'Deeper in Color' Modern Equine Art Large Horse Daily Painting by Laurie Pace

'Deeper in Color'

24 x 36  Acrylic on Canvas

Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie

© Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009

The Painting:  It began late one night as I walked into the studio and had a glass of water in my hand. Typical in my moods as the dogs danced around my feet I poured water across the canvas and began my work.  It takes several days to do one of these paintings as the layering has to dry in between. This one took on life quickly as  the second and third layer of colors appeared and then the horse. I know I am in a groove when the eye of the horse settles in something I have precreated on the canvas.

The Thought:  Our puzzle is not progressing very fast, but this weekend Jonathan, my grandson, put together a part with lots of flowers on it.  I was working on the dreaded Victorian house in pinks. Not fun.

Let's face it, parts of life are not fun.  I don't think they have to be "dreaded', but they are definitely not fun.  I could list cleaning the toilet near the top of that list. BUT I truly love a clean bathroom and I have to get through that part to have it. 

We seem to dread things and build up an extra amount of tension in our bodies and mind when we do.  One suggestion to avoid this is avoid thinking about it.  Does not work for me.  Only thing that does is giving it to God to worry about it. Of course I can't give Him my toilet, but He definitely has experience in cleaning up big messes we leave everywhere.  If we are made in His image, do you think He begins to dread some of our antics that He is left with? That I am sure of... and even more important for me to talk to Him about it whenever I can.

I shared a phone conversation with my Mom last night.  She had been laughing about the "ducks" in my past posts.  I told her she needed to find a new duck to follow for awhile. She is limiting herself in some "ruts" lately. This vibrant woman used to have her hands in everything serving others. After my dad got progressively worse, she threw all her energy into him, their family business and maintaining everything that a couple use to do by herself.  She suffered from this loss of herself. This giving part of herself stayed focused totally on him.  We covered stages in life and how we all have to accept the aging process and then reestablish and redefine our own direction in relation to our age and what is happening around us. We all tend to remember when ... remember when you could stay up all night and keep going, or when you could run 10 miles with out loosing your breath or even when you could get eat like a ranch hand and not gain a pound?  

For me those days are GONE.  They will never be again. I can either sit and think about yesterday and be depressed, or I can redefine where I am today.   Dreading aging is probably one of the hardest challenges we face as we grow older.

You cannot plan for tomorrow but you can learn from those around you and gain wisdom for your own life as you grow each day... and growing means growing older. Growing older, wiser and even more beautiful.  Babies are cute, but so are our elderly members of our families.  Just as hug-able and needing us just as much. 

Laurie

“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands are my delight.” Psalm 119:143 

'Nana's Blue Fruit Bowl' Fruit Art Still Life Kitchen Art Bowl of Fruit Oil Painting by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

'Nana's Blue Fruit Bowl'

 Oil on Canvas

SOLD

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© Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2005

The Painting: Somehow I remain lost in life and painting is less these days.  This is one from 2005 but it makes me really hungry as I post this morning. My have to eat and come back and paint something similar. I have not painted bowls of fruit in a long time.  This is oil in a pop art type of sense. All though all of my pop art is acrylic.  Go figure.

The Thought: Went to see my Dad yesterday. Mom is really interested in trying some of the concoctions out of coconut oil and MCT mixed together and of course another added cocktail of fish oil for him.   His alzheimers is in stage 5 right now.  He looked wonderful yesterday and we enjoyed lunch together at a favorite restaurant. Afterward, Kirk stopped at a special place and brought out a small brown bag.  We headed back to the VA area to the picnic grounds all wondering what was in the brown bag. 

At the picnic area there are hundreds of oak trees all loosing their leaves right now and it was like having 2 feet of snow, but this was 2 feet of fallen leaves.  We found a picnic table and Kirk and I helped mom and dad sit carefully. Then he opened the mysterious brown bag....

Oh my, Chocolate cake with a wonderful chocolate icing on top.  It was good.  He had two large slices, one for them to share and one for us to share.  Around us leaves were floating down, the temps were about 65 and the skies were partly cloudy. You could not have ordered a more beautiful day or a more beautiful afternoon. 

