I've recently had a couple of people ask me about my process. What steps I take, to get from a blank white canvas to the finished product. So I decided to take a few snapshots throughout the process. First - the finished piece. Rendezvous is a 24" x30" Acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas (with the surface image continuing onto the 2" deep canvas edges) - painted with a pallet knife. This piece will be part of the upcoming show at Montinore Vineyards. 


                                    
                                                            Rendezvous by Debra Houston


And the process -

      
Whether I'm begining a landscape or a night street scene, many of my paintings start with a red or orange undercoat. I'm just starting to find the lines of the painting and making some decisions on color variations.


Here I've put down a darker layer (to add what will be the low lights) on the street and all of the buildings, except for the one that I want to be a focal point. I also started getting a feel for the windows and basic details.


I've closed the gap between the front buildings leaving some of the blue/gray to later emphasize as highlights, and also started adding other highlights such as some lighter blues and grays to the furthest buildings to try to create a sense of depth or distance.



Here's where the fun part begins... I start with the lamp posts so I know where the light source will be coming from and eventually 'splash' reflections of light around the street and buildings.


And again - the end result. I probably should have taken a few pictures throughout the highlighting process but once I get to that stage - I just get wrapped up and excited so the process flows quickly and I wasn't thinking about photos...

I’m a bit of a procrastinator. I don’t try to be or want to be… I just usually think that I can fit more tasks into a day then are humanly possible, which makes me consistently put something off. Well no more of that…I have a deadline. One brought upon myself and honestly – I could get out of it. But this may be a ‘turn over a new leaf’ type of opportunity for me. So I’m committed!

Last year, I did a show at Montinore Winery and this year they welcomed me back. Yay! So I currently have 15 landscapes and contemporary floral paintings brightening their tasting room walls. But in six weeks I’m taking it all down and putting a brand new show up… street scenes and reverse paintings on Plexiglas. A show that doesn’t currently exist… In order to ‘make good’ on my original commitment, I need 10 painting completed, in 5 weeks time.  I paint a lot and produce a fair number of pieces but I’m currently not even close to completing two a week.  So the challenge is on!

Here is number one of ten. I haven't done one of my street scene paintings for a number of months. I anticipated having to do a couple of practice pieces to warm back up to the style. But as soon as I had the vision of what I wanted this piece to look like, it just flowed. After Hours is a 24"x36" Acrylic on canvas. (For a larger view you can go to my website and click on the image).

                                 
                                                                After Hours by Debra Houston

Starting May 1^st I’ll be back out at Montinore Vineyards. YAY! I had such a great experience last year and am excited to be welcomed back! Many of the new landscape style pieces that I’ve been working on over the last months will hang in their tasting room for about six to eight weeks. THEN I’m changing it all up! For an additional six weeks I’ll be showing my latest street scenes and works on plexiglas. So hopefully you’ll go out and try some of their wonderful wines and check out my latest work in person!

Also – this Friday (the 27^th ) things will be changing at Wisteria Gallery in Salem. I’ll be switching out six pieces to keep things fresh for their gallery visitors.

Here are two new pieces which will be part of the show at Montinore.


                                         
                               After the Storm by Debra Houston      Early Evening Light by Debra Houston

My family recently threw me a b-day party where I reconnected with a childhood friend that I hadn’t see in 10 years. In catching up on all that has happened in each others lives…. I found out about a recent tragedy in hers.

Last October Jen Thomas offered some free baby clothes to a couple expecting a child. They came to her home and on that same day – her bulldog Jagger was stolen. The couple sent threatening text messages to Jen, demanding cash and her prescription pain medicine (20 years ago Jen was in a tragic motorcycle crash that almost took her life but did take the use of one of her legs ). The end result is that Jagger never got to return home. The couple and one other person involved brutally tortured Jagger eventually leaving him disfigured near some railroad tracks in Kelso. As an animal lover, this makes my heart sink and my blood boil!

The story caught the attention of Ms Eiland and through change.org she started a petition to try to strengthen sentences relating to animal abuse and cruelty. PLEASE go here -  and sign the petition. You can find additional details / the full story on KOIN TV’s website by searching Jagger the Bulldog but here's the latest.

Jen is also trying to raise money for a charity that helps tortured and abused animals. Click here to buy a "Justice for Jagger" T-Shirt  or get in touch with me and I’ll get you one (the cost is 10.50 plus shipping. She was able to get them made for 5.50 and the other 5.00 goes to the charity).