Laurie Pace - Fine Artist

'Large Sunflower in Progress' 36 x 36  Oil on Canvas SOLD COMMISSIONED PAINTING IN PROGRESS. Contact me for commission work. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website       We finished our angel tree shopping yesterday. We had chosen a seven year old girl to buy for and went to Old Navy for clothes and to Target for toys.  We love doing this every year.  T'is the season to be giving from the heart and your time to those that are in need. Terry had thrown out my wreath for the front door. SO, he took me to Hobby Lobby and helped pick out things to put together a new wreath for the front door.  He had bought a live tree for us to decorate and then hopefully plant after Christmas...but dad gum it looks like a Charlie Brown Tree. It is pretty pitiful.  We are going to address that this week.  He helped decorate the fireplace and move some things around for Christmas ...

'Hurried' 24 x 36  Oil on Canvas Do not know who I painted this for, but it is available and can be shipped in the next week out for a holiday gift.  It is a palette knife painting with my well recognized colors and buttery paints. You can click on the close ups and see the work pretty well enlarged. Specially PRICED to sell for Christmas and newly painted. Email me if you are interested.   Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010   I left these higher resolution so you can click on them and see the paint close up. My Blog My Website     In church yesterday Pete preached on the word TRANSFORMING.  The childrens word just prior sampled out popcorn seeds...and how they change from a hard seed to a soft puffy piece of popcorn. They kids were studying Saul transforming and changing to Paul.   Pete spoke out of Mathew 24... and spoke about transforming and change...and always being prepa...

'Mountain Herd' 3 ft x 4 ft  Oil on Canvas SOLD Commissioned Painting for Ocean Prime opening in Denver, Colorado. Will be hanging in a private dining room. Contact me for commission work.  Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Website     We made our turkey yesterday and it was really good... and we now have our official LEFTOVERS!!! I worked on the sunflower yesterday and the guitars, but neither are finished.  This is a short Sunday blog because we are heading to church in a few moments. We got up late. Today is the first Sunday in Advent and preparation begins as we focus for the celebration ahead. I had received a note from a reader that made me tear up today. I wrote her last year "your life is already different"... and she shared that she kept that in her heart this past year and found power to begin healing. Your life is truly different every day and you are empowered to make changes ...

'Mountain Herd' 3 ft by 4 ft framed  Oil on Canvas   SOLD   Commissioned Painting in PROGRESS...watch for finished piece in the next few days. This painting is for a private dining room in the new Ocean Prime Restaurant opening in Denver near Christmas Time.  It was an honor to be commissioned for this painting.  I am about half way through the piece and it will go to Dallas to the Dutch Art Gallery for special framing and then crated and shipped by a top art handling company to arrive in Mile High City. Contact me for your own unique painted pony pull. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Thanksgiving is a day to remember in prayers and thoughts all of our blessings as well as the blessings of our country and it's beginnings.  It is celebrated in the US and Canada, as well as in Leiden in the Netherlands.  Many today call it Turkey Day.  Takes the roman...

'From Darkness to Light' 18 x 24 inches Oil on Canvas SOLD Commissioned Painting Contact me to commission a painting. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     The best part of Thanksgiving is the family gathering together and sharing a meal.  We had turkey at Stacey's house and she and Larry out did themselves again in their preparation of wonderful food. All of our kids were there and we only missed having my Mom there and our grandson Jonathan.  We actually kidnapped our granddaughter for the FIRST TIME...she is staying with us away from home.  First time for her, for mom and for dad.  Stace and Larry are going to get up with the early birds to hit the sales. Her best friend Shannon is going with them as well.  Meanwhile Bampa and Oma have the Tink.  On the long drive home we stopped at Steak and Shake and she had chicken strips and a vanilla malt...her first. ...

'Sunflower progress...' 18 x 24 Oil on Canvas SOLD Contact me for commission work. Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website         Thanksgiving!  A short blog as there is much to tend to in the kitchen.  I cannot believe the graciousness of our Lord in all He provides us on a daily basis in our lives.  No life is perfect. Every one faces change that brings smiles and tears.  I am thankful for a family that can rally together and care for each other in the good times and the bad times.   I am especially praying today for the troops across the seas.  I totally rips my heart to know so many fine young men and women are laying their lives on the line in foreign countries trying to bring a better place to people they do not even know.  I am praying for our nation's leaders and for all the world to find the peace that passes all understanding.  May your ...

