Trumpet Blast

7x5 water soluble graphite on watercolor paper
greeting card
$30 + $5 sh

TGIF! Finally have time to paint and create! I'm working on some small works for blog (daily painters galleries) for the upcoming holidays. And finalizing a couple of restaurant scenes to send to Castle Gallery. Have a beautiful weekend friends!

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Upcoming Events:

• November 29: Major's Fundraising Art Sale begins 
• December 6: Small Gems show dk Gallery, Marietta, GA
• December ?: Annual Holiday Show, Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

First Chair

7x5 water soluble graphite original sketch

greeting card

$30 + $5 sh

Last night was our open studio event and it was a lovely evening. Better, I think, than if I had it at my home studio (which really is much too messy to allow people to safely enter!) With V.... there it was more relaxed and - well, just like our regular meetings but with more people!

It's so nice to meet new people and share my art with them. Thank you to all who came by!

So there are still some original sketch greeting cards available - and I love doing these so much that I will continue to create more and offer them either on ETSY or my own website (store is in the works maybe - more on that later. So many ideas and options!) ack!

Conductor Card

7x5 water soluble graphite on paper (greeting card) - sold

One of many small original sketches available at our "open studio" event.

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Please join artists Robin Cheers and V....Vaughan at their "satellite studio" for gourmet chocolate and new collections of gift sized artworks just in time for the holidays. With Joel's offering amazing artisan chocolates, locally crafted teas, fresh coffees and seasonal treats, Robin and V.... will be sketching from life. So bring YOUR LIFE, a child or pet to pose for an original sketch by the artists...a truly original gift idea. Also available are original art greeting cards and small paintings. 

Wednesday -  November 20th - 4 -8 pm

Joel's Coffee House

11301 Lakeline Blvd, Ste 120

Austin, TX 78717

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Upcoming Events: 

• November 20: Chocolate and Chiaroscuro Event, Joel's Coffee House, Austin
• November 29: Major's Fundraising Art Sale begins 
• December 6: Small Gems show dk Gallery, Marietta, GA

Tyler Trumpets

A page from my sketchbook in casein

I've discovered a new medium thanks to James Gurney. I was intrigued by his use of casein in his sketches and wanted to try it. (you must look at and follow his blog!) I found a small set at a local art supply store and set to work last night. I like it a lot. For one thing, I can sit on the couch with my family in the evening and sketch. Casein paint is a water soluble medium made with milk proteins as a binder and it is permanent.

I've drawn and painted this man before so you probably recognize him. He is a very talented street musician in New Orleans. I thought of my nephew while painting this - he is a trumpet player in his high school band. Their band has had some wonderful opportunities to perform. Most recently during the Cleveland Browns football game. Unfortunately, my nephew is ill and was unable to join them. 

I still need to research casein more but I think I will like being able to sketch and develop painting ideas with it. I think I will need a couple more colors - a better red and green choice for sure. The Shiva set I bought has "Shiva" green (thalo?), an unusually bright ultramarine blue, rose red and Naples yellow as well as black and white.

Trumpeter Sketch

I saw this man playing and singing in different areas on different days and with different fellow street musicians. He was really talented! I bet he is well-known in New Orleans but I do not know his name. 

Pencil sketch from the pages of my sketchbook.  

Maestro

12x9 oil on panel  

Ask Gardner Colby Galleries about this painting

"Slice of Life" opens March 14th. The theme couldn't be more right for me. Its what I like to paint best - those moments in life that seem less than extraordinary, but are what the stuff of life is made of. Life here is finally taking a turn for the better. My husband is going back to work soon. My parents are making plans to move to the Austin area finally. Spring is in the air and I feel my heart lifting as these weighty matters come to resolution. Not to get too personal, but I feel very blessed that these last months have made our family stronger and closer when the difficulties could have produced very different results. I'm really proud of my husband. And my daughter.


My work is now turning to kitchen and domestic scenes. Its all relative. :-) 

Yesterday I met my lovely friend V....Vaughan and we painted while we visited in a very welcoming and cozy coffee shop in northwest Austin - Joel's. Its also the home of Austin Truffle Company and nothing will get you through a crazy time like excellent mocha truffles (and friendship.) I did the two studies above from photos while we enjoyed our hot chocolate, tea and truffles. Will be working them into larger works soon.

Conductor

Conductor
8x6 oil on panel
$175 + s/h - sold

Houston Symphony
20x24 oil on panel
Commissioned by the Houston Symphony League

Above is my final painting for the Houston Symphony celebrating the last year their conductor, Hans Graf, will lead them. I have had such fun painting scenes from this event. Now I need to get backstage at the Austin symphony, or maybe the opera. How fun would that be?

Allegro

Allegro
8x6 oil on panel
$175 + s/h
PURCHASE

Yes, I am still here! I've been painting and now finalizing my work for Gardner Colby's "Slice of Life" show which opens March 14 in Naples. I also finished up the large commissioned painting for the Houston Symphony conductor. I really enjoyed painting scenes from that night. I have several smaller ones like above and larger ones which will be available in my galleries.

Sorry for my long absence. Its been hectic at home. My husband is still out of work, we had Girl Scout cookie season, show prep, sick dog, a trip for interviewing out of state, and the usual things like extra curricular activities and lots of laundry, etc. Just a whirlwind start to the new year. I make the time to paint, but not so much to post.

Houston Symphony

Happy New Year! 2013 is promising to be full of challenges and changes if my last couple of weeks are any indication!

I had the very wonderful opportunity last weekend to paint behind the scenes at the Houston Symphony. I was commissioned to capture the conductor Hans Graf and some of the principal players for the conductor's last season. It was such an honor and so inspiring to be painting with a live orchestra!

 

They had set up a monitor for me to work from backstage with the camera behind the musicians, looking towards the conductor. I also got to look through the doorway peephole and get onstage before and after the performance. These are my sketches from that night. The first painting I just focused on the conductor and tried to capture some of his movements and the lighting on him. A definite challenge!

 

I will complete the one above using the photos I took while there and post again to show my final results. Its good to be back focusing on art again after lots of holiday fun. I hope that the new year is a joyful one for all my friends in blogland!

Morning Music

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + $11 s/h

The morning that I painted in Central Park, a guitarist and violinist were playing under the arches near Bethesda Fountain. The music was so lovely.
Thanks to a friend in the city, I have some more info on that special place in the park:

"At the southern approach to the Terrace Bridge from the Mall a visitor will see the seven arches of the Arcade, a columned passageway with walls on either side forming a blind arcade adorned with trompe l'oeil paintings. The large ceiling, which is part of the original design of Central Park, was first installed in 1867 and originally contained 16,000 brilliant encaustic tiles, weighing about 50 tons and handcrafted in Stoke-on-Trent, England."