Laurie Hardin: Landscapes

Monkey-Cats Studio

These are the reason for "Monkey-Cats" Studio receiving the name. Pretty cute when they were kittens but they are now 9 years old, still think they are kittens and try to fit in the same spaces on my studio table. For some reason these two have very long tails like a monkey and received the nickname monkey boys from my husband. We are sure they can swing upside down by those tails! Their real names are Jake and Elwood, after the Blues Brothers, because they try to do the right thing but they are just naughty.

I was emailed and asked if I did any other type of painting besides the series I'm now working on for the Pumpkin Ball. Well, yes I do some other painting, primarily landscapes because if you live in Nebraska it is all about the land and sky. Most people experience our state traveling on Interstate 80 so they have a misconception that the state is very flat...the Interstate is in a river valley (the Platte River) which flooded for hundreds, oh heck, thousands of years so what is seen by car is a huge flood plain. You travel 5 miles north or south and you have rolling hills that the early travelers on the Oregon Trail got lost in while hunting game. It is beautiful land with endless skies...we just don't want everyone else to know that. Shhhhhhhh

This painting is 12"x16", acrylic on stretched canvas, and is worked from a photograph of the Loup River taken from the St. Michael's bridge. This photograph really makes the painting come off looking flat, but I don't have time today to take a new one. Now be kind...this was one of several landscapes I did after a hiatus from canvas painting of 25 years.

I have two new heads sculpted and a third started so I am off to create!!

Have a great weekend!

Laurie

7 comments:

Anonymous said...: Whoa, let me catch my breath. That is stunning.; June 27, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Marie Patterson Studio said...: BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I don't see it as flat at all! I wish that I had ability to paint like that!!!!
Can't wait to see your sculptures!; June 27, 2008 at 11:50 AM
~dani~ said...: I swear I thought it was a photograph!; June 27, 2008 at 5:04 PM
Kim Hardt Originals said...: I think it is beautiful. I feel like Dani it looks like a photograph from years past. Great job though.

Have a great weekend sculpting. I will be painting my bedroom this weekend. Sounds like you will have more fun than me.

Kim; June 27, 2008 at 7:50 PM
Janell Berryman Pumpkinseeds folk art said...: I am with Dani on that... I too thought it was a photograph. I like that it flows from front to back. I like that it makes me feel like I am a part of the water. Your pretty darn awesome! Thanks for sharing.; June 27, 2008 at 9:13 PM
Monkey-Cats Studio said...: Boy, you guys know how to make a person feel good!!! Now you have me thinking I need to get the other Loop River painting done for Colin!! Oops, hope he doesn't read this!!

Laurie; June 27, 2008 at 9:36 PM
Carolee said...: WOW...Absolutely stunning!!

~ Carolee; June 28, 2008 at 6:30 AM