"Tropical Breeze" © #mayanrivieramemories #austinpaletteclub #palmtreepainting

©2014 Debbi Smith Rourke

"Tropical Breeze" 16"x12"

Oil on canvas

SOLD

I painted this yesterday in a demo I did for the Austin Palette Club, hosted by Joe Cates and Shirley Slaughter. Thank you! Was so much fun and loved the painting that resulted. I brought it home and tweaked it a bit. I'm inspired to continue painting from all the fab pics I took a few years ago when Jim and I visited Grand Velas on the Mayan Riviera. Swanky place in paradise! What more can I say. All good!

Beach Time ©

©2014 Debbi Smith Rourke

Beach Time 8"x8"x1.5"

Oil on 1.5" wide gallery-wrapped canvas / unframed (no frame needed)

$210 + $15 sh/h 
Available on ArtfulGalleries.com

I painted this from a photo I took while vacationing at on the Mayan Riviera a couple of years ago at Grand Velas. It is an abstracted or simplified representation using techniques I learned from the fabulous California artist and generous instructor Sandy Ostrau. I love my beach time and this painting takes me back to this memorable adventure.

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. :-)

Chichen Itza

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Chichen Itza   8x8x1.5"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas. 
NFS

I painted this last weekend and so reminded me of  a wonderful trip I took to the Mayan Riviera and Mayan ruins back in 2003. I love Mexico and pray it will be safe to travel there again soon. 

Mayan Riviera

© Debbi Smith Rourke
Mayan Riviera  24" x 24"
Oil on canvas. $740 + tax (TX only) + $22 sh/h.

I sure love the Mayan Riviera and miss vacationing there. Hope to go back soon. Last time I was there, you could see large white angel fish swimming at your feet!!!! Divine!! Or is it Mayan magic?