Nancy Hartley's Art Adventures

All Cuddled Up

2011-11-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

This is something that I've done before, that is fun to do again. Orange slices , all very close.

More from Santa Fe

2011-11-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

One more photo, that I finally was able to post, from our time in Santa Fe. Here I am with the fabulous artist, Diane White, in front of the Mill Fine Art Gallery. We were so lucky that Diane, and her husband, Lance, happened to be in Santa Fe at the same time that we were. They were able to come to the reception, and get together with us! This made our trip even more special. Thank you Diane and Lance!

Exciting News From Mill Fine Art

2011-11-06T17:02:00.000-08:00

Last week I received some exciting news from Mill Fine Art, at 530 Canyon Rd., Santa Fe, NM. My work was accepted for the Holiday Small Works exhibit, all 6 small paintings. Over 200 artists applied. I was one of the lucky 25 that were accepted. I was beyond thrilled! This past Friday night was the opening reception. It was a perfect night, wonderful people, and beautiful art. I feel so grateful and so happy to be part of this exhibit. Thank you to the great people at Mill Fine Art, Verne, Mary and Meg!

Out the Door, and Up the Street

2011-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is the view from our front door, looking up the street, towards the opposite end of the court, in the late afternoon. I'm having fun taking photos of what's right in front of me. Hoping to do more like this.

October, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2011-10-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks I have not been MIA, instead I have joined the 1 out of 8 women affected by breast cancer. Thanks to wonderful doctors, and very early detection, I am extremely lucky. For me, breast cancer has been an adventure like no other, and the journey continues.
This adventure began last month with a simple mammogram. I was told that there were no visible problems on the mammogram. The radiologist went on to say that actually nothing at all could be seen on this mammogram, or any prior ones, because of my very dense breast tissue. He told me to look at the website, Are you Dense, and schedule an ultrasound.
I had no idea what he was talking about. After looking at the, Are you Dense website, I was shocked to find out that women with dense breast tissue are 5 times more likely to get breast cancer. I had never heard of this before. Dr Fish, my radiologist, saved my life!
I have since had surgery, and am now looking forward to getting back to living my life.
I urge all women to visit the website, and learn more. During your next mammogram, ask if you have dense breast tissue, and if so, request an ultrasound.
In some states, such as Conn, and Texas, doctors are required to inform women if they have dense breasts. In other states, such as California, where I live, there is no requirement. Currently there is legislation sitting on our state governor's desk awaiting his signature, making it mandatory for doctors to inform women of this important life saving fact. Let us hope that that Governor Jerry Brown signs this important bill, SB791, by the deadline, Oct 9th. Many lives can be saved!

The Lovely Claudia

2011-08-31T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Lovely Claudia, the painted version.

More about Claudia

2011-08-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

Here is the lovely Claudia, sunbathing, one of her favorite activities. This is usually combined with extensive bird and squirrel monitoring. We know that we can count on Claudia to stay on top of these important outside events!

The Pine Inn, Carmel, CA

2011-08-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

This painting is of the backside of the Pine Inn, in Carmel, CA. The photo is of the side entrance of the hotel. The Pine Inn is the oldest hotel in Carmel, built in 1889. It is full of history, right in the center of town, and just a few blocks from the ocean. We have been coming to Carmel for many years, and always stay here. It is beautiful on the inside, with lots of historic photos of the early days of Carmel. If you are planning a visit to Carmel, make sure to visit the historic Pine Inn!

Good Bye August

2011-08-29T22:21:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm still here. This month has been so busy. I have had no time for posting, and very little time for painting. What I have been doing is traveling, seeing art exhibits, and working with Tim Horn's Friday afternoon Paint Club. Here is Tim, doing a demo. What I have learned is that plein air painting is an endless challenge. Tim makes it all look effortless! Meanwhile, I remind myself, it's OK, we are all learning!

The New Exhibit

2011-07-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

The newest exhibit, opening Thursday, at the Lafayette Gallery, is "What Makes Us Smile". I submitted the small pieces that I did of Carmel. Today we are hanging the show, and finishing up tomorrow. Please come by starting on Thursday, July 29, to see our newest exhibit. Guaranteed to make you smile!

From the Desert, to the Ocean

2011-07-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

This is the last one from my little series of Carmel. Now, looking forward to working on something new, not involving, the desert or ocean! Can hardly wait!

Guest Artist, Diane White

2011-07-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Recently, Diane White invited us to her beautiful Santa Fe home. Here is Diane on the back porch, putting a few finishing touches on her gorgeous water lilly painting. Diane does brilliant work in oils and encaustic, mainly landscapes. More of her work can be seen on her blog, Diane White's Creative Muse. Thank you, Diane. We loved having the chance to see your wonderful work, and meet you, your husband, and friends in Santa Fe!

