Blue Heron #2

“Blue Heron #2”
20” x 16”
Unframed - Oil on Canvas
Available at $800.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 16, 2006

I have been painting on this for three days now. Each and every time I call it finished and photograph it I return it to the easel for more paint. It is driving e crazy. For now I call it finished. Perhaps I will return to it one day.

Tomorrow I have to go to Billings and take down a show I have had up at McCormick Café, teach a cycling class at the YMCA, and happily visit with my eldest daughter, Karie, and grandchildren, Marcus and Christopher. Follow that link and see a painting I painted of them when they were both one year old. They are three years apart in age.

Sentinels - November 14, 2006

“Sentinels -November 14, 2006”
8” x 10”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite
Available at $150.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 14, 2006

This painting describes the majority of the day, snowing with the sun trying to find its way out of the clouds.

Great Blue Heron

“Great Blue Heron”
16” x 16”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite
Available at $750.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 13, 2006

I started this yesterday and finished it today. Quite honestly I don’t know for a few days if I have actually finished something not. Paintings are like brand new love affairs it takes a while to be able to see their faults.

This was painted from a photo that Karl took in Shark Valley, Florida. While I was painting he was touring.

I forgot to tell what happened while I was painting in Shark Valley. I was positioned behind a wood railing that was about two feet tall. There was an older gentleman watching me paint and chatting with me. There were many other people near a building not to far away. Before the fellow came along, I watched an alligator skim across the water and try to take a non suspecting bird. I’m not sure if he got the bird, it was so quick and them he was gone. I was sitting there thinking about how stupid the bird was to have held still for so long. Then I started thinking about how long I had been sitting there painting. How stupid it might prove to be. Then this older man came by and while we were talking I forgot all about the alligators. Suddenly an alligator flopped himself up on the grass about two feet in front of me. I flew back out of my chair, saying one of the most familiar four letter words. When it was over the old man and I laughed at the language that had sprung from my mouth. The alligator moved on. I think he was like my old rottweiler, Carma; he just got some sort of thrill in watching the humans scatter.

Hibiscus

“Hibiscus”
6” x 8”
Unframed - Oil on Linen on Board
Available at $100.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 12, 2006

The first time I saw this flower was at Treasure Harbor in the Florida Keys. Pam and Pete Anderson are the owners of this wonderful marina. While staying on one of there beautiful ships Pam made everything special. Each day in the breezeway there were several of these beautiful flowers resting in a fresh bowl of water. I commented to her that I thought they were too beautiful to pick and she told me that they only live for 24 hours so we might as well enjoy them.
Now living in Montana, one would think that these sun lovers would be hard to come by, but I found a plant at a local nursery this past summer and brought it home to the mountains. It is only about two and a half feet high, but produces a flower every now and again. The last time it blossomed I mistakenly thought, I’ll have to paint that one tomorrow. By the next day it was dying, limp and shriveled.

As I was painting this today I thought about the idea of what if we only had one more day to live, how would we spend it? If we could be beautiful and vibrant for only one day, would we reach towards the sun and thank God for the opportunity to beautify his world?

Broadwater Pond

“Broadwater Pond”
10” x 8”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel
Available at $150.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 11, 2006

This is a plein air painting that I started on August 18 and finished today. Broadwater Pond is 4 miles up the trail from here. It seems to be nothing more than a wide spot in the river, but it is crystal clear and a wonderful turquoise color. Without seeing it these colors in person they are hard to believe.

Gumby Rides Pokey

“Gumby Rides Pokey”
10” x 8”
Unframed - Oil on prepared masonite

SOLD

Laura Marie Anderson © November 10, 2006

Another fun painting. I can’t begin to say how much I enjoy painting these childhood memories. If you enjoy these two, check out their solo portraits, the November 3rd and 4th paintings.

Windy Day

“Windy Day”
11” x 14”
Unframed - Oil on Canvas
Available at $125.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 10, 2006

I started this painting on the 8th, when it was very windy. The wind blows so hard here, it will actually pick the water up off the lake. Today the winds have picked up again, so I decided to finish it.

Autumn Love

(Full Painting)

(Detail of - Moose a 5" tall in Painting)

“Autumn Love”
24” x 36”
Unframed - Oil on Canvas
Available at $1,900.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 5, 2006

Autumn Love is a painting celebrating the mating rituals of moose. As part of their foreplay, the bull stands behind the cow, and then tips his head back so that his horns almost lay upon his back. He then snorts in, curling his upper lip back and rotates his head in an arch from left to right. It seems to be an endorphin inducing practice; the bull intoxicated.
I had the opportunity to sit in a canoe and photograph these two. He was definitely head over heels for this cow, but since she was limping she would have nothing to do with him and just turned and walked away.

Buffalo Hot Springs

“Buffalo Hot Springs”
18” x 24”
Unframed - Oil on Canvas
Available at $800.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 5, 2006

I have been working on this painting for sometime now. I started reworking it this past summer in the lodge while working in the store. Last week I took it out for some more paint and then again today; I am finally satisfied with it.

Pokey

“Pokey”
6” x 8”
Unframed - Oil on Linen on Board
Laura Marie Anderson © November 4, 2006

Where would Gumby be without Pokey? The same place as Roy Rogers would be without Trigger and The Lone Ranger without Silver. Ah, those were the days. Again, painted on linen.

