Autumn Light

Autumn Light

by Candy Prather

16"x20"oil on canvas

Autumn Light was a 2012 Christmas gift to my wonderful parents. This year, 2013, commemorates their 60th Wedding Anniversary. What an accomplishment these days. I'm so blessed that they continually renew their love for one another and are the parents a lot of kids can only dream about having. They simply adore each other and have been a great example of a strong marriage, not always perfect, but one of support, grace, encouragement and love. I am honored to be one of their four children and will always appreciate the life lessons they've taught us. To you, Momma and Daddy, with all my love.

 

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Rest

Rest
by Candy Prather

11"x14" oil on canvas

Rest is a commission I did for a very special friend. Her Babygirl passed last November after being blessed with her for 17 years. In praying for answers about where pets go, she asked God to show her where she went. He showed her a vision of her in a field of Daisy's and butterflies flittering around. My friend said Babygirl laid there in total peace just watching them. She laughed and told me she doesn't even like Daisy's and the vision had to have come from God, because if it was her, she'd have her laying some other place other than a field of Daisy's. 

After asking me to paint Babygirl for her, she asked God what she should name the painting, and He said "Rest; this is what rest looks like".

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Peyton in Paris

 Peyton in Paris
by Candy Prather

20"x16" oil on canvas

Peyton in Paris is a storybook style commission. The intention was to portray the couple's daughter in a Paris setting as an animated layout. This was my first undertaking in storybook style painting and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My client sent a few photos of Peyton and I combined two of them to create her stance. I found the background of Paris in a photo from Google Images, then as I was finishing up the composition I added the flower pot and tree limbs to help portray the springtime season effect. The kind gentleman who commissioned me to paint his daughter in Paris was a pleasure to work with. He presented Peyton in Paris to his wife as a 20th wedding anniversary gift. Let me know what you think!

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Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor by Candy Prather

30"x40" oil on canvas

I'm beginning to really enjoy painting water scenes...it's funny 

because I'd really rather be in the mountains. 

My husband, R A, and I decided it was time for me to paint

one for our bedroom (a long time coming, seeing

that we've been in our home for six years now).

We found this photo and just liked it. In the photo the land

went all the way across and I decided I wanted a lighthouse, so

off went some of the land and on went the lighthouse.

R A absolutely adores it...hope you enjoy it too.

Happy Fall!

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He Makes All Things New

 He Makes All Things New by Candy Prather

16"x20" oil on canvas

 He makes All Things New is a commission painted for a couple that goes to my church. She asked me to paint them as children with wildflowers in the background and in white to signify their marriage. This painting was inspired by a vision she experienced earlier during a significant time in their marriage. I'm so blessed to have the opportunity to paint such meaningful piece for a couple that I admire and love very much. The painting was a wedding anniversary gift from her to him.

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Tessie

 Tessie by Candy Prather

11"x14" oil on canvas

Meet Tessie...who belongs to a friend of a photographer friend

who had posted her photograph on an Artists social site.

Well, almost a year ago I spotted her and couldn't

resist the urge to paint her. Finally, I did and here she is!

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Beautiful

 Beautiful by Candy Prather

20"x16" oil on canvas

I did this one on a whim several months ago. Before finishing I felt led to contribute

it to the spring Ladies Conference we had at the church I attend.

Lady, whose light does shine
washed in Jesus’ blood
Abides in and is dependent upon the Vine
Growing, and people she loves
Her obedience produces fruit
And the Father, she desires to please
Full of His Spirit and truth
She is rightly beautiful and complete.

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Clown Warrior

Clown Warrior by Candy Prather

11"x14" Oil on Canvas

What do you think about this little guy?

One of my favs...hope you like him, too!

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Outback Rosellas

Outback Rosellas by Candy Prather
14"x11" oil on canvas

A few years ago I had the privilege of visiting Australia with an awesome group of gals from the local church I attend. We went to Sydney and had a variety of touring choices to do in just a couple of days and of course one person just wasn't able to do all of them. I chose to visit the Wildlife Refuge, see the Blue Mountains, took the Sydney Harbor Cruise, visited the Bundi Beach and climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We shopped and ate and shopped and ate. Then we traveled over to Manly for a Ladies Conference and heard from a wonderful selection of Ladies who imparted the Word of Life into us. It was great! This was, of course one of my most memorable of trips.

While I was there, I picked up a book, Australia's Wilderness. I picked it up again a few weeks ago and chose to paint these birds. I hope you like them. Let me know!

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Winter Lake

Winter Lake by Candy Prather
16"x20" oil on canvas
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The reference for this one came from a dear friend who is a wonderful wildlife photographer that I met at an online art community. We followed each other to Facebook and I am always sneaking over to her beautiful photos, admiring her work. She tells me that these are Tundra Swans (also called Whistling Swans) and they are at Lake Almanor in Northern California. It does get below zero in the winter there.

Thank you Susan for giving me the pleasure to paint one of your amazing works. This was such a refreshing painting to paint in the dead of the Summer heat in Texas at over 100 degree days. Loved it!

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Spring Radiance

Spring Radiance by Candy Prather

16"x20" oil on canvas

Just another fun one...hope you enjoy!

Stay tuned...about to begin painting a commissioned portrait.

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The Row Boat

The Row Boat by Candy Prather, oil on canvas 16"x20" is more of a study to see how I can do with water. No story behind it really; just found the photo online, liked it and decided it would be a good one to paint.

