Getting down to business..

Hi art lovers!  I'm about to go on a journey. I wish it was to Israel! Israel is a destination on the top of my list and I'm told anyone who feels the holy lands pull should go and soon. As I contemplate my journey I'm listening to the video my son Matt is watching for the 50,000,000 time. "The Prince of Egypt." Its the story of Moses and the exile of the Hebrews out of bondage in Egypt for 400 some odd years. This amazing children's VHR (yes) VHR makes me cry every time. Maybe its because Matt loves it so much and watching him act out the parts is so wonderful to me. Matthew knows every song by heart and repeats every line almost perfectly. He came in this morning and said he needed to watch it... again. "I love Moses' words mom", what words I say? "Let my people go!" he yells, with his cute little hand pointing up to Heaven.  Matt is my special boy. He has an extra chromosome and a ton of charisma! Matthew's story is one I really need to tell... later.


Anyway, Heaven is where I spent most of last night. I was sitting in the Throne Room of God with godly sisters in Christ at my church. We approached our King in prayer over my new business. Our prayers rose up to Heaven like sweet incenses to the Creator of Everything and we sat in awe at the thought. I dedicated this new journey to God. It was exciting!


Why? Because I'm going to do it right this time. Asking God to be our CEO. Made to many mistakes in the past by jumping without asking God if it was the right thing to do.  He's in charge because the concept of business/commerce was His to begin with. So as I ponder our next move, (mine and my new wonderful parter) with God at the helm, it feels good. I'm peaceful. My path is straight ahead and my prayer is for wisdom. 


In Matt's movie Moses is just discovering his lineage and he is totally freaked out that he is not the son of a Pharaoh but of a slave.  He discovers later that in fact he is the son of THE KING and the task he is given to deliver his people is his path in life.  Moses is stepping out into the unknown with God at the helm. What a journey! I pray mine doesn't take 40 years!

vessel in the Reign

Hello art lovers...  To me symbolism speaks volumes in art. Many times Jesus spoke in parables and used, "narrative art" given directly from His Father to help people of any generation to seek, understand and unlock the eternal truths that He spoke. 

John 12:49-50 (NIV): "For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."

To try and explain my faith story through paint, using symbolism is the most efficient way to get there from my heart.  I love to study abstract art like that of one of my favorites, Picaso. To untangle a work of abstract art (assuming the artist had hidden information within the art for me to find) is a delight to my eyes and mind. 


Understanding where the artist is taking you is what art is all about. In my opinion however, at times artist abuse their gift of story teller. I mean, "every picture tells a story dont it?" Thanks Rod!

Vessel in the Reign (Glory from the Father) is a story of glory and the rhythm of His Reign in Heaven – Life, worship, death, eternal life, worship – 5'x4' acrylic and collage on canvas.  enjoy the journey.

Two very creative fathers...

Hi there art lovers, long time no write. Who cares anyway if Mary Owens writes. Well, I do. I care a lot. I care, so I'm writing about painting, about my time left on this planet and how I spend it in my studio. I'd like it very much to one day have the time and resources to create a bunch of art and for others to see it. To add to the world of art so that when I'm gone there will be art left on this earth done by my hand and maybe someone will appreciate it. And maybe someone will even learn something from it, or expand there vision of art because of it, or even to know God through my art. Wouldn't that be something... Art created by humans is meant to be seen by humans. To be appreciated or not what does it matter really?  It is the act of creation itself that matters. The God given ability to produce a piece of art is holy. We were created in His image and given the power to create. This makes us 2nd generation creators. Chips off the old block if you will. The fact that I walked this earth and painted something, or sculpted something, or glue some stuff together to make a collage matters to me and to God.  He is enjoying what we create and watching how we use the free will He gave us. Why?  Because we are His creations and He desires it.

Unlike my earth father, Jack, who spent vast amounts of time in his studio, producing brilliant works for absolutely no one to see, I want that. I want my artwork to be seen.  Jack did his art for himself. To do anything for self alone is hollow.  To give your talent away is holy.  No matter what our talent is, we all posses a talent and we are meant to give not keep it locked away or buried in a closet like Jack did.  So, that is why I write stuff and post artwork from my hand.. to be seen by other humans. Already showed this one to God.

