Courtyard Fern

Courtyard Fern, 6 x 8 in.

I worked with a really muted palette today--partly due to subject matter, partly for fun (yes, muted is fun for me....). This asparagus fern sits in the courtyard of our home, and has just been reborn after freezing this winter.

-julie davis

Mid-day Graze

Mid-day Graze, 5 x 7in.

donation to Arthouse 5 x 7 Art Splurge, Austin

Coming back to painting even after a short break, I realize that I will tend to use more palette knife to bring a painting to completion. On something like this, it doesn't take much, but I really love what it adds.

Before I was a painter (four short years ago), the very loose, "edgy" paintings where the brushstrokes were obvious and lush were the ones to which I was attracted. Learning the process of painting and everything that goes along with it takes so much effort, that finely tuning what one truly loves about a result takes a bit to happen. All this to say, I think I'm getting closer....

-julie davis

Late Afternoon

Late Afternoon, 5 x 7 in.

donation to Arthouse 5 x 7 Art Splurge

Oh, for some rain! It seems as if every other year we have too much, and every other, too little. This field should be ripe with wildflowers and green, but the majority is still brown. We're hoping for some rain this weekend, just in time for Easter and all of it's outdoor activities. But I'm not going to complain. :)

It's so good to be back at the canvas again after a couple of weeks gathering my thoughts and energy post-show. It's interesting what a little time away does, good and bad. I feel a bit rusty, but coming back after a break seems to set me on a new and often more focused course each time.

-julie davis

Oak Alliance

Oak Alliance, 9 x 12 in.

If you've followed for the last month or two, you may notice that this is a little bit larger and slightly different version of "Early Morning Oaks," posted on February 16th. I changed the sky to work in the clouds, which altered the entire time of day / mood of the scene. Both of them appeal to me, but I did have more fun with the brushwork in this one.

-julie davis

Guadalupe Fenceline and Show Photos(!)

Guadalupe Fenceline, 9 x 12 in.

sold

A huge THANK YOU to all of you who came to the opening at Davis gallery last night! We had a huge turnout, and many paintings found new homes, including this one of the treeline on our property in Hunt. I'm still grinning! Bill Davis and his staff handled the opening so well--the work is beautifully put together, and I hope if you weren't able to stop by last night, that you'll come by this month. It's all up through May 7th.

You asked, so I've included a few photos from the show below. My dedicated and ever-supportive husband, Ben, took all of these pictures but the first; a big thank you, love.

Stephen, me, Laurel

friends, and...

family :)

-julie davis

Trail at Lost Creek

Trail at Lost Creek, 12 x 16 in.

sold

Austin has many preserved green spaces--greenbelts, and there are so many wonderful walking/running trails that wind through them. This one follows a small cliff for a while and is so peaceful--it can make me feel instantly like I'm out of the city.

-julie davis

River Valley Elms

River Valley Elms, 16 x 20 in.

donation to ARC of the Capital art auction

The weekend is approaching, and I'm getting excited about the opening at Davis Gallery this Saturday night. I stopped by the gallery yesterday with a friend and saw it all up, and I have to say-- it looks amazing!! Bill Davis (I keep saying no relation--but really--no relation!) has done a beautiful job of hanging the work so that the pieces compliment one another and the show really flows.

The two other artists in the show, my good friends Laurel Daniel and Stephen Parker, have pulled off tremendous bodies of work. If you're in the Austin area, I hope you'll have theopportunity stop in and see it. Kudos to Bill Davis and Laurel and Stephen--see you Saturday!

-julie davis

Old Farmhouse

Old Farmhouse, 9 x 12 in.

sold

The thing that charmed me about this old farmhouse was its cloak of trees. The house stood safely tucked behind them, but kept enough distance to allow sunlight to shine across the front yard. This piece is at Davis Gallery in this month's show.

-julie davis