SOLD! Thank you!

"Thistles" ©Debbi Smith Rourke  20"x20"

"Inspired Dream" ©Debbi Smith Rourke 30"x24"

"Winter Holiday" ©Debbi Smith Rourke 8"x10"

"Spring Snowfall" ©Debbi Smith Rourke 11"x14"

"Illinois Gold" ©Debbi Smith Rourke  8"x10"

"Sweetie Pie" ©Debbi Smith Rourke 8"x10"

"Two Peppers"  ©Debbi Smith Rourke  6"x 8"

"Jamaica Mon"  ©Debbi Smith Rourke  8"x10"

These are some of my favorite oil paintings that were sold in 2013. Yay! So appreciate each and every one of my art patrons, from this year and through the years. Your support and encouragement mean a great deal. I'm also now leasing artwork and teaching art classes to adults and children 9 to 12 years of age, here in my home studio. Contact me if interested. More inspired work to come so stay tuned. All the best to your and yours in 2014.

Teal Hills © / In-Home Studio Holiday Sale

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Teal Hills 24"x 24"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas
SOLD

I am enjoying painting abstracted landscape imagery, particularly of Lake Austin. Unexpected surprises arise when I explore techniques such as multiple layers, interesting new color mixes and a variety of textures.

This Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14th, I am hosting a Holiday Art Sale in my home and home studio. Email, text or FB message me for my address. The inside of our home is decked out for the season and my paintings are hanging throughout the house — an homage to myself! If you are in Austin, pop by! 

Home Studio in NW Austin

Friday, 12/13: Noon to 5 pm

Saturday, 12/14: 11am to 5 pm

Mom's Mum ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

"Mom's Mum" 10"x8"

Oil on canvas panel / framed in gold plein air frame
NFS

I painted this from a flower arrangement my mom created. She brought me some flowers  and then graciously arranged them beautifully in several different vases to set around my home. This was a very dramatic view of a mum in a white pitcher. It became the still life for my first painting class for adults. Yah! Love this split-complementary color scheme. I just had to paint it myself using the palette knife. Thanks for the inspiration, Mom! xoxo

Gabriel's Call ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Gabriel's Call  24"x30"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas / unframed (no frame necessary) 
$1300 + sh/h in Contiguous US
Contact me for purchase

I enlarged this piece from a study I did called "Missing Arizona." As this one turned out to have a lot of bronze colors (the colors associated with arch angel Gabriel), and the dark rust markings toward the bottom reminded me of an angel flying with a long trumpet, I decided to title it "Gabriel's Call." It is on exhibit at Bruegger's Bagels in Westlake through the 24th of November. Contact me via if interested. If you are outside of Austin, I will set up a pay pal button for you with personalized shipping costs. So appreciate!!!

Santa Fe Holiday ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Santa Fe Holiday 24"x30" 

Oil on 1.5" gallery-wrapped canvas / unframed (no frame needed)
$1300 + sh/h 
Contact me for purchase

Isaiah 1:18

Verse Concepts

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Snow#sthash.24Ln6wYv.dpuf

Isaiah 1:18

Verse Concepts

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Snow#sthash.24Ln6wYv.dpuf

Isaiah 1:18

Isaiah 1:18

Verse Concepts

"Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow;
- See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Snow#sthash.24Ln6wYv.dpuf

It was so thrilling to enlarge this image I have painted twice as an 8x10". My goal is to bring the same simplicity of form to my large works that exists in the small, with very little new information. I call this an abstracted landscape because the shapes, forms, textures and colors become more important than capturing the true representational nature of the scene. I'm trying to express the FEELING of being there rather than seeing every detail that was perceptible. And that is thrilling because I remember the glowing of my very full heart that day, at this scene on my Santa Fe holiday! So much love, fun and fantasy gets wrapped up in paint and canvas! All wonderful! 

Happy to meet you for coffee @ Bruegger's Bagels in Westlake if you want to see the show with me. Up for just another 25 days!! 

P.S. Today is my mom's 76th birthday! Happy Halloween birthday, Mom! Love you!

