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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.

So, please consider joining my weekly newsletter (see link below).

Thanks, Nancy Paris Pruden

Kemah Shrimp Boat

3/26/2014 5:07:17 PM | By Nancy Paris Pruden | Comment on this

Painting Class Road Trips

I teach painting 3 days a week but my class really loves Road Trips! We just got back from a trip to Dallas to see the "Sorolla in America" show at the Meadows Museum. What an Inspiration! In January we painted in Kemah, February in Richmond, and next month we will drive to Hollee's Farm near Round Top for the Blue Bonnets and then to High Island to see the Whooping Cranes. This painting of a Shrimp boat was done on a Thursday morning after a fun filled sleep-over at Olivia's lovely home in Kemah. I feel very fortunate to have this enthusiastic group of artists in my life and am most grateful for their friendship as well. The class will have an Art Show and Sale at Thornwood Gallery on Colquitt Street, Thursday night, April 24 from 5:30- 8:00. I hope everyone reading this will come see all the talent on display! Please put it on your calendar!

Old Dog, New Tricks

3/26/2014 4:57:10 PM | By Nancy Paris Pruden | Comment on this

Old Dog, New Tricks

Continuing my study of Sorolla's paintings by copying them; I have been amazing with his color pallet, and particularly his use of high chromium colors. These intense colors can look garish in the hands of a beginning painter and therefore I do not recommend using pigments such as Viridian Green on my students pallets. A little bit can overpower a landscape and trees can quickly look like Easter Egg lollipops. However; I have learned that after Sorolla saw the colors of the Impressionists on his first visit to Paris from his native Spain, he changed his pallet to step up the impact. So this Old Dog is now putting Viridian Green on her landscape pallet as well! It is a little sad however, when being

"Wild and Crazy" just means adding a new tube of paint...

A Lesson to Copy

3/26/2014 4:50:53 PM | By Nancy Paris Pruden | Comment on this

Copying a Sorolla Painting

The Sorolla exhibit at the Meadows Museum in Dallas is a "Must See" for painters. Here is the work of a genius and the very fact that he has been discounted by the "Art Experts" for 75 years speaks volumes about the fickle nature of Fashion having nothing to do with the quality of Art. Sorolla was a Spanish artist who matured from the 1890's - 1920's. He was a realist painter and a friend of Sargent's and Monet's who made a huge impact on other artists working during that time. However; I first ran across him by chance in New York 30 years ago at the Hispanic Society of America, a museum of his work in Spanish Harlem. He believed in the value of painting many small plein air paintings and would paint up to 10 a day! Even his large painting were painted outside, on the beach or in the landscape and the sheer volume of work is staggering. You will see sunlight on his brush and colors that speak of the joy of life lived out of doors. Most of his best portraits, (of Louis Comfort Tiffany and King Alfonso of Spain) were painted Plein Air. Anyway, I will be copying many of his paintings in the next few week. Copying work by a master is an excellent way to learn more about painting and Sorolla has much to teach me about color and brushwork!

Dog Tales

3/4/2014 5:52:27 PM | By Nancy Paris Pruden | Comment on this

Commissions

One of my Patrons is an animal lover who has commissioned me to paint quite a few paintings of her "Dear Ones" as she calls them. This one is of Ube, a Blue Dane, who for 8 years, shared a bed with her owner. Theirs was a very tender relationship. I ran across a poem by Mary Oliver that describes the intimacy between pet and owner far better than I can.

She puts her cheek against mine

and makes small, expressive sounds.

And when I'm awake, or awake enough

She turns upside down, her four paws

in the air

and her eyes dark and fervent.

"Tell me you love me,"she says

"Tell me again."

Could there be a sweeter arrangement? Over and over

she gets to ask.

I get to tell.