Breton Bleu Studio

New blog!

2011-04-11T10:07:00.002-04:00

Please visit me over at my new blog:

Kim Morin Weineck's Art

Thanks!

Finale

2011-03-30T20:21:00.003-04:00

Tonight I logged in to this old email address from the days when I had my store to find that it had been hacked. Yikes.

Having this happen now is fortunate, as I have been pondering for a bit the fact that "Breton Bleu Studio" doesn't really mean anything to a lot of people who are unaware that I had a fantastic little shop nearly ten years ago which closed in July of 2005.

I'll be redoing a blog under a name to be determined, so if you'd like to know the latest from my studio, please Google me to find out.

Thanks!
Kim

Ah, Paris

2011-03-30T11:27:00.002-04:00

EF - Live The Language - Paris from Albin Holmqvist on Vimeo.

This little movie captured a wonderful bit of Paris for me this morning.

I wanted to share it on my blog.

Interestingly, I found this from a link on Twitter from Katy Elliot. Have you seen her blog? It's a fun one!

Follow me!

2011-03-28T11:07:00.003-04:00

While time is scarce lately, I have been able to update my Facebook page a bit more frequently than this poor blog.

If you're on Facebook, feel free to follow Kim Morin Weineck's art. I'd be delighted to have you along!

And, on a lark, I joined Twitter, too. If you're on Twitter (a very new and confusing thing for me), feel free to follow @kimweineck!

Take care!!

Women in the Arts!

2011-01-26T08:55:00.005-05:00

Recently I received an invitation to participate in a show at a local gallery in my hometown, The Preservation Framer. Supporting independent business is important to me, having owned a small business myself for four great years, so I was especially excited to be a part of this show.

This show will feature artwork by 15 local women artists. I was delighted to receive the invitation including me in this talented group and am busy working on my contribution.

The gallery owners have invited all participating artists to speak during the opening reception on March 5th from 7-10pm. As of yet, I'm not sure what I'll be saying, but it's something I'm keeping in the back of my mind while I am painting.

The show will hang for the month of March - coincidentally, March is my birthday month and, more importantly, Women's History Month! It'll be a great show, I'm sure.

Here's a paragraph about the shop from their website:

The Preservation Framer is both a Custom Picture Framing Store and a Gallery Space. We are very pleased to have showcased some exceptional talent since our opening in November of 2008. These openings have created such a buzz that people are now coming from much further afield, and in growing numbers, to partake in evenings of live music, great food and wine, and of course, magnificent original art!

More information will follow about this here on my blog, but if you'd like, you can click here and sign up for their e-mailing list directly.

Thanks for reading!

Pastel Society of America

2011-01-24T15:54:00.005-05:00

Today in the mail came news that I've been juried into the Pastel Society of America! This has been a goal of mine and it feel great to start 2011 with a big check off that to-do list!!

When I was a student at Massachusetts College of Art and Design I remember getting assignments and thinking defeatist things like: I can't begin to accomplish this assignment. But then my brain would logically move to thinking like this: Well, they let me in to this school and they seem to think I can, so let's see. Amazingly, things would happen because I was pushed.

I would bet this new membership will do the same thing for me. Why not try that extra-large sized piece? Why not venture to a new subject? We'll see where this little boost of confidence will bring me!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-10T10:52:00.001-05:00

I know it's been forever since I posted. The holidays were ridiculously fun and busy and I painted and painted until I was painted out!

Friday I completed three 4x4" pastels and I'm pretty happy with them. Funny thing is that I'm antsy to get going in some oils again.

More to follow. Stick with me. I'll get on an updating spell again soon enough!

Signature Member

2010-11-13T13:36:00.005-05:00

In today's mail came a letter informing me that I'm now a Signature Member of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod. I'm so thrilled!

In order to become a Signature Member you have to be juried in by their membership committee. Any time you put yourself up for judgment, it's a bit nerve-racking. I had been thinking of applying for a while but my two pregnancies and other chaotic parts of life got in the way. It's been difficult to feel like my artist voice was clear.

Since working on my recent shows and scheduling time in my days with my girls to paint and to take on another class to teach, my voice has become more defined and refined. Through all of this work, I have become more confident in my artist voice. I now feel it's consistent and distinct.

I thought it was time to give it a shot. These pastels are the images I submitted to their committee. I also had to submit my updated artist resume. Having a single list of accomplishments regarding my work is kind of fun. Hey, there's my art-life on paper!

And now I can add Signature Member, PPSCC. Hurray! I look forward to new acquaintances with other pastel artists. What fun this will be!

Examiner.com Boston featured my classes!

2010-11-12T09:34:00.003-05:00

This week, the Examiner.com Boston featured my art classes in Norwood at Gallery9. I was so happy for the exposure and wanted to share the article here on my blog.

Written by Kathy Weller, Boston graphic design Examiner

De-stress during the holidays with flexible-schedule painting classes in Norwood

November 9th, 2010 11:59 pm ET

Custom Art Framing & Gallery 9, Norwood MA has flexible-schedule Tuesday night painting classes Photo: Julie Vecchio

Here is a great opportunity for pre-holiday frazzled, possibly shy, would-be painters to go ahead and pick up that paint brush with confidence. You will be in the sure hands of a helpful, experienced guide, and her name is Kim Morin Weineck. Kim is an accomplished local painter. (Kim's blog) She is also Gallery Director of Gallery 9 in Norwood Massachusetts, and (lucky for us) she is now teaching a Tuesday evening painting class.

More great news: the class is open enrollment -- no start date or end date. The class is open to all— beginners, intermediate and advanced. Kim will design your curriculum based on your specific goals, if you wish. Or, you can just come in, set up, and get busy. Your choice.

The class is affordable and flexible, at $30 per class drop-in rate, or a package of four classes for $100 (to be taken within a five-week time frame). The class plan is perfect for busy lives, especially considering the holidays are right around the corner... Speaking of which, this season's stresses will catch up to you fast without a pro-active plan firmly in place—and a relaxing painting class is a one-way ticket to calm.

Teaching moment

2010-11-11T08:56:00.006-05:00

I'm not a portrait painter generally, but a few photos of my girls have me thinking that, after the holidays, when things slow down in terms of my commitments to galleries, I will probably take on the subject. When I see these photos, I can see the finished painting in my mind's eye.

Here are some of those photos.

Recently in my class the subject of knowing what a painting will look like done before you start it has come up and it stirred some good conversation.

When I view a scene and something inside has me thinking 'there's a good painting' my artist-instinct has determined the composition, the medium I'll use, and often the size that would be best-suited for the work.

This pre-determination is what I find important. It offers direction and vision.

As artists, we can choose to deviate from our initial path and explore new avenues along our journey to painting-completion, but I find this initial understanding to be critical to the painting's success. When there isn't initial vision, that lack of foundation is often quite evident.

New work and December show

2010-10-27T20:10:00.005-04:00

Lately I've been working a little bit on marketing myself as an artist. Alyson Stanfield's title to her book about artists and self-promotion says it all, I'd Rather Be in the Studio. It's a good-read and a bit overwhelming. So many things to consider and pretty much all of it is important.

Part of the self-promotion is that I started a page for my artwork on Facebook. If you feel so inclined, please join so you'll be notified in your Facebook feed of various events and new works. Please also comment on the page if you'd like, as well.

Everyone in my house has been ill - that is except for Tim, lucky man. This cold starts in the throat and makes you sound bizarre and then moves to your sinuses. I'm ready for it to hit the road. I'm sure Tim is, too.

I've still been painting, though. New pastels arrived (a treat from the proceeds of my show in October) and I had to break them in. The photo above of my dining room chair rail with a some small pieces lined up.

And Julie, the owner of Gallery9 called and asked if I'd participate in a holiday event the weekend starting December 10th. More details to come, but I'm delighted to have a venue.

Next Friday, November 5th, is the Looking UP gallery show at Gallery9. Open-call shows are generally a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to focusing on the upside of things rather than the down.

Art supplies and accolades

2010-10-19T08:58:00.009-04:00

Art supply stores are such fun! They are the proverbial candy store for artists.

Generally I know exactly what supplies I'm looking for, so I have no problem ordering on line or through a catalog. Sometimes, though, there is nothing like the inspiration of seeing displays of color, paint, brushes, and all the promise of the artists looking through all the inventory.

When I want the in-store experience, I head over to Utrecht Art supply in Providence, RI. They are nearby and have their own parking lot (a bonus when you have two kids in tow.) The people there are the best and the area is a lot of fun. The selection at Utrecht is reasonably priced and their brand of supplies is super.

Utrecht Art, Providence, RI

When I lived in Boston I frequented the Utrecht store there, but also loved the aesthetic of Dick Blick. It's GIANT! They have parking, too, but that garage is an insane mess of columns and one ways and I-can't-find-a-space issues and all that. But their selection is stellar, too.

Dick Blick's catalog is great, made even more wonderful because they showcased a painting by one of my students on their palette knife page. What fun that is!

Ann Gorbett's painting in Dick Blick's catalog!

The other day I learned I was selected for Utrecht's October featured artist. A few months ago I submitted a couple of paintings and a paragraph about myself. Here are the pastels I submitted.

Lately I've been trying to put my work 'out there' a bit more, entering shows and submitting my work when I can. This submission to Utrecht was done at the same time as two others.

No word yet on those, but I'm delighted to learn about my selection from Utrecht Art. Hurray!

Ooh, Sticky!

2010-10-18T06:58:00.001-04:00

Have you heard of Moo.com? What a fun site! I have taken advantage of promotions they have had for mini cards and, most recently for stickers.

Last week the order I had placed with them arrived with the mail.

What fun it is to open up the little folded happiness.And all of my paintings are glossy, bright stickers!

What to do with them?Have fun!

Art supply lists

2010-10-17T15:38:00.005-04:00

Art supply lists are such exciting things! Getting one usually means you're taking a class and what fun that can be. I've worked in art supply stores and have always loved helping new, excited students find exactly what they've needed to start on something new.

