Laurie Pace - Fine Artist

'Autumn Winds' 30 x 30  Acryilc on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  Delicious.  It was delicious painting with an orange sherbet color.  But gee, look outside and see all the golden leaves tinted with this orange sherbet color and you can't help but want to paint it.  THICK paint adorns this canvas as you can tell by the ridges of paint piling on edge as I pulled the colors. The Thought : Have you ever had to pick up the phone and dial for tech support on your computer?    I added Snow Leopard to my Mac. Somehow the morning after adding Snow Leopard, several of my itune folders were empty of favorite songs, like Josh Radin and Ellis Paul etc.  I was painting in acrylic at the time I discovered this so I had to wash the brush and give up on the painting to call Tech Support. I simply cannot function in the studio with out my music....

'Morning Winter Sky 24 x 36  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  This one grew over a week's time.  It started out quiet gold and then as always erupts in color.  I do not think if you held me down I could paint a picture without a color explosion. What I love are the carved ribbons of color in the forelock and the mane, and the subtle plays of orange and blue. The Thought :  I groaned inwardly this weekend as our youngest daughter missed all homecoming activities because of her choices not to turn in math homework or study for two vocab tests in English. It was truly been a rough week this week.  I cannot believe how much has changed since Morgan was in high school. Did you know parents are able to sign on to a website and see that the student arrived at class; they can see what assignments are being given and they have total access t...

'Gentle Woman' 24 x 24  Oil on Canvas SOLD COMMISSIONED PAINTING Contact me to commission something for your home. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  She asked me to paint something special and this is not quite done, but enough to share it with you.   http://www.spiritandsong.com/compositions/1529   This is one of the songs I listened to as I began to paint "Gentle Woman".  Her nephew is also a classical Pianist and he has some inspiring music that he has written and performed on this link.  http://derekremes.com/?page_id=4   When I do commission paintings I like to listen to the music that is the favorite of the collector wanting the painting.   She made it easy.... The Thought:   God guides us to different doors to open in our lives at different times of life.   Sometimes we open the door and sometimes we don't.  More often I think we don't.  We t...

'Moonshine' 24 x 36  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting: This is a large version of a small painting I did entitled "The Moon."  The little one just sold and as I was packing it to ship, I decided I wanted to paint a big one. That is what I usually do with the little ones is use them as a test for colour and movement. The Thought: Wii is still happening in the morning.  When I do over 45 minutes though, I feel whipped.   That is what I did yesterday.  I hit the shower when I was done and dried off and began to dress realizing I was so tired I wanted to fall back into bed. The journeys we face in life are not always easy . Whatever you are confronting right now, know you are gaining both experience and strength as you go through this time in your life.   Last night I began to wonder if I was doomed as I walked into the...

'Purple Horse' 18 x 27 Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  I think it was the mood of purple that hazed over me as I started painting this black horse.  I didn't use much black.  I didn't think I like it and then I truly did like it as it developed it's very own cool personality. The Thought: It was a day yesterday of taking one step forward and two steps backwards .  I always anticipate Wednesdays to be a wash as I teach piano and guitar in the afternoon.  The day began calmly as I put in 45 minutes on the Wii...and then had breakfast with the daughter.  It went slowly downhill the next 30 minutes and then crashed a few times in the next hour.  A rainy day made traffic a nightmare at the school...ah but we were two minutes early and missed it all!  I was thanking God and singing on the way home until my cell phone rang and the ...

'Time on My Mind' 24 x 30  Oil on Canvas SOLD Contact me to commission work by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting : This is an oldie from the external harddrive. I do not have a painting that is new! I do have five, make that six drawn off on canvas ready to paint!  Stay tuned for new and approved. The Thought :  Typical conversations in our family might revolve around who is going to do what.  What is your most UNFAVORITE thing to do around the house?  Mine is taking out the trash.  I love washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms.  Each of us has our likes and dislikes.  Each of us is made differently.  The daughter still at home does not like doing dishes or homework.  She avoids both like the plague.  Our older daughter loves to bake, but 10 years ago she couldn't operate the stove. Looking out on a broader approach...not only are our daughters uniq...

'Flying Three' 24 x 36  Acrylic on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting: You almost feeling like you are flying with these wild ponies.  Painted in dimensional layers of acrylic, this painting is a conversation piece plus color. The Thought:   Morgan mentioned that there is talk of continuing the $8000 bonus to new home buyers AND offering for Refinancing as well. Granted this is in the talk stage in the congress...but it is something to hope for as many folks are still facing foreclosure.  For others, this provides a time to buy that first house and have that $8000 to help with closing costs in your first purchase. Catch up with them on their blog:  www.mortexlending.blogspot.com .  Both of the boys blog daily and I throw in some thoughts as well.  I am in three solid years of daily blogging and have rarely missed a day. My mom calls if my...

