New Studio Means an OPEN HOUSE!

Come one, come all!

Feeling Blue?

I am pleased to be curating this show, featuring 35 gallery artists creating work around the theme, "The Blues!"  The show runs through the month of February; opening reception Friday, February 1.  A great way to kick the winter blues with some blues!

Something New

 So, a painting friend of mine has threatened to take me off her blog roll if I don't post something new.  I think she was joking, but it was a good kick in the pants, either way, so here's something new!  I took my kids out with me plein air painting the other evening.  Here they are, at the beginning:

Evan wore that brush down to the ferrule, in about 10 minutes.

 

Here he is, off to the races, still in an apron...

Here's what they created in their other medium: sticks and dirt...

And why should one slide down when one can climb up?

....and then climb down!

Here's what I did, in between kid assistance.

It was a successful session!

A Post for Spring

Contrary to appearances, I HAVE been painting, even though I haven't been posting.  It has been a chaotic Spring for me... between the tree branches coming through the roof in January's Perfect Storm (which put me out of my studio for a while) with all the subsequent repairs and clean-up, and the multiple colds, coughs and ills brought home by my first-year schoolgirl and first-year daycareboy, life has led me a dance the last few months!

I thought I'd post a few before and after pics of my studio:

you can see the painting I was working on-- the branch came through where I would've been standing had I been in there at the time!

Yuk.  Ceiling stuff was everywhere.

Daylight...

And all better!

I am so happy to have the exterior and interior of our home watertight again!

My Thoughts for the Day

I don’t use my blog very often to philosophize about art.  Mainly because I’m not very good at it.  Don’t get me wrong; I LOVE to philosophize, but I’m better one-on-one.  Nevertheless, here goes.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and no one knows this better than an artist.  Just recently, I was accepted at a top-notch regional art festival and turned down by a relatively unknown event, both based on identical images of my work.  Go figure.  And I know I’m not alone in this—I’ve heard similar stories from other artists.

You just can’t take it personally.  Even the most analytical juror sees art through the lens of personal preference.  That goes double for a collector.  After all, the art is going home to live with them.  The fact that the viewer likes or dislikes or is ambivalent towards a piece of art is no reflection on the work, but rather a reflection of the viewer’s taste.

Ultimately, jurors approve what they like, people buy what they love, and every genre has an audience waiting to be found. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and art is in the heart of the collector.

Sweet Invitation

Sweet Invitation

30x40 inches, oil on canvas

$1950

This painting is making its debut at the Stevenson, WA, library, in the traveling "Trees" show.  I've been painting a lot of tree portraits lately, and this is crossing back over towards landscape.  It was a challenge because of the backlit scene, and very rewarding once it was done.  The title tells you how I feel about it.

contact artist

Centrifugal Force

So, I actually have been painting in the four months since my last post, although somewhat sporadically.  And even more sporadic is the photographing of my work, so I can share it! :)  Despite the smiley face, I DESPISE photographing my work.  I can never get it just right, but I try to get close.  Here's one of my latest pieces, which will be in the show "Celebration of Creativity" at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, OR, next weekend, March 1-5.  Check out their website for more details.

Centrifugal Force

oil on canvas, 48x24 inches

Interlude

18x24 inches

oil on canvas

The view upwards through the trees still has the power to draw me into the moment.  For a brief instant, I feel again the childhood sense of being present. No future, no past, just now-- what a blessing of innocent youth.

contact artist

Fugue - SOLD

48x24 inches

oil on canvas

From the dictionary: 1a : a musical composition in which one or two themes are repeated or imitated by successively entering voices and contrapuntally developed in a continuous interweaving of the voice parts b : something that resembles a fugue especially in interweaving repetitive elements

I had thought about "choral group" as a title, because I felt these trees were making music together, and I stumbled upon this definition of a "fugue" and it just fit.

This is also in the "Trees" show at the Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River, OR.

contact artist

Day of Grace - SOLD

30x40 inches

oil on canvas

Anyone who knows me knows that along about October I start griping about the weather.  It shouldn't come as a surprise to a native Oregonian that summer here is just a blink between the wet seasons, but every year I get indignant that the warm weather is over already.  And yet I LOVE the fall colors.  Hence the title of this painting: a day of grace, or, unmerited favor.  A day with the benefit of blue skies and a warm sun shining down on those lovely autumn hues.

