Where have I been?

I am shocked to realize I haven't posted here since June! Yikes. Where have I been? Right here, in our new location on Vashon Island, WA. I gave myself a major attitude adjustment about my mini studio. After that, good stuff happened: my work has been selling, I found my place in the local art community and there is hope for a larger space for me to frame art. Yay! 

I will serve as the new Treasurer for the local art non-profit, Vashon Island Visual Artists (VIVA) and have taken on Instagram and Facebook posts for the local artist collective gallery, Swiftwater Gallery. Both jobs are good fits for me. 

As I approach a milestone birthday, I look back on this blog at the lists of goals I have made in previous years. Hmmm...I'll think about that. Until then, advice from this older artist is: Attitude is everything.

I will make more of an effort to be present on this blog. I can no longer see who my subscribers are so I I hope you all have joined my subscriber list on my website. 

Here is a blurb from a recent VIVA newsletter. Happy Fall. 

Back to Auctions!

 I can't believe we have been in our new home (and mini-studio) nearly a year! I'm finally settled enough to return to offering small paintings on the Daily Paintworks Auction. In the past, this has been such a pleasure...a way to get small studies out into the world. Good memories. 

So, here we go again, today's small painting is "Sunstreams." I'm painting local scenes these days and this one is the light streaming down our driveway onto the country road beyond. Thanks for taking a look at the auction.

A link for you

I have been painting small pastels. Each is framed with a white-core mat, ready to frame in a standard 7x5 inch frame with glass.  Wall-hang or enjoy more intimately on a desk or table. Shipping within the USA is complimentary via USPS Priority Mail. Here is the link if you would like to receive an email notice as they become available. Soon, I will set aside pastels until early 2024.

Let's Talk It Over

Woodland Memory #1

Woodland Memory #2

Spring Pasture

Happy Spring to you!

Fearless?

“Hello Summer,” reminiscent of “Pack Up All My Cares and Woe” which went to a new home this month. 

A friend called this process “fearless” and I guess it is in a way but mostly it is freeing. A super fun way to rework older oil paintings with oil, cold wax and a silicone bowl scraper.

If you would like to see a video of the painting process of "Hello Summer" visit my Instagram page and click on the video. 

On another subject, with changes to Blogger, I no longer have access to my list of Art Journal subscribers. Please visit my website and join my email list so we can keep in touch. 

 

Pastels are usually framed with a mat and spacer so why did I tape the border? I like a white mat around my pastel work. Normally, I would cut a mat and use a spacer to allow pastel particles to fall behind the mat and not ON the mat. But my new studio isn't set up yet and my Fletcher mat cutter is in storage so how to get the look of a mat without cutting a mat? Tape the edges and put the pastel directly against the glass. See the video.

Notecards!

Throughout my many years of making art, I've frequently made notecards using my art images. This was usually for workshops I taught so students could have an inexpensive take-away example of my work. When my fancy Epson printer finally bit the dust - the one I used for prints and cards - I wasn't concerned about replacing it as it happened about the same time I retired from teaching big workshops. 

With our move back to Vashon Island, there are new opportunities. Swiftwater, the new local gallery, provides an opportunity to sell cards again. I created two cards of my Best of Show award winners and took them to the gallery last Sunday. Thanks to the nice woman who promptly purchased one of each!

"Edge of Winter" and "Heartbreak Morning" are two old favorites.

 I'm happy to see them back as notecards 

and amused about the little logo I created for the back of each card.

The Painting Give-Away

 

My Painting Give-Away took place today. Pastel paintings all boxed up, awaiting labels. Thanks to all who participated in this!