Elizabeth Mowry landscape set B Dakota Art Pastels photo
(I just ordered this for myself today!)

Lists tell a lot about the instructor. Either the list is specific, telling students exactly what to buy or it's a bit loose, suggesting materials for students to invest in. As an instructor fall into the suggesting category. Art is ultra-subjective and, for me, a lot about supplies is subjective and personal, too.

Better yet is a list that has legs. I love when lists are broken down into things you utterly must have, should have, and could have. These are the kinds of lists I make for my students.

I've created new pages on this blog that you can access on the left sidebar to this blog. These pages are supply lists for various materials. This seemed like a good way to get the information out there, for my students or for anyone interested in starting up in a new medium.

Enjoy!
Please feel free to email me should you have any questions.
bretonbleu@gmail.com

Monday Night :: Norwood, MA

2010-10-10T22:07:00.004-04:00

I'm adding to my teaching schedule!

Where? Gallery9 at Custom Art Framing
When? Monday evenings, 7-9pm

You can sign up for one class, a 'onesie' for $30
or sign up for a series of four classes, a 'foursie' for $100.
With a 'foursie' you must take the four classes over five consecutive weeks. This way you get one free absence during your paid four-class session.

All supplies are provided by the student.

The format is 'open studio' with all students working on their own projects within a group setting.
Be as structured or as loose as you'd like. I'd be more than happy to develop a curriculum with you for your sessions in class.

Open Enrollment: Start any time you are ready! How much fun is that?

Class is always running. Check the gallery blog for cancellations.

If you're still on the fence, stop in during a class. Check out what's going on. I want you to be comfortable about taking a class with me.

Any questions? Email me at kimweineck@gmail.com
Thanks!

Taking photos

2010-10-07T14:23:00.004-04:00

I'm painting again today while the girls are napping. Today I have completed two 5x7s and am working on another larger piece, 9x20. I'll give you one guess what the larger one's subject is----

A marsh. Ah well. I do love them.

To keep on my blogging roll, though, I thought I'd post some photos of the gallery where some of the remaining pieces are still on display. The walls will look different when the new owners come pick up four of these pieces!

When we stopped by the other day we saw Tony Donovan who had stopped in at the same time. He was taking photos of his work up, too!

Here's a photo of him taking photos of his work.

Love the cow series.

I'd bet the alcohol wash on the piece is dry by now, so I'm off to paint!

Evolution

2010-10-06T21:01:00.010-04:00

After two months of intensive painting for a specific show opening, I'm now feeling a bit like I did when I graduated from art school and made time to paint just for me. For the show this month, though, I made a personal breakthrough in painting. I don't know if I can put it into words yet, though.

Sunset pastel 4"x4" unframed $60

There is something to painting subjects you're familiar with. I think in the repetition of a subject you learn new things. Maybe there's a willingness to take new risks. Exactly what I'm describing happened while I painted a smallish pastel. After creating many lovely paintings based on the actual references I have (photos, notes, drawings)

Sunset II pastel 4"x4" unframed $60

I finally allowed myself to go off-the-board and do something kind of by instinct. (Eeeek!)

Sunset III pastel, 4"x4" unframed $60

The resultant colors in this marsh painting were fresh and different for me. The painting that came from my 'stretching' delighted me. It's still hanging in the gallery and there's a chance I may go get it and bring it home!

Pink Marsh Water pastel 5.5"x5.5"
framed $85
This is the piece I'm talking about in this post.

When Julie, the gallery owner saw the piece she made a comment that the sunset series I had done seemed to have prepared or influenced me to make this painting happen.

I think she's right.

All these paintings look so much better in person. I'm having the hardest time getting a good representation.
Here's that painting in the middle of the rest. Looks better framed and in this photo maybe?

Gallery show recap

2010-10-04T19:36:00.006-04:00

The time right after a gallery show opening reception is peculiar. While I was tired I was also all jazzed up. I'd been painting so much leading up to the show so I wanted a break from painting, but I also couldn't wait to get back at it. I guess it's about paradoxes.

While driving to the show with Tim I found myself sitting in the passenger side of the car in the same posture as when on my way to get married. It was a fun feeling of excitement and anxiety. So silly.The show was wonderful. I am elated with the response I had from those who came. I sold a fair amount and feel bolstered to create new pieces.

A true bonus of the show had to be the group of attendees from my high school class. What a treat it was to see them! I was and am so touched that they made the effort to come by and check in and, in some cases, buy! Holy cow! It was a bit surreal.
Here is a link to the gallery page with a slide show from the event. I'd be remiss not to again thank everyone who attended. I really appreciate your effort and your support.And now off to work on whatever comes next!

Re-working my painting

2010-09-13T09:27:00.004-04:00

The other day I posted this photo of my large 40x19 pastel and Lucy in pajamas to provide some scale. It was the first time I created a pastel so big after I had felt some success working in a larger scale.
The whole time I worked on it I was figuring out new things regarding scale and mark and composition. I thought that 'if I could do this again' it would be a bit easier for I was learning while doing.

After some critique and time spent just looking at it, I ended up erasing much of it. How does one erase a pastel? I did it by holding my breath and turning on the garden hose! The top layer was removed leaving a ghosted under-painting.

The result:Again, it looks better in person, but this is a fair representation of the changes. The sky has a bit more to it and now there is more depth within the marsh grasses.

I don't think it's done yet--but it's getting there.

Reconsidering the hay bale

2010-09-09T15:31:00.002-04:00

Those who know me or my work know that I'm fond of those round bales dotting fields. I've always described them as sculpture in the landscape.

My friend Mike emailed me this story today and it may have me thinking a bit differently about those sculptural forms in the future.

LONDON (Reuters) – A giant bale of hay has killed a founding member of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO) band after it tumbled down a hill and crashed into his van.

Cellist Mike Edwards, 62, died after the 600 kg (1,323 lb) bale rolled down a steep field in Devon, southern England, smashed through a hedge and careered on to the road.

He died instantly in the freak accident on Friday afternoon.

Police said they used photographs and YouTube footage to identify Edwards and are investigating whether the bale may have fallen from a tractor working on farmland near the road.

Edwards, who played with the band between 1972 and 1975, is believed to have swerved into another vehicle as the bale crushed his cab.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato; Editing by Steve Addison)

Classes Offered

2010-09-09T13:20:00.002-04:00

Classes!

I most certainly love to teach adults how to paint and look forward to classes as they enable my mind to discuss, describe, and encourage artwork with focused painters. Hurray!

The specifics:
THURSDAYS from 7-9pm at the United Church in Walpole center (next to the US Post Office)
Arrive any time after 6:30pm to set up and get focused for class.
Open Enrollment--you can begin anytime you're ready in any medium of your choice.
Take a single class for $25 (a 'onesie').
Sign up for a series of four classes over five consecutive weeks for $90 (a 'foursie').

Email me at bretonbleu@gmail.com and I'll invite you to our Google Group where you'll find supply lists, discussions and memo boards, and other wonderful things to get you going.

On the fence? Stop in some Thursday night and check out what's going on. I'd love to show off my students' stellar work.

Hope you can join us.

This one is big!

2010-09-05T09:58:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I worked on this painting for hours. It's big! For the past three-ish years I worked on only small things. A 12x16 was considered a large completed work for me.

Something has happened and---BAM---I'm working BIG! For my art show on October 1st, I've been working much larger than I ever have. The last time my paintings were this large was during art school, and that was because I had to. It's such fun to work on something because you want to.

The latest marsh from yesterday is 40x19. Whew! Of course, it looks better in person. Lucy volunteered to stand in front of it to provide some scale. Thank you, Lucy in pajamas.

Inspiring paintings

2010-09-03T09:41:00.005-04:00

Recently in class, my students and I were discussing the works of Sorolla. The painting here is at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and I love it.

On today's MFA Facebook page, this was spotlighted. Here is the painting and their blurb. Enjoy!

Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, Lighthouse Walk at Biarritz, 1906. Oil on canvas. Peter Chardon Brooks Memorial Collection; Gift of Mrs. Richard M. Saltonstall, 1922.

Sorolla was a leading Spanish Impressionist, and frequently exhibited in Paris. The artist's free, dynamic brushwork inspired critics to refer to him as the "Spanish Sargent." His depiction of pleasurable pastimes, such as this leisurely walk by the sea, attracted a large American audience at the turn of the century. Many of Sorolla's most important works, including a huge mural cycle in New York's Hispanic Society of America, are in the United States.

More painting

2010-08-30T08:37:00.008-04:00

Since I've been painting nearly every day for my art show October 1st, I've been focused on and looking at and thinking a lot about things around me.
Yesterday Tim watched the girls in the afternoon so I could go out and about and paint the landscape outside. For those who paint like this, you know that it's an entirely different experience from the relatively safe vacuum of the studio.

I'd like to show you what I did, but I can't. Right now it's 50/50 on whether or not I can pull it off. I like the idea of the painting, but not the painting, yet.

Wouldn't it be nice to show you the spot I was painting? It would, yes, but somehow I deleted all the photos on my camera. Not so good.

My dining room is pretty inundated with art right now. I've run out of chair rail where I can stow my finished work as new ones squeeze in with the others which have to stand sideways. And I think I'm getting pastel-ed out. The switch to oils is imminent!

Winding down the week

2010-08-27T08:30:00.004-04:00

I'm working today at the gallery and am delighted that I'll be around original artwork. It'll be good for me to spend a bit of time looking at how artists make marks.

At some point in working on a painting I get stymied. In art school the way the professor would have you figure out your question was to go to Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. In theory, by looking at art you should be able to figure out your particular issue.
I hadn't really given this style of learning that much thought but I seem to have embraced it. Paintings reveal so much to the viewer if the viewer really looks.

The photo with this post is of my dining room. The chair rail has become my temporary display space. Elizabeth is nearly walking, and I've just learned she can reach the work. These won't be staying her much longer.

