Paintings, ValeArts, & Peter Max!

Springtime at the Capitol, 12"x24"

This past week was a bit crazy for a few different, but great, reasons.  First, I finished a painting, which I have to tell you is just a great feeling.  It can be a little tough sometimes to decide when you are finally done with a painting, as you can keep working and working over it, sometimes to the detriment of the painting itself.  There are times when I need someone else to tell me I'm done, while other times, I can say "done!" myself.  This painting is one of those where I could make the final decision (woo hoo!).  Springtime at the Capitol is a 12"x24" oil on canvas, and I loved using such a soft palette.

Photo Courtesy of ValeArts.com

After I finished the painting above, I began working on getting ready for the ValeArts show which is THIS WEEKEND!  The show starts on Friday morning, opening at 10 a.m.  Friday night there will be a reception with food and drinks beginning at 7 p.m. and running until 9 p.m.  It will be a GREAT time so please come on out!  If you can't come to the Friday evening reception, please be sure to come visit at some point throughout the weekend.  I will be working from 10-2 p.m. Friday and 2-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The best part is that admission is free and open to the public!  There is even a kids crafting table outside so there is sure to be fun for everyone!

This week was also busy for another great reason...Peter Max was in town!  Peter is one of the incredible artists represented at Wentworth Gallery, and if you aren't familiar, is known for his psychedelic shapes and bright color palette.  He also just so happened to have a show opening in Bethesda, Maryland on Saturday afternoon.  My husband, Patrick, and I were in attendance to meet this amazing artist and were even able to get a photo op with him!  On top of being a true talent, he is charming, charismatic and just an overall great guy.  He told us that the first time he saw his wife, he told his buddy he was going to marry her.  You can tell he's just as in love with her today as he ever was, as he pointed out that everything from his socks to his jacket was picked out by her.  Love it!

If you want to see Peter Max's work in person, you can check it out at the Wentworth Gallery in Tyson's Galleria or at Montgomery Mall in Bethesda throughout this month.

And on a personal note, this week was also a bit crazy because I helped to plan our high school reunion this past Saturday evening.  It was a lot of work but at the same time it was a ton of fun and just a really nice time.  Our principal even came (he is a really cool man), and it was just a reminder of how incredibly fun our class was as a whole.  

Okay so I think this counters last weeks "nothing new to report" post.  Ha!  Hope you are having a happy Monday and enjoying another gorgeous day!

Happy Fall!

I guess in any job there are weeks when you feel like you have a ton going on to talk about, and other weeks, you feel like everything is just the status quo and there's nothing really to report.  This first week of Fall is one of those status quo weeks for me.  Fall is generally a pretty busy time for an artist in the DC area (or at least what I've come to find), but this week is going to be a straight up painting week, as I am only two weeks away from the ValeArts show and I need to keep painting for it.  I'm really set on painting a few more DC scenes to build up my collection, so in the next couple weeks expect a few posts on that, as well as more notes to mark your calendars for the Vale show!  

I hope you all are enjoying this lovely, cool weather.  I have already bought my pumpkins for the season and put out my scarecrows on the front stoop, which then successfully scared me later that evening when I went to turn the outside lights on.  Ha!

Have a GREAT week filled with pumpkin spiced lattes and apple spice candles!!!

The Painting Process! Summer Afternoon in Georgetown

Last week I wrote about the Art Walk at the Mosaic District, where I set up shop outside and did a painting demonstration!  I was working on a painting at the time called Summer Afternoon in Georgetown, a 20" x 24" oil on canvas.  While I spent most of my time talking, I finished it up at home, and took some pictures of how I painted the reflection of the water.  Check it out!

Below, I begin by blocking in colors.  As I mentioned in The Kennedy Center post, the water reflection is always darker than the thing it is reflecting.

I changed rooms to paint, so you can see the colors are much warmer in the picture.  I didn't adjust the colors, I just painted in warmer light!  Here everything is now blocked in.  I left the spots closest to the shore line, as well as the rocks in the foreground, untouched for now.

Next, I smooth out the color blocking.  This needs to be done while wet. I blended the colors together by simply going over them with a dry brush vertically, and then horizontally, left to right.

In this picture, you can see the shoreline is filled in.  This water is more "rippled" and therefore reflects the blue sky.  I also added additional ripples in throughout the river, which you can see with the whitish blue lines that now streak across the water in the foreground and middle ground.  This helps to give movement to the river.

Voila!  The rocks are now filled in, and the painting is complete!  To see the final image in more detail, check out the gallery page here!

Hope you have a great week!

Art Walk at Mosaic District!

This past Friday was the perfect night for the first ever Art Walk at the Mosaic District in Merrifield, Virginia.  Artists took over retail spaces and displayed their work for shoppers and passerby.  I had a great time displaying at Langford Market, a women's boutique that offers cute and affordable clothing for ladies of all ages.  So I didn't get paint all over the clothes, I set up my easel outside and painted for those who walked by.  It was the most beautiful night outside; cool, no breeze, and enough lighting to work into the evening.  It was great to have people stop and ask questions about the painting process, and while I can't say I got a ton done during those few hours, it was well worth it to be able to chat with everyone!  Below are a few more shots of the night!

Prints and paintings set up inside

The pinks in these paintings matched the pink mannequins!

Talking to a couple about the painting process.

Hope you are enjoying this cooler weather...until next Monday, have a happy week!

Art Walk at The Mosaic District

Photo Courtesy of www.mosaicdistrict.com

Happy Labor Day!  Come on out this Friday, September 6th, from 6-9 p.m. to check out the very first Mosaic District Art Walk at the Mosaic District in Merrifield.  I will be displaying some of my DC scenes as well as prints at Langford Market, which is right on District Avenue.  To learn more, click here!

Hope you are enjoying your beautiful day off and loving the beautiful sunshine outside!