2019 Still Life #14

6x4” original watercolor     $250.

Redware on a shelf...

It has been a while since I had the time to work on a small blog painting.  I have both my commissions finished and picked up, they are both gifts so I cannot post them till later!  I can now get back to my mini paintings and my larger ones.  I am looking ahead to Open House.  Save the date:  November 15-17.  Plan on a fun weekend in Lititz, there are lots of hotel and B&B options, several good restaurants and lots of great shopping plus my Open House.  

Monday check in

My weekend was spent working on Commission #2 and I have it almost completed.  My client came to see it today and was thrilled.  Meanwhile Linda is getting ready for Porchwalk and starting prep for Open House.  Today's purchases include mums, corn shocks and pumpkins.

















Class again on Tuesday.  My students are all doing well.  Check the student blog to see their work.

commissions

Commission #1 is finished, owner approved it and I am waiting to frame it.  Commission #2 is drawn and the drawing approved and I started laying in washes.  Both are gifts so I cannot share them for a while.  I just wanted you to know I am working! 

Preparations are starting for Porchwalk... my studio is stop #1 and I have some fantastic craftsman joining me.  I have plenty of flyers and can tell you how to get to the next stop.
See you next week!

If this print is on your wish list, now is the time, don't wait, it is almost sold out! ONLY 12 LEFT!!!
Garden Club








Framed 22x11"  $85.
Unframed $45.
You can order on line   Email or call 717.627.3383

Weekend...

We started the weekend early with a trip to Brandywine River Museum  on Thursday.  I spent several hours studying N C Wyeth paintings.  I found it so inspiring.  Friday we spent most of the day at the Hershey RV Show.  I’m not sure what we expected but it was very overwhelming.  Rows and rows of RV’s, most out of our meager price range!  It was packed with people and lots of sales going on.  We were there all day.  We may be more confused than when we started!  Next up was 3 days in New York State.  It was our road trip weekend with our friends the Hildebrands. The trip started with walking several hours around  Storm King Art Center.  This is our favorite, a wall by Andy Goldsworthy.

We then headed 3 hours north to North Creek, NY and in the morning had great fun at Revolution Rail, riding a quad bike on the rail tracks, if only the leaves had changed. 

Left here and drove back down 3 hours to Hyde Park, dropped our luggage and headed out to the Walkway Across the Hudson for great views of the Hudson River.

Monday we went to Roosevelt's Home and Museum and Library.  We were there from 9 to 3!  And could have stayed even longer but we had a 4 hour drive home.  This is a wonderful museum that I highly recommend.
Tuesday is back to work feeling inspired and ready to paint.  I had a morning and evening class and almost finished a commission.

2019 Still Life #13

4x6” original watercolor.  $275

I used this as a study painting for a larger pepper painting.

We had a long but nice weekend in Pittsburgh.  Drive and set up on Thursday.
Showing Friday and Saturday.  Sunday we showed till 5pm and then a sprinkle at pack up!  Drive home Monday and unpack, laundry, and general catch up!  I still need to open the tent and sides to dry out, they are just damp but enough to get moldy it I let them go.

Last year we were headed to Ireland... I would rather be heading there now!!  Instead we are heading into our super busy season... Linda is getting ideas together for open house and that means pressure passed on to me!  New paintings, glass cutting, keeping my stuff picked up, teaching classes.

Another one finished...

I worked on this over the weekend as my demonstration
painting and needed yesterday to finish it.  Linda is saving
it for Open House.  Untitled...  framed 18x14"

Thank you to Amy for the still life, all Linda has to do is ask
for a still life with vegetables and they come my way!
I started a commission today and I cannot show it until later.

This weekend...
Heart of Lancaster Art & Craft Show
Aug. 31-Sept. 1 from 10am-4pm
Held at Roots Market ~ 705 Graystone Rd
Manheim, PA    rain or shine ~ FREE
Booth #136

finished...

I have been using my free time this week to finish my larger original.  This was way out of my comfort zone!  I stood there...in the quiet, with a woodsy pine smell in the air, feeling small among the tall trees and wanted to get that feeling across.  This was from the Hoyt Arboretum in Portland, Oregon.

I did the drawing by hand.  I did not use anything (misket) to save the white areas, the white is the paper showing through.  I simply took my time and painted around things.   It is a green mess until you can separate it out in your mind like a puzzle.

It will be framed 20x24.   I need a title but it is too soon to price it.  I want to live with it a bit so I can let it go later.  I plan to have it available at Open House in November.   

Tomorrow I set up at YorkFest, tt has been 16 years since I last exhibited here and since we were trying to stay closer to home while Linda was healing I thought I would give it a try.  Tell all your friends near York, PA to come see me.

Yorkfest
August 24-25
Sat. 10-5 and Sun. 10-4
Downtown York, PA
I am at the Colonial Courthouse  B2
rain or shine ~ FREE

Watercolor Classes

Watercolor Classes starting in September!
Send an email to sign up or with questions.

I am again offering a beginner class on Thursday mornings.
You should be able to draw/sketch.  This is a structured class
where everyone paints the same thing.  I demo, and talk you
through each step to understand shape, texture and light.

9/5, 9/12, 9/19, 9/26
Thursday morning 9:30-11:30 Limited to 8 students   $75 for 4 weeks.

week 1: talk about supplies, paint a fruit
week 2: paint a still life
week 3: paint a landscape
week 4: paint a water scene
At the end of this class you are ready to join any other
class and start a painting on your own!
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Advance Class -  9/3, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24
Tuesday mornings 9:30-11:30am
You are basically working on your own and I help when
you are stuck.  Many use this simply for some painting
time.

All levels -  9/3, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24  Tuesday evening 7-9pm 

9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25Wednesday morning 9:30-11:30amWednesday evening  7-9pm
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A limit of 8 students per class, bring your own supplies.

$65 per 4 weeks OR $60 if you take both September
and October  NO Prorated class - take all 4   OR
$20 "drop in" fee per class.

Everyone works on their own subject at their own pace
with my guidance! 
Classes are laid-back, offering demonstrations, gentle
critique, chit-chat, coffee/tea and some music.

FYI: I have cats...
if you are alergic it will not be a good idea to attend!

packing back up...

Mount Gretna Art Show update:  this show made too many changes in one year. They closed several areas and moved artists.  They closed down Rt 117 and put artists along the road making getting around impossible.  They canceled the shuttles, making everyone park up in the field. Anyone older now has to walk pretty far to the show and then walk around the show.  Too much in the heat.  Saturday traffic was backed up 2 hours to park, many people turned around and went home.  The show boasted record attendees...  ??  They did not allow artist to drive anywhere in the show to restock, drop off an ice chest and just all the junk you need to drag in and out daily.  We had to dolly it all in.  It was hot, and a brief shower on Saturday created red mud everywhere.  Sunday was hot with a show closing rain at 4pm.  Again, with the new layout pack up was almost impossible so we decided to close up and come back on Monday morning.  They had some pretty bad storms roll through so on Mondays arrival the tent and rug are drenched so it’s pack up wet.  If you ever tent camped in the rain it’s like that!  At home everything has to be unpacked, hosed off and dried.

I am talking hours of extra work. My 2 day show turns into 4 days of work.  Many artist had very low sales however I did ok so I’m feeling grateful, as long as I do not add the hours and figure out I

am probably earning below minimum wage!!  I am not getting a blog painted today but will try to work on the larger forest painting I have been working on later tonight.   Thank you to all my clients that supported me this weekend.  No worries, I’ll be ready for Yorkfest by the weekend!