I found some notes that I had for a long time in Self-Critiquing your art work. 

Does your painting portray emotional excitement, or is it dull, strained, and sterile?  Did you capture a mood, or just mimic a scene?  Did you take liberties to communicate the deeper psychological meaning of the scene?  Did you make others feel what you felt inside?  What emotional theme did you portray? Verbally identify it.  Is it cheerful? Somber? Dreamy? How did you portray that theme?  Through the color or value scheme?  Dramatic linear movement?  Textural qualities?  Emphasizing, downplaying, or omitting objects?
Remember:  the color and value of a preliminary tonal wash can set the stage for your message, suggesting the time of day, atmospheric conditions, and even the season.  Did  your preliminary tone work for or against you?

Is the canvas shape and size consistent with the mood of the painting?  Did you select a comfortably rectangular shape for a generally peaceful scene?  A vertical canvas for a forcefully upright composition?  A long, horizontal canvas to complement a flat, barren panorama?  Or a squarish canvas for a starkly solid or angular subject?  Did you  choose a large canvas to enhance a majestically grand subject?  A small format for a delicate theme?  Experiment with various sizes and shapes to find the format that best conveys the mood you want.

How did you divide the space in your painting?  Did you make the scene predominately a landscape, skyscape, or closeup?  Or is your decision ambiguous and unclear?  Did you divide the picture in half horizontally or vertically ___ creating a boring composition?  Is the horizon line decidedly above or below the halfway point on your canvas?  Think in terms of unequal divisions:  thirds and fifths are more intriguing than halves.  Within the compositon, did you divide anything into equal portions with another object, for instance, did you place a tree at the center point of a building, visually dividing it in half?  Also check the spaces between the edges of your canvas and any objects, such as buildings or bridges.  If you placed fence posts or trees within these spaces, did you accidentally divide them in half rather than thirds or fifths?  And have you extended the principle of unequal portions to the lighting____creating a predominately sunny or predominately shaded scene?

Did you guide the viewer along a visual path to the focal point and on through your picture?  Have you created a rhythmic linear movement from side to side and front to back____leading into the picture, not abruptly out of it or into the corners?  Have you chose a definite compositional scheme, such as an L-shape or a coil?  Are your lines compatible with the mood you want____lively, zigzagging diagonals or lazy, horizontal lines?  Is this skeletal framework too obvious?  Did you subtly echo the linear movement using stops and omitting unnecessary objects?  Check how objects meet:  be sure they don't just tickle each other or the edges of your canvas.  Remember:  time spent planning and organizing your painting is never wasted energy.

Did you arrange the objects in the scene artistically____using mostly odd numbers and placing things with rhythm and balance?  Have you echoed the shapes, repeating with variety?  If you used just two objects, is one large and one small?  Have you aimed for an odd number of groups with an odd number of objects within these groups, including any windows or doors in buildings?  (I hope you did not make your openings look like dark holes?)  Remember:  don't center objects.  And take special care in placing animals and people.

Did you attract the viewer's attention and hold it?  Is there a single, clear focal point?  Does anything distract from it?  Have you used contrast (light/dark, warm/cool, bright/dull) to emphasize your focal point?  Squint your eyes, reducing the scene to three values, and look for any spots of contrast that distract from your focal point.  Did you control the degree of contrast at the center of interest, keeping it in line with the mood of the scene?  It's best to reserve strong contrast for dramatic themes.  Did you establish the strength of your center of interest early and then key the rest of your picture to it?  Don't forget the strong psychological effect of people and animals, as well as certain manmade objects.
Is the center of interest well located on the canvas?  Remember: don't center the focal point or place it distractingly close to the edges or corners.  Instead, place it at a point that is a different distance from each edge.

