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.

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.

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!

Wildflower Field

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Wildflower Field   24x36"

Pastel on paper

NFS

I recently did  commission for my dear friend Anne Marie Palmer. Well, I say recently. I started on it many months back with this study/sketch posted last January. After she approved the sketch, I took my time with the larger piece. SO grateful she wasn't in a hurry. I delivered this to her about two months ago. Finally posting the work - unframed and with the frame she chose. Pastel is a wonderful medium. Must do more. I am open to more commissions, too! :-) Just contact me here. 

Framed "Wildflower Field" pastel

Lilies 30x24"

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Lilies 30x24" 

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas 

SOLD

Our 2012 Side by Side show is up!! New works! Photographer Bill Oakey and I are continuing our series - his favorite photographs and my interpretations of them in oil or pastel. "Lilies" is my favorite of my new entries. We are exhibiting, along with Kay Hughes and her encaustic works, at the Old Bakery and Emporium Gallery through August 30th. Reception is Thursday night, August, 9th from 6 - 9 pm. Hope you will join us! 

Here is Bill's inspiring photograph he took in a Las Vegas hotel. I added more contrast and pumped up the color, something I love to do.

© Bill Oakey

Rolling Hills 10x8"

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Rolling Hills 10x8"

Oil on canvas board / unframed

 $250 + $25 sh/h in Contiguous US

This work is an abstracted landscape I created from a photo taken near Fredericksburg. I removed any trees and just looked at the layers of ground, hills and sky. Still playing around with where I want to land between representational and abstract. Pretty fun!

Mt. Bonnell - Canvas Print

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Mt. Bonnell
Original SOLD

24x24x.75" gallery-wrapped canvas prints available

$325 + $25 sh/h in Contiguous US

Recently, this painting I sold to some dear friends (who live half the year in Austin and half the year in Indiana) has gained additional interest. So I am offering it as a 24 x 24 x .75" gallery-wrapped canvas print. It's one of my favorite spots in Austin and I painted it on a lovely day with several fellow plein air painters. All good things!!!!

HeartGift Austin Auction / Fruit Basket

©Debbi Smith Rourke

Fruit Basket  16x16"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas

NFS - Donated to HeartGift Austin

I am pleased to donate this painting to HeartGift Austin and their Fine Wine and Luxe Living Auction to be held this Sunday, Nov. 13th at the Driskill Hotel in DT Austin. This is an amazing charity that saves the lives of young children around the world who have life-threatening heart defects and no hope for care in their native countries. One of the cardiac surgeons who co-founded the organization here in Austin is the same surgeon who performed the quadruple by-pass on my dad in 1988. So grateful to Dr. Oswalt!! My dad is doing well today. 

Hoping my food themed painting ties in well with the Fine Wine theme of the event. Hope it brings them lots of $. What a great organization. Love these synergies in life!!

Inspired Dream

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Inspired Dream  30" x 24" 

Oil on gallery-wrapped canvas 
SOLD

Canvas prints are available in a variety of sizes.

Contact me if interested in prints.

I envisioned these colors in an abstract form a couple of years ago when I wasn't even painting abstract images yet. So instead, back then, I painted a still life of lime green grapes on white dishes with a teal background. Nice painting that sits in my bar. So thrilled to finally be painting abstracts and executing my night time inspirations. It truly was an inspired dream! Think I'll keep doing these abstracts. They are quite fun and bring out my free spirit.  :)

Forces of Nature

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Forces of Nature  36x36"

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas 

NFS 

I haven't posted since May, but that doesn't mean I haven't been exploring new artistic ventures. Over the last year and half, my landscapes have become more and more abstracted. I was a bit apprehensive about just going ahead and doing a large abstract though felt inside that was where I was headed. Then my dear sweet Lexi (shared adult son Jimmy's other half) asked me to paint an abstract painting as a focal point for the living room of their home. Thank you!

So she brought me the large canvas and I painted it for her birthday. I just painted the edges of the gallery wrapped canvas the other night. It's just about dry and I will put the wire and hooks on the back today so they will be picking it up very soon. Can't wait to see it in their home. Guess what - not easy to get a good photo of a large 36x36" painting. But I love this direction and size. So I plan to do more. What do you think?? 

Pool Time

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Pool Time  7x5"

Oil on canvas board

Donated to the Arthouse at Jones Center

This is the third in my series of 5x7" beach paintings from my time at South Padre last summer. This is actually a scene from the hot tub area next to the pool at the condo we've been going to for decades - but you get the idea. You can catch these paintings at Arthouse at the Jones Center at 7th and Congress, and soon they will travel to Dallas and Houston this summer if not sold here. So happy to be a part of this great event!! The exhibit is up in Austin through June 12. Highly recommend it.

Beach Day

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Beach Day  7x5" 

Oil on canvas board

Donated to Arthouse 5x7 Invitational / SOLD
Gallery-wrapped canvas prints available. Contact me for prices.