'In Progress Sunflowers' 24 x 18  Oil on Canvas SOLD COMMISSIONED PAINTING IN PROGRESS Contact me to commission a painting. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website    WOOHOO... yesterday was a free day. I don't take many of those. Vicki picked me up and we drove to Longview and went to the mall.  WOOHOO... Mt Vernon is only a tiny northeast Texas town, but Longview has a mall, a Target, a Best Buy and many other familiar stores to us transplanted from Dallas. It was also only about 40 minutes to get there.  A bit better than the 90 minutes to Dallas.  Cannot wait to try out the Mexican Restaurant by the mall next trip with Terry. We spent three or four hours in Dillards as we shopped until we almost dropped.  I only have two things to return that did not go with a skirt I was dealing with... and as we made our way out of Dillards to the car, Vicki said, "WAIT, we have to go down...

'Evening Sunflowers' 24 x 18  Oil on Canvas SOLD COMMISSION PAINTING IN PROGRESS Contact me for commissioned work. Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     I did begin a painting today.  This is one of two sunflower pieces for a new collector in D.C.  You can watch it's progress. I promised a lesson here or there... so this one is a writing lesson. Artists must have imagination and feeling in order to create... so choose one of these and really write about it.  You can send it to me to post if you are brave! 1.  You are an eraser on the top of a pencil.  The third grader that has you in his hand is taking a math test.  Tell me about your next ten minutes.... as he removes you from his pencil bag all the way until the test is finished. 2. You are a blade of grass... it is early morning and the sun is just up. Describe how you feel...and then describe more ...

'Wind' 6 x 6  Oil on Canvas SOLD Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Today I will paint.  After being gone I am ready to paint and the weather is warm here, which is odd.  We will have afternoons in the seventies for the next few days.   Watch for some small gems for gifts in the next few days and a few more FREE give aways. I was thinking about doing some different things on this blog as well.  I may start doing a few lessons sprinkled in here and there for artists or at home moms or home schooled kids. After teaching so many years I have a unique group of lesson plans I could share.  Let me know if you might be interested in this and if you are, I will start doing it.  Yesterday in church Pastor Pete spoke about Cain and Abel. When you just basically read the story in the bible it makes you wonder why God would just 'c...

'Rocky Mountain High' 24 x 30  Oil on Canvas Available At Mirada Fine Art Gallery, Denver CO Email Steve. Contact me for Commission Work. Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Website As we were driving back yesterday from St Louis to home, I was so tired I drifted off to sleep several times lulled by the motion and speed of the car.  The trip was pretty nice, but we started out early at six in the morning with our first destination STARBUCKS in a small town about an hour and a half down the road. We had decided that was breakfast as we each had a Starbuck OATMEAL and Terry had a mocha Grande.  The we were off into some pretty thick fog for the next two hours and the temps were still just above freezing. As we crossed the Oklahoma border suddenly it was 64 degrees outside and cloudy.  Lunch was at Braums in some small OK town. We had to stop because the roads were so choppy and bumpy it set off our ESP ...

'Portrait' 12 x 12 inches  Oil on Canvas SOLD Contact me for Commission work. Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Just a short note this morning.  We are still in St Louis with family. We should be heading back to Texas soon.   Okay this did not post...so I am posting it now as we have just arrived home Sat evening. Keep in mind always there is Divine Order in our lives. Each event leads us to the next one in our lives on the path God has created for us. Each experience provides knowledge and gives us wisdom in our next experiences in life. Trust in His divine order in your life today.   Laurie   "Truly I direct my steps by all your precepts, ...the unfolding of your words give light."  Psalm 119:128,130

'Treasures by the Sea' 24 x 36  Oil on Canvas SOLD Commissioned Painting  Contact me to paint your children for that special holiday gift. Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Bless my husband Lord for his stable presence in my life.  Thank you for placing him at my side to do this journey.   We are safely in St Louis, actually just south of St Louis in Pacific Missouri.  St Louis is where my family is originally from. I was born here years ago.  Coming to this weekend to celebrate the life of my Aunt is bringing together the cousins that have been close from birth.  We are those 'stair step' cousins; we are all two years apart, well almost all of us.  My youngest brother arrived 11 years later, so he broke the cycle you might  say.   But being here has brought back even more memories, good memories.   Looking around the roo...