Winter Holiday II ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

"Winter Holiday II" 10"x8"

Oil on canvas, framed in natural wood and black frame
$350 framed + sh/h
Contact me for purchase

I decided to try a vertical of this photo I snapped from my trip to Santa Fe in December 2011. My friend Nancy Hartley and her husband Brian took us to visit some artists friends who lived just outside of town in a winter wonderland. We had a lovely visit with Bunny Tobias and Charles Greely and toured their home and gallery. Special memories. I also have a horizontal painting of this same scene.

Sweetie Pie ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Sweetie Pie 8"x 10"

Oil on canvas panel
SOLD

I set up this still life for my 9-year-old art student for her last still life class. A split-complimentary painting. She did an amazing job. So I decided I should paint it as well...before my husband ate all the pie. I suggested this title and he laughed. He had a great back-up title: "Life of Pie." We know around here that the life of this pie was quite short, but indeed sweet!

Autumn Gold ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Autumn Gold 30"x24"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas 
NFS

Bill Oakey and I have enjoyed collaborating in our artistic endeavors since 2007. This year's "Side by Side" work offers new views into this theme of parallelism. My fascination with abstracting the essence of a scene is more pronounced in this years' body of work. We also have some solo pieces in our October exhibit, so some of my purely abstract works will also be exhibited.

Autumn Gold was painted from a photograph Bill shot in Illinois. When you see this in person, it feels like you can just step right into the scene. It feels to me as if the natural world is inviting us to venture beyond the open meadow and into the mystic woods. Aren't you curious what lies ahead? I am. I want to just slip away into the magic.

Illinois Gold ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Illinois Gold 8"x10"

Oil on canvas panel framed in gold/black float frame

SOLD

This is another painting I created for the Side by Side exhibit with Bill Oakey. He shot a number of lovely earth-toned images on his trip to Illinois last fall that were ideal for our inspirational and collaborative process. And after he saw this painting, he decided to buy it!! Gotta love that! Hope to see you next Friday at our exhibit at the Old Bakery & Emporium at 10th and Congress.

Port Aransas Twilight II ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Port Aransas Twilight II  24"x30"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas (no frame needed)
$1300 + sh/h in Contiguous US
Contact me for purchase

The 2013 "Side by Side" exhibit opens Oct. 4! Come see new works from photographer Bill Oakey and my abstracted interpretations of those stunning images in oil. This has been a fun year of exploring abstracted imagery and texture – and painting with the palette knife. As always, color is vital to the work. Hope you will come see what fills our hearts with joy and inspiration! 

The reception is Friday, Oct. 4, 5 - 7pm. There is limited parking in the lower level lot behind the Old Bakery & Emporium. As daytime workers leave, street metered street parking is usually available. If you miss the reception, the show is up Oct. 4th - Nov. 6th. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM. Look forward to seeing you!!
 

Cloudcroft Spring ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Cloudcroft Spring 8"x10"

Oil on canvas board
SOLD
 

I painted this scene a bit larger, 11x14", back in early July and it sold to my good friend Cindy. It was painted from an image shot by photographer Bill Oakey which will be part of our upcoming "Side by Side" exhibit. SO, since the first one sold, I had to paint it again. :-) This one will be part of our October exhibit at Old Bakery and Emporium Gallery at 10th and Congress.  I so enjoy using the palette knife to push paint around. The process is hipnotic! 

Ocean View ©

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Ocean View 8"x10"

Acrylic on canvas panel

Unframed: $250 + $25 sh/h in Contiguous US

Contact me for purchase

I painted this a couple of weeks ago and I'm finally getting around to posting it. It is painted in acrylic, a change for me. Was a nice surprise to be able to paint and clean up so quickly.

Port Aransas Dawn ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Port Aransas Dawn 12"x24"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas
$650  + sh/h 
Contact me for purchase

Bill and I are working on more "Side by Side" works for our October exhibit. I painted this from a photograph he took recently in Port A. Here's his beautiful image of the beach at dawn -- so lovely and serene, while my version is a bit more edgy and textural. It's all interpretation and totally inspirational. Collaboration is fun. All good!!!