Looking forward to a weekend where I hopefully can continue with this creativity.

I think it's done

2010-08-25T11:20:00.006-04:00

We're now on our third day of pretty awful and cold rain. Weather like this has me thinking about autumn and winter. I'd imagine the gray days have some influence on the subject of my painting today.

During my time alone this morning while my girls are at a play date I worked on this which I began late last night.

I think it's done. Again, it's larger than usual for me at 20x9. I'm thinking about a title and am not sure yet what that will be. In person it looks better, too. The colors are affected by the surrounding yellow paint in my dining room where I took this photo.

A short amount of time remains before I pick up my girls. If I can figure out my next subject for a painting, that will be a major accomplishment.

Tim mentioned that I shouldn't post everything I do or the show won't pack any punch on October 1st. I'm not sure about that. Any thoughts?

Thoughts on the creative process

2010-08-22T22:41:00.005-04:00

The Foxboro Art Association now has a blog and I lifted this photo of me from it. (You'll notice the watermark in the bottom right corner.) I liked this shot of me at the near-end of a demonstration I did I'd bet two years ago now.

I do still love to paint that marsh. In fact, I had planned to go up there yesterday but the rain messed up those plans.

Lately I've been doing some more artwork and enjoying the process. It had been so long since I'd painted that I was majorly gun-shy. Marshes and landscapes have been pieces I'm comfortable doing and so it made sense to me to dive in and recreate versions of those subjects again.

This go-round I'm working on larger sizes with a new pastel ground of Liquitex clear gesso on gator board. It's a lot of fun to work this big. My pastels are getting used up at remarkable rates and this gives me an odd sense of accomplishment. (I've used up four whole big Diane Townsend terrages! )

My hope is that I'm going to loosen up and experiment more during this spurt of painting I'm having. I'll have to keep pushing along and see.

Call for artists with my recent pastel

2010-08-21T10:43:00.003-04:00

Here is the prospectus I helped write for an upcoming open call show at Gallery9 this November. Sounds like fun, I think! And the image that accompanies the prospectus is my own cloud study in pastel that I completed recently.

"Gallery9 is seeking artists to create an original work for a show 'Looking Up' in our Norwood gallery.

During this time when everyone seems to be dwelling on the negative, we think it's time to focus on the positive. 'Looking up' is a show which asks artists to conceptualize the phrase 'looking up' in whatever way they wish.

For an entry fee of $10, all are welcome to contribute, provided the work is done on the gallery-provided 10"x10" canvas.

Be creative! Mount photos to canvas. Collage onto the surface. Work in acrylic or oil directly on the surface. Decoupage your watercolor onto the canvas.

Work cannot exceed 10"x10".

All work must be for sale with prices determined by gallery management and the artist at time of drop-off.

Only pieces done on this provided canvas and size will be displayed.

A standard commission of 60% to the artist and 40% to the gallery will be offered for all show sales.

10% off all gallery proceeds will be donated to the Norwood food pantry.

How will you interpret this phrase? We are looking forward to seeing your submission!"

Pieces should be dropped off to the gallery by Friday, October 30th.

All are welcome to attend the opening reception which will take place Friday, November 5th, for Gallery9's First Friday event from 6-8pm.

Important Dates for artists
Wednesday, September 1st :: First day to pick up canvases and submit entry form
Wednesday, October 20th :: Last day to pick up canvas and submit entry form
Friday, October 29th :: Drop off deadline for show entries
Friday, November 5th :: Opening reception, Gallery9 from 6-8pm

Two for two

2010-08-19T16:25:00.004-04:00

In the past two days I have completed two pastels. These photos show the start of today's piece and then the finished product.

As I was discussing with a friend earlier today, deadlines do make a difference, don't they?
Certainly that has something to do with it but I think it's also that our dogwood tree out front is starting to turn already. Orange leaves dot the center of it. While autumn is beautiful, I can't say enough how much I love summertime. These days outside painting have been gems.

As always, I'm going to suck as much out of these last weeks of summer as I am able to. And if the benefit is creating some art for my joint show October 1st, great!

Hope you have a great day, too!

What today brought

2010-08-18T20:58:00.005-04:00

Here's a start to my pastel. It's big for what I usually do at 36x12.

So far, I like it. I'm excited to do some more.

There are big ideas sifting through my head for my show at Gallery 9 on October 1st. Let's see how much of it I can get accomplished.

It's always better to aim high, right?

Even when I have this
to contend with---

Poor Elizabeth was having a rough day and cried for what seemed like 20 hours of it.

She's still a cutie.

An upcoming show

2010-08-15T10:46:00.002-04:00

I'm excited to announce that I've been asked to be in a show at Gallery9, where I work.
October's First Friday (which happens to be October 1st) will showcase my artwork and the work of my student, Tony Donovan.
How exciting it is to have this on the horizon. It's been a while since I've had a deadline like this and generally deadlines are a good thing for me.

In response to this, I've been busy in the formulation stage of my art---percolating with ideas. Hmmm. Which way will it go? I'm excited to find out.

Too funny!

2010-07-01T14:38:00.002-04:00

This blog made me laugh. Basically, the authors scan photos in from various catalogs and make observations.

This posting in particular got a small guffaw out loud from cranky me today.

Enjoy!

Saturday Workshop!!!

2010-06-09T17:09:00.003-04:00

I'm offering a painting workshop at Gallery9 this Saturday!!

Here are the specs:

Workshop: Plein Air Painting Norwood
Date: Saturday, June 12th from 9am-3pm
Rain date: Saturday, June 19th from 9am-3pm

Instructor: Kim Morin Weineck
Gallery9 at custom art framing
45 Central Street, Norwood, MA 02062

$90 includes handouts, painting demo, surprise supplies,
and individual instruction in a group setting

Painting outdoors or ‘en plein air’ is an exciting activity for
professional and novice painters. Working on location has numerous
advantages and creates some site-specific problems. In this workshop
artists will paint in downtown Norwood and leave the workshop with a
completed painting (or maybe even more than one!)

We’ll start the day early at Gallery9 with a painting demonstration.
During the demo, we’ll discuss locations to consider and offer
specific outdoor techniques. Artists are then welcome to spend the
rest of the day painting---with a lunch break (you provide
lunch)---until we stop for critique in the afternoon. During the
free-paint, instruction will be offered to each individual in an
ongoing, rotating basis.

Artists of all mediums are most welcome to participate. Completed
paintings may be on display at the gallery.

Surprise Supplies include some tools designed to make your ‘plein
air’ painting experience go smoothly and will help you plan your
painting. Also included is a coupon for framing at Custom Art Framing.

Instructor Kim Morin Weineck is Gallery Director at Gallery9 at
Custom Art Framing and is an artist and teacher. She has offered
numerous workshops in everything from ‘finding your artist’s voice’ to
‘abstract expressionism’ during her nearly ten years in art
instruction. Kim holds a degree in Fine Art from MassArt with special
study at the Pont Aven School of Contemporary Art, a RISD affiliated
program. For more on Kim’s work, please see her blog at
bretonbleu.blogspot.com or visit Gallery9.

Google is great

2010-05-21T11:16:00.003-04:00

So arty, I know. I've been completely non-existent lately blog-wise, and that sadly reflects upon my ability to be creative. No time at all.

But did you see this link?
http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en

Inaugural Critique Group!

2010-03-29T21:41:00.000-04:00

What fun was had at the inaugural Critique Group at Gallery9 in Norwood. This past Saturday artists got together at the gallery before opening to give and receive constructive feedback on artwork.

For artists who work alone in their studio space, this critique opportunity can offer a valuable service to get outside perspective. And what a great way to meet new artists! Our next critique is Saturday, April 24th.

Here I am critiquing the work of diane s. scotti (my aunt, for those who know me and diane). Her starlings painting is part of a series of her recent work, and the exciting comments from critique have me wondering which exciting direction she'll be taking this accomplished piece.

Critique Group at Gallery9 is a comfortable and supportive service welcoming artists of all levels. We meet in the gallery at 8:30am, the last Saturday of the month. Bring up to two paintings for $5. Also bring your coffee and a muffin or whatever else is a delicious, portable breakfast.

Oh, Hello to you, too

2010-02-27T10:14:00.001-05:00

It's been a rough winter for my family. We've been riddled with sickness and I haven't been spared although somehow Tim has, thank goodness. Sadly I even needed to cancel the critique group meeting I worked so hard to publicize. Rotten!

This commercial comes on and we all laugh.

It's nice to have things to laugh about amidst the inhalers, nebulizers, and other medical things we're taking care of.

Have a great day!

New Critique Group this Saturday

2010-02-24T15:51:00.001-05:00

Information about our new Critique Group

Would you like encouraging feedback about your paintings?
Is it finished?
Is there more should you do to it?

I'll be hosting a critique group in Gallery 9, Norwood on the last Saturday of every month, 8:30-10am to discuss your paintings in a supportive way.

Critique is an invaluable part of the creative process. You never know how you'll be inspired or what inspiration you might give your fellow artists. Or what a fresh pair of eyes can see that you don't.

The cost is only $5 for up to two paintings.

Come join us! Gallery9 at Custom Art Framing, 45 Central St., Norwood (downtown).
Grab your paintings, morning coffee, meet other artists and take advantage of this valuable opportunity. For more info, see www.gallery9online.com or www.customartframing.com or call 781 762-3300.

Commission

2010-01-22T09:03:00.002-05:00

Here is a quick photo of the fork commission I had before Christmas. The photo quality isn't the best, but I was in a terrible hurry to get to the gallery to deliver it.

What a cool fork it is and such fun to do a painting from it.

This fork differed from the other utensil paintings I've done in the past because this fork was burnished metal and the previous patterns were shiny bright. It was a fun challenge to capture the finish appropriately.

I'm happy to hear any ideas for commissions. Specific paintings can be the perfect gift. And you know Valentine's day is coming up....

