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!

Setting the Bar Higher

This coming weekend I will be part of an outdoor art exhibit in which I'm honored to participate.  It may look like an "art festival" if you drive by and see the tents, but it is much more.  It is a small group of juried artists whose work is of a high caliber and who paint in the traditional representational/realistic style.

One Pear

When I was first asked  to join this group, I felt it was a significant milestone in my art career.  My fellow talented artists are an inspiration, set the bar higher and make me push myself to reach that bar.  After three years, it also feels like a reunion of friends.  Our host, the proprietors of the Sunapee Landing Trading Company, make sure we have fresh coffee and homemade pastries in the morning and refreshing drinks throughout the day, all set up in the shade of an enormous apple tree.

The show is a reunion in other ways, too.  I get to see some of my NH cousins and the wonderful woman who purchased "One Pear" my first year is now a friend and has been a fabulous host each year.

The 3rd Annual Fine Artists Exhibition is held in Sunapee, NH down the road from the famed League of NH Craftsmen's Fair.  Click the link below for more info.
http://sunapee-landing.com/Fine_Artists_Exhibition.php
https://www.nhcrafts.org/craftsmens-fair-overview.php

Painting to a Frame

Sunny Farm

Homestead

Farm Road

Earlier in July, I was at Wickford Art Festival as a shopper, not as an artist.  As I visited my fellow artists' booths, I was cognizant of my first  impression when I entered each booth.  As a result, I've decided to start framing my work with similar and consistent style frames, as this was common in the most visually appealing booths.

But, I could not help myself when I came across some bargain frames at Michael's.  (Note to Self:  Stay away from those Clearance Bins!)

I found three cute little frames that look as if they were made from old red barn board.  So I decide to paint some little red barn paintings to go with them.  Since they were only 5x7 inches, I challenged myself to paint loose fast (need to do this more often).

These three paintings will exhibited, and for sale, at Main Street Coffee in East Greenwich, RI.

51st Wickford Art Festival

Art Festival Season is officially underway and just like postal workers, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night....   Well I hope I don't have to worry about snow.  It should be a bit cooler next weekend , but there could be some rain.  Just bring an umbrella and enjoy that it won't be as crowded

Artists from all over New England, and further, come every year to exhibit and sell their beautiful paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, etchings, and more.  Artists and visitors both enjoy the festival, set on the streets of historic Wickford Village.  Quaint shops and beautiful homes line the streets as visitors stroll through the village seeking out great artwork to buy.  Wickford is a "walking friendly" community that makes it easy for families, elderly, handicapped persons, and dog lovers to enjoy visiting the festival. 

My booth, #122a, is halfway down Brown Street in front of Wilson's of Wickford. 

A Very Limited Palette

For a recent homework assignment, I had to create a painting using only two colors, Transparent Oxide Red and Ultramarine Blue Deep, and white.  We also created a color scale to understand the range of colors that could be created.

The results were rich "blacks", a broad range warm and cool greys, and some a nice skin tones.   I decided to see what I could do with these colors in a portrait.  I started with an imprimatura under painting using burnt umber.  (not one of the two colors, but it would be painted over)

Mid-point

Imprimatura

The blue robe, background and the darks of the hair were easy, but the skin tones were more of a challenge.  Because the photo had a strong light source, I first used warm darks in the shadows (neck and chest area) thinking the skin should have more of the Transparent Oxide Red.  The face had some reflected light from the blue robe, so I tried blue-greys in the shadows of the face.  I also found some other "cool" areas of the face. This made me realize how many blue-greys were in the neck/chest area, too.  As you can see from the "mid-point" version, it now looks too red.  So back to the easel, and below is the finished painting.

Back to Still Lifes

Three Peaches
11x14 oil on linen
SOLD

There is something about a chill in the air that makes me start back with still life paintings.  "Three Peaches" is a new painting and "Blue Vase" is one was started last winter.  With the Scituate Art Festival looming, I thought I'd bring it to completion.  I like the peaches as they have nice negative shapes, light bridges and they kind of look fuzzy (enhanced by bad photo)  Blue Vase has lots of "roundness", but there are a few triangle shapes created by parts of the arrangement to break it up.  Now to get my camera fixed.

