Christmas Portrait...rescue dogs are the Best!

This is my last Christmas commission for 2019. He was an absolute delight to paint, so much personality! An Anniversary gift that brought a few tears. Buster is still very much a part of this family of three adults and three furry friends. His image will be a part of this family forever.

BTW- the painting looks great on the wall!Hollistaylorart.com

A little sneak preview of my current painting. This one is a memorial piece so I won’t be able to meet this lovely lady. Very excited about bringing this beloved pet to life! When it is complete I will post a photo. Thanks for reading my blog. Feel free to leave a comment!

Fall Decor Painting

Such a cute little truck full of Pumpkins

More Trendy White Pumpkins!

Traditional Orange Pumpkins in the Moonlight

Fall Decor is my very favorite! I teach painting classes where we choose a cute image, transfer it to a custom made pallet board made from recycled wood, then use acrylic paint to create a unique work of art. 

I wanted to share some of our projects. As well as a peek at the transferring process.

Going over the lines

Using graphite paper to transfer lines

Going over the lines.

Painting a Little Truck of Flowers

Truck with Spring Flowers

Another cute pallet painting...this time a teal truck filled with flowers! My family actually owned a truck very similar to this one. It was a 1951 Chevy. I wish I had it back even just to have sitting in my yard with colorful flowers in the truck bed, where by the way, we all rode!

Pallet Board Paintings for Country

Pallet Board Paintings

This may be the last pallet painting involving snow! For this winter anyway. Using reclaimed wood from a reclaimed pallet, acrylic paint, and a photo of an old barn in the neighborhood, I created a nostalgic scene of years gone by. One can only imagine what kind of little critters and farm animals are taking refuge in the warmth of a pile of hay in this old barn. There may be some winter birds in the branches of the cedar trees. 

Here are a few more fun painting photos from the winter of 2018/2019.

Cardinal in the snow

Two Cardinals in the snow on a branch

Owl right before it is starting to snow!

 A slightly different Cardinal on a branch in the snow. We did three painting classes on this little beauty!

Last but not least-- the all-time favorite...little red truck!!

Hope you have enjoyed the cavalcade of snowy pallet board paintings for this year. Stay tuned for the Spring Show!!

Leave a comment or a question in the section below Tell me your favorite!!

Beloved Pet Portraits

Two new pet portraits went out for Christmas this December.

Farmhouse Artwork

I have loved farmhouse decor since, well, spending time at my grandparent's farm but it wasn’t called farmhouse decor, it was just hanging items you used daily on the walls of your home or barn. They were elderly by the time I was born and their farm was only a shadow of its former glory. There were a hundred acres of rich Missouri farmland acquired from the Homestead Act, passed down from my great-grandparents, were they raised and milked Holstein cattle.
My paintings and artwork are inspired by farm life, country living, and a love of animals.

Not your Hobby Lobby Art!

This white pumpkin is painted on a piece of reclaimed wood from a local family- owned business that was in operation in Tuscumbia for many years. We had a painting class and many local people with a connection to the Pryor Novelty Company painted their own fall decor with a nostalgic bonus!

This drawing is of three boys sitting on an old Model A truck. I named it The Board Meeting.

Farmhouse Decor Fall Decorating

White Pumpkins are a new favorite! Painted on old barn wood.

Summer is coming to a close and Autumn is calling our attention. Here are some past projects, some in-process projects, and some of my paintings for some inspiration and ideas. Come back and see what has become of the table legs we sawed into pieces. There will be a lot more Fall and Halloween ideas in the coming weeks.

I love Autumn! The fall colors are my colors-warm and soft, vibrating and still, subtle and vibrant.

Cemeteries have always been a favorite hang out of mine from high school trips on Friday nights to college where they were a quiet place to study. I wondered about the stories behind all of the lives that are gone with the wind. I especially love them in the Fall. I love cemeteries so much I even made a quilt with a cemetery.

The Graveyard Quilt, originally made by Elizabeth Mitchell in Kentucky in the early 1800s. I faithfully reproduced it from photographs in a book. The original is too fragile to be displayed. See my older post The Graveyard Quilt. It is a great story!!

An old house in our neighborhood.

Decorating for Fall is something I enjoy every year.

My tastes run to more vintage and gothic expressions but I really love all things Halloween!

Vintage looking old Trade Sign.

Below is an old drawer from our kitchen re-do. I added some vintage wallpaper and painted the inside with some what I call "dirty blue" paint.

The crowning touches were some cute black cats and a little pumpkin.

Drawer in progress.

Display of some of my artwork.

 Cute fall pumpkins on canvas.

 Jerry is doing some surgery on an old table leg--what do you think they should become? Gotta be something really cool!!

 These old table legs just scream for some new identity.

Now can you guess what I am thinking?

Pencil drawing for the
Halloween season.

 Pencil drawing of favorite Halloween symbols.

Solitary red barn-kind of lonely.

Crumbling old home.