Monthly assignments for my class

2010-01-07T17:34:00.001-05:00

Tonight the art class I teach resumes after a two-week hiatus for Christmas and New Year's celebrations. I can't say enough how much I missed my class.

As with nearly everything, the new year brings new energy and so for my art class I've been creating a curriculum and am excited about it.

Normally our class is loosely-structured as an open studio. I won't be changing this aspect, but I'll be adding an optional month-long assignment for the entire year. Like anything new, we'll see how it goes. I'm hopeful everyone will want to participate and, at year's end (hard to think about now at the year's start) we'll have a wondrous bulk of work created which we'll all look at with pride.

Tonight is the first assignment and I have some pressure on myself to make sure that, out of the gate, this new aspect of my class is met with excitement. So I'm starting with a good one: COLOR!

Color is a critical part of any art---even the non-"fine" arts like graphic design or even culinary arts. In painting it's nearly everything. And so the first assignment is for my students to make a color wheel in their chosen medium. There is something so beautifully academic about a color wheel.

To put this color study to use, we're going to do some painting. I'll describe that in my next post.

Until then....

A nice thing

2009-12-14T15:36:00.004-05:00

Someone saw my fork and spoon paintings and wants to commission me to paint their fork!

Hurray! Stuff like this makes me so happy.

Paintings in Gallery9

2009-12-10T06:42:00.000-05:00

Before Thanksgiving I posted about my large-scale fork and spoon paintings.

Here are some photos of them in Gallery9.

It's been funny to be in the gallery and hear people's remarks. They range from, "Now I'm hungry!" or "You'd have to have a big house to hang those up!" and finally, "Who would want to paint a fork and spoon?"
I suppose the answer to the last one would be "ME!" Ha!
Doesn't the gallery look great?

Handmade Pledge

2009-12-09T09:22:00.005-05:00

This Christmas (and always) I support small business and artists.

Some options you might consider:

Gallery9 in Norwood, MA (I work here on Fridays!)
My Etsy store carrying some of my small paintings
Nest in Dedham, MA always has a wonderful selection of art and other handmade things.
Boston Handmade has a store open until Christmas Eve in Downtown Crossing. What fun!
Small Art Showcase is a great source for reasonably-priced smaller works.

If I find more good stuff somewhere, I'll be sure to post!

Sneaking in some painting time

2009-12-07T18:12:00.001-05:00

It's the holidays full-swing and I'm tired. Tim is slated to be going away for a chunk of time this month, too, so we're trying to get things done early. All that said, I'm still trying to be productive.
Here's a nearly-done piece that I had to bring upstairs to have a look at for a spell. I'm not entirely pleased. It's losing that freshness I wanted. Fear not, art-lovers. I'll get at it and make it work---at least I hope I will.

Craftastic!

2009-12-01T08:45:00.004-05:00

I'm being silly this morning. We're no where near ready to go and Elizabeth has her four-month appointment shortly. Instead of running around getting ready, here I am with a quick post of my crafty creations.

I think a lot of fine artists have a crafty side from time to time. Obviously mine has been having a hankering to emerge!Personally I know that painting is an entirely different brain than this requires. With interruptions galore from my two girls sometimes I can't dedicate myself to a painting. Doing things like this keeps my hand stirring the pot, so to speak.
Normally I'm such a neat-nick, but when I start to take out supplies like these, my surroundings get a bit messy.
My vision is to create a small army of these little ornaments. I guess I do love things in bulk.Fun to see my finished product like this.

I never do this...

2009-11-25T12:04:00.005-05:00

This post is being written with the sole purpose of putting up this video about Fantastic Mr Fox, a film by Wes Anderson.

I listened to this interview with him on Fresh Air the other day and had one of those moments where I sat parked in my driveway just sitting and listening and spontaneously breaking into smile at times. Of course my Lucy was curious as to why we weren't getting out of the car, but she was content to let me have my moment. Thankfully Elizabeth was asleep.

Tim originally got me very interested in Wes Anderson's films, and we have enjoyed them all over and over again. I've even watched the DVD with the director's commentary feature enabled. What insight, especially during The Royal Tenenbaums.

Take a moment to watch. I do hope Tim and I get to the movies to see Fantastic Mr Fox soon. If so, I'll post my review here. Let's hope this isn't a matter of my expectations being too high. With Wes Anderson, I bet they won't be.

And for those curious, the fork and spoon paintings from my last post are now at Gallery9. I'll post a photo when I take one of how great they look displayed there. Thanks for all of your positive comments about them!

New paintings

2009-11-23T10:13:00.004-05:00

On Saturday I decided to make a mad dash to Utrecht Art Supply in Providence and arrived with five minutes to shop before they closed. I bought two canvases 12"x 48" because I had an idea for a pair of paintings.

Perhaps it's Thanksgiving dinner on the brain, but here is what I did with those canvases last night (of course they look better in person. I do love that you can see me painting the spoon in the bowl of the spoon.)
I leaned them up against the fireplace to show their scale and our firewood. Two weeks ago we had a cord of wood delivered and having it has made me so happy! On the right you can just see the swing carrying Elizabeth to dreamland for her mid-morning nap. Such is life in our household.

What fun to paint BIG!

Instructional tidbits from other artists

2009-11-03T07:59:00.005-05:00

Kathy Weber is an artist I reference on this blog a lot. Someday hopefully I'll bite the bullet and buy one of her pieces---they are beautiful! And if not a painting, then at least her excellent book.

Recently she offered a workshop in the Providence, RI area on consecutive Saturdays and I would have taken it except that Elizabeth was less than two-months-old. Ah well.

These two pieces appear on her blog yesterday and today.

Autumn Reflections by Kathy Weber

What I like about her postings, too, is her tidbits of instruction. Today's I thought was uber-helpful (and Cindy, if you're reading this, it's something we've been discussing in your work lately about the foreground).

Autumn Morning by Kathy Weber

"This was painted on the same day last week as yesterday's post. I did some more work on it the next day, when the paint had dried enough to allow putting in the grasses in front."

I know sometimes I lack the patience to wait the appropriate time before putting those kinds of finishing details in a painting. Generally it is nearly impossible to make it look right without waiting because the piece is all mushy with oil paint.

Consistent perspective

2009-11-02T08:08:00.007-05:00

I tend to take a lot of photos with compositions heavy on the bottom like this:This photo is of the side of our garage at that excellent time of day---twilight.
My goodness things are beautiful then. And now that the clocks have been turned back an hour, the light is markedly different from what we're used to and when. Generally things are pink and rosy.

I've mentioned before about my desktop file "artist references." Here is an assortment from the photography file.And two more from last night.
I have a small painting of one of these which I'll photograph today and post tomorrow.

Have a great day!

Some of my class in the local paper

2009-10-30T11:39:00.005-04:00

Some of my students were in the Walpole Times yesterday showcasing donations to the Walpole Library Art Auction on November 14th.
Here is the article:

WALPOLE - Original art work to be auctioned off at the Friends of the Walpole Library Art Auction to be held on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 7-10 p.m. in the Allen Room of the Walpole Country Club. Shown here are five members of the Foxboro Art Association: Nancy Bacevich, Haydi Hurley, Tony Donovan, and Ann Gorbett all Walpole residents, and Kimberly Weineck formerly of Walpole currently living in North Attleboro. Raffle items and a silent auction of donations from local businesses and area attractions further help to raise funds for the new library. Music provided by the Wildewood Jazz Band. For more information go to walpolelibraryfriends.org.

Hurray for all the donations!

Like candy

2009-10-29T07:34:00.000-04:00

Sennelier pastels are gorgeous. Their color is lush and sophisticated. I just LOVE them. When Tim and I were in Paris five years ago we went to the Sennelier store and I purchased a few sacred items. What fun!

Today I learned from a savvy marketing email from a company I love, Dakota Art Pastels, that Sennelier has released a new set of half pastels. It's called, perfectly enough, the Paris set. Ah!
Here they are.
The inside makes me want to buy buy buy and paint paint paint!

(Hint hint hint, Tim, although I don't think I can wait until Christmas.)

Off to the gallery!

2009-10-28T11:52:00.005-04:00

Julie, the fabulous owner of Gallery9, just stopped by and picked up my painting of a salt marsh. It was finished two days ago and had been drying in the basement, warmed by the inefficiency of our sixty-year-old boiler. The piece looked like one of these, and I did it on Julie's request; she likes the subject matter. I'm thinking one of these days I should do it really BIG!I'm delighted that she took the time out of her frantic day to come by to pick up my painting. Apart from the vote of confidence, my two little ones are sick and there's not a lot of adult contact going on here lately.

Silly me didn't take a photo of the painting before she picked it up. Duh! I'll take a photo at the gallery when I work Friday. That is...unless it sells before than. Ha!

Library art auction

2009-10-28T08:34:00.005-04:00

Last October I was involved in an art auction to help raise money for Mount St Mary's Abbey in Wrentham, MA. It was a cause close to my heart, and my entire class jumped in and helped from start to finish. My art class is such a wonderful group. In the end we raised money, met new people, and had fun.

This November 14th is another art auction but this time put on by the Friends of the Walpole Library. I have donated a pastel and much of my class has donated their artwork as well.

If you're local and looking to expand your own home gallery, try to come to the auction. It's being held at the Walpole Country Club and tickets are $20 per person. (I'm looking forward to going to the Country Club because the event is in the room where Tim and I had our wedding reception.)

I'm sure it will be a lot of fun!

Inspiring paintings

2009-10-27T08:02:00.003-04:00

::Before you start reading, the two paintings in this post are not my paintings::

I have a landscape painting begun on easel and a finished one drying and ready to go.

The big news is that apart from the wee business-card-sized painting I did two days back, this one is actually 20 inches square. Hurray!

Photos to come. Right now I'm trying to accomplish things so I can get painting ASAP.

In the interim, though, here are some inspiring still lifes, perfect for the season: I believe they are by Carol Marine, an artist I love and am lucky enough to own one of her pieces! (Again, hurray!)

