have no idea what the bird is:

It's most like the Tanagers in my book (and I checked all three of my books!) and about that size, but the coloring isn't right for either the Hepatic Tanager or the Summer Tanager. Any help would be appreciated! I've not spotted this one again.

He seems to be saying, "What? You're taking more photos?!"

Here's one of my gorgeous zinnias:

Below is the male Pyrrhuloxia. It's a relative of the Cardinal and stays here year round.

They enjoy the birds so much, too!

Rooster Oil Painting

2010-09-09T13:21:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure why my painting didn't show up in this morning's blog, but I'm going to try again. After all, I know you wouldn't want to miss one of my paintings!!

This is one of the paintings I'll be exhibiting at Lee-Bunch Gallery in Del Rio, Texas next month. I'm grateful to be their featured artist for October. I'll have a number of paintings on display for you to see.

Rooster Oil Painting, Egret and Roadrunner

2010-09-09T01:10:00.002-05:00

"Rooster" is a new oil painting. I had way too much fun with color and texture on this painting!

I love egrets and herons. We have Great Blue Herons and Great White Herons. It's wonderful to see them flying to and from Lake Jean. Very occasionally they'll stay and rest in the trees. This smaller heron, a Cattle Egret visited the patio!

How about the size of those claws! (hmmmm, just realized how crooked my photo is!)

What a photo op! It stayed around for the longest time and I took tons of photos. I went about my day and was later amazed to see it was still here - in the shade on the patio. Watching it hang out with a Roadrunner was just plain fun! I'll only show you a few photos here, don't worry! And no, we don't have cattle.

This bird pranced around in so many poses ~ I like this one above, kind of sneaking.

This is my favorite, enjoying the shade with the Roadrunner. Ohhh, I do wish that the hose wouldn't have cluttered up this shot, but, I can say that I'm a painter, not a photographer! They were quite content to share the shade of the wild persimmon tree.

My bird book says this is the "Greater Roadrunner." It's a member of the cuckoo family and lives up to it's name darting here and there.

I know it's hot and bright, they had to bring out their glitter shades again.

Turkey Vultures

2010-09-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

Turkey Vultures occasionally sit on the patio fence, but this one came inside of the patio.

His huge size is apparent perched on the bird house tree!

I tried to get a close up so you can see the color on his head. These were shot from inside of the house, looking into a bright morning light - not the best, but the best I could get. Hope you enjoy!

I'm posting these photos from my Posterous blog, which will automatically post to my regular blog at Blogger. Post from Posterous will look a little different from my regular post (and won't have a photo of my helpers, ....sigh...) but this will let me send short post quickly. This is test post, so please bear with me as I make sure all of this will come out right!
Jean

Bambi!

2010-08-16T19:45:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it ~ The game camera at Lake Jean captured a shot of a fawn! I expected it to be a few more weeks before Mama took Baby to the lake. It's a little grainy, but I had to show you anyway - enjoy!

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Kittie seems interested.

Spring Wildflowers and Cactus - oil painting, Patio Flowers, Hummingbirds

2010-08-09T14:06:00.000-05:00

Spring Wildflowers and Cactus, detail

There's a section on the patio that I like to let go natural each year. I generally regret this decision deeply later in the summer, but I can't help my self early in the spring! I love to see what will come up and I love the look of un-manicured growth. This area is filled with very dense basalt rock, rich with browns, grays, blacks, reds and greens. It really makes a pretty show until it gets totally out of control.

"Totally Out of Control" will be coming very soon.

Here's a very happy Hummingbird:

My helpers have been busy and they asked if they worked hard, could

I find a place for them to take dance lessons.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Rain, Animals, Kitties and Mushrooms!

2010-07-04T11:00:00.000-05:00

This photo below captures my favorite light of the very late day. I wait for this light splash every evening and was thrilled when I was able to get deer, antelope and ducks in the shot! The antelope seem to glow when this light hits. The ducks barely made it into the photo. The gray patches on the hill are cenizo, which hopefully will be blooming soon. We've had so much rain (over 6 inches in the last week!) that I'm waiting for a good bloom. Cenizo flowers turn the hill into purple patches.

Every time we have nice consecutive rains, I get these wonderful mushrooms growing just outside of my studio. The come up looking like a egg, then turn into a very dark flat shape. A bunch of them are coming up!

...aside, and why the one above has the double fancy border, well, I have no idea!

Stella needs a pillow, and, this is often Clothilde. Clothilde tolerates it well, although at times she does just go away and hide for some peace. They are often intertwined like this:

Which progresses to:

I appreciate the feedback on my hummingbird, and the consensus seems to be the Black Chinned. Thank you to all who helped!

Enjoy a very safe and Happy 4th, all of my US readers!

I'm hoping they'll be ready to get back to work soon. Some of their holidays get very extended.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T10:41:00.000-05:00

The beach chairs came out on Thursday, so I knew they were expecting a very long weekend. They do love holidays!

Enjoy a very safe and Happy 4th, all of my US readers!

Around the Patio

2010-06-27T12:29:00.000-05:00

I have the most awesome patio! I love to sit out in the evenings, catching the wonderful light play as the sun goes down. Mornings bring the birds to the fountain and deer, antelope, bunnies, ducks and birds to the feeder.

Now, I'm seriously considering starting a petition. I have 2 bird books ( Ok, I have 3, but one is very old) and you'd think this would be an easy job to tell you the names of our birds! I simply want them to start wearing name tags. They don't need to be large name tags, I'd be OK with having to use my binoculars to read them. Just that there are name tags. That will be my petition: A Demand for Birds to Wear Name Tags. Today's birds are easy, but I have several I'm wondering about.

It's not easy to get a good shot of the antelope, but this one is one of my best. This is taken from inside of the house, through the patio door and unfortunately you have to see through the fence! You can see his horns, they've grown a lot in the short time we've had these beautiful animals. The 1st spiral of his horns is starting to be apparent. Aren't the size of their eyes are amazing? I've not tried walking outside with the camera yet, I want them to be more used to coming this close in to the patio.

This is one of my best hummingbird pictures that shows details of the coloring of our hummers. I don't know what kind this is-- did I mention my ~~two~~ 3 bird books? I see no bright or distinguishing colors on them, mostly brown, but this shot shows that clear light colored band under the neck. If any one knows the name of this, please let me know! Can you see how helpful name tags would be?

Our house finches are brilliantly colored. They stay here all year. These photos were taken a few days ago and the finches joined with Painted Buntings to drink.

A second Painted Bunting joined in:

This side shot shows his many colors and I love how the sun was hitting that bright yellow spot.

The fountain is near the side of the patio and birds line up on the fence before they fly in. They fly back and forth from the fence to the fountain. We can get quite a group hanging out.

Now to another subject - all things Space! Bob has an awesome blog - Black Holes and Astro Stuff. His post yesterday will give you many wonderful links to explore. He has cool info about Astro Stuff, great photos. I love it, thank you Bob!
It looks like they're ready to get back to normal again.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Blowing the dust off!

2010-06-15T11:12:00.000-05:00

I'm blowing the dust off of my blog! I had family visiting and totally left my blog to gather dust. Ok, well, I left it for an extra week! I've enjoyed family, San Antonio, the awesome Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, the Witte Museum, the San Antonio River Walk, La Villita, a little shopping and some great coffee shops!

I'll be back soon, I promise. I've had maintenance work done in my studio and I'm cleaning up from that. The new great lighting will be awesome when I get back to my easel in a day or 2 - Stay tuned!
Jean

Yet Another Prickly Pear Oil Painting, Spring Continues!

2010-05-23T03:29:00.001-05:00

This oil painting has been donated to the San Antonio Art League for their 2010 Fund Raiser. I'll give you more details on this at a later time. I've painted many prickly pear cactus, they are such a fixture in the Texas Hill Country! The spring blooms have been gorgeous. Soon we'll be seeing their fruits as the blooms die down, a red "tuna."

A walk around my studio brings these next photos for you. Rains and nice temperatures are continuing, so I'm hoping the flowers will stick around for a while longer.

I have a hard time telling if these below are Gaillarida or Sneezeweed. They're really thick this year. I just finished a wild flower painting with some of these and verbena, and, of course, cactus!

The Mountain Laurel seed pods are not looking happy. There are caterpillars and these huge ants both working on them.

We have a multitude of daisy type flowers:

Butterflies are plentiful and we have many varieties. The abundance of wildflowers is making many bees, butterflies and nectar seekers very happy.

These gorgeous wild poppies will finish blooming soon, the bloom period for these is through May. These are about 2-3 feet tall:

More happy and hungry bugs:

I love how the grasses add to this view:

Prickly pear cactus are a favorite of mine (I bet you didn't know that!) The way the light and shadows hit them is what makes me want to paint them. I have photographed this particular plant often. After it's new spring leaves, there is this one huge leaf! It looks like two leaves failed to split!

Eagles Wings Art Center update:

This piece sold at the Grand Opening of the Eagles Wings Art Center in Eagle Pass, Texas. Bob Butler's new Gallery is fabulous and the opening was just perfect. There was a wonderful crowd, good food, lots of great conversation, laughter and fun. I had the great pleasure of meeting some wonderful artists - Phil Bob Borman, Rick McCumber, Betty Sue Rose and Mary Ross Buchholz. It was great to visit with Del Rio artist Pam Bunch again.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too.

They seem to be leaving the studio a little too early in the afternoons.

Eagles Wings Art Center

2010-05-12T10:16:00.001-05:00

This piece is now in the Eagles Wings Art Center in Eagle Pass, Texas. Bob Butler's new Gallery has it's Grand Opening May 15th. Artists represented are Pino, Phil Bob Borman, Dan Burt, James R. Butler, Steven DaLuz, Bob Hunt, Rick McCumber, Clay McGaughy, Betty Sue Rose, Michelle Williams, Pam Bunch, and I am very honored to be included in this list.

These are wonderful mixed media artist, oil painters, sculptors, watercolor artists and jewelers and more. The Grand Opening will be May 15th from 7 pm to 10pm. I'll be there along with many of these fine artists. Join us at:

Eagles Wings Art Center, 357 South Adams, Eagle Pass, Texas, 78852. For more info, you can contact me or Bob Butler.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too.

They love playing in the wildflowers after our studio work is done!

Three Jalapenos - Oil Painting, More of our Spring

2010-05-02T15:49:00.010-05:00

"Three Jalapenos" is an original oil painting, 8 inches by 10 inches, painted after a grocery store trip. I just had to use them in the studio! It's available on my web site for $200.00.

Our Prickly Pear bushes are just starting to bloom! Buds are plentiful this year, I'm looking forward to some good photos later next week. Most of the blooms here are bright lemon yellow, although we have peach, orange, rose and soft yellows.

