Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees green blue purple mountains skies

"Sketch for 'The Dance'" is a 5x7 acrylic and pencil  on 140lb watercolor paper. The margin around image allows for framing with a matt. This is up for auction through eBay, directly or via Daily Paintworks. Link is to the right if you would like to bid, and bid starts at 99 cents.

I did this sketch from a painting, which is the exact opposite way most paint.  I liked the oil painting, and thought it would be fun to try it out in mixed media. I happened upon this spot while taking Dave Santillanes' workshop. He is a wonderful teacher and artist. Nice person, too, which is nice.

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

Deer Creek Rhythm is a 5x7 mixed media painting using acrylic, marker, ink and pencil on 140lb watercolor paper.  There is a small margin around the image to allow for  framing with a matt, if desired. This piece is up for auction on eBay and through Daily Paintworks ( link to your right) and starts at 99 cents.

Driving along Deer Creek one evening, while driving my son Nick's friend home, I was forced to a screeching halt by this scene. The play of cool blues against warm willows just arrests me everytime!

Oh, the beauty of this earth!

Note to artists: Did you notice what I just noticed? The composition sort of slides the eye right down and off the left side of the painting, doesn't it? Don't you hate it when you inadvertently break a rule you are well aware of? I  bet lifting the tree on the left up and over the mountain, or sloping the mountain on the left up and to the left, instead of down would help. I will sit on this for the time being, and just try to remember the rules next time.

birds owls owl Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful modern mixed media abstracted

"Wise" is a 5x7 mostly acrylic plus pencil,ink and marker mixed media work on 140lb watercolor paper. I left a margin for framing with matt, if desired. Image plus margin measures 6x8".
Click Daily Paintworks if you would like to place a bid. Bidding starts at 99 cents.

I like this little guy's face.  Did you know that it is very difficult to determine the sex of an owl?
I learned this from reading a wonderful, intriguing book by Stacey O'Brien called Wesley the Owl.  I highly recommend this book!!!  I fell in love with owls after reading it. Oh, how I wanted an owl for myself.  Knowing this, my very good and wonderful friend, Kay, bought me a precious pet owl, (stuffed, but-oh well.... ) She left it on my doorstep with a lovely note. What a nice surprise to come home to. Thank you, Kay!!

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful Owls birds

"Wisdom" is a 5x7" acrylic and pencil sketch on 6x8" 140 lb watercolor paper. I left a margin of paper to make framing with a matt easier, should you choose.  This painting will be up for auction on eBay today at 5:00 pm.  Bidding starts at $0.99.  Hard to beat this bidding price. If interested in bidding, access auction through eBay or through Daily Paintworks ( link on your right)

I fell in love with owls after reading the book, Wesley the Owl by Stacey O'Brien

What a remarkable, poignant story.  I very highly recommend this book.

I also wanted to step out of my comfort zone and paint an animal for a change.  Had fun doing this.

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

The plein air artist has to be tough, hardy,determined and positive.  I don't know of any plein air artists that don't have several adventures to recall.    Painting is tough enough, but add to that a sudden wind blowing your whole set over, changing light conditions, bugs, animals, people......and on and on.  It is amazing any of us attempt plein air painting, but there is a real positive side to it.

More on that in the next post.

Goodnight and thanks for checking in!

Would you like to bid on this piece? If so, click below.

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Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

You may recognize this scene if you have driven through Leadville, CO.   I love this conglomeration of structures.  This little sketch is a cropped and abstracted acrylic and pencil done from one of my larger paintings that is currently hanging at Leomyka Gallery in Leadville.

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Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

Blue and Pink Floral is a 5x7 acrylic and pencil abstract sketch on 140 lb watercolor paper.
Acrylic paints, like pastels, allow for the brilliant use of color that is otherwise hard to get away with in oil paints.  This is my opinion, anyway.

Thanks for checking out this blog!

This is up for bid on eBay this week:

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Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

Snow-Covered Road is an acrylic and pencil sketch on 140 lb watercolor paper.  What a versatile medium, acrylic!  Love it!  There are many ways to apply this medium for varied effects: thick, like an oil, thin like watercolor, or layering, as in pastels.

I am very thankful to work as an artist.  I truly can't wait to get to the studio and work every day!!

This painting is presently on eBay.  If you would like to bid on this piece, click the link below:

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Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

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Neighborhood stroll is a  5x5 oil on canvas.  I walk this path regularly with my dogs Rex and Ren.  Loved the light gleaming off that gorgeous willow and the contrasting colors of the willow with the path.

