Wyoming's Holiday One Stop Shop

Limited Palette Barn Study.  Watercolor.
5 x 7 inches.

Calling this a study is a little strong--technically, it's a blank note card on Strathmore Watercolor Card Paper (it's 140 lb cold press paper designed to fold), that results in a card that is 5 x 7 inches with an envelope....

Why would I paint this, do you ask?

Because I need some small things to sell...!

I'll be at our neighborhood Holiday One Stop Shop this Saturday (12/5) from 10 am to 3 pm in the Wyoming Civic Center (1 Worthington Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45215).  At events like these (and I don't do many) I like to bring a bunch of these greeting cards.  (I also sometimes put them up on Etsy.  If you're super interested, you can check some examples HERE.)

eta- to correct the street, doh!  We have a bunch of parallel streets that all start with a 'w.'  Almost a decade here, and I still can't keep them straight.

I sell them for a nominal price--usually, $5 each.  And here's the trick: to make it worth my while to sell them at that price, I need to be able to paint them very quickly.  That kind of fast painting, though, the kind that looks elegant and loose and planned, is frequently what I'm shooting for in my regular paintings.  The cards then, work out to be useful for getting better at painting, since to be able to do that, and do it well......well, I still have a lot of work ahead of me. Still, every once in a while, I get something I really like.

Some other things of note--I need to get a stamp for the back of my cards.  Some day.  It's on my list.

I also need to stop taking photos with my phone after dark.  This picture has a horrible yellow cast that I can't seem to completely shake.

Hope to see you out on Saturday!

Amy

Northminster Show and Photographing

Tomorrow (2/7) is the Northminster Fine Arts Fair. It's the tenth anniversary of the fair, and I believe it'll be the 4th time I've participated.  I've got all my work matted, and this morning I need to finish wrapping my unframed work in acetate and get things in frames. If you're in the Cincinnati Metro Area, stop by and say hello.  (It's hosted at the Northminster Presbyterian Church at 703Compton Rd. in Finneytown, OH)

Lake Huron At Dusk

Lake Huron At Dusk.  Watercolor.  9x10 Inches.

My critique group, also known as the Mixed Media Mavens, is hosting a themed show at the Pendelton Arts Center Final Friday Event.  Here's the scoop:

Abstract Landscapes

On December 6th, I'll be participating in Wyoming's Holiday One Stop Shop at the Wyoming Civic Center.  I'm starting to put together a bunch of small works and hand-painted cards, like the three inter related abstract landscapes. The grays are from the paint that was in the mixing well of my palette.  I started with Burnt Umber, Prussian Blue, and Quinacridone Violet--it looked too cold, so I ended up going back in with a little bit of Quinacridone Burnt Orange.  

My husband is a fan of the burnt orange--he's been studying iron oxides (aka rust!) his whole adult life, and the color lays down just like some of the minerals he studies.

They're all on Kilamanjaro 300 lb cold press watercolor paper from Cheap Joes and all about 5 inches square.  The One Stop Shop Runs From 10-3 on 12/6--hope to see you there.

Evendale Fine Arts Exhibit This Weekend

 A couple of paintings framed and ready to head to the Evandale Cultural Arts Center tomorrow for their Fine Arts Exhibit.  The show opens on Friday, May 2 and the opening reception is from 6-9 pm.  The Center is located at 10500 Reading Road (at the intersection of Reading & Glendale-Milford in Evendale, OH).

It took me three tries to cut the mat for the crocus, which must mean my brain is having trouble with May--typically, matting is kind of fun.  It's not fun when something comes out wrong.   That's also my dog looking anxious.  It was time to pick up her boys, and we were not leaving--she hovers to make sure she gets to come.

I'll be babysitting the show on Sunday afternoon from 2-4 pm--come on by and say hello or join me at the reception.

Mixed Media Month--an adventure for a watercolor artist

In March, I attended  a series of 4 workshops at the Centennial Barn on mixed media--they were taught by Barb Smucker, Roxanne Brett, and Marilyn Bishop.

Mixed media is a lot of fun and somewhat about process--there don't seem to be many hard and fast rules, although approach the end, design, composition, color, etc. still come into play.

The hard part for me is the glue--I'm always getting glue where it's not supposed to be!

In reverse order.....

The 2014 ARTZ Benefit

Last year, I donated a painting to Creative Solutions as part of a benefit for ARTZ, which you can read about here.  Maggie Barnes, the organizer has some inspired ideas for how to get artists to make art. This year, she provided a creativity kit, which contained a chocolate (bonus) and words. I was supposed to choose three words as prompts for a painting.

