Progress Photo on Tile painting commission

Here is an update to show where I'm at with my tile painting. I am using Porcelaine, a special paint made for use on china and tile. It promises to be durable and even dishwasher proof after you bake it in the oven. I have had to do a bit of experimenting to get the "feel" of the paint as it handles quite differently than any other paint I have used. You have to be careful about dragging back through almost dry areas with the paint brush or it will pick up paint and leave a terrible mess. Fortunately, it's easy to wash off the paint and start all over again.

BCAA Show

About a month ago my husband Kenny and I entered the Big Country Art Association Show. I had dropped our work off and Kenny was supposed to go pick it up if it was not jurored into the show and find out if we got an award. He forgot to go.

That night we had dinner with Dan McGregor who had also entered the show and ended up winning Best of Show and first prize. He thought that Kenny had placed also and I had gotten an honorable mention. The next day Kenny heard from someone else that I had won a prize and he had gotten honorable mention. I guess we have become interchangeable after 25 years. Most people don't understand how two artists with two sensitive egos can be married. You get to a point where it's about the same whoever get's what. We found out at the show opening that Kenny got 3rd place and I got an honorable mention. We forgot to take a camera and don't have pictures. I hope to post Dan's amazing pieces and my piece. Here's one of Kenny's on the studio wall, it looks even better in person and on a more pristine background. Here's a link to last years 2007 BCAA exhibit.

How To Cut A Lemon original mixed media painting

12" by 12" acrylic and collage on cradled wooden panel. SOLD

This looks kind of summery. The light in my studio with it's southern windows is getting pretty intense in the afternoon with fewer leaves to obstruct it. I painted this one at high speed, using lot's of thick paint. I'm still experimenting with the additive that keeps it wet longer. The painting is a light-hearted response to an overheard comment about free will and an argument about what is the best way to cut a lemon.

Deja Vu 119 original mixed media

18" by 12" mixed media on 3 cradled wooden panels, hung as group.

This work was part of a show at the CCA called Go Figurative. It was a fun challenge to do a piece that had a figurative element to it. Getting likenesses is definitely not my forte. I am so excited because it's image is to be included in a calender the CCA will be putting out this year. Etsy link.

For Marissa

I did this about a month ago and put it aside, the brushwork wasn't quite right. Sometimes when I overwork a painting the only thing left to do is work on it some more til it becomes fresh again. This is for Marissa. It has a yellow rose from the birthday bouquet she got from her dad.

Crushed mixed media painting by Polly Jones

18" by 24" mixed media acrylic on cradled wood artist panel. The theme for this years silent auction fundraiser at The Center for Contemporary Art is "Gaugin's Tahiti" It got me thinking about the concept of utopia. This painting has raised wooden discs that have all kinds of homes collaged from The Little Golden Book Encyclopedia volume 7. This piece and many other artist's works (including my husband Kenny's) will be on display at the CCA for the month of November.  SOLD

Charting Zinnias original mixed media painting

16" by 20" mixed media and acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 3/4" profile, wired to hang. The painting extends around the edges and eliminates the need for a frame.

I love doing these mixed media paintings that allow me to explore subjects using layers and keeping interpretations ambiguous. Using printed matter from old books and papers broadens what I think about when I look at my work, gives more room for daydreaming. Daydreaming is highly underrated. SOLD

Here and There Zinnias original still life painting

6" square acrylic on archival wood panel.

I'm still having fun with the side view. This angle seems to show off the jaunty character of the flower best. I like thinking of these jars as lenses. SOLD

Studies for Tile Commission

I thought I'd post some of the studies I've done for a commission I've been working on. There is a really cool option on Etsy called Alchemy where people can contact artists and artisans to commission work. I have been commissioned through that (by a lovely customer) to do a painting on tile as a backsplash for her kitchen. After some research I found out about a special ceramic paint that can be baked in your oven to produce a durable surface. The final color study is what we're going with. I'll post the finished painting when I'm done.

Morning Glory original still life painting

5" by 7" acrylic on stretched canvas.

I'm taking this down to the Center for Contemporary Arts today for their "Little Masterpieces" fundraiser. That show will be up in a week or so. My mother always has a morning glory climbing up to the deck, always this lovely hard to duplicate in paint blue. Today is her birthday and I was wishing I could just give this painting to her. I've been meaning to experiment with getting a print or two made of some of my favorite paintings, so believe I'll try with one of these and give it to my mom. Happy Birthday Mama.

