August Bouquet original mixed media still life by Polly Jones

August Bouquet by Polly Jones

Here is the larger version from that little study I posted yesterday. I used a ton of thick paint mixed with heavy gel medium and had to paint the blue willow sugar bowl quickly. It's funny to me after the fact, but my adrenaline was surging like I was in a race for my life. I had to "carve in" my details with the brush before it dried.  From my blog you can click on it in order to see a very large photo for details. The background drawing is on old ledger paper on which I drew nightshade. Nightshade fascinates me because it can be a poison or medicine, and it's classified as a weed. 24" by 20" mixed media acrylic on canvas.

Esperanza in Blue Willow still life paintings by Polly Jones

Esperanza in Blue Willow by Polly Jones

 This 6" square painting of a bouquet I scavenged from my flower pots will be headed to Australia for it's forever home. I'm a little sad to see it go.

More small still life paintings by Polly Jones

Blue Day by Polly Jones

Daisies by Polly Jones

I hope you don't mind the recent flurry of posts. I've just been having marvelous days free to paint the last couple of weeks, so I've been busy. Blue Day is 8" by 8" on wood panel and Daisies is 6" by 6" on wood panel (with lots of texture and paper layers)

I've added the teacup painting to my Society6 gallery and it is available as a print.

Small mixed media acrylic landscape, "Loch" by Polly Jones

Loch by Polly Jones

You might have noticed that I'm feeling nostalgic for our trip to Scotland last summer. I'm also really enjoying the Golden brand extra heavy gel/modeling paste for getting thick oil like paint affects.

8" by 8" acrylic mixed media on canvas in my Etsy store here.

Mown Fields 2 by mixed media acrylic landscape by Polly Jones

Mown Fields 2 by Polly Jones

I have been hard at work on some 30" by 40" large still life paintings and decided to take a break. I like them but they are not quite there yet. Painting landscapes is such a refreshing thing to do for a change. This one is from photos and memories of our trip to Scotland last summer. Oh how I wish we were there right now. Days and days of temperatures above 100 degrees here!

For sale in my Etsy store here.

Middle Pear original still life painting by Polly Jones

Middle Pear by Polly Jones

I found this older 12" by 12" acrylic on board painting when cleaning and organizing my studio a while back. Below is a screen shot of my Instagram feed that shows a part of the massive undertaking which included new shelves (from IKEA) in the lower right corner. They are great for holding my still life objects and anything else I could cram onto them. Anyone out there on Instagram? Let me know so I can follow you! I'm at https://instagram.com/pollyjonesart/

a glimpse of my Instagram feed

The pear painting is in my Etsy store here.

Answering some questions with MarquinDesigns

Colorburst Marsh by Marquin Campbell

Hello everyone, I wanted to share a couple of things today. Above is a painting by Marquin Campbell, a lovely artist that I have become friends with through the amazing internet. Her website is: marquindesigns and totally deserves checking out. I am amazed at how productive and creative she is all of the time and continues to be even as a new mom. Marquin has kindly interviewed me on her blog here. Hope you have a moment to read it as she has asked some really great questions.

Finished Commission mixed media botanical painting by Polly Jones

Just Breathe by Polly Jones

24" by 20" acrylic mixed media on wood panel. It was such a good experience creating this commission and I think that the receiver was happy with it too. I am continually amazed at the people I have the privilege to come into contact with through my artwork. It certainly stretches my horizons beyond this little town in Texas. Technology definitely has it's benefits for which I'm grateful. I've done several commissions this year and now it's time to focus on creating enough work for my show this fall. Gulp.

detail of Just Breathe by Polly Jones

Commission progress

botanical drawings by Polly Jones

I'm sharing some of my progress photos of a commission I'm working on. These drawings will become part of the layering process. Wild bergamot is on the left and thistle is on the right. They may not even be visible in the final stages. This is just the beginning.

Off the Caprock

Off the Caprock by Polly Jones

I forgot to share this tiny landscape painting from a while back. I love the big sky of West Texas and this is from a photo taken on the road back to my childhood home. 4" square on wood panel. In my Etsy store here.

Still Life with Cherries mixed media still life painting by Polly Jones

Still Life with Cherries by Polly Jones

I'm still fiddling around with the polka dot grid underneath. Seems to be about underlying order and purpose.

16" by 20" acrylic mixed media on wood panel in my Etsy store here.

detail from Still Life with Cherries by Polly Jones

Back to work

Sketch by Polly Jones

It's been a busy month. We have had family visits, a major garage sale, and last but not least a road trip to the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon. It's been wonderful but I have really missed painting. This is a sketch from Inspiration Point at the Grand Canyon. There was so much to absorb. What an amazing creation to ponder!

