I'm Back & A New Painting

I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted!  It has been a whirlwind few weeks with some sad times and happy ones. We have been planning a trip to Europe since last year and the time had finally come.  We set off the beginning of June and spent a few days in London to research graduate schools for my daughter. London isn't complete with out a visit to a few favorite places including the National Gallery and the Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House,  and at least in our family, we can’t be in London without seeing a show in the West End.  Imelda Staunton was amazing in a revival of Gypsy, playing Rose.

Then it was off on the Eurostar to Paris. (Every time I’m on a train in Europe,  I can’t help but get annoyed that we don’t have a system like it in the US!)  We spent a few days in Paris at a hotel in the area where we used to live, going to our old haunts; restaurants, boulangeries, museums, etc., reminiscing about our time living there.

The next leg of the journey we split up.  My daughter stayed with dear friends in Paris, whom we hadn’t seen in five years.  She had a great time with one of her best friends she went to school with there.  My husband and I headed to Provence to celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary, 25!  We relaxed, ate, drank rosé, painted in our watercolor sketch books,  toured the gorgeous country side, drank rosé, had the amazing opportunity to see Cezanne’s studio and drank rosé. You get the picture while in Provence you must partake of the amazing wine that is made there.

On a sad note, my dad who has been suffering a long battle with COPD passed away the weekend before we left.  I was so happy I was able to go to Indiana and see him and spend time with him before he left this life for a better one where he is not suffering anymore.

Therefore the month has been bitter-sweet full of happy times and sad ones too.

I painted this painting “La Fille de Lavirotte” before we left and made the point to visit the beautiful art nouveau building while in Paris that it was inspired by.  I adore art nouveau architecture and this last trip once again, I did my own self guided tour to visit those in Paris that I love.

My painting is inspired by the female figure on the top left.

This address is 29 ave Rapp in the 7th arrondissement designed by architect Jules Lavirotte and built in 1901.  One of 9 buildings still in Paris today, it is beautifully adorned with glazed earthenware and has a somewhat of an erotic door.  I’ll let you figure it out from my photo. :-)  Just google images for 29 ave Rapp Paris and you will see a plethora of photos of this amazing building.

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California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Hurry Only 2 Days Left

I’m finally home after an extended trip to Los Angeles, Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia.  I have lots to blog about!  I thought I would mention a few exhibitions I attended and will talk about the ones that are closing first in case you live in the area and haven’t seen them yet, you should! While in LA, my husband and I had the pleasure of seeing  the Annual Gold Medal Exhibition of the California Art Club at the Fishers Museum of Art on the USC campus.  The show closes on April 19 so only 2 more days left!   Founded in 1909 by some of the classic California painters such as William Wendt, Franz Bischoff, and Hanson Puthuff, the California Art Club is one of the oldest and most prestigious art societies in the United States.

The Gold Medal show is juried from its roster of “Artist Members,” who have been juried to reach that particular status within the organization.  Needles to say, the Gold Medal show is the piece de résistance show of the year.

I felt every painting in the show deserved to be there.  Did I like every painting in the show?  Not, necessarily like anything I have my tastes and preferences, however from a quality and execution standpoint they are all good.

If you enter shows, which I do, it is always a good idea to see these juried shows in person.  You just cant get the full effect of the work from a show catalogue or an image on the monitor.  If I had just looked at the catalogue there are a few pieces I may have just glanced at, but in person they were worth an extended look.

The other takeawayI gleaned form the show is framing is important!!! There were some killer high quality frames here that very effectively enhanced the paintings.  If you are ever juried into this show, do not skimp on your framing or your painting may reside on the lower end of the totem pole compared to the others.

If you miss the show this year, there is always next year, and in the following years if you are inclined to be a part of this great organization,  something to aspire to.

The show catalogue can be purchased from the California Art Club web site.

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Greetings From Los Angeles

If you subscribe to my monthly newsletter you man know  I was headed out to LA last week.  (If you  would like to, you can by clicking here.)   I used to live here when I worked for Walt Disney Imagineering in California  and moved to Florida about fifteen years ago.  Wow, has time flown!  It's been great visiting places I used to go often and seeing old friends and meeting new friends, more on that in a future post!

Every trip I take, if I can help it, involves art!  I always check out what shows and exhibitions are at the museums in the area.  I am a museum junkie!  I also like to make time for sketching or painting.  This trip has been no exception.  I started off my week at the Gene Autry Museum or as it is referred to now as the Museum of the American West,  to see a current exhibition, Floral Journey: Native North American Beadwork.  I am a descendent from the Miami Nation and was pleasantly surprised to see a vest by Katrina Mitten also from the Miami Nation.  The Miamis are not as well-known as other Native American Nations so it was nice to see them represented.

