Wedding Reception - The Corinthian

28x22 oil on linen

Today is somewhat of a recovery day. This party ended very late! Late for me - I am not worth much after 7 pm. But the band was fun, and the wedding coordinator, Ann Whittington, always takes care to have a nice spread for the vendors so I had a good salad, chicken and a couple brownies to sustain me!
This was a surprise for the bridal couple. She apparently had wanted me, but was told I was booked and unable to paint her wedding. I saw her when her mom pointed me out at work - on the upper level. I hope they are as pleased with the final product.

To be honest, I'm still ambivalent about these gigs. Sure, its great exercise for me, its maybe a nod to traditional impressionism, and its very special for the family. BUT, is it good for my career? And I always feel like the work is left unfinished... which is the nature of it, but I wonder if that is best? I could do so much better by bringing the work back and completing it in my studio. Most of the live event painters do not do this. And there are drawbacks to it...when in my studio, I need to be focusing on gallery work. And there are only so many hours in the day. Seeming to be fewer and fewer too. This morning I went to a meeting to learn about being "cookie coordinator" for our Brownie troop. Please, somebody stop me next time I volunteer!
:-)

Oheka Castle Wedding Reception

Took a very quick trip over the weekend to go and paint at a lovely young couple's wedding reception on Long Island. The site was Oheka Castle - a beautiful private home built in the early 1900s by one of those fabulously wealthy "robber-barons." It was a beautiful setting. I am exhausted...and no honeymoon to look forward to!


early stage - the light from the setting sun inspired me, though the party was going to be at night.


ready for populate the scene with some wedding guests


no time for pics in between - this is the final painting. I hope the family is happy with my results!

Wedding Reception - Molly Pitcher Inn

I'm back home after a whirlwind trip to the northeast. Three cities in three days... the rock star lifestyle is not for me! On Facebook, I've posted some pictures from the awards dinner at the National Arts club. Owing to the usual delays that inevitably happen when traveling, I barely got there in time for dinner and was a little damp from a long walk in the rain. But had no trouble getting too and from the city on the trains. Well - I got off at the wrong station on the way back to my hotel, but jumped on the next train and finished my ride.
I met some lovely people at the awards dinner and was warmly welcomed. I was so impressed by the quality of the work in the show, and therefore even more honored and amazed that my painting was chosen for an award.
The National Arts Club is in a gorgeous old home in Gramercy park. Stunning.

Next day (Sat.) I was driving down the New Jersey Parkway heading for the coast for the wedding reception. The fall color was beautiful. I missed my exit... you'll note a theme on my missing exits and getting lost....

Suffice to say, I made it to town and got my canvas and mineral spirits at a local art supply store and then got to spend some time enjoying downtown Red Bank.

The wedding reception was a lot of fun. People talk about southern hospitality, but I have to say, the people there (guests, dj, lighting guy, wait staff, etc.) were all so friendly and fun. Everyone danced! From the youngest to the oldest... to all the music. Its really fun to get to take part in these events as an observer. I'm really honored to be asked to do this kind of work!




That being said, I'm exhausted. I'm in my jammies still and not moving from my sofa today. Its pouring rain too which makes it all the cozier.
I am not traveling the the rest of the year. Soon it will be time to turn our attention to the upcoming holidays and family. But for now, I think I need a nap.

Calvert Victorian Gala

18x24 oil on linen - sold

What a fun and festive event in Calvert. I wish I could have been dressed up and dancing, but seeing it all was great. I worked smaller than I usually do for live events and finished the scene so that it could be auctioned that night to benefit the Calvert Historical Society. V....Vaughan's beautiful painting of the afternoon tea was a real crowd pleaser too. I think we are both happy to have participated in the events of the day and enjoyed the hospitality of this quaint East Texas town as a whole. Many thanks to Barbara, Cecilia and Jody for their hospitality and planning!


Some fine looking young ladies chatting around my painting corner.


The gentleman and lady in the center were the second place Best Dressed couple of the evening. They are in my painting on the right. I actually had all three winners for the best dressed couple in my work. I guess I had a good eye for authentic costume!


V's gorgeous painting is seen in the background here.