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Tableau of Landmarks

Tableau of Landmarks is pen & ink and pencil, 24"x30" on illustration board by Candy Prather. This is the commission I've been working on for several months. We met my client at the framer's this morning and I can hardly wait to see how it's gonna look in the frame.
The landmarks you see are some of the locations of my client's travels: The Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House in Australia, the Eiffel Tower and the Arch de Triumph in Paris, France, and the Big Ben Clock in London, England. It was quite a challenge for me with it being so large, but I'm so glad I did it. The experience, because of all the measuring and care I put into it, has helped me to be more careful with measurements in my paintings. I feel like I "see" better. Now remember, the size and res has been reduced for faster loading, so this photo is missing some of the detail.

This is my first undertaking of doing pen & ink this size. Let me know what you think.

Be blessed!

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Anniversary Drive

My husband and I recently had our 26th Wedding Anniversary. We celebrated it along with Easter beginning with Good Friday. We had a weekend of restaurants, a movie, an overnight stay at the Hyatt (a superb Hotel, btw). To finish it off we took a drive to see the Dogwoods at Davey Dogwood Park in Palestine on Sunday. I did get a few photos to share and will share most of them on Facebook, too.

When we were leaving the park, I got out of the car to take another shoot of a tree with fuchsia colored blooms (sorry, I don't know all the trees), a lovely lady pulled over and began telling us about two dogwoods, one white and one pink that were grafted together and asked if we wanted to see it. Well, of course we did, so she took the time out of her day to drive across town to show us that one and then took us to another one. What a blessing and God send she was...thank you Tina!

Well, enjoy the few photos here...and if you get a chance, pop in and visit me on Facebook to see the rest of them.

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Peace Like a River

Hello all! Here is the landscape painting I did in the Fall, Peace Like a River, oil on canvas 16" x 12". It's from a photo I took when R A and I stayed in Pagosa Springs, CO a couple of years ago. We took the train ride from Durango to Silverton. Gorgeous weather and the countryside was so amazingly beautiful. It is one of our most memorable trips.

I'm still working on the pen/pencil commission. It's coming along nicely and I'm so close to finishing it. Because of my full-time job, all the duties of a housewife and "Life"...and because of the processes and details of the project, it's been quite slow. I'm on the last stage and the last subject and am looking forward to completing it real soon.

Spring is on it's way! I enjoy living in Texas because we have such variety in the weather. I'm so glad for each season change...it seems I'm always ready for it! Sending love and blessings your way!

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New Post

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted anything. I decided I should whether I have anything to show or not. I did finish a landscape a month ago or so, just don't have a photo of it yet. After painting it, it went straight to the Harbor for exhibiting and for sale. Since then, I've been working on a commission of pencil/pen. It will be a 24" x 30" of a montage of vacation spots. I've done the thumbnail and the tight pencil rendering. Now, I'm working on the original piece. It is a montage of the Eiffel Tower, Sydney Harbor Bridge and Opera House in Australia, the Arch De Triumph and the Big Bend clock. It's been very tedious but I'm really pleased about how it's coming along. When it's finished I'll post it.

I trust everyone is having a beautiful winter and holiday season. I am! Until my next post, in the case that I don't post again until next year...have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Very Berry

My kitchen painting is finished! Strawberries and blueberries are the theme. Very Berry is 12" x 16", painted in oil and a little looser. I love the loose look and am attempting to actually loosen up, little by little. It's taking me a while to get the tightness out of my head.


I have no room in my studio for props so I usually set something up in another room and take photo shoots. Then I paint from the photo reference of choice. Sometimes the prop will stay until the painting is well on it's way and I feel comfortable enough to take it down. In the reference the background of this one was gray and I changed it to the light greens. I hope you like it.

I'll be starting back to work in about a week, so paintings won't be finished as fast as they were during the summer. Painting this summer has been a joy. I'll miss all my free time to do so, but I plan on keepin' on, keepin' on.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." Matthew 15:7-11

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Pretty Daisy

One of my favorite flowers is the daisy...so I couldn't resist this one. It's on a 16" x 20" canvas and in oil. I hope you enjoy it...I do, a lot.

In case some of you might stop in at the Hilton, the decision was made to take my portraits down because "they don't sell". The reason I'm painting still lifes and anything else, is to replace the portraits I brought home. I'm working on getting them finished and hung before the reception which will be the third or fourth week in August. This one is #2...one more to go!

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Country Rose

Here is a new still-life. It's 24" x 18" in oil and I've named it Country Rose. No story behind it...just something I put together. Hope you enjoy!

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Free to be Me

I am eager to present to you a painting of my lovely granddaughter, Lauren. I named it Free to be Me, as she is such a charming and beautiful young lady inside as well as on the outside. The title, Free to be Me, actually was the theme at the last Ladies of Honor camp, a powerful ministry for young people that our daughter and son-in-law are founders of (you can read more about that ministry on their website listed under the Other Links of Interest). When I was thinking about what to name the painting it just kinda' stuck because of Lauren's sweet and vivacious spirit.

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The painting is 14" x 11" and is in oil.

Today, Wednesday the 8th of July, is her 17th birthday.

"Happy, happy birthday, Lauren! We love you very much!"

G'ma Candy and G'pa R A