Below is the wonderful start of a poem to go with it by my dad,   musician, entrepreneur and poet, Ted Haines:

Creek ice edging here and there below the shadowed
Bank above the creek where bundled snow will add its
Watered weight to overflow and flood the valley's
Wild shrub still painted now in ruddy tinge.

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

Today's self-challenge was to paint with colors I normally don't tend to pick up.  It is so easy to fall into the trap of using the same color schemes in all one's paintings.    I believe it is helpful to force yourself out of the rut occasionally.  New discoveries happen.
This fuchsia piece is up for grabs on eBay this week. It is a miniature pastel framed in a quaint little table top frame, ready to brighten your office or home. These make neat little gifts, too.
Click below to bid.

Bid on eBay here!

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers floral red green blue purple mountains streams skies sunsets

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Pastel miniature floral painting.  

This was a study on red on green:  how much of two vivid colors can one get away with on such a small scale.  I have darn near equal amounts of the two.  Generally a no-no.  But once you learn the rules, it is fun and helpful to try breaking them to see if you can get away with it  I will let the viewer decide.

This one is up for bid on eBay this week.  The link is at top left.

Thanks for having a look.

Tracy Haines Original fine art landscape plein air colorful Colorado snow water trees painting

The morning started out overcast up at Lair of the Bear.  Well into this plein air piece, however, the sun popped out and I did what every experienced artist knows better than to do:  I chased the light!
My teacher/mentor, Kevin Wechbach, would say that I have not clarified the visual approach here.  Is it light and shadow?  Is it local tone?    Still, ( and don't tell Kevin) I like the spontaneity
and freshness of the piece.    It is an 8x10 oil study.
Artists:  join Plein Air Artist's of Colorado ( PAAC) and start painting with us!

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I am starting to play with acrylic again.  I like it; especially when I treat it in the manner I do pastels. (That is, layer upon loose layer.)  Still much to learn, but that is the fun, challenge and beauty of art
This red cardinal was painted on 140lb watercolor paper. It is a 5x7.

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Thanks much for reading this post.

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers mountains streams skies sunsets

It's become tradition for local Denver plein air painters to gather on New Year's Day to paint out at a pre-selected location.  This year it was Roxborough State Park and the weather wasn't too terribly bad.  It started out a  foggy morn, which allowed plentiful use of the gorgeous grays artists love to mix.  I challenged myself to use only 3 primaries plus white, and liked the color I got.  ( truth be told, it was more of a lazy move than a challenge: I didn't really feel like packing more than a few tubes of paint that day.)

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Tracy Haines Original colorful art Colorado landscape paintings water trees New Mexico daily

Yesterday I described the start of a wonderful PRT ( painting road trip) to Taos and Santa Fe with my friend Holly.  After an unforgettable day at  Kevin Macpherson's place, we headed to our motel in Taos.  (I highly recommend this hotel,  the Sagebrush Inn. Rooms were large, with very comfortable beds.)   Next day we toured Fechin's old home  studio before heading over to visit wonderful painter, Clarence Medina's studio.  Very nice man and talented artist.  Clarence arranged to meet us the next morning to show us some of his favorite plein air painting spots.  The three of us painted together from this particular location.   After this, Holly and I headed to Santa Fe to hit some galleries.
What a trip.
This piece measures 9x12 and is named  Hot Day on the Rio.  It will be listed on eBay soon.

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Kevin's Pond, 6x8 Oil

 My good friend and painting buddy,  Holly Kernes and I decided it was time for a PRT.  A Painter's Road Trip.  We headed down to Taos and Santa Fe for about a week and just had a wonderful, splendid, thoroughly enjoyable time.  We got very lucky, and found we had timed our trip quite by accident to correspond with a free demonstration and paint out with renowned artist Kevin MacPherson.  The demo was at his home near Taos and the paint out was of his beautiful pond.  I had bought his book years before and had, quite frankly, fallen in love with the pond he painted and showcased in the book.  The book, entitled,  Reflections on a Pond was a  series in which he painted the pond every single day of the year.  Each painting, believe it or not, is  completely unique.  Each varies in color or composition  due to different lighting conditions and seasons.  It was thrilling for me to be able to take my own stab at that little pond I had become so fond of through his 6x8 paintings in that book.  What  kind and generous hosts Kevin and his wife Wanda were.  They  opened their home to the artists, gave us a tour of their home and provided a delicious spread of food and wine to enjoy after a long and hot afternoon of painting. What a great start to an unforgettable PRT.  I will describe our next exciting adventure from the road trip in tomorrows post.