'Dance of the Red Ponies No. 362' 18 x 27  Oil on Canvas SOLD FROM THE BLOG Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie                                         © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting:   Rich reds were in my palette on this one... and I wanted more red but tempered my desire with other colors!   THICK buttery paints and a treasured pull, one of my signature pieces. The Thought : Blog is late this morning.  The computer froze up as I was finishing it and wham I had to force quit Firefox and I lost the entire thing. Even the normal save as draft was not functioning in blogger.  So this will be short and sweet as it took me 45 min to write what was here and I do not have the time this morning to repeat the exercise! Whatever His plan is, it was not for me to share what I had written. I was given ...

'Purple Haze' 24 x 30  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  The first painting was called White Knight.  I wanted to paint the subject again and sought the deep contrast of cooler colors and white. You only find slight soft accents of reds and yellows.  The paint is thick and is Holbein Duo Oils .  The Thought : The gathering of so much talent took place yesterday at the Dutch Art Gallery . The Artists of Texas had their first gallery showing.  Kay Wyne was the liaison for the AOT group and the gallery and did a fabulous job.  When you walked in  you were blown away by the intensity of the work as well as the diversity.  None of this everyone painting the same thing.  None of this "your work reminds me of someone else's work".  All original and all unique.  I will put up a slide show in a day or two of t...

'Three Apples' 8 x 10 Oil on Board  Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 DO NOT FORGET IF YOU ARE IN DALLAS, COME TO THE DUTCH ART GALLERY for our opening show today and meet the artists from 2-5pm. The Painting : Crisp colors of fall in this contrasting of hues red and green. These were honey crisp apples I bought at Whole Foods last week and as they were drying from washing I snapped pictures on my green kitchen towel. Had to paint them. Gotta love it. The Thought : More Wii today... much better as I didn't work out by 35 minutes. I do not feel as drained.  I can honestly say I am tighter all over from the yoga and aerobics. I am determined to try and do this at least five times a week added to my huge daily list...but I worry when I start humming the tune of the step song from the Wii.  Daughter says I am doing it too much. She has me working on my MYSPACE.  Yes I h...

'Two Pair' 18 x 24 x 2  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  I need to take some better pictures as I shot this last night as I finished it.  The lighting was not good.  I love painting pears. There is something about giving character and color to each one. The Thought :  SORE.  Wii makes me sore when I over do it.  I started getting up earlier and I do 30-45 minutes of Wii fit now.  Then shower and then stumble achingly into the studio to start my day.  I puts me about an hour and a half behind from where I need to be when I take the daughter to school. I keep an image of good health in mind with trying to exercise more . I know it provides more energy once you re-coop from the workout...but I am tired now.  The good I am imagining will slowly become a reality as my fitness improves.  I can already tell...

'Brilliant Color' 24 x 36  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  This is similar to one that I sold this week.  It is a second huge painting of thickly applied Holbein Duo Oils in gorgeous roses. The Thought:   Well Mr Truck was up and running and Terry drove it to work. It sounds about 2 years younger at least.  Perhaps we might have replaced the waterpump before?  I don't think so... I think they just give up.  Other than  a sore body from the contortions he made while fixing it, he is a happy camper. This was my second morning on the Wii fit.   The first day I did 1 hour of exercising. I hurt so bad the next two days I didn't do anything.  This morning I got up early and worked out doing yoga, Aerobics and running.  It takes 45 min to do 30 min of exercising.   At least I am in the normal range...al...

'Of the Earth' 30 x 30  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting:   Inspired by Spirit of Fire and the palette of earthy oranges and rusts balance by deep blues and golds... this dynamic painting evolved.  A blue eyed white horse... of the earth. The Thought:   Terry is working on his truck.    I have to pray for divine order.   He is after all, an airline mechanic with a practicing license.  He is truly good with cars and loves taking them apart.  He has rules about everything being laid out and marked.  He was good when we moved about marking and remarking boxes and wires with tags of what they go to.   He has his own 'divine order' going on. I had suggested we take Mr Truck to the fix it mechanic on Monday . We cannot be with out two cars during the week with the daughter in school.  I have to take her eve...