The agarito flowers have left the bushes loaded with berries!

This beautiful Spring has me planting again and I'm later than I have ever been! I do love to dig in the dirt. My herb garden was pretty much destroyed after last summer's record breaking drought and heat followed by the coldest winter I've seen in my 30 year here.

I'm babying a tiny lavender plant that survived and but the oregano is getting huge already. I planted catnip in a pot for the 1st time last Spring, it's doing great. My Plumbago is coming back and I have 2 salvia struggling to return. So, I need lots. Rosemary, more lavender, thyme, mint, sigh. Basil, sage, tomatoes, peppers and zinnias are planted and I'm hoping for a wonderful crop. My antique rose is showing off it's 1st bloom now and the coming buds are plentiful.

It's been a while since you've seen our deer and antelope, oh, and yes, a duck. They're all happy with lots to eat out there right now. Green is everywhere!

Remember the plant I'd never seen before?

I still don't know what it is and no flower has ever emerged! Those little spikes just turn brown and that's it. Maybe that little spike is the flower! It's still doing well. I'll keep an eye on it and see if it makes it through the summer heat.

This spring is continuing to be nothing short of amazing. To actually have a spring here is amazing! Often it is two weeks long and we slide headlong into summer heat. My patio swing has been such a treat in the evenings. The birds are singing, wildlife is abundant, and my kitties are waiting for pets and brushing. Life is good.

This piece is now in the Eagles Wings Art Center in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Ribbon Cutting for Bob Butler's new Gallery is this Tuesday, and the Grand Opening will be May 15th. I'll tell you more about it later.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

They wanted to enjoy the wildflowers. Truly, I think it's that they grab any excuse to haul out the beach chairs and glitter sunglasses.

Last Installment - Texas Hill Country Spring and Wildflowers

2010-04-23T07:04:00.002-05:00

This is the 3rd blog from my wildflower trek through the beautiful Texas Hill Country, hope you enjoy!

The Indian Paint brush was gorgeous!

I liked this shot, in front of and behind the barbed wire.

I took this photo on the Willow City Loop. The light and shadows were so defined on this gentle slope, it made a nice show. The loop had motorcyclist, hikers, bicyclist, photographers, and cars enjoying the beauty of the day.

This photo is from Fredericksburg Herb Farm. I love this place! I've bought many plants here through the years. The grounds are beautiful and this bird landed and posed for me while we were waiting for a table for lunch. Fabulous lunch!

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!
Till next time!
Jean

Clay and Flowers Oil Painting, and More of the Texas Hill Country Spring

2010-04-20T09:30:00.004-05:00

I love painting clay and flowers. I've painted several like this recently. I'll have one for a new gallery I'll be represented in next month and one for my Featured Artist Exhibit in October. This exhibition will be at Lee Bunch Gallery in Del Rio, Texas. I'm excited and grateful for both of these opportunities. --Now onto more Texas Hill Country wildflowers!

The Trumpet Vines were amazing all over the area, these were photographed at Wildseed Farms.

We stayed at wonderful cottages just outside of town. There's a herd of Elk on the property. They were so pretty just laying comfortably in the wildflowers! Bluebonnets are in the back field.

I'll have more wildflowers for you later in the week, this will take 3 posts to cover my photos! Then, I can't wait to show you more of what I'm seeing here. This fabulous Spring is such a gift, and I'm trying to not wear out my camera!

I want to thank Casey Shannon for interviewing me in her April Newsletter. Casey paints beautiful Sumi-e. Thank you Casey, I sure appreciate the feature!

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

They're enjoying all of the spring birds!

Fredericksburg trip- Bluebonnets and Wildflowers

2010-04-18T21:16:00.004-05:00

Last week I went to the heart of the beautiful Texas Hill Country! I love the Fredericksburg area, although some may disagree that it is the heart of the Hill Country!

The beauty was amazing. I've never seen the wildflowers prettier or thicker. The bluebonnets were nothing short of spectacular, the Mexican Poppies carpeted fields and more fields. I took almost 400 photos, but don't worry, I'll only post a handful here. Well, maybe more, but I'll break it into 2 posts for those with slower Internet connections.

Here is a nice view of the Mexican poppies with bluebonnets, and hills in the background.

I love these!

Becker Vineyard's lavender fields were beautiful, as usual! I've painted on site at Becker's many times. They're so accommodating to artists. It's a wonderful place to spend the day painting in any season. The fields and vineyards are lovely all year.

The poppy fields at Wildseed Farms were fuller than I've ever seen them. It was a sea of red!

I'll have more for you tomorrow, along with a painting!

Cactus Oil Painting, Spring Flowers, Ducks and Cats!

2010-04-12T06:39:00.000-05:00

Another cactus painting!

This is my largest, actually quite large for me. I enjoy painting small and only occasionally go for a piece this size. I'm getting work ready for a new gallery, as well as a featured artist at a gallery later this year. I want a few cactus pieces for both, in 2 sizes. So, you'll see a few more to come. I've painted landscapes and more flowers in clay pots, too. I'll certainly have to take a break from all of this to paint some of our gorgeous wildflowers!

So - onto our Spring! This next flower is gorgeous and I've only seen it here one other spring. It's blue - and thus it's name, Blue Curls. We don't have many blue flowers and these are just outstanding. You can see the clusters of blooms in this close up below.

When it's a little further along, you see the coming blossoms along a coiled cluster. This cluster straightens as the flowers mature. My book tells me that these are easily cultivated from seed.

We are very well protected. Nightly, Stella takes up Patio Patrol. This will continue for some time, until she is sure all is well.

Clothilde, on the other hand, would rather play. My tomatoes aren't planted yet, but she enjoys playing with the strings that are waiting to hold up the plants.

Blue Winged Teal are visiting with us as they migrate! It's rare that I get a shot of our many migrating ducks, they generally fly off, so I don't even try to get too close. This shot was luck - I had my telephoto lens with me and I stopped as soon as I saw them. They didn't fly away! Thank you JG for identifying them.

These tiny flowers area everywhere. They're smaller than a dime.

I'm not sure what these next flowers are - I've never seen these before! My book has a few possibilities, so I'll have to wait for the blooms to be sure. It may be Stork's Bill but the leaves look different. They're right outside of the patio. I've even watered them to make sure they stay healthy!

I love this shot of the mallows!

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

They're back, as promised, but still won't ditch the shades or the beach chairs.

Cactus Oil Painting, Wildflowers Everywhere!

2010-04-05T16:35:00.002-05:00

I've painted several Prickly Pear Cactus lately.

This hasn't been posted on my web site yet, it needs a little more drying time.

This Spring is all I'd hoped for! We've been here since 1993 and I'm declaring this the most gorgeous spring ever. The wildflowers are so thick it's amazing. The number of different varieties is truly staggering. I'll have more great flower blogs for you if the heat stays away just a little while longer. We also have turkeys back at the house feeder and the Tree Ducks came back this week.

I showed you the yellow fields we're seeing and now the verbena is giving us lavender fields! It's thick, tall and healthy.

We have 3 kinds of wild verbenas. The Dakota Vervian or Prairie Verbena makes the beautiful show. These will bloom almost all year long if we have a mild winter. Later in the year, they won't match these beautiful carpets we're having now, though. These are very thick with tons of flower heads. Verbena have rich nectar, so you'll see butterflies and insects enjoying them too.

To the back of this area below, the yellow carpet takes over.

We have several types of primroses here, these white ones are popping up everywhere.

I'm sure this is some type of Mallow, but I can't find it in my books. It's one of the few orange flowers we have.

Photographing these flowers close up can be dangerous:

We are still enjoying the yellow carpets of bladderpods.

This tree is blooming right outside of my studio window.

This feather was stuck on a branch. It is beautiful! I love finding surprises like this on my walks. Each one is a treasure hunt.

Diane Clancy was so kind to give me a "Sweet Blog Award." Thank you Diane!

Felicia Kramer mentioned me in her blog, and I so appreciate it Felicia!

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook.

I though "Spring Break" was supposed to be a week, as in one week. And they took the cat! They've promised to be home by next blog. Till next time, Jean

Autumn Painting Competition, "Hill Country Autumn" oil painting

2010-03-28T16:06:00.007-05:00

Some time in September 2009, Sandy Askey-Adams, Nancy Medina and I started talking about an Autumn painting challenge to celebrate the season. We chatted back and forth for a while and decided to have the First Annual Autumn Arts Painting Challenge.

The Challenge was free, global and very exciting! There were few rules - the paintings had to be original work, of course, and it had to be completed in the month of October. Art works were posted all month long and it was a visual feast each day to see new works entered.

The artist was free to interpret their October any way they wished. We had beautiful entries of representational, impressionistic and abstract work.

We used Facebook as a platform for the event. We though we'd have about 100 people enter and we'd all get to enjoy some good paintings. To our amazement, we ended up with over 1500 people joining the site and over 900 pieces of art submitted for the Competition! You can go to the facebook site to see the entries, clicking on the "Photos" tab at the top of the page will bring you to amazing paintings!

We were so thrilled that 3 nationally acclaimed artists Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Soon Y Warren, and Marsha Savage said "Yes!" to our request for Judges. These wonderful ladies were a joy to work with and they did have to work very hard! You can see the winners of the competition on our blog. The Judges chose extra paintings for the exhibition in this blog post.

Howard Cooperman, of the amazing Bucks County Gallery in New Hope, Pennsylvania has an exhibition of the winners this month. He sent these me photos of the opening reception.

Marsha Savage, Howard Cooperman, Sandy Askey Adams

Howard also made a short You Tube video of the exhibition and the painting that I submitted to the exhibition is shown first. Thank you Howard!

American Artist magazine did a story on the Challenge in March and the Pastel Journal had a story in May!

Awards for the event were donated by Terry Ludwig Pastels, Qoro, LLC, Kng of Frame, Raymar Art, and Dick Blick. This event brought artists together from around the world to celebrate art. Wonderful friendships were made and continue.

Becky Joy's oil painting was chosen in the "Judge's Choice" category. These are addition paintings exhibited at the Bucks County Gallery show for the Challenge.

Becky Joy, "Back lit Oak", 20x24 Oil

Joan Linenbroker, "Bartram Gardens," Mixed Media, Honorable Mention

I hope you enjoy the art on our Challenge Blog and Facebook site!
Thank you,
Jean

Bluebonnets and Wildflowers

2010-03-21T09:09:00.003-05:00

Bluebonnets are blooming! We have a small area where they come up every year and that area has more than doubled! Yes, I'd like to use a whole bunch of exclamation points, but I'll refrain. Then again, maybe not!!!

