Palette Knife Painters, International

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

The cold weather has truly arrived, so the pugs are piled atop one another around the easel, all in the same bed, despite there being four perfectly good beds available. I'm imagining you're on a beach right now, with a palm tree swaying nearby. Don't forget your sunscreen, for heaven's sake!

Thank you so much for all the kind notes about my Mom, she is doing a little better today. I talked to her on the phone and she told me "They got me a photo quilt!" I said, "I know!" Her appetite has picked up, also, which is a relief. Carlos made her a big pot of navy beans with ham and we bought her a can of her favorite cheese popcorn (Garrett's!) so I'm hoping she'll still have a great appetite when I visit her next week. How lucky I am to still have my Mama to hug!!!

Delphiniums swaying on the easel

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Winter Warmth Sunflowers to Stave Off the Polar Vortex - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1642458

Winter Warmth Sunflowers

by Nancy Medina

20X16

Oil on Archival Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

I broke out the red brushes to help stave off the polar vortex today! The hubby has been in and out of the ER for a few days, and finally is doing better. I cannot think of anything I want more for the new year than a healthy hubby. First of all, I'm a terrible nurse, and I only know how to cook using the microwave! I hope you have good health, and a healthy cook, in the coming year!

Monday, December 29, 2014

Step by Step Sunflower Painting - Little Joys Sunflower - Nancy Medina Art

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1640321

Little Joys Sunflower

by Nancy Medina

14X14

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Little Joys Sunflower is presented for you step by step on my art blog - and was named very late last night after a very long day. The hubby had to go to the ER today, but is doing much better now. It's the little joys, the thankfulness of having love and a loving partner in life, that make it all worthwhile....

Friday, December 26, 2014

Abundance Poppies - Poppy Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1639406

Abundance Poppies by Nancy Medina

30X40

Oil on Deep Gallery Wrap Canvas

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Abundance Poppies is the newest floral in Flower Mound Studio, finished on Christmas Day - I'm warming up my poppy brushes for poppy bloom in Tuscany in June. Mom and I had Christmas cookies for dinner last night, and this morning we had Christmas breakfast with friends. Carlos is in the kitchen doing what he loves best, cooking - and I have requests for two more plates of holiday cookies before the week is done. I hope you are doing something you love today, with loved ones nearby, and you have much abundance coming your way for the New Year. Holy cow it will be 2015 before we know it!

Warming up the red brushes on Christmas Day!

Detail from Abundance

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Blue Delphiniums and Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1636955

Blue Delphiniums and Peonies

by Nancy Medina

12X16

Oil on Linen Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

I have buckets and buckets of fresh flowers in the studio, but the delphiniums won out over the white tulips this evening, since they're hanging on by a .... petal! The tulips might give me one more day if I pour a little flower food in their water and whisper compliments into their little petal ears. The peonies - surprisingly - are still going strong! Although I did buy a new bundle the other day. These peonies may seem especially colorful, since Jill at the flower market told me they are from Chile. It's like a bilingual parade of blossoms around here! Ole!

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Touch of Winter White Tulips - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1636377

Touch of Winter White Tulips

by Nancy Medina

16X12

Oil on Linen Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Touch of Winter White Tulips is the daily newbie in Flower Mound Studio today, I found a bundle of fresh tulips at the grocery store this morning, I should not have been grocery shopping, I was supposed to be at the gym, but the new gym my hubby and I belong to is not in the best part of town. Usually I feel pretty safe there, but this morning when I pulled up at 8:30 am, I knew I didn't want to walk through the crowd by the front door, so I kept right on going in my pug-mobile.

The life of an artist is not a dull one, the life of a small business owner is really a story about working seven days a week, but the beauty of this situation is twofold - you set your own hours, you get your personal tasks done, then you dive into your business (painting! *sound of harps*) with a sense of reward at the end of the day, with a bundle of white tulips you had not even realized you would be purchasing that day. All good things happen by design, I simply don't believe in accidents, do you?

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Powdered Sugar Pink Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1635093

Powdered Sugar Pink

Peonies

by Nancy Medina

14X11

Oil on Cradled Hardboard

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Powdered Sugar Pink Peonies is dedicated to my kitchen counters, kitchen floors, and the tops of my tennis shoes today, since all were covered with a fine layer of powdered sugar by the time the Russian Teacakes were cooling. Only one of the pug herd discovered the delights of licking powdered sugar off the floor, confirming my suspicion about the general IQ of the noble little round breed. Their entertainment and snuggle skills, however, outweigh such a tiny imperfection.

The studio models take a bow and a dip!