Carmel Sand Dunes

2011-07-02T17:01:00.000-07:00

Another view from the beach in Carmel. So simple and fun to paint! With our temps near 100 degrees today, this is just where I would like to be, feeling cool by the ocean!

Seeing Art in Carmel

2011-07-01T18:30:00.000-07:00

Carmel is famous for lots of art galleries. One of my favorites is the Carmel Art Association Gallery. This co-op gallery has been in existence since 1927, and is the oldest gallery in Carmel. Many of the historic, and well known California artists have shown their work here.

The Nancy Dodds Gallery is another one of my favorites. It is a privately owned gallery that shows the work of wonderful contemporary artists. I love visiting both of these galleries, and thought that you might enjoy them too.

Still More from Carmel

2011-07-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here is another view from the beach in Carmel. Always a wonderful escape, always gorgeous views. This was another one done from a photo taken at the beach at the bottom of Ocean Ave. Trying to paint a little looser with this one.

More From Carmel

2011-06-29T17:13:00.000-07:00

Here is one more from the beach in Carmel. I've also posted some photos that I used for this painting, and my last one. This was on a gorgeous sunny day. Still more photos waiting to be painted.

Carmel

2011-06-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

It seems like this month we have been everywhere but home. The good part is that I had plenty of opportunities to use my camera. This painting is based on a photograph taken on the beach at the bottom of Ocean Ave, in Carmel. More of Carmel to come!

Giant Strawberries

2011-06-23T23:08:00.000-07:00

Happy to finish one more strawberry painting!

Happy June

2011-06-11T14:49:00.000-07:00

More strawberries! This time, I'm having fun experimenting with color shapes, lights and darks. Happy June, and happy weekend to all!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T19:11:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day marks the beginning of summer! With the beginning of summer, comes wonderful fresh produce, and farmer's markets everywhere! After being away so much, I wanted to paint something quick and easy, so here we are, strawberries, fresh from the farmer's market. Happy Memorial Day to everyone!

A Sense of Place

2011-05-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Bellagio in Las Vegas always has interesting art exhibits. We were just there, and I had a chance to see this exhibit, " A Sense of Place". The exhibit included landscapes of all kinds. Everything from Monet's haystack paintings, to David Hockney's brilliant and colorful stylized paintings. The artists are all well known, both living and historic, from the realistic to the abstract. If you are in Las Vegas , be sure and see , "A Sense of Place".

Wait for Me

2011-05-10T19:46:00.000-07:00

One more painting from the plein air class. Still focusing on the light and dark value patterns. This was done in Tiburon, near the Lyford House. This location has a really beautiful view of the San Francisco Bay, with the east bay and the city showing across the water.

Drop and Roll

2011-05-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Since I haven't posted anything about Claudia lately, due her camera shy personality, here is a Claudia update. Claudia has grown into an adorable, and beautiful, little roly poly fur ball. Here she is doing her favorite trick, dropping to the floor and rolling around side to side, with her feet in the air. We are always so impressed!

Turquoise Trim

2011-05-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

Still working on lights and dark value patterns. This painting was done from a photo of an adobe art gallery in Santa Fe. The turquoise blue window and door trim, on adobe colored buildings, is everywhere in Santa Fe. I was told that the reason for the turquoise blue color, is the belief that blue is a spiritual color that will prevent evil spirits from entering your home. I love that idea!

Germany Challenge

2011-04-27T18:07:00.000-07:00

This was done for Carol Marine's Germany Challenge. Still working with light and dark value patterns. I've been having fun looking online at the work of various artist's, who work with dramatic lights and darks. Two women artist's, whose work I love, are Anne Ward Sures, and Maureen Gallace . Their paintings have been so inspiring! Looking forward to doing more!

Sun Kissed

2011-04-22T16:36:00.000-07:00

"Sun Kissed" is the title of the upcoming exhibit at the Lafayette Gallery, opening May 24th. I am applying some of the ideas from Tim Horn's class to some new work for this exhibit. Still on the learning curve, and still getting comfortable. This was done from a photo taken in Santa Fe, last week.

Still More

2011-04-06T18:46:00.000-07:00

Trying again. This is one more post from last week that failed. Things seem to be working better. The original problem with blogger, is still not solved. In the meantime, I am using an alternative posting method. Let's hope this continues to work. So happy to be able post again!
By the way, this is the same ancient phone, that I can't seem to get enough of.

Now Where Were We

2011-04-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

Last week I began to experience technical difficulties with blogger. I tried to post many times, with no success. We'll hope for better results this time. These oranges were done for Tim Horn's class. This is the same exercise that is described in Carol Marine's, Daily Paintworks Challenges. The idea is to paint one object 8 times, allowing 10 min per image. For more info, please see the DPW website.

