Flanegans' Muse: 2016

Thursday, December 22, 2016

joy to the world!

May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home.

May good and faithful friends be yours wherever you roam.

Irish Blessing

elf | oil on panel | 6" x 6" | Flanegan

Merry Christmas and Joy-filled Holidays to all! We wish you peace and safe travels.

Friday, November 25, 2016

Gratitude Pie

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation

is not to utter the words, but to live by them.

John Fitzgerald Kennedy

I hope you're enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. How wonderful to gather, catch up and share blessings with family and friends.

Earlier this week President Obama honored 21 Medal of Freedom recipients, the last of his term in office. No other president has celebrated more individuals with this distinction.

During the ceremony, he mentioned how this inspired group was special to him - how they all influenced his life in a powerful way. President Obama said, "It's useful, when you think about this incredible collection of people, to realize this is what makes us the greatest nation on earth. Not because of our differences, but because in our differences we find something in common to share. And what a glorious gift that is."

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

vote

There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded.
Mark Twain

whiskey tango foxtrot | oil on panel | 24" x 39" | Flanegan | commission

This painting, which began as a commission for a friend, grew in size and meaning to be a commission/gift combo for her and her husband. Somewhere along the way, it became a bit of a political commentary - you tell me what Thumper and company are thinking.

How could one not be affected by the presidential campaign? The pasture was painted during the September debate...I had no words for the performance, only brushstrokes.

May God give us the strength to unite as a nation no matter who is elected President.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Rooted Men #3

Emerson has beautifully named trees, 'rooted men.'

In many ways they excel man. A tree seldom or never encroaches upon the liberty of another tree, if it can be avoided. Usually, 'both parties' settle equitably and without 'due process.' A tree recognizes that its liberty ends where the next tree's liberty begins.

John F. Carlson, 1929

Rooted Men #3 | oil on panel | 9" x 12" | Flanegan

Monday, September 12, 2016

KC

In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.

Terry Pratchett

KC | oil on panel | 7" x 7" | Flanegan | NFS

This is KC. When his humans are traveling, I'm one of his caretakers. That's when he's attentive and sweet, when I'm there to feed him. However, the expression I see more often, when his humans are home and I'm visiting, is this I've-already-eaten-that'll-be-all look you see in the painting. He's smart, full of cattitude and an absolute delight.

Everyone's a critic.

KC's painting was the companion piece to sweet Samantha:

Thursday, September 8, 2016

Gothic Gateway

Gothic Gateway | oil on panel | 12" x 12" | Flanegan | $575

This trail leads Peanut and company to the upper pasture. I was drawn to the dappled light and how the trees seemed to form a Gothic archway over the path.

It was partly sunny so the values fluctuated throughout the morning, high-contrast in between clouds to low-contrast with the sun behind the clouds. Which turned out to be a good thing - usually when outdoors, I paint at a faster pace. This time I was forced to slow down and wait for the passing clouds. That said, a quote credited to Claude Monet came to mind, "Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment."

: )

The opening of our Plein Air Austin Exhibit is this evening, 4-6p at the Corridor of Art, 700 Lavaca in Austin and you are most welcome to join us! Due to tighter security, it's a tough window of time for our guests, but the show will be up through November 7th.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Peanut and his Posse

Peanut and his Posse | oil on panel | 12" x 12" | Flanegan | $550

This painting stirred a memory of a TDY assignment at Lowry AFB, now the Denver International Airport, where a friend and I had the weekend off so we decided to head to the Rockies and climb a mountain. We were young.

One false peak lead to another and to another. We stopped for a breather and gasped looking at each other - our hair was standing on end. We were so focused on getting to the top of the mountain that we didn't realize a storm was brewing. Break time was over.

It was kind of like that when I painted this one, but safer as I had my truck for shelter. It's easy to lose yourself when surrounded by such beauty, this time at the Bar Ten Creek Ranch. The cloud formations were incredible with varied shades and intensities of stormy blue - so striking that I didn't paint the trees' foliage.

But I had to remind myself that as commanding as the clouds were, they weren't the main attraction here. My painted commentary was of companionship and feeling safe. That's what I wanted you to see in this painting. It amazed me how Peanut and his miniature donkey buds felt protected enough to sleep with a front moving in. How we all should have faith through thick and thin. So there you have it, it's all about hanging together during the storm.

Tomorrow I'll post my third favorite entry in the Plein Air Austin Exhibit.

: )

Sage

The Sage | oil on panel | 11" x 14" | Flanegan

Yesterday we hung the Plein Air Austin Exhibit at the Corridor of Art in Austin.

This is one of my favorites of the three paintings I submitted to the show. We've had more rain than usual this summer and the landscape is lush with gratitude. Interesting how, for me anyway, the painting experience lingers more with outdoor work than studio work. It was about 5:30p and I had finished up in the studio. Kerbey and I went for a walk and coming back, the early evening light was so striking that I knew I needed to take my easel outside.

My muse, my sage. Kerbs continues to inspire.