Sunday, December 14, 2014

French Dream White Tulips - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

French Dream White Tulips

by Nancy Medina

Class Demonstration

14X14

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Sold

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

French Dream White Tulips was one of my six classroom demonstrations in my final workshop of hte year. It's likely a symptom of pre-menopause, that just thinking about this being the last workshop of the year made me a little sniffley and teary-eyed at the easel! Fortunately I held it together long enough to help devour the French picnic lunch we had today, courtesy of my chef husband Carlos, and the cherry cheesecake also helped assuage the tears! What a fabulous year it has been, thanks to my gracious and oh so talented and inspiring students and collectors, and art friends from around the world. I hope each of you has a beautiful, incredibly blessed holiday season! Rest, relax, and surround yourselves with color, flowers, friends, family, four-footed babies, and all that you love! The new year is just days away! Next stop - Orlando, Florida!

Oo - la - la - all dressed up for a French picnic!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Holiday Pink Peonies and Amazing Things We Learned in Class Today - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1632329

Holiday Pink Peonies

by Nancy Medina

20X16

Class Demonstration

Oil on Linen Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Holiday Pink Peonies was one of my class demonstrations in North Texas today. Tomorrow we paint French landscapes - oo la la! I can hardly wait, since this also happens to be my end of year party, everyone in class is going to get a big surprise! The handsome Frenchman has agreed to come to serve us lunch. I'm going to be sure he wears a beret, too, whether he likes it or not! (he is my husband, do you think anyone will notice he is Hispanic rather than French?) Here are a few important things we learned in class today:

Eating eight mini cupcakes is equal to less than half of one traditional sized cupcake
When teacher eats 8 cupcakes in class, everyone agrees NOT to tell teacher's husband
Women need the thermostat set at a balmy 50 degrees year-round please and thank you
If you proclaim you NEVER win anything, the WINNER sticker will be on the bottom of your chair

Thanks to Mother Nature (and the market)
for giving us these fresh flowers today!

Friday, December 12, 2014

Creamer Dreamer White Tulips and a North Texas Workshop - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

Creamer Dreamer White Tulips

by Nancy Medina

20X16

Oil on Linen Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Creamer Dreamer White Tulips was my class demonstration this morning during my North Texas end of year party-workshop. What could be more ideal than to paint French tulips during my French painting workshop? I totally lucked out with fresh tulips and peonies, so we're celebrating the occasion by painting the springtime bouquets while it's chilly outside. I'm a firm believer that color affects emotion, and fresh flowers lift spirits, so we're putting on bold color and chasing off the winter blues. Tomorrow we have some big prize giveaways, so stay tuned to my art bloggy!

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1631593

The studio models take a bow!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Blue Dapple White Daisies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1630904

Blue Dapple White Daisies

by Nancy Medina

16X12

Oil on Archival Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Blue Dapple White Daisies is the daily newbie in Flower Mound Studio, and the car is packed with supplies for my French painting workshop tomorrow morning - we'll start the day with French pastries, a prize giveaway, and then we'll paint French tulips! I can't think of a better way to spend the day than with pastries, fresh flowers, and a room full of excited artists, can you? Well, okay, if there were a few four-footed helpers running about, that might make things even more enjoyable...

The studio models take a bow and a dip!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Tuscan Skies Poppy Fields - Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1629363

Tuscan Skies Poppy Fields

by Nancy Medina

11X14

Oil on Cradled Hardboard

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Join me for poppy bloom in Tuscany!

Tuscan Skies Poppy Field is the daily newbie in Flower Mound Studio, looking forward to my workshop in Tuscany in the spring, as the temperatures outside drop to wintertime temps! It's tough being a full time artist when you have to make "public" appearances - digging through all my jeans to find something without paint on it, trying to remember to wear something at least slightly presentable. The workplace dress code, after all, is fluffy slippers and scruffy pullovers when one works at home in an art studio. It doesn't help matters that my four helpers run about naked as the day they were born, save for their little fur coats. I shouldn't complain, though, I still don't regret throwing away the big ole pile of panty hose when I quit the corporate world last year! I can't imagine any scenario which would require me to ever wear panty hose again. Clearly these were invented by men....

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/page/4793/june-6-13-2015-tuscany-italy

Monday, December 8, 2014

Holiday Cheer Peonies and the Thankfulness Checklist - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1628517

Holiday Cheer Peonies

by Nancy Medina

12X12

Oil on Archival Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Holiday Cheer Peonies is the daily newbie in Flower Mound Studio, and the countdown to Christmas has begun. This was one of those perfect days, picking up goodies for my French holiday workshop in North Texas - all in French themes, coming home to a studio filled with the smell of fresh peonies, and spending an entire day with the hubby. I've got videos and paintings shipping all over the world tomorrow, and several surprise packages in the bunch for artists whom I suspect were awfully good this year! The next few weeks will go by so very quickly. When I think of the things I am most thankful for, each of them revolves around the same theme - Love. I am thankful for my family, my puggies, my job as an artist and teacher. Thanks so much to all my art friends and the students who give me so much happiness and joy. Here's to you - to a beautiful year, filled with flowers, color, art, and hot mocha with scandalous amounts of whippy creme! And a little critter or three to snuggle with!