Here's my take on the late Jack Fletcher... hope you enjoy it too. Happy father's day early!

Heap of help on the way!

Hello art lovers! wow.. 3 posts in less that 2 weeks! I'm on a holy roll!

Okay, so I'm almost finished framing "African Angel." I want to make sure its as perfect as possible so that my painting can be part of the church plant team's efforts in raising funds for the trip to Kenya. I'm hoping that her eyes will open hearts and wallets so that her little village receives the help they  need and a brand new church building where they can worship.

"In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35

Sometimes being an artist is so hard emotionally and even physically, but when God uses your talents to help humanity... which He desires from all of us... it's the most amazing feeling... to know that God is smiling when we do. I mean, that's why He gave us talents in the first place... to bless others and to give Him joy!

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..Colossians 3:23

Sorry, I goofed on my last post - correction: Bondo is in Kenya and not Uganda. Our church has a mission to Uganda every years as well. I get them confused.  Maybe someday I will be on one of those teams. I would love it!


so I'm fixing this post and adding links so you know I'm for real. feel me?
http://www.ichooseyou.net/  and  http://www.cypresscreekchurch.com

Almost forgot - I'm having an image made for gicleé prints of African Angel. I hope to sell them to recoup some of the money invested. I'd like to sell a few for continued help in the missions efforts...if anyone is interested. $50 ea.

the original is 18"x14" oil on canvas and the gilceé will also be canvas. 
add $8 for shipping.

Be blessed

....over and out!

African Angel

Hi art lovers! You'll have to read my last post to understand this one...

Here she is!  I'm happy with this painting, however, I never did pick up a brush on my night alone. I sat on my couch and watched a movie instead. I couldn't bring myself to start the painting. I was real bummed out at mo.

It was getting dark to fast, the lighting in my studio wasn't right, my old oils were hard as rocks. Not that a little linseed oil and mineral spirits couldn't loosen them up but it was just enough for me to give up.

I also never posted my last blog. I just did... if anyone cares to read about my continued frustrations in being a older mother, a full time business owner and artist who doesn't have time to paint. As a matter of fact I started this blog thing to post a painting-a-day, thinking it would be a great discipline for me and I would improve my art. Ha! So, guess I should instead call it a painting-one-day! : )

African Angel was a blast to paint once I got started. I stalled for hours then knocked it out in 1 1/2 days, about 8 hours.  I wanted to be loose with my brush strokes so the art wouldn't be tight. Thanks to Carol Marine who I watched do a demo at the Wimberley Valley Art League last week, I was able to suck it up and move on to paint it. She encouraged me and I went for it. Hope you like it too.

Pulled out my dusty oils

Hey there art lovers, I actually have a night to myself! Really exciting but, I feel kind of lost at the moment. I hope to start a new painting tonight.  My subject? A little African girl with the biggest eyes I've ever seen and a an innocent smile that says, "I dont have a care in the world or a clue about how desperate I am."

I've never painted a dark skinned person. I consider this a challenge involving a great deal of joy!  The only problem is I haven't painted with oils for almost 8 years. Scary stuff!  When I'm finished I'm giving it to a friend who will sell it at a fundraiser/concert to raise money for a mission trip to Bondo, Uganda. I hope it sells.

Okay, so I'm stalling....playing with my cat, Mogli. He is so fat and soft. He knows he's not getting my full attention because I'm scratching his ears while I type this. He really wants to bit me right now but he's stalling.

I'll post this little African Angel soon....

Another Jesus?

