Back in the Studio

"Through the Trees"

Back in the Studio

I'm back in the studio after devoting most of the month of February to packing, painting rooms and clearing away excess stuff in preparation for selling my house. No new work was created in Windy Hill Studio except for a couple of Shamrockin' hand-painted silk scarves. So after a month without painting I was more than ready to get back into the studio.

"Through the Trees" (watercolor) is inspired by the view from the grounds of Singer Castle on Dark Island, in the Thousand Islands Region of the St. Lawrence River. The painting though is more about light and mood rather than a specific place. 

As one of many painters who are inspired by the River I am always looking for new ways to approach my work. So many artists are painting the same iconic scenes and each has their own style. I am happy to be included among the many River painters. But as an artist I feel the need to go beyond the imagery to paint a mood or feeling. 

Simple shapes, organic forms and limited color

In the painting "Through the Trees" I used an analogous color scheme -- colors that are next to each other on the color wheel--to keep the composition simple and unified. The wet-on-wet technique was used throughout the painting to create a soft, muted effect with the colors as they blended seamlessly one into another.

The lower third of the painting is an ambiguous shadowy area creating a kind of boundary between the viewer and The River.

The simple shapes, organic forms, and limited color  reminded me of some of the Arts and Crafts Movement prints--which I have always loved. The day before I painted this scene I had seen an art show featuring a few Arts and Crafts style pieces which must have influenced me.

I plan on painting an acrylic version of this piece, which I know will have an entirely different feel. I'll post that when it is finished.

Summer Paintings

"Grass Lake"

June and July in Review

As we are slightly past the midway point for Summer I thought I would take some time to look over a few of the paintings I had created in the past few weeks.

The unique thing about this group of paintings is that they were each begun as a demo piece either for a class that I was teaching, or a demonstration of painting in a public setting.

Back in early June I was visiting friends who were staying on Blind Bay along the St. Lawrence River. On the day I was visiting the weather was less than perfect, intermittent rain fell for a good part of the afternoon. Not too great for kayaking, but I could see a painting coming to life. The soft rain and heavy skies created this dreamy setting, tucked away from the River in a world of its own. I took a few reference photos and a few days later while I was working at Bay House Artisans in Alexandria Bay I began the painting. As customers came into the store they would stop, watch my progress and make comments (mostly favorable!). I finished the painting later in my studio at camp.

"Rainy Day, Blind Bay"

"Rising" was painted during Arts on Genesee, an outdoor Fine Art and Craft show. I blogged about painting that piece a few weeks ago.
http://joanapplebaumart.blogspot.com/2017/07/rising-watercolor-this-is-new-image.html

"Rising"

In July I taught three 2-day workshops at the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton. The first workshop, Foliage & Flowers left me with the beginnings of a really nice floral watercolor. I haven't finished it yet--it's next on my list. I also taught a class titled Creating Atmosphere in Your Watercolors. The small painting below "Sentry"came out of that class. We were working with heavy overcast skies and misty effects. I had really just meant to paint a sky but somehow a dreamy landform and a heron emerged from a puddle of Payne's Gray, Yellow Ocher and Cerulean Blue. The stark simplicity of the painting really appeals to me.

"Sentry"

"Grass Lake"

At the end of July I taught an Acrylic Painting class, concentrating on landscape. "Grass Lake" was under-painted on Monday, painted on Tuesday in class as a demonstration, finished that night in my studio at camp and sold on Wednesday. How's that for fast work???


Our first painting in the acrylic landscape class dealt with daytime light. Our second painting, done from our imaginations was a sunset painting. Skies and water come alive with color as the land becomes a silhouette.

"North Country Sunset"

So it seems that one of the perks of teaching and demonstrating is the opportunity to create a painting --maybe. Some of the pieces that I began as a demo for class turned out well. Others are opportunities for later. I have a couple of beach scenes and the afore mentioned floral painting to return to and perhaps a painting will emerge. Or perhaps these demos will become "studies" for a larger, more developed painting. And some demos just don't make it as paintings at all. All part of the learning process.

This coming week I will be detouring into "Painting on Silk", which is very much like watercolor. We'll see where the demos lead.

A Day in the Life of Windy Hill Studio

Posting a Painting Each Day.

Each day on my Facebook page I post a "Good Morning from Windy Hill Studio!" painting. Often people comment that I must be painting continually. I answer them truthfully; some paintings are new and some are old. Some of them I still have with me and some were sold long ago. But the jpeg of the image is something I will always have and I'm grateful for the technology that allows me to do this.