Open Arms Zinnia original still life painting

5" by 8" acrylic on stretched canvas. Another side view, it's becoming my favorite angle lately.  SOLD

Zinnia Polka original still life painting

I couldn't resist doing another zinnia painting before they are gone for the season. I consider blue bottles a part of light therapy so keep them in the window for catching that blue glow. This little Vicks Salve jar is one of my favorites. I actually remember when they came in the glass jar. I think we had the same one all through my growing up days. I'm experimenting with a gel retarder to keep the acrylic "open" or wet longer. The problem with it is it has a terrible consistancy and is hard to mix into the paint evenly. Any one out there with experience and advice for this material? Acrylic on 7 and 1/2 inches by 8 inches gessoed masonite. SOLD

Catherineholm Bowl With Plums original still life painting by Polly Jones

7 and 1/2" by 8" acrylic on gessoed masonite.

I found this little enamel bowl in a thrift store. I was curious about it and discovered (googling) that it is really collectible these days. It's the product of a famous mid century modern danish designer. I love to paint objects that have a history, and plums. SOLD

A Grape and a Glass original still life painting

Here's the finished painting. 8" by 8" acrylic on gessoed masonite. This little glass is a favorite, a "souvenier" from a hotel in Paris.

Sketch for Grape Glass Painting

Here is the under drawing for a painting I did today. It's overcast and rainy, which prevented me from getting a good photograph of the painting. I thought I would share how I usually begin. After setting up my still life, I draw directly onto the painting board or canvas. This one is an uncradled masonite board that I had previously painted with two coats of gesso. My favorite tool for drawing at this stage is vine charcoal. It's so soft that I can just rub off my mistakes. The charcoal is responsive and fluid. This is the time to work out the composition and get a nice gesture with the larger forms. (well, as large as it gets on an 8 inch square) I then rub off some of the excess charcoal so it won't muddy up the paint. I'll post the finished painting when I can.

Stormy Day Marbles original painting

6" by 6" acrylic on wood panel. I am so happy with this new painting surface. This makes my fourth painting on a new product from Ampersand with a canvas like "tooth" to it's surface. It comes cradled and thus is ready to hang without a frame once I've wired the back. I've used the gessoboard surface which I also like but find the paint can slide around a bit too much at times.

I painted this in an impressionistic manner during the changing light of a stormy day. SOLD

Bouquets of One original painting

12" by 12" acrylic on a cradled wooden panel.

I wanted to catch how these zinnias looked with light streaming in on them. I was so excited that they grew in our garden! They somehow survived our hot summer and neglect while we were out of town.

This summer my husband and I had a fantastic trip to Santa Fe. We saw a show of Georgia OKeefe and Ansel Adams work together. Never had realized they were friends. Apparently Okeefe helped him get his start. We saw a lot of wonderful art and were surprised at the amount of contemporary art. It's not all southwestern anymore.

Zinnias With Silver original painting

12" by 12" acrylic painting on cradled wooden panel with 3/4 inch profile. SOLD

This is the third time around to paint my silver sugar bowl. I wanted to contrast this reflective surface with the sturdy zinnias and refractions in the glass. Zinnias have such incredible structuring and gesture in their petals.

Plums in Blue Willow original painting

8" by 8" acrylic painting on gessoed masonite

This is my first time to paint plums. I really enjoyed trying to capture the subtle color changes and reflective quality that they have. SOLD

Apples, Overflowing

11" by 14" acrylic on gessoed masonite. I had a great inspiration for making this one. This was a wedding present for my nephew Dan and his lovely new wife, Tennille. They are such a sweet couple!

Granny Smith on Yellow Chintz original still life painting

8" by 8" acrylic on gessoed masonite. SOLD
I love to use pieces of vintage fabric collected for my still lifes. This is one I've painted before. I changed the white background to yellow to intensify it, however. Was it Kandinsky who said that yellow is for mad men? When I use very intense yellow, I think about that and am always reminded of "The Yellow Room" by Van Gogh. Experiencing color is powerful, impossible to put into words. Happy July 4th!

Limes in Blue Willow

8" by 8" acrylic on gessoed masonite

Apparently I can't stay away from painting this bowl. Here's my first time to put fruit in it, though. I loved using the greens and blues and moody greys and whites with this one. I worked quite a while on it, we went camping, and then came back to moldy limes in my still life set up. I switched out my limes and finished it today. SOLD

Earth Light Born

12" by 12" mixed media on masonite with raised wooden shapes. The top photo is a detail.

And now for something completely different, to quote my husband quoting Monty Python.

This collage has overlapped images of two weed silhouettes. I love the name and form of Tree of Heaven and Peppergrass. It's part of my continuing exploration (obsession) with using weeds as symbolism for a Post Eden fallen world in which even the weeds are beautiful. I've also used paint chips and sheet music for an old Christmas hymn.  SOLD

Double Iris original painting by Polly Jones

12" by 24" original oil painting on gallery wrapped stretched canvas. This was painted a while back but never got posted somehow. SOLD

This painting has a lot of energy owing to the use of brushwork to carve out the forms and it's intense color. I've used the blue and violet background fabric because of the swirling field it creates and a vintage Vera scarf of wild oranges and yellows to contrast with the green glass vase. Usually I paint irises in a more serene atmosphere but liked immersing their forms in a vibrant setting this time.

