Sunday, January 29, 2012

February in "Art of Winter" at Thousand Islands Arts Center

I just dropped off two pictures for the "Art of Winter" show at the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton. The first piece is Frozen River, which was also exhibited there in the "Along the River's Edge" show last summer. It's a mixed media piece which includes watercolor, colored pencil and decorative paper and was featured in a post from last year about the SAC Regional Exhibit. The second piece is titled February and is pictured here.It is acrylic on canvas.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Watercolor Demo at Eve Galleria

Well it's time to get the watercolor brushes out again! I am scheduled to demonstrate watercolors at Eve Galleria's Winter Taste of the Arts event coming up February 24 and 25. The schedule for the two days is still up in the air, so I don't know exactly which day (maybe both!!!) that I will be demonstrating. But I do know that it will be watercolor and probably somewhat experimental. AND...it will be interactive. That's right, everyone can participate and bring home a small watercolor.

When the schedule is set, I will send out another announcement, which will include the time I am demo-ing and directions to Eve Galleria, which is in Collamer. I will also have some of my paintings (watercolor and acrylic) for sale as well as a few of the velvet embossed scarves (you can see them on my website http://www.windyhillstudioarts.com. )
Pictured here is a watercolor in nice warm colors to help cast away those dreary winter blues.

Hope to see you all at Eve Galleria's Winter Taste of the Arts!

PS the food at Eve Galleria is fabulous!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Wintering

I have been painting a lot of winter scenes lately...well it is January!Still putting some finishing touches on an acrylic painting and a watercolor painting, both done from the same reference, but completely different in character. I love the challenge of painting the colors of winter, especially the long blue and purple shadows stretching across the snow covered landscape and the delicate yellows, pinks and oranges found in the sunlight glinting off the snow.

Pictured here is a painting from a few years ago, based on a photo taken one day when we were out hiking around the lake. I love snow covered dock and boat "wintering" on the shore and the cozy camp nestled in the trees.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Seeing the situation from a different angle.... Grass Lake Still Life

While hiking along one of the Indian River Lakes Conservancy Trails, I came upon an absolutely beautiful, and totally unknown to me, view of Grass Lake. I think the scene took me by surprise. I usually photograph and/or paint the lake from the vantage point of my kayak or canoe, or from our dock. My husband and I have explored the various little bays and fingers of the lake, the islands, and the shallow weedy areas at the very end of the lake where the loons nest... at least as far back as we were able to kayak. But exploring the lake from the trails above, and at the end of November when so much of the vegetation has died gives one a whole new perspective on the lake. The stillness was extraordinary. The leaves were gone, the summer wildlife had fled to warmer climates or burrowed into warm winter nests. The scene before me seemed to be of a peaceful wilderness, getting ready for its winter nap.

I later created this watercolor based on the photos I had taken that day and the memory of the peaceful stillness.

Friday, January 6, 2012

The NIA Show.....Inspired by Movement

I wear a few different hats at the East Area Family YMCA. One of them is Art Gallery Coordinator. And so with that being said, here is the announcement for our next art show, which incidentally I am part of.


The NIA Show: Inspired by Movement opens tomorrow at the Y Arts Gallery at the East Area Family YMCA, 200 Towne Drive, Fayetteville, NY. This is a group show featuring the work of several artists/dancers who have interpreted their passion for NIA into drawings, paintings and collages. The gallery is open Monday - Friday 5:30 am - 10:00 pm, Saturday 5:30 am - 9:00 pm and Sundays 8:00 am - 7:00 pm. And for those of you who are wondering what NIA is...it's Neuromuscular Integrative Action. NIA is a type of fusion fitness program that involves 3 types of movement; dance, martial arts and healing arts.
Pictured here is "Guts 'n Grace", a mixed media collage.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Capturing the cold, crisp winter light from the cozy studio

I am working on an acrylic painting for the Painting the Winter Show at the Thousand Islands Arts Center. The subject is the view from our dock at camp looking down toward the spot where our bay opens up into the lake. Long blue shadows stretch across the frozen lake, creating a beautiful web-like effect over the ice.
Since the thought of actually standing out in the frigid North Country working plein air does not appeal to me, I am painting from the cozy warm studio. Which of course means I am working from a photograph. I have underpainted in complementary colors, so there is a bit of warm orange peaking out here and there through the cool blue, creating a type of dynamic tension. The moment I observe this, is when I believe I depart from the photograph and let the painting take over. Occasionally I will go back to the photo for reference, but it no longer needed as much as when I am figuring out perspective and proportion. It is now time to let the painting stand alone. I am not making a painting of the photo, I am interpreting the winter landscape.
The painting isn't done yet, but here is the photo I worked from. Should be interesting to compare the two when I have finished the painting.

And here's a painting from a couple of years ago...another interpretation of the Winter Landscape.




Tuesday, January 3, 2012

New Year, New Look for my Blog

Well, one more New Year's Resolution accomplished: a new look for my Blog. It really did need an updated design! Take a look and let me know what you think.You should be able to view the artwork and posts from a few different layouts by clicking on the tabs for "classic", "magazine", "mosaic" etc. Well at least I hope so. If not it's back to the drawing board for me. And for those of you who are already tired of winter and dreaming of summer...here it is "Set a Spell".

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Happy New Year!

It's the first day of the new year and I am up to my eyeballs in RESOLUTIONS....like clean the studio! Got some new work coming along and a resolution to put together an exhibit of paintings based on an area close to my heart, the Indian River Lakes. In 2007 we bought a camp up in that area and we just can't get enough of it. The natural beauty of the area just begs to be captured on canvas or even in photos for that matter. I have put together a decent body of work, mainly acrylics and watercolors. Now it's time to find the right venue.
Here's a preview of one of the pieces I plan to exhibit. It's a painting of my favorite type of wildlife on the lake. I usually see him skimming along the water or sitting on top of the beaver dam like he owns the lake. Perhaps he does....