When it rains it poors.....

Inez, Max's daughter, came home night before last and.......my gosh....she had a broken wrist. The really sad thing besides the fact this will interfere with her work, life and just about everything..... is... she is a dancer. She has been dancing for a very long time about 20 years...it is part of her life...and she is very good. She was trained in classical ballet and dances three times a week and teaches occasionally also. I feel so bad for her. She had surgery yesterday and they reset the bone and added pins and a plate. It will be six to eight weeks before she is healed. She will be allowed to come home sometime today depending on her mobility and the doctor's schedule. Max and I cleaned her room and I washed all her clothes and making cinnamon rolls for her. She had great plans to go up to Kansas City and party with her friends.....she will still go....but obviously must be very careful. It is also her birthday on the 28th....not exactly the present she was looking for. We are all hoping for a quick an easy mend.....and that it won't interfere with her dancing.
Well Halloween is almost here and Max and I are invited to a Halloween Costume party....I think we may go as Deadwood....if you never saw the series....it is a hoot. I will let everyone guess who he and I will be. Some more suggestions would be helpful, too!
I have been looking at Eldon Warrens blog which is fabulous and very descriptive. He is showing the progress of a landscape painting he is working on. Please take a look!! He has some beautiful work.
Along the same lines I subscribe to Empty Easel and who do I find that writes there....Diane Mize...another fellow blogger and fabulous artist. She has a great article on edges....my trouble spot....and her entry is fabulous!
I plan to do the same as Warren soon......put up a progression of work. I will also put up the Profiles magazine article too. But for now....I am a little overwhelmed with duties. So all I have to offer is some work that was done a while ago. One is a plein air and the other a portrait. I sold the 8x10 plein air for $2000 at the Richard Schmid Auction and the 12x16 portrait could have been sold ten times over....but as of yet I want to keep it because it has some things in it that I like how I painted them. In particular the roses, the dress and the hand. Less is more....I am still struggling with that!
That's about it for today....off to make cinnamon rolls!
Love, Theresa

Frequent Flyer.......

Catching up to speed is sometimes a real challenge. I think I need to reorganize my time or at least make it more efficient. I must say I have been pretty consumed with politics and the news of late. I also believe I would be better off not indulging in so much of it. But, alas, this is a historical and unprecedented event or events in our history and just as I was in the 60's....I am very much a part of it today, wanting to know every little detail, poll, upswing and downturn. I am not going to politicize this blog...but I do have very strong feelings for one candidate and am hoping that everyone takes it upon themselves to truly look at the facts and search out all the info and please, please vote. Enough said an now back to my little microcosm!
Max's birthday was a great success! All of the kids were there for dinner except for Wyatt (who lives in Houston but did call and gave his rendition of "Happy Birthday" over the phone to his Dad)!
Dinah his oldest was there and we had a great visit. Inez his second oldest was also there and we always have a great time! Obviously from my last blog there was plenty of food to go around and everyone thoroughly loved it...I sent some food and cake to the kids grandparents and a piece of cake to the mother of one of Max's oldest friends to enjoy....and we still had leftovers!
When Max read my blog...which he does every time I post...he discovered the painting was his birthday present. He cried and I was touched by this man's obvious heartfelt emotion. Men don't cry right? Phooey...they do and it means the world to me to see how much he was touched.
So today my friends I will be packing and taking care of a few loose ends. We will be leaving first thing in the morning for our flight out of Tulsa to Phoenix. I am looking forward to our little family visit.
I believe this will be our last trip for awhile. I have two one woman shows next year and two galleries to keep filled. That means I need to settle in for the winter and paint all of the ideas I have in my head. I am very excited about many of them and some need to sit on the backburner and stew for awhile until all the flavors come together.
Today's painting is something from another visit to Arizona ( I am generally out there 4 or 5 times a year). There is a lovely little bistro in Scottsdale....or was it Chandler?.....Darn! I can't remember but this was my take on it! It was an award winner and is also sold. It is in the possession of one of the Board Members at SPIVA Center For The Arts......our local Arts Center here in Joplin, Mo.
I will be gone for about 5 days and I am not sure if I will be posting....guess I will have to wait and see!
Love, Theresa

As Luck Would Have It....