They're scattered in this very rocky area. The yellow bladderpods are fairly thick and verbena are making a nice show there too.

I wait for this every year!!!! Oops, I mean: I wait for this every year.

I love the deep red violet color on the petals.

Spanish Dagger update:

The bloom is made up of huge amounts of individual flowers. You can see that this one will be bigger soon, when all of the red pods open up.

In my last post about Mountain Laurel, they were just beginning to show color. Now, this is an explosion of violets!

The verbena are getting thicker and carpets of these beauties are starting.

This is a beautiful mix of verbena and bladderpods.

This next photo wasn't taken on our place, but I couldn't pass up how pretty it was. I wanted a shot without the roadway, but, this was all I could get.

I have so many great spring photos, I'm posting a blog with just these gorgeous flowers. Next post I'll update you on my art work.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

My helpers said they wanted a "Spring Break." Yes, I was a little shocked, too, but they've sent me a photo.

It's a Gorgeous Spring!

2010-03-15T09:17:00.006-05:00

The Spanish Daggers are blooming! This is such an awesome plant! The "daggers" are truly something you would not like to run into. I wait for these blooms each Spring. The bloom is on average about 18 inches tall. This is my very scientific measurement. Here's a bloom just about to open:

I love this shot below! You can see a bit of the distant mountain and the dead tree is great. This is actually 2 daggers, you can see another bloom coming up on the right side of the photo, just about in the middle.

I'll have updates as this opens.

The blooms of the Spanish Dagger and Mountain Laurel are the 1st signal of spring. I've seen them bloom in January often, as we have mild winters many years. This is the coldest winter that I remember in my 30 years here. The Texas Hill Country will be gorgeous this Spring, because along with the cold, we've had such a wet winter.

Ohhhh, I have waited for this - We've had so much rain since January that I knew we'd have a wonderful wildflower carpet! This is the first:

This is the little flower that is carpeting areas. It is simply beautiful!

This flower is a type of bladderpod. My book on wildflowers for this area shows 3 that all look the same to me. It blooms March - May. With a few more well placed rains, we could have this beautiful display for a while. This bladderpod seems to be the thickest where the ground has been disturbed in recent years.

This is the best display of wildflowers we've had in about 8 years! I will probably post a few extra blogs with just photos of our Spring display.

We have loads of blooms on our peach, plum, and apple trees. The peach blooms are the best. I love the pink and they are fuller than most years.

I cut branches from blooming trees and bring them in the house. Just when the branches are starting to show signs of life, they'll be so lovely inside! The warmer temperatures in your house will bring the buds, leaves, and blooms quickly.

It's wonderful to watch the process each day. I have a large vase with branches 2-3 feet tall inside. They are beautiful! Buds, blooms and leaves, all coming along and the perfect signal that spring is here!

The ducks at Lake Jean are laying eggs. The only problem is that they're laying them in the wrong places! They haven't used the floating nesting area that we have in the middle of the lake. This is the first time we've had ducks that have ignore it, and simply lay where they please. And that is OK, but it means no baby ducks.

I feel like my walks are treasure hunts, I'm always looking for something wonderful. I never have to look far, because the beauty of this area is all around me. I do love finding little surprises, like this decidedly yellow rock below. It stood out so proudly! It's fun to see through the lens of my camera - plus I can share it with you. A double treat!

This little oil study is dry now:

Aging Oak, Study, is now available on my website for $75.00, including shipping and insurance.

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook! Don't miss my web site for more oil paintings. Here you can find my studies priced from $75.00 and my paintings priced from $200.00. Thank you for visiting!

They're decorating for Saint Patrick's Day!

Till next time!

Jean

Oil Painting - Geraniums and Clay, Early Spring Beauty

2010-03-09T13:12:00.008-06:00

I love painting clay pots with flowers. The texture of clay is so appealing and geraniums are just full of color! Here's a piece I finished in January.

©Jean Levert Hood, 2010 "Geraniums and Clay," Oil, 12x9

And here's a close up:

"Geraniums and Clay" is for sale at Lee Bunch Gallery in Del Rio, Texas. I have 3 pieces in Pam's Gallery, located at 100 West Greenwood Street in downtown Del Rio. You can contact Pat Bunch through her website, or contact me about this piece. Pam paints beautiful watercolors and represents a number of Southwestern artist in her gallery. I'm honored to be represented by her.

Our Mountain Laurel is starting to show color!

I love these blooms. This is the first tree that starts to bloom in Spring. The tree next to the house is full of buds, and color stated breaking through this past week. The scent of this one tree will fill the whole area around the house. It smells like grape kool-aid! Mountain Laurel is cultivated in this area as a drought tolerant plant. It's seeds and leaves are very toxic, but butterflies and bees will be enjoying the nectar soon.

I don't know anything about bird's nests, but this one is very large. It's in the wild persimmon just in front of our house. The wild persimmons aren't budded out at all yet.

We have 2 really nice palms at Lake Jean. I was looking to see if the 1st green frond was fully out yet and was struck by this view.

And yes, that frond is fully up now! I am declaring that Spring is here.

We've had such a wet winter that I'm anticipating a huge wildflower display. It should be spectacular this year. These wet days bring their own beauty. I love how the mist created this pattern of water drops on a spider web.

The Agarito bushes are in bloom. They are so full of blooms this year, as I expect most of the trees and shrubs will be. The red berries to come will be great food for all manner of birds. These berries also make a good jelly, but I wouldn't want to brave those very stiff spiny leaves to pick them.

As she often does, Stella walked with me.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Until next time!
Jean

Oak Tree - Abstract, Original Oil Painting

2010-03-08T10:41:00.000-06:00

Oak - Abstract is an original oil painting, 16 inches tall by 12 inches wide. It's painted on gallery wrapped canvas, meaning the design continues around all of the edges, giving you the option of hanging this piece with or without a frame.

Aging Oak - Oil painting, Zoo, Before the Big Freeze

2010-01-05T11:36:00.002-06:00

"Aging Oak" is a small study that is still wet on the easel. This original oil painting is 8 inches tall by 6 inches wide.

I've been enjoying studying trees. I love painting landscapes and want to better capture our beautiful oaks in the Texas Hill Country. Any time you see a stand of oaks, you know that water is near by. Elm Creek runs through the east end of our property and many of these old trees stand near.

The paintings below are each 12 inch by 9 inch pieces. These 5 individual paintings are connected in several ways with design and color elements. Each canvas features one letter, spelling out T-R-U-T-H. This was my big fall project and I enjoyed the opportunity to paint abstracts. They are now residing with a happy owner.

I had a wonderful Christmas Holiday and enjoyed a trip to the Baton Rouge zoo with family and little ones.

The weather was perfect and the kids wanted to see the flamingos the most. I couldn't figure that one out!

The rhinoceros had a baby. What a strange animal - kind of prehistoric looking, aren't they? It was the only baby besides a monkey, and I never could get a decent photo of it. It was a very fun day.

This view was stunning - the different greens and golden colors reflecting in the water were so pretty against all of the bare branches.

Now, back to our Texas landscape - We have a lot of green left in the trees, so winter isn't entirely gray here. A few freezes have come and gone and most days it's still warming up nicely in the afternoons.

When I took my walk yesterday I was determined to find something blooming. I finally did! I wasn't too sure that my goal was going to be reached, but I found these tiny little flowers under a group of prickly pear cactus. These are the only blooms I found. These bright yellow beauties are from the sunflower family and are called Parralena. Nice name for a common dogweed! They form large clumps in the warmer months.

These can be cultivated in wildflower gardens, doing quite well in our heat and drought conditions. It's a good xeriscape plant for our area. What a tiny little bloom - several would fit on a nickel. I guess the tallest they grow wild is about 5 inches. I imagine they would grow a little taller being well tended. My book says they can be 8 inches tall.

Last leaves clinging to a branch always catch my attention. The last ones, holding on tight, not giving up until another freeze.

The cold weather is turning some of the prickly pear cactus red.

The bare branches show the dancing twists and turns of the wild persimmon. These smooth branches are so beautiful!

I found this wonderful group of vines and weeds near the house. The reds and greens together make a great show!

The greens we have left may end soon - we're expecting temperatures below 25 degrees F for 3 nights at the end of this week. This is very cold for us, and Hawaii is sounding tempting!!

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website .You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

The seem very happy and content.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T19:53:00.003-06:00

I want to thank all of my blog readers. You're the reason I enjoy writing my blog and sharing my world. I wish you all a wonderful holiday season filled with the best gifts - family and friends. May you all have a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T05:34:00.001-06:00

I wanted to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. May it be filled with those you love, may it be filled with blessing.
Jean

Pear and Cherries - Original Oil Painting, Persimmons

2009-11-23T06:10:00.000-06:00

Pear and Cherries is another of the small color studies I've been working on. This one is measures 8 inches tall by 10 inches wide, it is on gallery wrap canvas, meaning the design continues on all sides of the painting. It may be framed or hung as is.

There's a wonderful area in Brackettville known locally as "Five Points." Right at this corner, you'll find this wonderful tiny persimmon orchard! I love it every year at this time. It's meticulously kept up and a beautiful spot that most in town would pass every day. Thank you Melissa and Doug!

I found the leaves as interesting as the fruit and branches. What a gorgeous mix of colors and shapes! I was careful to not step on a pile, I wanted to photograph them as they lay naturally. You know how I love color - well - to see this pile of every shade of red, violet, green and gold - what a visual feast!

There are very few persimmons on the ground, but the trees are loaded.

These great shapes caught my eye, love the turning of the leaves.

and look at this lovely one - full of all shades of violets! How amazing. It just looks perfect settled down into all of those greens. Violets mixed with greens are perfect.

Ok, you know I have to show you an antelope photo, too! They seem very at home now. When I see them in the field, I can stand on the patio and not scare them away. It's fun to watch them eat with the deer - they will often push the deer off for the better position!

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Be sure to click here to sign up for my semi-monthly newsletter!

And, I must sneak in a cat photo:

I heard Stella say, "I cannot believe you woke us up for yet another photo op?!?!?"

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Too much spam

2009-11-21T08:44:00.003-06:00

I'm receiving too many spam comments on my blog - those with endless links, etc. To combat this, I just turned on word verification, which I dislike intensely.

I will explore other options to deal with this, but for right now, this is the quickest thing I can do to help combat this. I am sorry for any of you who subscribe to comments and have been subjected to this also. Thank you, and I'll check further options when I have more time.
Jean

Calla and Pear Paintings, Animals and Ducks

2009-11-18T06:26:00.002-06:00

These two original oil paintings have been listed for sale on my web site.