Hello Art Lovers! I hope you are well. Well.. I painted Jesus, again. I know.. not another Jesus painting... so over done. Ah, but I never get enough of Jesus! If He was all I ever tried to capture in a creative way, I would be happy. Michael Angelo move over. I'm captivated by this painting. For one thing its primitive. I like primitive art. Another thing is its on tortured paper, like my troubled dad did in the 50s. The Acrylics skipped over the crumpled texture and added a dimension that I love. Third thing is the nail frame. My husband helped me make it. We demolished our old picnic table so its real weathered wood. Then there are the red nails. Why red you say...Duh..turns out I'm one nail short of the 39 lashes Jesus endured before the cross. I think I know just where to hammer it in. I have to admit that this frame housed a previous Jesus I painted in 2000. One even more primitive than this one. As I grow in my faith my Jesus grows bigger in my vision. One day I'll see His face! Never again will I try to create a perfect human example because I don't think any human can capture Him... it has always been the other way around. I will always try and reflect my God given talent and hopefully my heart. Here it is hanging on the back of my house: peace...

Primitive Reflection of Perfection
Acrylic on paper and board

31.5"x37"

Time Stands Still?

Happy New Year Art Lovers!  


It's 2010!! This fact is really hitting home. Time is marching through His-story at a vaporous pace and I'm feeling my artist spirit begin to hyperventilate! During the holiday break off from school and busy work days I'm usually able to experience that amazing feeling of paint smoothing over a canvas. However, medical emergencies and moving furniture filled this one. As I reflect on 2009 I'm left with the summary of what I'm not doing in my art career.  High hopes gave way to low productivity while raising kids and funds.  So, 2010... and I begin again. Not giving up but diving in. Not sulking, but shaking my head and laughing at myself... because my kids are healthy! Thank you Jesus!  And, there's always enough food in the pantry and gas in the cars.  All I ask for this year is that time would stand still... just a little while, so that creativity might flow and finished paintings could grow so that I'd have something to show.  


If no one sees your art.... is it?  

Reflecting on simplicity

Hi art lovers... all 3 of you. It's been a long time since I've posted.

A lot has happened. I lost a dear friend and client and I have designed and painted another set. A very complicated one. I'll post a photo of the set soon. But, its been a emotional and wildly busy ride! My life has been way to complex. Adding a new set design to the mix of a full time business and a family has totally exhausted me. I know, set boundaries silly! Although, to me, overdoing it at times stretches me and grows my knowledge and I believe God will use that to bless me down the road to a growing art career. Set design is a versatile art venue. I know a lot more now about painting big, painting objects and painting fast. I'm sure it'll come in handy somewhere. The most wonderful news is I actually painted while on my recent vacation to the beach on Padre Island! First time to paint there! Off the balcony of the condo we normally rent all I could see was sky, ocean and sand. Three distinct stripes of color. As a primarily abstract artist I loved that challenge.  KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid! The weather was divine. The wind, normally raging, was only a breeze and the November sun was low in the sky. The funny thing is my acrylics were still wet almost 2 hours after applying my underpainting! Coastal humidly apparently makes acrylic act like oils. I didn't mind to much because I love oils. I think I'll call this small, simple composition, "Balcony View at the Beach". Catchy huh?  Simple was my mantra on this long awaited vacation. I hope that when you look at this painting you enjoy a simple moment of peace. The stress and pressure evaporated with every humid brush stroke. I'd like to paint this beach scene again because the beaches in Texas are endless, so I'd need an extremely loooong horizontal canvas and an extremely loooooooooooooooooo-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooong vacation to get horizontal.  later....

HIGH TIDE

This painting was painted live at an event called FLOW, "For The Love of Water". The event was a weekend seminar/workshop thing to raise awareness of the drought in Texas.  I was asked to paint live at their "quick draw" auction. I did. Here it is.  It was a blast!  


The artist were asked to paint their love of water.  I absolutely love water, of course.  And I love color. High Tide is all about the emotion and life around water. Without it we die.  Water is fluid color, excitement, movement, reflections and collections of shapes. My watery painting is called High Tide because I love the ocean, and all the interesting stuff that washes up with the tide onto the beach. 

Painting-a-day!?

