Ah-h-h....Spring!

Spring has sprung at our house... in the form of 25 baby chicks.  Just when I thought I'd be moving them outside, the night-time temps dropped, so they are still inside with us.  They are growing so fast that we had to exit the brooder and bring the 4'x8' chickie tractor into my studio so that they would have room to exercise.  My husband says that it reminds him of the Star Trek episode when they beamed a barnyard into one of the cargo bays!  Oh well, it was a good excuse to move my easel into the dining room where I'm working on portrait commissions.
Spring also means plein air paint-outs are coming up.  More on those in the next post.  Right now I need to tuck my fluffy little pooping peepers in for the night!

Peeping Tom

"Peeping Tom"       8"x8" acrylic

I see-e-e-e you!

New Plein Air Group

 "RR Gingko"

12" x 12" oil on canvas

plein air in Madison, GA 10/13/10

The Fall Line Gang... that's what we are calling ourselves.  Newly formed, this group is the brainchild of Matthew Songer and the name refers to the region where we all live.  The Fall Line is where the Piedmont Plateau falls off and the Atlantic Ocean used to be millenia ago.  This group is like a breath of fresh air to me!  It is stretching me beyond my comfort zone and into new territory.  In the near future I will introduce you to each member and hopefully we will add more plein air lovers as we go.  So far we have watercolor, oil, acrylic and pastels represented.  We critique each other's work and learn from each other as we paint.  We enjoy the camaraderie that is so special to a group of artists.  I will post when and where we are gathering and open an invitation for you to paint with us if you are in the area.

Tomorrow, Monday Oct 18th, we will meet at 9:00a.m. at the Old Depot in Barnesville, GA and will be painting in and around the station.  Contact me by email (sidebar) if you think you can make it.

Dinah & Charley

"Dinah & Charley"

8" x 8" x 1.5" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

This is a sweet little painting that I did as a gift for my artist friend, Linda Brightwell Tucker, who has been a great help to me.  She is a member of McIntosh Art Association in Darien, where my show is presently hanging. Linda has the member's Spotlight Show called 'Potpourri' in another room within the gallery that will hang through the end of this month.  We used to paint together weekly for almost two years before she moved to Darien, which is sadly four hours from my house now.  She has been extremely generous with her time and effort in helping move my artwork around in the Darien gallery and the Glynn Art Gallery on St. Simons Island.  Thank you, Linda!

Last Cast of the Day

"Last Cast of the Day"

20" x 28" acrylic on gessoed masonite

There was so much about this reference picture of Cheri Robbins' that appealed to me... the colors, the diagonal action, the unposed vigor of the man fishing and talking.  I cropped it down from a larger picture to zero in on these aspects and felt like I knew him by the time the painting was finished.  Thanks, Cheri, for sending in the reference and contributing to the show!

Beach Ride

"Beach Ride"

8" x 8" x 1.5" acrylic on gallery wrapped canvas

The photo reference of this boy was sent in from Cheri Robbins, an artist and a member of the McIntosh Art Association.  I'm sure it was taken at nearby Jekyll Island State Park because I recognized the shoreline and background near the pier from several other photos.  This painting, along with 40 others, are in a summer-long show and sale at Darien's Old Jail Art Center & Museum through September.

A VERY Insightful Book!

I know there are a lot of books and information out on the web these days that you can throw your money at and, let's face it, money is not an easy commodity these days! I gritted my teeth and skeptically ordered this one at the pre-published price, hoping to get some insight into the gallery side of the art world because, like many of you, I desperately need to spend more time creating.
Boy, am I glad that I did!
This is a no fluff, concise, give-it-to-me-right-between-the-eyes kind of book that comes from personal experience of two generations from both sides...artist and gallery owner.

Check it out at www.xanadugallery.com

"Starving" Artist to Gallery Artist

An Art Marketing Guide for Growing your Art Career and Becoming a Gallery Artist

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to show your work in galleries? Have you felt frustrated because you are unsure how to best approach galleries for representation? Do you know what you need to do to prepare your work, your portfolio, and yourself to make an effective approach? "Starving" to Successful | The Fine Artist's Guide to Getting into Galleries and Selling More Art will answer these questions and many more as you prepare to increase your presence in the gallery market. Written by J. Jason Horejs, owner of Xanadu Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ, "Starving" to Successful will give you pragmatic advice and concrete, actionable steps you can begin implementing immediately to become more successful in marketing your work to galleries. Gain insight into what a gallery owner is thinking as he or she reviews your portfolio. Understand why the most common approaches artists make to galleries are largely innefective. Learn what most artists fail to do in preparing their work for sale.

Teaching an old dog new tricks

I have tinkered with oil sticks in the past but had never tried pastels... until last week. Generations Gallery at Indian Springs offered a one day workshop with pastelist, Preston King, so I cleared my schedule and joined 10 other eager souls to try something new. It was refreshing to open up my mind and just be a 'sponge', soaking up every word and visual that Preston offered. We all completed 3 small studies and enjoyed the camaraderie and creative electricity that happens when artists work in a group. I post them here, but remember....I'm a newbie, even at my age!

Connecting

"Connecting"SOLD
16"x20" acrylic on canvas
Monroe County Arts Alliance Gallery

I cropped the reference photo for this (sent in from the community) to focus on the relationship between this charming little girl and her pony.

Deb Pero

This painting was NOT done by me....although I wish it was! This sweet little 5"x7" oil was done by Deb Pero and I encourage you to check out her '60 Days - 60 Paintings' project before they are all gone sometime in May. I admire her ability to choose just what is necessary to achieve such large atmosphere in such a small space. As a lesson for myself, I painted an 8"x10" oil of this scene last night. Just suffice to say that what looks so effortless coming from Deb, did not coming from me! It was a delicious slice of fun, though, and I will keep trying. Thanks, Deb, for the daily eye candy!

Most of my Friday was spent prepping paintings and delivering to two of the Macon galleries, Art on the Avenue and Macon Arts.