"Calla Lillies" Jean Levert Hood © 2009
12 inches by 12 inches, oil on canvas, $395.00

"Pears and Cherries" Jean Levert Hood ©2009
6 inches by 8 inches, oil on canvas, $75.00

I feel that one of the most wonderful views is to see the animals laying down. To watch our new black buck antelope laying in the field is quite a thrill. It's such a peaceful scene, so very peaceful. They choose this spot often now. It's pretty far away for my camera lens, but I think this is a fair shot.

This is the far end of the "field" I talk about that's near to the house. If your screen is large enough, you can see a dark stripe about 1/4 of the way down from the top of the picture, that is the Lake. From the house, we can see the ducks and hear them too! I need binoculars to really enjoy what is beyond the lake, though.

I like this view below, you get to see some of the hill behind the lake. There is a little dip in the photo, just beyond the antelope, that is Lake Jean.

We have a feeder in the field close to the house and one on the other side of the lake. They're set on timers and the deer run to them when they go off. They mill around earlier, looking up to the box. I think they set alarms on their watches, they seem to always be ready and waiting, close in the field.

See! There really is a Lake Jean! My sweet husband likes signs.

The ducks are happy, the little one in the front and the middle white one have their little top knots! The sunlight on the head of the mallard drake is wonderful in this shot. What an intense green! The blue reflections in the water are great. I do love to paint water.

My helpers are really enjoying their new kitty. This one decided to try to get to know Stella. Make no mistake, those are daggers in her eyes.

Till next time! I'll have some wonderfully colored photos for you then!

Workshops, Fall Wildflowers, Chamisa Oil Painting

2009-10-26T06:56:00.015-05:00

Oh, my blog is gathering dust again!

I had an unexpected workshop opportunity plus my regular yearly workshop over the past few weeks. The unexpected workshop was from Bob Butler. I love his use of color and I study with him every chance I get.

Last week I was in Fredericksburg, Texas. I don't know if it's my favorite spot in the Texas Hill Country, but close! I have taken a workshop there from Guido Frick for the last 5 years. Guido studied under the wonderful artist Sergei Bongart. Every time I take a workshop, I wonder how many life times I would need to paint as I would like!

Workshop paintings are generally not to be shared, (hidden in a closet is more like it!) so this post will give you a taste of our beautiful fall. I'll get to painting in my studio this week.

Mist-flower is blooming! The rains we've had backed by cooler weather finally gave us wildflowers. There is a group of trees just outside of my studio and a nice patch of these light violet beauties grow there in the shade. If we get a few well place rains, they should bloom through December.

About 10 feet from the mist-flower is a wonderful group of lantana shrubs. It's so deeply colored. Lantana is toxic according to my book, but some small birds may eat the fruit. It's a plant you see often in our area used for landscaping. It enjoys our sandy soils and can handle our summer heat. I've never cultivated it, I just enjoy what grows wild. It's an excellent plant for xeriscape needs.

These are the little berries that come when the flowers are finished.

This below reminds me of northern New Mexico's Chamisa, which I've painted often. It's some sort of desert broom and it blooms every year from early fall until the first freeze. I'm not sure what it is, in spite of my 3 books! I love it. It's a sure signal that fall is here and cooler weather is a reality.

Stella loves to walk with me and she checks out everything I stop to photograph.

Oh, I can post a Chamisa painting!

This was painted several years ago after a painting trip to Taos, New Mexico. The Chamisa is beautiful there in the fall.

Chamisa is available on my web site, it measures 11x14 inches and is available for $395.00. Prices on my web site include shipping and insurance.

I grew up in South Louisiana, so fog was a very familiar site. Here in my corner of Texas, fog is not a familiar site! It's such a seldom occurrence that I thought this shot from the game camera was really special. Seems so different, doesn't it?

Since the drought has been so hard on the land, along with the excessive summer heat, we feed protein to the deer in addition to corn, along with medicated salt licks.

The ducks love the feeder, the corn, the grain, and the protein blocks!

I don't see too many turtles, but this one is really large.

I have more to show you already in my camera for next time. So, until then,

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings! You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Be sure to click here to sign up for my semi-monthly newsletter!

They seem to like the whole idea of fall.

Crock and Red Flowers - Oil Painting, Antelope

2009-10-26T06:11:00.006-05:00

Crock and Red Flowers is an oil painting measuring 14 inches tall by 11 inches wide and is available for $395.00.

Arrival of the Black Buck Antelope!

Black buck antelope are native to India. As the name suggests, the males darken with age and the females remain this lighter brown. We're hoping that these 3 are happy here and enjoy our grasses and browse.

They're already enjoying the field in front of the house, happily eating with our deer. I was looking out at them all together, the deer and the antelope, and it happened. ♪ where the deer and the antelope play♫♪♫, and yes - "Home, Home On the Range" stayed in my head all day!

They were released in the field in front of Lake Jean. They bounded off, bouncing on, then slowed down when they reached the thick brush on the other side of the water.

I'm amazed at how high they bounce, must be springs on those feet!

This is the only photo I have from the game camera. They're eating in the field in front of the house, but my photos from the patio are through the patio fence - not too exciting.

Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor paintings priced from $10.00. My Etsy store carries my small works.
Still no name for New Kittie, but then again, my helpers don't have names either!

Chickens, Roosters, and Ducks

2009-10-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

In honor of The Chicken Yard that has so successfully housed our new ducks, I'm showing you these two oil paintings. Next I'll get to the Chicken yard/Duck story.

Young Rooster is 10 inches by 8 inches,

and Chicken Strut is 8 inches by 10 inches. Both of these pieces are available on my web site. They are $200.00 each, which includes shipping and insurance. Both are painted on Gallery Wrapped Canvas, meaning the painting continues around the sides of the piece, so it can be framed or not.

These are the last photos of the ducks in the chicken yard. The process of getting them to the lake (mostly uneventful) happened this past week. Those little top knots are getting pretty wild!

I thought I'd throw in a picture of the chickens since you haven't seen them in a while. And, I know you were just waiting to see them!

So, this is the process. We bring one duck to Lake Jean, wait a few days, make sure all is well, bring one more, wait a few days, make sure all is well. At this point, we decide the remaining four can go.

Don and I are in the chicken yard catching the ducks to transport them to the lake. I fall down.

Now, you may be wondering why it is blog-worthy to tell you that I fell down?

Trust me, just put this on your "note to self" pad - A Chicken Yard is not a place where you want to fall down!

Here's the first one at Lake Jean:

Finally, this one makes it to the water's edge. We had to drive around to the other side of the lake, this little guy kept running back to us! These pictures are from a little distance, but I think you'll enjoy them.

The 3 ducks from June are curious and come to see the stranger.

a little closer,

Contact! Successful mission!

And off they go!

We have black buck antelope now! Next blog, I'll show you their arrival.

Please visit my Etsy store to see my small works and watercolors.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

They are spending quite a bit of time with the new kitty.

Oil Painting Study, "Pears and Cherries," Hummingbirds and Ducks

2009-10-03T11:48:00.006-05:00

This is a small study I painted this week. It's 6 inches tall by 8 inches wide. "Pears and Cherries" is still wet on the easel. I'm working on a larger still life with pears, cherries, sunflowers and a nice vase.

It will probably take a while to finish - the weather is so gorgeous that I just have to paint outside! It's finally cooling off a little and I am so ready to go and paint outside. So, I'll be working on the still life a bit here and there.

The hummingbirds have been enjoying my salvia. I love this colorful plant and I think they do too! This is taken through my patio door, one of these days I hope to get closer for some larger views. They come often in the morning.

Look at those tiny little legs in the photo below:

One of my favorite times of day is the late evening when the shadows are long. I often sit on my porch at that time. I see the strong shadows coming from over the house, casting the dark across the field in front of the patio. The light at this time of day is wonderful.

This photo below with the long shadows was take on a walk and it shows me why I love to paint! I see the photo and know how differently I'd paint the scene. I see it as so beautiful as it is, but if I would paint it I would change so much color. It truly is wonderful to be able to paint what I see inside, instead of just a photo.

I always notice the old dried out tree trunks and roots. I saw these 2 pieces of wood laying just as you see here. The small piece on the left is totally sun bleached from age. The piece on the right is not.

I love my walks. I find 'treasures' every time. And yes, I have to make sure that I don't come home carrying everything I've found, from wood to rocks to flowers!

These dead branches catch my eye every time I pass them. They really set off this Spanish Dagger.

The big ducks who are at Lake Jean are venturing out a bit! They're starting to check out the feeder. They seem to do fine with the deer. Yesterday we saw 8 ducks at the lake swimming with our ducks. We have many come through in the winter and some stay a while. This seems early to start seeing them migrating, though.

We've enjoy herons lately, and egrets. I can see from the house with binoculars and of course, love it when the game camera catches them.

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor paintings priced from $10.00. My Etsy store carries my small works.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

I've been asked several times if they've chosen a name for their pet. (yes, I said they could keep it.) Not yet, I'll let you know!

Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

Calla Lily Oil Painting, Sunsets, Cats, Flowers, Bees and more!

2009-09-21T06:58:00.000-05:00

This is "Calla Lilies," a new oil painting. It's 12 inches by 12 inches, a different format for me. I like this square format. This canvas is on 1 1/2 inch deep gallery wrap, meaning the canvas and design continues around the sides of the piece, so it can be framed or not. I painted this piece from photos from my sister's calla garden. These are such beautiful flowers and I've painted them often. Calla piece needs more drying time before I list it for sale, so if you'd like it before then just let me know and I'll put your name on it. This week I want to paint some smaller callas. I have some very small canvases and think it will be fun. Fun work that is!

We rarely get a sunset shot from the game camera and now I have several. I guess the deer are going to Lake Jean to drink and trigger the camera. The one below is simply gorgeous. We have some awesome sunsets and sunrises here and I was thrilled to see this one.

Look at those reflections in the lake! I guess a bird flew by to trigger the camera, I don't see any deer in this one. What a rare treat.

Time for kitty photos! ( it's been a while, indulge me!) This is Stella, aggressively cleaning Clothilde. It seems to be a part of Stella's mission in life - much to the sometimes dismay of Clothilde.

It takes a lot out of them both, so, nap time follows!

Oh, and don't forget my sister's jewelry shop. She has everything on sale (half price) through December. She'll be closing her Etsy shop and moving her work to another sales venue, so get out that Christmas list now! Design By Levert is her shop on Etsy.

I know you've seen photos of my little ducks, but they are tiny for such a short time, so you must indulge me again!

Here is the little one below with the big personality - don't you think he is smiling?

And one of my little top knot cuties:

Where is the hair gel when you need it?????

And again, louder - "Where is the hair gel????"

