Chapel in the Woods

In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a valley called Cades Cove.  In the 19th century this was an active farming community inhabited by sturdy people who built their cabins and worked their land for many years.  Surrounded by mountains,  it was isolated from much of the outside world.  Today tourists are frequent visitors to the valley where they can drive a one way loop road and walk into the past as they visit the remaining houses, barns and churches.  This palette knife painting is based on one of those small wooden churches in the valley.

Still Life with Sunflowers

It was g reat fun painting these bright and cheerful flowers.  Years ago I took a photo of a friends bouquet of sunflowers and always wanted to make a painting, so here it is!  This is an 11x14 oil painting on canvas and is available directly from the artist at pwhitacre@att.net or through PayPal.  Enjoy!!

Cheetah Close-up Portrait

This portrait of the Cheetah is an oil on canvas painting.  With the exception of the eyes, the entire painting was completed with a palette knife.  It was great fun throwing all sorts of color into the background and then working a bit more carefully on getting all the spots in some semblance of order.  The painting measures 20x20 and is available directly from the artist.  She may be contacted at pwhitacre@att.net.  Other paintings may be viewed by clicking on the link to my website.  Prints are also available.

Serious Bird Watching

Some cats like to carry things to extremes and Truffy was one of those.  The thought of a bird being anywhere near his home was more than he could bear!  His owner loved birds as well as cats and kept feeders outside the windows for her enjoyment but in this instance Truffy was definitely the winner.  Attached to the outside of the window with a suction cup, this feeder allowed the birds to appear almost as though they were indoors.  Not satisfied with sitting on a sill or the back of a chair, Truffy decided to literally climb the window to get at the cardinal.  Talk about a frustrated cat!  So near and yet so far!  This painting is 24" tall and 18" wide.  It is oil on stretched canvas and is available directly from the artist.  Contact via e-mail....pwhitacre@att.net.  Click on the link to see more paintings on my website.  Enjoy!!!

PegWhitacre.com

Check out more paintings at my website...PegWhitacre.com

Bird Watching

Every cat I have ever known has loved sitting on windowsills.  What better place for checking out the world outside while they are kept indoors!  This lovely white cat was named Dolly and she loved to watch birds and her favorite place to do this was in the window.  This painting shows her at her favorite pasttime and has a very peaceful feeling about it.  The original is 18x24 and there are also prints available in several sizes.  Contact the artist if you are interested at pwhitacre@att.net.  Also take a moment to check out my website for more pictures of many different subjects!  Enjoy.

Lilacs

Here we are almost at the end of summer and with it so many of our lovely wild and domestic flowers.  But fall and winter will bring cooler temperatures (thank goodness) and beauties of their own to challenge us in our painting endeavors.  This little painting is a small vase of lilacs done with a palette knife to give added texture.  It is a 6x6 inch oil on canvas and comes with an optional frame.  If interested, please contact me via e-mail at pwhitacre@att.net.  Also please take a moment to visit my website....PegWhitacre.com to see many other paintings.  This painting has been sold as of Oct. 23,2010.

Old Covered Bridge

Old buildings have always held a fascination for me.  Lighthouses, old mills, barns and covered bridges are some of the best examples of our past and many are still in remarkably  good condition.  This one is a bit down at the mouth but provided great subject matter in a very pretty setting.  This is a palette knife painting done in oil on canvas.  The size is 11x14 and is available directly from the artist.  Contact me via e-mail..pwhitacre@att.net and take a moment to check out my website PegWhitacre.com for many other paintings.  Thanks you for visiting my blog.

Wildflowers by the River

This is the third in a series of wildflower paintings. All paintings are based on photographs taken in various woods areas. Each of these three paintings was done with a palette knife which adds texture to the natural woods, trees and rocks found throughout nature. This painting is available dicrectly from the artist and comes complete with a natural looking barnwood frame (optional). E-mail at pwhitacre@att.net. Please also check out my website at Peg Whitacre.com where many other paintings can be found.