© Bill Oakey

Descending Orbs ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Descending Orbs 30"x24" 

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas (no framed needed)

$1300 + $70 sh/h in US (unframed)

Contact me for local pick up / no shipping

The concept for this abstract immediately popped into my mind when I simply asked for inspiration. Gotta love that! I think of it as orbs of vibrant energy from the ground level on earth down to the core of our earth. They could also be magical plants in the ocean. What do you see? Fun to think about! I am definitely likely these bright colors on my taupe walls. 

Spring Snowfall ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Spring Snowfall 11"x14"

Oil on canvas board

SOLD

I painted this from a photograph taken by my photographer friend Bill Oakey. He took it this past spring on a trip to Cloudcroft, New Mexico. I loved the photo immediately upon seeing it in my email. I painted this in my current abstracted-landscape style using a palette knife. I painted the detail and didn't really try to think about what the whole painting would look like. I know you are supposed to get up and look at your work from a distance continually as you paint. But I am enjoying painting "what I see" while staying at the easel and waiting til it is almost complete before standing back to see how it looks. And magically, it looked fabulous!!! It's like a game with me. Ha. I made a few tweaks after I stood back but not too many. What fun!!! 

This sold quickly so I will paint a larger version for our October "Side by Side" exhibit at the Old Bakery and Emporium Gallery at 10th and Congress in Austin.

Rising Bubbles ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Rising Bubbles 30"x24"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas / unframed (no frame needed)
 $1300 + $70 sh/h in US
Contact me for purchase

My husband "commissioned" me to paint two large works for our entry wall. This is the study for the left diptych panel. Right panel is here. Overall, Jim wants something colorful and dramatic that pops out at you when you walk in the door. So nice he wants my artwork front and center. :-) Soon I will enlarge each panel to 4'x3.' BIG!

I am loving this world of abstracts and exploring new avenues and techniques. Here, I was trying to convey a flurry of activity. Can you feel the movement of the bubbles floating up in sea of color, like schools of exotic fish?

The Dance ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

The Dance 30"x24"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas
SOLD

After I painted "Summit" in a 7x5" format, I decided it was a perfect study for a larger work. So I created this 30x24" piece. It has a good bit of influence from the study, yet it seemed to take on a bit more of an entangled dance rhythm of two entities or figures rather than appearing as a single figure reaching a summit. Thus the new name. Hope you enjoy. This is one of my favorite color combinations. Available in my home studio for viewing. I am also happy to send additional photos.

Summit ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Summit  7"x5"

Oil on canvas board

SOLD

I love to create abstracts out of the cool, sophisticated colors I discover at the end of a day of painting. This is one of those wonderful combinations of colors and shapes that seems to create itself. Love these colors!!!!!

Missing Arizona ©

© 2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Missing Arizona  5"x7" 

Oil on archival panel / unframed
$150 + sh/h 
Contact me for purchase

This was painted from the juicy, sophisticated colors you discover after painting all day and mixing up a storm. I just HAD to use them before I put my paints away. The sky is a soft, pale yellow-green. I love how the shapes and colors are reminiscent of the Sedona area, yet the colors don't necessarily appear where you think they might...a sky-colored butte. Fun!!!

Oceanside ©

© 2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Oceanside  6"x8" 

Oil on archival panel, framed in natural wood and black frame
$250 framed + $25 sh/h
Available on ArtfulGalleries.com

I painted this the same day I painted "Poolside." They make a perfect pair. I'm so enjoying taking my landscapes into abstraction. A whole new world opens up. Including exploring  abstract expressionism. All fun and all good! 
Happy to send a photograph of it framed if you like.

Poolside ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Poolside 6x8" 

Oil on archival panel framed in natural wood and black float frame
$250 framed + $25 sh/h
Available on ArtfulGalleries.com

I've been painting but I haven't been posting. So I'm catching up. This little abstract was so fun. The colors are from a poolside photo I found. Feel pool-like to you?  That's the fun of abstract. It is what you want it to be. What do you see?

Playa Blanca ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Playa Blanca 11"x14" 

Oil on canvas board framed in natural wood and black float frame
SOLD

I painted this initially while doing a demo at the Palette Club at the Austin Senior Citizen Center. I am enjoying working in layers and continually adjusting work over a few days to see where I might take it. Each day brings new ideas. Love the swirly paint in the water, scratches in the sand and big brush strokes simplifying the sky.

