My Life & Artwork - June 2018

July 4, 2018 Teressa Jackson

It's definitely summer in the desert! I'm pretty sure that every day of June was over 100 degrees. And while people here in Tucson seem to relish complaining about it as much as people universally love to gripe about weather, I actually haven't minded it too terribly much.

My desert wildlife sightings have most certainly continued this month, and I got to check some previously empty boxes. New sightings included two bears (YES, BEARS) while hiking at Chiricahua National Monument, wild horses while tubing the Salt River, and two bobcats at my apartment. I've also spotted plenty more rabbits, lizards, and a javelina. I have still not seen a scorpion or a gila monster in the wild, but perhaps they're next. Oh, and before you lecture me about being cautious (which I am), I promise you that all of these critters were more afraid of me than I was of them, something that so many people seem to just not understand.

After a couple of months of saguaro cactus blooms (and some are actually still blooming!!), my giant prickly friends began to produce fruit this month. The fruit is green on the outside, but eventually bursts open to look almost like a red flower with its pulp showing. The birds have been seen delighting in this sticky, seed-filled treat, and the local Tohono O'Odham Nation has been harvesting it for their traditional uses. The saguaro fruit harvest and the arrival of the summer rains signal what their culture considers to be the beginning of a new year.

The monsoon season officially began on June 15, better known as my 42nd birthday. Unfortunately, we were in Phoenix that weekend, and while Tucson got a hefty storm, we got mostly sprinkles. I hear that we may get rain again next week, though. ((fingers crossed!))

We finally made plans to visit "Arizona's beach" this month. Indeed, there is ((almost)) oceanfront property in Arizona. Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, is located just over 4 hours from Tucson in Mexico, at the northernmost tip of the Sea of Cortez. Also known as the Gulf of California, the Sea of Cortez was clear, blue, and very warm. The landscape there is still very much the desert, with rocky mountains and dusty sparse landscape surrounding the water's edge. Aaron and I drove to Puerto Peñasco and felt completely safe driving through Mexico and while on our little getaway. It's so nice to be so close to the sea - we'll definitely be back!

My last little treat in June was the realization that Kate, one of my closest friends who lives in southern Indiana, was going to be in Sedona. I couldn't resist making plans to see her, and I spent a fantastic day with her and her family at Slide Rock State Park, where there are natural water slides carved into the rock.

And yes - despite all this traveling and activity - I was much more productive with my artwork this month! Hooray! I changed some things up and have listed my drawings for sale on my website as well as some options for framed art. I'm still deciding if it's 100% finished, but I'm pretty sure I have completed the first painting from my watercolor class with instructor Larry Wollam (also my drawing teacher), and I'm very pleased with how much I've learned in just a couple of months. I haven't listed it for sale yet, as I am considering entering it into an upcoming juried exhibition in town. Wish me luck!

Some of the pieces I made this month are sold, but several are still available, too. So if one tickles your fancy, you'll sure make my day if you shop now ›

**Armory Park, Tucson, Arizona: 5/19/18, 14:59:51 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Denver, Colorado: 5/30/18, 18:24:21 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Denver, Colorado: 5/30/18, 18:24:21 **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado: 5/28/18, 9:01:36 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Rocky Mountain National Park, Estes Park, Colorado: 5/28/18, 9:01:36 **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Duck Statue Still Life (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Duck Statue Still Life **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

Denver, Colorado: 5/31/18, 9:46:28 (SOLD)

Denver, Colorado: 5/31/18, 9:11:12 (available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting) — Denver, Colorado: 5/31/18, 9:11:12 **(available for purchase as of the date of this blog posting)**

This piece is not yet titled nor for sale. This is the first painting I completed in my watercolor class.

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My Life & Artwork - May 2018

June 2, 2018 Teressa Jackson

I sound a bit like a broken record, but it's always hard to believe a month has gone by. I think that if I didn't set a goal to write one of these monthly, I might find that six months had passed before it occurred to me to sit down and record another. I certainly can't complain that time goes by slowly.

The first Saturday in May brought a visit from our good friends Kerri and Brian from our Louisville hometown. They spent five days with us in the desert, and it was so nice to catch up and host them. Kerri and Brian have so many exciting things going on (especially the impending arrival of their baby girl) and Aaron and I were very grateful that they took some time out to journey across the country to spend time with us.

The weather has been nearly 100% fantastic in Tucson since we settled here in October, and May brought a few days of 100+ heat. I guess it can't be perfect all the time. In response, I took the opportunity to visit Madera Canyon in the Santa Rita Mountains just south of the city. The elevation means cooler temps and a different landscape. These mountains are one of 27 Madrean Sky Islands in the U.S. Their higher elevation and more plentiful precipitation make for more abundant greenery and lots of wildlife.

Silly me thought that the wildlife in the hot desert would hide from the heat like most humans do. I was wrong! During May, there were several interesting sightings near our apartment, including large troupes of coyotes, even more hummingbirds than in winter, a western diamondback rattlesnake, and a desert king snake (a "good" snake that eats rattlesnakes).

I enjoyed a lot of time with friends in May. In addition to Kerri and Brian's visit, I spent time with my friend Kalisha in Tempe and Heather in Tucson. I also wrapped up May with a visit to Colorado with Jenny, who was once my college roommate at Bellarmine University. She kindly informed people along the way that we were celebrating 20 years since we graduated from that institution of higher learning. What did I say about time?