Just Call Me, One More Time

2011-03-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

I've had this prehistoric telephone on my mind for days, just had no time to get back to it. I painted it a while ago, and meant to do a larger version. In the meantime, it's been floating in and out of my brain. I finally had some time today, and here we are! The telephone one more time!

Light and Dark Value Plans

2011-03-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is the homework assignment for Tim Horn's plein air class. We were told to paint a cantaloupe slice showing the lights and darks, using a value plan prior to painting. This process is described in Kevin MacPherson's, "Landscape Painting Inside and Out", pages 58 through 61. Here is both the value plan, and the painting. In regard to what I painted on the first day of outdoor painting, let's just say, we're all learning.

The Algonquin's Celebrity Cat, Matilda

2011-03-09T10:29:00.000-08:00

I just had to post a picture of Matilda, the Algonquin Hotel's celebrity cat. The Algonquin Hotel has had a resident Matilda, since way back in, 1930 . The current Matilda has been on duty for only about 4 months. Her predecessor, served for 16 years, and is now enjoying early retirement at the home of one of the Algonquin employees. I just love this tradition!

Baltimore, New York City, and the Famous Artist, Kelley MacDonald

2011-03-09T09:04:00.000-08:00

We just arrived home from a week in Baltimore and New York City. While in Baltimore, I visited the American Visionary Art Museum. This museum is a one of a kind wonder! The top photo shows the out side of the museum , covered in a mosaic of mirrors. Parked in the front entry, is an old bus covered with an assemblage all sorts of old found objects. The total effect of the architecture, and the bus, alone, make a dramatic impression, well worth a visit. Inside the current exhibit is titled, "What Makes us Smile", also very entertaining. All of the work in the museum is done by outsider artists, from all over the world.

A few days before leaving for our trip, I emailed Kelley MacDonald, saying that we would be in NYC soon. It just so happened that she and, her husband , Tim, would be in leaving NYC, as were arriving. We had the good fortune to meet for a glass of wine at Penn. Station. Kelley, is a very talented artist and blogger, that I met in Carol Marine's class in 2008. She and Tim, are wonderful people, and made our trip to NYC all the more special. Please take a look at Kelley gorgeous work on her blog.

We loved NYC! Being California natives, we have not had too many chances to visit this exciting city. We can hardly wait to go back. We stayed at the historic Algonquin Hotel , ate at wonderful restaurants, saw the Edward Hopper exhibit at the Whitney Museum. Of course, no pictures allowed. Since it was pouring rain, I did not even get a photo of the outside of the museum. Oh well, we loved the Edward Hopper exhibit. So amazing to see work in real life, that you have only seen in photographs. With hundreds of galleries and museums, we only wish that we could have stayed longer. Ah, so much art, so little time!

Let me Give you a Ring

2011-02-21T10:48:00.000-08:00

I've been working on finishing a larger painting, that is taking a lot longer than I expected. I decided to take a short break to paint this little phone portrait! It is so much fun to start and finish something, all at once! I love the feeling of accomplishment!

More from Tim Horn's Work Shop

2011-02-01T09:18:00.000-08:00

These two paintings were done in Tim's workshop. The bottom painting shows an exercise that was done from a photo showing dark and light value patterns. The top painting was done from my own photo, again, emphasizing dark and light value patterns. The ideas covered in the class are explained in the Kevin MacPherson's book, " Fill Your Paintings with Light and Color". Covering these concepts in Tim's discussions, along with his great demos, and individual help, really made a huge difference!

Almost Done

2011-01-24T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here is one of the "almost finished", paintings from Tim Horn's work shop. I worked with it a little more, today, and plan to touch up a few more areas, tomorrow, specifically, the sheep. So many things to learn, so little time.

Tim Horn

2011-01-24T11:17:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, I was lucky to be part of a painting workshop, taught by Tim Horn. The two day workshop focused on creating light and dark value patterns in your paintings. This is Tim Horn's strength. As you can see from his demo photos, he is very talented. I learned a lot in this short two day class. Two paintings were almost completed. They need a little more work, and will be posted soon!

Something New and Different

2010-12-30T10:25:00.000-08:00

Here's to something new, and different, in the year to come! Hope that your 2011, is filled with lots of exciting surprises! Early, best wishes for a very wonderful 2011! May all of your dreams come true!

Leaves and Stems

2010-12-17T16:07:00.000-08:00

Just had to paint one more tangerine, with the leaves, and stems. These seem so festive, just perfect for the holiday spirit!

We're Very Close

2010-12-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

It seems like these little tangerines, with stems, and leaves are everywhere. They are so pretty. I love the colors, and shapes, and just had to paint them. There are a million other things that I should be doing, but couldn't resist. Here's to everyone, including me, getting everything done! Happy holidays to all!

Orange and Green

2010-12-08T10:54:00.000-08:00

A final effort with the persimmons from last week, and some leftover limes. I just love the orange and green colors together, one of my favorite color combinations! Hope that your holiday plans are merry and bright, just like the persimmons and limes!

