Quick Trip from New Mexico to Nevada

Busy the past week making a quick trip over to our daughter's in Nevada.  Here's a picture of beautiful New Mexico on 13 March 2012 near Continental Divide, New Mexico. While in the Las Vegas area we visited our favorite art supply store, Dick Blick on the 15th picking up a few items before leaving for the drive home to New Mexico on the 16th.  Thankfully the weather was gorgeous both days of our traveling. Busy week ahead and the passing of current storms supposed to bring warmer temperatures and more springlike weather.

"Curious Inquisitor" Original Acrylic 8x10" Acrylic on Canvas

"Curious Inquisitor"

A couple days ago on Friday my husband and I went to the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts event at Expo New Mexico after having lunch at Sandia Resort.  I got so excited, motivated and loved talking to quite a few of the artists there. It's amazing how being around other artists just stirs up those creative juices.  This morning I thought I'd try something different and new for me and the result was this 8x10" original acrylic painting on canvas I'm calling "The Curious Inquisitor".  I am enjoying life, being creative and new and wonderfully happy times.

Original "For Eva" Painting as a Memorial

"For Eva"

I started this pastel floral yesterday, added pen and ink and did not like the end result when I thought it was finished yesterday. This morning as I sat in my art room looking at it and thinking of my friend and neighbor, Eva, I added acrylic to the background and some of the flowers and it became "For Eva" mixed media.  She died recently, only 37 years old leaving behind a wonderful husband and four children. I pray God will watch over and protect her family and bring them comfort and joy at memories of her.  I will miss her honesty, our talks, her smile. Peace be with you Eva.

Original Acrylic on Watercolor Paper "Sonoran Desert Museum AZ Parrot" Painted in 2004

Original Neely Gomez
Painting Copyright 2004

So this morning thought I would get back into the swing of things by doing some artwork, a couple of different projects.  What I discovered is that I'm still extremely tired from our whirlwind trip from New Mexico to Oklahoma and back and not quite in the ZONE yet.  Looking at this original acrylic painting I did on watercolor paper in 2004 after we made a trip to the Sonoran Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona I really like the color and style.  Not sure what my "style" really is yet but I'm definitely still a work in progress and I AM progressing (smile).  I usually have delayed reactions to things so think I need some more time of just rest and relaxation.  I will keep you posted.

"Tulips with ALOT Going On" Multimedia Original

"Tulips with Alot Going On"

Amazing that whatever is going on with me internally always seems to come out when I'm creating something artistically.  This started out as a simple watercolor and then it seems more and more was added to it until it almost seemed a little TOO busy.  Still that's kind of what's going on in my life right now so rather than not show it or try to hide that I'm a normal human being who sometimes has got an awful lot going on I've decided to post it. Life is good!

"Dormant" Original Acrylic on 8x10" Canvas Panel

"Dormant"

Had fun and enjoyed doing this acrylic painting. It's amazing to me that in the midst of winter here in New Mexico tho it is cold and things are dormant, to be warm and cozy in our home looking out with the brightness of brilliant sunshine and things on the verge of coming back alive it's hard to remember it IS winter.  Soon it'll be spring with new life bursting out everywhere.

"A New Pair of Glasses" Prismacolor on Blue Pastel Paper

"A New Pair of Glasses"

Yesterday first thing in the morning I went into my art room and started "doodling" with my Prismacolor pencils.  I am finding that I do seem to look thru a new pair of glasses and have a different kind of perspective these days.  I'm blessed with so much that sometimes it feels like the creative juices are "busting out at the seams (smile). I'm definitely a work in progress as is my artwork.

Jo Anne Neely Gomez Now on Twitter

A new phase being new to Twitter I ask for patience as I navigate and make mistakes as I go.  I love the opportunity to be able to try and convey the beauty and amazing gifts God has blessed me with through my art and would love it if you would "follow me" on Twitter ... will you join me on this journey too??? I am @neelygomezart

Original Pastel "Old San Ysidro Revisited" on 8 1/2 x 11" Brown Pastel Paper

"Old San Ysidro Revisited"

Have been doing more consistent artwork and enjoying watching progress tho discovered this morning after finishing an oil painting and relaxing at home for the day trying to get over a cold that as I picked up my pastels it seems that pastels have become my new favorite medium for the time being.  Amazing the discoveries I make.

December 24, 2011Original "Simple Pastel Bouquet"

"A Simple Bouquet"

Bought a bouquet of flowers while shopping the day before Christmas and when placing them in the vase realized the vase was a bit large for this small of a bouquet -- I LOVE SIMPLE so decided to name this pastel drawing "Simple Pastel Bouquet".  As a note someone liked this pastel drawing so much that it was sent to them in Killeen, Texas January of 2012.

Original 4x6" Canvas Panel Old Style Mini Gouache Still Life Painting Dec. 23, 2011

"Old Master's Style Still Life"

Thought I'd try painting an original still life on mini canvas panel (4x6") in the old master's style as a bit of an experiment.