Posting a "Good Morning" painting is the way I start my day in Windy Hill Studio. It is the first item on the daily list, which sometimes includes painting, but also includes paperwork, marketing, lesson plans, photographing artwork and correspondence. So although the "Good Morning" painting might not be a new painting, the act of posting an image each day gets me into the right frame of mind for the daily tasks for Windy Hill Studio.

Daily Tasks

This morning's tasks included ordering frames in time for upcoming shows (and taking advantage of framing supply coupons before they expire), sending out jpegs for Cazenovia Counterpoint in July, and deciding on a couple of paintings for Associated Artists "Of Light and Shadow" show going up this weekend. In this list of tasks I should also include getting a start on this blog post which I will probably have to leave unfinished while I attend a meeting.  And now I've gotta go----------

Roundtable Discussion

And now I'm back after attending a Roundtable discussion at the Wise Women's Business Center. Today's topic: 5 Ways to Get Unstuck in the Face of Creative Burnout--always a timely topic for artists balancing the creative and business life. Sometimes after doing the business of art it is hard to jump back into the creative mode. At this time of year I am gearing up for the Spring/Summer/Fall tourist season along the St. Lawrence River/Thousand Islands as well as participating in a number of shows in Central New York. So creative energy is sometimes sapped by the business part of maintaining a successful studio. Taking advantage of things like the roundtable discussions definitely helps to put me back on track.

So What Am I Working on Now?

Currently in my studio I have four paintings in progress and one finished. Three of the in-progress paintings are pictured here along with Amy the Studio Assistant Cat. After last week's purple paint incident Amy has been surprisingly docile in the studio.

Two of the paintings (lighthouses) are earmarked for shops in the Thousand Islands area. Reproductions of the paintings will become prints and cards sold in the shops. Another painting needs to be finished by tomorrow to go in to a show this weekend. A few color adjustments need to be made and the wrap around canvas sides need to be painted. And the very soft watercolor was a demo piece for my Watercolor: the Basics class at the Eye Studio. It is quietly beckoning me to finish the piece.

There is one more in-progress painting, not pictured here, just lightly sketched on watercolor paper. Another by-product of teaching--always need to have a demo ready to go.

So it looks like I will be pleasantly busy for a while. Stay tuned. There should be some new paintings posted soon!

LAND--SKY--WATER opens Nov 4 at Tyler Art Gallery @ Oswego State Downtown

"Daybreak"  watercolor

LAND -----SKY-----WATER

I've been preparing for an exhibit at Tyler Art Gallery@Oswego State Downtown. Yesterday I had an opportunity to see the space which is located in an old bank in Downtown Oswego. It is conveniently located near bookstores, restaurants and an artists' co-op/store. So I'm happy to be surrounded by so much culture. And of course to be near the water.

Water plays a huge role in my work as it has been the focus of so many pieces. Especially in those pieces where sky and water merge almost seamlessly, so that you can't tell where the sky begins and the water ends. 

Other times water has served as a vehicle for reflection and distortion of landscape with colors and shapes bouncing recklessly across the picture plane.

The focus of this exhibit will be on landscape, specifically on relationships between land, sky and water. I am intrigued by the drama of light and moisture mingling in the air creating those silvery spaces where land, sky and water connect, resulting in portrayal of atmosphere rather than of a specific scene.

The unique characteristics and challenges of each medium (watercolor, acrylic and pastel) will influence the final look of each painting.

Locations: Bellingham WA, Dingle Ireland, Cape Henlopen Delaware, Hull Massachusettes, St. Lawrence River, Grass Lake-- just to mention a few

For the most part the locations in the paintings are non-specific, except for a few landmarks which you will spot right away. The show will open on Friday, November 4, 5:00 - 7:00 pm, with a reception open to the public.

I hope to see you there!

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I Get to Teach in the Coolest Places!!!! Thousand Islands Arts Center and Stone Quarry Hill Art Park

Same Class, Two Locations!

I will be teaching a Pan Pastels Class in 2 locations this summer: the Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton and a YMCA class on location at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in Cazenovia.

Both locations are fabulous. With the beautiful St.Lawrence River as a backdrop, the TI Arts Center presents opportunities to capture the effects of light on the water, and billowing clouds scooting across the sky. 

