Selecting, Reworking, Obliterating

I'm selecting artwork for my Daily Paintworks Gallery Holiday Sale and also for an online Holiday Sale with Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists. If you would like to sell your work in the PSG upcoming sale, join PSG as a member before October 10. Membership info is in the link above. 

Five of these paintings will be in the PSG Holiday Sale; the rest will go on auction at super prices. 

Devotion II, oil, 10x8 inches

This one got a slight re-work and I'm happy with it now.

But some paintings just have to go. I painted over 5 paintings today with a mixture of all the oil paint on my palette. Love doing that!

Are you a VIP?

Great news this week. I received the Pastelagram Award for my painting "Boat House" from the Pastel Society of America 48th Annual Enduring Brilliance Show. This is a big deal show with beautiful art! Many thanks to PSA and to the Jury of Selection: Duane Wakeham, Anna Wainright and Claire Shroeven Verbiest. My special thanks to the Juror of Awards, Marjorie Shelley, Conservator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. 

Boat House, pastel, ©2019 Barbara Benedetti Newton

On the easel today are peonies. At the midway point, I needed a mahl stick. I used to have one but I haven't seen it for years. Jay donated a vintage shotgun cleaning rod. I taped part of an old cotton T-shirt around the end. It is wood, old and beautiful. Yay!

My Summer Super Sale is over. Whew. Lots of work. I need a marketing/packaging/shipping assistant. This is yesterday's trip to the post office. The final two paintings will be shipped tomorrow.  Thanks to all who welcomed my small pastels into their collections.

I'm already starting to think about my Holiday Sale. If you want to receive a heads up about which paintings will be in the sale, sign up for my BBNewtonART News at the bottom of my contact page. 

I have 19 people who have reached the VIP Collector status because 3 or more purchases through my DailyPaintworks online gallery. VIP Collectors will get special discount coupons for purchasing art. Of the 19, only 4 people are on my official BBNewtonART News mailing list. So please, if you deserve VIP discounts, sign up on the link above.

Radiance and the Summer Super Sale

Just off the easel: This one was painted on black primed canvas as an experiment. See the steps of progress below.

"Radiance," oil, 10x10 inches
©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Have you checked out my Summer Super Sale? As we approach 2021 when I will return to working in pastel, I realized I had to find new homes for twenty-three small pastel paintings that I have been enjoying in the Studio. They are on my Daily Paintworks Gallery starting at $12 each. Take a look and help me clear space in my Studio for new work. Thanks! And, thanks to all who have already purchased a small painting.

My next shipping day will be Tuesday, September 8th. 

Weekly check-in: Mock Apple Pie, Summer Super Sale

 I never do this but I just can't help myself from sharing this recipe with you. Are you growing zucchini? You need this.

SUMMER SUPER SALE

I'm posting many small pastel paintings for my annual Summer Super Sale. I was going to post a couple each week but people are beginning to ask about them so I will try to post them ALL within the next few days. If you see something you like here on my Studio floor, let me know and I'll set it aside for you. Or, go to the sale on my DPW Gallery and also on my Website.

Orange Vase and Mini Pastel

Happy Saturday Everyone. Posting each Saturday morning as a recap of the week is working well for me to keep in touch with all of you. Off the easel this week is the finished oil painting from last week's post.

"Orange Vase," oil, 10x10 inches
©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

During the week, I gathered up 23 small pastel paintings for my annual SUMMER SUPER SALE. These are paintings that need a new home, practically just for cost of shipping ($10) within the US. I posted the first one on DailyPaintworks several days ago with a starting bid of $12. Click here to learn more.

"October Sunrise," pastel, 5x7 inches - update: sold

The next pastel on the sale will be a mini (6x4) matted and ready for a 5x7 frame. It is unique in that it is a study done on a gesso'd surface for added texture. Click here to learn more.

"Color Study for Two Apples," pastel, 6x4 inches - update: sold

Glad about Glads!

 

"Glads," oil, 10x10 inches ©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

I'm glad I painted this subject and I'm glad it is done. What a lot of pink paint decisions in those flowers; warm against cool, bright against dull. It is getting a good response from online viewers and I'm glad about that. Here are the three paintings still on the easel.

On the easel, off the easel

 On the easel today:

Lace Cap #2 in progress. 

I'm working on another version of the Lace Cap hydrangea - slightly different view from my first painting (see below). This time much larger at 24 x 24 inches and hopefully much looser. Suddenly my #12 brush doesn't seem  big enough. I may have to move to a 3" chip brush or some spatulas.  And, speaking of brushes...LOVING my new Princeton Aspen brushes! Thank you to Howard at Princeton Art & Brush for helping me with my purchase.

Off the easel this week:

"Lace Cap," oil, 14x 11 inches
©2020 Barbara Bendedetti Newton

"Sweetpeas with Blue," oil, 10x10 inches
©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Yellow Begonia

"Yellow Begonia," oil, 10x10 ©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

What yellow is that? 

When in doubt, consult Richard Schmidt color charts! 

I've been using these for nearly 10 years. 

Violets

Violets #2, oil, 10x10 inches
©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Block-in of color

Darks

Lights

Last week I dug out my vintage Daniel Smith Venetian Red Gesso and prepped 10x10 hardboard panels.  I call it vintage because it is about 10 years old and I don't think it is available any longer. After prepping the 10x10 panels, I was left with a brush full of gesso and hated to waste it so I also prepped two sheets of black Fredrix canvas that I see every time I open my flat file. I can't remember why I bought black. Now I can put them back in the flat file and wonder why I gesso'd them red (it was because they were black).

Sweetpeas with Lime

Sweetpeas with Lime, oil, 14x11 inches
©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

Just off the easel this Saturday morning.

Blueberry time

Our blueberries are beginning to ripen which I find amazing since we have had so little sun. They remind me of the first colored pencil artworks I entered into competition - the 1992 Western Washington State Fair. I think I entered three pieces and one of the three was a small drawing of blueberries. In that show I received a Third Place and an Honorable Mention. The blueberries sold.

So... self-isolating and self-entertaining as I have been doing since March due to COVID-19, I thought it would interesting to compare my previous art with how I interpret blueberries now. I've just done a search of both computers and can't find an image so instead of the comparison, I'll just show you today's finished piece and a few of the progress shots. Happy Summer and happy painting to you.

Blueberries, oil, 8x8 inches ©2020 Barbara Benedetti Newton

On the easel...the Hoh river

On the easel this morning, another virtual plein air with the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists. This time, the Hoh river. I pan, zoom in and crop the Google photos to make them my own unique view. I also change the light, value and color of the reference image.

This is the underpainting in thin oil paying attention to hue and temperature.

Underpainting detail shot.

Ahhh...nothing like a new blade in the scraper to really clean the palette.