Posts Tagged ‘landscape painting’
Yard Work
My daughter is coming to visit tomorrow! She lives in CA and I’m so glad she will be able to stay almost a week. We’ll have a nice visit and she will help me do a few things that I tend to put off.
I was working in the yard today – no time for oil painting today! I used the weed whacker until the battery ran down, but never fear, it will be charged up again by tomorrow so I can finish the job! Then I trimmed some roses and looked around. A large branch had fallen from the pine tree in the strong thunderstorm we had had Sunday night and I failed to notice it for 2 days! Out came the loppers and I cut off many of the small branches, but I may have to bring in extra help for this challenge!
Plein Air – Easton!
Plein Air – Easton! Is a BIG EVENT for artists and it is happening in Easton, MD, only about an hour away. “Plein air” means “open air” or outdoors and is a favorite way of painting for many artists today. This year 58 artists from all over America have come to Easton July 20-23, having previously been juried into the competition, and can paint anywhere in Talbot County during those 4 days.
The Collectors’ Preview Party is on Friday, July 23. The cost is $150, but that total amount is applied toward the purchase price of a painting. Each artist may submit 2 paintings, but when one is sold, another may replace it.
The Grand Prize Award is $5000, 2nd Place is $2000 and 3rd Place is $1000. There are 12 other awards, several in the $1-2000 range. For more information, visit http://www.pleinaireaston.com .
New Friends
Last Friday, I went to Bivalve, MD, to continue working on a large landscape painting I started approximately a week ago. These folks have the 3 large, very old trees in their front yard that I liked so much.
It has been great getting to know the owners of the house. The man said when he approached the previous owner, she refused to sell the house, even though it was vacant. It took 3 years of mowing the lawn – gratis – before he was able to purchase the house.
Now, he and his wife are redoing it in their spare time. They have been working on it nearly a year and have at least another one to go before it will be completed. I’m sure it will be beautiful when they finish and restored to the original condition, but what a labor of love!
Friday’s Painting
Friday, I had set aside time to do some landscape painting but had no idea where I would go. Several people had made suggestions and on Friday I checked them out, but non appealed to me.
I continued down Nanticoke Road toward the Bay and realized that I would have to go on a side road if I wanted to find a tree with personality. All the trees along the main road were straight and beautiful. I even checked out several side roads along the way.
When I reached the Westside Fire Station, just before the road makes a sharp left, I went straight, onto Bivalve Wharf Road, and through a residential area where I hit pay dirt! There, on the right were 3 giant trees with real personality, some leaves, and lots of bare branches. Fortunately, I had a large canvas with me – just the size for those beautiful trees! What a fun afternoon I had!
My Neighbor’s Tree
Today was the coolest day we have had in a while. Actually, this week we can expect temps in the 80s and low humidity, so it’s good landscape painting weather.
There is a particular willow tree I have been eyeing on my daily walk, and today was the day I decided to paint it. With all my gear in the car, I drove over and parked in the street and set up my easel behind the car. I had hardly gotten started when the owner came out of his house staring at me. I said I was painting his tree. He came over and said he had planned to take his chain saw and cut out the dead wood, which would have been about half the tree, but he wanted to cut the lawn first. I said I would be finished by the time he was finished, as I can paint in the field only about 2 hours at a time.
Sure enough, when he was finished, I had the bones of my painting completed and some greenery – enough to finish at home. – and I got it done in the nick of time. One more day would have been too late!
The Art Walk in My Town
Friday night there was an Art Walk in my home town. Since I had entered a landscape painting, I decided to attend the opening.
Five prizes were to be given: First, Second, and Third best and two Honorable Mentionsl The judge was a lady who had a Masters degree in Art, formerly lived in New Jersey, but moved here recently and was teaching at a local private school. About midway through the evening, she was introduced and explained why she chose those particular honorees.
Later, I asked her to critique my painting. She liked the lines and colors, but suggested that I put a glaze on it. The glaze would consist of turpentine, linseed oil and a small amount of damar varnish and I could find a recipe on the internet. She said that when brushstrokes are supposed to be seen and are, that is good. When they are not supposed to be seen, but are, this is distracting. (Some parts of my painting were shinier than others because the oil was thicker there.) At any rate, I was grateful for her comments.
The Gallery Show
I belong to several galleries in the area, each in a different town. Very often the artist is required by the gallery to sign an agreement that the artist will show only at that gallery and none other within a radius of a certain number of miles.
Usually the galleries plan the themes for their shows a year in advance, so the artist knows whether or not her paintings will be appropriate for each show. There is a small fee to enter and often the gallery will accept up to 3 paintings from all who enter, depending on the space available.
Today I entered one oil painting in the new show at my local gallery. It will be on display for a month. There are prizes given, in this case none are monetary, but wouldn’t it be great if I could come home with an Honorable Mention?
A Visit with My Daughter
My daughter was sent by her company to Arlington, VA, for a 3-day conference. The conference started on Monday, so in preparation, she flew there on Sunday.
I drove over on Sunday afternoon for dinner and a short visit, and to stay the night. I had to drive several miles on US 50 then I 395 and I 295 and with a fair amount of Sunday traffic.
The visit with my daughter was wonderful. But as far as the drive was concerned, it is so much more pleasant to be driving through wooded areas, past fields of wheat or corn or soy beans, headed to a park in time to do a landscape painting with my friends.
The Book – Part 2
The book I received a few days ago, “Starving” to Successful by Jason Horejs, has everything in it that an artist would need or want to know about preparing a body of consistent gallery-ready work, creating a portfolio, pricing, controlling inventory, researching art markets to find the right galleries and successfully approaching the gallery for representation.
I looked up Jason’s web site at www.xanadugallery.com and found many paintings and 3D pieces (He must have a huge gallery). I even ordered some software to help me keep track of my inventory.
Oh, yes, I found out that the person who sent this gem to me is my long time friend from Illinois. She’s the one with whom I go landscape painting in the wintertime – and it’s a birthday gift! How lucky I am!
Painting the Rye
Since today is Monday, my artist friends were scheduled to meet. Suzanne had received an honor by being asked by a local gallery owner to do a landscape painting with a group of locally well known artists and donate the painting to the Coastal Hospice on behalf of the gallery. So she wanted to practice painting marshes, as that is what she expected the group to paint.
The day turned out to be cloudy and the tide was low, not conducive to a good marsh painting, so we had to paint something else. As it happened, there were two fields of rye near her house. I had never seen rye up close, but today it had yellows and purples in it as well as greens and browns. It was absolutely lovely – especially with a little purple Vetch in it (a weed)! I don’t know if my painting will do the scene justice, but I had an interesting challenge!