And More Country Lovers - original figurative oil painting

More brushwork, much fun - 6 x 6"on  Gessobord.   Thanks so much for visiting!

Country Lovers Again - original oil figurative painting

Went a little crazy with the brushstrokes, which makes it so much fun for me to paint!  While painting, I was listening to the soundtrack from Honeymoon in Vegas from 1992 - love those Elvis impersonators!  But, impersonators aside, just a wonderful, sweet soundtrack.  Then, on to A Bronx Tale, another fave from 1993 - one great song after another. 
This painting is 6 x 6" on Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by! SOLD

Saturday Night Two-Steppers - original oil figurative painting

Was I actually there tonight?  Well, no, but back in the day . . . .   This one is on 6 x 6" Gessobord - thanks for looking!

She Loves Her Cowboy - original oil pastel figurative painting

This painting began as a sketch for an oil painting, but I ended up enjoying it so much, I just decided to post it - kind of abstract, but gets the point across, I think.  This painting is on 5 x 7" Pastelbord.  Thanks for stopping by my blog! 

Two Step Romance - original oil pastel figurative painting

This oil pastel was done on paper from a Sennelier oil pastel pad - the kind with the sort of translucent inserts between the drawings or paintings so they don't smear.  I love this paper and usually use it with the bits of white paper showing, but this time, I applied Golden neutral grey acrylic to the paper before painting.  I probably won't do it again, though, because the beauty of this paper is that it's ready for the oil pastel and doesn't need anything at all to enhance it.  Thank you for stopping by - I love having you visit my blog!

Lookin' for Eight - original oil figurative rodeo painting

We had a rodeo here in Junction last weekend.   It was a ranch rodeo - my favorite - but I must not have gotten there early enough to see bronc riders.  So, I dug through old drawings from other rodeos and came up with the drawing from which I did this painting.  I changed his hat from black to white and in the drawing, the horse was darker, but essentially, it's the same.  This painting is 9 x 12" on gessoed panel.  Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

More Western Swing - original oil figurative painting

Here's another in my ongoing western dancers series.  This painting is oil on 10 x 8" stretched canvas.  I really do have more to say, but my internet connection is suddenly really slow, so maybe it's going to go out in a minute - better hurry and get this posted.  Thanks so much for looking!

Two Steppin' at Tom's Place - original oil figurative painting

I thought this fun painting appropriate for a Saturday evening, in honor of all the two steppers out on the town tonight.  Using a 10 x 8" Fredrix archival canvas board, I loved painting on the canvas with the added attraction of not even the tiniest bit of "give" when my brush touched it.  It's more like drawing - you know, when you use the hardboard backing for the paper and there's no flexibility at all.  Being basically a drawer, I love that "secure" feeling, so I really appreciate the canvas or linen covered board.

In case you didn't notice my "News" in the column to the right, my drawing,"Lexie's Summer" was chosen by Albert Handell for the 2012 Marilyn Chandler Award for Artistic Excellence in the 27th annual Texas and Neighbors juried exhibition at the Irving Arts Center in Irving, Texas.  The opening reception was April 22nd and was such a lovely event - beautiful music, fabulous food and stunning floral interpretations by The Chocolate Rose of some of the artworks - of which mine was one.  The photo above - thanks to friends who took this shot - shows the floral interpretation of my piece.  I hope you can see the "chartreusey" beads on the right as they hang from the vase.  I love this - I've always loved black combined with that shade of green.  My hat is off to the Irving Art Association president, Angie Vangalis, the volunteers and the show's sponsors who pulled off this beautiful afternoon of the arts!
Well, I see it's pretty late, even for two steppers, so I'll sign off, now.  Thanks so much for stopping - or should I say, stepping, by my blog!

Rough Ride - original oil rodeo painting of a bullrider

This 10 x 8" oil painting - available at Artworks in Austin, Texas - is done on Fredrix archival canvas board.  I love this surface for rodeo/western work!  It has the canvas texture, but no "give" when my brush touches it - the way stretched canvas does.  I suppose I like a solid feel to my painting surface because of my many years of drawing on paper attached to a drawing board. 
It's a beautiful day here in the Texas Hill Country - hope it's nice, too, where you are.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Bullrider - original oil figurative rodeo painting

I drew this bullrider when he was close to falling off, but he rectified the situation by getting his feet in a better position - up closer to the bull's head - and staying on for the eight seconds that must seem like an eternity at the least.  This oil painting is available at Artworks in Austin, Texas.  Thanks for stopping by!