Looking for new references

2009-10-26T10:22:00.008-04:00

In an effort to get some paintings done, I've been photographing things around me.Here are some shots from yesterday. Fall is a beautiful season, even if I don't like the harbinger of winter.
And that last one is just for fun---although maybe it's a painting, too?

And what about this one?

Elizabeth during my impromptu photo shoot recently. Lucky for her, she was napping during the yard work extravaganza or we'd have put her to work, too.

On the painting front I did a painting last night. I like it, too, but its TINY! I think it's only slightly bigger than a business card, but it's what I could accomplished with the small time I had. Photos to come when I get more done.

Columbus Day painting

2009-10-22T15:08:00.005-04:00

On Columbus Day, many of my students gathered at Patriot Place in Foxborough to paint. I went with my mom and the girlies and checked out what they were all doing.

Ann chats about her work done on location. Ann's work is done exclusively with a palette knife. Lovely.
Here my cutie Mom and Lucy chat with my aunt Diane Scotti, a local artist.
It was the perfect day for a stroll through their easels. What fun.

Haydi does watercolors. Her husband Bill stands behind her---sadly I cut off his head in this photo. Sorry, Bill.
Frank, whose work is on the easel, chats with fellow artists whilst Nancy diligently paints at her easel.

Below, Tony paints away. His work is nicely displayed for sale. You can see him behind his easel in the photo.

They are meeting there again this Sunday, October 25. If you're local, take a walk through and cheer them on. Painting in public is no easy feat.

Gallery visitors

2009-10-20T08:35:00.006-04:00

Keeping some of the aspects of my life without children has been critical for me and my sanity. On Fridays I've been trying to work at the gallery per usual. I haven't been there as much as I'd like, but the time I do spend there inspires me to get back into my studio.

Julie, the gallery owner, has let me bring Elizabeth with me to work and I'm so pleased that she's an easy infant so this has worked out.
Here is a photo of a gallery visitor, my student, Frank, holding Elizabeth. What a treat it is as a new mom to be have my little girl with me at the gallery. I don't think some of the customers mind, either.

New creative space

2009-10-19T11:00:00.003-04:00

From what I understand from various mom-oriented books, it's normal to hit a wall nearing the three-month mark. This is exactly what happened on Friday. Slam! Elizabeth is ten-weeks-old and I am feeling a bit run-down.
So I hope this sheds light on this poor neglected blog. I haven't been posting because I haven't really been painting which stinks because I really have wanted to. The time just isn't there, no matter what finagling I do.And making art isn't an 'on demand' type situation generally. I have squeezed in some short bursts of time and have been unproductive. It must be the pressure I'm putting on myself during those time slots.With all that said, I have been busy in our newly organized basement where I have moved much of my materials. The girls have a spot down there to play, too, and I don't have to be too concerned with keeping things neat. We've also freed up some space upstairs and have a new little sitting area which Tim and I are thoroughly enjoying.

The photos I've posted are from downstairs. In the first one, my mom was helping me with a quilt I'm making for our bedroom. Making a quilt had been on my life-list and, since I wanted to be creative and the time demands on sewing are a lot different than that of painting, I decided now was the time. I can start and stop without any hiccup to the final result.
Things are afoot to make me get my paints out soon, though. The gallery has requested some new larger works. I have a commission due soon. And I'm donating to the Walpole Library art auction. All are a bit of pressure and I tend to produce more when there is that small bit of pressure. We'll see what comes of it all.

(Can you find Elizabeth in the second photo? I put her in the doll cradle my grandfather made for me when I was a little girl. I'm glad I did it now because she already has almost grown too big for it!)

What's new?

2009-09-19T14:06:00.000-04:00

With two young girls in tow, all is busy but fabulous on our home front.

Sadly, the time for painting is tight. The times I've tried I've been interrupted and I wonder if I'll be able to return to what I started. Sometimes if I lose my focus, I don't return to a painting and it ends up in what I've always called the painting graveyard. I know this is why my work for a while has been so small. These works I can finish in a short time.

The piece I started was a pastel and it's 20"x8." We'll have to see if I do get back to it. The references I have for it are just beautiful.

The good news is that I am creating. My status posts on Facebook have said things like, "Felty craftastic!" and that's true! I'll post photos as soon as I take the images off my camera.

Until then, enjoy the sunshine!

Little time with lots of energy

2009-09-10T10:06:00.004-04:00

I wrote in my personal blog that I'm doing a lot of new things. With a newborn we know this is probably true, but a lot of the things I have to do are being peppered with things I want to do!

Posting all of this in a blog should be easy but my time is pretty limited. What time I do have I want to use for other projects. I'm riding this wave for a spell and will post photos and further information soon.

This is not a painting by me, but yet another by Kathy Weber.

It's was posted on her blog recently. I thought it was a great example of painting a structure on location. Here greens intrigued me as do the planes of the building. There is always a lot to learn from looking at a painting!

A little scheming for art!

2009-09-03T09:12:00.004-04:00

This painting is by Kathy Weber, a Rhode Island artist with a nice eye for color and a fabulous mark. I especially enjoy her figurative work, which is funny for me to say because I tend to not like paintings of the figure. Right now this painting is my desktop wallpaper and the color makes me happy. Her work has me antsy to start making art!After a five week maternity leave, I begin teaching my art classes again tonight. I have to say I am delighted that tonight is the night (even though it's my anniversary!--we celebrated with a great dinner yesterday, by the way). It's been a long time without my students who are more like my friends.

Just knowing I'm teaching tonight I have been trying to figure out how I can get some time in the studio today.

What if I brought Lucy to the playground for some intense play and then later asked her to do laps around our house? That should tire her out! If she takes a long nap then maybe I'll have some nice painting time.

Elizabeth is easy---she has such an easy temperament and she doesn't walk yet so I can plunk her somewhere nearby while painting. I remember doing that with Lucy when she was Elizabeth's age. What fun that was!

If any of this will happen, I have to get in gear! We'll see if it comes to fruition....

On the agenda...

2009-09-01T12:27:00.001-04:00

Hello dear neglected blog. I'll be working on updating you with new artwork soon. I'm trying to finagle some time to paint because I really need to.

My reference material has grown, too. So not only do I want to paint, but I have things to paint!

Let's see what happens in the next few days or weeks-ish....

Elizabeth Dianne!

2009-09-01T12:26:00.002-04:00

After a tumultuous few weeks where our baby couldn't decide which way she was supposed to be, she finally arrived without complication on Thursday, July 30th at 5:22am.

She weighed 7lbs 6 oz and measured 20.5" long.

We came home on Saturday, August 1st and have been busy getting used to our new 'schedule.'
All is quite well and rather exciting, despite the fatigue.

Here is a photo from that Saturday as soon as we got home---a month ago now!!!
I do love it!!

Possible induction tomorrow

2009-07-28T21:46:00.002-04:00

Well well well. What happened to regular updates?

I make this big story of updating my blog more regularly and then I drop off the face of the Earth.

With only six days left until my due date, there is the chance that tomorrow I'll be induced should our little one cooperate and get into the proper position. She's been head down, sideways, head down, sideways, head down and then complete breech. Now she's sideways. Tomorrow we're going for a procedure to turn her and then, if successful, induce. Wow!

Once she arrives and things hit a level of normalcy, I do hope to update more regularly and actually do some painting. I do so miss the painting. :)

Thanks for following!

Some inspiration

2009-07-09T08:31:00.004-04:00

Sometimes if I'm not feeling like painting (like lately because I'm suffering from scattered pregnant brain) I am still constantly on the look out for inspiration. This past weekend I was visiting my in-laws and stumbled across this wonderful house.
Who would believe it's in Massachusetts?
I really would have thought it was the south of France. Wouldn't you?

And with all this rain, don't think for a second we're holed up inside our little house. No sir! Can you tell I like color from the outfit Lucy was in to go check out my garden?
Lucy had fun but kept telling me she was "all wet!" Yes, it's been like that for the past three months!

Hello, sunshine! Anytime you want to visit for an extended stay, please feel welcome!

An overdue update

2009-07-08T11:06:00.004-04:00

Oh poor neglected blog! Worry not, it's just a pregnancy-induced hiatus! I'll be back in the swing of things once the nesting stops and I can focus on painting and being creative.

I did find some new paper to try for pastels. It's pretty cool---a very nice surface. Check it out here and scroll down to the gator foam option. Here is my most recent pastel on easel. It's 96% completed and measures 8"x20" so I am getting some artwork done. (Yikes, I need to finish painting out that window!)In other personal news,since learning my baby is sideways rather than head down I've been focused on getting my baby to turn. You should see the funny exercises!!

Just as I typed that, Lucy decided to surf on her new beanbag chair, a gift for her 2nd birthday on July 2nd. I couldn't resist taking photos because you can see how we share my studio space and that what she was doing looks similarly like the 'spin the baby' exercises I've been trying. Getting in position
And all done!
Silly!

Process and pregnancy

2009-06-10T08:28:00.003-04:00

Things are happening in my life, even if I'm not posting them here for you to read about.

On the art front I'm feeling scattered and odd. My classes continue to go well (probably because my students are just so great) but as far as my own work in the studio, I'll admit that the easel has nothing on it.

On Friday last I confided in Susan Kelley (an artist whose work I love) about my plight and she made me feel better. When I told her that when I sit down to paint nothing comes out of me she quickly said, "Well, that's pregnancy---you're too scattered."

YES! That's so true. Sometimes knowing stuff like this can make it easier to overcome. Let's all hope this is true because I have really wanted to be creative. I'm getting antsy to get something on easel again.

AND---drumroll---we're getting new windows for my studio installed THIS SATURDAY! What a great upgrade this will be to what was a three-season sun porch. Since Tim and I insulated last summer, new windows this summer---maybe that room will be a cooler spot this August. When baby comes, maybe I'll be able to crank out a whole slew of new works!

Well, we'll have to wait and see.
Wish me luck in the meantime!