They are in The Big Chicken yard now, safely segregated from The Big Chickens. It's very hard to get photos of them there, too much wire to peer through. All are having fun and enjoying their personal swimming hole. Here is where they practice for life at Lake Jean.

Honeysuckle grew along the back fence of the property where I grew up. I remember loving the sweet aroma of it and pulling the little parts out and tasting the tiny bit of sweet at the end. My sister has these growing at her Santa Fe home and they brought back some nice memories. And, some not so nice. It was below the honey suckle that we buried any dead goldfish!

Yes, it's kind of an unruly vine, but I think it's beautiful! Such beautiful movement to it.

I love my camera. I have a digital SLR and I love the shots I get. This bee was on the Russian Sage at my sister's. (also in Santa Fe) Russian Sage reminds me of lavender.

I've struggled to keep my plants alive this summer. The intense heat and drought has taken as toll on my herb garden. I planted tomatoes in pots this year for the 1st time. I've tried to keep them alive to hopefully have a fall crop of tomatoes. I have 4 large pots of them just outside of my herb garden, all surrounding my bird bath. Stella has taken on the job of Watch-Kittie. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. This past week I've battled the horned worms again. These are pitiful looking plants!

I've lost several of my spring plantings, they just didn't have enough root structure and growth yet to survive our intensely hot summer.

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor paintings priced from $10.00. My Etsy store carries my small works.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too! Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

I knew they were up to something! The'yre wanting a pet of their own. No name as of yet, but they have already given it a milk saucer. I thought that they'd settled down after their summer vacation, but, I'm just not sure now.

Nature's Beauty

2009-09-14T17:01:00.004-05:00

Yes, my blog is a bit late and I want to get back on my Monday blogging schedule. So I'm going to show you some great pictures from the ranch and post without a painting - something I've never done! I had a bunch of interruptions today and my schedule is so not what I wanted it to be. This will help me get back on track.

The new baby ducks and chicks are so cute. We ordered 6 assorted crested ducks. It will be fun to see what these look like soon. They grow so fast. Our early summer crew is enjoying Lake Jean. The main duck in this photo below has a personality already! This one is always flapping, bouncing up and down, cocking it's head.

The top knots on these 2 little guys below are different, one leans much more towards yellow, the other towards white. They tend to hang together.

Ok, I'm going to get gushy, but this is just too cute - Alright, I know it's gushy and mushy.

We had some much needed rain this past week. Wednesday brought 3 3/4 inches and 2/10ths more fell this weekend. Yes, we are happy to measure rain in 10ths of an inch!

The trees aren't up to par this year due to the drought and heat. This wild persimmon's leaves aren't looking very healthy. I'm hoping the rain will perk it up. The fruit of the wild persimmon is normally about the size of a quarter. It feeds a lot of animals and birds. This year many of the trees simply didn't put out fruit, none at all. The fruit on this tree is the size of a blueberry. The wildlife has lacked a lot of it's normal food this year.

And here are our happy ducks at Lake Jean! This is from our early summer batch. They're quite at home at the lake.

I snapped these 2 photos below just a few days before the rain came. With all of our summer heat and drought, these are blooming beautifully. They are both in the Nightshade family. The yellow is Buffalo Bur. This patch is so full of flowers, very thick and healthy and very prickly.

I am amazed at the intensity of the purple on this flower. Normally it's a lighter color. This is Silver Leaf Nightshade. It's about 2 feet tall and should be in bloom through October.

I'm pretty sure this is a Vermillion flycatcher. I couldn't get a closer shot than this. That little head was soooo intensely colored! Gorgeous.

Look how much the fawns have grown:

So, the nature show is over for today. Next post I'll be back to normal, have a painting for you and will try to get my helpers back too. Until then, you can find me on Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to click here to sign up for my (usually) monthly newsletter!

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website .

Jean

Fleur De Lis paintings, Tree ducks and Deer!

2009-09-05T19:18:00.001-05:00

I've been painting Fleur De Lis in watercolors and acrylics. These two are both acrylic on canvas.

Purple and Gold is 5 inches tall by 7 inches wide and is available for $50.00.

Gold Fleur De Lis is 5 inches by 5 inches squared. This is painted on a deep gallery wrapped canvas (1 1/2 inches) that needs no frame. It is available for $55.00.
These pieces will be joining other art that I have at The Royal Standard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I am at the 2877 Perkins Road location. (Perks Coffee is at 2008 Perkins - one of my favorite BR coffee stops!) I'm so pleased to be at The Royal Standard and will be adding more pieces there. If you're interested in either of these pieces, please contact me. I will be sending them to The Royal Standard in a few weeks.

The little fawn came to Lake Jean! The twins haven't been to the Lake yet, but come to the feeder at the house most mornings. These photos are about a month old, they've grown so much since then!

Deer seem to defy gravity when they jump a fence. The camera caught this jump.

The tree ducks have been plentiful! We've counted over 50 flying in for breakfast. (some have passports.)

Above they wait, their watches all in sync with the feeder timer.

They came pretty close to the patio and I was happy for this shot.

And the last one is something we see this fairly often, yet it always amuses me. It's the "Where's my breakfast??" look!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to click here to sign up for my (usually) monthly newsletter!

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website .

My helpers seem to be doing better. They've been enjoying feeding the birds, so hopefully I can count on them again soon!

With the Wind - Oil Abstract Painting, Studio Essentials

2009-08-16T09:47:00.001-05:00

This oil abstract reminds me of the wind. I love the swirl of colors in this piece. Kim at Laketrees had a contest and I entered this. The theme was "Post Card from Heaven." No, I didn't win, but it was fun to enter! Thanks Kim!

You can purchase "With the Wind" on my web site for $325.00 It measures 9 inches tall by 12 inches wide.

Detail:

I really enjoy painting abstracts. Sometimes it's fun to explore and do something different. As you know, I love color in my paintings and abstracts give me a chance to unleash that love and think "color."

My Studio

I like having my studio filled with things that are meaningful to me. I have my brushes, palette knifes, various tools, tacks, erasers, clips, etc, in containers that were given to me by someone special, or that were purchased on a trip. It keeps my creative muse happy to see these pieces around me.

While I love having these containers, well, then there are the "just plain tools." Where do I put all of these?

I have one peg board in my studio that holds all of the items I need, items that must have their designated home, but not the kind of things that can go into my great containers. So, here's my pegboard:

This is where I keep my utility type items that seem to have no other place to live. It resides over my sink.

I have a special corner on my peg board. This little painted slate says "It's never too late to have a happy childhood." Sharon gave me this, a friend I've had for about 25 years. The photo under the slate is of some incredible children that I've watched grow up. ( and I see that it hangs right in her face!) They are now all adults, college graduates, some in graduate school and law school, and all are doing wonderful things in their lives. Then, there is the torn corner of a cover, saying simply "Dance." Pieces on my special corner change all the time, but the photo and slate have been here forever.

Remember my painting from last blog?
I named it "Shawl Dance." Joni Stinson was so kind to let me know that the proper title for this dance is "Fancy Shawl Dance." Thank you Joni!

Joni has a wonderful shop on Etsy and she sent me a great link to read more on Pow Wows. She is Creek and Cherokee. She says "My designs combine traditional Native American techniques with contemporary elements, colors and materials. My work is symbolic and exemplifies my passion for my Nation and my art."

Andrea blogged about one of my paintings on the Design Style Guide blog. Thank you Andrea, I appreciate that so much!

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Well, they're back from vacation. I'm a little concerned, not much work is getting done, and I detect attitude...

Shawl Dance - new oil painting, Quail and Deer

2009-07-27T12:41:00.000-05:00

This week's oil painting is "Shawl Dance." This is a quick study I did to decide if I want to work on this same idea towards a more finished painting. I'm pleased with how it came out and think I will develop it further. This piece is 16 inch tall by 12 inch wide. As a study, this piece is available on my website for $145.00, which included shipping and insurance.

detail:
The game camera caught a great posture from one of the deer!

If you follow me on facebook you've seen some of these quail pictures. We have a pair of quail that are bringing their little ones back and forth across the patio several times a day. They come to the fountain to drink and eat a little here and there. If you're wondering, the cats simply don't seem to care much that they're there! They even share their cat food with the road runners.

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . The price of work on my web site includes shipping and insurance. Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

That's all for today! My blog is short this week, I'll be more chatty next time. They are starting to talk about coming home. I'm really relieved.

Pomegranates Oil Painting, Daily Painters of Texas, Birds in Red

2009-07-13T10:57:00.006-05:00

Pomegranates is my new oil painting. It measures 14 inches tall by 11 inches wide and is available on my web site for $395.00. (Remember that the prices on my website include shipping and insurance.) I love painting fruit, but by now I'm sure you've figured out that whatever I'm painting at the moment is my favorite! Yes, I simply can't help it.

Daily Painters of Texas

I'm very excited that I've been accepted into a new group call the "Daily Painters of Texas." The Daily Painters of Texas have a great blog and paintings are featured by members every day. This is a diverse group of painters talented in many mediums and styles. You'll see some of Nancy Medina's wonderful works, as well as Judy Crowe, Laurie Pace, V Vaughan, Kay Smith, and so many more. Our Artist of Texas website is growing as new members are added. You'll see a visual feast on this daily blog!

Now for some shameless family promotion - my sister has an Etsy store for her jewelry. She is marking down her items 1/2 price and will continue to add items each week at this sale price. This sale will continue through the end of the year, when she will close that store. She is moving her store to another selling venue.

Birds in Red
I thought it was time for birds again - today's are all red.

They are just gorgeous, aren't they. I never tire of watching them. Our heat seems to really draw them to the fountain. Sometimes I find one just sitting in the water!

I want to thank Mel, who featured me on his blog. I appreciate it so much Mel! I also want to thank Diane, who gave me an award from her blog. Thank you Diane!

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Visit my blog to see life in and around the beautiful Texas Hill Country. I love our flora and fauna and love to share it with you!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too! Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

Now all three of them are gone and they still aren't ready to come home. Well, they do look happy. Till next time!

Abstracts, Sheep, Cactus

2009-07-04T10:36:00.004-05:00

You know I occasionally paint abstracts. This piece below was a special request from my nephew. This one is 18 x 24 inches.

He recently moved and asked me to paint a companion piece to be hung on the side of the 1st one. This piece is also 18 x 24 inches.

The piece below is a 12 x 12 inch square, another that I painted as a surprise for him. Yes, I am shamelessly vying for Aunt of the Year and this should surely get me ahead of my sisters.

I'll leave you with sheep - love these black faced sheep!

and this amazing cactus bloom - This cactus bloom is so beautifully colored. It has brilliant orange, as well as deep magenta and yellow. Simply splendid!

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store. Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

I've heard from my helpers, and they are not ready to come home yet....