Shelby

Shelby happened to be sitting in the early morning sunlight when she suddenly looked directly at me providing a photograph of just her face. A beautiful long-haired white cat, Shelby dearly loved to be petted and brushed. She also disliked other cats and wanted nothing more than to be a one person pet. That photo was eventually turned into this oil painting. I love close-ups that give us a really good look at the eyes of either humans or animals. The painting is oil on stretched canvas and measures 12x12 inches. It is available directly from the artist and I can be reached via e-mail at pwhitacre@att.net, Please view my website as well at PegWhitacre.com for other paintings.

Robin's Nest

In a tree overlooking the river, this nest with eggs was snugly placed in the branches. The blue eggs make such a great complement with the many colors of the materials used to build the nest. So often we only see these lovely birds in the spring while they tug at worms in our yards. This painting is oil on canvas and measures 9x12 unframed. It is available directly from the artist and I can be reached via e-mail at pwhitacre@att.net. Please also check out my website to view many other paintings at PegWhitacre.com. Thank you for looking at my work.

Alpacas

While participating in an art show in Virginia a few years ago I met a woman who was selling products from her Alpaca farm. She had scarves and mittens made from the animal's wool that was so soft you wanted to hold it forever. She invited a friend and me to visit her farm and gave us permission to photograph as much as we pleased. It was a delightful day with these adorable creatures. Since it was late Fall it wascool and this youngster even had a blanket on to help keep out the cold, but in spite of that he still looked chilly. This is an oil painting on canvas done partly with a palette knife. It is 131/2 x 101/2, and it is available directly from the artist. Please contact me via e-mail at pwhitacre@att.net and also take a moment to check out my website at PegWhitacre.com. You will find other animal paintings there as well. Enjoy!

Catch Me If You Can

While living in Florida I had many opportunities to visit different locations in the state and photograph wildlife, landscapes and domestic animals. One favorite area was Ocala, often referred to as the "horse country" of Florida. One morning while scouting photo ops in the horse farm areas, I came across the scene depicted in this painting. These two young horses were having a blast chasing each other around the pasture and their sheer exuberance was contagious! Of the many shots made that day this one caught the joy of the moment best. It is oil on canvas, measures 22x13 and is available directly from the artist. Contact me via e-mail...pwhitacre@att.net. For other paintings check out my website...PegWhitacre.com.

Wildflowers in the Woods

Today's post is the second in a series of wildflower palette knife paintings. The photograph used as the basis was a chance shot while traveling and walking in wooded areas. At the time, the complimentary colors of yellow and purple didn't register. But when pulled out of the file of things to paint it literally leaped out at me. Again, weeds at the edge of the woods create a beautiful scene for a photo or a painting. It is an 8x10 canvas and comes with a barnwood frame that enhances the "outdoors" look. Priced at $75 it is available directly from the artist. Contact me at pwhitace@att.net and also check out my website PegWhitacre.com for other paintings.

Wildflowers on the Rocks

Wildflowers are one of Mother Nature's greatest gifts. One of the great things is that they can be found pretty much everywhere one looks. Weeds they may be, but they are lovely. This particular picture was taken while walking through a wooded area with lots of interesting rocks. The pink flowers and their green leaves and stems seemed to have draped themselves perfectly across the gray rocks with filtered sunlight scattered throughout the scene. This painting was done with just a palette knife giving great texture to this wild landscape. It is an 8x10 canvas and is available with or without a barnwood frame. The price is $75 and is available directly from the artist. Contact me at pwhitacre@att.net. Also check out my website at http://www.pegwhitacre.com/ for other paintings that are available.

Pemaquid Point Lighthouse

At 38 feet tall, Pemaquid Point Lighthouse is one of the shorter lightouses on the Maine coast. However, though vertically challenged, Pemaquid sits 79 feet above the water providing magnificent views of the area. One of the prettiest lighthouses in the state, it is often photographed and climbing on the rocks is permitted. The rough exterior of the building and the rugged rocks leading down to the ocean lend themselves to using the palette knife. Lighthouses have long been a passion of mine and I have spent many a pleasant day photographing on the east coast, west coast and the Great Lakes. Although many are out of service and most have been automated by the Coast Guard, private preservation societies work hard to keep these historic sentinels in good condition for the enjoyment of all. This painting is 11x14 and is oil on stretched canvas. It is available directly from the artist (e-mail..pwhitacre@att.net) or visit my website at Peg Whitacre.com and view other paintings all available through PayPal.