'Hurried' 24 x 36  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Short blog as we are set to travel. I may miss a day or two, but please come back to visit in a few days. I will try and at least blog when I can, but there will not be new artwork.  This painting I am still debating on if it is done or not. It is wanting a new home for the holidays and it is priced specially to be affordable.  Email me if you are pulled to it.   I may keep working on it.  I thought of the word UNEXPECTED after the phone call of my Aunt's death.  Life is filled with change, big and small. Some surprise happenings bring joy to us of good news, some bring sad news that brings us to tears. Each of these, happy or sad, bring not only change but the invitation to learn and grow from the happening. It is our reaction to the 'change' that determi...

'Exhausted' 24 x 24  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Website   Thinking ahead to the Thanksgiving celebration next week, I remembered back to those previous dinners that I cooked, served, ate quickly, and cleaned up.  This is how I felt.  It is probably strange...even for me but I had the best fun sketching it out and painting it. We lost another dear family member this week. She has celebrated her 'continuation' day and is now with her mom and dad and her other cousins.  She leaves behind a family that will always celebrate her gentleness.  My aunt was special to all of us. She loved each of us dearly for who we were and was always ready with a hug or a 'good job'.    My memories are of breakfast pastries smeared with butter on top. It was not like they were not sweet enough as they were, but at her small kitch...

'Krysta Continues' Watercolor on Aqua Board  Contact me for commission work.  Laurie    © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Monday was a cloudy cool day. I told TP mid day it was a lazy day.  We were up at six thirty and drove into Winnsboro about 9. I had a hair appt and finally chopped off the long hair. I had to wait to cut my hair while Ken was shooting the video of my work.  Pictures later.   We left there and went to visit The Jersey Girls .  This is a dairy in Winnsboro. We sampled homemade yogurts , cheeses and fresh unpasteurized milk . Oh my gosh, it was all wonderful.  We came home with a sack full.  We did read up on the raw milk and really have to debate if we will use it all the time or not.  I have to check it for my lactose intolerance . From what I have read, usually it is the pasteurization that creates the problem with lactose and pasteuriz...

'Beginnings of Krysta' BIG aquaboard...not sure of the size and will have to measure... Watercolor on Aqua board. Contact me to commission a painting.  Still time before Christmas.  Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website   Go with the Flow.  I have to do it when I use watercolor .  Let go and let it flow.  Try not to be limited by the constraints of edges or specific colors.  I probably should do a Liz Hill workshop.  She is one of the best watercolorists in letting go to let it flow. Allowing energy and fluidity into a painting is often hard. An artist has this controlling side of wanting perfection.  Wrong of course.  It is not the end product but the journey.  I guess life should be that way as well.  Let go and let God.  Allow Him the room to work in your life, release the tight control you have over it.   When I paint I tend to cling to...

'Dusk Paint' 8 x 10  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website   It is actually nice outside...nice and cold.  Not sure if it made it to freezing or not, but the drive up to Bonham to see Dad yesterday was absolutely perfect. The trees were a bounty of colors from soft yellows to vibrant oranges to deep rich reds all surrounded by the lush dark green of the tall pine trees in this part of the state.  Such natural beauty created by God.  We had lunch at Cappy's downtown and I highly recommend it. I have decided to teach some workshops next year. Over the next month or so, I will be compiling a syllabus of what I want to cover.  There are many great workshops and teachers out there now, but I have prayed about this and feel called to follow the direction I feel I am being called.  I have 29 years of teaching art woven into my past...

'Facing the Wind' 9 x 12 Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website   What a twisted day yesterday.  We left early morning to go pick up the truck in Mt Pleasant and I was all excited about the day.  Obviously God had other plans; either that or I chose a path that lead to the chaos.  From one phone call of over an hour to the next one of over two hours and back to sketching a painting or two on canvas, then working on meta descriptions and tweaking things on the www.cfaintl.com website aka www.contemporaryfineartinternational.com .... to more calls from family and then from new collector for a commission piece.  I cannot really complain because I know it is unfolding the way it will unfold and I am working as hard as I can to stay ahead of the drain.  The downfall of the day was when the CFAI site had to be removed and reloaded....

'Appaloosa Small' 5 x 7  Oil on Canvas SOLD from the Blog today! Thank you!! Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 I have fought it long enough and decided to start putting small paintings up for sale. Usually by now I have more accomplished and off to Galleries but with the Artist of Texas show and all our family things this fall, I am behind.  It is good for you though to pick up some small pieces at good prices.  I am going to continue doing horses but want to work larger again. The small ones lack the loose freedom I have with the palette knife.   I painted this afternoon and finished two more small ones you will see over the next few days. It is growing dreary with rain outside and is suppose to be cooler this weekend.  I love this weather!  Terry finished painting our bedroom yesterday and next step will be drapes to finish it...

