Sedona Celebration - New Sunset - New Year

Yo Blog Friends,

Missing my Arizona again - this happens around the holidays :>)

Sedona is a mystical and magical place - so very much beauty to be seen and found.

This is my tribute to Sedona and its beautiful and breath taking sunsets - painted alla prima in a loose painterly style

12 x 20

Sedona Celebration - New Sunset - New Year

Hope you folks enjoy this and I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year!

See Ya'll next year.

JR     :>)

Hello Blog Buddies

Yo,

Well I'm ready to start posting some paintings again.  I woke up this morning with a tune in my head - singing the words "This land is my land".  I took this as a sign and this morning I did a painting which represents the meaning of these words to me.

As most of you know we lived in Arizona for 7 years and New Mexico for 5 years and I have to say the I'm a big fan of the Southwest desert.

This painting is 10 x 20 on heavy linen paper using professional acrylic paints.  The painting does have texture to it as part of it is done using special brushes I developed which I call "palette brushes".
I use these brushes as one would use a palette knife.

Bright, bold southwest colors are used throughout the painting depicting the desert setting sun.

This painting can be found on my  ETSY STORE

Hope you enjoy.

JR         :>)

Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays to all my artist friends, art followers, and RV friends.  Starting the first of the New Year I will be posting new paintings again.  I took sort of a blog break to promote my ETSY site and the publication of our RV book.  Both of these ventures proved to be worth the effort as painting sales and book sales have increased over the Christmas Holiday and for that I say thank you!

I wish you all the very best for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

JR       :>)

Book Launching

Lots of thanks to many, many folks who have made our "Tips For New RVers: Catchin' The Dream" a success on Amazon.  My DW and I also created a blog where you can see some of our adventures during almost 12 months on the road as full time RV-ers.  The link to our blog follows:

Tips for New RVers Blog

Check it out as I'm sure you will find our year long 10,000+ mile journey to some wonderful places to be of interest.

Our Book, TIPS FOR NEW RVERS: CATCHIN' THE DREAM is now on AMAZON!

My DW (Darling Wife) Melissa and I have been busy this year writing our self-help book for new RVers and I'm happy to tell you that the book is DONE and available on AMAZON!

It's called Tips for New RVers:Catchin' the Dream. (Some of may remember that we named our Nexus Class C RV the Dreamcatcher). 

The book is for RV Newbies, as well as inexperienced and wanna-be RVers, though some experienced RVers who've read it say there is a lot of information in there that really helped them too! We've tried to make it both practical and entertaining, because if you can't have fun, why bother??

We've set up a book website, TipsforNewRVers.blogspot.com, which provides information about the book and about us. You can find it HERE.

Here's our book blurb,  which will give you a pretty good idea of what we were going for:

Tips for New RVers: Catchin’ the Dream

When we got the RVing bug, we were total Newbies. We'd never had an RV, a camper or even a tent for that matter! Now we are experienced RVers who lived and traveled full-time in our Class C that we named the Dreamcatcher, figured things out as we went along, had good days and bad days and are willing to share what we learned so that maybe you can avoid a few mistakes and generally stay out of trouble, divorce court and jail.

Our book introduces new, inexperienced and potential RVers to basic aspects of RV life. It's not a detailed, nitty-gritty how-to book; rather it’s meant to give readers an overview and answer a variety of basic questions about life on the road. The idea is to help you get your feet wet before you dive into the deep water! We hope it will help to shorten your learning curve, lessen your fears and entertain you a little bit too. Most of all, we hope it encourages you to catch your own RV dreams and make them come true. 

                                     

We'd appreciate it if you would share the news of our book with your followers, family and friends who might be interested.  The book is available in print and as an ebook for Kindle, and you can find it HERE.

Mind splitting

Yo,

Lately I've been splitting my mind between the Southwest and the Gulf Coast of Florida.  The Southwest to me is very moving and I do have to say that I miss it - painting scenes from the Southwest allows me to visit a place I love.
The Gulf Coast of Florida is very beautiful as well and now that the summer humidity is dropping the days are very pleasant with lots of sunshine.

BATTLESHIP ROCK NEW MEXICO

7 X 14

Battleship Rock is a spectacular basalt rock cliff at the confluence of the Jemez River and the East Fork of the Jemez River. The formation is located in north-central New Mexico in the Jemez Mountains. Battleship Rock rises nearly 200 feet, creating an impressive rock formation seen from the Hwy 4. It resembles Navy warship, therefore its name. 

As in Sedona AZ, there are also rock formations in New Mexico - additionally New Mexico is know for its glorious cloud formations while still maintaining over 300 sunshine days a year.

7 x 14 on heavy linen paper - alla prima - Chroma Interactive acrylics - in a painterly loose style with a hint to the semi abstract.

About 1 hour from our home is the island of Gasparilla on which Boca Grande beach is located.  This is our very favorite beach - never overly crowded and the sand is white and the water is a beautiful blue and turquoise as it is on the Gulf of Mexico.  We went there a week ago and had a wonderful day on the beach.

