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!! :)

Dusk on South Padre Island

© Debbi Smith Rourke

Dusk on South Padre Island   8x6"

SOLD

I just spent a glorious 9 days on South Padre Island, returning 6/27, 3 days before hurricane Alex blew in . Had a wonderful time and the beach was gorgeous.  I took tons of pictures. I'm not a big plein painter like other artists I admire who can walk on the scene and in an couple of hours, create an amazing painting. I prefer painting from photos in my studio - photos I take myself (mostly) and remember the inspiration from the location and the moment. Then I like to live with them, see which ones most inspire me, crop them and even do a few pastel sketches. That's my process and it works for me. And I love taking photos!! Imaging all the possibilities with each one - cropping, color and value options. :)