'Fall Color 24 x 30  Oil on Canvas SOLD but watch for some more FREE paintings this week. Contact me for Commission Work Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website   When did the tree turn ruby red?  I walked outside with Paddy early this morning as the dark was lifting from the pond and realized our oak outside the kitchen window was solid red leaves.  Before me on the ground was a carpet of red fallen leaves and still a bounty above on the limbs.  The palette of fall is alive with wonderment and strong vivid hues of reds, oranges and yellows. Such will be my painting.  When we were in the midst of summer just two months ago it seemed like today was far away.  Cooler temperatures, rain and trees bearing up the regal autumn colors.  God's touch in our lives keeps change constant.  Change is something you can count on in your life and God is there with it. His light even s...

'Dancing in Leaves' 30 x 40  Oil on Canvas Re-posted because I actually got  a better camera image of it! Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie     © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Website   This painting is at the gallery in Dallas.  It is one of my favorites this year and probably because of the palette colors. Did you know that colors affect your moods? Some colors can bring out the best in your making you feel positive and energized.  Other colors can bring you to a somber point.  So what are your favorite colors?  What colors draw you in to go "AWWW"?  God as the great Creator, brings every color to His palette in our world.  Look around you and see the explosion of all the elements of art, from color to balance, to space and symmetry.  This is home. This is God and this is love. He is woven through our very being and His love and grace are a mighty force of lo...

'Finished Dinner painting' 4 ft by 12 ft  Oil on Canvas  This is the finish of this painting. It is with a decorator in Highland Park Texas. Julie Guidry is a home designer with a flair for art. Contact me for commission work. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Who are you? or should I ask, Who do you think you are? There are many people we honor in our lives who are important to us. We look to them as our mentors and we respect what they say and do as they seem to set that high example in living life and honoring God.  If you look closer you will find they not only honor God but they honor themselves as a child of God.  How can you begin to do that in your life? We all have that small inner voice that talks to us all day long.  We have that continuous conversation going in our thought part of your mind. For me that is the dangerous part.  I can convince myself...

'Joined at the Hip' 24 x 36  Oil on Canvas SOLD I am thinking about doing more trees in this series. I did a group of these trees several years ago and loved painting them. Contact me to commission a painting. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website       Back with a short blog for the morning.  We were in Dallas this weekend and we are back.  My mom welcomed us on Thursday night and we enjoyed spending my birthday together on Friday.  Saturday was the opening of the Artists of Texas show at the Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas.  Unfortunately I had a horrible migraine and only lasted a few hours before we had to leave.  Pam did such a wonderful job with Kay Wyne and Sharon Hodges helping to hang over 350 paintings.  I have pictures but have not downloaded them  to the computer yet... but I will. Terry is going to be putting more memory in my computer this morning and ...

 Still in Progress 4 f tby 12 ft   Oil on Canvas Contact me for commission work. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Blog My Website     Day off.  After today, I may take a day off from blogging here and there over the next week. We have much going on and I may not have access to do so. Every one needs a day off on occasion. I told my kids it is called a MENTAL HEALTH DAY.  When they were growing up, each semester of school if they did not have too many absences, they were allowed a Mental Health Day each semester and they loved it. They never abused missing school and it was good for them to feel like they had control. Only rule was they could not take it to avoid a test.  Sometimes mental health days provide the extra rest our body needs from the stress and expectations we have daily.  What ever the reason, God is present in every moment as you heal and relax. It is a good time to s...

'Progress from an old painting' 4 ft by 12 ft  Oil on Canvas  This is a continuation of a story on a painting I did in 2008... a huge 4 ft by 12 ft.  I just found images of it when cleaning out my files and decided to share the journey. Contact me for Commission Work. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2010 My Website     It has been raining for two days now but no one is complaining.  Suppose to rain today and tomorrow be crisp and clear. I am so ready. The rain has made for a nice birthday week nourishing me as well as good nourishment for the earth.  God is indeed good.  The next best thing was TWO birthday cards from Jan!  I thought the first one was over the top but then came a second one.  I feel loved...Thank you my heart sis. Celebrating the year and anticipating the next finds me filled with enthusiasm for God and for life.  Allowing Him to work in you will bring abo...