Hi art lovers! 
Well, here it is. My first painting-a-day! I painted it one day and then that was it. At least I know I can!  I think I'll start a fad called a-painting-somedays. Thank you Carol Marine for showing me how its done. I have studied her work for about 6 months now and I've learned so much from her blog, site and demos.  I've read everything she wrote about painting technique and then did these apples. I also did some pears but didn't finish painting them because I had to take care of my son Matthew.  On my wish list is an actual Carol Marine work shop somewhere in Central Texas.  


I loved painting this. I call it "out casts" because I just threw them on the table and painted them where they landed. I did turn one up though. I wanted them to look like they were marching off to jump in a pie. I was hungry. I painted fast, working from a quick pencil sketch while squinting at my still life. I used evening sunlight. This is acrylic on a 12"x12" gallery wrapped canvas. I had to use acrylic because of time and my studio is in the living room at the moment. One day I will have a real studio again. Until then I paint to the sound of "Super Smash Brothers" as it pounds out from my sons Wii - RIGHT behind me - and folding clothes on the couch in between brush washings. Sounds romantic, huh? 

Rufio redefined

Rufio the dog is now a $700 dog. The vet told us to keep him calm for 4 weeks. Ha, like that's gonna happen. After 5 recent trips to the doc and another new xray he is hopefully on the mend. His foot may face a new direction, but at least he'll be in college with his owner. It's been like having a toddler around the house. We've had to baby proof and buy new shoes. Oh well, he's so cute. Here he is. Now back to art... again.

Rufio - the lucky dog.

Hello art lovers and art doers... my daughter leaves for college in the morning, for her second year. We are helping her move into her first house, of which we are paying the rent. She's sharing it with 5 girl friends so it makes the rent pill easier to swallow.

Along with all the furniture from her room, we'll be taking Rufio, her new puppy. The previous owners said he is a healer/mix, but he looks more like a bird dog to me. Rufio is sporting a full leg splint because he got hit by a car yesterday. Fortunately the car only clipped his leg, but I watched in horror and I saw little Rufi fly in the air and then down the road. He is resilient! A broken leg and road rash on his tummy are all that happened. My daughter was in tears just like a new mom, but very brave. I was a wreck, just like an old mom. So, the mutt she picked up at the grocery store is now a $500 dog.

You know I really didn't want her to bring this puppy home. I'm way to busy to worry about yet another animal. But when we saw him we all instantly fell in love. I'll post his photo when we get back from moving her up to college. He's crying right now and it's breaking my heart.

Now I get to take care of him for the next 4 weeks, as he hobbles around. So much for being way to busy, huh? Rufio and I will be here in my home studio staying calm. College daughter will be working to pay vet bills, I hope. School starts next week and I'm wondering how it will all play out.

Gotta run. Rufi is call...

Food for thought follow up

Hi art lovers,

Well... the saga continues. Cash-for-clunkers is back on. The lady who was told to bring her car back, (on the news) has disappeared. Wish I could find out if she actually took her car back. More and more people will now be able to have that great deal! Unless of course the government changes the deal. Hope that's not the change Obama was taking about.

Sorry about my ranting... Now back to art.

I'm working on my "cityscape" paintings. This is the art I tore off the wall of the set I had designed for Guys & Dolls... I hope to use it as an underpainting for a triptych. Will post them upon completion.

Over and out.

This is so funny...no one reads this stuff. I feel like I'm writing in a diary or talking to myself.

Food for thought

Hi art lovers, okay, I'm already pretty darn fed up. This is not about art but the art of standing up.

I was at the grocery store today checking out and the registers froze. So I had to wait. All the customers had to wait. The cashier walked away, turns out to get help, without the good manners of letting us know what was going on. My transaction was finished. My groceries were in my handy, green, recycled bags and my check was in the machine. I was all done. But... I had to wait. Why? Wasn't I the costumer? Had I done something wrong? Then I remembered a phrase my first boss taught me, "The customer always comes first" ... so why did I have to wait for the register to get its repair before I could go home and cook the meal for the family that was sitting in my green earth bags defrosting? Why didn't the checkout clerk just say, "Ms. Owens, your check is good, go ahead and go home"? After all I'm at that store every single day! It was so crazy watching all these people try and keep it together for fear of acting without their manners, all the while the cashier apparently didn't give a rip about anything but her job.

