Finishing one and Starting another

My student joined me today for a private lesson. It is nice - fewer distractions and more time. Annie still has a bit more to do on her painting of the waterfall but I think mine is finished.

Waterfall in Oregon

It is not really too much different than my last post as I was happy to just add a few touches and to clean up the leaf-less trees.


When I give private lessons I try to work on whatever my student needs most like trees, mist, perspective or foregrounds. Most of the time the student supplies a photo of our subject which is great because it expands my world with sights I have not seen before.



Today we started on our next piece - a photo from Australia.

Big Rock

On the left is the photo and on the right my 'start'. Annie wanted to see how I started a painting while she took notes. She was somewhat dismayed that I didn't take time to draw the subject before I started to paint. It depends on the subject but I don't usually draw my subjects anymore when painting in acrylics. Annie is going to try it my way on this one. It will be fun to see how it goes.

What to display

I have spend part of today figuring out what art to display at the Artistic Visions Summer Art Market. It is a difficult job. I want to show  a variety of my work but I have to consider that a number of the people visiting the market will be tourists - tourists with limited space and possibly limited funds. That seems to indicate art that travels well like watercolors matted and bagged. On the other hand, people like to be able to take their purchase home and just hang it on the wall. I guess a combination is my best bet.

Now to subject matter!

Under the Skimmerhorn

Of course I want a number of local scenes. I have heard that tourists like to take home sights from their holidays and valley residents might like to have a familiar picture for their homes. That's two potential buyer types.

In Storage

Next I think should be nostalgia. Art that might evoke memories or dreams of a different time - some might say simpler but I like indoor plumbing. Nostalgia can include simple flowers like Columbine and Daisies or a scene that reminds one of camping trips in the mountains or at the lake. H'mm I have to think what I have that fits.

Which Way Up?

Finally, I think I will aim for fun. Bright, bold and colorful - paintings (and wall-hangings) that make people smile or just feel cheerful because of the colors. Thanks to the mixed media course I took with local artist Win Dinn, I have a number of pieces that fit this category.





Now that I have my guidelines figured out I can start my selection and hope there is room for everything I pick. Maybe, if lots of art sells I will be able to to display everything over the summer - wouldn't that be a miracle!

Getting ready for summer

Since early last winter I have been thinking and planning for this summer's Artistic Visions Summer Art Market. Attending marketing and grant workshops, starting Facebook pages, filling out grant applications and worrying have occupied a lot of my time. Now the time is almost here. The Summer Art Market will start on June 29 at the Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Centre.

Decorative Bowl by Dora O'Brien

Bark Carving by Harry Miller

Creston Lights by Jeff Banman

 At this time, 14 artists will be displaying their art at the Market. We will have pottery, photography, carving, some jewelry, rock paintings, quilt hangings and, of course, the more traditional paintings.

Some of the art will be prints or Giclee(?) prints but most will be originals.

Snowbound by Val van der Poel

There will be paintings just matted and bagged - to make for easier traveling - but most of the art will be ready to hang on your wall when you get home.

And, just so you know, there will be art to fit most pocket-books and tastes. Come and see us at the Visitor Centre and maybe take something home with you.

One project completed

It took longer than I thought  but my wall-hanging is finished.

Buttons & Ruffles

This was so much fun to do. My grandson helped  - mostly with the sewing. He placed and sewed all the buttons. The biggest challenges were getting a decent photo and figuring out how to hang it.  As I will be displaying this at the Artistic Visions Summer Art Market at the Chamber/Visitor Centre, I need something that will work with large hooks. Still working on a solution.

Figuring things out

As I am very close to being a Luddite, I find making this blog very difficult. If my husband, Bob, wasn't so computer adept I would have given up  - actually I probably wouldn't have started. I have managed to write a bio of sorts for an 'About Me' page and I have a start on my 'Gallery' page. In my art I have a couple of projects going:

This painted fabric is going to be a wall-hanging. Not sure exactly where I am going with it but I have a few ideas.

This painting, which I am calling "Waterfall in Oregon", is acrylic on paper. I am giving a few classes to a fellow Art Club member and it is always easier to demonstrate on my own painting. I try very hard not to put my brush on another person's painting. It is interesting to see the differences between artists doing the same picture. I hope I can remember to take a photo of Annie's painting when we are done.

Where to begin

This blog is about my art adventure - past, present and future. I hope to show what I have done and what I am doing in my art -  but not necessarily in order.

Empty Nest

This painting was done in 1997 when I started painting. It was not my first but the first I was really happy with. It is a watercolor using both brush and nib pen.