CC's pastels on Exhibit at SAG 5 "16

I decided to put some of my Pastel beach scenes on exhibit at

 Seacoast Artists Gallery this month.

PAP-SE Wet Paint Show Opening 11"13

And the PAP-SE paints Charleston Marathon continues:

All week long we've been watching the nationally, and internationally known artist members of PAP-SE painting in on the streets  and surrounding marshes of  Charleston.

 

   This evening we got to see three  of the paintings produced by each of the artists at  the

Wet Paint Show Opening - Nov. 8 

While I had enjoyed watching the  artist's work in progress,  it was even better to get to talk with them without fear of interrupting their  concentration,

 and to see their beautiful artwork finished and framed.

 Their work will continue to be on display  until Nov 16th 

  at three adjacent  Charleston galleries:

Coco Vivo - 25 Broad Street,

 Galerie on Broad - 29 Broad Street

and Edward Dare - 31 Broad Street

Art Party on Pawleys 10 '13

 

From left to right: Ann McLaurin, Annette, Karen

Spent an inspiring afternoon visiting with artist  friends Karen Margulis, Annette Going and Anne McLaurin  on the Pawleys Island Creek.
 

Anne, CC, Karen

 Sometimes hanging out on-site with other artists can be as motivating  (or more so)  than the scene we are looking at . All three  of these artists are incredibly giving generous when it comes to sharing their expertise.  

Karen discussing first strokes with Annette

 Karen  showed us her new travel equipment and volunteered to give us a painting demo

The cool thing about committed artists is that they can find inspiration even on a moody,   rainy day. Look at how much color, Karen is finding in the scene above.. I was impressed.

You can see more of Karen's beautiful work on her blog at   Painting My World

Master Pastel Artists at the 14th Annual AIS Exhhibition

Congratulations to Clive Tyler and Aaron Schuerr for winning awards in the 14th  Annual AIS Exhibition..  I have seen time and again how  outstanding pastel paintings are often overlooked  when hung in exhibition with oils.  I paint in both oil and pastel, so am always thrilled when I see pastel paintings getting their fair share of  recognition when being judged against masterful oils.

To see all the paintings in this wonderful show go to:
http://www.americanimpressionistsociety.org/show2013/

SAG Fall Show and Art Sale Preview 10'13

Bruce and I spent yesterday evening checking in entries to the upcoming Seacoast Artists Fall Art Show. I can't show any pics until the show is judged and open to the public (Opening Reception next Saturday 6-8 pm 3032 Nevers Street, Myrtle Beach, SC) , but I can tell you it is going to be spectacular. Lots and lots of great work entered last night, with more to be delivered today. Can't wait to see it all hanging.

WIP- Day 3 Middleground of "Ricefields on the Ashley" 7"13

Sorry about how dark this photo came out.  The foreground tree is really is very dark in value, butit also has a lot  more variation in the foliage colors than you can see in this picture.  Today I focused on correcting the values and shapes within the clouds and the  middle ground of the ricefields.  Tomorrow I will work on the foreground near the bottom of the picture,  making the sky-holes in the foreground tree a bit more realistic, and adding any finishing touches I think are needed.  
See the two  earlier posts  in in this process beginning with the first on July 16th

Easter week at CAG 3 "13

It was my turn to Gallery Sit at the Charleston Artists Guild Gallery.  So glad I had refreshed my wall with Spring flowers.  The gallery  was busy busy busy with tourists and locals who were  there to celebrate the start of Spring and Easter weekend.

Working Large Workshop: Saturday 3 '13

Saturday was the last day of the workshop.   We each continued to work on our painting(s), while Bill walked around coaching each of us individually.    I worked on my 30x40" painting until noon then set it aside  because I wanted it to be as dry as possible when I put it in the car.  After lunch I worked on the 18" x 24 " painting and  brought it to the same stage as the first,  Neither a complete.   Both will require fine tuning of shapes, and textures and highlights, but I am quite happy with both.

