Last years’ opportunity is this years’ adventure. I’m very excited about my upcoming trip to Alaska. Two weeks of painting, sketching, new people and vistas. I think I will be working on a journal mostly as I’ve never been up there, and will try to post when there is work done, and connection to the internet.
The past two months have been remarkable. Piccolo Spoleto was a great turnaround from the past year and I enjoyed every minute of being back with people. That so many people came out, and added to their collections, or bought something for the first time, was just gratifying. Thank you all.
The day after Spoleto I packed up “Cha Ching” and headed north to Sugarcreek, Ohio, for the Nucamp Rally. 200 campers like mine all camped out and ready for good times. Could not have been a better time.
Then off to the Finger Lakes to see friends and help my sister get ready for her move to Phoenix (son and granddaughter). I love that part of the country, and the smell of hay makes me happy.
Now home organizing my house that has been neglected for months while I painted. Feels good to clean through things, paint woodwork, tile floors, and settle into a routine - for a bit :-)
48x48 oil and oil sticks on canvas - and perseverance.
I started this piece over a month ago and the experimenting with oil sticks continues. It’s a new medium that reminds me of the joy of pastels and drawing, but blends well with my switch to oils years ago.
The quest continues…
I’ve been painting some little nocturnals to show at Piccolo Spoleto, and have a conundrum over which blues I like. Making a chart and playing around with combinations seems to be the answer, so a color chart was in order.
Note: I would use smaller tape next time, and maybe larger canvas. Maybe oil primed watercolor paper would be good too.
I was so honored to have been asked for an article for the OPA Blog. It was posted today and now have so many wonderful painters inviting me to go paint with them. What a great group I belong to.
https://blog.oilpaintersofamerica.com/2021/01/the-gypsy-life-in-a-pandemic
40x60 oil on canvas. Available soon, so if you’d like to see the final painting before anyone else, please let me know
Sometimes a painting just needs - a little dazzle.
Headed to City Art Gallery Holiday Show. The Dior Collection from the Paris Exhibition. 12x6, oil on board, framed $795ea.
“Occupied for the Moment” 40x30 oil
Sometime portraits have to sit in the corner for a while to get more perspective. This sat for about 6 months and finally finished it the way I want. I’m not going to fuss and hang it where it belongs…in my house. Love these two :-) PS Special thanks to my daughter Sam for being such a great photographer.
“Cone Flowers”, 40x60 oil on linen
I spent a really fun week camping and painting with friends up in the mountains of Cashiers: waterfalls, flowers, rolling hills and little churches were the best of subject matter. This really large piece came from a smaller one done for the event, and so inspired now that I’m back in the studio. Available.
A piece I did in the gardens of Cashiers for the Paint Out there. I adore Holly Hocks and the garden was filled with them.
In these days of land locked activities, I bought a tear drop trailer that I am having such a nice time in. Lots to learn, but that is always a good thing.
Georgia and the Booth Western Museum next month!
“Holy Hocks’, 8in diameter. Available
For the first time in 13 years I had planned on doing a pop up show with Eleanor Parker on Broad Street rather than Piccolo Spoleto. A hard decision not to be part of those great people, but wanted something different.
We will now be open MAY 29-MAY 31 10-6 27 Broad Street, Charleston, SC
Below: “Nesting” 16 inch round, $1800 now available
There isn’t a thing I can say that hasn’t been said. We’re all adjusting to our new restrictions, and I take the isolation seriously. I was supposed to be in Provence painting with friends now, but things turned out so differently, and here I am at home like everyone else, figuring out what to do with all this time. (Just trying to figure out what day it is seems to confuse me :-)
So I’ve taken on renovating the kitchen - my “30 Day Project”, which has been great fun. 124 screws out , sawzall for taking the cabinet out, repurposing a pine door for part of the counter, and tackling electrical - courtesy of Youtube and yes, the power is off. Eventually I’ll have to have the things I can’t do finished by a real contractor. Meanwhile, I plug along.
I am on the push to get most of it done by the end of this week so I can get back to painting!
Best to all of you in these crazy times.
BEFORE
UPDATE - May 27. Well that has taken me a whole longer than I thought, but I have learned PLENTY. Still some things to finish but I’m really happy with how it all turned out.
A week and a half til SEWE and I am like an elf in the studio working on getting the last paintings done. The horses above are one of two pieces that are Big and so much fun to paint. Layers of paint, adjustments, splattering, then layers again. This will occupy pretty much the whole side wall of my booth at Charleston Place - and it’s 60x40 oil, framed.
More to come!
May it bring joy to your life.
I don’t think I’ve painted a winter scene in years, but a friend sent me an image of this when he was out sitting in a deer stand at Thanksgiving. I loved taking that image and painting it - making it my Christmas card for this Christmas. A reminder of where I came from and great memories of past Christmases.
10x8 $800 available
I get asked that a lot. “How do you know when it’s done?”. Not an easy question and I always answer, “When nothing else can be added”.
Well, in some cases if it sits around in the studio long enough, I realize I am not quite finished, and “Soaring” was the case. I just felt it needed more depth and height. I’ve glanced it for a couple of months and tackled it this week to finish it the way I see it. Happy I did and feel it portrays the impact I wanted.
“Soaring” 48x48
“Decolletage”, 36x24 oil. The French have a word for the space between the dress cleavage and the neck. This space is called the decolletage. I’ve been fascinated by “folds” for a few years and put out a limited two pieces a year for sale. As always, composition is so important to the piece and love the long format to match the stance.
Featured at CITY ART GALLERY in Greenville, NC this Friday
I had promised myself I wouldn’t travel for a bit and just stay home. Ha. The opportunity to go out West and study under Jill Soukup - at the Zapata Ranch in Colorado - was not something I could pass up. It surpassed all expectations (with the exception of the altitude of 8700ft, which for a girl at sea level, was an adjustment.
I loved it. Great instruction, great people, amazing food, going out to the pastures in the dark waiting for the horses to ride in, the sound of hooves in the dust, out stalking bison for photos - was just magical. Even rode a horse, which has been a long stretch since I last rode.
Back home, and time to enjoy the lowcountry again. I’ve missed the last two falls here because of trips, and looking forward to being a homebody. For now.
“Bison” 12x6 oil on board
I have painted these dress three times with different colors. What started out as a commission, ended up being a piece that I felt I needed to painted the way I thought it would look the best. As a graphic designer, I am used to complying with clients’ wishes, and really enjoy that process. After starting it though, I needed to follow my gut and go with it. Glad I did - and will work on another for my client. :-)
Available 30x43, framed in gold $5800 SOLD
Two weeks on the road has been a great experience, and much needed vacation for me. I didn’t realize how much I needed to be back home in the Finger Lakes until I got there and spent time wandering in familiar territory. I grew up in Geneseo, NY and raised my kids on Canandaigua Lake, so being with friends, swimming in fresh lake water, painting valleys, fields, barns, and wildflowers, was a feeling of being “grounded” and so good for the soul.
A bit about the painting above: I ended up out painting barns almost every morning, capturing the light and color cast over them. The old ones are treasures that will not be there forever, and are such a part of my childhood. I didn’t bring my Thalo Blue or my blue/black with me though, and was challenged by the new palette. Always a good thing to work with what you have and see where it goes.