'Spirit of Gold' 24 x 36  Acrylic Overlays on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie                                         © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :   Another joyful piece with the acrylic layering. It begins with washes overlaying washes and then the painting.  Bright, crisp and clearly alive! The Thought : Take a breath and let it out slowly.   With this breath I want you to release your anxieties this morning.   Take another breath and feel God's breath filling your lungs...hold it for a few seconds and slowly expel the breath into the atmosphere... sharing God's breath out from your body. Be secure in Him today .  His presence and peace surrounds you and protects you as you live this day. There is joy in life and in living. There is contentment in giving and helping...

'Moon River Crossing' 18 x 24 x 2  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting : Powerful strokes of nightfall with the moon in the upper left corner.  The curling splashes of water rising up foaming around the horses as they cross the river.  Red Horse behind the White Horse.  This piece could have had several names.  As always with the thicker pieces, many layers of incredible Holbein Duo Oils applied with a palette knife. The Thought : Goodness cannot grow in Grumpy Soil .  Holding onto to negative thoughts only breeds unhappiness and discontentment. When we do this, it keeps us at a distance from the goodness of God. On the other hand, if you make room for goodness in your life , it will come.  If you let go of the negativity, the grumpiness, the judgmental attitude and you will find LESS STRESS and more joy. If you want a fuller lif...

'Spirit of Fire' 30 x 40  Oil on Canvas SOLD this morning just before I posted this blog! It is on its way to a new gallery in Shanghi.  Thank you. Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting : Just back here from my NY show, this beauty has been featured in Western Art Collector in an ad and write up last year. She is ready for a new home.  HEAVY palette knife dominates the exterior feel of this composition while strong color contrast builds the energy. The Thought : Sometimes I feel overcrowded by life .  Between the responsibilities and the personalities and the compounding of work and home life, the hours are not enough and something always suffers. I believe when we arrive at this point we are open to attack from all sides.  Evil creeps in when you least expect it during your day and often you react in a human fashion lashing out instead of walking with Him. ...

'Spring Showers' 36 x 48 inches  Oil on Canvas SOLD FROM THE BLOG! Thank you. Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting : This beauty returned from Patina at Marble Falls.  That was the gallery that had to close it doors and many of us are sad as it was one of the best of all of the galleries.  It is HUGE.  Standing four feet tall and three feet wide, is filled with the colors of rain as horses gallop toward you splashing.  ENERGY abounds from this painting. I just delivered it up to The Dutch Art Gallery for the show opening there next week, but it is for sale.  So contact me if you are interested. The Thought :  I have to stop and take a breath and remember.   I remember with warmth and a wide smile my grandson Grant.  Grant died from complications from the flu in February of 2007. He was only 11. With the Swine Flu wiping through our population a...

'On a Reach 2' 5 x 7 inches oil on board Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  This is my third small sailboat piece for the show in Dallas.  Small palette knife with big action. Note: I just finished helping the boys set up their blog... interest rates are at 4.5% for home loans... check it out! http://mortexlending.blogspot.com  The Thought :  Saying Grace ... that stuck in my head this morning.  When I was driving our daughter to school yesterday and I spotted all the different 'neighbors' out walking in the hot humid air heavy wiht moisture.  Some are older and walking slowly with a cane. Some are middle age and walking their dogs...and then there are the younger ones. These are the ones that still look fabulous in their short shorts and jogging tops and they are not walking, they are jogging. Somehow they still look unsweaty and gorgeous....

'A Horse in the Sun' 30 x 30  Acrylic on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  This began with an undercoat of Indian Yellow, swipes of Deep red and orange and gorgeous sunrise runs of paint.  Thus began this composition.  The added layers of acrylic build the horse off the surface of the canvas. The Thought : This was a busy shipping week with over 15 pieces going out to various collectors and galleries.  The market had slowed last month but was quite brisk this weekend.  I gave up trying to figure out the economy.  We closed on our refinancing loan yesterday, pulling together all our home improvement loans out on the house we have redone.  It settles everything in one loan for 5% which is a positive thing for us until we know if Terry will be offered an early retirement package. Our daughter was off for two days of Teacher Inse...

'Mt Vernon Cow' 6 x 6  Oil on Board © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 Mt Vernon Cow 6" x 6" (15.3cm x 15.3cm) Oil on Panel $100 plus $4.95 shipping and handling in the US E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries. Contact me to purchase by check. Laurie The Painting:   Okay, it is rare . I do not paint cows often. Sometimes I get into this thing that I want to paint stuff like everyone else paints.  It is on those days the brushes groan as I take them in hand, the music changes in the studio and I work on staying loose on a 6 x 6 inch panel with a YIKES ...Tiny Brush. The Thought : Last year at this time I began to pray for simple abundance.  It was a campaign mantra to the Lord that I prayed day and night.  Believing that He will provide exactly what you need, you will find yourself in a surplus situation.  Yesterday in my email a good friend from Detroit forwarded this: "On this ...