This is hanging in the "Trees" show at the Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River, OR.

contact artist

Line Dancing

40x16 inches

oil on canvas

Here's another painting that is in the "Trees" show.  I didn't really know where I was going with this one until I was painting it-- it progressed to this point and said "stop."  So I did. It's a personal favorite.


contact artist

Autumn Sighs

36x12 inches

oil on canvas

This was painted for the "Trees" show at the Columbia Art Gallery, in Hood River, OR, showing this month.  I truly enjoyed painting for this show.  Trees are so human.

contact artist

A Cut Above - SOLD

12x9 inches

oil on panel

I find the Coyote Syncline incredibly challenging to paint.  It's amazing to look at in person, but it's difficult to translate to canvas its immensity.  Especially plein air, since I paint pretty small outdoors.  I feel this one is successful-- I was going for that early morning freshness.  I hope you like it, too.

This is hanging at the Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River, OR, as part of the 2011 NW Plein Air Show, during the month of September.

contact Rachel

Growth!

Wow.  I have discovered Carlson.  Amazing that such a boring, difficult book could be so enthralling four years later.  Who knew?  Thanks to my first plein-air workshop instructor for insisting that all his students purchase this staple of landscape painting.  He'll never see this, but thank you, John Budicin.

Oh, How I Love Cliffs! (SOLD)

Horsethief Cliffs
11x14 inches

oil on canvas

Went out with a painting buddy today--and renewed my love affair with basalt cliffs.  I had to get up at 5:30am to make it to the site by 7:45am (get self & kids ready, get kids to grandpa's house, stop for espresso, hour's drive to location) but it was worth it.

This one will most likely be in the 2011 NW Plein Air Show at the Columbia Art Gallery in Hood River, Oregon-- opening reception September 2.


contact artist

plein air painting

10x10 inches

oil on panel

Went out this morning.  This is probably destined for the 2011 NW Plein Air Show at the Columbia Art Gallery next month, but we'll see what I paint between now and Monday's deadline.  It still needs a title...

contact artist

Taking the Plunge!

I've been asked to teach, give private lessons, give demos.  While flattering, I have resisted all requests for multiple reasons: inexperience, lack of confidence, lack of knowledge (I know this, even if they don't).  Seriously, how do I teach when there's so much I don't know?  Anyway, I finally did a demo at the Sunriver Art Faire last weekend.  (The lady who arm-twisted me into it was on my hit list the last three gut-wrenching days beforehand, although I am now quite fond of her!)

So the demo consisted of the above three canvases: 1) a toned canvas with the sketch on it, 2) a partially-painted canvas (which I attempted to complete during the demo), and 3) a finished painting to show the audience where I was going. 

Speaking of the audience, it consisted of 5-10 people who, for the most part, came and went.  Which didn't hurt my feelings at all!  There was one young girl who asked tons of questions and helped to make the hour pass quickly. 

Overall, a good experience.  I'm glad I did it.

contact artist

The Short Season

Summer Blues - SOLD

30x40 inches, oil on canvas

Summer Song

30x40 inches, oil on canvas

I thought I'd post these together, given the "Summer" titles.  There is something about both of these that evokes in me the feeling of a late, warm, summer evening, with the soft breeze on my cheek and a contented feeling of being alone with God.  It's funny how you can feel alone but absolutely not lonely-- one of the sweet pleasures of life.


contact artist

Painting, painting, painting-- Really!

Well, I have actually completed two large paintings and several small ones since I last posted, but am unable to upload photos of them as my camera battery has died and I have lost/misplaced the extra battery and charger (Sony! argh).

So, instead, here is a photo of a painting I helped install in a collector's home last weekend.  My camera was set on landscape, so it's a bit blurry and dark (this should not come as a surprise to anyone who's been following me for very long-- I'm notoriously scattered), but you get the idea.

what to paint... thinking...

I went out plein air painting this morning and it was disastrous.  I'm glad no one else was there to see!  So I'm now back in my studio contemplating what to paint.  I need to reassure myself that I still know how!  thinking, thinking...