Thursday class

2009-06-01T08:01:00.003-04:00

Last Thursday my class was a dream team of focused painters. Here's Ann painting away with perfect posture. It was Tony's first class back painting since his excursion to Arizona. (You can read about his travels here in his great blog. )
This is Katie's piece which began as a blank canvas. Nice work for a two hour stretch, would you say?And Frank the Focused is working on a portrait. You can see his determination in capturing likenesses, can't you?

Critique was easy as I was able to go through each student's work and discuss what they accomplished during our fast-moving two hour session.

I do love teaching my class on Thursdays!

(The new gallery space I posted about is coming along well. For more photos of its progress, check out the shop blog here.)

Nostalgia for the gallery

2009-05-28T18:04:00.006-04:00

Today I'm working at the gallery and am excited about the changes. The place is looking quite different as we move just around the corner to better digs with parking.

Of course big changes like this offer the chance to be nostalgic, and so I took some photos of my work hanging before the big move happened. You can see that Julie kindly placed a copy of the Yankee magazine with the article which had one of my paintings featured. Looking at this makes me feel so professional!

Since I took this photo one of the larger pieces has sold and things have begun their migration to the new gallery. I'll be sure to post new photos soon. It's an exciting time!

Testimonials

2009-05-27T16:33:00.004-04:00

Years ago friends invited me along on a trip to Tuscany. It's a dream invite, isn't it?

It was a wonderful trip and one which still inspires me.One of these friends emailed to tell me that we are the last three contributors to their testimonials page. What fun!

I remember making this comment in their guest book. It's fun how reading something can bring you back....

"Wonderful week in Tuscany - went by much too quickly. Had a wonderful stay in a wonderful home! Grazie!" - Michael

"So beautiful and comfortable! Thank you so much! Our favorite spot is the Enoteca "Spirito de Vino." We enjoyed three fabulous dinners there!" - Tim

"As an artist, Cetona offered much inspiration - Had a lovely time taking in all the sites. The apartment was cozy and comfy. Hoping to return! Ciao!" - Kim. near Boston, MA

I am still hoping to return.

A flattering thing

2009-05-27T16:31:00.001-04:00

The new location for Custom Art Framing and Gallery 9 is coming along and I'm particularly excited about the signage.Julie had GIANT frames made for the front of the building. These big frames will showcase reproductions of artwork and inform our customers of events and other things going on at the shop.How flattered I was when Julie asked me for permission to use one of my paintings in a frame! She also selected Edwina Caci, another instructor at the shop, to use one of her images.
Mine is the salt marsh, of course. (I knew you could have guessed that!)

Thursday class

2009-05-27T16:08:00.006-04:00

Last Thursday I taught another wonderful class. I remembered to take some photos for my blog!

Nancy starts a pastel portrait. Colors are working up so nicely!
Ann works in palette knife and I love that she accepted the challenge to work BIGGER! Here she finishes up on her piece from our plein air workshop.
And here Ann cleans her spotless palette. She's diligently tidy, our Ann.
Frank is working on a medical-themed piece. I'm liking the tight range of value he's capturing.And Haydi, our Nantucket art association member (I'm not sure if that's the official name of the organization--but trust me--It's prestigious!) is painting some small works for a show. Love her colors!After a productive evening we went to afterparty. What fun Thursday nights are! (Nice to know tomorrow is Thursday!)

Workshop photos

2009-05-27T15:48:00.004-04:00

Whew!

That could be the one of the longest blog breaks I've taken and not for a lack of things to report either. Instead it was more a lack of time to package it all up into an attractive little post.

I have many subjects I'd love to post about, but I'll start with my plein air workshop from May 9th, a rainy-ish Saturday.
It was held a workshop on the town common in Walpole near the Bird Memorial Fountain. What a productive day!Here are our easels at critique after a long day painting. This part of the day always feels so good!I'm looking forward to the next workshop!

Today

2009-05-08T08:21:00.007-04:00

Today I'm working at the gallery and am looking forward to it as usual. It's a sunshine-y day and that has me in the best mood!!

Last night I taught my art class and what a great time that was. Ah, I do love my students.

Tomorrow I'm teaching a workshop on painting on location--always a kicker--and mixing it up by asking participants to work in a medium not familiar to them if they'd like. Sound fun? YES!

There is not too much going on in my studio right now. As I said I have a crisis of reference material lately---I sense from my walks with Lucy this will be changing soon. I've been looking at things with new eyes, even my own interior spaces.
Our dining room is a lovely space and where I'm presently typing this post. I snapped this photo to show off my vase of fragrant lilacs--love them--and our newly planted tree out front (you can nearly see that). I adore sunshine!!

Today, though, looking around my house I did take a photo of my newly installed picture light which I bought at the gallery (who knew we had picture lights!) The painting is by Susan Kelley--a local artist whose work I think is stellar---and I am in love with the way it makes the painting and my room look.I can see other picture lights in our future. :)

Studio and other related doings

2009-05-06T08:01:00.006-04:00

Last night Tim, Lucy, and I went to Barnes and Noble in Walpole, MA to attend Frank's (one of my students) art opening. His work is hanging for the month and looked wonderful. He was happily showing off photos of his new grandson, Nathan. I loved seeing him be so proud. Adorable!

As far as work in the studio goes I've been slightly lax. It's always been the case that I'm either creating like a mad-woman or I'm taking it easy. I think I'm having a crisis of references. How many marshes can one person paint?

Carol Marine, an artist whose blog I follow, has written about her painting light box, where she can put still lifes together under controlled light circumstances. I've been thinking about rigging something like this. With all the windows in my studio I have one heck of a time capturing the right light because it's ever-changing.

A student of mine sent me some wonderful photos from outer Cape Cod. Perhaps these will light that painting fire again. Who knows? Maybe I'm just drained from pregnancy (a good enough excuse until my due date in the first week of August!)

Yesterday I worked on the paperwork submission information for HOME, a national juried show at the Attleboro Arts Museum. Nothing ventured nothing gained. We'll see how that goes....

New work and attitude

2009-04-30T13:43:00.006-04:00

Studio time has been slim this week, but I did photograph the small work on one of my easels. I figured I'd post it here. Photographs of other artist's studios with work-in-progress always get me jazzed up.
Last Saturday I popped in to visit a friend and former student from my storefront studio days. She kindly said she'd been following my work and that she saw progression and growth. Hurray!

Her comment resonated because I have felt a small shift in my work recently and I like where it's going--so nice to be a positive change!

Julie at the shop framed a few of my pieces so I could bring them to galleries.I took this photo yesterday on our patio table. This frame order was a giant step for me because I chose Museum Glass--an expensive undertaking. This glass is like magic! You'd not even know there was glass on your piece. My decision, for me, means I view my piece worthy of such a charge. It's akin to a pat on the back. Again, hurray!

Of course there is more to say but today is a treat for me. My Mother-in-Law has Lucy for the day and I need to make the best of it. I will finish the pieces on easel and move on to something new, hopefully.

New work and a new tool

2009-04-23T16:47:00.006-04:00

Our new camera has me frustrated because I cannot figure out how to best capture my artwork nor can I get it to click fast enough to capture that perfect face Lucy is making. I've got to figure it out.Today Lucy cooperated with her nap schedule perfectly and things got done, like this favorite reference of mine---spring marsh in green. Three new pastels are finished, two I had just begun today and the Bird Island Light pastel I refined a bit. All are 5"x7" and all of them look better in person than they do here, especially this one of the red kayak which loses all its color strength and nuance. Trust me it looks great in person. I am pleased with it. Ah well.In a recent post, I showed how I store my unframed pastels on cabinet dish racks from IKEA. Here is another IKEA re-purposing. It's supposed to be mounted inside your cabinet door and stores their pot lids. I mounted two of these on my studio wall and now store paintings that are finished, drying, or in progress. It's such a space saver when your wall space is at a premium. (You can also see the top of my MassArt degree. It's very non-traditional a diploma but I love that I have it!)

And finally, here is my brand new canvas panel holder designed by artist Carol Marine. It came in today and I promptly put it to use with my pastel boards. I know it'll get lots of use because I just love it!You can order one for yourself here. If you do small works on panel, it's completely worth the $18 plus shipping.

Tomorrow I'm working at the gallery where we're having an art opening and then it's going to be a glorious weather weekend. I'm really looking forward to 80 degrees. Ah, warmer weather. Hurray!

I'm in the Boston Examiner!

2009-04-23T10:06:00.003-04:00

I'm a featured artist in the Boston Examiner today and it's exciting!

Click here to link to the article.

Keep in mind that apart from the listed locations, you can also find my work at Gallery9 in Norwood, MA.

Hurray!

Managing studio time

2009-04-22T08:37:00.006-04:00

Lucy didn't nap yesterday but I'm pleased to say I was still able to get some work done.

Because it was a rainy day, I didn't have the guilt which normally would prevent me from putting in a movie for her to watch quietly. She adorably visited me often during my painting time. She'd say, while pointing to my easel, "Painting?" and I'd say, "Yes! Painting!" and she'd run off to play. She's such fun!Since I figured my time was short, I worked on a favorite subject and then started to tackle a new one. The work I've been doing is all 5x7 lately. I've purchased some new larger surfaces but it's a time issue. Hopefully soon I can get going on new work that's bigger.Here is how I store my small finished pastels. The racks are for plates and I bought them at IKEA, a perfect place for re-purposing things. Rather than use them to store plates in my cabinet, I lean pastels on them and can see easily what I've accomplished and keep them safe. Sometimes this is how the small originals get to the gallery, too.This lighthouse is Bird Island Light, in Marion. The gallery I visited a week ago today is near to this lighthouse and Ned's Point in Mattapoisett. I figure I'll try to create some painterly versions of these spots. We'll see how they come out.
My jam jars are filled with the teeny bits of pastel grouped by color. One of these days I'll grind them up and make new pastels. What a fun post that will be!

