New Video Demonstration by Pamela Blaies

I'm excited to share my brand new Christmas painting demo!

Click HERE to watch the video.

Deck the Halls

8" x 10"

oil on linen

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Christmas Commission by Pamela Blaies

Commissioned Apple and Cherries

oil on linen

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.... The cold snap has really gotten things feeling like winter around here. Some of the neighborhoods around me have even started to put up Christmas decorations. I always like to wait until after Thanksgiving to decorate and begin listening to holiday music, but I have started on a couple of Christmas commissions. Here is one I just finished this past week.

Stay warm!

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Planning Plein Air by Pamela Blaies

Billy's Brother

6" x 6"

oil on linen

I often pass by this field with goats out grazing. There is a blue house in the distance with a fenced drive leading to it - an enchanting scene. A couple of weeks ago, I set up my plein air gear out there early in the morning to paint. I waited and waited, but... no goats! I tried it again about a week later...no goats again! I began to worry they had been sold, but recently I drove by and there they were. The light wasn't very good this week, so I did a couple of studies of the little fellas from photos I had taken. Maybe I'll do a third and name the trio "Three Billy Goats Gruff." I'm looking forward to getting back out there again and finally getting to paint them from life.

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Enjoyment with an Objective by Pamela Blaies

Charcoal Study

8" x 6"

Sometimes in the evening, I like to do studies with charcoal on paper for enjoyment. I'll draw my kids watching TV, my husband checking out his Ipad or my new puppy. I also have a collection of photos and interesting pictures I can refer to - always people. The beautiful thing about charcoal is that I can get out my supplies in seconds and do studies even while relaxing on the couch. It is fun, but with a purpose. The figure requires precise drawing and any drawing errors are immediately obvious, which helps to greatly improve my draftsmanship.

Here is a study I did the other night. Working to suggest blue eyes and blond hair in sunlight with a black stick - fun!

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Fond Farewell to Summer by Pamela Blaies

Red Pears

oil on linen

12" x 9"

Today is officially the end of summer for the Blaies household. I will miss having the kids around and enjoying the carefree days. But it will be nice to have more time to myself in the studio. Here is my newest painting "Red Pears."

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Baby It's Grand by Pamela Blaies

Baby It's Grand

6" x 6"

oil on linen

I'm so excited to be the new owner of a grand piano built in 1949 - just delivered last week! The north light coming in from these windows is gorgeous, so I set up in the living room today to do a quick study. I love the drama of the bright light juxtaposed with the shadows of the ebony black piano. I have a feeling this piano will be a part of many more paintings in the future.

instant studio - anytime, any place!

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The Color of Light by Pamela Blaies

Orchard Apples

10" x 8"

oil on linen

I chose the different kinds of apples for their varied colors, because although this painting is about light, I wanted it to feel colorful. Creating light on canvas with oil paint often involves sacrificing color because adding white makes color less saturated.  However, using color temperature along with value can achieve not only more colorful paintings, but also pretty dramatic light effects. It might be a little difficult to see in the photo, but the brightest highlights that seem white are actually clearly identifiable colors when you look closely. The dark red apple's highlight is cobalt blue, the bright red's is viridian and the bottom apple has a cool pink highlight. Since the temperature of the color in the highlight is cooler and has a dramatic value contrast to the local color of each apple, they read as bright light reflections that are more interesting than simply white.

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Summer Bliss Video Demo by Pamela Blaies

Summer Bliss

14" x 11"

oil on linen

I've had a great summer filled with vacations and hanging out with the family. Travelling is fun, but I'm always glad to get home. Getting back into the studio after some refreshing time off was pure bliss. This week I filmed the creation of one of my newest pieces which I title Summer Bliss.

 Click HERE to enjoy the video and feel free to share!

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Challenging Perspective by Pamela Blaies

Ivy Plein Air

oil

7" x 7"

Hope everyone had a Happy 4th!  I feel blessed to live in such an amazing country, where so many patriots have fought to establish and maintain the most unique country in history which is based on equal liberty for all it's citizens.  May God continue to bless America.

I heard an interesting quote yesterday from an artist, Mian Situ, that goes something like this, "I don't want to just paint beautiful things, I want to paint things beautifully." ​  It was interesting to think about and it kind of forced me to shift my way of thinking.  I've been on vacation this past week at a beautiful resort. There are tons of gorgeous, show-stopping flowers to enjoy. Beautiful colors all around me to take in and possibly paint.  But sitting by the pool, I noticed some ivy growing in the shade of a big tree, where light barely filters in. As I looked more carefully at them, I began to see more and more colors, subtle nuances and interesting edges. So, instead of painting the brilliant, red hibiscus near the doorway, or the cheery, orange daisy and colorful fruit sitting by my coffee this morning, I painted a tiny trail of ivy today! 