Dinner done and family fed, I watched the news. I saw a report about the cash-for-clunkers deal that a lot of car buyers took advantage of. The million dollar advertising champaign said to bring in your clunker for cash toward a new car. Man, what a deal, right? Hoards of humanity took them up on their offer. After all it was a million dollar ad champaign, surly its a great deal! Wonder how the auto dealers managed to pay for all that advertising?

The reporter was interviewing a woman who had cashed in on the deal. So the deal is: The customer gets a new car at a great discount. Then the auto dealers get the cash from the government, for the clunkers they collect. This is where it gets tricky, it's the government who encouraged this cash-for-clunkers deal. It's the government who said they would pay the dealers to get the gas hogs off the road as a shinning example of the new change to make us a more efficient, greener, cleaner, America.... and of course to stimulate us enough to turn around the economy. Am I wrong?

Looks like the government is not holding up to their end of the bargain. The reporter said the dealers are not getting the money from the government in a timely fashion and they are stuck with clunkers. The profit they gave up in the deal is hurting their bottom line. The car dealers are now in trouble, (again) and they want the cars they sold back! So this dealer is telling his the buyers to bring back their cars!! Remember, the government owns a lot of the car industry now.

The woman talking to the camera in the news tonight was confused and waiting, trying to decided whether she should give her car back, even though the she owns it out right. It's officially hers on paper. Her name on the contract, the car in her garage. I thought, what good manners she has, so calm and trusting, that everything will turn out alright.

So, this is a warning humans. The government is not, and will not, hold up their part of the bargain. They cant... they are out of the money they never had! After all the CEOs need their bonuses, because they are so special at what they do.

The governmental cogs turn slowly and the government will roll along at its governmental pace as it always has. This will not change. The various government offices need there vacations and their time off.

What is changing? The change is going to happen on our end... not the governments. It must roll along on its bureaucratic wheels at a pace of a government employee on his government pay.

I must roll with it and I must wait. I have good manners.

And so it will be. We will wait. We will wait for our stimulus plan to kick in. We, (businesses) will wait for our cash incentive deals to get paid. We, (consumers) will wait for our health care. We will wait for a hospital bed. We will wait for housing to turn around. Our seniors will wait for medications or they'll just have to wait to die.

Eventually we will wait for our food in long lines. No more frozen register problems. Finally, we will wait and wait and then realize our freedoms defrosted and we threw them out with all our hopes for change. The customer will comes last.

What do we get in return? ... Guess we will wait and see.

I look at people on the highway in the midst of their road rage, flipping others off for driving to slow, and wonder how they will do waiting for government food. Its gonna be interesting.

By the way, I got up the courage and walked out of that grocery store today... without my receipt. It felt great. I felt free.

My 1st Set Design

Hello art lovers!

It was a beautiful morning in the hill country of Texas. That is until now as it is already reaching up into the 100s at 10 a.m. I thought I'd post/boast about my first set design for the play, Guys & Dolls Jr.!

It was done for a kids theatrical camp which is put on by my good friend Lee Coleé. Lee puts on a "boot camp" for 2 weeks, then the kids perform what they learned for the next 2 weekends. It always amazes me what she can bring out of those young blooming actors! This was the 4th time Lee had asked if I would design her set. Finally succumbed. It was a blast but it set me back in my graphic design business and I've been catching up ever since.

Here is the design. I drew this it pencil. After working with a miniature version of the stage which the previous set designer had built. I scanned it into photoshop and then painted my pencil drawing.

This is a picture of 3 of the 6 other walls, "legs" I designed on the side of the stage. They were painted as a continuation of the abstract buildings. Didn't get a good photos of those finished.