'Catching the Colors' 5 x 7 inches Oil on Board Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 No 344 Catching the Colors 7" x 5" (17.8cm x 12.7cm) Oil on Panel $100 plus $4.95 shipping and handling in the US E-mail me for International shipping rates or other inquiries. The Painting : With Fall here and sailing days limited, I desperately try and capture the feeling on canvas to have the moment frozen in memory.  Our sails are vivid with colors but when the sun is setting and the sky is alive with those colors, they seem to weave through the sails capturing all the different hues in the sky. The Thought :  My mom sends out forwards and some are good enough I hang on to them. The one thing I do not do is chain mails...remember as a kid getting a "chain letter"?  GROAN.  After I did my second one where I painstakingly copied the letter over six times and found envelopes and address...

'No. 348 A Horse of 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 :  SHEER joy in the creation .  Lots of water, and lots of color as the background is layered on in several movements and runs.  Then came the sketching and the center layers (About three or four) and then can the top layers of heavy color pull.. endlessly... and breathlessly. The Thought : Saturday was get it all done day hoping to have some rest and relaxation on Sunday.  I was going to visit Dad but due to the past few days of lack of sleep and my knee being out of whack, I followed through trying to catch up on that darn list.  I regretted it when I saw the picture my brother posted on the web.  I miss my dad so much.  You cannot put off seeing those you love today...they may not be there tomorrow, or you may not be there tomorrow. I spent the day raci...

'Where's my Mama?' 5 x 7 inches  Oil on Board Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting:  I am doing some small piece for the show at the Dutch Art Gallery. This is one I sketched out before coming sick and finally I painted it yesterday. The Thought:     Fighting the fog of sleep and hammering my hand across the nightstand I searched for the phone. The ringer is off in our bedroom but I could hear it ringing from the studio.  My half opened eyeball saw 12:10 a.m. on the clock and my thoughts were rampant by that second. I vaguely remember seeing a familiar phone number as I answered the phone.  It was our youngest son Morgan.  When I answered "Hello?" He prefaced his first words by saying don't worry I am not in jail, not in trouble, everything is okay....BUT.  Don't you hate those BUTS?  I was wide awake now.  His fiance Kel...

'Race of Three' 20 x 20  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie  © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting :  This one is still trying to dry. I painted it last week before I got sick.  I love this approach to the canvas.  I literally pull paint and turn the canvas once.  Pull more paint and turn it again. It revolved around in several circles as I pull patterns of colors on it and from there the horses begin to appear. Painted with Holbein Duo Oils on two inch thick canvas, 20 x 20 inches in size. The Thought :  The dramatics of a female teenager in the house are cause to pause and generally bring hidden smiles and laughter.  Things that would have sent us over the edge ten years ago finds us chuckling together at night.  With the response of ANNOYING for everything wrong with her chemistry teacher we had her brainstorm alternatives including just throwing in the towel...

'Tuscan Sunrise' 18 x 24  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting : THICK paint again this day with this contemporary sunrise off the cliffs.  I love the boats, and the play of the houses on the hillside. The Thought : Sometimes trying to stay harmonious with life is not easy.  Keeping balance in shaky situations calls for flexibility.   Dealing with a teenager in high school is not my favorite. They dance around everything when it comes to school and they avoid the subject like the plague changing subjects faster than you can swivel your head. Terry and I are polishing off our old dance shoes . It has been 10 years since we had one in high school. I am about 10 pounds heavier too...but ya know.. I can still think faster and I am 10 years wiser today than I was back then. SO I am finding at the times I feel that energy lagging I have to turn to my...

'Keeping an Eye Out' 18 x 24 x 2  Oil on Canvas Contact me to purchase by check or paypal. Laurie   © Laurie Justus Pace     Graphics One Design 2009 The Painting : The pull to strong colors continued through from the acrylics back to the oils.  I use too much paint.  The Holbein people tell me that too. Most paintings I do in oil may take 10 years to fully cure out.  This one will be at least 3-4 weeks out before it is dry.  I did not use any impasto...but I enjoyed every pull of the thick buttery paint that I made. Should be celebrating. There have been close to 30,000 visitors to this blog so far this year.  WOW...God is good and the word is out. The Thought : Often we find ourselves lonely in the mass of humanity around us.  Loneliness becomes desperation in the late night or early hours of the morning.  At times it can drive us to our knees wrestling in conversation with God. Almost any loss can initiate the ...