Persimmons for Diane

2010-11-29T11:05:00.000-08:00

I hope that Thanksgiving was wonderful for everyone. I am very thankful for a special Thanksgiving, and birthday weekend, all at once! After all of this celebrating, I am also very thankful to return to painting. These persimmons were painted early this morning. Awhile ago, Diane White , another talented artist, and blogger friend, from Carol Marine's 2008 class, suggested that I paint some persimmons. Diane, I took your suggestion to heart. These are for you!

Three of a Kind

2010-11-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

I finally had some time to get back to painting, during this past very rainy weekend. After not painting for awhile, I felt a little out of practice. This just means that I need to paint more. Looking forward to being able to have time to really focus in the new year!

Happy to be Painting

2010-11-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

So glad to have some time to paint, finally. Here is a quick one of some pomegranate slices. I can see some things that I would like to change. I'll be posting a revised version soon. In the meantime, here we are!

Update, The Lovely Claudia

2010-11-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

Here is a current photo of the Lovely Claudia. She is very camera shy, but as beautiful and sweet as ever. She has been growing, playing , and just doesn't stop with her cuteness!

Up and Ready

2010-10-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we did the final hanging, and touch ups of our exhibit, "Southwest Inspiration". Painting accent walls in the gallery, terra cotta, really helped make the artwork stand out. We are so happy to have the exhibit finally up and ready! Please come by and take a look, or better yet, come by for our reception on the 22nd, 6:30 to 8:30.

Getting Ready

2010-10-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent the day at the gallery getting ready for our exhibit. Brian, my ever supportive husband, painted the accent walls a dark terra cotta color. We did some hanging of new work, after reorganizing the gallery. Today we will do the final hanging on the newly painted walls. Here is the preliminary arrangement of my work laid out on the patio, outside the gallery. By this afternoon these paintings will be up and ready!

The Last One

2010-10-08T17:58:00.000-07:00

This is the last painting of this series. I ended up with twelve of these HWY 25, drive by paintings. They really look much better as a group. I will take a photo after framing, to show the final result. The framing, will be finished tomorrow, the hanging on Sunday! So happy to be done, almost!

HWY 25, Again

2010-10-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

Still doing some last minute work for the Southwest exhibit. I would like to replace a few of the paintings, that didn't turn out as well as I had hoped. We are winding down, and looking forward to moving on to something new! Can hardly wait!

Southwest Inspired

2010-10-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

Here is the announcement for our upcoming exhibit at the Lafayette Gallery, starting Oct. 12th. Please come by for the reception on Oct 22nd, 6:30 to 8:30. Hope to see you there!

The View from HWY 25

2010-09-22T18:40:00.000-07:00

Still, one more view from HWY 25. Also, taken from the passenger window on the way from Santa Fe to Albuquerque. After a very busy few weeks, I'm still trying to squeeze out a few more paintings from the highway. This is all in preparation for the upcoming Southwest exhibit at the Lafayette Gallery, opening Oct. 12. Hope to see you at the opening reception, Oct 22, 6:30 to 8:30.

Just Arrived, the Lovely Claudia

2010-08-31T09:14:00.000-07:00

The lovely Claudia, is 7 lbs, 1 year old, direct from animal rescue, and home with us! She is pure delight, very sweet, and endlessly entertaining! More of Claudia to come!

Driving By

2010-08-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

One more from HWY 25, between Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. Still having fun, and still more to go!

Another Snapshot from the Road

2010-08-25T19:08:00.000-07:00

One more painting, from a photo taken from the the car, somewhere between Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. Still having fun with these snapshots. Still more to come.

More From the Road

2010-08-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

Once again, somewhere between Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. I love this this drive. It takes a little more than an hour to go from the the airport in Albuquerque, to Santa Fe. It is wonderful to see the wide open space, and the huge sky. It is peaceful, and calming, compared to the high energy, hustle and bustle of the San Francisco bay area. An immediate feeling of serenity takes over, somewhere along the highway. I think it has to do with going from the most populated state, California, to the least populated, New Mexico. It's all good, both the hustle and bustle, and the peacefulness. What makes it all the more wonderful is the contrast, the best of both worlds!

On the Road Again

2010-08-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

Another drive by painting, taken from a photo somewhere between Albuquerque, and Santa Fe. I'm still working with these same photos, while trying to prepare for the next exhibit at the Lafayette Gallery. This exhibit will open on Oct. 12, and have a Southwest theme. There will be more to come, all with the southwest as the subject matter, stay tuned! To all, have a very happy weekend!

"Snap", at the Lafayette Gallery

2010-08-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

Our newest exhibit at the Lafayette Galler y, opening this Tues., is titled "Snap". The idea behind the exhibit is to show how snapshots influence artwork. This can be interpreted many ways, for example, snapshots can be used as a reference for a painting, incorporated into a collage, or partially used for color, or texture ideas, and on , and on. Here is my framed work, ready for hanging, along with two snapshots used for inspiration. Please come by to see our new exhibit!