This will be forever edged in my memory and sadly it is already forgotten by Dad. Every time we leave my heart weeps and I know it takes my mom days to recover. My faith keeps me sane as I realize God has my dad wrapped tightly in His arms right now and in his fading life as he fades from us, he is marching closer to God every day as his soul leaves piece by piece or 'piecefully' aka peacefully to reside with Him.  Despite the tremendous desire to want to pull him back, we cannot stop this disease from progressing any more than we can aging itself.

Where ever you are today, take a moment to stop and drink in the beauty of nature around you and hold family and friends close at heart.

Laurie

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,” 1 Peter 3:18 

'The Question of Color' Modern Equine Art Horse Oil Daily Painting by Texas Aritst Laurie Pace

'The Question of Color'

18 x 27  Oil on Canvas

Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie

 © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009

The Painting:  Here it is painted... I was going to pull paint so the next one will do that... this is heavy thick oils of Holbein Duo Oils and no impasto at all.  Just pure thick paint.  The face is carved with paint:

The Thought:  I was back at the puzzle today and decided there is still more to it.  I attack (note my words) the puzzle from the outside in, carefully constructing the outside edge pieces and then working my way into the center.  Terry is totally different.  He pulls together like pieces and begins from nothing to make something. 

I guess that means I am way more left brain and controlling, but he sure is pushing the edge of it despite his puzzle attack.   I know that is what I do in life... try to line my ducks up in a row so I don't loose any and I work so hard to keep up with them and know where they all are. I structure my life within boundaries.  Terry is out there feeding his little ducks and truly isn't worry if they line up or not and definitely is not worried about any boundaries. 

I am beginning to see a sense of freedom in it.  I am not sure it would work in our marriage if we both had that attitude, the bills would not be paid!

What do you think God wants us to do?  I believe He truly wants us to care for this moment and feed whatever duck He has put at our feet.  He does not want us running around trying to line them up and fretting over where they are hiding while frantically trying to build a fence to keep them in.  First thing I have to do is shoo those ducks away from me and sit and breathe.  Then I can turn my attention to the one nearby and focus on this moment.

Go ahead, feed your little duck today... and don't worry about the other ducks.. they will follow you; after all you have the white pail filled with duck feed. No need for fences either. Ducks can fly.

Laurie

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”- Colossians 1:9     

'Coming Soon Equine Art' Horse oil Painting in the making by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

'Coming Soon...equine art NDP'

18 x 27  Sketch on Canvas

Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie

 © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009

Close up

Close up

The Painting: Coming soon at an easel near you.... these are sketches on the canvas done with a loose charcoal. It makes it easy to wipe the canvas if you want to redraw an area.  This horse is drawn whimsically out of my head. 

The Thought: Youngest daughter and I have been working on a 2500 piece puzzle on the dining room table.  Dad jumped in yesterday as we are still sorting out edges. That is how I start at least. Dad likes to do "areas" so he began sorting a different direction.

I painstakingly study the box top picture and begin building my edges noting all the tiny detail to match up even one piece...yes it is a left brain take over.   We still do not have the edges put together.... but this morning I lingered a moment with hot tea in hand and spotted a smooth edged end piece on the top of the pile.  Before me were 30 misc pieces some pieced together for the bottom row but nothing more than three pieces fitting and many variations and combinations of that.  Suddenly this one piece fit somewhere and immediately I knew where the pieces were suppose to go.  I was able to connect 80 percent of the bottom edge together by the one missing piece.  Strange as all the other pieces were there that should have fit, but I didn't see it. 

Isn't that how our lives are?  We have all the pieces of the puzzle in front of us but we are blind to how to fit them together until that one last piece falls in front of us. Then suddenly it all makes sense.  We have that controlling need to have the 'picture' of what we are and what we are doing and we want to lock into that picture.  It is all a control issue for us in our lives.

Keep your heart and eyes open today for that one clue missing from something you are facing. It is probably there already and you can't see it.  Usually is just right in front of our faces....

Puzzling isn't it?  God is good... He knows what the full puzzle looks like for each of our lives. We are working on it without the boxtop as a guide.  We must trust in Him that it will all be put together.