Friday, December 5, 2014

Winter Rhapsody Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1626677

Winter Rhapsody Peonies

by Nancy Medina

14X11

Oil on Cradled Hardboard

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

I'm not sure how much longer these fresh peonies are going to hold up. As you can see from the studio model photo, pretty parts are starting to droop, flower flips are starting to unfurl, and petals are raining down just a bit. I am at that age where I can sympathize! I hope my new bundle of peonies holds up just one more day. If I were smart (and motivated!) I would clear out a shelf in the fridge and put them in the chilly air overnight. However, my book is calling, and the puggy helpers are snoring, tempting me to wash the brushes and put the helpers to bed. Sweet dreams flower friends!

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

A Holiday Painting Giveaway - Pink Cascade Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

Pink Cascade Peonies

by Nancy Medina

20X16

Oil on Archival Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

It's time for a huge holiday giveaway! As my way of saying Thank You So Much for the most incredible art year I have ever had, I'm giving away an original 20X16 peony oil painting. You can enter to win simply by leaving a comment on the post on my Facebook fan page. The winner will be announced Friday, December 5, at 8:30 pm CT. International friends are welcome to enter, as long as they don't mind covering shipping costs. I can't think of a better way to say thanks than with flowers, can you?

Click here to enter to win Pink Cascade Peonies

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Breaking Down the Essentials of the Flower and Peony Hearts - Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1622896

Peony Hearts by Nancy Medina

12X12

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Peony Hearts is the newest painting in Flower Mound Studio. One of the best ways to break down the essential bone structure of a flower is to deconstruct the flower, and working from life with an excellent light source is the quickest way to find that perfect balance between reality and impressionism. There are lots of great ways to migrate away from the old method of painting super-realistically. Squinting, of course, is one way. I asked my eye doctor last month during my annual exam if squinting four to five hours a day while painting would ruin my eyesight. She laughed and told me I had absolutely nothing to worry about. But then, what did she know. She's 22 years old...!

I do not paint petals, leaves, or stems. I paint shapes. Read more....

Monday, December 1, 2014

Winter Stowaway Pansies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1622142

Winter Stowaway Pansies

by Nancy Medina

12X12

Oil on Deep Gallery Wrap Canvas

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Winter Stowaway Pansies is the daily newbie in Flower Mound Studio, and a slight interruption from the peony parade! Thanks so much to Jill the Flower Queen at the market today for alerting me to the arrival of a fresh batch of peonies. I was so excited when she and her helpers pulled out white and pink buds for me fresh off the flower cart. Where are all these fresh peonies coming from, I asked - she said, Chile! Wonders never cease!

Sunday, November 30, 2014

Petite Garden Pink Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1621348

Petite Garden Pink Peonies

by Nancy Medina

12X16

Oil on Archival Panel

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Petite Garden Pink Peonies was one of my new peony paintings in Flower Mound Studio today. The clock is still ticking, and if I hold my breath and no one sneezes, the delicate fresh peonies may last another day or 2! I didn't brave the shopping crowds today, and the puggies were quite happy for me to stay home at their beck and call. The only time I ventured out was this morning with the hubby for a brisk 3 mile walk. It was windy and the trees were turning and the leaves were like sparkling bits of gold falling all around us. Visit my art bloggy for a picture from my grand adventure into the wilds of Flower Mound!

Petite Garden Peonies and the studio models at rest!

Saturday, November 29, 2014

Pink Zone Peonies - Flower Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1620533

Pink Zone Peonies

by Nancy Medina

12X12

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops

Pink Zone Peonies is the daily newbie in Flower Mound Studio, celebrating the Day 3 of the fresh peony extravaganza bonanza, as well as a day of feasting and thanks. I hope your holiday was beautiful, filled with loved ones, comfort, laughter, and, even some little four footed snugglers. Right now I have one little puggy girl snoozing with her chin on my foot, and another in my lap resting her chin on my wrist. The important thing is, the pugs are happy! I'm happy too - I love painting peonies, they are so frilly and unkempt. Even their leaves are quite a tangle, reminding me of the old adage, every crooked line can use a bend in it! Happy Thanksgiving to you flower friends, may your pumpkin pie have extravagant portions of home made whippy creme on it!

The studio models take a bow!

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Peach Sorbet Peonies and Romantic Kitty Finds a Home - Paintings by Nancy Medina

http://nancymedina.fineartstudioonline.com/workszoom/1619257

Peach Sorbet Peony Bouquet

by Nancy Medina

24X24

Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Sold

France, Italy and the US - Flower Painting Workshops