Back to Where I Left Off

2010-07-27T13:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to go back to my last landscape and make some changes. Here is the revised version, which looks a lot like the first version. It's interesting, whenever a painting is finished, I can see things that I wish that I had done differently. The good thing about small paintings, is that it is so easy to just make another one, and that is exactly what I did. Ah, if only the rest of life were so easy!

Six Quarters

2010-07-24T17:47:00.000-07:00

After having no time to paint during the past 2 weeks, finally I squeezed in one quick painting of a favorite subject. Here we are back to the comfort zone, with the oranges slices. It feels great to finally have some time to do what I love!

Somewhere, to or from, Lake Tahoe

2010-07-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

One more, done last week, from a drive by photo, on the road trip to Lake Tahoe. Still having fun with the landscapes. There will be more to come. It seems, that I have an endless supply of these photos.

One More Drive By

2010-07-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

Here is one more of the same area as yesterday's post, actually somewhere between Lake Tahoe and Quincy. This was painted from a photo taken from the passenger seat, while on the highway. Still having fun experimenting with landscapes. At the same time, thinking that I should review, Carlson's Guide to Landscape Painting.

Out of the Comfort Zone

2010-07-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

This was done from a photo taken from the passenger side of the car, while driving somewhere between here, and Lake Tahoe. I enjoyed painting something "out of the comfort zone", and am excited to try some more of these drive by landscapes. Goodness knows, I have a whole stack of photos, taken from the car, just waiting!

Back From Lake Tahoe, and Back to the Familiar

2010-07-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

After spending some time in Lake Tahoe, we are home. Getting back to painting, after being away, is challenging , and wonderful, all at once. For that reason, I decided to paint the familiar, citrus slices. So here we are, with some old friends, the orange slices. Meanwhile, I took a million pictures of beautiful places, and feel so inspired to attempt some landscapes. So stay tuned!

Four and a Quarter

2010-06-21T15:08:00.000-07:00

Only when he no longer knows what he is doing, does the painter do good things, Edgar Degas. I love the quote from Degas, and hope that you do too.

Hercules, Our Special Kitty

2010-06-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hercules
July 1996-June 12, 2010

We were so lucky that Hercules decided to live with us. After he suddenly appeared in our backyard, he never left. From then on, he was ours for keeps. Hercules brought love, joy, and laughter to our lives. He gave us peace, and comfort. His purity, and innocence, were constant reminders of the simple beauty of life. We were always impressed, and inspired, by his tremendous courage, and huge spirit. We miss Hercules more than words can say. He will live in our hearts forever.

Forever Young

2010-06-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to my fabulous, wonderful, and ever supportive husband! Tomorrow is Brian's birthday. Here he is, when he is the most happy, going for a long run. Best wishes to Brian, for a very happy birthday, with lots more running, and birthdays to come!

It's a Citrus Series

2010-06-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

It's fun to work in a series. One painting leads to another. With endless possibilities, slight changes can be made to each painting. The end result can be a small, or large, series of related work. This citrus series is now framed, and ready to go to the Lafayette Gallery, for the new summer show!

Green and Gorgeous Santa Fe

2010-06-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

We spent the Memorial Day weekend in Santa Fe, NM. Thanks to lots of unusual snow and rainfall, everything was green, with flowers growing everywhere. The top photo shows the Acequia Madre, which means mother ditch. It is gushing with water, when normally it is very dry. Next, we can see Canyon Rd, and lots of pretty flowering window boxes. Lastly here I am , standing under a big green and shady tree. It was all wonderful, beautiful, and just the way the beginning of summer should be.

Happy June

2010-06-01T09:34:00.000-07:00

Hope that everyone's long weekend was wonderful. With the beginning of summer, I'm looking forward to things slowing down, and having more time to paint. This was done very quickly, during a busy Memorial Day weekend.

It's A Cluster

2010-05-26T13:39:00.000-07:00

It's fun to paint again. Back with more citrus slices. I love all the colors of citrus fruit. So inspiring, bright orange, yellow, pink, and lime green!

It's a Secret

2010-05-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

This is a quick one that I did in between traveling to Las Vegas, and Palm Springs. Now that I'll be home for awhile, I'm looking forward to having time to paint. Can hardly wait! Being away allows you time to clarify ideas, and make plans for what to come! I have all kinds of painting ideas going through my head, and am so excited, and ready to get started!