Has the perspective gone awry, making the scene unbelievable?  Or, at the other extreme, did you make the objects mechanically correct, but stiff and boring?  Remember:  a slight distortion can be personable and entertaining.  Also explore raised or lowered vantage points.  If you placed the objects in your picture in boxes, is the perspective on those boxes correct?  Mentally trace perspective lines from the basic geometric forms to their vanishing points.  Is the pitch of the roof correct?  Check the angle with a straight-edge.  Are enough building corners visible to create a balance between the need for mystery and for security?  Are centered doors and windows correctly located?  Do they slant accurately toward the vanishing point?  Are trees and other organic objects properly drawn according to their relationship to the horizon line____above, below, or head-on?  Did you taper the tree limbs correctly from trunk to limb to branch to twig?  If your painting includes a river, road, or path, does it lie down, or is its vanishing point correctly above the horizon line?  Check the perspective on your clouds and cast shadows too.  Finally, are manmade objects and living beings the correct size for their surroundings?

I have three paintings started but have not finished.  I have one that I am doing for my daughter and it is her Siamese cat Kristie.  She has two Siamese cats and the other one I did not get a good photo of so I am not going to do that one. The name of that one is Smokey.  

I have had lots of compliments on my flower paintings and I am going to do some more this year of some that I have not painted before.  I also want to do some other subjects that I have not attemped yet. 

I have updated my art inventory, and took some photos of birds that were feeding in our back yard which were Cardinals, Robins, and other birds and getting food before the big rain came that we had on Thursday night and also on Friday.

I stocked up on some of my art supplies last year so I would be ready for a new year and interesting subjects to paint.  I really like the Linen Canvas which is green label for the Frederix canvases.  I also like the blue label which is the portrait canvas.  I am liking the Gallery Wrap canvases because you can paint on the sides and not have to have a frame for the painting.  

I have had many compliemts on "The Last Supper" painting that I did which was a commissioned painting  for a friend back in 2006 as well as some of the other Biblical paintings that I completed. 

We had snow three times in the month of December 2009 and that was exciting because we don't get snow very much in Texas.  I had to take some photos and I try to  have my camera ready for photos that I don't want to miss.

My oldest granddaughter Rachel is going to take driving lessons next month her mother told me and then she will probably get her license sometime later in the year.  Her younger sister which is only one year apart will be not far behind her in wanting to get her driving lessons also.  They are a one year apart to the day.  

Rachel is the granddaughter that does art and she is still doing art but not like me her grandmother.  She is going to take some advanced classes her mother told me the other day. 

 









 

This is an original oil painting by Ruth Housley done on a llx14 cotton canvas.

I love all kinds of flowers and have painted many of them over the years.

These are so delicate and only bloom for a couple of weeks briefly.
Rochester, New York is the Lilac Capital of the World.
On August 18, 2006, New York State Governor George Pataki proclaimed the Lilac as the State bush.
Aside from Roses, there is no flower as beautiful and aromatic as Lilacs.  Of the two, Lilacs have a stronger scent that carries quite a distance. 

Song of Songs 2:1 "I am the Rose of Sharon, a Lily of the Valley."

This is an original oil painting by Ruth Housley. I enjoy painting wildlife and especially birds as well as domestic ones.  I have painted geese before with a Border Collie chasing the geese off of the pond.  My brother works with a border collie and this is what he has to do to keep the geese from messing all over the grounds at some of the grounds in Washington, DC.

Psalms 24:1 "The earth is the Lords; and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dewlleth therein."

This is an original oil painting by Ruth Housley on Linen Panel canvas. This was an inspiration I had over a year ago that the Lord showed me in a vision of ladies praising the Lord.  The ladies are praising and giving thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ because HE has wonderfully and magnificiently made by the creator.  They are giving praise for the blessings in their life and all the times HE  has seen them through good times and bad. 

The colors I used are purple, and to compliment it I used yellow.  The other color is a blue green which coordinates with the other two colors very nicely.

Psalms 30:4 "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."

Happy New Year to everyone and another New Year.

The Giving of Praise

This painting was an inspiration from a vision I had about a year ago of ladies giving praise to the Lord.  These three ladies are praising and giving thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ because we are all wonderfully and magnificently made by the creator.  The ladies are all different heights and have different personalities.  They are praising God for the blessings in their life and for all the times HE has seen them through good times and bad.

