Updates From Windy Hill Studio…Thousand Islands, Snowy Splendor, Ireland

This has been one of the busiest seasons for me. By "season" I mean the Spring, Summer, Fall time of year when I show and sell my work in the seasonal galleries throughout the Thousand Islands and the North Country. I also was accepted into 3 juried shows here in Central New York and was featured artist at Arts on The Square in Watertown, so that kept me busy too. And I was teaching in a variety of places near home and near camp, so life got hectic and things like blogging went by the wayside. It's actually been more than a month since my last post! I am still painting though and that's what counts.

Although Fall is here my "season" is not completely over. I will be exhibiting a group of paintings at the Lyric Coffee House during the month of October. The Lyric is located at 246 James St. in Clayton and open from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm.

And we are still going strong at Bay House Artisans in Alexandria Bay, where I am one of the members of the co-op. People say we are the most unique shop in that town and I agree. You can find us right smack in the middle of A-Bay….white house, white picket fence…lots of signs that say "OPEN" (we had a contest where people voted on their favorite sign).

Here in Syracuse the "Snowy Splendor: Winter Scenes from Onondaga County" show will be opening soon at the Onondaga Historical Association. I don't have the date yet for the opening, but will post it when I know. I have two paintings in that show: a watercolor and an acrylic.

And, last but not least Ireland: I have booked a date for my Ireland show (haven't really come up with a title for that one yet). The show is scheduled for March 2015 at Sparkytown, opening reception March 8. More details on that as we get closer to the date.

That's all for now from Windy Hill Studio.

Reflections

Sunken Rock Lighthouse in Alexandria Bay is my favorite of all the Thousand Island Lighthouses. There is something about the green top of the squat little lighthouse and the stark simplicity of the small building which appeals to me. I guess it's a combination of an Edward Hopper style of loneliness and the clear simple lines of an Edward Weston photograph. The white lighthouse and its' accompanying building reflect light and color all day long as the sun shifts in the sky, and the water changes as the sky does.  I love capturing the color of the sky and water at this time of day as the sun sets and the land becomes nearly a silhouette. The last golden rays of the day are reflected in the two buildings and bounce across the ripples in the water. Purple shadows creep across the surface of the lighthouse and join the golden flecks riding on the watery ripples.

This painting was done in as a demo piece when I was teaching an Acrylic Painting class at The Thousand Islands Arts Center. I had started the painting at camp and would bring it into class each day to use for instruction. The week was rainy and cold and the headlines were dismal; a large fire in TI Park, two young Amish girls were abducted, Robin Williams died, so many parts of the world in a turmoil. It was good to lose myself in the painting, at least for a few days. And good to have the squat little lighthouse as a kind of beacon of hope.

Art Show in Watertown

Time Stands Still : Images Inspired by the North Country opens on Saturday at Arts on the Square in Watertown. The exhibit is sponsored by the North Country Arts Council. I will be sharing the spotlight with ceramic artist Tonya Murdie. The reception is from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. Refreshments and live music by classical guitarist Gary Walts are all on the agenda.
Stop by if you are in the area.
Arts on the Square is located at 52 Public Square in Watertown.

Artist Statement

The paintings in this exhibit all deal with nature. The places we return to year after year where time seems to have stood still: the lakes, the rivers, the mountains and the woods. The much needed refuges from modern life. Here we are provided with a sense of peace and tranquility. The daily pressures disappear and we stop moving long enough to feel the heartbeat of nature and the cycle of the seasons. We find that indeed time has not stood still, but finally we have.

In 2007, my husband and I bought a camp on Grass Lake in the Indian River Lakes Region. Time spent at camp and in the nearby Thousand Islands has provided an endless source of inspiration for my artwork. It has also provided a sense of ownership and responsibility for the resources in the region. And I realize what a privilege it is to be part of this beautiful countryside. We are so lucky to have this privilege. But with this privilege comes a responsibility to insure that it will be there for future generations. Does the land belong to us or do we belong to the land? Does the lake belong to us, or do we belong to the lake? When we first bought our camp, I felt that the lake belonged to us. Right now I feel that we belong to the lake. 

And each morning that I wake up at the lake the privilege is renewed.

It is my hope that in each of these paintings I have captured a moment when time has stood still, at least long enough for us to appreciate the natural beauty of our area and to work to insure that it remains as beautiful for future generations.

Early Riser, the latest in my Heron Series

I have always been fascinated by herons. Especially by their huge sweeping wings and the curve of their long necks as they fly straight above the water, coming to rest only to strike an equally majestic pose amid the fallen trees and branches along the shore. We are fortunate to have several herons on our lake and I although I always enjoy watching them in flight, I think my favorite heron sighting was at the end of the lake down by the beaver dams. A heron had stopped to rest and had chosen the largest beaver dam to perch on. From there he looked down the length of the lake a if he were King of Grass Lake...maybe he is.

I have painted a few heron pictures over the years; the first two in colored pencil, the third in silk fabric dye and the last two in watercolor. Early Riser began as a watercolor demonstration for Healthy Kids Day at the Y. I was part of the "entertainment" in the Arts Studio. I had started with a light sketch of the heron and the fallen tree. Then I got my paper (300 wt. cold press) sloppy wet and just let my colors run and flow. I was working with the idea of early morning colors, the reds, yellows and pinks that you find in the sky and bouncing off the water as the sun is rising.

I left much of the background vegetation as soft shapes without detail to lend a misty morning quality to the picture. And also of course to keep the emphasis on my focal point: the heron. The heron is just beginning to take flight, beginning another day on the lake. The details on the heron, fallen tree and background trees were all added later in my studio when the paper had dried. I rewet the paper occasionally to keep edges soft in some areas.

