Last Barn 2016 or First Barn 2017

Last Barn Study  5 x 7 pastel

Hard to believe it is time for the 30 Paintings in 30 Days again. This will be my seventh time doing the challenge. I have not planned a theme and am not sure where this one will take me.

Driving back from Toronto I took hundreds of pictures of farms and fields. At one point Walter said, "I wonder why barns are painted red?" so I googled "Why are... " that is as far as I typed before up  popped "Why are barns painted red?" Did it know I was photographing barns, some of which were red? Did it hear us talking?

Why are barns red?

Centuries ago, European farmers would seal the wood on their barns with an oil, often linseed oil -- a tawny-colored oil derived from the seed of the flax plant. They would paint their barns with a linseed-oil mixture, often consisting of additions such as milk and lime. The combination produced a long-lasting paint that dried and hardened quickly. 

• Wealthy farmers added blood from a recent slaughter to the oil mixture. As the paint dried, it turned from a bright red to a darker, burnt red.
• Farmers added ferrous oxide, otherwise known as rust, to the oil mixture. Rust was plentiful on farms and is a poison to many fungi, including mold and moss, which were known to grown on barns. These fungi would trap moisture in the wood, increasing decay.

Happy New Year!

I've Got My Eye On You

"I've Got My Eye On You  10 x 10 pastel  $150

There is a lot going on in a chicken head, I doubt much intelligent thinking but lots of cool colors and textures.

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Molly, Napping

Molly, Napping  8 x 10 pastel

Finally I have gotten back to painting. Molly is quite the poser and wanted to try a fast painting. I have hundreds of photos of her and I am sure there will be more paintings to come.

Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Exhibition

Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?  16 x 19 pastel  $2200

Just got the call that I have won the Lelia Gardin Sawyer Award at the CLWAC 120th Annual Exhibition.
This is a beautiful show at the National Arts Club, which is a decorated for the holidays. Stop by to see over 170 artworks created by women from around the country in a stunning setting.

National Arts Club, 15 Gramercy Park South, NYC

Hours: M-F 10 - 5 call front desk for weekend hours 212-475-3424.

Black Friday Sale

First day of the month log Pop Up Gallery at Stamford Town Center has had a sale! Taking more paintings up tomorrow. Check it out if you are in the area.

Truckin'

Truckin'  11 x 14 pastel

After a few paintings earlier in the week that landed in the wipe out drawer, it was nice to finally feel good about one.It was a blast to paint!

This Bassett Hound puppy, Bird,  was at our local farmer's market. He was the center of attention— for good reason.

Nesbitt's Orange

Nesbitt's Orange  5 x 7 pastel

Finally back to painting, back to lighters. Doc said I was clear, no nerve damage— whew, dodged a bullet. Need to remember— dull knives are the ones that do the damage.

Hope to get back on track with painting, lots of distractions lately, but all good ones.

Wilton American Artisan Show

A great weekend in Wilton at the Wilton Historical Society 31st Annual American Artisans Show.
All the paintings above have found homes with new collectors. Connections were made, old friends stopped by, new friendships formed and future showing opportunities were created.

... and I was asked to return next year!!

(No painting for a while — kitchen mishap with a french chef's knife that will involve a look by hand surgeon today— let's hope he will say it's ok, no nerve damage. Maybe he will let me paint if I wear a glove).

31st Annual American Artisan Show/Wilton, CT

Another Autumn  11 x 14 pastel  $625

Thank you Lisa P. Oswald and Jane Cameron for the opportunity to exhibit "A Collection of Collections"
at the Village Hall Gallery in Hastings on Hudson.

I take the show down today, and thanks to Lisa "liking" a painting on FB, I drive right up to Wilton CT
for the 31st Annual American Artisan Show.

Preview Gala Friday Nov 4 6-9 pm
Sat 10 - 5; Sun 10 - 4

//wiltonhistorical.org/events/american-artisan-show/american-artisan-show-2016-artisans/

Pepsi Generation

Pepsi Generation  5 x 7 pastel

My next series— a dear friend has lent me some of his extensive vintage lighter collection. This is the first, and I think the least complicated of the bunch. Fitting that my husband worked for Pepsi in the '80s.

I didn't think this would be so much fun, but painting this was SO MUCH FUN. Stay tuned for more...

Sugar Pond II

Sugar Pond II  8 x 10 pastel  $125

Just needed to do a landscape today after adding another entry into the "circular file."

This is a view anyone in my hometown of Hastings on Hudson will recognize, especially the dog lovers. We walked there every day for 10+ years with our girl Ursa. Recently we went back for a walk and learned of so many of her generation who have passed on.