Sale in my Etsy store

Flowering Quince by Polly Jones

I'm having a sale in my Etsy store right now. You can use the coupon code "SummerSale15"  when checking out in order to receive 15% off. This even works on the sale section which I have expanded. Please contact me if you have any questions -- pollyjonesart@gmail.com

 I usually only have a sale in the fall but am trying to make room in the studio for new work. Paintings are stacking up in readiness for my upcoming show in November.

I found the above painting "Flowering Quince" is 24" by 36" in a stash in the hall. Somehow I had neglected to post this one from 2013. At the time I was ambivalent about it and planned on reworking it.(overworking it)  Glad I didn't now.

Supplicant original mixed media still life painting by Polly Jones

Supplicant by Polly Jones

Finally the sun is out enough to photograph. 18" by 24" acrylic mixed media on cradled wood panel.

Do you think plants could have a prayer life? Sold.

Work in progress and a newsletter signup

work in progress by Polly Jones

Hello everyone. Hope you are all well! Our life has slowed down a bit after all of the leading up to our daughter graduating from college. We are so proud of her! You think these things are never going to happen and then they do.

We've been having rainy cool days that are perfect for spending time in the studio. Above is a work in progress, 24" by 18."  It's been pretty challenging to draw this plant!

I'm in the process of finally trying to gather together an email list for those who would like to receive an occasional newsletter. I'm planning on a sale soon and would like to try this out as a way of sharing the information. If you are interested, over on my website at http://pollyjonesart.com/, there is a signup button--  http://pollyjonesart.com/newsletter-signup

Daffodils on the Sill original still life painting by Polly Jones

Daffodils on the Sill by Polly Jones

6" square acrylic on cradled wood panel. I did this one a while back and forgot to share.

Bouquet with Indian Blanket original still life painting by Polly Jones

14" by 14" acrylic mixed media on canvas. I found this nice canvas at a thrift store. It had a pre-printed paint by number flower background. I didn't go by the guides but had a lot of fun on this one.

 It's been unusually rainy here but the sun came out for a few minutes in order for me to catch a photograph. Sold

Seashell original mixed media painting by Polly Jones

Little Seashell by Polly Jones

So you might want to put on your sunglasses for this one. I painted it from a seashell on hand but the background is from pure imagination. In my Etsy store here.

Between Places, original mixed media still life by Polly Jones

Between Places by Polly Jones

I did this back in the winter. I was trying to capture that kind of cool blueish light that happens on grey days. I like the idea of a shimmer between physical and spiritual and that is why I'm using so much of the polka dot grid these days, I feel like it is a stand in for some other reality I glimpse while going about my everyday life. 30" by 40" and named "Between Places"

Field in Italy, mixed media landscape painting by Polly Jones

Field in Italy, 2 by Polly Jones

8" square mixed media acrylic on wood panel. This view may look familiar, I had done another version in more traditional colors while we were in Italy.  I really liked that view. Just put this one in my Etsy store here.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Works on paper

Irises and Peppergrass by Polly Jones

Irises in a Pitcher by Polly Jones

These are 18" by 24" heavy arches paper. There's something about working on paper that gives me permission to be more experimental. If it doesn't work out, it's easy to toss it out! The top one is inspired by an old theme I revisited-categories of weeds and flowers.

Improvised Bouquet original mixed media still life painting by Polly Jones

Improvised Bouquet by Polly Jones

I am still having fun painting the petunias. They are such the under dog in the flower world, but I'm finding a new appreciation for them. In my Etsy store here.

The One With the Dandelion original still life painting by Polly Jones

The One with the Dandelion by Polly Jones

Sunshine glinting through a honey jar bouquet was my subject here. Petunias and a geranium from my pots with a dandelion thrown in because I needed a spot of yellow. 10" by 8" acrylic mixed media on wood panel in my Etsy store here.

Mandarin on Dots tiny still life painting by Polly Jones

Mandarin on Dots by Polly Jones

4" by 4" acrylic mixed media on wood panel.  I love using thick paint.  It makes me go back and forth between seeing the image of the mandarin and cloth and then just seeing it as pure paint and paper.

Sold

Experiments in Evaporation, 2 original mixed media still life painting by Polly Jones

Experiments in Evaporation by Polly Jones

I've been a lazy blogger this spring even thought I have been at work in the studio.  Here is a 24" by 36" acrylic mixed media on wood panel done with a group show in mind at The Center for Comtemporary Arts. The theme for the exhibit is water which is a subject that's important to those that live in West Texas.