dixie sampier, artist

Hope Restored Church artwork

Dixie — Sat, 26 Sep 2015 21:00:52 +0000

I have been commissioned to do a painting for our church foyer

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, and I can’t wait to see the reaction from the people today. I have had a few weeks to come up with an idea for the theme given to me and it finally came to me the other night, like 2 a.m.

as to just what to create. I love it when God bestows upon me that kind of inspiration, and then to have a quote from a friend who saw the painting that just spells out what I was trying to say in this art.

Keith Andry Watercolor

Dixie — Tue, 15 Sep 2015 16:32:09 +0000

In the early 1970’sÂ I made myÂ first purchase of an original watercolorÂ from Keith Andry of Louisiana. It was a painting that I saw on a Saturday

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at a watercolor workshop at a plantation and all I could think of on Sunday was that painting of the ducks.Â The next day weÂ drove for 30 minutes thru the bayou country (one lane) and got to buy it from Keith.
Here it is, 2015, and I own 17 other paintings by artists that I know. Some of them are bartered, that’s the fun of having artist friends!

Watercolors at Pinecrest Conference Center Watercolors

Dixie — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 03:07:26 +0000

Once a year I go to Pinecrest to get some rest and get away from it all. I stay in one of the condos while I’m on vacation andÂ there was a wonderful kitchen counter to do some paintingsÂ on..Â The last time I went there, the counter was gone and also the cabinets! I didn’t know the owner had remodeled the kitchen! As my usual stories as an artist, “Look What Happened!” this was a big change! In the past 15 yrs. I did many paintings on that counter with good lighting and a place to be with no distractions, so quiet and peaceful. Now I paint at the round table in that kitchen. In the past I painted plein-aire scenes of the things around the camp ground and about 20 of those watercolors are hanging in the dining room by the pond at Pinecrest. More information: Pinecrest Conference Center, Twin Peaks, CA.

Hillcrest Farmers Market San Diego

Dixie — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 17:07:53 +0000

The Hillcrest farmers’ market moved in closer to our church and so we had to change our service time to 9:30 a.m. because there is some parking available at this hour.Â So, on Sunday mornings I do art exhibits out in front of the church along with our coffee cart and prayer booth. I enjoy meeting all kinds of people who come by and the smell of food coming my way since the food court of the market is right near. MyÂ church, Hope Restored Church is open during the market time for free restrooms, and a place to meditate or cool off. Many people are in need of spiritual guidance, and need our connection and we have a great team of people who serve the community this way. I enjoy seeing people uplifted from my artwork. What a joy it is to serve this way on Sunday mornings!Â I never dreamed I would be doing art shows on Sunday morning, but, the farmers market started branching out all along the street and we are surrounded by it and found that this is the best way to do Sunday mornings.

Porter Hall Gallery in La Mesa, CA

Dixie — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 00:32:53 +0000

What an honor to be the Featured Artist of my art association. I have the two main areas of the gallery to display 27 of my watercolors. All but one of these paintings are of scenes I did at Summers Past Farm in the past years. Mostly small paintings except two. I love to paint on location in the garden, and if the garden doesn’t appeal to me certain times of the year, then I borrow something from the gift shop or a floral from the restroom or coffee bar and set it up out on the big patio. I let my friends know they can visit this gallery in La Mesa to see my work instead of having to drive out to the farm. I look forward to seeing some of my friends show up on Saturday when I am present at Porter Hall, the gallery for Foothills Art Association.

Birdbath Decay

Dixie — Thu, 20 Jun 2013 03:25:12 +0000

About 12 years ago I painted this birdbath when it was new and very smooth. Just recently I found it wearing out and decaying. I haven’t been able to paint it for quite some time because the owner let geraniums grow up all around it, hiding the pedestal. And, just recently I was cleaning out a box of photographs and found this old painting of the first time I painted the birdbath with watercolor. The second time I was around this birdbath I photographed it with a little girl by it and wrote a story about that in my blog about a year ago. I have a large watercolor of this scene in my son’s home,and the one that is here in this story is of the oil painting I did of the little girl.

Spanish Village San Diego

Dixie — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:26:43 +0000

In 1992 I was painting in Spanish Village, located atÂ Balboa Park in San Diego, CA and loved the purple door on this particular gallery. In 2009 I was there again and painted the same view but the door was then painted orange! Then in 2013 I was visiting this same village and found that orange door had changed to yellow! The building is the same color and full of charm to be attractive for tourist who come through this area. So, this is what happens, I painted the place and now, look what happened! It is good to have pics to share, but the one with the purple door is not a digital so itÂ (first pic here) doesn’t look good here. Most of the viewers of this particular scene that I have now painted three different times remark how they like the way I did the tiles on the ground! That is the way I like to paint, making suggestions and not reporting facts and making things look so real and photographic.

The San Diego Harbor

Dixie — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 23:00:45 +0000

This is a picture from one of my photographs, taken (1987) before I ever had digital. I was painting on location down at the harbor in San Diego, a view of the city. Some of my artist friends were with me that day. One of them was a retired architect who said he wished he could paint loose like I do. I said, ‘you don’t have to paint every building, just make it look like it!’ He just couldn’t understand that and went on to his easel to paint his way. Here this picture shows that I got a second place ribbon on this particular paintingÂ at a show by Foothills Art Association. I love this painting and wish I had never sold it, but I needed the money to ‘support’ my habit, my habit of painting!

The Blue Bird House

Dixie — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 20:29:57 +0000

I have enjoyed doing paintings of this particular birdhouse at Summers Past Farm. Sometimes there are sunflowers growing around it, and one time it got shortened because the post got rotted and so it was replace.
And now, just this winter, it was taken out of the ground and I found it leaning up against this metal arbor structure. It is another example of ‘look what happened’ because I painted it! Here are two examples of the paintings. Of all the birdhouses found around the SPF gardens, this is the only blue one. These two paintings have sold, but I do have them printed into cards that I sell at SPF.Â In this one of the little birdie on top of the roof is when the post got shortened.Â If you visit Summer Past Farm you will enjoy observing the other bird houses that are placed through out the gardens.

Summers Past Farm Painting Space

Dixie — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 00:14:49 +0000

One of the spaces at Summers Past Farm where I would set up my gear and do a painting is now gone. I’m glad that there are many other spaces to choose from because SPF is a big place to visit and enjoy.

Sometimes I can’t make up my mind just where I want to set up. It depends on what I found that entices me to put in a painting, and it also depends on the lighting, the subject, the temperature and whether or not I’ll be in the way. Most of all, I have to think about if I wait until a later day to do that particular scene, will it still be the same or not, because many times, if I don’t paint it when I see it, it may not be so the next day or the next week!

One day I found a lovely swag of sunflowers, formed naturally, and I thought I would come back the next day to paint it, well, it just so happened a big wind came over night and knocked it over!

So at this time, I am writing that one of my favorite spaces is no longer available because the owner of the big barn where I sell my paintings decided to build on an addition which created some wonderful store space. I love what he didÂ (at this west side entry door, clearing away all t hat overgrowth), and I don’t think I’ll miss this space to paint in at all. There are always changes taking place at SPF, changes for the better and more charm to lure me into things to paint.

In one of these pics you can’t hardly tell it is a doorway because of so much over-growth. Then next to that used to be the shelving space for pots, etc. with a bigÂ window with panes, well that is all gone with this new addition extending the floor out with new large, vertical windows as you can see a lot of the things in the store, (barn). What a clever idea and lovely attraction to the area by the plant nursery at this farm. I love Summers Past Farm and always find something new to paint there.