Some tried to keep their dogs out of the pond, others threw in sticks that were eagerly retrieved.
It's all good.

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Heirloom Blend

Heirloom Blend 8 x 10 pastel

It's been almost a month since I posted. Lots has been going on: a wonderful worokshop in CT with Stephanie Birdsall, early this month, then a complete purge and cleaning of the studio to get ready for a long, nesting winter.

This painting is from a photo, one of hundreds, taken at the Hastings Farmer's Market. Glorious produce, and at this time of year wonderful light.

Philips Pond II

Phillips Pond II 5 x 7 pastel $100

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I have painted this before, but I really felt like a landscape today, so it's a "do over".

I actually did this in a Liz Haywood Sullivan workshop the first time. Watching her demo at the PSA Materials Fair had me jonesin' for a landscape.

Here is the first one from two years ago.

Phillips Pond  9 x 12 pastel $175

Sophie's Shower

Sophie's Shower 10 x 8 pastel

This is my friend Sophie's very cool shower head in her original '30s or 40's bathroom. 

Getting ready for a workshop in CT and I wanted to try some of the paper and pastels I got over the weekend at the PSA Materials Fair. Oh boy, there will be a learning curve! I tried this as a realistic, serious painting and failed miserably. So I hit it with alcohol and decided to just be loose and have fun. I might attempt this again in a realistic way, but for now here is Sophie's Shower.

PSA Awards Dinner

Last night was the annual Awards dinner at the Pastel Society of America. It was a blast.
I saw old friends, and met new ones. It's a great tribe!

Addiction

It's an addiction. We all know it. We admit it. There are no 12 Step Programs. We support each other. Sometimes we are clean, but the PSA Materials Fair is too much and we fall, hard. If you missed it this year, there is always next year and it gets better every year.

The big pastel weekend at the National Arts Club* is culminating tonight with the Awards Banquet.
I will accept my award and earn my first point towards Master Pastelist.

The 44th Annual Exhibition: Enduring Brilliance will be on view all next week.
Go see it, you will not be disappointed:

* National Arts Club
   15 Gramercy Park South (bet Park and Lex)

   New York, NY

Built For Work

Built For Work  14 x 11 pastel

Back to some realism. I was all ready to post this for 3:00 email distribution and I saw that I had forgotten some of the laces. And I am not sure this is truly finished. I need to sit with it for a few days.

These are my nephew Michael's work boots. He is a very hard worker, as evidenced here.

Tomorrow begins big pastel weekend in NYC so probably no blogs until Monday. Maybe I will see you at the National Arts Club— I promise the show is worth it.

Big NYC Weekend at National Arts Club

It's a big weekend in NYC at the National Arts Club:

On Friday 6 - 8 pm:

Do yourself a favor and catch this event. Richard is charming, funny and a wonderful commentator. Get the lowdown on why these fabulous paintings made it into the Pastel Society of America's 44th Annual Exhibition: Enduring Brilliance.

Then on Saturday from 10 - 4:00  it's the Materials Fair. Pick up a few sticks, or a set. Lots of vendors—can you say "eye candy"?

Autumn Crown

Autumn Crown  6 x6 pastel

Day 17 — I am really slacking. Went to the farmer's market today and grabbed a bunch of veggies to paint from life. This one made it to my still life set up at 4:30, and we were going to neighbors for cocktails "early evening". I had to look up what this squash was called. It's a variety of pumpkin, who knew?

I decided to try the scribble method and just have fun and see what happened. Not my usual style, but fun nonetheless. Being with our fab next door neighbors was even more fun.

Here is a progress shot:

Two Patty's

Two Patty's  5 x 7 pastel

Day 14 — Finally back to the 30/30 after hanging my show. Thank you to all my subscribers who came to the opening.

This is a quick painting to try to get back into the swing of things. But as I started it I thought of my girlfriend and decided to see if she was available to go for Happy Hour and $1 oysters. She was— so I had to rush this one. It's kind of fun to have a time limit. I may repost this because the color is really off and I don't have time to fiddle with it in Photoshop.

I'll let you know how the oysters are!

Empty

Empty  20 x 16 pastel

I have missed a few days of the 30/30 Challenge. What was I thinking signing up when I have to hang a solo show? I will paint as many as I can this month but it's a busy month.

Empty is on the third floor of the manse at South Presbyterian Church in Dobbs Ferry NY. It was selected for the Pastel Society of America 44th Annual Exhibition: Enduring Brilliance and won the Pastel Societies of the West and Southwest Award!

If you can, stop in to see the show. Even better, come to the Gallery Tour on Friday Sept 23, 6 - 8.
It's informative and fun to hear Richard McKinley talk about each painting.