The colors I used are purple, and to compliment it I used yellow.  The other color which I used is a blue green which coordinates with the other two colors very nicely.

Psalms 30:4 "Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."

 Geese Season

I was inspired to do this painting because I enjoy painting wildlife and especially birds.  I have painted geese before as well as domestic birds.

The Timothy's Fine Art had their show in Dallas last week and I had nine of my digital imagesfor the Copius Collection there also.  I heard they had a good show, but have not had any feed back yet.  

I have had some physical problems and that is why I do not have as many paintings completed as I have wanted to.  I have had these problems since the end of November 2009.

Psalms 24:1 "The earth is the Lords; and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwelleth therein."  

 
"Autumn Time"

I was inspired to do this painting because I love the autumn season with the bright cheerful colors in the leaves of the trees as they change colors and the coolness in the air.  The time to walk through the woods and hear the birds and the rustling of the leaves under your feet as leaves fall from the trees.  The time to bake those fruit pies from apples you have picked from the trees or maybe those berries you saved from the summer and froze so you could make pies.   The time for harvesting of wheat in the fields and gathering your crops before the winter. I have never lived on a farm but the farmer has a lot to do in the spring and autumn because of planting for crops that he will harvest at autumn time. It is still autumn and we had some snow here in Denton on the 2nd of December.  It was so nice to see but was not expected.  A friend got a good photo of the big trees in her yard with the snow hanging on them and it was beautiful. I have accomplished 28 paintings this year and working on another one that is on my easel.  I donated two paintings this year to our church, one for the First Fruits Offering and the other one for the Childrens Ministry.  I have made many art friends thru the websites at www.RuthHousley.com or www.RuthHousley.blogspot.com and www.RuthHousley@FineArtAmerica.com  and enjoy viewing their work as well as seeing their accomplishments for the year.  I have ten paintings on the Art-Exchange website as well as they are putting a coffeetable book together with some of my paintings which will be out in the spring of 2010 and I will receive a copy too.  They will be doing a show with some of my originals and prints in their showroom in North Carolina in the spring of 2010.  I have some paintings in mind I want to accomplish in the new year and try to accomplish more than I did for this year.   That will be one of my goals for the New Year.  I also want to continue to do my best at whatever artwork that I undertake in the New Year.  I have a painting on my easel but have not finished it yet.  December is a month with putting up Christmas decorations, mailing Christmas cards, baking, shopping, and just being busy, busy, busy.   Until next time have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

I love the autumn season with the bright cheerful colors in the leaves of the trees as they change colors and the coolness in the air.  The time to walk through the woods and hear the birds and the rustling of the leaves under your feet as leaves fall from the trees. 

The time to bake those fruit pies from apples you have picked from the trees or maybe those berries you saved from the summer and froze so you could make pies.  

The time for harvesting of wheat in the fields and gathering your crops before the winter.
I have never lived on a farm but the farmer has a lot to do in the spring and autumn because of planting for crops that he will harvest at autumn time.

It is still autumn and we had some snow here in Denton on the 2nd of December.  It was so nice to see but was not expected.  A friend got a good photo of the big trees in her yard with the snow hanging on them and it was beautiful.


 

I have looked at these websites of other artists and thought you might like to look at them also.
The following artists are:  Carol Zirkle - she does beautiful Montana skies
                                          Christine Labich - has very nice artwork
                                          Patricia Ann Massingill - very nice horse paintings - High Spirits Fine Art
                                          Mary Beth Martin - very nice childrens portraits
                                          Johanna Spinks - very nice portrait artist
                                          Debra Groesser - very nice artwork
                                          Karen Mattson - very nice artwork
                                          Marsha Davis - very nice artwork

This is an original oil painting by Ruth Housley on Gallery Wrap Canvas.
I did a painting of hands and feet and then wanted to do more with hands so I painted "The Praying Hands". We should pray about everything and give God the glory.

I Timothy 2:8 "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up Holy hands, without wrath and doubting."