"On the Table" art exhibit ends Saturday at 5:00

Just a friendly reminder that if you are local to Abilene and have been meaning to catch my exhibit at The Center for Contemporary Art, it closes Saturday, January 30th at 5:00. Many many thanks to all who have already seen it! You have been incredibly kind and supportive and I can't express how much it means to me. Below are all of the paintings that were in the show. Most are just partial views of the painting so if you want to see full images you can go to my website, http://pollyjonesart.com  There is also an exhibit statement on that page.

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Road to Abilene small mixed media landscape painting by Polly Jones

Road to Abilene by Polly Jones

detail of Road to Abilene by Polly Jones

Here is my version of what I saw while driving one late afternoon on the road from Abilene to Brownwood. Mesquite trees against clouds...I wanted to capture the grey with all of the more subtle bits of color going on. I went a little crazy with the thick paint and using my squeegee tool.  It has graph paper and a bit of map as a part of the layering with text from vintage books and paint. This didn't really capture what I saw so I'll have to have another go. The challenge and possibility of getting it next time is why I keep painting.

6" by 6" acrylic mixed media painting in my Etsy store here.

Free Shipping code and January Cure

January Cure by Polly Jones

So I'm signed up for emails with assignments from Apartment Therapy blog for getting your house in shape. I haven't truly kept up with it except for buying the flowers to show your home is worthy of this simple pleasure. So, I'm naming this "January Cure" after the project since I painted my flowers today instead of decluttering my living room. 12" by 12" on canvas, for sale here.

I am having free shipping right now in my Etsy store. To use it, you would enter the code THANKYOUSHIPPING1 at check out in the box supplied for that.

Facing fears and Cactus in Flamingo Tin mixed media paintingFla

Cactus in Flamingo Tin by Polly Jones

I hope you are doing well. Just want to share how I have been facing some of my fears lately. Specifically, on Saturday I was invited to The Brownwood Arts Association about an hour and a half from where I live, to come talk about my art. Public speaking has been a terrifying prospect all of my life. Seriously, I'd rather have minor surgery. I am much more comfortable hiding out in the studio. However, I'm becoming less fearful in general... and the small group of people at the Art Center there was so lovely and welcoming that it was actually a fun experience. (for me)

I'll report back later to let you know if it was a fluke or not. In a couple of hours I'm going to The Center for Contemporary Arts to talk to the Junior League!

Shell on Stripes original small mixed media painting by Polly Jones

Shell on Stripes by Polly Jones

This seashell painting is one of my new favorite small pieces. It gave me fits until I resolved the thick texture mixed in with the text. It is a very physical little piece, object like at only 5" by 4" on gallery wrapped canvas with a 3/4" white edge. It may be hung without a frame.

It's just listed in my Etsy store here.

Rhyme for Roses mixed media still life painting by Polly Jones

Rhyme for Roses by Polly Jones

It's title is in reference to the page from a Golden Book Encyclopedia underneath the paint about Mother Goose Rhymes. I absolutely loved painting this one. It only came together when I put the top band of invented colorful wall paper. The roses and jar were painted directly from life as is my usual process. I like to combine observation with invention.

In my Etsy store here.

Some paintings from November

Blue Day Pair by Polly Jones

Geranium Sprig by Polly Jones

Lime on Dots 2 by Polly Jones

One for You, One for Me by Polly Jones

Welcome Roses by Polly Jones

I did a group of ten paintings for a pop up shop in a boutique called Posh Pony in Midland, Tx. These are a few of  the new ones I did in November. I forgot to photograph my favorite one!

New prints on Society6 and a brief sale

Tea For Joanne by Polly Jones

Supplicant by Polly Jones

Monday Pears by Polly Jones

I have added three new prints to my Society6 page and have a promotion code for 20% off and free worldwide shipping on anything on my page over there. Just click this link in order to get the sale.

 Promotion expires December 5, 2015 at Midnight Pacific Time. *Free Shipping offer excludes Framed Prints and Canvas Prints

Etsy sale through Monday

PollyPainting.etsy.com

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful! We are still eating turkey and enjoying family time this cold rainy weekend. The tree is decorated, the mantle is half decorated and boxes and tubs are littering the rest of the house.

If you are shopping this weekend and interested in one of my paintings, use coupon code "HAPPY25OFF" when checking out in my Etsy store for a discount. This sale is in effect through Monday.  I just this minute added the below blue willow bowl painting to the shop and it's link is here.

Blue Willow Bowl by Polly Jones

Pictures from my show

with Kenny

with gallery director Debbie Manns 

with Marissa

I'm a little slow at sending out pictures from my show opening at The Center for Contemporary Arts earlier this month. It was wonderful and I can't thank everyone enough who came out to the member's preview and later, ArtWalk.  I'm grateful for people taking the time to look at my work, experience it and talk to me about it. This is an honor that I don't take lightly.

I wish the photos of the installation had turned out better. They were all so blurry. Hopefully, I'll have better ones for sharing later.