Day Tripper

Day Tripper  14 x 17 pastel

Day 4 of the 30/30 Challenge. This Scottish Highland lass was from Highland Hollow Farm
in Schoharie NY. 

I named her Day Tripper because the colors are a little more trippy than I usually use,
and the style a bit looser.

Brooklyn Plane II

Brooklyn Plane II  6 x 14  pastel

I painted this plane for the last 30/30 Challenge and it sold, so here is Brooklyn Plane II. Normally I don't like doing "do-overs" but I really enjoyed this one. 

If you like old tools, come see this one and other vintage tools at my show Collection of Collections. There are over 47 paintings in the show depicting a collection of, yup, collections.

Grumpy

Grumpy  5 x 7 pastel

I called it Grumpy because it looks grumpy and bumpy. The cucumbers were one of the few crops that managed to survive the onslaught of groundhogs and other critters. There is a solar electric fence in my gardening future.

Sophie's Choice

Sophie's Choice  6 x 6 pastel

It's September and another 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge—my sixth one. If you do the math that is 180 paintings. I know I have not always done 30 in one month so let's say I have done a lot of them and my flat files are proof. 

Sophie's Choice came about because I met the gals for happy hour and my friend Sophie gave me a bag of heirloom tomatoes. Voila, my first painting.

My theme for the month will be to paint from life as much as possible. Stay tuned....

44th PSA Annual Exhibition: Enduring Brilliance

Just got a phone call from Pastel Society of America's President Jimmy Wright that I won the Pastel Societies of the West and Southwest Award. We have been asked not to post an image until the show opens on Sept 6.

I helped hang the show yesterday. There were 1500 entries and they selected 175. It's a beautiful show— I hope you get a chance to stop by during the month.

September

September is going to be a very busy month for me:

 I have a painting in the Pastel Society of America's 44th Enduring Brilliance this year:

And I signed up for another 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge!

Loner

Loner 17 x 11 pastel

Another still life from life.  I borrowed this urn from a friend and I must admit it was a blast to paint,
but tricky to draw— I am sure you will be seeing more of it.  The cherries, on the other hand, were forgiving, as cherries usually are.

Here is the still life set up

Salmagundi Non-Member Show

What a surprise to find out Salmagundi has used the image of my painting Double Bass Scrolls*
in the banner advertising the 2016 Non-Member Show.

It's an honor to be juried into this show, along with fellow Hastings artists Ellen Hopkins Fountain
and Ed Fountain.

I hope you can stop by if you are in NYC in the next two weeks— better yet, come to the closing
reception and meet the artists on July 29th from 6-8 PM.

* Painted from the collection of fine basses at Samuel Kolstein & Son, Ltd. Violinmakers in Baldwin, NY.

Campari Trio

Campari Trio  6 x 6 pastel study   $44

I am still in the fruit basket. These are store bought Campari tomatoes, but I can't wait for my garden tomatoes to be ready to paint.

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Peach Studies

Peach I Study  6 x 6 pastel

I am still in the fruit basket— who would have thought the same peach could look so different. I did Peach I but didn't think it was bright enough, so I tried it again.

Peach II Study  6 x 6 pastel

Here is a progress shot of the first one. I have to take more of the progress shots—I'll set a timer, I hear that works.

Plum I

Plum I  6 x 6 pastel study

I am enjoying this series. A collector said "More pears! More fruit! More pears! More fruit!" so I am going through the refrigerator and fruit basket.

Here is a progress shot, of the beginning. I always forget to take shots during the process.

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Pear I

Pear I  6 x 6 pastel study  $44

I finally set up a still life box that seems to work for me. It's always good to start with the basics, ergo the pear. It's a forgiving shape that lends itself to all kinds of interpretation.

I've always felt a pear is a great place to start when you don't know what else to do.

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SOLD

January Ewe 12 x 12 pastel

SOLD!

I will miss January Ewe, which has gone to a new collector.

It's always a little bittersweet to let them go, and this one was one of my favorites—it "painted itself".

I often don't know how the texture will work with the painting, but this one came together.

Down To The River

Down To The River  14 x 16  pastel

Here's a moody landscape. Another old board lying around asking to be made into something.
Lots of cropping and messing around. Here is the reference photo:

Another Autumn

Another Autumn  11 x 14 pastel

I know, it's just the first few days of summer.  This gal is a painting I have sold twice— first as "Autumn", then I painted her for myself ("Fall") and she sold during the Studio Tour. 

I was missing my girl today and tried "Another Autumn". Yes, she is for sale— will she stay with me or go to a good home?

Some progess shots, for those of you who like these: