Depths

"her soul was too

deep to explore

by those who

always swam in

the shallow end."

a.j. lawless

"Depths"

  I painted this painting over another one of my paintings. 

Here's how it was before I painted over it.

I'm LOVING recycling my own works!

I had liked this painting, but it never sold...time to give it new life!

 24"x12" on canvas

Original painting is available for purchase here.

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Orbs Connected

With eyes closed, charcoal in hand, this creature was born.

Layers of paint, orbs connected, which way is up....

"Orbs Connected"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Make a Splash

"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone

across the waters to create many ripples."

-Mother Teresa

Let's all make a splash and create some awesome ripples.

"Make a Splash"

All works are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by the artist.

My original paintings are available in my online gallery.

Prints of many of my paintings are available in my Etsy shop. 

Let me know if you're interested in prints of my paintings.

  I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.

I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

Expressing my Inner Joy 2

...because sometimes one is not enough to express my inner joy.

"Expressing my Inner Joy 2"

Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

Please click the links below to share my blog.
I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.  

Click here to purchase my paintings. 

This painting was inspired by Donna Downy as part of Lifebook 2016.

"Steampunk Mermaid" and 15 Day Challenge #1 - Day 6

I'm loving painting mermaids. And this one blends two things I love, mermaids and steampunk. I've never painted anything steampunk themed, but I think there' will be more in my future.

"Steampunk Mermaid"

Day 6

Words and feelings: village, neighborhood, doodle, peaceful, silence, serenity

12x12

Mixed Media 

This is part of a series of 15 day abstract painting challenges. If there's any point in the process when you love what I've done and want me to STOP, just let me know and it's yours. The base price will be $30 and each day I work on it will add $10 to the price. (For example, if you love it at day 4, it will be $70.) They will be ready to hang with the canvas edges painted black, sealant applied, and wired for installation. I'll be posting daily photos here (with my daily words/feelings, because that's so much fun!). If I get all the way to day 15 they'll be listed for sale in my Daily Paintworks gallery.

 

 

Click here to view my gallery 

Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.
Please click the links below to share my blog.
I'd love to hear from you...feel free to leave me a comment.

 

Spilling Over with Joy - Part 4

I've just noticed a serious benefit of having shorter almost bangs. My glasses are almost always perfectly clean. I'm in the habit of having to clean my glasses several times daily, and since I got my haircut...well...I just don't need to. And it's totally a small thing, but I find it makes me super happy. Think of all the time I've gained!

And with all that extra time I managed to finish this painting. Here's the finished painting and below is one of the last stages. Once again I forgot to take more photos.

"Spilling Over with Joy"

I added some color to the background and
worked on the flowers and greenery a bit more.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Spilling Over with Joy - Part 3

I got in my car today and my Amy Winehouse CD was playing. My big guy has been borrowing my car a bit lately and I thought, "The kid finally has some great musical taste!"

But then I picked up my little guy and commented on my recent happy discovery.

Little guy: "That's not what happened. I'm sure of it. I bet he just unplugged his auxiliary cable when he got out of the car and when you started your car it reverted to the CD you already had in there.

He's likely right. But I rather dug my big guy groovin' to Amy Winehouse.


I'm still working on this painting. My time has been really limited since school started back up. But I am making progress. I'm thinking tomorrow it'll be done.

I added some shadows to the flowers. I also
added some lacy white flowers.

I increased the greenery of the bouquet
 and added some white to the shadows.

I decided that it needed more of a background
for some dimension. I also added some color
to the greenery and the background at the top.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Spilling Over with Joy - Part 2

Today was the first day of school for the school year...and it was fantastic! I loved every second of it! And I even remembered how to teach. Seriously, when you take two-and-a-half months off from a job and then jump right back in, you tend to be just a tad nervous. But just like it has been for the past eleven years, the skills were all still in place. It's a lot like riding a bicycle.

And while I was at work today I took a moment during my lunch to text my husband, Dave, who had the house to himself with the big guy having moved out and the little guy and I back at school.


Me: "How is that quiet house?"

Dave: "I miss you."

Me: "Good answer."


While I'm sure he was dancing with joy and singing, "I've got the Whole House to Myself!" at the top of his lungs, he still managed to say exactly the right thing.

I decided that the vase wasn't quite right, so
I started working on it...unsuccessfully. I also
started darkening the background so the flowers
and the vase would stand out.

I decided that I needed to have a do-over with
the vase. Still not right, but getting closer.

I kept reworking the vase. The horizontal lines
were working so much better than the vertical ones.
I also started lightening the background a bit.

I added details to the flowers. Now I feel like
my bouquet is coming to life! Still much more to do, though.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Spilling Over with Joy - Part 1

Today I had an encounter with the most beautiful praying mantis I'd ever seen. It was the biggest one, too. I put my hand in front of her hoping she'd take me up on my silent invitation and step onto my hand, but she put up her dukes instead and punched at me several times. Not to be deterred, I held my ground. And eventually she took a few steps onto my hand, and then a few more, and then even more as she walked right up my arm.

