BULTOS AND BLESSINGS by Pat Salazar

We are starting a new series of Mini paintings to help get everyone in the mood for Christmas gifts and giving something special and original to those people in your lives who are important to you. This design for this particular painting originated from a Bulto that I have in my Southwest Folk Art collection. The name Bulto (Traditional) is a statue of Christ, a saint or the Blessed Virgin carved from cottonwood root, covered with gesso and painted. Sometimes the statue is clothed. Contemporary bultos can be found in bronze and other media, but the traditional ones are always hand carved and painted from local wood. They are very popular at Spanish Market in Santa Fe which is held in late July each year. Local artisans sell their "wares" if you will, and you can see all the colorful hand carved pieces as you stroll around the Plaza. Our new series consists of Angels and they would make wonderful stocking stuffers for that special someone. Each one is on a 6x6 gallery wrapped canvas and is hand painted by a different artist in the group. They are large enough to make a great impression and yet small enough to put on a free standing easel.

You can also start a collection of these miniatures and put them in one of our hand crafted custom made frames. We will also have some "surprise" paintings coming soon that will be terrific gifts for the man of your dreams. To get more information on all of our Minis, please visit our web page at http://www.canvasbycanvas.com/ Christmas is just around the corner and this is a very easy way to begin your shopping and avoid the crowds!

LA DOLCE VITA by Mitchell-Taylor

La Dolce Vita - Sassy Shoe by Elizabeth Mitchell-Taylor
6" x 6" Acrylic on Canvas
$40
Click HERE for info

I'd like to share with you a painting I did for our mini series on shoes. There are dizzying array of shoe choices on websites such as Zappos. But why not purchase a pair or two of designer shoes from Canvas by Canvas to display in the powder room or bedroom of your home? Your feet will love you and you'll get a real "kick" out of seeing these elegant orange and gold brocade Dolce and Gabana shoes every day. These shoes are painted on gallery wrapped canvas and can be hung individually, or can be arranged in one of our custom made frames.

One of the joys of being a Canvas by Canvas painter is that, feeding off each other's enthusiasm, we all become more productive and better painters. In a recent newsletter by Robert Genn, the Painter's Keys, he talks about the benefits of a buddy system of painting and mentions these pointers for getting along.

1. Don't comment unless asked.
2. Give the gift of joyous approval.
3. Accept all comers for what they wish to become.
4. Understand and grant other styles and approaches.
5. Feature others rather than yourself.
6. Bask in the sunshine of others' success.
7. Treasure the miracle of friendship.

These are great tips for ANY social endeavor and with 11 members, Canvas by Canvas thinks they are especially valuable as we pursue our collaborative painting experiment.

Mother Hubbard Never Had a Shoe Like This

Poor Mother Hubbard had to wear all those old clunky shoes because she had so many children. You can go to Canvas by Canvas and buy this cool shoe painting as a reminder of how lucky you are not to have to keep your children in your shoes!!! It is on sale for $40 including shipping.

My husband and I just got back from a Baltic Cruise on the Holland America Line "Veendam",. It was a wonderful trip that started and ended in Copenhagen, Denmark. We were walking one day near the popular Nyhavn Canal in Copenhagen and passed a shoe store. This shoe was sitting in the window and I just had to photograph and paint it...hope you like it...Maryann Stephens