Jenny and my trip was a bit of an impromptu idea. She wanted to go somewhere I'd never been, and those options seemed a bit slim. She'd also never visited a major national park. So, I suggested Colorado, and we spent the last few days of May in Estes Park, Colorado Springs, and Denver. It was as gorgeous as I expected, and I look forward to painting some of the scenes I encountered there. Highlights of our trip were Rocky Mountain National Park, Garden of the Gods, the city of Manitou Springs, the Denver Mint (where our pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters originate), and the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Work in progress from my watercolor class

I began taking a watercolor painting class from my drawing instructor. While I have a Bachelor's Degree in painting, I trained in college using acrylic paint, a completely different medium than the watercolor and gouache I've been using the past couple of years. I've never really received instruction in watercolor, and I feel the class has already helped me a lot. I plan to continue with both classes for the foreseeable future, both because they help me improve my artwork and because I really enjoy my instructor and classmates.

Sadly, I think this might have been the least productive month I've had since embarking on my artistic journey in 2016. I completed just two paintings, but I do have two more underway and also wrapped up two drawings in class. Of course, I did take a vacation and host house guests, which I wouldn't trade for anything.

June is looking to be a hot one, with triple-digits in the forecast as far as the eye can see. I'll be taking a trip to Phoenix and then heading to the beach in Mexico mid-month, but right now, I think I need to wrap up this update and get out the paints! Thanks for following along. :-)

Shameless plug alert! In case you're wondering, I have a few more paintings available for sale in my online shop than I often do. Also, I'm open to selling any of my drawings - feel free to make an offer or ask about pricing. Shop now ›

Photo from which I painted Sunny (compiled from two separate photos)

Tucson Botanical Gardens, Tucson, Arizona: 4/24/18, 9:06:56

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My Artwork - March 2018

April 3, 2018 Teressa Jackson

March was a beautiful month here in Tucson. I tried to enjoy the fantastic weather (70's and 80's) as much as possible before the summer heat's impending onslaught. As a matter of fact, we've already crossed over into the 90's a few times.

Having lived here about six months now, I have to say I have no right to complain about the heat when we have had months on end with almost entirely fantastic weather. I don't think a week (and rarely a day) has passed during which I did not have my windows open for at least a little while. Gosh I love fresh air and chirping birdies!

The warmer temps have made the wildlife happy, too. Hummingbirds seem to be literally everywhere, and the sunset hour is now filled with tiny bats fluttering about. The lizards are back in full force, doing pushups in the sun outside my window. Walking through the desert, there is movement everywhere on the periphery as ground squirrels have come out of hibernation. Believe it or not, they've been pretty much holed up since early last fall when I arrived. These cute furry friends remind me of little prairie dogs.

I tried some different approaches with my art this month, employing new subject matter, media, and sizes. My trip to the Grand Canyon with my mother was commemorated in an 8x10" painting from Hermit's Rest. I used my usual gouache and watercolor paint in this piece, but also accentuated it with watercolor pencil. The pencil provided texture that I found to be so fitting to the canyon's layers. I was really happy with the result.

Blooming ocotillo in Tucson Mountain Park

In addition to walking around the neighborhood, I also visited the San Xavier del Bac mission south of Tucson, went on a tour of historic adobe homes in the Old Fort Lowell neighborhood (a former U.S. military outpost), and spent some time in Tucson Mountain Park, my favorite local hiking spot, among the blooming ocotillos. I created a piece featuring one of the historic adobes, and am currently working on another piece showcasing the fiery blooming ocotillo. I also painted a special painting for my dear friend's nursery, which will be revealed in next month's blog, as it is a pending surprise and was finished in April.

I continue to enjoy my weekly drawing class and worked on three drawing pieces this month. I haven't listed any of them for sale, but if you happen to be interested in one, feel free to contact me. I'm sure the pricing would be reasonable. ;-)

I was excited to get my first local commission this month, and will be working on creating a dog portrait of a sweet smiley pooch named Stella. As of this blog posting, a few of my March paintings are still available, so if one catches your eye, head on over and shop now ›

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: 2/22/18, 11:53:26

Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood, Tucson, Arizona: 3/24/18, 11:23:18

Casas Adobes, Arizona: 3/19/18, 18:34:44

Casas Adobes, Arizona: 2/10/18, 18:14:26

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My Artwork - February 2018

March 1, 2018 Teressa Jackson

My goodness! I don't know how a month that's only two or three days shorter than the others can feel like a whole week less. I truly can't believe that it's already March.

This month, I spent a week in Tempe with Aaron and a week hosting my mom here in Arizona. While in Tempe, I visited one of my favorite places in Phoenix, the Desert Botanical Garden. The second piece featured in this blog is from a photo of a cactus I took there.

The snowy Catalina Mountains, February 28, 2018

Mom and I traveled north to see the Grand Canyon in the snow, and it was a delightful (if slightly chilly!) adventure. We saw more "winter" weather in Tucson this month than I've seen since we put down roots in October, with highs dipping to the low-50s at points. February went out in style yesterday with the most snow I've seen yet on the mountains here so far. I couldn't resist slipping away to the Catalina Mountains at the end of the day to see the juxtaposition of saguaro cacti against snow-dusted peaks.

I have lots of beautiful photos stored up from these excursions, and look forward to bringing them to life on paper or canvas. I'm feeling the pressure to exercise a little more discipline and get cracking. I'm slightly peeved at myself that I only created four paintings this month, although one was a 10x10" commission, which took me quite a bit longer than my usual work due to the size and the pressure associated with it. Commissions are always more time-consuming because I feel the weight of others' expectations, but it's also so much fun to be a part of someone's special gift or moment. So, I put more time in, but I get more from it, too.

I continue to enjoy the drawing class I'm taking and signed up for a second session. I'm also sharing some of the work I did in class on this blog entry. It's nothing good enough to sell, but I created it, so why not? :-)

The non-commissioned works from this month remain available as of this blog's publish date, so if they tickle (or prickle?) your fancy, head on over and shop now ›

"El Pez está Jugando al Béisbol" (Commission)

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