Butler Institute of Art

Bushel of Tears  14 x 11 pastel

What an honor, I have just received notification from the Pastel Society of America that my painting "Bushel of Tears" is included in a show at The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio from December - January 2015.

Hummm, I've never been to Ohio...

Eye Candy

Day 21 — Pastel Society of America Materials Fair— I managed to add to my darks and greys
with juicy sticks from Terry Ludwig, Girault and Mount Vision. And then I saw the Caran D'Ache
pastel pencils, which I don't see very often, so I had to get them.

My South Church pals, (l to r) Stan, Maureen, moi, Annabelle and Lenore

Tonight is the Awards Banquet for the 42nd PSA Annual Exhibition: Enduring Brilliance.
Some old and new friends have won awards and I am honored to attend and cheer them on.

I will be stopping at Hudson Valley Art Association 82nd Annual Juried Exhibition at Salmagundi before PSA to get a look at that show— Awards Reception Friday Sept 26, 5- 8 pm.

PSA/HVAA Weekend

It's THE big weekend for pastel artists across the country.

Come to NYC tomorrow through next week, you can see both shows,
and they are within walking distance of each other—
and you can even go through Union Square Greenmarket and shop for dinner.

I've included a little map, too!

PJ's Chuck Taylor Hi Tops

PJ's Chuck Taylor Hi Tops  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard  SOLD

Day 18 — I am fairly certain when I was a kid, Chuck Taylor's did not come in pink, or any
color but black or white. If they did I am not sure how I would have decided which ones to
ask my Grandma for.

Looks like PJ's Grandma owns her first pair of Pink CTs, too.

This is the big Pastel Society of America weekend at the National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC. The Gallery Tour and Reception is tomorrow night at 6 pm, Materials Fair Saturday, and Awards and Banquet Sunday night. I am afraid I will be unable to paint and therefore post until Monday. 

Have a great weekend and maybe I will see you in NYC

Mac's First Chuck Taylors

Mac's First Chuck Taylors  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard  SOLD

Day 17 — Apparently I said I wished I had more kid's shoes... and voila, in my inbox
were these adorable CT's.

I called the Grandma to make sure I had all the details correct and she bought the painting
as soon as she saw it!

Rollei

10 x 8 Rollei  pastel on gatorboard  $150

Day 16 — Rolleiflex is the name of a long-running and diverse line of high-end cameras originally made by the German company Franke & Heidecke, and later Rollei-Werk.

I saw this at a tag sale and snapped a picture with my iPhone, things have come a long way.

Fun with Sunflowers

Fun with Sunflowers  10 x 8 pastel on gatorboard $150

Day 15 — I have always wanted to try to paint sunflowers. They are fast, fun and make me smile —
Van Gogh has nothing to worry about—he still rules!

Yes, I missed yesterday. Family came and it was a busy day. But the point of this challenge is to have fun, and not worry about it too much. By the way, the latest count has 1,053 artists participating

Here is a map of all the participating artists. I guess it's too cold in Antarctica.

Unbroken

Unbroken  8 x 10 pastel  $300

Day 13 —I was gone all day and wanted to post something. Since it ended up being a rainy day I thought these would be perfect.

Vintage Mirro Dripolator

Vintage Mirro Dripolator  9 x 12 pastel on gatorboard  $225

Day 12 — I grew up with this coffeepot, well not this coffeepot. This Dripolator was in Maine, at my dear friends house, along with a row of other equally regal coffeepots of the same era. For a gal who loves repetition in art, this was heaven. For now, only one, but stay tuned for the full chorus line.

I remember the brand of coffee my mother used, Savarin. Like Prell, there were not too many choices in those days.

Pygora Goat

Pygora Goat  10 x 8 pastel on gatorboard   $150

Day 11 — This was painted last night. I need to get a few paintings ahead of myself because of a busy month. I also wanted to paint an animal after so many inanimate objects. 

 

I can't guarantee he's a Pygora, but that's the best I could find in my Google search of goat breeds.
In fact, I started out calling him Lamb Chop... then realized he's is a goat, and he might be she!  