Bronc Rider - original figurative oil painting

Here's one of my rodeo paintings - 10 x 8" on archival canvas panel, which is a favorite surface of mine for country/western artworks.   This piece is available at Artworks in Austin, Texas.  Thanks so much for stopping by and please check out my oil pastel blog, The Oil Pastel Review.

Scootin' - original oil figurative painting of country dancers

This cowboy is taking a really long step, but he aims to get himself and his little lady across the floor pronto. 
Many of my youthful hours were spent in this kind of entertainment.  Back then, it was not very mainstream, but now country dancing has become quite popular. 
I loved going to the dance hall on Saturday nights - not only because I wasn't supposed to, which made it so tempting - but because I could soak up the surroundings, the people, the atmosphere, and the music.  It's all burned into my brain and I often paint these experiences. There are a couple of larger country dancers paintings that need to be finished and I hope to get that done in December.
Scootin' is painted on 7 x 5" Ampersand Gessobord.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

Rodeo - original oil pastel figurative painting

This weekend in Junction, Texas, there's going to be our annual summer rodeo!  It's a ranch rodeo - my favorite - and there's much excitement in the air here in our little town on the Llano River!  We have a parade on Saturday morning, and dances after the rodeo both nights.  Everyone has a wonderful time.  It's small town America at its best, so if you're anywhere near Junction on the 12th and 13th of August, come on and join us!
The painting is oil pastel on Colourfix paper, 12 x 9". 

Check out my oil pastel blog

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Cowboy Boogie - original oil figurative painting

Here's a little ditty that I did some time ago and just now decided to post it.  This painting is on 6 x 6" Gessobord.  Thanks for stopping by - have a great weekend everybody! 
PS.  Now that I look at this painting, it seems that she had to take him by the hand and show him how to dance. This cowboy seems a little intimidated! Sold

Lookin' for Trouble - original oil figurative painting by Connie Chadwell

Here is my trouble-making cowboy again. He's been at the bar too long and he's getting ready stir up something bad. The figures are from actual drawings from life - done at different times. For instance, the troublesome cowboy was drawn from a more modern guy as he chatted with someone at a bar - I just made him into a mischief-minded cowpoke. The painting is on Fredrix archival canvas panel (as opposed to the practice kind) - and is 12 x 16". Thanks for looking!SOLD

The Runaway - original oil western painting by Connie Chadwell

Here's the final (I think) version one of the paintings I posted on the 13th. It's 11 x 14" on Gessobord. Thanks for stopping by!

The Ranch Hand - original oil pastel portrait by Connie Chadwell

This was a very interesting guy and great model - hope we see him again at another portrait session.

I drew this on 20 x 16" Canson Mi-Teintes mat board - not the paper, but the board - and I love the patterned surface. It seems to help keep my drawing loose - not that that's really a problem for me (maybe just the opposite), but it does give a casual, less studied look.

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Chaotic Cowboy - original acrylic figurative painting by Connie Chadwell

Before you decide that I've 'lost it', this post is in keeping with the Daily Painters Gallery theme day for June, "All Cracked Up".

I did this acrylic painting on an acid-free foam board that I gessoed and made into a box that is 26 x 14 x 3". This endeavor resulted from a course I took at Texas Tech University's Junction campus as part of the Masters in Art Education program.

Although I enjoy cubism, I've done very little of it; while this piece may not totally qualify as a cubist work, I really had such fun with this painting.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Teamwork - original oil western figurative painting

SOLD

Every now and then, cowboys - 11 x 14" oil on canvas on panel.

Pardners - original oil painting

I love the way cowboy, horse and dogs work as a team. Reminds me of the Dan Seals recording of 'God Must Be a Cowboy'. Well, the dogs aren't mentioned in the song, but I like them to be along, anyway.

It's 8 x 10" on Gessobord. Thanks for looking!SOLD