From atop the hill, Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in Cazenovia offers majestic vistas of the valley and dramatic skyscapes, not to mention sculptures and installations along the trails and on the hill.

Below is a description of the class
Pan Pastels have all the beauty and vibrant color of traditional pastels, but are a lot less messy! These soft, highly-pigmented colors are blended, layered and applied like paint. You will love the subtle way the colors blend as you capture light effects on the water and billowing clouds sweeping through the sky. There will be ample time to experiment with color blending techniques before you begin your painting. Pastels, paper or amper- sand board, applicators, and other pastel supplies will be provided.

Thousand Islands Arts Center July 20, 21—10am-1pm. Call the TI Arts Center at 315 686-4123 for registration information.$ 76.50 TIAC members; $85. non-members

YMCA at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park August 4, 5 and 6 11:30 am - 1:30 pm. Call the East Area Family YMCA at 315 637-2025 ext 216 for registration information.  $72. YMCA or SQHAP members; $144. non-members.

Summer is a great time to try something new, so maybe I will see you in class!

Bay House Artisans: a One of a Kind Delight in Alexandria Bay

Opening Day May 8....Come On In!

"Mmmm....it smells so good in here." That's usually the first thing anyone says as they enter Bay House Artisans. The smells of essential oils and herbs mixes with mellow music by Willie Nelson or Cowboy Junkies. Beautiful hand-made jewelry, pottery and sculpture line the shelves. The walls are filled with paintings and photographs depicting scenes from the St. Lawrence River and surrounding areas. Yes, Bay House Artisans, now in their fourth year of operation, is a one-of-a-kind delight in Alexandria Bay.

Regional Artists and Artisans

Bay House Artisans is a co-op made up of approximately 30 artists and artisans living and working either full time or part-time in the North Country. The shop is staffed by members of the co-op so while browsing through Bay House you will have an opportunity to chat with the artisan on duty that day. 

Special Events

Bay House has some special events planned for the summer including several "Art Walks" throughout the summer months. The Soldiers Art Show will be held on June 17 - 18 and

Pirate Week Activities for kids will be back again in August. 

Hours

Bay House Artisans is open Monday - Thursday 10:00 am - 6:00 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 10:00 am - 9:00 pm and Sundays 10:00 am - 6:00 pm. Hours will change as we get closer to summer; the store will be open each day till 9:00 pm.

Location

You can't miss it! We are right in the center of Alexandria Bay, the Heart of the Thousand Islands! Ok, I'll be more specific. It's the quaint old white house located at 21 James St. (the main street with all the shops)

Come on in and check us out!

Watercolor: Falling In Love a Little Each Time

Floating Dream, Watercolor

How do you know what to paint? And why do you paint it? 

These questions are asked of artists all the time.
Answers vary:
"I paint what I love"
"I paint what sells"
"I paint to show that there is beauty in the world"
"I paint to remind people that there is hate and injustice in the world"

Answers will vary from one artist to another depending on their intent and economic status. But I believe they have one thing in common.

They all fall in love a little each time they paint, or sculpt, or draw. They fall in love, but not necessarily with the image, although most often that is true.

They also fall in love with the medium. The way the paint tracks across the canvas in the process of blending and layering. The feel of the clay between their fingers, or the surprise of the random pooling of watercolor. Or just the way one color looks when placed next to another.

Each time I begin a watercolor I am not quite sure how it will all turn out. Although I have a plan, I like to give plenty of space to just let things happen. To let the water and paint mix, colors blend and bleed, and then surprise me.

And each time I let these random things happen, I fall in love a little bit again with watercolor.

Painting Boldt Castle

Boldt Castle has been painted countless times, by hundreds of artists. It's hard to find a new twist on this favorite Thousand Islands icon.  

The Castle consists of several buildings spread across Heart Island, in the St. Lawrence River. To include all of the buildings usually calls for a horizontal format, but I really wanted to include a lot more sky and water in my painting. My goal was to create a soft misty effect where the sky and water seem to merge, and the Castle would float above it. 

In the painting The Pump House sits at the edge of the place where the island meets the mist and the Castle rises out of the vegetation. The whole effect is of a floating dream world.

The background for this painting was done with a nice sloppy wet-on-wet approach. After the sky and water dried, the vegetation was roughed in. The architecture which was lightly sketched in before I painted the background, was painted when the paper had dried.  

Related Post: What made You Paint That Picture???
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