Dear Art Friends,

This is an introduction to my art blog. I have wanted to do this for a long time because between commissions and large gallery paintings I do little oil Sketches of ideas for future paintings or just small things of beauty that strike me at odd moments. Because I paint every day, after a while, these little canvases add up.So I thought I would share them with you. I will be sending them out about every week or two. If you enjoy them, please forward them to friends on your email list. If you do not want to be bothered, no problem just cancel the blog.

Thanks, Nancy Paris Pruden

Telluride Valley in the Sun

The Many Colors of Mountains

Nature has the ability to constantly amaze me! Before I started doing plein air painting I thought I knew what color mountains were. I mean, after all, mountains are covered with trees (green), right? Yes, they sometime have snow which is white, right? And, yes, if they are far away they look kind of purple or at least blue, right? Alas, for years I looked at Nature but did not see. This is the great joy of making art; to take the time to really examine the world around us. I have loved mountains my whole life, the cool mountain air, the smell of the trees, the many colors of the rocks, the sound of mountain streams, all these things make up a memory from childhood that speaks to me. To contemplate beauty is a great luxury in our hurried world so even if you don’t feel an urge to paint in nature it’s delicious to take the time to really look.

Marina Reflections

Naples, Florida Marina

Last week I went to Naples to visit my Aunt Nan, who at 92 is still loads of fun! We went out to lunch every day with her cute friends, watched the Bronco’s football game, ( she crazy about Tebow ) and went to the Naples Art Museum. She also had her helper drive me to many wonderful painting locations. This private marina is just down the street from her beautiful condo. I was drawn to the reflections in the water of the many fancy sailboats. As I painted I tried to forget that they were sailboats and just paint the abstract shapes as they appeared in the constantly moving water. I had a wonderful time and was still back by Cocktail Hour! ( a tradition Aunt Nan holds dear )

The City by the Bay

San Francisco on a Clear Day

We are spending quite a bit of time in San Francisco. Our granddaughter, Leah, lives in this beautiful city, along with our daughter and son-in-law of course. This Christmas we were out there for 10 days (hope we didn’t overstaying our welcome). Anyway, while the baby slept, I set up one block from their house on Divisadero St. to paint this scene of the bay, on a clear, warm, sunny afternoon. What Fun! The sun was low on the horizon which cast the foreground in shadow but lit up the Marina neighborhood below. I liked the way the dark and light pattern worked to give the view more depth. Then I kept the shadow colors dark and thin. I read somewhere to keep the shadows quiet, so the lights will sing. Do you hear them singing?