The sun is shining. This weekend will be in the 70s and 80s--this is the weather I LOVE! Hope you enjoy it, too.

Recent small pastels

2009-04-18T22:05:00.005-04:00

During Lucy's nap I completed a small pastel and got that I-want-to-keep-going bug.

The final one of the evening was finished near 9pm--not a good time to try to take photos of paintings--but I was feeling like blogging so I tried anyway.

I'd begun this small work while teaching a smaller number of students on a Thursday night recently but wasn't sure where I saw it going. Lately I've been experimenting and this is my "letting go" style. In this piece below the colors aren't quite so light, but this is the best I could do.
This marsh below I was most happy with even though I fight with the subject matter because I do paint so many marshes. Here's a detail of the piece above. Sometimes I use cropping to come up with new compositions. While I was Photoshopping away, I saw this and was inspired for a future piece.

This one of beach house off season has a wonderful purple sky and much more subtle color variations. Ah well. Not to be seen here.This photo I took without flash and every light in my studio on. The colors are more accurate than the others. I do love the feeling of accomplishment seeing a group of artwork. Yay!

Some paintings and spring weather

2009-04-17T08:20:00.004-04:00

It's going to be a glorious day today! 71! Hurray! I'm off to the gallery for the day and looking forward to it. We've got a lot in the works with the move to the new location and the show next week.Here are a few of my paintings I thought appropriate for this spring day. I also added new photos to the slide show in the sidebar of this blog.
Enjoy yourselves out there today!!!

Agenda

2009-04-15T08:32:00.004-04:00

Good morning!

Not a lot of time this morning as I run off to meet my mother-in-law for a busy day filled with good stuff.

Included in my day is a gallery meeting. I hope they agree to carry some pieces. We'll see!

My stages of creation

2009-04-09T08:11:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I'm delighted to say I spent some time in the studio and completed a piece that had been on my 'to do' list for a while.

When I paint I find it easier to produce organic shapes (like marshes) rather than a composition with architecture and harder lines.Here is the piece, on easel, nearly completed. It went through multiple manifestations and finally I started to like it.

I wanted to post it here, too, because it's important to recognize that within the painting process each piece is not a 'slam dunk' from the start. This one had many rough spot for a while. Finally, toward the very end of its creation, I started to like it. Defining lines went in and color choices I made produced effects I was looking for.

In my art class, I often teach that paintings go through a 'yuck period'---a technical term, right? Can you imagine me chuckling in my studio as I hear my own advice singing in my head? If I would only heed that advice I'd be a lot better off.

Hopefully I'll get in the studio today. I'm on a roll in getting things finished. We'll see if I can work two other pieces through their 'yuck period.' Later tonight I teach my art class. Hurray!

In my artist reference file

2009-04-07T08:00:00.006-04:00

Although productive yesterday, I don't want to post my work until it's complete. My husband also took the camera to work so I couldn't post if I wanted to.

This is a good time to post some more imagery from my desktop "artist references" file.

Another by Laurel Daniel. Wonderful edges, don't you think?

Yellow Cafe by Kim English. Painterly and interesting. Gorgeous light and first name.

And Sunset at Papermill Pond by Jill Carver. Carol Marine, an artist I follow, is taking a workshop with her this week. Excellent work. Nice tight color range makes for an evocative painting.

Until later!

A report

2009-04-06T08:04:00.002-04:00

The weekend has passed and so begins another week. I didn't get to paint over the weekend but today looks promising.

I'll post what I get to.

Right now I have to call for windshield replacement. Tim was installing new wipers and smash came down the wiper "sans blade" and CRACK! Nice spiderweb on the windshield!

Ah well. Always something new!

Breton Bleu and Boston Handmade

2009-04-04T09:06:00.005-04:00

Today the Boston Handmade blog is showing my post. Membership to this creative collective of Massachusetts artisans requires we contribute to the group's blog at least monthly. I like seeing what all these other artists are working on/thinking about/interested in as showcased in this venue.

Boston Handmade has 30 talented members and I may be one of the only fine artists. Everyone's focus is extremely diverse. Click over and take a look. Everyone has an Etsy shop and I enjoy poking through what is available. A great selection can always be found.

Yesterday's art class

2009-04-03T08:25:00.005-04:00

Thursday means art class. It's a day I look forward to all week. Last night I took photos of everyone's work at the critique at the end of class. Some artists I caught "in the act" of painting.

Like Nancy here, painting this cute little boy at the St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston. I love how even in the photo of her painting there is a wonderful sense of space.
Here's Ann painting. I think as she realized I had come by to get a photo she may have said, "uh oh." The expression on her face is adorable, kind of "caught in the act." Her piece is a sepia rendering in oil of her mother. She came in with a blank canvas and she was able to complete so much during class. Well done!Last week's photo of Frank's painting came out blurry (but you did see him in the "great easel race" movie I posted). Here is a photo of him cleaning up his palette. He has the most beautiful wooden palette from years of diligent care. Its surface is like glass. He started a new painting of Red Sox player and MVP Dustin Pedroia. It's a great start that you can see in the last photo.Dana brought back the piece she began and nearly finished last week. She said she has been coming to class, starting a piece, and then next week starting something new (I always think that is the best part of a painting---the start of it!) so nothing gets finished. Bravo Dana for bringing this one back in and getting it nearly done. It looks wonderful. At the end of class I always critique everyone's pieces. It's nice to be able to see what everyone has worked on during class.

Cindy's pieces are on the far right easel and I want to make sure you notice them because I didn't get a photo of Cindy painting. (I think by the time I took out my camera she was already cleaned up for the night.)Cindy's lighthouse is luminous because she's worked on her sky and the sea. Above on the easel you'll see a small foggy landscape. She's quite attuned to value in that painting and I hope she does more like it.

There's how I spent my Thursday night. I love it.

The Art Connection

2009-04-03T08:08:00.000-04:00

Recently my friend Mike informed me he was a member of the board at The Art Connection, an organization I was unfamiliar with. I immediately went to their website and fell in love with their mission: connecting artists and donors to community service organizations through the placement of original artwork.

As an artist, my house if full of original works of art: some from galleries, some gifts, and some from trades I've made with other artists. Of course my perspective is that an original offers more than does a framed poster. An original gives depth, vibrancy, and visual interest to a space.
When people visit our home they always comment on the artwork. We generally tour rooms in terms of the artwork, because each piece has a story.

On The Art Connection's "testimonial" page is this quote which spoke to me:

"When I walk into a room I've never ever been into, I look around and see what's in it. If there's lots of art I feel wanted. If there isn't, I feel lonely."
Fifth grade student, Paige Academy

This organization has already placed nearly 4,000 works of art. Think of the difference they are making for the community! I'm delightedly filling out my application to make a donation.

Perhaps if you're a visual artist, you'll consider doing the same.

A post and a painting (not my painting)

2009-04-02T08:47:00.005-04:00

My blog entry was posted today for Boston Handmade. The 30 members all contribute to the group blog making for a diverse assortment of information. The focus of my post was about my recent new work after a while feeling creatively blocked. I liked looking back on it and not feeling as "stuck" as I had felt for a spell there.

It's another rainy day but April is all about the showers laying the wet foundation for May's flowers. Seems a good day to continue plugging away in my studio on four things in process.
I do hope I have something to post for my efforts.

This below is not my painting, before you read on thinking it is.
It is by Texas artist Laurel Daniel and I love her bright color, especially in the sky. I love looking at work and spending time with it. So often my painting's skies are dull, unlike the painting shown here. Lovely.

Have a great day. I do hope I get to the studio before I teach my art class tonight.

A blog award

2009-04-01T10:01:00.005-04:00

I received this award from the very talented artist, Ann Gorbett, an artist whose work I love. Part of receiving the award is to write 7 things I love and then choose 7 new artists to pass the award onto.

Because I'm like this, I'm changing the rules. I'm not sending it to 7 new artists, but I will make a list of 7 artists whose work I enjoy and am always checking in on.

Here is my LOVE list (husbands are a given):
1. My little girlie, Lucy, and all my immediate family.
2. Creating artwork. Buying art supplies. Adding to my art collection. All that good stuff.
3. SUMMERTIME! This winter has been rough and being pregnant only made it more difficult.
4. Teaching. I get thoroughly charged up by spending time with my art students.
5. Reading which has gotten more techie since my husband gave me a Kindle 2 for my birthday.
6. Gardening. I've added vegetables to the flowers and love to harvest from my own little plot.
7. My kitchen. Spending time there is great be it cooking or baking or eating.

And here are the 7 lucky artists:
1. Ann Gorbett--who gave me this award
2. Tony Donovan--who Ann already awarded but I am doing it again
4. Michelle Lundquist who just started blogging about her photography.
And to these established artists/bloggers
5. Carol Marine
6. Laurel Daniel
7. Susan Kelley

There are others and it was hard to choose--not to mention those who aren't on line. The list could be huge!

To do lists and my submission

2009-04-01T09:15:00.005-04:00

Today my mother-in-law has Lucy so I'm free to tackle my 'to do' list and let me say it's growing! I'm starting the day in a flurry of high expectations---but it's good to begin like that. I've always been a fan of the saying, "Want something done? Ask a busy person."

On the docket: finishing pastel commissions(!), clean Lucy's closet of clothes that no longer fit, compare pricing for some art supplies and possibly place an order, and work on my website.

My submission for the gallery's "Being Green" show was delivered last Friday, and so far we have a decent amount of work for the jury. My submission is one of the marsh paintings I had completed recently.Big doings at the gallery, too! It's moving to a nearby spot with some fabulous space and wonderful parking. When I had my store, the set-up was exhausting and thrilling and I am loving being present at this nascent stage. Oh what fun! But oh, what work, too!Things for the move need to be finalized, planned, discussed and so all of this is on the agenda as well. We'll see what I can accomplish!

If I get any artwork finished, I'll post it soon.