Having this show forced me to do both larger and more work than normal, twenty four mixed media paintings...mostly still life subject matter. I suffered many ups and downs during this process. Some paintings flowed easily and some were a struggle to resolve. Such a learning experience! I'm still trying to put into words what I was trying to accomplish. Below is the statement I wrote a year ago.

“On the Table” is a saying that means that things are up for discussion. I like that kind of open ended consideration. I want my paintings to emerge from a visual conversation that comes from paying attention to what I see and merging that with my feelings and experiences. Combining paint, high key color, drawing and collage elements help create a place of simultaneous visual experiences. These layers are a way to work out ideas about the paradoxes that I find to be a part each day. It’s an exploration into the possibility of transcendence in the midst of ordinary life.

I’m usually focusing on the stuff on the table in front of me. I hope that it will connect with others. The domestic sphere is a shared experience. Everyone has this everyday life in which they pick up their favorite coffee cup and eat that apple or pear or smell a flower. 

Many of the still life objects I paint are inherited pieces that have personal histories and meanings. I especially enjoy painting glass. Glass has it’s own metaphor of how we perceive. It sometimes creates a distortion and sometimes acts as a clarifying lens. Here we go with the paradoxes again.

Sale time in my Etsy store

I'm having a major sale over at PollyPainting.etsy.com. With the coupon code HAPPY25OFF you get 25% off of anything I have listed in my store including the large ones. The code is simply entered into the available box at checkout. The small pear paintings above have already sold. (I sent a newsletter out with the code earlier today) This sale will go on through November.

Signed and delivered

The day I've been working toward for over a year is here. I delivered 24 paintings of varying sizes to The Center for Contemporary Arts today. Below is the last one painted for this show. 

A Little Close, 30" by 40"acrylic mixed media still life by Polly Jones

I'm full of mixed emotions - excitement, relief, vulnerability, and worry about will there be enough to fill that space. The emotion I'm hoping to settle on is serenity that I did the best I could:) I hope you will come see me at the reception on November 12 during ArtWalk! I'll be posting more details later. 

33 Years of Flowers original mixed media still life painting

33 Years of Flowers by Polly Jones

30" by 40" acrylic mixed media painting on canvas. Painted from my anniversary bouquet this summer.

From the Garden large acrylic mixed media still life painting by Polly JonesFrom the Garde

From the Garden by Polly Jones

36" by 26" acrylic mixed media on canvas. I began this one back in the spring and finally finished it about a month ago. Predictably, now that I just uploaded the photo of it, I'm second guessing if it's truly finished! I've fallen a little behind in sharing work on this blog, but have recently updated my website at http://pollyjonesart.com/

Dear friends, thank you so much for your interest in my art!

Pumpkin Painting winner

Pick Your Pumpkin Giveaway winner for 2015

Thank you so much everyone who took the time to comment and enter my painting giveaway! I really appreciate your kind comments and support of my work. You guys are the best! There were over 60 entries combined from the blog, Facebook, and Instagram. I'll be mailing "Time Traveler Pumpkin" out to @wintergreenwoods as soon as I get her address:)

6th annual pick your pumpkin painting giveaway!

Easy as Pumpkin by Polly Jones

Polka Pumpkin by Polly Jones

Pumpkin in Bright Light by Polly Jones

Thursday Pumpkin by Polly Jones

Time Traveler Pumpkin by Polly Jones

Pick Your Pumpkin Giveaway paintings by Polly Jones

I can't believe I've been doing this for 6 years! I love fall. Plus, I'm truly grateful for all of you who keep track of my work and support it. It makes my creative journey that much more joyful. If you would like to enter this drawing for a free painting - just comment below with the one you want. I'll announce the winner on Saturday. If you haven't already subscribed to my blog (so you can find out if you won) Follow this link to Small Wonders Daily Paintings and look for the box to enter your email address for posts by email: http://pollyjones.blogspot.com/

I'm also posting about this giveaway over on my instagram and facebook page.  I post things in these places in between blog posts if you're curious for more behind the scenes stuff.

Stood Us By original mixed media still life painting by Polly Jones

Stood Us By by Polly Jones

I have been working back and forth on several large paintings...trying to resolve them in time for a November show I'm preparing for. When I get better photographs I'll show the lineup.

This one has all kinds of things going on in it. a kind of soup that is an expression of my grieving process for my mom and thoughts about the afterlife. In the lower right is part of a print of one of Monet's Cathedral paintings. (Steal from the best, right?) Other collage elements are: birds, mummies, a harp and other musical instruments, a page from a1906 theological book on prayer, chart of coins, a biology drawing of an arm, and bits of maps.

30" by 40" acrylic mixed media on canvas.

Sugar Bowl Bouquet original mixed media still life painting by Polly Jones

Sugar Bowl Bouquet by Polly Jones

Side view detail of Sugar Bowl Bouquet by Polly Jones

I have lost about a week of studio time with a stubborn cold. I did catch up on some Hugh Grant movies and managed to work some on this still life, a 12" square painting I did of my mother's green depression glass sugar bowl.

A landscape painting of Yorkshire

Yorkshire by Polly Jones

24" by 24" acrylic mixed media on canvas. Painted from a reference photo taken when on our study abroad trip. 

on the easel now