Mystery Flower

12" by 12" original acrylic painting on stretched canvas, with 3/4 inch edge unframed.

Friends were about to come over to eat so I dashed out to the yard for flowers to put on the table. I was so surprised to find this exotic flower in the back, don't even know what kind it is. We've been here 3 years now and it had never bloomed before. It may be an amarylis planted before we moved in, though I didn't know they could survive winter. Anyway I loved the structure and color of it so decided to try my hand painting it. SOLD

Almost Ripe

6" by 6" acrylic on gessoed masonite, unframed.
I wanted to keep the brushwork and color fresh, just like the strawberries. SOLD

I did this a while back and tried to post it several times. In fact, I almost changed the name of it to Almost Crazy. Our internet provider was having interference with a radio station in New Mexico and I could barely check my email much less post to this blog. Well, we tried to wait it out (for ages) but have finally switched to another company. Here is my new email address pollyjonesart@gmail.com If you ever have a question or comment you can contact me directly or just leave a comment on the blog.

I hope this isn't a repeat post for some of you. I'm having problems due to my email address change.

Waiting original painting

6" by 6" acrylic on gessoed masonite

The gessoed surface on this one kept soaking up the paint. I don't know why it seemed more absorbant than ususal.

Love Story original painting

8" by 8" acrylic.

I have a new (quite old) blue willow mug and a dainty version in teacup form. Putting these together reminded me once again of the poignant story behind the blue willow motif. Two star-crossed lovers die escaping and are transformed into love birds rising above the bridge and boat.

SOLD

Little Pitcher

8" by 8" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. SOLD

After my last lousy oil attempt, I wanted to use acylics again...much more familiar territory. Though I find that working with oils has changed the way I'm using the acrylics somehow. I keep forgetting I don't have the luxury of time to get around to the wet edges.

Picking Dandelions

8" by 8" oil on gallery wrapped canvas with 1 and 3/8 inch edge.

SOLD

A Spoon and Other Inventions

9" by 12" oil and collage on stretched canvas, unframed. I have a collection of vintage children's encyclopedias that I love. I enjoy the drawings, the colors and the way knowledge is organized and categorized. The section on inventions seems a bit naive in it's presentation, but, it truly is awe inspiring to think of all the amazing things that people have come up with. The collaged circles on my painting of the spoon include nylons, a zipper, sewing machine, a television and more. I don't know who invented the spoon, anyone know?  SOLD

Shallow Blue Willow

Here is an 8" by 8" painting I did a while back when my computer was down.

SOLD

Reflecion on a Sugar Bowl

12" by 12" oil on stretched canvas. I hadn't used oils in some time. I always forget how vastly different acrylics and oils are in the way the paint holds it's brushmark with texture and color separation. SOLD

John's Daffodil original painting

8" by 8" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas with 1 and 2/3 inch edge. SOLD
My daffodils were quickly gone; it's nice to have friends with flowers.

Red Bell Open original painting

12" by 12" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas with 1 and 2/3 inch edge.

Sometimes a painting idea comes from a desire to combine colors rather than specific subject matter. I've been wanting to use brown and red together for some time. I finally noticed the brown and white transferware plate hanging in the bathroom when I had the perfect red bell pepper. The teal background wasn't part of the original impulse, oh well, each painting has a life of it's own you have to respect. SOLD

Daffodils in Honey Jars

12" by 12" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas. SOLD

Orange Umbrella

8" by 8" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas, 1 and 2/3 inch edge. This photo is really hard to get right to match the painting. The yellow is not this strong. SOLD

I've been away so long I almost forgot my password to log in to Blogger. We've had computer trouble, hopefully it's fixed now. I have a backlog of a few paintings to add over the next few days. Right now I need to go find a very noisy cricket hiding somewhere in the kitchen. I thought they were summer bugs.

Lime Bright

The sun was bright today! This was after a cold day with snow yesterday. This is a 6" by 6" acrylic on gessoed masonite. SOLD

Palimpsest Exhibit

Here are some photos of our exhibit at the ACU Cockerell Art Gallery. It was a great night, over 300 people came! It opened on Abilene's monthly Artwalk, Feb 14th and will continue until March 7.

The second picture down is of Robert Green, Kenny Jones and me. We're standing in front of a couple of Robert's wonderful mixed media pieces. The last photo is of Kenny and me, his drawing is on the right and my painting is on the left.