It was magical....


I started a new painting. Here are the first few stages.

I'd been using this canvas as a place to put any and all
leftover paint that remained on my paintbrushes.
I decided it was time to use it as the background
of a new painting. 

I started by sketching in the shape of the pot
and the flowers/greenery.

I went over it in black.

I began adding color.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

She Shines from Within

I bought a bottle of wine today. First alcohol I've bought in many, many years. I don't drink for a variety of reasons and this wine was to be used in a recipe. So, I bought the cheapest white wine I could find, of course. And you know what? They didn't even card me. Frankly, I think it would have been really nice of the young lady to have done a courtesy carding, but no.


Little guy: "You're kidding, right, mom?"

Big guy: "No way I would've carded you, mom."


So glad I taught my boys to be honest with me.


I finished this piece...and I titled it! The name didn't come to me until after I'd signed it. Here's the completed piece and just a couple of stages leading up to that. I was so into painting that I forgot to take more photos.

"She Shines from Within"

I added many more details to her face and
filled in the background with more color.

This is where I was just beginning to work on
her eyes. I also added some elements to her dress.

This is a project in an online art class I'm taking. I highly recommend it!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Untitled (I'll figure out what to call it when I finish) - Part 2

I talk a lot with my hands. It rarely causes me any issues aside from my family making fun of me and that time when I was in a commercial and they gave me bags to hold to keep my hands from getting out of control. I'm grateful I didn't realize that was the goal of the bags until I was driving home and I thought, "Aha!" Happily, I still made the cut.

Well, today I'm realizing that I must've been talking with my hands all day...I actually have fatigue from it. Thinking I need to stick with talking with hands-free chatting.


I got just a bit done on this painting. With a full day and evening planned I did a little 6:00 am painting. Great way to start the day!

I began adding details to her face.

I refined the shape of her arm and added
further details to her head.

Excited to finish this piece this weekend!

This is a project in an online art class I'm taking. I highly recommend it!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Untitled (I'll figure out what to call it when I finish) - Part 1

It's funny. I pretty much always have a title in mind for a painting from the moment I start. But this time, even though I have a figure basically laid out, nothing is coming to me yet. I guess it needs to cook a bit more. I'm counting on the painting letting me know when it figures out what it wants to be titled. Not unlike little three-year-old me who quite unexpectedly declared to her mom, "My name is Kali," and then refused to answer to any other name from then on.

Yes, perhaps this new painting of mine has a very familiar independent streak.

I painted a canvas reddish orange and did a
light sketch with white paint of my figure.

I painted blue on various parts of the canvas
and some green on her flesh.

I added a bit more blue and green and then sprayed
the canvas with water before taking a squeegee
to the surface, moving the paint about.

This is a project in an online art class I'm taking. I highly recommend it!

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale and I welcome commissions.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

I'm running a big sale on my paintings through the end of August. Almost everything in my gallery is 60% off. I'm only keeping my most current work (paintings on page 1) at the listed prices. If there's something you'd like, please let me know by message or comment so I can manually adjust the price. Thanks!!! http://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/kali-parsons-3935/artwork

Fourth of July - Part 2

This was such a fun one to paint. Not only am I madly in love with the actual kiddos pictured, but I love, love, loved everything that it says about their sweet sibling relationship.

And I felt like I'd truly captured them when my kid came up to me and said this.

Big guy: "I'd totally know who that was even though their faces aren't shown."

Made my heart swell.


Here's the completed piece and below are my final steps to getting there. The edges of the canvas are painted black.

"Fourth of July" completed piece

I refined the stars, widened her shirt, and painted
over the wrinkles I had on the red on her.

I redid the wrinkles and added some details
to the sidewalk.

I added a few more details to the hydrant, sidewalk, and greenery,
and did a yellowish wash over the entire sidewalk.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!

Fourth of July - Part 1

When my wonderful brother and his family were in town recently he showed me a picture of his beautiful kiddos from the last fourth of July.

Me: "Send that to me, I want to paint it!"

I painted the background gray, sketched
the image, and started adding color.

I added more colors and features.
It's acrylic, not watercolors.
Those were just on the table from another project.

I started working on flesh tones and clothing wrinkles.
Beside it is the image I was working from.
It's an altered version of the original photo.
Altering it helps me in the beginning stages of painting.

I think her shirt is too narrow and there are a few other things that don't feel quite right, but it'll wait until tomorrow. Excited to add more details, too!

This photo makes me think of how we celebrated the fourth of July when I was a kiddo. I don't remember ever dressing in red, white, and blue, but I do remember going down to the the fireworks on Town Lake and how when the cannons boomed during the "1812 Overture" I felt like my heart skipped a beat. Good family fun! And now, as an adult, I live where I can actually see the fireworks from my house...if I don't mind standing in the middle of my street and looking over a bunch of trees. Works for me...and my dog, who prefers that we stay home during the fireworks, thank you very much.

Click here to view my gallery.  Most of my paintings are for sale.

I'd love for you to share my art and blog with the links below.  Thanks!