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Twain in Titian

4″ oil on panel

I don’t know why a cardinal would put his crest back. Is it like an annoyed or angry cat? Being a bit of a bird nerd I did some research. I learned sometimes they molt their crest feathers, so this might just be a kind of “bald” cardinal. I also learned about a very strong connection between cardinals and people who have recently passed. This connection between cardinals and spirits crosses many cultures. Since I started posting my cardinal paintings I have had a couple of people share cardinal spirit stories that were really powerful.

I love when putting my art out into the world, makes it smaller by sharing stories.

If you would like to purchase this handsome couple, it is available for $35. Send me a message: julianacrownover@gmail.com

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Garnet in Gloaming

4″ square oil on panel.

On a cold, rainy, winter day, nothing delights me more than looking out and seeing our Juniper trees covered in cardinals. It is almost as if God decorated for Christmas.

Available $35 message me to buy Julianacrownover@gmail.com

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Taking Time For Flowers and Friends

5″x7″ oil on panel

“Nobody sees a flower really, it is so small. We haven’t time, and to see takes time-like to have a friend takes time.” -Georgia O’Keeffe

Please enjoy a celebration of pink paintings this month, in honor of breast cancer awareness. I paint for my friends and family who have fought the good fight against cancer, for their families, and for all caregivers who help along with the journey toward a healthy self (body, soul, and spirit). In my strokes of pink, are prayers of strength and healing.

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Walking to School – SHOW!

24″x36″ oil on canvas

Please come see my show “Walking to School”! It will open at the Sunderman Gallery There will be an opening reception 6-8pm, Thursday, September 13th. 5100 Ross Avenue, DALLAS,TX 75206

I use my art as a way to notice something beautiful everyday. “Walking to School” has been a whimsical fun series chronicaling my second grade daughter’s daily walks to school.   My 3 older children all start school an hour before my youngest. We like to eat breakfast as a family, so that leaves Lydia and I an extra hour every morning. What I am trying to do is not waste our gift of time, the phrase “killing time” is a phrase that makes me so sad. Instead of “killing” that time I have painted it, and all the adventures and beauty that we found in those extra hours. This series is about half landscapes of what we have seen on our daily walks and half mixed media pieces of people walking. It includes: homework, tardy slips and bit and pieces we collected along the way.  In addition to many kinds of media, I have used a bit of magical realism in these paintings. For example, in “Spokes and Shadows” the light was beautiful, the shadows were beautiful, but the backdrop was generic new suburbia. In my mind, I saw a fantastic tree lined drive, with a young girl pumping up a hill onto great things. In the painting, I created the leaves with bits of homework. As the leaves fell, I could imagine the days and years and the entirety of Lydia’s childhood landing on the drive as she confidently rode into the future.

These paintings are about being present: we put away the phone, compose a rhyme or poem, talk about the day, share our hopes and dreams, plan dinner or our next family celebration.  We notice what is in bloom, when the leaves change color, or when someone repainted their front door. We have noted that all those carpoolers don’t have a chance to: meet a new neighbor, pet a kitten, do a cartwheel, twirl a tutu, pick a flower or sneak a fresh fig hanging over the fence.

In painting this series, my hope is you will be reminded of a sweet memory of when you walked with your friends, siblings, or parent to school. Or you will be reminded of when your child walked to school. Perhaps you will be inspired to be present and get out and find the beauty and life that is in YOUR neighborhood waiting for you to just enjoy and discover!  Perhaps you can grab your dog, or kid, or mom, or neighbor and embark in a simple way to really live your life…go for a walk.