Last June I spent a week at South Padre (with my hubby, parents and brother) for my birthday. Was a wonderful time and I took a ton of pics. Just now getting around to painting some images. This one was 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. If you really want it, all 5x7's for this show are $150, so you might just swing by the gallery or email the gallery and see if they will sell it outside the exhibit space. They did receive 1600 submissions. The parties were a blast as always!! :)

Thistles 20x20"

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Thistles

20 x 20 Oil on canvas
SOLD

Our Side by Side exhibit came down from the UT Club last night, where I sold one painting! Woohoo. We had a wonderful reception Wednesday evening with so many great friends! Side by Side will be hung tomorrow, Sat. April 9, @ the Authenticity Gallery at 910 Congress. We are so thrilled to be part of the "I Art Congress" Art Walk next Thursday April 14, from 6 - 9 pm. Come on out!! It's a dream come true to have our work at such a lovely DT gallery!! Our Side by Side books will be for sale @ Authenticity and soon on this blog. 

Austin Lily

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Austin Lily 24x18x1.5"

 Oil on gallery wrapped canvas. 
REDUCED to $450 (was $600)  + tax (TX only) + $25 sh/h

Canvas prints also available. 

Contact me for prices based on preferred size.

I created this painting in 2007 for my "Side by Side" series with photographer Bill Oakey  - a series where I paint my interpretations of his wonderful photographs in either pastel or oil. We look forward to continuing this series and will have an exhibit of several works at The UT Club April 4-8. And we were also recently video taped by the folks at Austin Artists.com, Maria and Roy Gatling. See the vido on this blog! Side by Side books are available for $30 (including tax and shipping. Contact me for the book.  

Mid-December Morning / 360° of Lake Austin Series

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Mid-December Morning  8x10" 

Oil on canvas board framed in black plein air frame. 
SOLD

I painted this last Friday, New Year's Eve, but am finally getting it posted today on Jan. 3rd. This painting was inspired from a photo I took in early/mid December. The bright, red leaves on the tree popping out from the oaks have now dropped and blown away. Can't wait to paint this larger. 

Early Morning Bridge 24x30"

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Early Morning Bridge   24x30"

Oil on canvas. Original NFS
Gallery-wrapped canvas prints available from 8x10" to 28x35".
Contact me for print prices based on preferred size.

I have so  many pictures of Lake Austin and the 360 bridge. Love shooting it at different times of the day and throughout all the seasons and during a variety of weather conditions. Sunny, cloudy, stormy, foggy, hazy. Amazing how much the same landscape varies each day. This was early morning in December and you can see where the light is hitting the tops of the trees but lower areas are still awaiting the day's sun. This painting is a gift so not for sale - but plan to do more!! Merry Christmas!!! Hope Santa is good to everyone. 

Jamaica Mon

@ Debbi Smith Rourke

Jamaica Mon  8x10" 

Oil on canvas panel 

SOLD

After my two art receptions the first week in December, I went on a 7-day Caribbean cruise with my husband and some dear friends. Visited Cozumel, Caymen Islands and Jamaica! Ya mon! So enjoyed getting away and seeing the sights and drinking in the ambiance and margaritas!! Upon returning, I painted this little gem. Nice way to remember my island adventure.

Foggy Morn III & IV / Happy Thanksgiving

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Foggy Morn III and IV 

Oil on canvas. 28"x22" each / 28"x44" together

$2,100 for the pair + $95 sh/h
Contact me for local /no-ship purchase

Happy Thanksgiving!!! These are enlargements of some small studies I did a few weeks ago. These larger works were displayed at the Prickly Pear Galleries at Fast Frame South as part of the Wild at Heart show I was in with Kim Brill, Amy Hillenbrand, Nancy Michalewicz and Paula Simpson.  Our reception  was great fun and the work looked wonderful together - thanks cousin Kristin for the opportunity.

Clouds Over Pennybacker

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Clouds Over Pennybacker 

Oil on gallery wrapped canvas. 20x20x1.5" NFS
Gallery-wrapped prints available from 12x12" to 28x28".
Contact me for prices based on your preferred size.

This is an enlargement of a similar 12x12 painting I did a couple of weeks ago. I delivered this to Mitra and Marcus Butler yesterday, one of three couples chairing tonight's HeartGift Foundation benefit. The fine wine and luxe living dinner and auction tonight help raise funds to bring children from around the world to the US for life saving surgery to correct heart defects. Fabulous cause!! So nice to give a painting of an image I love, knowing it will not only continue to bring smiles to others, but also extend love and renewed life to children. Check out the foundation and follow them on FB!!

Thanks Mom and Dad / Italian Villa

I just discovered the 30 Thanks Gratitude Adventure or #30thanks started by Marissa Bracke. How inspiring. As today is Nov. 10, I am starting with what she suggests for today which is thanking a parent. Boy, I have two wonderful parents and am so blessed to have had their constant, steady love and guidance throughout my life. And particularly their devotion to and care of one another as an example of how to live a beautiful and happy life. This photo was taken at their home on Thanksgiving day 2 years ago - how appropriate. Look forward to celebrating again with them this year. 

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Italian Villa 17x23.5" unframed. 

Pastel on paper. 27x33.5" framed in black with white matte, UV glass.
$675 + tax (TX only) + $35 shipping.

OK - for an art image. This is a pastel I did 4 years ago from a photo Mom and Dad took on on of their many trips - this one to Italy. I have it hanging in my home and so enjoy it. So thanks again Mom and Dad for getting out and seeing the world and then sharing your photos with me for my art adventures. This has been a fun exercise!! Let's see what tomorrow brings.