Palm Springs, Birger Sandzen, and Pam Holnback

2010-05-14T22:33:00.000-07:00

We just arrived home from Palm Springs. While Brian was in meetings, I did my usual, and headed for the nearest art museum. In Palm Springs, that museum is, The Palm Springs Art Museum. The main exhibit is, "Colors of the West", showing the work of Birger Sandzen. His paintings are gorgeous landscapes of Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico. His work is so much like my friend, fellow artist, and blogger, Pam Holnback's beautiful work. To see for yourself, take a look at Pam's paintings, on her blog, pamholnback.blogspot .com. Next, compare it to Birger Sandzen's work at psmuseum.org. You'll be amazed!

The Lafayette Farmer's Market

2010-05-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Here we are at the first Lafayette Farmer's Market of the summer, Sadie, Maggie, and me. We were lucky to have a beautiful afternoon with , sunny skies, lots of food, people, small children, and dogs. The gallery will have a booth at the farmer's market one Thursday afternoon a month for the rest of the summer. See you there!

Leaving Las Vegas

2010-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the first day back, after a short trip to Las Vegas. While Brian was in meetings, I was on my own. First on my list of things to do, is to see what is showing in the local art exhibits. The Bellagio, has a wonderful art museum, with world class art! I had a chance to see, " Figuratively Speaking", showing various artist's work based on the human figure. Sadly, no photos were allowed. With security everywhere, there was also no hope of sneaking out the camera. The exhibit included works by some of my favorite artists, David Hockney, Picasso, and on and on. Meanwhile, the fresh flowers in the hotel lobby are always gorgeous, and photography is allowed!

Joined at the Hip

2010-04-29T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Lafayette Gallery will be participating in the Lafayette Farmer's Market, starting next week. The farmer's market will be open from 4 to 8, on Thursday evenings, in downtown Lafayette. I volunteered, along with two other gallery artists, to show some of my work in our booth, next Thursday. Trying to finish, and frame a few last minute paintings, has kept me busy. Let's hope for a break in our recent rainy days, and lots of customers!

Ready To Go

2010-04-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

This week I've been busy framing, and trying to get organized. These two small paintings are now framed, and ready to take to Valley Art Gallery, to replace two that have been sold. These frames are the new Franken Frames in the natural wood. I've been so happy with these frames, so easy!

Shall We Dance

2010-04-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

One more for, "The Black and White Show", the May exhibit in the Lafayette Gallery. Still excavating my studio, in search of more black and white artwork. This dry point etching turned up. and will be submitted, along with yesterday's post. Now that this is done, it's time to get back to painting! Can hardly wait! Today, is a perfect spring day, sunny, flowers blooming, everything is springlike! So inspiring.! I have a million new ideas in my head, all ready to paint ! Can hardly wait to begin!

The Black and White Show

2010-04-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

The May exhibit for the Lafayette Gallery is titled, "The Black and White Show". Today, I spent time trying to decide what I wanted to exhibit for this upcoming show, taking photos, and getting organized. I decided on two dry point etchings, from my printmaking days. This one is titled, "Knees Together". This was fun to do, and reminded me of how much I enjoy working with the ink, and printing press. This is the challenge, I also enjoy painting! So many wonderful ways to be creative, so little time!

Moving Forward, Back to the Familiar

2010-04-11T18:01:00.000-07:00

After a very busy, and exhausting week, with no time for painting, I was determined to block out some painting time this afternoon. I decided to make things easy, and paint something familiar. Tomatoes are always fun, and uplifting! So here we are. This was the better of two paintings done on a rainy Sunday.
While I was painting, Brian was watching Tiger Woods, in the background. I couldn't help but be impressed, after all of his recent personal problems, and being away from the game for 144 days, Tiger was still able to be competitive, and placed fourth in the Masters. Not that this has anything to do with painting. I have to say, I admire Tiger's ability to rise above his personal difficulties, and perform, under pressure. A lesson for us all. No matter what else is going on, we need to keep moving forward.

Just One More

2010-03-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

At the risk of being very redundant, I'm posting one more sliced grapefruit painting. This is the last in this little series, that was so much fun to paint. If anyone is interested, I forgot to mention, Friday is the last day for shipping Texas Rio Red grapefruit, at Rio Pride Orchard in Texas. The grapefruit season is coming to an end, so now is the time!

Still More, Texas Rio Star

2010-03-30T09:40:00.000-07:00

As you can see, I really enjoyed painting these grapefruit slices. The dark reddish pink color is so inspiring! After reading Delphyne's comments from yesterday, I learned a lot about red grapefruit. More than I ever imagined. These paintings were actually done during last week's trip to Santa Fe, where I found the grapefruit, at a local grocery. I have since learned, from our San Ramon, Whole Foods, produce manager, that Texas Rio Star grapefruit are not available here, in CA. The grapefruit, sold in CA, comes from the CA Central Valley. The end result of all of this, I went online, and ordered, direct from Rio Pride Orchard of Texas, a dozen Rio Red grapefruit!

