Sweet Alice ' is so i beautiful. I askedmy friend if I could paint her as one of my 100 portrait challenge. He Allowed me to use the gorgeous photo. I got to this stage and have had it on hold trying to decide if I should leave it at this stage. What do you think? I could A. Spend more time on it and show more of the dress and surroundings or    B. Leave it like this…sort of abstract. I’ve about made up my mind but want some other opinions.  What would you do? A or B?

Hello!
If you've arrived at this page you're probably interested in a Sister Grace Cd or our Children's Sing Along Songs book/cd.  Please click the appropriate button on the right side of this blog to purchase securely through Paypal.  For more paintings and prints go to my website at www.TinaSwindell.com.


Thanks!

Tina

Mark Your Calendars - April 24th

Finally, it's SPRING!  Yay!  A little chilly today after 70's and 80's but at least it's promising.

Also FINALLY, we have an opening date and I'M IN at High Cotton Art's Center...(the former W. E. Estes building in downtown Athens) I will be moving in this week...April 1st. Our grand opening to the public will be April 24th.  Mark your calendar now.  More info will follow as we near that date.  I hope to see all of you then.

Meanwhile I've been working on things to have on display there and racking my brain on how to decorate my space. Here's a start on how the front window display will look.

As you can see from the photo, we have wire surrounding our spaces which is great for hanging things but I'd like a solid background that will let the air through.  I've thought of a couple of things but would love your ideas. (Burlap is out due to allergies)  Whadya think? More photos and info here under "High Cotton Arts".

There are 10 artist studio spaces and 8 of the 10 are spoken for already I understand.  We will have a variety of hand made items on display in our studios/spaces as well as the gallery space and windows.  There is opportunity to display work in the gallery if you are not ready for a space just yet, for a small monthly fee.   We will also have class room space so look forward to class offerings. Join our Facebook page "Athens Art League" to keep up with what's going on.

I have been asked to be on the Executive Committee for the Art League and am excited to be a part of that too.  It's going to get real exciting starting April 1! We will initially be open to the public each Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Other times we will have quiet time to work in our studios.

This is a dream coming true for me and all of us on the Arts League.  It's also a great happening for Athens and I so appreciate all of the work of those who have been a part of the Athens Arts League and the Spirit of Athens for years.  They've done great work.

I can't wait to get in there and get set to see what else springs forth on my artistic journey.  Please forward this post, my blog (www.tinaswindell.blogspot.com) and website (www.tinaswindell.com)on to others who may be interested and ask them to join my e-mail list from the web site and hang with me!  I'll try to blog once a week in the future. Let me know what kinds of things you'd like to see on my posts. I'd love your feedback!

Be well!

Tina

 

New "Cardinal on the Elk" Frosted Mug

"Cardinal on the Elk" Frosted Tall Mug by Swindell_Fine_Arts

Hi there!

Hope you're staying warm and cozy during this cold weather. Hang on!  SPRING is just around the corner!

While we're talking "Snow" though, I've designed something special for that nice HOT beverage you're drinking (or cold if you prefer that'll work too :).  Click here to order a "Cardinal on the Elk" frosted mug for you and/or someone special.  Let me know if you have any trouble with ordering and I'll be happy to help you out.  Just e-mail me at tinas@pclnet.net.

Special thanks to my fellow artist Gwendolyn Christopher for the beautiful photography inspiration for this painting! She's been showing off the beauty of North Alabama's Elk River all winter.  Amazing photos!  You can order prints, cards, pillows, mouse pads and  other items using Gwen's photography as well as my paintings from our Fine Art America sites.

Please comment and let me know what you think about this sparkly new mug.  (Can't wait to get one myself.) I'd love your feedback.  Do you think I should offer other items with my artwork like this?  What painting would you suggest?

Also, be sure to sign up and follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Linked In and all of that, and especially my mailing list (See the side bar).  Things should be picking up with the warm weather and I'll be posting often.

More soon!

Tina

We're On Our Way To Mars!

Congratulations NASA on the successful launch of Orion today!  We're on our way to Mars!

The painting above is from the Chandra Launch.  Orion launch painting coming soon to my Fine Art America site! View and purchase prints of launch paintings here launch paintings


Kicking off the future with the test flight of Orion. We're "Keeping on our Dancin' Shoes" as Dr. Von Braun suggested back in the 60's. Thank God Dreams Survive.

Proud of my NASA career which I will be retiring from in 3 WEEKS!  Yikes!  Stay tuned! #Orion

Link now available for purchasing "Sing Along Songs" (for Pre-Schoolers)

Some of you may have seen a story recently about our latest creative happening...
News Courier Article.  We're really happy to get this little item off our "bucket list" and give Mr. Roddie Lott credit long overdue on some fine art work and share our little "Sing Along Songs" with some pre-schoolers.  As you can read in the article that Karen Middleton so graciously penned, this project has been a LONG time in the making.  She did a great job writing about it so I won't bore you with more detail.  Just wanted to let everybody know that the book/cd's are now available by clicking the "Buy Now" link located in the column to the right on this blog. (No the red and green highlights were an accident, not to discreetly remind you that this would be a great Christmas gift for the Grandchildren/nieces/nephews : ) LOL....and yes, I did see a lit Christmas tree on my way home from Sister Grace rehearsal tonight...can you believe that!  Let's do HALLOWEEN first, please!

Also note that we ran out but have now printed more Sister Grace CD's and they too can be purchased by clicking on the CD image to the right.

Books and CD's are also available at Pablos and Champagne Lane Antiques in Athens. 

Just one photo from fun times at the Fiddlers Convention...whew, that was intense...and it's almost been a month!  We saw everyone we've ever known from these parts I think!   Kudos to everyone involved in organizing that event for our town every year!

I want to thank everyone for being so supportive in all these endeavors.,, and  don't think that Mr. Bill Swindell is not involved in these projects.  Who do you think is keeping me in gear! : )

Love to all!

Tina

The Latest from Swindell Fine Arts

Hi there,

It's been a while but I've been very busy on my art lately.  Here are some highlights.
I finished a bridal portrait that I've been working on since my last showcase in Franklin at Wedding 101.  Here's pretty Mrs. Bree Davis McConnell, my sweet friend and the daughter of my BFF Robye Andrews.....

                                                            20" x 16" Oil on Canvas
I have to include the photo that I painted from so you know that I do somehow (unbeknownst to me if that's a word) get an uncanny likeness in my portraits.  I attribute that to "a God thing". Of course Robye took the photo and is quite an accomplished photographer so I had a great source to work from.

In addition to that I was extremely inspired by a photo my friend in Utah, Kristi Jensen posted recently on Facebook (what would we do without that communication channel...I fear I would be cut off from the rest of the planet as a person who likes to keep to myself.)  ...anyway, I saw this beautiful photo which I'm not sure she took or her husband Chuck who is also quite a photographer.

I was so inspired that I immediately got up and went to work on painting this on a board that had been sitting on my easel for weeks behind other stuff waiting for the right thing to put on it.  Here's how that turned out...

                                                                  12" x 36" Oil on board
Now I'm working on some prints from my paintings as well as pricing some originals for my FIRST Art Stroll...First time I've exhibited my art.  I'm excited!  It will be on the Athens Courthouse square on Friday, July 26 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  Please come!

See you there!

Tina