BOCA GRANDE - AUTUMN LIGHT

8 X 16

The SALE on my ETSY STORE  is still in progress and I have extended it until 1/1/15 - take a moment and check it out - 

Check out my ETSY STORE for original paintings

AND

Find affordable fine art prints of my paintings, as well as originals at

FINE ART AMERICA

JR    :>)

Autumn in Florida

Yo,

People wonder if the colors change in Florida during the autumn.  Well, yes they do!  Various trees and plants flower in the autumn - there are vivid yellows and reds.  Some trees shed their leaves.  The very high humidity of summer (sometimes 90%) starts to decrease and the atmosphere is lighter and brighter thereby visually changing the many greens found in Florida.

Southwest Florida's Autumn Light

6 x 18

JR   :>)

HELLO MY FRIENDS

Just dropped in to say YO ------ My mind and heart went back to New Mexico this morning.

ABIQUIU NM - RIO CHAMA
9 X 18

This piece will soon be in my ETSY STORE - the SALE is still in progress so take a moment and check it out.

Check out my ETSY STORE for original paintings

END OF SUMMER SALE

Also check out the following link:

Find affordable fine art prints of my paintings, as well as originals at

FINE ART AMERICA

JR   :>)

YO

A quick YO ------ YO.

Additional paintings put up onto my ETSY SITE - End of SUMMER SALE is still in progress - good chance for some very reasonably priced Christmas gifts - get your shopping done early.

My mind has returned from the Southwest and is now focused on Southwest Florida scenery.

Autumn Marsh Land

9 x 18

Check this and other paintings with reduced pricing on my ETSY WEB SITE - additional paintings and very reasonable professional prints can be found on my FINE ART AMERICA SITE.

CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING ETSY STORE & FINE ART AMERICA  

Check out my ETSY STORE for original paintings

END OF SUMMER SALE

Also check out the following link:

Find affordable fine art prints of my paintings, as well as originals at

FINE ART AMERICA

MORE NEW ONES

Yo my friends,

Just me - I've added some more paintings to my ETSY SHOP such as the following:

Red Rock Canyon

9 x 18

Check out my ETSY STORE for original paintings

END OF SUMMER SALE

Also check out the following link:

Find affordable fine art prints of my paintings, as well as originals at

FINE ART AMERICA

Power of Suggestion

About a week ago my DW mentioned that I had not done any Southwest paintings for a while.

Well since that comment I have done 10 of them and most of these are exhibited on my ETSY SHOP and have had the prices reduced as part of my-----------

  End Of Summer
SALE

I love the Southwest - I'm a desert person at heart and the colors out in the Southwest are exquisite!!

Check out my ETSY STORE.

ETSY INVENTORY DRASTICALLY REDUCED IN PRICE 

Just click on the following link - a great chance to get an early start on your Christmas shopping!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ACRYLICPAINT

YO

Yo my friends,

Been busy with some more Southwest paintings - check out the below link to my ETSY SHOP and start your Christmas shopping early.  This will please the Grinch and he may extend the SALE!!!

ETSY INVENTORY DRASTICALLY REDUCED IN PRICE 

Just click on the following link - a great chance to get an early start on your Christmas shopping!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ACRYLICPAINT

NEW ETSY PAINTINGS

Yo my friends,

Just me - I've added some more paintings to my ETSY GALLERY and these as well as the others have had a PRICE REDUCTION - Y'all know Christmas is just around the corner - so the time is good to get some of your shopping done.  Some new Southwest paintings have been added as well.

Will the SALE last into Christmas???????

ONLY THE GRINCH KNOWS THE ANSWER TO THAT
Just click on the link below

ETSY INVENTORY DRASTICALLY REDUCED IN PRICE 

Just click on the following link - a great chance to get an early start on your Christmas shopping!!

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ACRYLICPAINT

JR

:>)   :>)   :>)

Monsoon

Yo my friends,

Some times an artist goes into a "dark stage" caused by many different reasons. We have been having sort of a monsoon weather pattern for the past week or so here in SW Florida - downpours and winds most every afternoon - not lasting long but almost like clock work. We had a monsoon flow in AZ and NM as well but not as much rain as here in Florida.

"Monsoon Storm Approaches Oak Creek Sedona AZ"
6 x 12 done very quickly in a semi abstract style

Florida has a monsoon flow most all summer long with sometimes very high winds and rain at 1 inch per hour - as I say the storms do not last long so it's more of an inconvenience than anything else - however it sure is good for the ground and fire danger!!!  Hurricane season here starts June 1 and ends November 1 so these monsoon little storms are nothing compare to the havoc a hurricane can cause!!

Don't forget the check out my ETSY STORE and my paintings on Fine Art America - The ETSY STORE arrival of summer SALE will be ending very soon.

Check out my ETSY STORE for original paintings

AND

Find affordable fine art prints of my paintings, as well as originals at

FINE ART AMERICA

JR       :>) 

Detail vs No Detail

Yo my friends,

A very good friend is taking up painting again and she loves the detail process of painting.  Whereas I do not like detail at all and am a firm believer in "LESS IS MORE."  My friend would spend hours just working on the fronds of a palm tree whilst I would give a swipe or two of a big brush and let it go at that thereby letting the viewer complete the vision of a palm frond in their mind.  So although I have been painting with her, she enjoys some of my work but of course does not overly care for my style nor me hers.  This is good as we can do our own thing and compare paintings at the end of a session.