I let my 11yo son pick the prompts, and he chose strengthen, participate, and enrich.  I was trying to channel those words, but I'm not sure a lonely church is quite consistent.  I still like the painting, though-- it's moody and looks great in the frame.  (I'm feeling especially modest this evening.)

The painting is 5.5x8 inches, watercolor except for the church, which is overlaid with Caran D'ache crayon.  It is matted and framed to 12x16 inches.  The ARTZ benefit is March 1--that's coming fast.  If you've had a family member affected by Alzheimer's, think about joining us.

Take 10 Minutes for Slow Art Day, Saturday, April 27

Saturday, April 27, 2013 is Slow Art Day.  Slow art  is the practice of taking the time to savor and really look.  They have a great Facebook Page with lots to look at--slowly, of course.  Slow Art Day was the idea of Phil Terry in 2008 when he spent several hours looking at Fantasia by Hans Hoffman at the Jewish Museum.  Compare that to the 17 seconds Art News estimates the average museum goer spends looking at one piece of art. There are a number of locations participating around Cincinnati:

•  Lisa Jameson from NKU is hosting an Slow Art Day Event at The Cincinnati Art Museum, and there's an interview with her here.
• The Daap Galleries at the University of Cincinnati.  
• The Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park in Hamilton, OH.

The formal idea is to spend 5-10 minutes looking at several pieces of art (that's 5-10 minutes on each piece!) and then go to lunch to talk about what you see. If you can't attend one of the organized events, see if you can just look at something for 10 minutes and just see what you see.

Take some time look and think about art.

Show at Wyoming Wines

I have a show up at Wyoming Wines through the end of April 2013.  The shop runs wine tastings on F and S evenings, where they have a selection of wines to try.  It's an awful lot of fun.  If you get a chance, stop on by for a taste and a look.

When you visit, make sure to also see Bilog Coffee Tea & Gleato next door, where my friend and studio mate, Diana Marra also has her own show up.  I recommend staying for dinner.

 

A Donation for Creative Solutions

If you've met Maggie Barnes, you know that she's a whirlwind of positive energy and has a very generous spirt.  She is in the process of planning a fundraiser called Creative Solutions to help establish a chapter of ARTZ: Artists for Alzheimer's, which is part of the I'm Still Here Foundation.  Maggie's fundraiser is scheduled for Sunday, April 28th, at 5:00 pm at the Centennial Barn here in Cincinnati.  As part of the fundraiser, Maggie's also got a  call for artists out to donate, and part of that is very specific--she would like for artists to use a piece of song or poetry or whatever, and incorporate the wording into the art.

I told her I'd donate, and I based my piece around one of my favorite songs:  If I Were Made of Metal by Patty Larkin--you can listen to a sample of the MP3 here.  It's an old song, originally, released in 1985.  It starts, "If I were made of metal, if I were made of stone, my love it would move mountains, and I'd follow you home...."  The painting that goes with the lyrics is here, and you can see the lyrics through the blue.  I think I'll title it Metal, with apologies to Patty Larkin. 

Upcoming Essex Art Walk

Essex Studios March 2013 Art Walk is fast approaching!  The theme is Scaped, and will feature art from over 120 artists.  If you've never been down for one of the walks, it's a fun night out.  There's a wide variety of art and artists from abstract to realistic in all kinds of media.

The Art Circle (Studio 122) will be open both nights from 6:00-9:30 pm.  Fourteen of our 16 artists will be represented, and we'll be telling some of the stories behind our 'scapes.  (We'll also have some food and drink, and are always happy to chat.)  I'll be there on Saturday night--hope to see you.

Northminster Art Show

I'll be exhibiting at the Northminster Arts Fair on Febuary 2, 2013.  The show runs from 10 am to 4 pm at Northminster Presbyterian Church at 703 Compton Rd.  If you live in the Cincinnati area, it's a show that is worth checking out.  They are very supportive of their artists, and they have excellent food, music, and kids activities.  It's a burst of color and cheer in the middle of a drab February.

Hope to see you there! 

The fall Essex Art Walk is running Oct. 5th and 6th.  There's a huge range of artistic styles, and it's usually hopping.  Don't forget to stop by Studio 122 and visit the women of the Art Circle.  (And see my painting, Boy Line, of course!)