The Museum of the American West at the Autry National Center

At the Pasadena Museum of California Art there is a wonderful exhibition on painter Armin Hansen.  I was not that familiar with his work prior to seeing the show and now I am big a fan! His color sense and brushwork are incredible.   More on this show in a future post.

The Fisher Museum of Art on the USC Campus

As luck would have it the California Art Club Gold Medal Show opened last Sunday at the Fishers Museum of Art on the USC campus.  What an amazing show.  If you are in the area I would highly recommend seeing it.

Painting in Crystal Cove, Laguna, California

Last weekend my husband and I hit the road to Laguna and plein air painted in Crystal Cove and then visited the Red Fern and De Ru's galleries that represent the classic and some contemporary California Plein Air Painters and Impressionists.

From the Hill Overlooking the Japanese Garden

Monday, I spent the afternoon plein air painting in the lovely Japanese Garden at the Huntington Gardens and Library.  I adore this place and used to go often when I lived here.

I'm winding up my trip and have a few more art happenings planned before I go home.  Stay tuned.  I will expand on a few things in more detailed posts in the next few weeks.

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More Good News!

Bourbon Street Encounter

$318.00

Price Includes Shipping

Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size: 17" x 29," (43 cm x 73 cm)

Shipped flat with backing board

Purchase

I am thrilled to be accepted into the 45th Annual International Exhibition of the Louisiana Watercolor Society. While I attended last years exhibition, I wondered around the French Quarter and was really inspired by the architecture and metal work, which was the inspiration for this painting.  I'm so happy that is going to the place where it was inspired, New Orleans!  Thank you to juror Chris Krupinski for including my work in this prestigious show.  If you are in the area the show will be at the New Orleans Academy of Fine At, 5256 Magazine Street, April 18 - May 8.   Then the exhibition will move to Place St. Charles May 9 - 23.

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Day 5 of the Three Paintings in Five Days Facebook Challenge

Paris Passy Gate

$2,500.00

Watercolor on Archival Handmade Paper, Framed

22" x 19," (56 cm x 48 cm)

Framed Size 30.35" x 27.5," price includes frame

Accepted into the 2015 Pennsylvania International Exhibition at The Carlisle Arts Learning Center

Inspired by the Passy area where I lived in Paris. For more information please visit my blog by clicking here.

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The final day of the 3 in 5 challenge, I cheated a bit and posted 4 paintings.  My art and design roots go back to environmental design and architecture. When working with Walt Disney Imagineering, we traveled if necessary to do research to make the environments we were designing as authentic as possible. When on our photo safaris I always tended to hone in on the details. Now I seem to be doing the same thing in my painting!

Mayan Gate

$1,500.00

Watercolor, Framed

14.5” x 21.5,” (37 cm x 54.5 cm)

Framed Size 21.5" x 28.5," price includes frame

Selected for the Louisiana Watercolor Society 44th International Juried Exhibition 2014

Selected for theFlorida Watercolor Society's On Line Exhibition, 2014

Selected for Pennsylvania Watercolor Society's 34th Annual Juried International Competition, 2013

Selected for the Annual Central Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition 2013 at the Terrace Gallery, City Hall, Orlando Florida

This painting was inspired by the wonderful Mayan Revival Architecture at the Maitland Art Center, Maitland Florida, designed by J. Andre Smith. 

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These four, paintings are part of my gate series.  Paris Passy Gate and  Gate of Reverence were inspired by gates in the area of Paris where I lived.  Mayan Gate is from the Mayan Revival Style, Maitland Art Center here in Florida, and  French Quarter Gate, inspired by a gate in New Orleans. 

French Quarter Gate

$35.00

Price Includes Shipping

Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size:  6” x 6,” (15 cm x 15 cm)

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Day 4 of the Facebook Three Paintings in Five Days Challenge

DAY 4 of the Three Paintings in Five Days Facebook Challenge…More Asian inspired works from my time traveling there. “Odd Man Out.” was recently judged by an artist I greatly admire, Thomas Schaller, for the Kansas Watercolor Society Exhibition. Thank you Thomas! It evolved from a plein air sketch I did on Peel Street in Hong Kong. I love this painting because it takes me right back to the memory of doing the sketch.  I did a blog post about it here.

Lotus Nocturne

$175.00

Price Includes Shipping

Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size:  Half size from original, 19.5" x 9.25," (23.5 cm x 49.5 cm)

Shipped flat with backing board.

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I adore the Lotus plant which I saw all over Thailand, Japan, and China. “Lotus Nocturne” is a self-reflective painting for me. From a previous post here, you can read about the symbology of this beautiful plant.

