A Rare Portrait

A few months back I was asked if I would like to participate in a special art exhibit.  I would paint, and donate, a portrait of a child with a rare genetic disease.  As you might suspect, I got more than I gave.  When I dropped off the painting, the coordinator of the exhibit, Patricia, acknowledge the challenge of painting accurate portraits.  I then found out she had two children with genetic disorders.  The comparison of a lifetime of challenges vs. a few hours creating a portrait are such opposite extremes.  This will be the second exhibit and the number of artist who volunteered have tripled, some asking to do additional portraits.  The foundation is called the Rare Disease United Foundation, but Patricia's goal is to make the world know these disorders are not really rare.  There are over 7000 different genetic disorders affecting 30 million Americans; so there are lots of opportunities for future portraits.

Please check out my beautiful model Brenna's website, who has Harlequin Ichthyosis
 http://www.blessedbybrenna.com/
And the website for the first wonderful exhibit.
http://rarediseaseunited.org/programs/beyond-diagnosis-art-exhibit

Marathon Framing Session

Is there a record for the most paintings framed in 2 hours?  I might be a contender with 12 paintings framed up last night.  Still a few more frames left and then packing the car, but almost ready for the first art festival of the season - Narraganset Art Festival 6/27, 6/28.  A bit of rain predicted for Sunday morning, so the beach crowd will be sleeping in and the art lovers get the good parking spots!  The rest of the weekend looks perfect, so come on down!

Going Small

Texas Bluebonnets

I've been having fun with a challenge called The 100 Day Project (#the100dayproject on Instagram) where I'm supposed to do something everyday for 100 days. I decided to do 100 5x7s; mostly painting but any art form is acceptable

Going Big

Who Jumps Next?

Having a very small studio space presents challenges when creating larger works.  I've sometimes found paint on my clothes from brushing by a work in progress.  Also, there aren't many exhibit opportunities for larger works.  Most juried exhibits set their largest size as 44 inches, including frame.

This painting, "Who Jumps Next,"  is my first 24 inch x 48 inch painting (and working on my second).  I thought the image needed a large format to give the viewer the sense of being there.  It has been 90% done since last fall since I thought I wouldn't have a place to hang it.

But the Art League of Rhode Island decided to have "The BIG Show," so I quickly re-engaged and finished the painting, just in the nick of time. The exhibit will be at the University of Rhode Island - Feinstein Providence campus and the show will run from April 1-30  (80 Washington Street, Providence RI  02903) 
The Artist's Reception will be on Thursday April 16 from 5-9pm

Now to get going on that second 24x48 painting.

Creating A Free and Easy Web Presence

Over the years, artist friends have asked me about creating a website of their own.  When potential collectors see a few of their creations, they are often asked if they have a website.  They would like to have a way of sharing their portfolio, but usually have two primary concerns: 1) they don't consider themselves as "technically savvy" and 2) they don't want to spend money.  I added a third criteria; the images are displayed in a format large enough to appreciate the artwork.

I found a few options that are both FREE and EASY and meet that criteria.  I will be doing a quick presentation on the four options below at South County Art Association on Saturday, 1/31/15, 9:00 - 10:30 am.  (http://southcountyart.org/class/683)

• Weebly: template-based website tool
• Blogger: text, images and video in a "post" format
• Flickr: image and video
• Fine Art America:  image and print website

In addition to the overview, I will also facilitate a hands-on workshop so participants can build one or more of these options.  This will be held at South County Art Association on 2/7/15 and 2/14/14. $70 SCAA members/$85 nonmember.(http://southcountyart.org/class/684)

Post Christmas Commission

I took on one more commission before the holidays, but alas, my optimism about finishing before Christmas was a bit off.  This is Bella at Brant Point on the island of Nantucket, MA. 

As a former owner of a terrier, I know those sweet brown eyes mask a mischievous mind.