Mini 4x6" original oil painting "Spring Bouquet"

"Spring Bouquet"

I bought quite a few small wooden boards and this is the first "mini" painting on one of those.  I am finding that as I paint more consistently, even in the midst of alot of things going on in my life it IS becoming easier to just get in there (my art room) and paint.  My husband has built a wall of shelving across one side for storage and tho it isn't finished yet I am so appreciating all his hard work and love feeling so much more organized and inspired.

Original Neely Gomez Prismacolor Pencil Drawing "Hopeful Roses"

"Hopeful Roses"

My husband sent me these beautiful roses for my 60th birthday (which was on Thanksgiving), our 28th wedding anniversary and also as a cancer survivor  honoring breast cancer awareness.  I am so blessed with all the gifts I've been given, the most precious being life itself and the plusses of having good health, wonderful loving and generous family and friends, a home, food, all the necessities of life and more abundance than I ever hoped for.  So looking forward to the Christmas season as it is the most blessed time of the year and most fun for me.  My husband is building me storage shelves along one wall of my artroom and is almost done -- they are wonderful and so useful.  Been working on a pastel drawing of Thanksgiving flowers my brother sent & finishing a mini oil floral ... pictures to follow.

"Spring Bouquet" Pastel Sold & On it's Way to California

I'm always happy when someone says "I just LOVE _____ ".  A friend from California really loved "Spring Bouquet" the pastel drawing I did on pastel paper and bought it so it is now on it's way to it's new home in California. 

Original 9x12" pastel "Spring Bouquet"

"Pastel Spring Bouquet"

I thought I'd try my hand at pastels even tho I've had no instruction with them at all.  I started this little drawing yesterday (12 November 2011) in the morning and decided to try and finish it this evening.  I hope that as I try to paint/draw on a more consistent basis my work will improve also. 

Had good news as the tests I'd been taking the past three weeks gave me pretty much a clean bill of health.  Drawing and painting during this busy time took my mind off of tomorrow and kept it in today -- ALWAYS a good thing for me (smile).

"The Lewandowski Children" Drawings of a Special Family

"The Lewandowski Children"

Yesterday, November 1st, I went thru some old pictures and found one of three special, beautiful children of dear friends of mine and remembered that I've always wanted to try and capture their happy, glowing, loving spirits.  I'm happy with most of the drawing altho wanted to really capture the middle child's joy at life which I didn't feel like I totally did.  Still I'm happy with the overall drawings and am realizing that, yes, my drawing is improving as I draw and use my creative abilities more and daily if I can.

Pencil Drawing of an Owl

Owl Drawing in Pencil

To the left is a pencil drawing I did last night, Sunday, October 20, 2011 of an owl from a picture.  I'm trying to draw daily or as much as possible these days.  It is true, for me, that the more consistently I draw the better my skills and results are.

"Bright is My World Blessed is My Life" Prismacolor Pencil Drawing

Original Pastel 8x10
"Bright is My World
 Blessed is My Life"


Funny how my artwork reflects my mood and my mood affects my artwork. I drew this pastel a few days ago, Thursday, October 27 after having some x-rays done and while waiting for the report from my doctor. I am usually a sunny and optimistic person yet these days I truly enjoy living in the moment and think this drawing in pastels sums up how I feel about my own life and mortality. I am SO blessed and grateful for each life experience I have and/or have had.

Abstract acrylic floral on wooden board - Gift to a Friend

"Abstract Floral on Wood"

Life holds many changes and I'm happy to say my husband and I have always loved and embraced change.  Recently I thought I'd paint a floral and this was the result.  A good friend fell in love with this and so it is gone already as a gift for her upcoming birthday.  I've been painting little artsy crafty things (a couple birdhouses), one for my mom's birthday and one for another friend.  I love painting these birdhouses and just keeping my creative juices flowing.  Hopefully soon I can try some plein aire painting and maybe on a larger scale again.

September 2011 "My Garden" Gouache on Canvas Panel

"My Garden" Gouache on Canvas Panel

September is beautiful in New Mexico and thought I'd try something new and different with using gouache and it's bright colors to represent my garden.  Fall is my favorite time of the year here with Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, which is attended by people from all over the world, and many different celebrations and art events going on. 

8x10 Original Oil Painting "Ant Exploring Hollyhock" Minus the "Ant"



original oil on 8x10 canvas panel
"Ant Exploring Hollyhock - Minus Ant"

This little oil painting is completing the study I started titled "Ant Exploring Hollyhock".  The first in the series was a prismacolor pencil drawing, second was watercolor with pen & ink embellisments and this last one is the oil rendering.  The day that I painted this was the day of the funeral service for a dear man thus the reason that the "ant" is missing in this last in the series, somewhat symbolic.  So I dedicate this painting to Mr. Dewey Wright of Seminole, OK and trust that today he has rejoined his beloved wife, Eloise and they are laughing and dancing in heaven. 

Original Display My Husband Made to Highlight My Tile Painting

Natural Rock with handmade easel by Arthur Paul Gomez
18 July 2011

 

"Mixed Media Ant Exploring Hollyhock" - Second Installation - Original Neely Gomez Painting

Mixed Media
Ant Exploring Hollyhock
original 8 x 10

I made a post in June 2011 with a photo I took summer of 2010 of an ant exploring a hollyhock and next to that photo an original prismacolor pencil sketch with my interpretation of the photo and said my intention was to next do a watercolor painting of the same subject.  The photo presented here started out as a watercolor then I added some acrylic and lastly some silver pen.  Hopefully I can do the oil painting of the same subject matter before too long and post that so that they are somewhat in sequence.  The most important part of this little experiment for me has been in just having some fun -- and that is exactly what I did with this painting.

7 1/2 x 7 1/2 Tiles Painting in Acrylic with Pen & Ink - Last Week of June 2011

Found myself not liking the commercial design on a couple of tiles I had hanging in the house and decided to try painting over them and painting on a different surface.  All went well until after painting the second (on the right) I discovered that I painted it upside down so decided that altho I could paint over it again I may just display it on a small easel.  Tile on the left is an original and tile on the right was painted from a picture from local newspaper published around Christmas time.

June 2011 -- Study of Hollyhocks with Ant Exploring

My intention has been to first do a prismacolor pencil drawing of these hollyhock blooms with ant(s) exploring, secondly to do a watercolor painting of the same subject and thirdly to do an oil painting so I suppose this could be considered "a study". 

I'm grateful that an artist friend suggested me reading "Art & Fear" and I stumbled across this statement "Requiring perfection invites paralysis" as my art is definitely not perfect (I know where the errors/imperfections are) tho I am making progress in choosing to display knowing that in some mediums it's easier to make those corrections than in others.  So this is my first installment and I still have the second and third to present to you.

May 2011 UPDATE

Hadn't realized I got a bit lax in updating this blog.  These two paintings at the top are floral watercolors.  I had been wanting to do an oil landscape just to keep the creative juices flowing and in trying to paint more consistently.  I'm pleased that I actually have been doing more painting and still allowing time in my life for those other things that create so much joy and pleasure for me like my family and friends.

"Sunlit Acequia" - original oil painting

Gourd Painting in Between Art Projects

 Just to keep the creative juices flowing and to be more consistent I tried my hand at painting gourds we bought while visiting family near Casa Grande, AZ.  Next time I think I'll try carving and etching the gourds before painting.  I've been reading the book "Art & fear - Observations On The Perils (and Rewards) of ARTMAKING" by David Bayles & Ted Orland and found the thought that "to require perfection is to invite paralysis" quite interesting.  Years ago when I began doing cross stitch I remember my dear friend telling me not to correct every mistake as it made it my own and an original.  I enjoy finding those unique and individual ways of expressing myself through art in a wide variety of different mediums.

Update on April & May 2011



"New Mexico Transplant"



Not for Sale

 My husband and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary of moving from Cherry Valley, CA to Rio Rancho, New Mexico this past week.  We love our life here in New Mexico and are both inspired by the beauty all around us.  The past two months I painted two of our interior rooms and did some drawing and painting tho nothing for sale, this is all in trying to do art on a more consistent basis.  I will post a couple things I did and some inspiration I find in my own backyard.  We saw some wonderful dancing, drumming and artwork displayed at the Gathering of Nations held at The Pit in Albuquerque a couple of weeks ago.  I'm hoping to be able to express my own cultural pride soon from pictures I took.

Notice the bee on the flowers of the picture on the right -- spring is here and the bees are a buzzin'.

Birdhouses Painted for Friends January 2011 - Not for Sale

  

Just Framed Original Oil Painting "At the Foot of San Gorgonio" from 2006



16x20 - With Frame 22 1/2" x 26 1/2"



Unframed 2007 Original Neely Gomez Acrylic Abstract Floral on 8x10 Canvas Panel

Original Abstract Acrylic Floral (2007)

16"x20" Matted Unframed Original Watercolor "A New Day is Dawning"

Many personal changes marked 2005 for me and right around that time I painted this watercolor. I actually drew the pen & ink parts in first and then decided I wanted to finish it off with watercolor. The matting is cream colored with brown.

NFS "Welcome to New Mexico" - 11"x"14" When Matted Original Watercolor

I actually painted this watercolor in 2004 before we moved to New Mexico (we moved here in 2006) and because it has special meaning for me I do want to keep this one for myself.  When I have it matted and framed I will put a newer picture up. 

"Snow Aglow" Original Oil Painting on 11"x14" Gesso Board

Had done different versions of this one but last night decided to put the finishing touches on it to make this the final version.

Original Pen & Ink, Watercolor & Oils on 9"x12" Watercolor Paper




Initial Pen & Ink & Watercolor

 Thought I'd try my hand at some original abstract painting a couple of weeks ago and the result was the painting below