Category Archives: Shows

6×6 to 12×12 Show

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I have two paintings that have been accepted into the juried 6×6 to 12×12 show at Falls Church Arts.  The clever name means that all works need to be square and between the size of 6×6 inches to 12×12 inches.  That makes it interesting because these are not sizes that I, nor most of the showing artists I learned at the opening, normally paint in.  It means that we needed to paint specifically for this show.  Up until now, I have not painted with a show in mind.  When shows come up that I have an appropriate work for, I enter it.  So, this was a completely different perspective.

I knew the show was coming up and happened to be in a local art store and thought to buy some watercolor paper that was 6×6 and wood panels that were 6×6 and 12×12.  That was on a Saturday afternoon. I came home and looked up the entry date, only to find that it was midnight Sunday – the very next day!  Realizing that doing oils on the wood panels in time was out of the question, Sunday I set out to paint watercolors.  I originally planned to paint three, but I got two pretty good ones and was running out of time, so I stopped.  I got the entry in on time and both paintings were accepted.

The first is a painting of the town of Spoleto from a photo I took on my recent trip to Italy.
6x6-spoleto

The second is a view from the golf course in Wintergreen.  This was actually from a photo that I took in the early morning hours.  The trees were actually dark silhouettes.  I decided to recolor for autumn and it came out quite nice.
6x6-autumn

Both paintings will be on display at Art Space (410 S. Maple Ave.
Falls Church, VA 22046) till December 3rd.

Plein Air Festival

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Today was the opening of Scenes in the City, Falls Church Arts’ annual Plein Air Festival.  The painting period is from mid April till mid June.   To qualify the works must be painted on location and within the City of Falls Church.  No painting from photographs is allowed.

This was a particularly tough year because it has been so rainy all spring.  That coupled with the fact that we are only in Northern Virginia every other weekend made it a real challenge for me.  I managed to enter two works, both painted on the same Saturday two weeks ago.

This show takes me out of my comfort zone.  I am at my best painting landscape paintings, in oil, in my studio, from photos I’ve taken.  I am trying to do more plein air because the colors are never right in photographs and the scene is also flattened.  That said, plein air is hard and can be unforgiving.  You have to paint the whole painting in one sitting.  You’re dealing with the elements, and curious people, and other distractions.  To add to that, Falls Church is an urban area, so I’m painting cityscapes with buildings and people, which is very different from my mountains.  And if that’s not enough, I decided to do them in watercolor this year.  (See my last post for my thoughts about watercolor.)  Watercolor is more transportable and quicker than oil, but I’m still learning to use it.

The show was wonderful. I felt very humbled when I saw the quality of the other works this year.  I did not feel like my paintings held up in comparison. I did sell one of them, so I’m pleased that someone likes my art. Perhaps I judge myself too harshly.  It was fun to be part of the show, which opened at the Falls Church Farmer’s Market.  We had great traffic – I think about 175 people voted for the people’s choice award.  This is very good for creating awareness of our little Falls Church Arts community.

Scenes in the City Photo

My two entries are pictured below. Just prior to painting these I read a book called The Urban Sketcher, which will be the subject of a future post. I was doing my best to use what I learned from that book.EPSON MFP image

Afternoon Break (At the Mad Fox Brewing Company)

EPSON MFP image

Market Day (Sold)

Finally, in case anybody doubts that I really painted these outside, a very unforgiving photo of my backside appeared in the Falls Church News Press this week.   I was so engrossed in painting my market scene I didn’t even know I was being photographed. If I had, I would have tried to strike a more flattering pose.

Scanned Document

The show will be hung in the Kensington Senior Living Sales and Information Center at 1212 W Broad Street until July 11th. Then they will be moved to Art Space at 410 S Mable Avenue later this summer.  Finally it will be moved to the Falls Church City Hall.  All locations are in Falls Church City, Virginia.

Pollo Mexicano

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I had such fun with this one!  These paintings were done from a photo taken by Joan Wells, a long time friend and former owner of The Queen Victoria, an inn in Cape May, New Jersey. Bill and I visited Cape May and stayed at the QV most summers and other times for a span of about 20 years, and during that time we got to know Joan and her husband Dane quite well.  A few years back they sold the inn and now they are happily retired and traveling the world.  The rest of us are living vicariously through Joan’s posts on Facebook.

I used to only paint from my own photos.  I thought it was wrong to paint from a photo taken by someone else.  Recently I’ve broadened my perspective. I have friends who go to so many interesting places and are wonderful photographers. I’m now allowing myself to paint from some of those if they inspire me, but only if granted permission to do so.

A few months ago Joan and Dane were traveling in Mexico and Joan posted a beautiful photo of a rooster walking along the edge of a canyon with a backdrop of cliffs and rugged mountains.  I knew instantly I wanted to paint it and asked if she’d mind.  Thankfully she said she was fine with me doing that.