Wedding Reception - The Parador, Houston

I made good progress on this one I think. I do not have much touch up to do in the studio. Though my start was slow! The Parador was a lovely venue. The gardens were particularly nice. Inside, once the band got going, and the guests filtered in for dinner, I got into the swing of things.
Its such a neat experience. Its kind of terrifying as well. lol

Studio News

First, I think what bugs me about the painting below is that its not as loose as I wanted. I was trying to go more for that blocky and gestural look in the painting I did of the pantry. But I think its maybe very hard to do with people. I think because as a representational artist its hard to paint something that everyone (including me) expects to look a certain way to be something different. So if I DON'T paint the people to look very much like individuals, then they won't look like people. I think people are hard because we are all so familiar with the proportions and the way a person carries themselves. We can flub a vase of flowers, no one really knows that the vase was or wasn't shaped that way, or the flowers can have a variety of shapes and still look correct. But if person's head is too small or arms too long, or they are off balance, then everyone can tell that and feel that its all wrong.
So, I think I wasn't able to pull off the gestures as I hoped. What I wanted was more of a feeling of motion - the hurry of the crowd. The rest should be more loose and suggestive with more detail being around the one figure on the right. She is moving more slowly, carefully. I will work on it. (try again)

I'm not sure that made any sense. My daughter, who still has a fever, has not stopped talking for the past 3 hours I think. She feels good at least.

Now for my busy schedule to share with you!
I have quite a few paintings going to various shows around the country as well as me traveling for events.

This Friday I have a wedding reception painting to paint in Houston. I'm hoping that the sickness in our house will not interefere with that! I haven't yet had to deal with that possibility.

Oct. 17 - Opening reception for the Daily Painters of Texas group show at Dutch Art Gallery in Dallas. (I will share the works going there soon - I'm still undecided!)
Oct. 17 - Live event painting during the Calvert Victorian Gala - Calvert, Texas. (costume ball!)
Oct. 23 - Opening of the American Impressionist Society show in Denver, CO. Juror - the very inspiring Quang Ho. I will have two paintings there.
Oct. 23 - Closing reception for the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club show (one painting) at the National Arts Club, NYC
Oct. 24 - Live event painting in Red Bank, NJ

I almost forgot a very special invitation I've had to exhibit at a show of contemporary women artists of the west at the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville, Texas beginning Jan 2010. I am really honored to have been selected to participate in it. Really, I am glad to be included in all these shows. There are just so many amazing artists working now that just being selected into shows is an accomplishment. (But I still hope for awards! :)

I think that is all for now. I share this here so I can sort it all out in my own mind better! Its rather too much to remember - the timing the shipping, planning the trips, getting my materials, frames, etc. Ooh, I better stop thinking about all that now. Need to think about dinner for my recovering flu victims.

Recent Live Event Paintings

Jenkins Wedding - Driskill Hotel


Agrawal Wedding - The Houstonian

I am still doing live event painting, but haven't been publicizing it. I have been debating a lot actually about continuing. Its a really neat thing to do - and so good for me as an artist. It really pushes me to see and paint fast and loose. But it is exhausting. And travel is difficult, esp. with oils.
So I've decided to just do events at locations I can drive to for now. So that means the central Texas area basically. I have not yet been able to paint quickly enough to be completely finished on site. And even if I did, the family or couple don't want to take a wet painting home with them the night of the party. So the process remains the same. I show up about 2 hours early and begin working. I paint during the party, adding people and catching important moments and chatting with all the guests who want to know why I haven't put them in the painting yet.
Then I bring the painting home to finalize it, let it dry and varnish it to deliver later.
FYI - I currently charge $1500 + travel (and tax) for a 20x30 or 22x28. I think those sizes work the best but I can do other sizes. I ask for 50% deposit to save the date. Its fully refundable should plans change - minus any hotel charges/fees. I'm honing my skills each time I do this and hope to finish a painting during an event sometime. Then maybe I can work bigger or travel farther.
Upcoming this fall - painting during the Victorian Gala in Calvert Texas. Its a fully costumed ball and should be really fun.
Besides that, my paintings will be showing in several juried exhibits around the country. But more on that later.
Tomorrow - the monthly challenge group painting!

Quick Trip to Houston

I went to the big city to paint an Indian/Hindu wedding ceremony. What an amazing event. Part of the time I got caught up in the rituals and admiration of all the gorgeous saris, what a feast for an artist's eyes! But then I remembered to get back to painting. I didn't make a lot of progress, but have a decent start. It was really an honor to get to be a part of this celebration.

