Dressed Up

10x12 oil on panel

Available at Tidewater Gallery

Its June and time to begin sharing some of the paintings which will be in my upcoming show in North Carolina. This is a pretty exciting event for me. My first solo show and my first series of works. Last fall, I wanted to explore rapid paint sketches and practice getting my ideas down quickly. I chose to paint on 10x12 inch panels because the size is doable in one painting session and its a nice format. The size and process of creation is 'theme' of the series, while the subject matter reflects my usual obsession with painting my observations of daily life - 

"Vignettes"

An exhibition of small works by Robin Cheers

Tidewater Gallery

107 N. Front Street

Swansboro, NC

910-325-0660

Opening reception Friday, June 15, 5-8 pm

Looking Back...

I've finally made a little book of my most favorite paintings from the past 3 years. "Looking Back... The Artist's Favorite Paintings" is an 8x10 book featuring 42 paintings from 2009-2011. It is available on Blurb and can be ordered in softcover, hardcover with a dust jacket or hardcover with image wrap. Enjoy!

Looking Back... | Make Your Own Book

Masters Exhibit

12x12 oil on panel

Available at Loretta Goodwin Gallery

I sent this and 5 other new works to the gallery for their Fall Open House which is today. I wish I could be there. This week has been chock full - culminating with a Girl Scout campout this weekend. I'm excited that our weather is turning cooler so it will be a lovely weekend in Zilker Park.

I've added the new paintings to my Loretta Goodwin page - linked over there on the right - if you want to see all the new pieces. I find the blog easier to update with all my gallery works so people can see what's currently available. My website is a disappointment at the moment.

A Day with Degas

12x12 oil on panel

Available next month at Loretta Goodwin Gallery.

Feeling a little, I don't know, ennui? Maybe I just like that word. Anyway, I turned to something contemplative today. I am pleased with the looseness, the variety of color and brush stoke I worked in here. Its not perfect, but my goal isn't realism, right? I was listening to a Dan McCaw interview this morning on Artists Helping Artists and he talked about painting "past the likeness" and other ideas for expressing your individuality. His book is wonderful, by the way.

This photo is too light, the painting is a little more muted and a shade more cozy than this appears - but when I try to adjust the photo, the red becomes too vibrant.

The scene might be one of my favorite rooms in The Met. Full of Degas' paintings and his beautiful little dancer proudly taking center stage. When you enter it from the main gallery, its really quite striking.

A Good Look

10x8 oil on panel (each)

Ask Edward Montgomery Fine Art about these paintings.

A pair of paintings to share today. I just loved how both women were leaning in and curved - almost echoing the contemporary figures they are studying. I painted these right next to one another so that the background colors match as if they are one painting. But I meant for them to be framed and hung separately.


Here they are framed in the wonderful handmade and hand-finished Glaser frames. They are my preferred frames for my work.

Home Again

Back from a whirlwind trip to Boston and Woodstock, Vermont. Boston was fun to explore, though a bit rainy!



Woodstock is such a beautiful town and Wojtek, Studio 47 owner, is the loveliest host. The show was beautifully hung and the choice of artists meshed well. I met Maryanne Montone Tursi who paints beautiful landscapes and Gillian Tyler who creates a variety of impressionist scenes.



The opening went really well. The gallery is in an old mill, which was used at one time to grind linseed oil for paints! Its a gorgeous space right next to the stream and on the main street of Woodstock.



My wall o'art. Really cool to see it all hung together. A lot of hard work and thought went into it and I was really proud of the results.



Sunday we explored Quechee Village, the Simon Pearce glass studio, Quechee Gorge, some backroads, and downtown Woodstock before heading back to Boston and a way-too early
flight Monday morning.

Special Exhibit

9x12 oil on panel

Ask Studio 47 about this painting.

The Blanton is an interesting museum. Its a beautiful space. The lower floor has a couple of large galleries often dedicated to traveling shows. They change the wall color and layout for each exhibit. This time, the walls were painted a lovely, rich brown and the rooms were very dimly lit, except for the spotlights on the prints.
I got a few sketches in here - but Anna didn't want to sit down there long. The upper galleries vary, they have the large contemporary spaces, all clean and white and some smaller galleries with more classical works and neutral wall colors.

I've been getting a lot of painting done recently. Since I moved my easel downstairs, I am more part of the family and my daughter is happy to do her thing (play) while I am nearby working. I had taken a bit of a break and had that sickening "relearning" curve for a few wasted panels, and so I VOW to paint regularly from now on. Even 15 minutes is better than nothing. I find not only does the brush flow better, but so do my creative ideas. There is a logjam of images in my mind - and so, TO WORK!

Arrested by Art

16x20 oil on linen

My final version. Comments were about half and half on the floor... but I felt like it needed to be darker. It is true to my initial "wow" reaction to the scene. A very kind follower gave me the info on the painting too. It is "Black & White" by Franz Kline. Part of his decade+ long series of them... so who knows where this one falls in the line.

As a side note, I would own this piece or such like it. I love abstract art - the action paintings or the color fields. Its so expressive, duh. I think also that its is actually difficult to create and something so very far from what I do that I would rather own it, than representational works. I can DO those... I can't do this. Probably has to do with being too miserly with paint. And too much of a perfectionista.

TOMORROW - Moses Botkin Monthly Challenge paintings!!

Casual Observer

7x5 oil on panel
sold

This was painted yesterday after my "loosening up" exercises. I like it. I feel like I got the brushwork loose and gestural and got enough color notes to make it interesting, though its rather a tonal painting.

Meditative Mood

12x16 oil on panel

This is the "larger piece" I mentioned doing yesterday. I seriously thought it was going to be very bad but I just kept smearing paint on and pushing myself to continue and in the end, I really like the look of it. Its colorful but balanced, the brushwork looks spontaneous and fresh and I managed to capture the mood and tell a story too.