More Texas Rio Star

2010-03-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

More Texas Rio Star grapefruit. I had so much fun painting this. All the time, wondering how grapefruit got it's name. Grapes are so tiny, and grapefruit is so big. Does anyone know why grapefruit is actually called, grapefruit? Actually, a name like, Texas Rio Star, seems like a much better choice!

Texas Rio Star

2010-03-28T22:26:00.000-07:00

Grapefruit, one of my all time favorite foods! I love the color, taste, and everything about red grapefruit. Also lots of nutrition, especially vitamin C. The best part of all, painting grapefruit!

Wooden Floater Frames for Canvas Panels

2010-03-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to finally find the frames that I have been looking for. I just received these great black wooden floater frames for canvas panels. They are from Franken Frames. The top photo shows a framed painting. The middle photo shows the support piece inside the wooden floater frame. Roger, from Franken Frames, 800 322-5899, told me over the phone, what to order, and how to put it together. He suggested using clear silicone caulking to attach the separate support piece to floater frame. Once this is done, the canvas panel should be attached to the support piece using more clear silicone caulking, or Velcro. Either way, the canvas panel can be changed out, to allow for use with different paintings on panels. The bottom photo shows the two separate pieces. He also suggested painting the support piece black, which I did. It was so wonderful to work with someone that is helpful, and knew exactly what I wanted! Thank you , Roger!!

Almost Quarters

2010-03-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the same tomatoes from last week, cut in almost quarters. I tried for a looser look with this painting. It is fun to paint like this. I'll work on this direction some more, and see what happens!

Back from Baltimore, and More

2010-03-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

We're back from a short trip to Baltimore. One of the best things about Baltimore is the "Baltimore Museum of Art". The current exhibit is, "Cezanne and American Modernism". This is a huge, and wonderful exhibit, showing Cezanne's work, along with many other well known artists of his era. This exhibit will be traveling to a few other museums around the country. If you have a chance to see it, it is well worth it!

Two out of Three

2010-03-11T15:46:00.000-08:00

Finally back to painting, after being out of town. It's so wonderful to be back, but a little hard to get back in the painting mode. This one is the best result, after several attempts. Will forge ahead, with more to come!

Spring Cleaning

2010-03-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

While in the midst of a long over do, cleaning out, and reorganization of my studio, I came across a much better monoprint of "Primavera". I just had to post this, to replace my last post. This print is much stronger, with more definition in the lights and darks. I am so happy to find this. Who knows what else might be buried in there. Meanwhile I'm tossing almost everything that is not nailed down. It's a wonderful feeling, so liberating!

Primavera

2010-02-26T11:49:00.000-08:00

This is a drypoint monoprint that I did about 4 years ago, before I started painting the small paintings. Several very similar monoprints were made using the same plate. Each one is slightly different. I have one hanging in our living room, and one was hanging in the Lafayette Gallery. The one in the gallery was sold this this week. This made me think about much I enjoy printmaking. It is a challenge for me to stay focused, there are so many wonderful ways to make art. It is important not to spread yourself too thin. Painting is exciting and fun , but so is printmaking!! So much to do, so little time!

Spring, Almost

2010-02-18T17:05:00.000-08:00

We arrived home from wonderful Santa Fe, on Monday, where there was snow on the ground, and temps in the 20's. In CA we've had weather in the high 60's with flowers on the fruit trees, and green everywhere. I felt like we came home to spring. Rain is expected soon, so this is temporary. It felt so good! I went for a walk, went to the store, and bought some flowers, painted, and here we are!

One More

2010-02-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

Still working with the lilies. The positive thing about this flower is that it lasts a long time. I usually go for the lilies when I buy fresh flowers, for that reason. Anyway, things are busy, as always. I managed to find a little bit of uninterrupted time and finished this one, yesterday, alla prima, all at once. I'm still trying to find a longer uninterrupted block of time to start and finish a larger one, but will most likely have to wait until next week. We're headed out of town for the long weekend. I'll try to get a little painting in while we're away, you never know! To all have a wonderful Valentine's Day and Presidents Day weekend!

Lessons from Laurel

2010-02-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

The title of Laurel's workshop was, " Still Life Alla Prima". The translation of Alla Prima is "first time". The concept is to complete a painting in one sitting, or all at once. This is a valuable lesson for me, and something that I need to work on. Because of this, my new resolve is to complete a painting at once. This post is a small, 6X8, which I was able to complete fairly quickly. I did this as a warm up for a larger painting soon to follow. My goal is to complete a single larger paining in one session. I am excited about challenging myself. Stay tuned for more!