Several, like me, had miles and miles to go after the workshop ended.. About three o clock we ended the painting and gathered into a group around a set of easels for a critique. One at a time each set our paintings onto the easels.  Bill keeps his comments constructive and too the point, and he was very respectful of the opinions of the others in the group .

This was a very advanced group of painters, so often the comments from the other artists in the group were really helpful.  Often their insights were as informative as those of the instructor. When they finished critiquing my work, I not only felt good about it, I had a clear idea of where I wanted to make changes.   ( I will post some new photos of the two paintings when I complete them).

   More importantly, as the workshop's title promised, I feel I can now face the prospect of  "Working Large Without Fear"

Working Large Workshop: Friday 3 '13

When we walked into the studio on Friday morning, Bill had the large canvas he had stretched the day before, toned, and set up on his easel with the reference photo below it.

He immediately began  applying blue lines for the design and blocking in large blocks of color

All the while he answered questions about materials, techniques from the artists in the workshop.  I learned a lot from the demo... like how to thin the oil paint  with Liquin and stand oil, and how long to let a layer on a large painting dry before moving onto the next layer..  That my sound simple, but it can mean all the difference between having a bright vibrant painting or having mud.

Bill coaching Patty with her painting

 After the demo,  we were instructed to work on our own painting  for the remainder of the day In the meanwhile Bill went from person to person coaching them on how to solve the issues their painting presented.

30" x 40" painting when I stopped working on it on Friday pm.

In my case, Bill encouraged me to  let the paint set up a bit on  my first painting by starting a second painting. I agreed to let the first could dry overnight..  By the time the day ended I had a good beginning on a 18" x 24" painting from a different reference photo,

and had worked up a hearty appetite for the wonderful group dinner we had at the Purple Onion in Saluda  that evening.

Another V Day Painting 2 '13

I was browsing a yahoo article about heart shaped natural wonders, when a photo of some swans caught my eye. ... and reminded me of a small painting I had done of some local swans for V Day a few years ago. I started scouting through my archives and sure enough.... I pulled out a 5x7 swan painting . It was of a different species,  but the emotional intent is the same.

Photo above from:

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/amazing-heart-shaped-wonders-slideshow/love-hearts-in-nature-photo--702047975.html

Second is of my painting
  Have a Happy Valentines Day

Cotton's High

Large flatbed trucks with their trailers piled with rolled bales of cotton, fill the South Carolina's back roads. Waiting fields of  cotton in stand ready to harvest. The  bright white of the cotton  stands out sharply against the darker hues of the  harvested and dry crop fields around it. I've been trying to capture the scene in my latest oil painting..  Still needs some work, but I think it conveys the image I was carrying in my mind.

SAG 9th Annual Fall Show and Sale Oct '10

The  Seacoast Artist Guild  9th Annual Fall Show and Sale is underway and will run Oct 10 through Oct 20th at the Murrells Inlet  Square Mall. This year the Mall's management  has been generous enough to let the Guild  set the show up in an unoccupied retail space. This has given us an unprecedented amount of space to display our talent members works. Over 80 local artists participated in the show and sale.

We had long sweeping walls to display the artwork 

Hung this way both professional and novice painters work looked great

And there was well protected spaces for the fine-art crafts

Both Ceramics and Sculpture artists were well  represented in the show

As were fiber artists

And of course we had a large selection of photographic entries.

Congratulations to Show Director Sandi Blood and all of the hardworking members of the SAG Board of Directors for a job well done

Seacoast Artist Guild Fall Show Success is well earned 'Oct "10

Thanks to the Show Coordinator, Sandi Blood, and the SAG Board of Director who helped to make 

The Seacoast Artist Guild Fall show a Great Success

Most people never get to see the  hours and hard work that goes into  such an event.
Sandi started months ahead of time planning for the event and securing the facility.

Publicity Chair, June Groft and our webmaster, Mike Covington worked ours to get the advertising in place and word out on the internet

Eugenia Tibbet coordinated food donations, and organized the general members to serve it at the Awards Reception..