 Note:  We both paint the same scene at the same time.

However - I buy sheets of heavy linen paper 18 x 24 and am able to cut them down to whatever size I like.  I prefer to paint BIG --- 18 x 24 or larger such as 24 x 36 and 24 x 48 but being on a fixed income it is difficult to afford those large canvases.

I'm running low on my linen paper so I have been cutting them down to 6 x 12 or 12 x 24 thereby getting more paintings out of one sheet.  I'm enjoying the 6 x 12's as it is giving me a chance to put in what I call "loose detail" such as palm trees in the far distance.  Just an indication of palm fronds but the viewer clearly sees them as palm trees and associated fronds.

I'm having fun with this and of course at the same time conserving my paper usage until such time I can order more.   I wonder if social security is going to get a raise this year?

PALM FRONDS

12 X 6

Palm Grove

6 x 12

Thanks for LOOKIN' 

JR       :>)

Yo my Friends

YO!

My mind has wandered off into the desert again.  There are times that a painter just wants to paint what ever cones to mind.  No preparation, no sketches or drawings, no predetermined color scheme - just paint from the heart and leave the mind out of the equation.  I call it "Mindscape" painting - a landscape from the mind.

The first one is:

"Desert Mindscape No. I"

12 x 24

The second one is:

Desert Mindscape No. II - High Desert

6 x 24

Don't forget to check out my SALE on my ETSY STORE 

many paintings have been reduced as part of celebration for the coming of summer.   Also check out my Fine Art America where you can buy professional prints at very reasonable prices as well as the original pieces

Don't forget to check out my SALE - A - BRATION OF SUMMER on my ETSY SHOP - just click the link below

Check out my ETSY STORE for original paintings

AND

Find affordable fine art prints of my paintings, as well as originals at

FINE ART AMERICA

LATER MY FRIENDS

JR     :>)

Hello Folks

YO---------

WORKING ON MY TREES!!!! Oak trees are very common in Florida and according to the local conservation authority they wish people would stop planting them as there are too many. They are not very friendly - causing all kinds of allergies in folks ( me included ) and most of the roots only go a couple of inches under the soil - as well as on top of the ground - thereby infiltrating slabs and knee-walls of houses.There always seem to be palm trees near oaks

"OAKS & PALMS"

18 X 24 - LOOSE PAINTERLY STYLE

The Gulf Coast of Florida offers many many painting opportunities.  Sanibel Island is a beautiful location known for its green waters and is a haven for shell collectors.  With an abundance of sunshine down here all the little sparkles in the sand give off millions of colorful reflections and provide a rainbow of changing color.

Color Me Sanibel

8 x 24

I hope you enjoyed this post and soon I'll be back!!!

 Make sure you go through life smiling as it takes less facial muscles to smile than it does to frown!!  And that's the TRUTH!!!!

JR      :>)

YO - YO - Again - Again

Yo,

Still in my Southwest frame of mind but I'm due for a change soon - most likely back into ocean scenes again and maybe a still life or two.

During the early 90's was the first time my wife and I went to Arizona.  She was on a business trip and since I was retired I also went.  For any IRS investigators or snitches out there we paid for my expenses out of our own pocket!!!

During this trip we went up to Sedona and the area had had a major flood a few months prior to our arrival.  We could not believe the damage left behind - massive trees were 50 - 100 ft from their original location next to the creek - massive boulders were piled up in sections of the creek.  An unbelievable site for sure.

Following is a painting just finished which depicts Oak Creek in a more peaceful state.

Creek Side - Oak Creek - Sedona

9 X 18

The red rocks of Sedona are perhaps the most beautiful site I've ever seen.  I love the desert and the warmer and drier it is the more I like it.  Such a beautiful and peaceful place - yes at times very hot - but one does not need to spend all day out there!!!  :>)

Abandoned Desert Trail

6 x 18

Don't forget to check out my SALE - A - BRATION OF SUMMER on my ETSY SHOP - just click the link below

Check out my ETSY STORE for original paintings

AND

Find affordable fine art prints of my paintings, as well as originals at

FINE ART AMERICA

LATER MY FRIENDS

JR      :>)

Missing the Southwest - Still

YO - YO,

Still missing my beloved Southwest. Sedona is perhaps one of if not the most beautiful area of the southwest I have been to. We lived in N. Scottsdale for 7 years, exhibited in Sedona and spend many hours plein air painting all around the town.

6 x 24 on heavy linen paper - Chroma Interactive acrylics - alla prima - dry brush done quickly with emotion.

MY SEDONA - MY HIGH DESERT

6 X 24

We hope to take a trip back to AZ in 2015 and stay for a month - longer if possible.

Remember - stay cool - be cool - smile at people - they will appreciate it and you will feel better!

JR      :>)