This morning I went to the Museum of Fine Arts Houston before leaving town. There was no special exhibit, but I thought it would be good to get some references for paintings. I was one of about 4 people in the galleries. There were three times as many security guards - all very welcoming and friendly.

It ended up just as well that I didn't find many people perusing the art, since my camera batteries died anyway. My extras were in the car of course. Can you guess my frustration?

Aside from those shortcomings, the visit was a success. An important part of seeing the work of masters is to see that even their work is not perfection. Remember that I gravitate to the impressionists and contemporary artists. Its a reminder to me to strive for expression not duplication. I saw how thin and gestural some of their paintings are, how the underpainting remains in the finished product, even a Matisse where you could see how he scrubbed away sections and tried to redraw them. I wonder if that was intended to be shown at all, but his name is on it, I suppose he considered it finished. I wish I could get that loose and expressive for these wedding events. Maybe then I could finish more of the work on site, or paint larger. But I try too hard to be perfect and exact even in the dark, even with a crowd around me, even with my subjects moving constantly.

Another thing that I find interesting in museum collections is to see what the works are painted on; cardboard, tracing paper, "fans", wood. Funny, too, that the works were so often reviled, yet they amaze me more than all the highly-rendered European salon works.

Steelwood Wedding Reception

I forgot to mention that last weekend, I had a live painting event in Alabama. Flew in Saturday under mostly cloudy skies to paint outdoors at this lovely venue. As you can see, this is not final. I painted until dark and was not in a position to set up a light so did not complete my foreground. I will add a few more people and the grass and plants and be done.

River Oaks Wedding Video

Well I can't believe I figured this out! I must give a nod to Qiang Huang who told me he uses Windows Movie Maker. Once I downloaded that, and ditched the other Sony software, this was a breeze. Thanks Qiang!

So, let me explain the video. I set my camcorder up behind my easel and out of the way. Once it got knocked and you can see the view change for a few frames. I set it to capture every 10 minutes I think and it was too long a time lapse, but you can see the work develop - though it kind of goes in spurts.
I left the audio as it was too so you can share the whole feeling of the event. In the beginning, the lights are up and the band is warming up. Then the people begin to arrive and the noise level increases, voices almost drown out the music. You hear snatches of songs, see guests stop and visit with me, and see me tapping along with the music until the voices fade, the music stops and the lights come up.

These events are so fun for me. Its so special too to share these amazing events with the families and friends.

A Taste of the Driskill

A very neat event going on Saturday for those of you in Austin. Its also game day for UT, so likely to be busy downtown. I'm going to exhibit some of my artwork - especially the wedding reception work during this event.

A Taste of the Driskill
Saturday, August 30, 2008
10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Open house featuring food and wine tastings, pie bake-off, music, ghost tours, romance stories and children’s activities. A showcase of artwork of The Driskill created by local artists will be in the Jim Hogg room on the Mezzanine level.

Live Event Painting - River Oaks

24x36 oil on linen

Here we have the final event version. I will be making final adjustments and refining the painting, but I wanted to share with you the result of my 5+ hours of painting of the reception for William and Kate. I also set up my video camera and taped at intervals, so when I come back from vacation (which I very much need now) I will play with editing that and posting it to my site. I very much enjoyed this and hope the family will love the final painting. Stay tuned for photos of it in a few weeks.

Live Event Painting

24x36, oil on linen
A week ago Saturday I had the opportunity to paint another wedding reception. This one in the Texas State History Museum. It was a swank affair. Its so much fun. I get to do what I love, and live vicariously for a few hours being part of the celebration and finery.

Once again, the guests were enthralled and thought it was the neatest idea. I hope the couple likes the work. I've left it in its sketchy, impressionistic style. It kind of reminds me of some of Toulouse Lautrec's work of the Moulin Rouge. Lots of lines, the underpainting showing through, gestures and color being the most important things.

The way this works is, I go early and set up as the other vendors are as well. I begin the drawing and paint in background. But not too much since the people go in front of it, and with oils, I don't want to get muddy trying to overpaint in rather a rush. So the guests begin to arrive and I capture gestures and clothing - sometimes with an oil pastel. I painted about 5 hours total. Lots of interruptions from admiring and curious guests too... which is a lot of fun for me. I like too that it brings fine art into the real world. It introduces people to artists methods and materials and hopefully educates people about how attainable real, original art can be.