  Keeping track of the expenses and sales fell on on Treasurer Walter Cushman's shoulders

This show is the largest and most impressive collection of art and fine art craft the Guild has ever sponsored.   Over 80 artists signed up and participated.  Just organizing the entries and collecting and organizing the artwork was a labor of love. It took  all hands on board to set up the exhibits included paintings, photography, fiber arts,  jewelry, and  3 D crafts in this massive room..
Thanks again to our hard working Board of Directors, it all paid off .  The show was a great success.

You can learn more about this fine show and the Seacoast Artists Guild at

http://seacoastartistguild.com/

"Don't Fence Me In" SOLD

"Don't Fence Me In"

My  11" x 14"  pastel painting  " Don't Fence Me In" has a new home..I hope it continues to evoke a sense of how precious out coastal dunes  are in every one who sees it.

New Paintings at CAG Oct 1

Pastel Paintings from Dunes Series

Sunday, Sept 30th was change-out day at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery.  Here's my new paintings. They show off well against the neutral green wall.

CC Featured Artist Exhibit ends at CAG

My Featured Artist Exhibit at Charleston Artist Gallery ended August 31st.

 A friend snapped a few photos before I packed everything up.

 Here's a slightly closer  photo of one of the walls of paintings

It is a very large  multi-room gallery

and my work was displayed through-out  the entire gallery

Even in the windows

I couldn't have asked for better visibility.

Thank you Charleston Artist Gallery.

Lesson Learned: Watch for Fire Ants

Last Wednesday, while scouting for a plein air painting scene,  I inadvertently stepped on  a fire ant hole.  Before I had time to step back, both feet and ankles were covered with the ants in full attack mode.  I wound up with bites all over both feet and ankles; they even bit me between my toes and on the soles of my feet.

So far I have counted 73 individual bites, and more keep breaking out eac day .  I get one set of bites under control and another  breaks out .  Seven days later, I am still taking antihistamines to control the burn.  Guess I 
won't be  plain air painting in that location.  And next time I will certainly be paying  as much  close attention to where I am painting, and  as what I am painting.

Newest Addition to Beach Scene Series

"First Watch" 6"x12" Oil

Lifeguards have started re-appearing on the beaches of South Carolina.  . Sometimes I think they must wash in with the gulf stream.  Their high lookout stations sit empty all Winter and for most of  Fall and Spring; then one day, the waves turns warm and their they are, all brave and bright in the brilliant sun. I couldn't resist adding  a painting of one  to my beach scene series

First Paintings of New Series on Beach Scene

After a week of rousting through my references photos and making notes on all possible subject matter for a  series I am starting on Beach Scenes, I finally gave in and  picked up a paint brush.

Team red white and blue taking a break

My first attempt was  to paint a set of Red White an Blue beach-riders I had seen resting  against a  beach fence last week.  The subject excited me, but the execution was painful.  Even after drawing the bicycles a dozen times in my sketch book,  the painted rendering looked off- kilter to me.... I wiped down the canvas and repainting the scene twice before I  felt it was okay.  Even, so, I may still elect to edit portions before I put a coat of varnish on it.

"Hot Flash"

 As usual , the second painting went a lot more quickly, and with far less grief than the first.  I love the way the colors gave the sense of how warm it was on the beach that day...

Mark Kelvin Horton speaks at Charleston Artist Guild Meeting

Mark Horton

Landscape artist Mark Kelvin gave a presentation on ways of finding inspiration at the Charleston Artist Guild’s General Meeting last night ( 4/10/12).  He emphasized:

The importance of sketching regularly

Mark and some small pencil sketches

 

Regularly analyzing all your recent works together as a set to gain insight into what is working for you and what is not

 And he gave tips on plein air painting while traveling.

Mark is the co-owner of the Horton Hayes Gallery in downtown Charleston  . You can learn more about Mark and his work at

http://www.hortonhayes.com/Artist-Detail.cfm?ArtistsID=284