Thursday's art class and the great easel race

2009-03-27T08:10:00.010-04:00

My battery gets recharged on Thursdays when I teach my art class. They are a wonderful group I've been teaching for years now, many since I had my little brick and mortar store years back now. Class meets for 2 1/2 hours and then we go out for a drink afterward. Such fun.

Since I have a new camera I thought I'd post their work on my blog. Here's a taste of what everyone was working on.

Cindy celebrated her birthday yesterday and did so by producing a quick and lovely painting.
"Economy of brushstroke" is a mantra from class and I can see Cindy working toward this end. Look at the space in this painting. Wonderful. She always uses such lush paint---I love that about Cindy. The downside is that she often will get to a point where she has to stop or the piece will get muddy. Last night no mud, just nice! Hope you enjoyed your birthday, Cindy!

Ann only uses a palette knife and we love watching the results of her technique. After discussion of her color temperature, Ann set out to paint "a warm cat."
Success! Look how cute Ann is with her painting shirt, box of tissues, and family of palette knives lined up at the ready. Check out Ann's blog here for more of her fabulous work.

Haydi works in watercolor and is having a show at the Wrentham library next month with a few other artists. (Hurray!)Last night she brought in a nostalgic piece---the first she had done in a class with me. She wanted to make a few changes to it. The results are lovely, aren't they?

Dana is one of those painters I love to watch because her process seems effortless. In comes a blank canvas and out it goes covered in a lovely painting.Last night she worked on this beach landscape. During critique we discussed the lovely components to the piece particularly the sky and foreground which make the piece so dynamic. (In this photo you can just see Haydi in the background working away And there are Nancy's arms, too.)

Nancy worked in pastel last night. She often enjoys painting the figure.
Look at how sweet this little boy is. Frank took this photo at the St. Patrick's Day parade in South Boston. How apropos! I think the flesh tone Nancy has created is wonderful. Can't wait to see it completed.

And speaking of Frank, his is the only photo that came out too blurry to post. I'm sorry about that, Frank. To make up for it, here's a quick video of Frank and Dana in the "Great Easel Race." You can see the painting Frank is working on in the video. It's from another photo he took at the St. Patrick's Day parade and is coming out great.

Our French easels can be a challenge to close quickly. This impromptu race just happened as Frank and Dana were both closing up after critique. Of course we want to get out quickly as I always run late with critique and a birthday cake for Cindy (and a beer for some) was waiting.

Ah, Thursday nights. I love them.

New to my blog and blog roll

2009-03-26T08:10:00.013-04:00

Along with working on a time-consuming website update I've also made some changes to my blog. You'll see new descriptions, photos, thumbnails, etc. I agree with Julie at Gallery9 that your web presence should not be static.

You'll also see a sign up form for my newsletter. I hope you add your email to my list.

Today I added new links to artists whose work I follow. One of these days I'll pull the trigger and purchase something from them. I love the small works artists do daily!

The new artists are Carol Marine (a favorite of mine right now.) I am enamored of her simple subjects, vibrant color, and painterly style.

Laurel Daniel is an artist I only recently discovered whilst following a link from another artist's blog. Her edges and brushstrokes are beautiful. Both she and Carol are from Texas. Maybe the warm weather sneaks into their paintings and that is what the appeal is for me.

Karin Jurick paints what I think are clean, crisp paintings and often with figures. She's getting lots of press and well-deserved.

Finally, Julian Merrow Smith is an artist living in Provence (a dream, right?) who creates wonderful landscapes and still lifes. I've been following his work for a while now and have even bid on some but haven't won yet.

Don't forget the others already on my blog roll:

You'll find artist Tracy Helgeson as well as my students Ann Gorbett, and Tony Donovan.
Kathy Weller is a talented illustrator and I am happy to say I have two (!) of her originals.
For photography see Kerry Hawkins with her unusual interesting perspective.
Nancy MacCallum creates beautiful jewelry.
(Both she and Kerry are members of Boston Handmade with me and twenty-something other fabulous local creative people.)
Julie Vecchio is owner of Gallery9 and Custom Art Framing and is new to pastels. I am captivated by her work.
And Tricia offers wonderful insight and inspiration. When she updates her blog, I click right over.

Hope you enjoy them all as I do. Look for newly added links on my blog roll soon.

Crystal on Martha update

2009-03-26T07:57:00.002-04:00

For those who couldn't catch Martha yesterday, here is the link.
Her appearance was great, and I think I'm going to try my hand at her craft. It's perfect for Easter.

Boston Handmade-er represented on Martha!

2009-03-24T10:23:00.007-04:00

I'm delighted that one of my fellow members of Boston Handmade will be featured in two segments of the Martha Stewart Show tomorrow. This is a fantastic achievement and opportunity for Crystal, a fabulous person and crafter-extraordinaire.

I'm excited to watch her tomorrow demonstrating her needle-felting technique to make a birds nest on spun cotton branches.
Here is a sample of one of her needle felted creations. Crystal's Etsy store's link is here and her work is also represented by Gallery9 in Norwood, MA.

Hope you can tune in!

Studio time every day

2009-03-24T08:31:00.004-04:00

Good morning! Lucy just walked over to me with an orange crayon giving me her best rendition of "orange" for a 20-month-old. Such fun.I've been trying to spend a little time each day in my studio and yesterday, despite the cold, I was successful. My painting is incomplete, so I'm not posting it here yet, but the good news is I'm enjoying my painting time.Here are some photos of my studio.My brushes in here always seem to me to be a sort of "brush bouquet." With all of these brushes, it's funny how I tend to reuse the same kind over and over.

I did get a new expensive brush yesterday at Frantic Framers---a Winsor Newton Monarch flat. Carol Marine uses these and I like how she paints so, via the transitive property, I should be able to paint like her now since I am using the same brush she does, right?Yah, right. In fact, I'm chicken to use it now because it's expensive. This thinking will pass.

I still have three unfinished pastels I should get to. We'll see where today's painting time brings me.

Quick follow up to this morning's post

2009-03-23T14:53:00.003-04:00

As I wrote this morning, today I went to Frantic Framers and met with Janet and Paul, the owners I just love. They continue to treat me like family even though it's been years since I've worked there. Their new shop is glorious and if you're in the Quincy, MA area, you should stop in.

Their new shop has wonderful art supplies and a stellar selection of ready made frames. The custom frame wall is lovely, too.

And yes, now they have some of my 5x7 oil paintings! Hurray!

More artwork in progress

2009-03-23T08:20:00.005-04:00

Today Lucy and I will make a trek to Frantic Framers in Quincy, MA. I worked at this custom framing/art supply shop while attending MassArt. Paul and Janet, the owners, are the greatest people.

Their shop has been in business since 1972--an amazing feat. They have expressed interest in showing my small paintings, and I'm thrilled! Besides that, I'm looking forward to seeing them both.
In my studio I continue to work on paintings and am enjoying the time to myself. Without a lot of description this morning, I figured I'd post these three paintings, all 6x6 inches. The first two are unfinished (but close) and the final one is completed. (All of the pieces are signed, though, because once dry, I can't simply scratch my name in there.)I am trying to get a body of work together. It's amazing how having a bunch of completed paintings makes one feel accomplished. It's evidence of diligence.And a note to those who have tried to comment on this blog with no luck: I have turned on Anonymous and Name only commenting. Please feel free to try commenting again.

Have a great day and I'll be posting again soon!

More artwork

2009-03-20T08:18:00.006-04:00

Yesterday I packed up Lucy and we headed to Utrecht Art Supplies in Providence, RI. The people who work there are great. If you have a hankering for artist materials, I recommend a trip. The people, prices, and products (how's that for alliteration?) are superb!I left with more of these cradled panels I've been working on. They were out of the 8x8 size which I like so much, but I bought some other assorted other sizes--primarily 6x6. I bought some brushes, too. Lucy loved holding those while she was in the shopping cart. She pretended to paint my hands and anything else around her.Later, when Lucy napped, I finished these two paintings which look better in person. I really need a new camera. The one I've had forever now only saves to its internal memory, which is a tiny sized file. The image clarity is terrible, as you can see in these photos.

While painting I noticed that my paints looked like the toothpaste tube after Tim squeezes it, so I called Ann to see if she could bring her fancy-pants paint tube wringer to my class. It's amazing what that contraption can do to get every last bit of paint out!

In our cute little yellow house, we have a dearth of wall space. My studio suffers the most from this because of the banks of casement windows. Yesterday I solved the problem with some well-placed nails.

Here is what I came up with for drying paintings and showcasing what I've been working on. Everything needs to stay away from Lucy's reach, too, and that is a lot of my motivation. This photo makes me smile because you can see all the toys below.On the other side of the room is my desk with my small desktop easel and my big studio easel which can just be seen in the left side of this photo. I've been working on small paintings so I've been at my desk. The room gets great light.I'm delighted for spring!

Finally, new work

2009-03-19T08:35:00.006-04:00

After a bit of time feeling creatively blocked, I'm glad that yesterday I put my nose to the grindstone and was productive (hurray!) Being uninspired isn't fun. It starts to be a hindrance toward getting new things even started. Usually I work in oils or pastels and I work in one medium exclusively until I get utterly frustrated. Yesterday I made the jump to oils and worked on 3/4" cradled Artist's Panel I had ordered from Utrecht, one of my favorite art supply stores.I was able to complete three pieces, and I like them (!) which is a big deal after being stuck. Ideas are percolating just under the surface of day-to-day life, and that feels good. We'll have to see what comes next!

The big re-do

2009-03-17T08:29:00.003-04:00

My website is my homepage and lately I do everything I can to skirt seeing it. Tells you something, huh? A free website is nice--but not if it doesn't do you justice.

I've been working on it quietly behind the scenes and doing this involves paper (something which feels oddly out of place in this computer-aided design world.) The site isn't changed yet, but it will be and is all part of my re-marketing which began with my organizing, reading, and thinking.

Spring cleaning seems to be arriving early this year and is taking my business with it. How exciting!