Light Seeker

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Light Seeker   8x6"
Oil on archival panel / framed in gold and black float frame
NFS

This is one of the last of the pieces I painted in Carol Marine's workshop last October. I felt like the flower was posing for the light, thus the name. Also symbolizes all those seeking enlightenment.  Gotta love it!

Tropical Pool

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Tropical Pool  12x12"

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas

Unframed:  $400 + $30 sh/h in Contiguous US
Contact me for purchase

I've painted this scene before. I love this pool and hot tub in South Padre. Was exciting to bring my new abstracted approach to the scene, using just a palette knife. No brushes. Woohoo - what freedom!! And I love the thick, juicy paint and simplified visual approach. Very painterly. Feels more vibrant. More abstracted landscapes to come.

Beach Bag

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Beach Bag  7x5" 

Oil on canvas board

Donated to Arthouse 5x7 Invitational 

Here's another painting from my week at South Padre last June. This was also donated to the Arthouse at the Jones Center for their annual 5x7" Art Splurge and Art Social events held last Thursday and Friday nights. The Austin exhibit extends thru June 12 and then the work travels this summer to Dallas and Houston. All paintings are $150, or $100 for members.

Zilker Garden Gazebo

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Zilker Garden Gazebo 

24x18 - Original sold.

 Giclee print of pastel: $275 unframed + $15 sh/h

Framed giclee print with mat and glass 34x28: $425 + sh/h.

For local pick-up of this framed print, contact me.

This is an image of a pastel I painted in 2007 that is part of my Side by Side series with Bill Oakey. The original sold to some dear friends with a special connection to this gazebo. However, I am pleased to have a giclee print (on thick archival paper) that looks amazingly like an original, framed, on exhibit and available at the Authenticity Gallery at 910 Congress Avenue here in Austin. My 6 Side by Side works and 6 food paintings there are up through this Friday. We take the well received exhibit down Saturday May 7. Hope you get a change to see it!!! Authenticity is a lovely space and I'm so thrilled to be there! 

Padre Beach House

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Padre Beach House   10 x 8"

Oil on canvas board framed in 1" wide brown wood frame.
$150 + tax (TX only) + $13 shipping.

Painted this yesterday from a photo I took while at Padre Island in late June. Love this beach house as it is next door to where I always stay, so have grown quite fond of it. This view is from the surf, obviously. More beach paintings to come! 

Moraine Park / ICM Exhibit Las Vegas

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Moraine Park   16 x 16 x 1.5"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas. $400 + $35 sh/h

This is one of my 3 paintings in the ICM 2009 exhibit in Las Vegas. Was a nice show. Am grateful my friend Kelly Aldous attended in my absence.

Mountain Meadow Study / Las Vegas Exhibit

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Mountain Meadow Study  6x8

Oil on canvas panel
$95 + tax (TX only) and $12 sh/h

The big artists' reception for the first ICM exhibit was last night in Las Vegas and unfortunately I was here in Austin. The exhibit continues thru April 1 at the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Art. Check it out if you will be there! I have 3 paintings there, including this one, "Mountain Meadow Study," as well as "Fall Morning" and "Moraine Park.  Here's some press release info:

EXHIBITION OF “INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY MASTERS” 

TO PREMIER IN LAS VEGAS

February 9, 2010 - Las Vegas, NV - World Wide Art Books and the Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Arts are presenting the first of three shows featuring the artists from the 2008 and 2009 editions of the annual art publication, International Contemporary Masters. Like the book itself, the exhibition will join together and celebrate the work of groundbreaking artists from around the world, who are paving the way in innovation and technique. The show will run from February 20 through April 4.

EVENT DETAILS:

The exhibition starts February 20 and ends April 4

Curator: Despina Tunberg

Address: Southern Nevada Museum of Fine Arts

450 Fremont St., Las Vegas NV 89101

Neonopolis Center Tel: 702 382 2926

I've had a relaxing weekend after a busy week of freelancing - no painting  yet. My sweet friend Karen Martin, part of our Santa Fe workshop and Austin reunion group, sent me a wonderful book - Twyla Tharp, The Creative Habit. How kind is that! I also just bought four new lusciously colored background drapes / fabrics to use in some new still life works. 