Gumby

“Gumby”
8” x 6”
Unframed - Oil on Linen on Board
Laura Marie Anderson © November 3, 2006

Gumby was another one of my favorite toys. All the childhood memories that came flooding back while painting this little gem, made me laugh and smile from ear to ear, many times while I was painting this. I intentionally painted this on linen.

Flowers

Old

“Flowers”
20” x 16”
Unframed - Oil on Canvas
Available at $600.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 2, 2006

One of my, against the wall, paintings. I decided to rework this one. This one had such potential; I couldn’t resist taking it to the other side. I started this painting while the flowers were fresh and finished it when they were nothing but a memory.

Lost Peaks

"Lost Peaks”
9”x12”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel
Available at $175.
Laura Marie Anderson © November 1, 2006

I was in the house working on another flower painting. After an early lunch, I noticed how lovely it looked outside. The sun was shining and the atmosphere was as clear as a clean sheet of glass. The lake is already freezing over and so far, since we haven’t had any wind, it looks like there will be some great ice skating this year. I decided to bundle up and go out for a walk, in spite of the temperatures nearing 10 degrees. I had on my darkest sunglasses and yet it was still incredibly bright out. I walked around the lake, past the beaver pond and about half way down to the Links, when I decided to turn back and get my paints. I followed some wonderful moose tracks back toward the house around the lake side of the lodge and then down the road, right in front of our house. I decided to go down canyon a bit and try to paint the Lost Peaks, as I call them. Lost Lake is right behind the peaks that are on the right side of the painting. I hope you all enjoy. Back to those flowers tomorrow.

Rodney - Carnival Cruise Musician

“Rodney- Carnival Cruise Musician

”6” x 8”

Unframed - Oil on Linen on Gatorfoam

Not For Sale

Laura Marie Anderson © October 31, 2006

This fine young man was the lead singer in a Jamaican band that played on our cruise ship during the same vacation this past February. I had him write down his information but can’t seem to find it. His full name, country and email address are in an older journal or sketch book, but I haven’t been able to find it. If and when I do I’ll email him and send him the painting.
The band played one set of Jamaican music and then came back in the afternoon for – believe it or not – a set of country music. They did both very well, and their accents added something special to the second set. I painted this while sitting on the deck. It was very cool and windy that day. Most anything that wasn’t weighed down on deck that day was blowing about. I like the painting, but knew something wasn’t quite right. Today, I checked photograph I had taken on the ship and added just a touch of paint under his chin.

Shark Valley

“Shark Valley, Florida”

6” x 12”

Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel
Available at $150.

Laura Marie Anderson © October 31, 2006

This painting I did plein air at Shark Valley National Park in Florida, while in vacation last February. I was so blinded by the lighting that the painting was very dark and the birds were not even close to white. Anyway, I had to look up the name of the place so I found this site with pictures. (Do come back to my page :>))
http://www.great-florida-vacations.com/shark-valley-gallery-1.html
I think the painting is just about right now and I found a bunch of other photos I took on our trip of lovely exotic birds that I may paint sometime this winter.

Red Lodge Ponds - Fall

“Red Lodge Ponds – Fall”

14” x 11”

Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel

Available at $140.

Laura Marie Anderson © October 31, 2006

I painted this a long time ago, perhaps two years now. I never liked it, but had no idea what to do with it. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I never photographed it, so there’s nothing to compare it to.

Hubbard Squash #2 Reworked

Reworked Paintings: I spent the day working on five paintings that I didn’t like for one reason or another. Most of them have been facing the wall for sometime now, expect for the Hubbard Squash #2 that I painted on October 20.

Old
New

“Hubbard Squash #2”
9” x 12”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel
Available at $175.
Laura Marie Anderson © October 31, 2006

Wood Toy Airplane

"Wood Toy Airplane”
6”x8”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel
Available at $100.
Laura Marie Anderson © October 26, 2006

I am posting the Wood Toy Airplane I at the conference in Helena. Another great toy that brings back many great memories.

Wood Toy Train - Sold

"Wood Toy Train”
6”x8”
Unframed - Oil on prepared Masonite Panel
SOLD
Laura Marie Anderson © October 30, 2006

This little train is the partner to the wooden airplane I painted while in Helena that I have yet to post. These wood toys remind me of the hours of fun my sisters and I used to have at our Grandma Anderson’s. Nothing but our imaginations and someone’s creation and we had hours of fun. Much more creative than the video games of today.

Due to bad roads and bad timing, I have cancelled my trip Rapid City. I have a solo show December 1, at the Toad and Willow in Billings, Montana.

Trip to Helena

Last week I was traveling to and working in Helena, Montana. For the past two years I have coordinated and ran an art show in conjunction with the Montana Conference on Mental Health. This year there were 108 entries from Montana artists all who suffer from some type of mental illness. The show was great and it is quite a rewarding process, for me as well as the artists.

I did manage to get one painting done on Thursday, October 26 as I had some volunteer gallery sitters that day. Unfortunately, the other days I did not. It is a 6x8” painting of a toy wooden airplane. I will be painting another toy tomorrow: a small wooden train.

The airplane painting is in my car down in Roscoe. I have been leaving my car down there as it does not like the snow. Tomorrow I will carry with me, my mini office and try to get to the pictures sent out from some destination on my way to Rapid City. My friend is ill and I am going to help her for a few days.

I had access to WIFI in Helena, but since I am using Outlook, I would have had to change my POP setting to send out and receive mail. I am learning how to do that. I will try my best in Rapid City. Wish me luck, Laura