Gladys's Quiet Determination 22x22 sold
I have been away for a while....catching up on some business, house chores and a little visiting. Not to mention working on the huge painting which is just about done! The gallery in Kansas City wants six of my paintings and three of my photographs. To get everything ready for them entailed going back over some frames to address any issues they might have, replacing a liner and a completely new frame for two of the paintings. The photographs need to be printed and matted and then framed....that is still on hold to see if the raw image has enough megabytes for printing. There was also an issue as to whether two of the paintings could go or not.
During the Midwest Gathering two years ago I had a painting of an older lady in her garden. The woman I chose to paint was like a Mother to me and welcomed me and included me in every family celebration and holiday. Her name was Gladys Murray. She was the strongest woman I have ever met...not only physically but emotionally as well. She wrecked buildings for a living with her son and some hired men through a company she and her husband built. They built their home with mostly salvaged materials that still stands today is still a beautiful home on 40+ acres. She cooked for a large and extended family including hired hands regularly. She watched two children, a husband and grandson die. She always had a welcome mat, hug and cup of coffee out for anyone. She taught me many things about life and I still use her guidelines until today. I could say so much more about this amazing woman but there is not enough room tell all of the stories we shared.....She was 76 years old when she passed away. I was with her every moment of the 36 days she had to live once diagnosed with cancer. It was painful but well worth it. I had done the same with my natural mother whom I took care of until the end. I wrote a poem for her about having two mothers...one by birth and one by choice...and put it in her pocket when she was buried in her favorite pink suit. I may show it to you one day. She made the flower arrangements for her own funeral. I was and am proud to have been her friend and daughter by choice and I miss her every day. I did this painting of her and called it Gladys's Quiet Determination because of how she always appeared to me. The lady who saw it is Max's sisters best friend.....she came to the house a few months ago and expressed how that painting affected her and how much she would like to have it. I told her then as I had for some time to other people that selling the painting was not very important to me but if she wanted it I would let her buy it because of how it struck her emotionally. In other words the painting would have a loving home and appreciated for the spirit it was painted in. You can see that I get attached to certain ones for emotional reasons. She said she really loved it and that the message that came through really identified with her...I let her know the painting was hers when she decided to purchase it. Well as luck or fate would have it, this was one of the paintings that the gallery wanted.....and I had already told this woman that it wasn't going anywhere. I talked to Max's' sister about this complication and when these two friends went out to dinner this past Friday they discussed it and called me. She bought the painting that evening and I am very happy it is with someone that truly appreciates it!
The second painting that had a complication is entered in a competition and will be on exhibition for awhile before it can be delivered. Not a huge problem but I am hoping to win a prize on it. I also received an email this morning from someone who had seen a painting of mine at an art fair in Pineville last year...the painting is called "Of Saints and Sinners" and she expressed interest in it. If you have a website make sure they are up to date and list all pertinent information including how to get a hold of you!!! I have had great success with my website but I have also done a lot of work through art fairs, shows, auctions and exhibitions to get my name out there. I am still working hard at this part that many artists hate....me included!!
The Profiles magazine article came out and it is wonderful....makes me sound like I know what I am talking about!! More about that next time.
The big painting is close to being done and will also be posted at a later date....I already have ideas for a new one and am anxious to start on it.
So that is the brief update and I wish everyone of you reading a happy and creative week!
Love, Theresa
Of Saints and Sinners 20x30 oil

Welcome!

I am a fist time blogger... sort of...I had a short run at it on my personal website TheresaRankin.com...I have been putting off writing one for some time now...as if I didn't have enough to do!


I recently moved (well,actually, I have been here off and on for about 9 months) and started a new life, here in Carthage MO....the best one ever I think! I have always wanted to live here since moving to the Midwest. Those of you who know me...know what I am talking about. I am given to change...moving...sort of like a kite...whichever way the wind blows me. Except in my heart of hearts...which is the home of my artwork (I am an oil painter...which probably describes the kite statement)...My children....My friends...and MY MAX!!
I intend to post daily paintings here....and also those from the studio....keeping my friends and family updated on what's going on...! I am a terrible email writer...and worse about phone calls. My heart is in the right place...I think of those close to me daily...I just don't take time to communicate....my bad!
So here is some info on me and a picture of me and Max at a 4th of July party...I will expand on said info later and hopefully keep you all up to date!

Current Read: The Road by Cormac McCarthy also the author of No Place For Old Men.
Current Film: Tom Dowd & the Language of Music (2003)
Current Favorite artist: Zhaoming Wu


Red Onions 11x14 SOLD

Bio
Born in Hollywood, California Theresa knew she wanted to be an artist at six years old. “I remember telling my teachers how to color and draw, stating matter of factly that I am going to be an artist when I grow up. Formal studies began at the University of Hawaii., University of Utah and most recently Scottsdale Artist School. Many mentors and other artists have helped her direction. After a considerable break from the art world, the last few years she has been seriously working at improving and defining her style. That style is filled with interesting paint texture, gestural paint strokes and an accent on light. "I look at things as shapes of color and light; therefore I am happy to paint anything that stirs my heart and mind." She is influenced by Sargent, Sorrolla, Zorn and current artists Richard Schmid, Dan Gerhartz and Jeremy Lipking. Theresa strives for a mix of realism and looseness she finds emotionally and visually satisfying. Always eager to improve she has attended workshops with several local artists and received scholarships to Scottsdale Artists' School twice in the last three years. She continues to strive towards excellence and has lived in the Missouri/Kansas area for the past 16 years. She is a member of SPIVA of Joplin Mo, Artists of Northwest Arkansas, Eureka Springs Artists Guild, Bartlesville Art Association, Ok, artCentral of Carthage, Mo., NOAPS, Oil Painters of America, The Academic Artists Association and Landscape Artists International. She also teaches regular classes, dabbles in photography, gives workshops and is a member of Artists Who Teach.
Selected juried entries, exhibitions and awards include: Midwest Gathering of Artists, St. Avips Silent Auction, Ball and Exhibition, Capital Building Exhibition at Jefferson City, Scottsdale Artists School Scholarship 2004 and 2006.
Ozark Artists Alliance at John Brown University, “Best of Show” 2008Artists of Northwest Arkansas Fall Regional Competition "Best in Oil"The Thomas Hart Benton Exhibition and Juried Competition, "Best of Show" 2006 and 2007The Thomas Hart Benton Exhibition and Juried Competition, "Artists' Choice"The Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction "High Seller", 2005, 2006 and 2007Scottsdale Artist School "Best and Brightest" Invitation and Juried Competition The National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society "Best Landscape"2005The 20th Annual Bosque Conservatory Art Classic. 2005 and 2006Academic Artists Assoc. 56th Annual Juried Exhibit 2006Museum of the Southwest Peoples Choice and Honorable Mention 2006Artists of Northwest Arkansas Second Place 2003 and 2004Her work is available through personal contact and at Cherrys' Gallery in Carthage Missouri