First I did a watercolor study.  I’m not crazy about the background in that painting.  I’m still honing my newfound watercolor skills.  I do like the chicken.  Doing the study allowed me to study the scene and become familiar with the details of the rooster.
Pollo Mexicano WC

Then I did the oil version.  This is a small painting – it is on a 12×9 Belgian linen panel.  I had the paint the background a couple of times to get the atmospheric depth.  The earlier version didn’t grasp the feeling of the canyon because I didn’t capture the distance of the mountains on the other side.  I now feel I’ve captured that feeling.  I also love the rooster.  The red sets off the painting.  His plumage is quite colorful as well.
Pollo Mexicano

Finally, here is Joan’s original photo. I hope I did it justice.
Joan Wells Chicken
Falls Church Arts has a show coming up in a few months called Whimsy. I’m not really sure what that means. I think I will enter this to see what happens.  After all, what’s more whimsical than a free ranging Mexican chicken?

Speaking of Falls Church arts, I’ve entered the painting below, Carmel Sea, in this years’ All-Member show.   The show opens Friday, April 1st.  Unfortunately I will miss the opening because we will be in the mountains.  I hope others can go.  The Falls Church Arts All-Member shows are always very nice.

17 Mile Drive

I Sold a Painting!

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I posted a couple of weeks ago that I’d entered two pieces in the Falls Church Arts Plein Aire Contest.  Neither of them won prizes, but I learned today that my painting of the Mad Fox Brewing Company (our local brew pub) sold on the morning the show opened and was the first painting in the show to be sold! That’s kind of like winning, isn’t it?

Mad Fox

It’s not my favorite painting, but part of that is because I’m partial to landscapes more than cityscapes. Still, art speaks to people in different ways.  I’m thrilled that this painting meant enough to someone for them to purchase it.    Apparently others inquired as well, which is very flattering.

I really enjoyed painting it.  It has a story because it got rained on the first day and I had to repaint most of it.  I was self-conscious at first but people were curious and very nice. I guess I’ll have to do it again and see if I can repeat my success.

This is a really big step for me. I’ve been validated.  Can I quit my day job yet?

Falls Church Arts 2015 Plein Aire Competition

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Every year Falls Church Arts has a plein aire painting competition in the Spring.  To be eligible, paintings must be done between April and June and they must be done outside on location, within the City of Falls Church.  Artists register to participate and then they must have their supports (canvas, paper, etc.) stamped by Falls Church Arts before painting.

Last year I registered, but I didn’t actually put anything in the show. The only plein aire painting I’d done prior to that time was in an “Art in the Parks” class I took with Jennifer Schoechle about ten years earlier.  I did one painting of my friend Susan’s house.  I was very self-conscious about painting outside among crowds, so I decided Susan’s front yard, which was protected by a hedge, provided the privacy I needed.  The painting did not meet my expectations, so I didn’t enter it.

This year I registered again.  The one big thing that’s changed since last year is that I’ve gotten over some of my self-consciousness. I don’t really care if people watch me paint now. That’s a big step. As a result, I’m starting to do a little more plein aire painting.

That said, there are many other challenges.  Falls Church is pretty urban.  I’m much better at painting nature thank I am man-made objects.  I have challenges with straight edges, corners, perspective, etc.  Nature is much more forgiving when it comes to those things.  Urban scenes also have people in them.  Learning to draw people takes a lot of practice.  I took a portrait painting class more than ten years ago, also from Jennifer Schoechle, but I haven’t drawn people since.

This year I have two paintings that I’m going to actually enter.  As it turns out, I don’t really like either one much.  They are very primitive (that’s my nice way of saying that the perspective is bad and the people are not very good).  I’m entering them anyway because I want to support my art community with my participation.

The first painting, is of the Mad Fox Brewing Company, a local watering hole on the first floor of a retail/residential building.  I wrote about this a few weeks ago, because in my first session I got rained on which took quite a toll on the painting.  I got a chance to do a second session where I first repaired the damage and then I finished the work.  This painting is 12 x 9 oil on canvas board.
Mad Fox

The second painting I did yesterday at the Tinner Hill Blues Festival.  This festival is held every year in Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church.  I started the painting early before there were too many people there.  I did try to capture this one guy who shows up and dances every year, along with a few other people sitting around watching the early acts.  I did this in oil pastel, which is not a medium I have much practice working in. It was a good choice on this occasion because it is not liquid, making it easier to transport and use in a crowded environment.  This piece is 10 x 8.
Tinner Hill 2015

These will both be on display with the show at the Falls Church City Hall and then at Artspace.  I’ve seen a few of the other pieces and they are lovely.  Next year I expect to be even better at this.  Now if we only had some mountains in Falls Church.

Falls Church Arts All-Members Show

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I have two pieces appearing in the Falls Church Arts 12th Annual All-Members Art Show. The show runs from April 10th through May 17th at the FCA gallery located in ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046.

Three Ridges in Autumn

Three Ridges in Autumn

Sunset at Zozo's

Sunset at Zozo’s

 

 

Green Show at Falls Church Arts

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Two of my submissions to the upcoming Green Show at Falls Church Arts have been accepted. The interpretation of “green” is left up to the artist.  I chose landscapes, although one of them is not very green.  I also consider my paintings to be eco-friendly because I use water mixable oils.

The first I painted last Spring.  It’s a view from the Devil’s Knob overlook in Wintergreen where everything was green and the red buds were blooming.

3 Ridges Spring sm

The second is a painting I did a few months ago from a photo I took on the Skyline Drive in the Fall of 2013.

Autumn on the Skyline Drive 2014 sm

The show is at Art Space in Falls Church located at 410 South Maple Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046.   It opens on February 12th and I plan to attend the opening night reception.  It runs through March 8th.