This is the start of a trail I use to run with a friend, back when I was running like a crazy person. ( 45 -60 minute runs up and down through the mountains).  I have seen so many rattlesnakes on my hikes and runs.  My poor dog got bit once when I stepped right over what I thought was a branch in the path. When the "branch" moved, I screamed,  dog attacked snake, and rattler bit dog on the face.  She almost died.  We now have a very, very expensive mutt.  ( people love to point out that my dog gallantly saved my life.  This is the romantic view, but probably not quite true.)
I write all this hoping the name -ah! yes, Matthew Winters, would come to me.  Wow, over 50 and the mind just doesn't work quite like it used to.
This piece was painted at Matthew Winters with Plein Air Artists Colorado.  Fun group of artists.  Google PAAC and consider joining if you are a painter.
This piece already sold on eBay, and I hope the auction winner is enjoying it!
See more of my pieces if you would like to bid on my art at the  link below. My website link is visible on your right.
Thanks for checking out my blog.

click here to bid on eBay. Search TracyHaines original art

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers mountains streams skies sunsets

If you have been following this blog, you probably recognize this as another Lair of the Bear painting!
Yes!
I LOVE Lair of the Bear.
This was done plain air- then tweaked a bit at home.  I was painting with my friend and wonderful artist, Dennis Rhoades.
Up for auction, if interested click link below:
click to bid on eBay. Search TracyHaines EB26

Thank you!

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers mountains streams skies sunsets

Colorado Fall Study EB 21

This gorgeous spot stops me in my tracks every fall.  It is not far from our small, special retreat in the mountains.  My family loves to ride motorcycles and ATVs up here.  Many of my paintings are of this area; especially in autumn.

This is up for bid on eBay. If you are interested, get into the action ( well, I do hope there is action, anyway) by clicking this link below.

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Thank you for checking out this blog post.

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers mountains streams skies sunsets

Yellow Floral is a miniature pastel painting on Wallis sanded paper.  Framed in a tiny table top gold frame, this makes a fun and unique gift for art lovers.  Or it can go on an office desk to brighten your day.  And no need to add water.

If you would like to bid on this small piece, it is up for auction this week. Below is a convenient link.
Thank you for visiting my blog and please consider sharing this post with your friends.

Go to ebay auction to bid: search Tracy Haines EB25

Tracy haines Original fine art for sale affordable pastel oil acrylic paintings on canvas wall art impressionism expressionism colorful colorado trees flowers mountains streams skies sunsets

Another miniature pastel color study painted on Wallis sanded paper and framed behind glass in an attractive gold table top frame. These are helpful for me to do because I can quickly get a sense of how colors work together.  When successful,  I sell them as small inexpensive works on eBay and make larger paintings from them.

If you would like to bid on this, below is a link to eBay.

Thank you for visiting my blog!
Click here to bid. Search TracyHaines EB24

Tracy Haines original fine art colorful Colorado impressionists expressionist canvas wall pastel oil acrylic paintings

Miniature pastels are fun to do as color studies.  Many of these are turned into larger paintings for galleries. They make great gifts.

If you would like to place a bid on this piece, below is a link to eBay.

Click here to bid on eBay. Search TracyHaines EB 23

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Tracy Haines Original fine art Colorful Colorado landscapes oil pastel acrylic impressionism expressionism wall art canvas for sale affordable

The juxtaposition of warm against cool was fun to do.  This small piece is called Warm Winter Eve.  I love painting winter scenes but hear that people don't like to buy them because they make them feel " cold".  Who knows. This one should help them feel warm.  Either way,  an artist's job, at least as I see it, is to convey the beauty in life on canvas.  One hopes it speaks to someone else and brings joy and happiness.  This piece also happens to be  a pastel. ( 2 marks against it, poor thing.)  (Some art collectors worry that pastel is not as long lasting as oil or acrylic. This is not true. Pastel is pure pigment bound up and held together by a substance such as gum tragacanth.  It is the same pigment used in other media such as oil. It is every bit as long lasting.)   Pastel must be framed behind glass though, or it will smear.  An excellent museum glass is essentially invisible.  I like to frame larger pastel pieces without a matt and with good glass.

If you would like to bid on this piece of art, below is a link to eBay.  Search TracyHainesOriginal Art EB8.  And thank you again for taking the time to check out my blog!

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