This picture has been described as having a magical quality, probably due to the luminous colors. To me, herons are a bit magical anyway. On the day we first saw the camp it was a cold, gray dreary early April day, around 5:00 pm, just beginning to lose what little light we had on that rainy day. As I stood on the dock looking at the lake with chunks of ice still bobbing in the water, I wondered "should we buy this place?" A heron flew past me, in slow motion. I was sold.

Spontaneous Image with Influences from Boom Babies, Old Advertising and SUNY Fredonia!!!

I am currently teaching a Mono Prints class at the Y Arts Studio, so I have been thinking more about how I use the mono print process and where it takes me in my creative work.

For me Mono Prints are a jumping off point toward creating an image. Although I have had a few mono prints which stand alone, as un-altered  images, for the most part I see the mono print as a beginning. I love the spontaneous look of the mono print, but I also love the contrast that comes with pairing that spontaneous image with words and forms defined by precise lines and modeled shapes.

Maybe the Blue was created in response to a themed juried show, but I can not remember what the theme was. I do remember that I was juried into the show, for this image which is based on a trip to Boom Babies to help my daughter choose a dress for her first formal. For my first layer I used a mixture of blue and purple acrylic paint printed on dark blue paper. After it dried, I added the green and yellow acrylic paint and bits of a powdered metallic gold paint. I printed that over the first blue/purple image. When I was sure everything was dry I went into my mono print with colored pencil to create the more precise lettering. The large bubble-like letters used in the word "blue" were inspired by a student graphic design project which I saw at SUNY Fredonia when I was touring the Art Department.  I worked the word "blue" in a diagonal pattern across the paper. The word is meant to be read, but I was really more interested in creating shapes from the letters.

The word "maybe" is an enticement to look closer into the image. An ambiguous word to grab our attention...maybe what???.  I love the lettering used here which reminds me of the fonts used in old-style sophisticated advertisements. The entire phrase "maybe the blue" is very small toward the bottom of the piece, with purple organic squiggles underneath and serves to balance and unify top, middle and bottom of the piece.

I love it when people ask where the inspiration comes from. Sometimes, as in this piece the inspiration comes from several places. Images, colors, forms are stored in my memory waiting to be called upon. In creating an image like this, I am telling a story, but not in an illustrative way. I am using the elements and principles of design to best suit my needs, but not always conscious at that time of where I have pulled a certain influence from. Working with this balance of intuitive and planned is what excites me when working with Mono Prints.

An Interesting Compliment

Someone Who "Gets It"

Last night I had a nice compliment on my work. Not the usual comment about my use of color though.

This person said "when I see you paintings it reminds me of what I want to be doing this summer!"

I really liked that comment because I realized that this woman "gets my work".  I am not a ground breaking, cutting edge artist. I paint what I love; which is the land, the sky, the water, even architecture.

And in my work there are often traces of humanity and what we leave behind as we step out of the scene. Like our canoes resting on the shore taking a break while we explore an island. Or an Adirondack chair waiting in the yard while we retrieve our book, lemonade, sunblock, etc
A hammock just hangin' out by the water waiting for someone to plop down, swing back and forth and watch the leaves fluttering in the breeze.


It is my hope that the viewer sees themselves in these scenes and enjoys the moment captured in paint. And then I hope they let their imagination take over to write the rest of the story.

What's new at Windy Hill Studio

What's new at windy Hill Studio??? Lots!!!

After a long cold winter I am looking forward to the hustle and bustle of my busy season May through December. Although I am busy painting and teaching year round, things seem to speed up once Spring rolls around. Seasonal galleries and gift shops re-open and art organizations hold spring shows.

This year I will again be participating in the Bay House Artisans Co-op in Alexandria Bay. I've been working on some new images for prints and cards. Of course I will have original paintings as well and some fiber art too.

I will be returning to The Thousand Islands Arts Center in Clayton, as a teacher for Watercolor and Acrylic Painting, and also doing a Family/Youth 1-day Workshop. And I plan to have artwork, prints and cards available at their gift shop.

The Gallery in Sacket's Harbor will be opening soon and we will kick off with our Spring Show May 24. I have a couple of entries ready for the show; also some things available in their gift shop.

The View in Old Forge has moved the date for their Central Adirondack Show to May, rather early compared to their usual schedule. I am hoping to get up there to drop off a few pieces next week.

I had a few interesting opportunities come my way in the last few weeks. I was selected as one of twenty women artists of Central New York for the Ignite the Spirit Show at The Syracuse Technology Gardens. Our opening reception was well attended and the food was fabulous!

The Arts Store is putting together a show called Caffeine...Love It or Leave It. As it turns out I have an image that perfectly fits that show! So I am looking forward to being part of that exhibit and seeing what other people will be showing. Should be interesting!

Stone Quarry Hill Art Park is presenting a juried show titled All things Cazenovia. I have a couple of paintings depicting Cazenovia scenes (Painting in the Art Park and Red, White and Beauties) so I plan to enter them and we'll see what happens.

I'm still busy at the Y, teaching and doing a bit of my former job as Arts Studio Coordinator as they search for a new person for that position. We've had two people in the position since I left; hope we get someone soon but it's a good thing I still remember what to do! I am planning to teach a Printmaking class for Youth and a Mono Prints class to adults. Also a colored pencil /gel pens class for adults.

Ok...time to paint!!! More later on what's new....I haven't even started talking about the teaching, the experimental work and the images from Ireland!!!