I had to paint the “Kyoto Tanuki" seen all over Japan because he is so darn cute and mischievous. You can read about the symbology of the Tanuki on from a previous post here.

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Day 3 of the Three Paintings in Five Days Facebook Challenge

Pak Tai Guardian

$3,500.00

Watercolor, Framed

30” x 22.,5” (76 cm x 57 cm)

Framed Size 42.5" x 35," price includes frame

Selected for the 41st Annual Florida Watercolor Society Exhibition 2012 at the Mennello Museum of American Art .

Selected for the 2nd Annual Women Painters of the Southeast Exhibition, 2013, at the Imagine Gallery of Fine Art, Franklin Tennessee.

This painting was inspired by an intriguing statue I saw on my many visits to the Pak Tai Temple in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.

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Pak Tai Guardian Lion

$3,500.00

Watercolor, Framed

30” x 22.5,” (76 cm x 57 cm)

Framed Size 42.75" x 34.75"

This is the second painting in a series of temple pieces inspired by a Chinese Lion statue I saw on my many visits to the Pak Tai Temple in Wan Chai on Hong Kong Island.

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DAY 3 of three paintings in five days Facebook challenge... When I lived in Hong Kong one of my favorite things to do was visit and sketch at the myriad of temples. The two dragon paintings evolved from sketches I did at the Pak Tai Temple in the Wan Chai district. One was my first try, and acceptance into a major exhibition, The Florida Watercolor Society. Thanks to juror,  Nicholas Simmons for choosing it!

Since we moved to Hong Kong during Chinese New Year, I wanted to commemorate that time with "Lion Dance". It’s my largest painting 36” sq. and I wanted to capture the excitement of the acrobatic dance with a colorful, “in your face,” statement!

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Bourbon Street Encounter

Bourbon Street Encounter

$318.00

Price Includes Shipping

Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size: 17" x 29," (43 cm x 73 cm)

Shipped flat with backing board

Purchase

I'm posting my first painting of the new year!  Continuing my gate series, this one was inspired by my meanderings throughout  the French Quarter in New Orleans last spring.  I've always been intrigued by gates and courtyards that are off limits to the passer by.  One can only wonder and imagine what goes on beyond the barrier.

Technically, I had some goals I wanted to achieve to capture the patina and age of the metal work, and am very happy with the outcome!

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Odd Man Out Accepted to The Kansas Watercolor Society National Exhibition

My painting Odd Man Out has been selected for the 2014 Kansas Watercolor Society's National Exhibition at The Wichita Center For The Arts.  I'm so honored to be in this show. Thank you to juror Thomas Schaller, whose work I greatly admire, for choosing this piece.

I have such a connection to this painting inspired by a plein air sketch I did on Peel Street in Hong Kong.  Some of my happiest moments were sketching, painting and exploring that city and for me it's even more poignant that this piece was chosen for this show with all the political unrest that's happening in Hong Kong right now.

For all my artists friends out there who enter competitive shows, DON'T GIVE UP! The selection process for any show can be very selective and can be greatly influenced by the taste of the judge.  This painting has been rejected from two regional shows, only to be accepted into this national show!  A painting isn't bad, or you are not a terrible artist because a work is declined for a show.  I look at it as a golden opportunity for it to be available somewhere else.  If this painting had been juried into a current regional show, I would not have been able to enter it for the Kansas show!

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Do You Do Voodoo

Do You Do Voodoo

$35.00

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Limited Edition Archival Giclée Print Signed and Numbered, Edition of 300

Original painting is SOLD.

Image Size:  6” x 6,” (15 cm x 15 cm)

Purchase

Last spring when I attended the reception for the 44th Annual International Louisiana WatercolorExhibition at the Garden District Gallery in New Orleans.  I spent the weekend doing a self guided tour of the city.  While wandering around the French Quarter I happened upon the tiny, quaint Voodoo Museum.  It was so much fun, such a learning experience and a stroke of good luck, avoiding a downpour!

Upon entering the museum I was greeted by the proprietor, Voodoo Priest,  with his baby pet boa constrictor around his neck leisurely petting it while checking guests in.  The museum is a small, few room space, with more of a home-made display vibe, but very interesting nonetheless.  I was enamored with all the accoutrementused for altar displays, and the offerings of money, Mardi Gras beads and a plethora of objects!

I was also fascinated to learn that the voodoo doll was originally used by doctors as their record keeping device for theirpatients.  They would mark the doll with pins to remember one’s ailments and record treatments that were given.  Not sure how it morphed into a curse device from there.

This paining, Do You Do Voodoowas inspired by my visit there.  It will be available during the October Exhibition, “The Edge of Night,”  at the 127 SoBo Gallery in Winter Garden, Florida.

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