Laurie

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.” 1 John 2:15-16

'Free to Run' Contemporary Equine Art Horse Oil Daily Painting by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

'Free to Run'

24 x 30  Oil on Canvas

SOLD

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© Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2006

The Painting:  We traveled to east Texas for a day away so I did not paint...so I had to pull from my archives to post today.  Sort of a blast from the past, but a colorful one of how I approached horses in 2006. 

The Thought:  Okay, when I opened my mail this morning with over 200 emails from being gone one day, I realized life has spiraled a bit out of control and I am not sure how to readjust it.  Sort of feels like trying to realign the stars, impossible for anyone but God... and you know... it is only Him that can do it.

I just read Robert Genn's weekly email and it had the best Video in it. Do not watch it unless you have extra time...it is about the making of art.  Gives new definition to "what is art".  Makes you rethink the cupcakes, the fruit etc... and widens your perspective to engage and embrace a larger vision.

I believe that is what I need to do in my life, embrace a larger vision, trust in Him and it will all be. May be good, may be bad, but it will be.  In every moment it is my responsibility to remain open and find joy at that pause.

Will you join me?

Here is the link:  http://clicks.robertgenn.com/bad-moods.php

Laurie

“God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,' and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.” Job 37:5-6  

'Full of Color' Modern Equine Art Large Horse Oil Painting by Texas Artist Laurie Pace

'Full of Color'

18 x 24 Oil on Canvas

Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie

 © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009

The Painting: FULL of color. Full of energy, FULL OF PAINT. Working with my favorite palette knife this painting has it LAYERED in every direction with every color and all of it is Holbein Duo Oils...thick and buttery professional grade oils. These folks tease me that my works may not cure for 40 years...but they will be around a long time.

The Thought: Life is richer and fuller when I paint these painted ponies.  They are fun and full of energy and mysterious in the same breath. The joy in my heart spills over into the work on the canvas and through this work I hope you can feel the creativity of the Lord.

Whatever your favorite past time is, do it.  Somethings are more enjoyable than others, but something has to bring a smile to you and joy to your heart.  Sometimes if I am on a roll I can find joy in just doing mundane tasks.  I especially can do this when I think of those in our lives who can no longer do those things.  I give heartfelt thanks that I have the ability to do those tasks I normally dread.  God is so good.

Happiness is an inside job...work on it.

Laurie

"He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouts of joy." Job 8:21

'White Arabian' Modern Equine Art Large Horse Oil Painting by Laurie Justus Pace

'White Arabian'

30 x 30  Oil on Canvas

Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie

© Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009

The Painting:  I tried hard to paint something quiet and still like with this one and I just could not do it. The softness is here but it is in living color.  Edward Gordon told me once to paint what is in my soul and he was right... it is color and the everlasting color that pulls me through the composition. I cannot and will not paint things that are not 'of me'.  I will never be the typical daily painter of fruit and candy and cupcakes. I could probably tweak my love back to people as Edward paints, but right now I will celebrate the painted ponies every day.

The Thought:  I love selling pieces off the blog.  The November Ponies are going to Colorado to live and I am so jealous.  Although I am not sure I would survive the cold of their winters, I love and appreciate the beauty of that state when ever I visit.  Even Wyoming...the southern part of Wyoming must be the armpit of the state.  It seems endless and barren, much like the panhandle of Texas. BUT then the rest of Wymoing is dripping in gorgeous.  This past summer we drove through the Red Desert and I would return there just to explore that region.

No matter where we are every day, there is beauty to be found in His grace and the beauty that exists in that day.  Many times we are stuck in a situation of pain and depression and it is so hard to find that ray of sun that breaks into a rainbow.  If you are there in the darkness right now...I am praying for you. I am praying His Grace wraps you in His care and somewhere today you find that beacon of light to guide you from the darkness that holds you back.  Look around and find something that pulls at a positive memory from a moment from your past.  Could be that small scar on your leg you got when you were riding like the wind on your bicycle, remember how glorious that felt? Or how about that photo on the table of your parents. They may not be near by to help you but there love always surrounds you. 

Reach out to someone today.  Reach out to God.  I am praying for you.

Laurie

"The spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."--Job 33:4