Here are the sweet folks at the Austin Palette Club! These painters were so kind, inquisitive and appreciative. I brought the painting home and adjusted it further, adding some contrast and scratching a bit with my palette knife. I took the photo that inspired this painting on the Mayan Riviera in March of 2012. We stayed at an incredible resort called Grand Velas near Playa del Carmen. Heaven!!! More Grand Velas paintings to come. :-)

Lake View ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Lake View 5"x7"

Oil on canvas / unframed

Unframed: $150 + $15 sh/h in US
Contact me for purchase

I love painting Lake Austin. This scene looking toward downtown and over Mt. Bonnell is a favorite of mine. I also love simplifying shapes and forms and consider this an abstracted landscape. Hope you enjoy.  

Springtime Drive ©

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Springtime Drive  11"x14" 

Oil on canvas / Framed in natural wood and black frame
$525 + sh/h 
Contact me for purchase

I love taking drives through the Texas hill country each spring. You have to hit it at just the right time of the season. Despite recent droughts, we were blessed to have a beautiful spring last year. This was painted from a photo I took on the famous Willow City Loop near Fredericksburg in 2012. I did a quick under painting which I took to my Sandy Ostrau workshop in January and played around using Sandy's techniques. Artist Nancy Hartley stored it for me til it dried and mailed it to me. Then I swirled some more paint around using the palette knife and a brush or two, leaving some original painting showing through, and landed on this gem. I love it. Hope it brings you joy as well. 

Benzinger Vineyards

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Benzinger Vineyards  6"x8"

Oil on archival panel / Framed in gold and black float frame
$250 + sh/h in Contiguous US
Available on ArtfulGalleries.com

I took a photo of the entrance to Benzinger Vineyards when I was touring the California wine country in 2006. I have painted this scene several times and always find new inspiration. Was fun to apply my new looser style, using both the palette knife and a brush. Love the thick paint and swirly paint. Fun!!

Garden Tour

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Garden Tour  5x7"

Oil on canvas board

SOLD
 

This week has been a blur. One day I painted four paintings. Think it was Monday. Anyway, this 5x7 is a delicious little abstract I created this week from a photograph I took in Butchart Gardens on our trip to Vancouver Island, B.C. in 2011.

Victoria, B.C.

©2013 Debbi Smith Rourke

Victoria, B.C. 14"x11"

Oil on canvas board / Framed in gold plein air frame

SOLD

When my husband I toured Vancouver Island in the summer of 2011, we started our tour in Victoria. This scene is a view from one of the residential areas, looking out to the Salish Sea  toward the San Juan islands. I used both brushwork and a lot of palette knife application. Hope you enjoy!

Winter Holiday

© Debbi Smith Rourke 2013

Winter Holiday 8"x10"

Oil on canvas panel
SOLD

We went to Santa Fe for New Years in late December of 2011 to visit artist Nancy Hartley and her husband Brian. We had a delightful time! On one of our adventures, they took us to the Gallery Zipp, the home and gallery of artists Bunny Tobias and Charles Greeley. While driving up the snow-covered road to their home, we got a bit stuck for a while and had to walk the last few yards. I snapped some pics of the colorful late afternoon shadows on the snow-covered hills. Was magical! So last week I finally painted this impressionistic landscape / abstracted landscape from one of the photos. Love working with the palette knife. This piece is a sweet reminder of our lovely holiday tea on a cold winter day with artist friends.

Wine Country ©

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Wine Country 24"x24"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas / unframed (no frame needed)

$1050 + $70 sh/h in Contiguous US

Contact me for purchase

I am continuing on my path of painting abstracted landscapes, using both brushwork and multiple types of palette knife application. Experimenting is SO MUCH FUN. I just get into a zone and paint up a storm. I love the looseness of this and the vibrant colors. I painted this scene from the CA wine country a few years back in a small format, in a more traditional landscape style. But I am loving this new direction. What do you think??

Amy Hillenbrand, Bill Oakey and I installed 25 paintings today in two large display cases in the Scarborough Building main 6th Street lobby here in Austin. Was fun and looks so wonderful. Will let you know if we are able to plan a reception. Hope you'll have a chance to view my 16 paintings, including 8 new works. It's up through early to mid April. Hoping to catch some SXSW attendees.