Till next time!

Blowing the dust off!

2009-07-02T14:48:00.001-05:00

Blowing the dust off of my blog! I have family visiting and am totally enjoy some time off with them. I'll be back!
Jean

Althea - Oil Painting, Baby Chicks and Ducks, Lavender, Helper's Vacation

2009-06-22T09:43:00.011-05:00

Althea is a new oil painting, 9 inches tall by 12 inches wide. It's not listed for sale just yet, it needs to dry a little more. If you are interested in this painting prior to listing, just let me know!

Althea, Detail:

We have baby chick and ducks!

The order was for 6 "assorted" ducks, so I have no idea what they are, and we have Rhode Island Red chickens. These photos show them at about a week and a half old. They grow so fast it is amazing. Some of the photos are a little fuzzy, these little creatures never stop moving!

This little dark colored duck is my favorite. It looks like he totally got into some serious gel/mousse.

I'll keep you updated on their growth. Ultimately, the ducks will go to Lake Jean.

Lavender is one of my all time favorite herbs. It can withstand our Texas summers, happily make it through our droughts, and enjoys our mild winters. It even likes our poor soil! In my view, it rivals rosemary in the hardy category and blooms beautifully. I try to have different varieties growing so I can enjoy blooms over a long period of time.

My cats love to lay in the cool under it's shade, then they smell so good!

Lavender is grown commercially in the Hill Country and there are several places where you can pick your own bundles of this scented wonder, as well as enjoy many products made from it's flowers.

You know I love the lavender fields at Becker Vineyards. Their website tells of 4 varieties of lavenders planted, blooming in May and June. I've painted the fields many times, both on location and from my photos. They are located between Stonewall and Fredericksburg. Between Fredericksburg and Johnson City you'll find Hummingbird Farms. They have been growing lavender since 2003 on this working farm. Blanco has Hill Country Lavender - Texas' first commercial lavender farm with 2500 lavender plants.

Through June 30th you can enjoy Blanco Lavender Days fair/festival. There will be special lavender events all month, call 830-833-5101.

You can also Pick Your Own Lavender in Bandera through 30th, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Call the Lavender Farm at 830-966-5105. The Hill Country is a great place to be!

Lavender fields:
These are photos taken at Becker's mid April of last year, which would be early in the bloom season.

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Check out my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature - it's been updated several times this month. You'll see what's wet on the easel.

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

They decided on the beach.

Purple Heron Oil Painting, Fallow Deer, Nueces River

2009-06-15T15:07:00.003-05:00

My somewhat fanciful water bird, Purple Heron is posted on Etsy.

I have fun painting water birds - expanding and contracting shapes, playing with color. This little oil sketch is 7 inches wide by 5 inches tall and is available for $55.00. I'm working on a realistic painting of a heron at the moment. I'm planning to finish it this week.

detail:

Fallow Deer

I was out photographing with my friend Genie and we saw these fallow deer. What a beautiful animal! They were beside the road, having escaped whatever fencing they were in. They stayed close to each other and touched one another frequently. These two weren't very concerned with my vehicle and we got to watch them for some time. What a treat to find something so unexpected like this. But it seems that every time Genie and I go on a photo safari, we find something unexpected! It's fun seeing through each others eyes, we notice things so differently.

I looked them up and found this photograph of fallow deer with mature horns/antlers. Wikipedia calls them antlers and only the males have them. (I'm not sure which they are called, in reading I've found them referred to both ways.) What a magnificent animal! I would love to see some of these antlers.

We have many exotic animals in our area of Texas. I love it when our game camera catches them on our property. We've had elk, axis deer, and others come through. Occasionally they will stay a while, which we love!

Neuces River

This is one of my favorite spots along the West Prong of the Nueces. I photographed it late in May. The reflections are always great, the water clear, the landscape is interesting. This beautiful water flows through the Texas Hill County and is a vacation spot in many areas. You'll find great spots for camping, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking,tubing, bird watching, and nature areas.

Here's the same spot photographed in Fall and below is my painting of the site.

Fall colors:

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website .

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too! Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

They're asking for a vacation. I'm not sure what to do. I'll keep you updated. Till next time!

Plumbago Oil Painting, Birds, Linda Blondheim

2009-06-08T16:39:00.001-05:00

Plumbago in May - original oil painting:

I painted outside often in May, the weather was really nice. I choose the flowers on my patio for several of my subjects. This is the plumbago stem I painted. I'd shown a bit of it before, now it's dry enough to scan for you. This piece is 8 inches tall by 6 inches wide, and is available for sale on my website for $75.00, which includes shipping and insurance. These small pieces of art are an inexpensive way to start your original art collection!

Birds and Blooms

We have 9 bird houses on our patio. I caught this bird just as it left the fence headed to it's house. I've been watching it every evening when I sit in my swing. I need to be very ready to get a better shot! The mom and pop are always working in the house.

I love shots where I catch the unexpected. Check out the very top of the next photo and you'll see the other male flying in, first like a bullet, second shot with his wings out.

This next shot shows the two males, and one has a red spot in the middle of that beautiful yellow! I've not noticed this difference before. I never cease to marvel at the Painted Bunting, what a remarkably colored bird!

We have these huge moths that come out in the evening just before dusk. They dart around like hummingbirds. My attempts to get a good photo have been pretty unsuccessful. This is my best so far. The body is about the size of my thumb. My petunias and stock are their favorites.

Studio Shot

It's been a while since you've had a peak into my studio, this is just a part of my flower collection:

Linda Blondheim

I've mentioned Linda Blondheim in the past. She is a Florida landscape painter, a friend, and a wonderful artist. You may know that I grew up in South Louisiana, so many of Linda's paintings feature scenes that are familiar.

I love her trees. She captures the moss so wonderfully in the piece below.

Linda's love for her part of our world shines through. She says "I am excited by the landscape and all of its mysteries. From the North Carolina mountains to the deep swamps of Alabama, Georgia and Florida. I love them all and it is a privilege to record them on canvas." Linda captures the Southeastern landscape in a wonderful way. I am honored to call her my friend.

If you're a painter, Linda Blondheim Art Notes Blog is a great blog. It's often like taking a mini workshop. Linda is discontinuing daily posts to this blog, but it will still be up to treat painters to a wealth of knowledge.

Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00. You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Check out my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature - you'll see some of May's work wet on the easel.

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too. Till next time!

Sagebrush Oil Painting, Xeriscape plant and Buzzards!

2009-06-02T15:50:00.004-05:00

The sagebrush is blooming! We had about an inch of rain in a 3 day span and that seems to be a guarantee that the sage will bloom. It's pretty intensely colored, but I've seen it thicker. Our bushes aren't too thick with foliage in this dry spring.

This Sagebrush painting is in oil, it's 9 inches tall by 12 inches wide, and still wet on the easel. I wanted to capture the wet look between the rains, with some of the dead grasses we have due to the drought.

The bloom colors vary so much and of course I like the intense color. Our "sage" isn't really that, it's technically Cenizo. Sagebrush is the most common term used locally to refer to it. It's happy in our limestone soils, can handle our heat and droughts, and gives us awesome displays after rains.

This past weekend I was in San Antonio and was amazed to see how many businesses were using Cenizo for landscaping. San Antonio had more rain than we did, and their bushes are covered in blooms and very intensely colored. It's a great landscaping plant, requiring little care from you after it's established. While I see them trimmed as hedges at businesses, they do grown naturally in a pretty free form. Either way they would make an excellent plant to add to your Xeriscape areas. San Antonio Water Systems has a great page on their web site on xeriscape - plants and shrubs. Carefree plants are a big plus in my book! Sagebrush would be one of the tops of my list.

I have no idea why, but both of our game cameras gave us some great buzzard photos. Maybe they are vacationing here. First, though, here's a couple of our proud gobblers.

It's funny to me when the buzzards dry out their wings. The stand still for so long like this!

This is a fun shot. This one flew up right in front of the camera. Great timing!

This is Clothilde's "Can we get that light out of my eyes?" pose.

Be sure to click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

You can find me on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Until next time!

Mariachi Oil Painting, Birds and a Bunny

2009-05-19T19:12:00.006-05:00

Mariachi is my new oil painting. It's 12 inches tall by 9 inches wide and available for purchase on my website.

In our nearby Mexican border towns, you'll find Mariachi serenading those who stop to listen on the street, or playing at your table in a restaurant. After a song or two they move on to the next table. I Googled "Mariachi" and "San Antonio" (San Antonio is 125 miles away) and saw so many local Mariachi bands for hire! Their unique type of music is very familiar our these border areas. Wikipedia has nice article on them if you'd like to learn more.

Marionette, also known as Kauai Artist is hosting this month's exhibition of Worldwide Women Artists Online. You can find the exhibit at this link. The theme is Fantasy Island. Marionette also featured me in her recent newsletter. I hope you enjoy them both.

I have more birds for you. This is the season, that's for sure. We're filling the flax seed feeder every other day and are wondering what these birds ate before we started feeding them! I captured this little humming bird getting a drink:

and here are painted buntings, the one on the left is very fluffy from his bath:

and here they seem to look right at me:

And last, this little bunny was waiting for me this morning just outside my studio:

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Till next time!

Poppies Oil Painting - Yes, More Poppies, Berries and Blooms

2009-05-18T10:59:00.003-05:00

"Poppies" is a recently listed oil painting available here in my Etsy store. I think I paint poppies as much as irises. I do love painting flowers. I know I say that about landscapes too! Whatever I'm painting that day seems to be my favorite.

detail:

This piece measures 6 inches tall by 8 inches wide, oil on canvas panel. It's priced at $55.00.

Did I tell you I've started my newsletter again? You can go to my website and sign up for it! It'll be emailed to you once or twice a month. Click here to visit the sign up page.

Onto berries and blooms....

The Retama is beautiful. This tree has green bark and rather nasty thorns. These tiny little flowers are beautiful and it continues to bloom throughout the summer. Rains bring more blooms our way. The foliage of this tree is so graceful.

Our deer browse the foliage and will enjoy the legumes to come. Bobwhite quail (we have Blue Quail also) and other birds eat the seeds and the bees are enjoying the blooms now.

Seed pods are already forming on early blooming bushes:

I love these fuzzy berries. This is called Littleleaf Sumac. Littleleaf Sumac is one of our few thornless plants. Everything out here seems to have thorns! The hairy little fruits are beginning to mature and will feed quail, turkeys and birds. It's a good nesting place for birds, the bush is dense and provides protection.

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

My oil paintings and studies are on my website .

You can find links in the side bar to join me on Facebook and Twitter.

Until next time!