Kissing Cousins

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Kissing Cousins  20x16" 

Oil on canvas. $385 + tax (TX only) + $25 sh/h.

Finished this yesterday in 2 settings - so almost ala prima. Love the bright colors and loose feel. Can't wait to paint more. Will be working on more "side by side" images from Bill Oakey's photographs.

Hill Country Landscape

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Hill Country Landscape  6x8" 

Oil on canvas panel. SOLD. 

Painted this yesterday from a photo I took about a  month ago, late in the afternoon, after leaving one of the wineries in the Fredericksburg area - think it was Grape Creek Winery but can't say for sure. :)

Moraine Park Study

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Moraine Park Study 6" x 8" 

Oil on canvas panel  $95 + tax (TX only) + $10 sh/h.

Love this peaceful afternoon scene in Rocky Mountain National Park near Moraine Park. Sure miss the weather. Thanks for the kind comments, ya'll!! 

Cantaloup

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Cantaloup  8"x8"x1.5" 

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas. SOLD.

Painted this last Thursday or Friday. Was in the groove. Love that!  We've now eaten the fruit - so starting anew.

Fruit Basket

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Fruit Basket  16 x 16 x 1.5"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas. 
NFS.

Donated this to HeartGift Austin for their 2011 Fine Wine and Luxe Living fundraiser Nov. 13. What a wonderful effort!! 
This is one of my favorite paintings. Love the lighting and the background color and the detail of the grapes and the lighting on them. And I just love pears. These are kind of fattened. Maybe I will start a series of bulbous fruit paintings. 

"For the Love of Art" art exhibit invitation

Pleased to have been a part of the "For the Love of Art" exhibit at Austin Art Space. Was the first art show I've been in since last summer. My parents and neighbors attended and a few more friends. Delightful evening. I had two works accepted. Red Pepper and The Proposal, both now sold!

Japanese Garden

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Japanese Garden 17 x 22"

Pastel on paper. Original SOLD.

Giclee prints on archival paper:  $275 + tax (TX only) + $16 sh/h.

Giclee print framed in glass with matte: $425.
Recommend local (Central Texas) pick up. Contact me for purchase.

I enjoyed Thanksgiving so much, I never painted. So I'm posting this pastel painting I did last year. It was accepted into AVAA's 30th Anniversary Exhibit in the summer of 2007.  The original has sold but I do have several very high quality giclee prints printed on a beautifully thick archival paper - which makes them look like originals! Happy to send larger images to review. 

I was recently tagged by Kelley MacDonald, an art pal I met in Carol Marine's Santa Fe workshop. It's an honor to be tagged because it comes with sort of a blessing from the sender. It is an affirmation of friendship, good wishes and blog-love. So thanks for sharing the blog love, Kelley!!! 

The Rules:

1. Put a link in your posting to the person who tagged you.

2. List 7 unusual things about yourself.

3. Tag 7 other bloggers at the end of your post (*including their blog link*) and comment on their blogs to let them know they have been tagged.

Now....I'm tagging:

1. Gorgeous landscapes by Judith D'Agostino

2. Jann Alexander and her Vanishing Austin blog

3. Watercolorist John Wright

4. Colorful and distinctive works by Karen Schmidt

5. Canadian artist Sylvia Jenstad

6. Carol Schiff- check out her "Just an Apple." It's anything but.

7. Austin artist Carole Sikes 

Bull Creek

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Bull Creek  12x16"

Oil on canvas board. Framed size: 17 x 21"

$295 framed + tax (TX only) + $17 sh/h.

Happy to send a photo of this one framed. A favorite among my family members. Original post: Since boxes still surround me and I haven't been able to set up my easel, I am posting a painting I completed before moving. Love this one! I painted it in Laurel Daniel's plein air class and it was exhibited this summer in an AVAA juried show at the Scarborough Building in downtown Austin. As for the studio - the good news is my art board is up, and my next-to-the-easel table is up. Just have to set up my easel and buy new paints. I learned in Carol Marine's workshop that it's not optimum to buy paints with the word "hue" in them - it means they have added some filler to the paint preventing you from achieving the richest color. So bye-bye Cad Red Hue and Cad Yellow Hue! Hello cad red and cad yellow.