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Art, Love and Roses by Pamela Blaies

Keepsake

12" x 9"

SOLD

A romantic collector purchased Keepsake this week as a gift for his lucky wife of 38 years.  He shared with me that upon opening the box, she cried - in a good way!  I was very touched by this story.  Recently another collector gifted his wife a painting of red roses, Be Mine, and he also shared the wonderful "reveal" story with me.  Art has a special way of touching others which is so exciting to experience from my perspective, as the artist.  Art, love and roses...a beautiful combination!

Be Mine

9" x 12"

SOLD

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Hot Texas Summers by Pamela Blaies

Plein Air Painting in July

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I was happy to have such beautiful weather this past week so I could get outside to do some painting. This is a piece done en plein air of some red Knockout roses in my backyard garden. It takes until around 11 am for the sun to hit this rose bush, which made for a pretty hot painting session. I had to work fast to catch the right light, but that is the beauty of plein air painting - limited time forces you to focus on what is important to express your idea.

Red Rose Garden Plein Air

10" x 8"

oil on linen

Click HERE for more information on this painting.

Father's Day and Some Poolside Practice by Pamela Blaies

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not...

oil on linen

8" x 6"

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Father's Day with the Blaies family was spent with my wonderful husband, who is a great dad!  In the afternoon we headed out to the pool where he enjoyed a cigar, the kids swam and I did a sketching exercise.  I laid in quick value drawings with a brush and Burnt Sienna, then wiped them off over and over again.  Read more tips about this painting exercise and see some step-by-step photos... 

Impressions of Beauty by Pamela Blaies

Classic Beauty

6" x 6"

oil on linen

Classic Beauty was a fun one to paint. I especially enjoyed loosely rendering the blond hair knot gleaming in the light. I almost titled this petite Silver Drop because of the brilliant earring. But what inspired me to paint this was the simple elegance of the overall impression and not one thing. Classic Beauty seemed fitting.


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Now Available at UGallery by Pamela Blaies

Irises

24" x 18"

oil

I was excited to see my painting, Irises, on the front page of UGallery.com as one of their top paintings chosen as "Staff Picks." UGallery is an exciting new concept - a virtual gallery offering original artwork. Each piece of art is specially selected by UGallery's expert panel of curators. They've received a lot of national attention lately praising the success of this innovative idea from sources like CNN, USA Today, In Style and Cosmopolitan to name a few.

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The Best Part of Being an Artist by Pamela Blaies

Sunrise Reflections

oil on linen

SOLD

I enjoyed Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park 2014! It's always great to visit Houston to catch up with some of my longtime collectors and meet lots of art lovers. But with all of the preparation and travel involved, I've been unable to spend any time in the studio for the past couple of weeks. Time to get back to the best part of being an artist....creating!

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Hope to See You in Houston! by Pamela Blaies

Red Tulip Bouquet

14" x 11"

oil on linen

Preparing for the Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park 2014 coming up next weekend. Just packed up the last painting that will be headed to Houston. I hope to see you there!

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Coffee, Coffee, Coffee - New Video by Pamela Blaies

See my latest painting video of Stacked Cups

Stacked Cups

12" x 9"

oil on linen

Here's to all of you fellow coffee lovers out there. I've been staying up wayyyyy too late and getting up too early this week. I wonder why I was inspired by my coffee cup collection?

 

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OPA National Exhibit in Vermont this Summer by Pamela Blaies

Warm Glow

18" x 14"

oil on linen

I'm thrilled that my painting, Warm Glow, was accepted into the Oil Painters of America 2014 National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils. This year it will be held at the Bennington Center for the Arts in Bennington, Vermont. On display during the months of June and July, it will be a great time to visit Vermont and enjoy what I know will be a beautiful exhibit to see!

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Demonstration Ad Nauseum? by Pamela Blaies

Still Life Study in Light

12" x 9"

oil on linen

I promise this will be the final blog about my first venture into demonstrating in front of a live audience. Since my last two blog posts discussed the upcoming event, you might have guessed I was a little apprehensive about it. But once I started painting, the nervousness just melted away. I only had about an hour to work, but the Weatherford Art Association was a great crowd and it was fun discussing my process as the painting unfolded. Here is the painting from that night.

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Demonstration Preparation by Pamela Blaies

An Orange and a Silver Pitcher Study

12" x 9"

oil on linen

I'm finally starting to recover from "the crud." It is nice to be feeling better. Painting this study of an orange and a silver pitcher yesterday was just the way to get warmed up for the painting demonstration I will be doing for the Weatherford Art Association on Monday evening. I'll have less than an hour to paint so it should be fun to watch! Come on out if you are around the area. It will be at the Firehouse Gallery, 119 Palo Pinto, Weatherford, Texas, starting around 7 pm.

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