 

I've been off the farm too long.

The Fourth Time is a Charm

The Fourth Time is a Charm  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard  $125

Day 10 — Sometimes it just isn't working. I wiped this one out 3 times before I switched to a different board and tried once more. It this one didn't work it was going the circular file. A very rough surface ate up the pastels, but kind of fun in the end. I think it works.

Haricot Verts

Haricot Verts  10 x 8  pastel on Ampersand  $200

Day 9  — I got into a bit of trouble today, as in— the day got away from me and I am only just getting into the studio at 7 pm. So, I made sure I had a back up painting for just this reason.

This painting was a struggle, but certainly not in finding models! My garden is overflowing with green beans. But, why when I pick them do I itch so badly?  Answer: contact dermatitis. Very common. I must remember to wear long sleeves and gloves, but that seems to take the fun out of gardening.

Oh, the reason I was out all day— I was looking at the venue for my show in November at the Larchmont Public Library. It will be nice, and just in time for Christmas shopping...

If The Shoe Fits

 

If The Shoe Fits  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard   $125 

Day 8 —  Another great little girls shoe from Livie and Luca. I wish I had more reference photos, these shoes are a blast to paint.

And, as promised, the cucumber:

What Girls Want

What Girls Want  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard  $125

Day 7 — Little girls, big girls— they all want shoes, and lots of them. But I think some of the coolest designs are for the little girls. 

I still think someone could make a fortune selling these styles, along with a form of long legged onesies for the big girls. Some of the coolest, funkiest designs go to these tots, who out grow them in minutes. "Do I have kids"  you say? Nope, skipped that step, so what the heck do I know. 

This is a late post because in the northeast we had about the most spectacular day of the summer,
and I spent it gardening. Tomorrow I will post the cucumber I managed to miss all summer —
it's about the size of a onesie.

Blaukraut

 

Blaukraut  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard  $125

Day 6 — I needed to come up with a better title than "Red Cabbage" so I did a search and found a recipe for German Red Cabbage, Blaukraut.

This brings back memories of my German Grandma, Frieda, and her Sauerbraten with Red Cabbage, I mean Blaukraut. As a kid I wasn't too fond of this sour, peasant food but now I love it. And I still miss my grandma.

Orange is the New Blackberry

Orange Is The New Blackberry  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard  $125

Day 5 — One great thing about this months challenge is that the day corresponds to the date.

This painting was fast, fun and I love the colors. Certain layouts make it really hard to find a good place for the signature— this placement is very different for me.

Remembering Prell

Remembering Prell  10 x 8 pastel

Day 4 — If you are of a certain age, you remember Prell (and Breck). Back then there were not too many options. I was a "Breck girl" but I recently found Prell at Walbaumn's.

I was trying to do this fast, loose and bold. Maybe if I go back and figure out the floor tile correctly it will work better. But it was fun trying something different, kind of reminds me of the days of doing marker comps for ad agencies.

Artichoke Bloom

Artichoke Bloom  7 x 5 pastel on gatorboard  $125

Day 3 — While driving down the coast of CA from Half Moon Bay to Big Sur for a wedding this summer, we passed acres and acres of artichokes. I never got a good shot, but luckily my BFF from high school saved the day and sent an image I could paint from. 

Every time I see an artichoke I remember the Little Rascals quote "It might choke Artie, but it ain't gonna choke Stymie."

That Lobster Painting

"That Lobster Painting"  6 x 6 pastel on gatorboard   $125

Day 2 — It's called That Lobster Painting because I said to my husband "I don't know what to call that lobster painting" and he said, yup, "That Lobster Painting."  I am open to suggestions for another title.

The afternoon was spent at the Apple Store. As far as stores go, this is one high on my list. 2 hours later—new laptop and iPhone for hubby. Purchases like this make the shareholders (moi) happy, too.

Goin' Postal

Goin' Postal  9 x 12 pastel on gatorboard  $225

Day 1 — I thought Goin' Postal was an appropriate title given how busy my month is and I decided to do the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge. There are over 700 artists participating this time, from all over the world, and all of them goin' postal !!!