This is the, almost, finished back wall. Made a few changed during the process but it came out almost exactly the way I wanted it to. Still needs chimney smoke and a few more stars. The wall is around 25' wide x 17' high. Painted with latex on muslin. This image is kind of blurry compared to the above digital picture, but my friend Robert Anschutz, took this photo and did an excellent job even though the light was really dark in the unfinished set. The buildings changed color with the lighting during the show. The skyscrapers are more purple and the stars were glass drops I glued on.

It was really fun, but when the show was over the production crew did a thing called "striking' the set which means they tore it down to make ready for the next show. Very alarming for an artist. So I went over to the theater and cut off my favorite parts of the design. I'm going to stretch the pieces and make a triptych cityscape. I'll post it when I'm finished. Ah, the evolution of art...

It took me 2 hours to pull the 3 large pieces of muslin off, that were glued down really, really well onto that wood wall. I had to pulled with all my weight as the production crew watched and laughed! I couldn't move my upper body for the next three days. I sure learned a lot about theater though. So, now that I'm a sucker for the thespians I was roped into helping with the next show, "Stop The World I Want To Get Off". I'm in the process of painting dragons on 2 huge oriental fans and then I and a fellow artist friend will paint the floor of the stage like the Milky Way. I'll post those when done.

Opportunities to paint is an answer to my prayers... even though it's putting me in the poor house! Maybe some day I'll get paid to do set design. Over and out.

Change continued:

Hello art lovers,

Well, this blog thing is quite an albatross. It's been in the back of my mind like homework was in high school. Something I had to do but just couldn't bring myself to do so with out a ton anxiety. Dyslexia made it difficult. Reading is still difficult. Spelling too. So if you see grammar errors or I miss a typo, I'm sorry, its my eye-to-brain communication thing getting in the way. Please give my some grace in this area. This is the main reason I'm uncomfortable doing this blog. Guess I should have a disclaimer every time I post. : )

I've gone to many other artist's blogs and I have learned so much. What do I have that anyone would want to read anyway. We shall see...huh? So, just want to share my experiences in life and with art and try and bring something helpful to others. Plus, my good friend Jeannette encouraged me to do this. So if I'm boring blame her. lol. Jeannette Cuevas is an amazing artist with a talent that wins awards!

Heres the big news: my meeting with the Witte Museum in S.A. 2 weeks ago, was a huge success. I met with the president/CEO who is now very interested in helping me promote my father's artwork. Hopefully if her plans go well a retrospective show of Jack Fletcher's artwork will result. The show will also include the Men of Art Guild, (MOAG). Jack and Cecil Casbeir, another very well know artist in those days, started the MOAG in the 50s. This is important history of the emerging art scene in San Antonio, Texas way back in the 50s, 60s, 70s. Thanks to the MOAG it was a time when art entered the lime light of growing San Antonio and the MOAG made collecting art affordable to young couples. MOAG also supported upcoming artist where they had a chance at showing their work when they couldn't afford to go to New York or another prominent place in the nation where art had center stage. Man those MOAG opening sure looked fun in the black and white images my dad carefully collected. Alas I was only a baby.

Check out Jack's work. His talent was brilliant and his art was a precursor of cynical, postmodernism. I do web site design and I'm currently updating this site to add more of his work.

My hope is that this next retrospective show (had the first one in 2000) will bring more awareness of his work and a buyer will surface. Then maybe somehow my artwork can ride into the art world on his coat tails. This is my vision. However visions don't become reality if you don't take action. If I dont begin painting on a regular basis pretty darn soon it will just be hallucinations.

If anyone has any advice on how to resurrect an artist...bring their art back to life and market them from the grave let me know.

Change

Hi art lovers, 

Change is in the air for mo.  This is my first blog post and its really freaking me out.  I mean, why am I doing this? I hope my goofy blogs fill the air with encouragement and tidbits of information about things I discover about art. But mainly I just like to laugh, at myself and at life. Hope you do too. If not well, don't read me. : )

Obviously change is the new reality in America so why not me too. Change is really important to me. Its what I go through to put gas in my car.

Change is also about to happen in my career. More on this after my meeting with a museum. Spark your interest? Hope so...

Aren't you glad you found this blog!  Phew! I did it! Later...mo