View from the Hill

6 x 8 in., oil on panel

sold

Earlier this fall I painted with Plein Air Austin just outside of Austin on some land near the Salt Lick (a relative barbecue institution around here). I came away from the paint-out with several studies, and this piece was derived from one of those 30 minute studies. 

For those of you in Austin for any time over the holidays, Davis Gallery is up and running with its annual Holiday Show. I dropped several new pieces by the gallery last week for it, and Bill, Jen, and crew there have been hard at work hanging everything to have it all ready this week. The show is open now through January 9. Stop by if you get the chance!

Lastly, I'm officially on Instagram now: @juliedavisstudio--give it a look:)

-julie davis

Hillside

Hillside

8 x 6 in., oil on panel

sold in Hurricane Harvey fundraiser for the Rockport Center for the Arts

Small cedar trees like this one dot the landscape in and around Austin, and soon some festive folks will begin decorating the roadside ones with tinsel and ornaments in celebration of the Christmas season. Last year I managed to do a painting of one near our house. I'll definitely try to get to one again this year. 

I liked the way this tree had a small cut in the ground that led up to it with the grasses working to fill in the gaps. I've done a slightly larger version of this study for Davis Gallery's annual holiday show that opens soon here in Austin--I'll announce dates when I have them.

-julie davis

Study - cattle

Cow Study

9 x 12 in., oil on panel

nfs

This is a quick study I did from some photos I took out in Center Point, Texas. Though cattle are slow, they aren't ideal models because they tend to move around a bit more quickly than I can manage to paint them. I never thought I'd be studying the anatomy of cattle, but life is full of surprises. I actually enjoyed a new type of figure and a deviation from trees for a minute.

-julie davis

The One with the Blue Shutters, study

6 x 8 in., oil on panel

sold

Taking two months off from posting was never my intention.  I promise that much has been going on beneath the surface. Like a duck's feet paddling underwater, I've been invisibly at work (and play), and I'll send out a newsletter soon with more about that (sign up for it on my website: www.juliedavisstudio.com), but it's time to get back to posting.

I came across this little apartment on our trip to St. Remy in Provence a while back, and admired the blue color they chose for the shutters so much that I stopped to take pictures. I decided to only paint the upstairs--there was not much going on at the street level. I think I envy whoever lives there. 

-julie davis