Painting with Laurel Daniel, at Laguna Gloria

2010-01-29T16:45:00.000-08:00

Laguna Gloria is a beautiful historic estate, that is part of the Austin Museum of Art. This is where Laurel Daniel teaches her wonderful painting classes. As a part of our reunion, Debbi organized a two day still life painting workshop just for us! Thank you, Debbi! The first photo shows a glimpse of Laguna Gloria. What you can't see are the beautiful grounds, with a lagoon, and huge old oak trees, along with strolling peacocks. The next photo shows Laurel, demonstrating how to arrange the palette, and mix colors. The final photo shows our group in deep concentration, applying Laurel's ideas to our paintings. This was a fabulous workshop! Laurel is a great teacher! Thank you, Laurel!

Greetings From Austin, Texas

2010-01-29T16:39:00.000-08:00

Here are Amy and Debbi, our super wonderful Austin reunion organizers, and hosts! I am lucky enough to be participating in the official reunion of the Carol Marine workshop of Sept. 2008, in Santa Fe,NM, now taking place in Austin, TX. Debbi and Amy put together a fabulous 3 day get together, in their hometown of Austin , TX. This wonderful city is also happens to be the hometown of Carol Marine, and Laurel Daniel. Amy organized a perfect day spent touring galleries in Austin, including The Wally Workman Gallery, where Carol's work is shown, and The Davis Gallery, where Laurel Daniel's work is shown. This inspiring day was followed by a fantastic dinner for the 16 praticipants, at Debbi's beautiful Austin home. We were even lucky enough to have Carol , and Laurel, attend the dinner! Thank you to Debbi and Amy for a wonderful day and evening! More to come on the next terrific two days!

Happy New Year

2010-01-08T18:38:00.000-08:00

I am getting a slow start on the new year. It's been a tiny challenge to get back into the routine of things, after the frenzy of the holidays. Finally, I am able to paint again! I am so happy! This painting is on an eleven by fourteen sized stretched canvas. This was copied from the small six by eight painting, a few posts back. I had never done this before. I experienced more challenges, of a different kind, that I had expected. Definitely, it was more difficult. Now, I am happy to say that it is done. The painting was actually started before Christmas, but not finished until today. Closure is wonderful! Now, onward! A new year and new opportunities!

Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All

2009-12-24T13:32:00.000-08:00

Best wishes to everyone for a very Merry Christmas! Thank you, all, for your friendship and encouraging words during the past year! May 2010 be your best year ever! And to all, a very good night!

Going Green

2009-12-18T16:27:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the holiday fray, I've had no time to paint. My familiar escape has been sorely missed. Finally, yesterday, I squeezed in a little painting time. As we all know. it is always a challenge to get back into painting after a long break. After several false starts, I was finally able to complete this small painting. This painting was based on a photo, taken from the passenger side car window, while driving between Killkenny, and Dublin. Everyone, just having returned from a trip to Ireland, always comments on how green the country is. It is really true, everything is very green, and not just green, all different varieties of green. I tried to capture that sense of greenness. It is everywhere. Just the opposite of California, where for most of the year the hills and fields are brown. There will be more. I have a small stack of photos, just waiting to be turned into paintings! Can hardly wait!

To Ireland and Back

2009-12-03T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here we are on Grafton St., in Dublin, Ireland. The lower photo is of the National Gallery of Ireland, in Dublin. This is as close as I was able to get to taking photos inside the gallery, very few visitors, and security everywhere, along with signs warning against taking pictures. I felt the need to restrain myself. The gallery was fabulous, in spite of the ban on photos.
We arrived home very late last night, after a wonderful vacation. We visited many historical sights in Dublin, drove to Killkenny, and several small villages in the nearby area. We met many terrific people, and saw all kinds of beautiful, and interesting things. We took lots of photos. We are now exhausted, and very happy to be back home. Stay tuned for paintings to come, once I get over this jet lag.

Thanksgiving good wishes, a few days early

2009-11-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! This past week has gone by way too fast. I had hoped to complete a few small paintings. Alas, there was no time to paint, so nothing new to post.

We are leaving early tomorrow morning for a trip to Ireland. Getting organized, and making last minute plans, has taken up lots more time than I expected. The cell phones, computers, and paints will be left at home. While away, I'll be taking lots of photos, for future paintings. Stay tuned for more to come in early Dec.

Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving to all!!

The Folk Art Museum, Santa Fe, NM

2009-11-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a short trip to Santa Fe, NM, where we attended the annual fundraising gala for the Folk Art Museum. This year, the theme was "Noche de Los Muertos". It was a wonderful event, with great people, food, decorations, music, and best of all, the event raised money to support the children's programs offered by the museum. We had the pleasure of meeting lots of terrific museum supporters, such as these colorful, "Los Muertos". Now, it's time to get back to painting!

Leaving Santa Fe

2009-11-11T15:50:00.000-08:00

This was done from a photo, of a mesa, taken from the car window, somewhere between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. The desert is unusually green, because it was early spring. I am trying to integrate some of the ideas from my landscape painting class, with my usual way of painting. It's a good start for me. At the same time, I can see that I need to spend more time with this. More to come!