I Feel Like a Rock star

Today I was invited to go to my daughter's school and do a demo and little talk for the entire 5th grade class (100+ kids). I had no idea what to expect and I spent most of the morning going through photos and trying to decide what to paint. Did they want to see something from start to complete finish? In 45 minutes? Or did they just want to see a start of a more complicated scene? Did they want a lesson? Something that goes along with their curriculum? I decided to do a kid on the beach - something that allows me to paint big shapes and is a single object that I could almost finish. I demonstrated working large to small, dark to light, and thick over thin. And I talked about impressionism and my style and what inspires me.

The above is a little out of focus (phone camera), but I have to say I am pretty proud of what I managed to get done. The kids were so nice and asked really good questions. I've know many of these kids since Anna started school there as a kindergartner, so it was good to have a friendly audience! With the oohs and ahhs and the round of applause, I felt like a rock star!

I will finish this up soon. I hope! When I looked around my studio today for complete paintings to take in to show, I realized I have a lot of almost done work. Time to get things ready to go to my galleries.

Easy Rider

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h
PURCHASE

Now we go into the water and leave the long boarders for some skim boarders in action. I am not an expert actually in what boards they had, but I did like the movement of these guys playing in slightly rougher breakers on Amelia Island, Florida.

I'm enjoying my virtual trip to the beach and am making friends with Phtalo green! But Friday I leave for NYC!!

Boarder 2

5x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h
PURCHASE

Today I'm rejoining Daily Painter's Gallery. I dropped off for about a year while I focused on establishing myself with new galleries and working on larger paintings. I missed the community and the exposure to be honest. I look forward to being part of the gallery again. I looked into other such groups as well (and there are quite a few) but I still think this is the best. It was among the first, its done a lot to promote the artists, and they have high quality and varied art available! I suspect they must have a huge audience too. So I better keep my hand in these smaller works!

If you are anywhere near the beach and going to see fireworks over the ocean, I am jealous.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Boarder

5x5 oil on panel - sold


This week I was nearby V....Vaughan's studio so I dropped by and painted with her. It was nice to have some company and to try to focus a little bit on art. So far, summer has been far from easy livin'. Between travel, shuttling to camps, household chores, physical therapy and so many other things, I haven't had the time or energy to paint. And I'm missing it.
I decided I'd try some small panels. I actually find them rather hard to to. Its hard to paint very small. The subject has to be simple for my brushwork to work.

And since I'm not getting a break from the usual routine of life, I took myself to the beach in my painting time. I ended up doing several small panels in a series... so keep watching!

Day Glo

6x6 oil on panel
sold

This was also sent to Castle Gallery a couple of weeks ago and it sold during their opening reception. I just now realized that its very much about complements. I know I am drawn to things that are 1. very strongly lit; 2. colorful; and 3. interesting perspectives... but I didn't notice this was very much about complements; something that we played with in our monthly challenge last month. I know some of the others continued to play with a limited palette using complements since that exercise. I am thinking of using a limited palette maybe for this summer. As I travel, it will be good perhaps to have less to carry and less to fuss over when I want to get a quick sketch at the beach.

The work of Kevin Weckbach comes to mind when I think of someone using a limited palette and complements really well. His work is wonderfully fresh, loose and unique. Check him out.

Beach Sketches

pages from my sketchbook

Art to Heart '08

Bucket Brigade
12x12 oil on panel

I thought I'd make a note about an upcoming art auction where the above painting is going.

The event, Art to Heart, is to benefit Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in Wilmington, NC. And the young ladies who founded the program are two sisters, one of whom has a rare heart condition and recently had surgery to correct the problems. To give back to the children's hospital where she had her treatment and raise awareness for the recognition of Wolfe Parkinson White Syndrome, they are having what may turn out to be an amazing art auction. So far nearly 100 fine artists have contributed work for the event which is to be Friday, November 7 at the Balcony on Dock Street in Wilmington.

Heart problems run in my family, so fundraising efforts to increase awareness and treatment both for preventable and genetic heart health issues are close to home and I couldn't say no to these young women's efforts. Its ironic that I sent the painting today, and tomorrow I am going in early for a test on my heart to check for a leaking valve or other issues. One never knows.