Blue Vase
9x12 oil on canvas panel
SOLD

Don't Call it an Art Festival!

Sara Two
SOLD

Last week I was honored to be a "founding" member of a small Fine Art Exhibit in Sunapee New Hampshire.  I was told to refer to it as an art exhibit, not an art festival, and the experience warranted that distinction.  The caliber of artists was superb and I felt a bit like the rookie of the group.  There were only five booths and the foot traffic was slow, but the Quality, not Quantity, of the customers made the difference.  I was more successful at this event than the Narragansett and Wickford art festivals I participated in earlier this year, even though rain kept us zipped up for much of the time.  Thank goodness part of Saturday and all of Sunday was rain free.  Sad to see Sara Two go, but I had "fun" haggling with a gentleman from Iraq.  Nothing like wheeling and dealing with the pros.

Gilbert Stuart Homestead
SOLD 

The Quality of my accommodations was 5 star.  I got to spend time with my cousins Pam, Kevin and Erin.

The Quality of our hosts, Sunapee Landing Trading Company was superb.  They offered us shelter from the rain, caffeine in the morning, lemonade and hot dogs in the afternoon, flushing toilets and lots of interesting antiques to browse through when riding out a downpour.  They posted some pictures from when the sun was shining.  If you are in the area, be sure to stop by their store.
http://sunapee-landing.com/Fine_Artists_Exhibition.php

When to Sign a Painting?

 

                               

I've always loved the challenge of painting the human figure, but these paintings always seem to need more work.  With a still life or a landscape, the point at which I'm comfortable with adding a signature is often clear.       As I downloaded these photos from my camera, I could see so much that needed to be fixed.  For these two paintings, the deadline of an art festival next weekend is my only incentive to sign and frame.  If someone loves them and buys them as they are, I will be very happy, but next week they will probably be taken out of the frame and tweaked a bit.  I'm fortunately meeting with a group of fellow artists tonight for "critique night."  I'm sure my list of fixes will be enhanced after their insights

Life's Lesson for $50

I look at all my art related activities as contributing to my “education.”  My classes at Rhode Island School of Design and other workshops I’ve taken are the most obvious formal lessons.  On the other end of the spectrum, I consider each painting a “class” that I may or may not learn from. 

Last weekend, I participated in the Pawtucket Arts Festival and got a lesson in marketing AND life.  The marketing lesson cost me $50 (entrance fee) and taught me that my work may not be appropriate for all Art Festivals.  But, I also got a few life lessons that were (o.k., I’ll say it) priceless!  First, I had wonderful neighbors (unexpected cold beers where the best!) but secondly, were the wonderful people who stopped by my booth.  No one bought a painting, but the morning of the second day, one of my booth neighbors altered my frame of mind.

People came to the festival for many different reasons (food, music, culture, crafts).  Fine Art was not high on many lists and many probably stopped at my booth just because it was on the way.  I got wonderful compliments, but I was caught off guard by the number of people who couldn’t believe that I had actually painted all the paintings in my booth.  I think it may have been the first time they connected a painting to a live person.  Their reactions of surprise and admiration seemed quite genuine.  I often get that reaction from kids, but never from so many adults.  One gentleman had been out of work for many years (and probably longer without healthcare).  He just wanted to just stand and watch me paint.  He was amazed how a mass of purple transformed into grapes. 

So here is my life lesson:  I didn’t sell a painting, but I like to think there are a few more people out there who will look at a painting differently. 

My First Art Festival

All zipped up under the watch of the Coast Guard Towers

My booth is set up and tucked in for the evening.  The weather is "unsettled" but I'm optimistic - I just hope future collectors are thinking the same.  While driving home I thought back to what went into preparation and how everything progressed this evening.  I wondered if there were other professions where "co-workers" and potential competition are so willing to share tips/information to help you succeed.  They will tell you where to get the best price for materials, what tent works best, how to prepare for inclement weather, and strangers will help you put it all together.  Someone complemented me on my setup, but if given an award, the band would start playing before I could thank all the people who helped me get off on the right start.