Anniversary, Cats and Tomatoes

2009-05-08T08:52:00.001-05:00

This is May, my 2 year blogging anniversary! Last year's anniversary came with a promise to not show kitty pictures for the next year. I only broke that promise one time, I think. I decided to not make that promise again. I occasionally get great shots of them and I simply have to show you. You are warned. So for this anniversary post you are being treated to my tomatoes and my cats! Humor me, please!

My tomatoes are growing.

I have them in pots on the patio this year. I've never tried this way before, we'll see. Looks like a good start. I have 4 large pots. They surround the bird bath, which doubles as a kitty bed.

Photo still life: Clothilde with Tomatoes

Photo Still life: Stella with Tomatoes

Thank you my readers for 2 great years! Here's to many more!

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Check out my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature!

Cactus Are Blooming and James R. (Bob) Bulter's Art

2009-05-03T07:05:00.003-05:00

The Prickly Pear Cactus is full of blooms right now. They are are every shade from the palest yellow-peach to sunshine yellow to bright orange. Prickly Pear is a valuable plant for our wildlife. Many animals and birds use this cactus for cover and safe nesting areas.

The fruit, or tuna, is eaten by just about every walking and flying critter out there! I've tasted it straight off of the plant. I was told it was kind of like watermelon, but that would be a stretch to me. The fruit is made into jellies and syrups, and I think that's much better than right off of the plant!

The young pads, nopalitos, are eaten by us humans. It is available in our grocery stores fresh, in bags, and prepared in jars.

I like this shot below. You can see several stages of the bloom going on. The yellow flower is in full bloom, then you see the shriveled up one just about to fall off. Off to the side, you see the soon to be "tuna."

This cactus bloom is a very light shade of cream. For such a robust solid plant the blooms are very delicate.

I took an oil painting workshop this past week from James R. (B0b) Butler. Bob's color theory caught my eye when I was introduced to his work about 10 years ago. I am now the proud owner of this piece, 12x16:

and this one, an 8x10:

© James R (Bob) Butler 2009

Bob has developed his color theory over his 35 years as a painter. With more study and a lot of hard work, I'm planning for some of it to rub off on me! Thank you Bob!

I want to thank Mel Avila Alarilla. Mel featured me on his blog Literatti - An Artistic Blog. It is such an honor to be featured on someone's blog. Thank you Mel!

I also want to thank Christine Pierce. Christine gave me a Passion for Painting Blog Award! Thank you so much, Christine! Being recognized by a fellow painter is a thrill.

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website .

Til next time!

Plumbago Oil Paintings, Birds and Birds, New Assistants

2009-04-23T09:07:00.007-05:00

I'm painting outside this week. It's gorgeous and our winds aren't at gale force for a nice change. My plumbago bush seemed the perfect thing to paint. I painted a larger piece of the bush, then did this small 8x6 piece of just one flower. When they're dry, I'll get a better picture for you. Scanning always gives better results. Here is a preview of my efforts.

Detail of Plein air, Plumbago Bloom, oil, 8 inches by 6 inches.

My plumbago:

This is a 9x12 oil painting:

The flax seed feeder is a huge hit. The number of birds that can hang on that thing at one time is amazing!

I'm not sure what the rose colored bird on the right is. I don't see it in my book.

This is the Orchard Oriole:

and our Hooded Oriole is a huge fan of 1/2 an orange:

The Hooded Orioles pick the orange completely clean.

I hope you enjoyed this week's blog. I appreciate all of my readers and enjoy your comments too. I love getting to share my little corner of Texas with you.

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Check out my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature!

And I'll leave you with my Outside Studio Assistants:

My little helpers have time off this week since I'm painting out. Hmmm, seems like my other helpers are a little more enthusiastic! Until next time!

New Landscape Painting, Birds and Blooms!

2009-04-15T06:57:00.008-05:00

Here's a landscape I've recently reworked. I painted this piece on location in Fredericksburg last fall. As with most of my plein aire work, I consider it a "study." There is simply so much less time put into the design, composition and color elements when I paint out. So you get a great break on the price! (Robert Y ~ this is a special not - an - abstract - post just for you.)

Detail:

This particular day I painted 3 pieces. I've been working on fixing those up a bit. As a study, this 11 inch by 14 inch oil is priced at $120.00. This price includes shipping and insurance. It needs to dry a bit more before I list it, but if you just have to have it before then, give me a shout.

This lovely flower is from the Guayacan shrub. As with most plants it has many names. It's also known as Texas Porliera, Soapbush, and Ironwood. It's an evergreen with very dark green leaves. The largest the flowers would be is about an inch and most are smaller in our area.

The flowers look like tiny orchids! They are every shade of violet from very light to a very deep color. The yellow anthers are very pronounced.

Guayacan is browsed by deer, grazed by sheep and goats, good cover for birds, and enjoyed by butterflies. It's common name indicate it's usefulness, the wood is very hard and soap was made from the bark of the root. Our drought hasn't seemed to dampen it's enthusiasm for blooming, they are covered in blooms! We'll see beautiful red seeds later.

I saw my first Scissor Tail this week! I can't believe I was able to get close enough to one to get this shot. The peach breast of these gorgeous bird is amazing. I love these birds and wait for their arrival every spring.

You'll find my small watercolors and smallest oils in my Etsy store . Work on Etsy is priced from $10.00.

You can purchase my oil paintings and studies on my website . Check out my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature! There is a new post for April. (Robert Y~fair warning, it is an abstract!)

So I'll go for now! Till next time.

We planted tomatoes yesterday.

I bought a new painting! Rose Refour

2009-04-09T01:16:00.002-05:00

Betty Refour is an artist that I met online. We are in a wonderful group together, WWAO - Worldwide Women Artists Online. Betty's sister Rose has autism. Rose is an artist too, she loves to paint. Betty is Rose's caregiver and encourages her art.

Betty says of Rose: "Rose has been drawing for as long as I can remember but is new to painting. Her favorite medium is red ink. She is mostly nonverbal and will often use art to express herself. Having a conversation with her sometimes is like playing pictionary. She is self taught and has had the opportunity to be a part of several group shows around the country. Her work can be found in private collections around the world."

I saw this piece below on Betty's blog and I had to buy it. This is about the happiest painting I have ever seen! Rose also has greeting cards for sale in Betty's Etsy shop. Her work is very reasonably priced and Betty champions this cause with a percent of Rose's painting sales going to Autism initiatives. She has a special section in her shop for Autism Awareness.

Rose painted this piece on her birthday:

Betty said "when she got up that morning she put on her favorite dress, one of her most admired jewel crowns and then painted her face. After all it was her birthday and she was queen...if only for a day."

This piece is now mine! I think it's such a happy painting. It makes me smile each time I see it.

This is a new piece that Rose just finished:

"Look" is available for only $20.00 in Betty's Etsy shop.

Title: Look - (Betty says this is the title because that's all Rose would say when finished!)
Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas Panel
Size: 7 x 5 inches
Date: 2009

I'll keep watching for Rose's work, she brings smiles into our world.

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor paintings priced from $10.00. My Etsy store carries my small works.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings and to see my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature!

Poppies, Abstracted - new oil painting!

2009-04-03T21:47:00.008-05:00

Poppies, Abstracted -I enjoy painting abstracts from time to time.

This one didn't start out that way. The method I use to paint starts with an abstract "block in." This piece was to be a poppy painting, yet I liked the abstract block in so much that I continued in that fashion.

Detail:

Poppies, Abstracted is 12 inches tall by 9 inches wide. It is available on my website, along with my other oil paintings, studies and demos.

Wild flowers

We have 3 kinds of wild verbenas. This one is my favorite.

It's the most showy of the 3 and of course, it's my favorite color! When we have normal rains these bloom all but the 2 coldest months of the year. They really make a pretty show and if volunteers come up in my herb garden I tend them and encourage them.

I've planted quite a bit this year. I'm only needing rosemary now, they didn't have it when I bought most of my plants for the season. If herbs can take our heat they do well here, as most prefer less than stellar soil and prefer our too frequent lack of rain. After I get the plants established they will need little water. This summer will keep my on my toes with watering and tending, but after this year they will be fine with little care.

I want to thank the kind artists who featured me last month. Jordanka featured me on her blog on March 8th. Jordanka paints wonderful trees. Brenda Thour featured me on her blog on March 8th, and also featured me on the Design Style Guide Blog.

I am honored, and I thank you both so very much!

You can purchase my small watercolor and oil paintings in my Etsy store where you'll find them priced from $10.00.

You'll find my oil paintings on my main web site as well as my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature. I will be posting a painting in progress soon. You'll see a progression of photos from start to finish of a landscape painting. Stay tuned!

My little helpers really liked the gardening idea and want to help. Till next time!

Landscape Oil Painting and Spanish Daggers

2009-03-29T19:31:00.008-05:00

Ranch Road is an original oil painting. This landscape measures 18 x 24 inches.

©Jean Levert Hood

I painted this in a beautiful spring that gave us many wildflowers. It's so awesome when the fields are solid color! The grasses are just starting to turn green this year and we have precious few wildflowers. It's just been too dry.

Yet the Spanish Daggers are beautiful as always. I tried to get this close up to show you all that comprises that huge flower head. The individual flowers are cream colored and have a hard waxy look. You can see a lot of beautiful magenta coloring on the stems and lime green on the opening pods. These usually are the earliest blooms we see, along with the Mountain Laurel. I've seen them bloom as early as January, but that's not the norm.

It's a type of Yucca and is evergreen. Our many birds seem to love nesting in these spiny leaves. The term "Dagger" is not used loosely - they are afforded a lot of protection in there! The seeds pods will be huge and I'll try to remember to get you shot of those next month.

Did you know that my What's Going On In My Studio This Month feature has been updated 3 times this month? I have 3 "wet on the Easel" shots there. I'll be changing it to April soon, so check it out!

For a peek into my studio, I want to show you this hanging piece that Jennye gave me. It always brings me a smile, as every thought of her does. Hey Sweetie!

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor paintings priced from $10.00. My Etsy store carries my small works.

Don't miss my web site for my oil paintings!

Till next time!

Iris Garden - A Watercolor Painting and Amanda Makepeace

2009-03-19T18:41:00.004-05:00

I have another iris floral for you! Next post will be an oil landscape for you not geared to flowers folks! This watercolor painting is called Iris Garden.

Iris Garden is approximately 5 inches tall by 3 1/2 inches wide, sized for a standard 5x7 mat. You can find it in my Etsy Store by clicking here, available for $22.00.

Detail:

Amanda Makepeace of One Pebble has such a fun project going. If you send her a pebble, she will send you a small work of art. For Free!! That is * Free *!

I'm a rock collector from birth, so I picked out 6 or 7 pebbles and made myself stop. I sent her pieces from Elm Creek that runs through our property. She sent me this lovely little piece of art.

So send Amanda some pebbles and help her project! Click on her name above and you'll find details on her One Pebble site.

What's Going On In My Studio This Month has been updated since my last blog. You'll see another painting that is "Wet on the Easel."

And I'll leave you with another little peek into my studio. This little ceramic piece holds my pens that I accent some of my watercolors with.

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor paintings priced from $10.00. My Etsy store carries my small works.

Don't miss my website for my oil paintings, with studies priced from $85.00.

Till next time!

Iris Watercolor Painting and Spring!

2009-03-16T00:35:00.006-05:00

It's time for one of my "Tiny Bits of Fine Art." A floral seems made for watercolor and this iris is too. I highlighted places with ink. I'm enjoying combining ink with watercolor painting.

Single Iris detail:

Irises are one of my favorite flowers and yes I probably say that about too many flowers! "Single Iris" is approximately 3 1/2 inches tall by 5 inches wide. It's sized for a 5x7 mat and priced at $22.00. I have several more of these little Iris paintings I'll be posting soon. Single Iris can be found here in my Etsy store!

I know I promised no more kitty pictures until my next blogging anniversary, but these are pertinent to the post. (You knew I'd find an excuse!) I was out walking to get some shots of the wonderful blooming trees and Stella walked with me as she often does. So, she is included in this post along with these spring blossoms. ( I slipped that right in here!)

Blackbrush and Huisache are both in the Acacia families. Our deer are big fans of Blackbrush and browse it's leaves, legumes and flowers. Soon the seeds will keep our quail and many of our birds very happy. Hummingbirds and bees also love these flowers.

The air smells so sweet around the Blackbrush and Huishache! Even with our dry weather depriving us of wildflowers our trees seem to be full of blooms. We had 3 inches of rain last week so I am still hopeful for some wildflowers.

The Huisache trees are full of yellow-orange pom pom shaped blooms.

The Blackbrush are loaded with blooms. What a graceful shape!

Ok, last one of Stella.

Thank you for visiting my blog! I appreciate my readers so very much.

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor and oil paintings priced from $10.00. You'll find my small works at Etsy.

Don't miss my website for oil paintings and to see my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature! The second update for March has been posted, you'll see what is Wet On the Easel.

Till next time!
Jean

More Affordable Art For Your Walls

2009-03-10T04:12:00.003-05:00

Here are some of the artist that I featured on Design Style Guide for my "Affordable Art for Your Walls" monthly article. You can find out about these artists and more on the Design Style Guide blog.

Fairies Darting - Encaustic ACEO

From: On a Whimsey

See Product Details

Sellers Portfolio

Sellers Website

"Egg and Toast" Giclee Print, 5 x 7 inches

From: Lynn Cyr Art

See Product Details

Sellers Portfolio

Sellers Website

Above Her Head, Beneath Her Feet

From: Studio Virgo

See Product Details

Sellers Portfolio

Sellers Website

Please visit my Etsy store!

Don't miss my website for more oil paintings, and to see my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature.

Check out my blog and see new artwork, as well as the wonderful flora and fauna of the beautiful Texas Hill Country and my travels!

Thank you!
Jean

Jean Levert Hood

Watercolor painting of Heliconia and Mountain Laurel blooms!

2009-03-07T17:31:00.003-06:00

The vivid colors of tropical flowers seem to be made for watercolor. This is Heliconia.
Detail:

Heliconia measures approximately 15 inches tall by 11 1/4 wide. This floral watercolor painting was inspired by my visits to Hawaii. I love flowers and that is the place for flowers! There are many species of this tropical flowering plant on the islands. Heliconia is available on my website for $125.00.

I've had the pleasure of getting to know Marionette, who goes by the name of Kauai Artist on Etsy. She paints wonderful watercolors of her beautiful island. I love her blog and newsletter. She always exudes the "Aloha" spirit. Do check out her work on Etsy.

The mountain laurel is blooming! It's not very thick and most of ours isn't blooming at all. It's simply too dry. This is the first year I've missed painting the one by the patio. Sigh.

This is a pretty display I found in Uvalde and the bees were loving it. The air smells like grape kool aid when you're around mountain laurel, so the bees thought they were in heaven and totally ignored me.

Please do visit my Etsy store for my small paintings priced from $10.00 to $395.00.

Don't miss my website for more oil paintings and to see my "What's going on in my studio this month" feature! There is one update already for March!

Till next time!

Thank you, Jean

Hill Country Landscape Painting, Baron's Creek

2009-03-04T17:45:00.005-06:00

This original oil painting was painted on the bank of Baron's Creek in the Texas Hill Country.

Baron's Creek meanders through the Fredericksburg area. I was painting there with my dear friend Vanaly Palmer. We decided to catch a very quick study of the creek before it got dark. It was fall, cool and lovely as always! The sun was setting in front of us, back lighting the creek. The orange sky was beautiful.

Vanaly is a delight to paint with. She loves adventure and is always ready for any outing.

Detail:

Baron's Creek, Study, is available on my web site. It's 8 inches tall by 10 inches wide. This small landscape study is priced at $85.00. I've painted a larger piece from this study. I have it in a "possible" frame. This piece is about 28 x 32. I'll take a better picture of it later with out the frame. I can color correct it better that way.

Here's a quick peak into my studio. Trust me, this is just a part of the paint that I have!

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor and oil paintings priced from $10.00 to $395.00.

Don't miss my web site for more oil paintings. Here you can find studies priced from $85.00 and my paintings priced from $200.00. Thank you for visiting!

Now they want to decorate for Saint Patrick's Day.

Till next time!

Jean

Water and birds!

2009-02-27T08:02:00.001-06:00

I've shown you several oil paintings recently, so I think it's time for one of my Tiny Bits of Fine Art! I love painting water birds. (Do I open every post with "I love painting... ? I know I do this, but I don't think I could ever say, "Gee, I reallllly don't like painting these things... !)

This small watercolor painting is sized to fit in a standard 5 inch by 7 inch mat opening.

Detail:

This blue and violet bird is available here in my Etsy store for $19.00.

Inspiration came because the game camera finally caught a heron at Lake Jean! I often see them flying towards the lake and around it, but this is a first. I was so excited to see it and I hoped that cropping and enlarging would make it clear enough for you to see. It's not great quality, but I'm happy! Ok, so you'll have to look close, but it's on the bottom left shore.

((...and I truly have no idea why this photo is on the right side

of the page!))

The shot above shows our beautiful cardinals in the foreground. They are gorgeous against all of the winter grays. And look at all of the ducks in Lake Jean! We have never had as many ducks as this year. I know they aren't much more than a dot on the water, but I get such a kick out of this. We even moved the game camera around to get a better view of the lake.

Please visit my Etsy store for original watercolor and oil paintings priced from $10.00 to $395.00.

Don't miss my website to see a large group of my oil paintings priced from $85.00.

Till next time!
Jean

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-25T01:46:00.001-06:00

Becker Vineyards and Goats!

2009-02-19T14:16:00.001-06:00

This oil painting is a fall scene from Becker Vineyards. There is a wonderful old cabin at the vineyards that's been turned into a bed and breakfast. A number of children were raised in this tiny cabin built in 1890.

I've painted at Becker Vineyards often and have painted this cabin many times. It's simply a charming place that I never tire of. The grounds are beautiful and the lavender fields behind the vineyards are amazing. I haven't painted the grape vines yet. Yet. This is a wonderful stop if you're visiting the Texas Hill Country.

"Becker's Cabin" is 11 inches tall by 14 inches wide, and is available on my web site for $395.00. I painted this on location and then further developed it in my studio. Detail:
Last week I went out to a friend's farm. We hiked around for hours and took a bunch of photos. Photographer In Training is sooo fun to go out and play with! One of my favorite shots show the drought conditions we have right now. The fall and winter have been dry, no rain at all. Her goats are used to humans giving them supplemental feed because of the dry conditions. They thought that we had dinner. In no time we were surrounded.

The day was getting late and we were shooting into the sun. The dust kicked up by the goats created quite a cloud. (They will follow you anywhere if they think you have food!) The effect of the back lighting and dust was pretty neat.

Thank you Genie, I had a great time!

As the Cracker Head Crumbles was so kind to feature me on his blog again. He showed the painting below on his "Sunday Drive" post.

Thank you FishHawk, I sure appreciate that!

Here's another little peek into my studio.

This is my watercolor table. I love this mug. It's a perfect place for some of my brushes.

Please visit my Etsy store for my small works in watercolor. Prices range from $10.00 to $395.00.

Don't miss my website for more oil paintings. Prices start at $85.00 for original oil paintings.

They wanted to play with my still life stuff.

Till next time!

Jean

Jean Levert Hood

Sunflowers and Pear Study

2009-02-14T10:53:00.005-06:00

This new oil painting is "Sunflowers and Pear." I love painting from a still life.

This piece is a study that I did for a large piece I was planning. Well, the large piece turned out quite yucky and you will not be seeing it! (Yucky is a technical painting term.) While doing these 2 paintings I found that I love to paint pears. The larger piece has several pears and it was fun. So maybe in the future you'll see more pears. Of course, maybe not. I'd have to live about 10 lifetimes to paint all of the things I want to paint!

Sunflowers and Pear, Study, 9 inches tall by 12 inches wide is available on my website.

I am introducing a new pricing structure with this blog. I've been discussing studies, small works, location paintings, demonstrations, etc., with artists on Linda Blondheim's blog. Many of us found that we had the same issue. Our quick studies are good paintings, but cannot be priced the same as our more involved work. We all price by size, as do most artist.

As an example Sunflowers and Pear Study is not as developed with color, strokes, and design as a more fully planned out piece. I do many quick studies simply to see if I like an idea before I want to invest time and effort into a fully developed piece. (Like the one that turned out yucky in spite of a prior study!)

I've been keeping most of these pieces because I felt I couldn't charge the same for them. After wonderful discussions with other artists I decided to follow what many planned to do. I will now have 2 pricing structures. One price for fully developed pieces and another for studies, demos, and my work on location.

I've already posted several of these pieces to my website and plan on adding more in the next month. As an example, my 9 x 12 paintings sell for $325.00. I will have my 9 x 12 studies priced at $100.00. Prices on my website include shipping and insurance, too! These pieces will have "study," "demonstration," "plein air," or such in the title of the painting.

My 8x10 studies are $85.00, 9x12 - $100.00, 11 x 14 - $120.00, and 12 x 16 are $145.00.

I have some great animal photos for next time!

They wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

Please visit my Etsy store for my watercolors and small works.

Til next time!

Jean