ill fated wild card...redone

I worked some more on the ill fated rose painting that was anticipated for a wild card donation to ArtSquare.  It was so ugly and poorly painted that I didn't deliver it.  Instead I spent an hour and 1/2 today on the damn thing and repainted it twice (three times total).  Anyway, this is now a $300 painting if measured by the time committed to it..And its still not done for my taste, but its getting there. I re-learned some interesting lessons.  Start darker, start brighter, use violet and blue for the shadows (sometime really saturated) and use trans red oxide (that was a new color I never thought I'd use on a rose).  Anyway, not sure where this is bound...back of the studio in a pile?  

Snow day = studio day

What can I say it snowed so I stayed in and painted all day.  Here is my second painting of the barn near Berryville.  While I might tinker with the contrast of the roof - seems too white.. I think this is pretty much done.  While under the light I really liked it, but there is something off about it in regular light.  Tried to use a limited palette of ultramarine, aliz crim and cad yellow light, but I  didn't quite stick to it.  Had to introduce some radiant blue, trans red oxide and purple.  I just couldn's mix those colors I've grown accustomed to.  Another 8 x 8 this time on Raymar Panel (thanks to a friend).  

Farm Near Berryville

In October we went apple and pumpkin picking.  I took photos of this beautiful barn from many angles.  This is one in a series I plan to do of the barn.  They are 8x8 which is my preferred landscape size because you can say so much with so little (so few strokes).   In any case, I started this in a miniature landscape workshop I taught back in October.  This is my demonstration painting.  I had to finish it at home in the studio because it was no where near done in the 45 minute demo time.  I wish now I had taken a photo of it in its demo state, but I didn't.

I've had a lot of requests to hold the workshop again and my dear friend is considering allowing me to  use her most spectacular barn (most would consider it a house, with beautiful kitchen, living room and exercise room)-a favorite painting location among my painter friends.  So, if anyone is interested let me know.  The space will be limited due to the configuration of the living space in the barn. My guess is 8 people max and will run abuut 5 hours.  Email me if interested:  info@vickiblum.com.

Wild Cards

Crazy Fun!  I participated in a fundraising event for Artsquare, a great art center in Leesburg, VA.  They asked artists to paint small works on playing cards and donate them to raise funds to support the center and school.   I thought I would do  two, but ended up doing 7 (one which I didn't deliver becuase it was awful).  The rest were of acceptable quality and were so much fun to paint that I just couldn't stop painting them.  I did 2 yesterday and 5 this morning before 10 am.    I delivered them to Artsquare and all but one sold in under an hour, which makes me feel good professionally but also it raised $ for the art center   Here are my paintings.  I did them in pairs.  Because the paintings are so small, my vision was to paint them in pairs so they could be presented with a nice wide mat as a diptych.  Of course none sold in pairs.

Painting Party Last Weekend

It was a perfect Saturday.  My friend Jordan bought a fantastic farm house in the country and invites his artist friends out to paint every once in a while.  Finally I was able to make one of these now infamous events.  I was actually going to paint inside and start a portrait commission, but the weather and scenery were perfect.  And who could resist painting colorful canoes next to a pond full of flourescent green algae.  It was just too perfect not to paint.  There are so many options for painting at his place.   I can't wait for the next event.   

Red Roses

Here is a quick painting I did of roses.  I really find red roses difficult to paint.  My first session went quickly but didn't like the way the roses looked.  Each  petal was too distinct to the point that it looked outlined. So for session 2, I decided to take another pass at the petals and lose some of the edges.  I am much happier with the results.  Blurry and bad photo.

Fall Class Starting Sept 26, 2013

FALL STILL LIFE PAINTING CLASS
ARTSPACE  HERNDON

September 26-November 21 (no class October 31 - Halloween)
7-10 pm
8 weeks
$200


My fall still life class starts on September 26.  I have two slots open.   We will be painting flowers and fall veggies again, but this time I think I'm going to divide the class into groups.  Those that want to paint live only and those that want to do a combo of live and photo.  The reason being is that I've had several returning students ask how to "finish" a painting and the only way to go from a block-in type of look which is more impressionistic (which I like very much) to a "polished" tighter finish is to layer paint and refine stokes over existing stokes, and glaze and adjust.  It usually takes three layers from my experience before it starts to looks realistic.  The problem is the flowers are long gone by class 3 and pretty weak looking by week 2.

I do buy lots of fresh flowers and there is no materials fee.  I hope we can find peonies (November!!! from South America)  Anyway, here is a sampling of paintings students painted in my last class in the Spring.   I know the lower one was done by a great artist -- Marna Morgan.  I'm sorry to say, I can't remember who did the one above.  They are awesome paintings!

Painting Like Crazy

I have needed my painting fix for a while.  While I've been painting in Kurt Schwarz's summer class, I can't say I finished anything in the class, but now I've spent one full day in the studio and two nights and I've completed 4 paintings that were 90% finished.

Here is one that will be in Berkley Gallery starting in October.

Johnson workshop

Here is a painting I started in Robert Johnson's workshop.  As usual I didn't finish the painting, but I don't have far to go thankfully.  I have to put some peonies leaves in the front.  I brought so many tchotchkes  to the workshop and selected this bruised and battered box for ale with rusted nails and faded paint.

I can't believe I found peonies this early.  They must have come from South America and cost me a fortune -- but are worth it.  I wish I had taken more time lapse photos of the painting in different stages.

What a fun time!

Aspen

It has been so long since I've been in the studio.  So long that all my brushes are hard as rock.  I thought I cleaned them, but clearly not enough.  Why do I repeatedly let my paint harden on my brushes?  Three or more are trash can bound.  So is my palette, a total disaster or maybe an abstract masterpiece, one or the other. Ugh.    I will try to clean my rigger in Natural turp, --that seems to work like a charm but takes some time.  The others are not worth saving.

I've been using the Simply Simmons paint brushes that are $2 regardless of size at Plaza.  They are amazing and smooth like butter.  Can't believe it.  So I recommend that if you are budgeted, that you get those brushes---while supplies last.  I found the inventory light so clearly others have the same opinion.

Anyway, here is a painting of Aspen trees.  The painting turned out okay.  Not quite what I  was aiming for, but passable.   Thanks to my friend who posted these on facebook for me to download and paint.

Glass for Masterson Palette

For my artist friends.  I went to the Home Depot and found they carry 12 x 16 pre-cut glass that fits the masterson palette.  Was around $4 vs Plaza which I think charges $17 and even better than the Art League prices. 

Clifton General Store - ArtSquare Gallery

Last night was the opening reception for the Petite Perspectives Exhibit at ArtSquare Gallery, 12 Cardinal Park Dr, SE, Leesburge, VA.  Below is one of my mini landscapes (6x6) on exhibit for the remainder of the month.  Lots of beautiful minis.  Some friends looking at the artwork.  Fun times.

Bridgeton Farm

Another South Jersey farm scene.   This is off to Art Square gallery in a few hours for the petite show starting Feb 8.

Selected for Salon international 2013

I just received word that my painting "Penns Grove Peonies" was selected for the Salon International 2013 Exhibit.    One of the nice things about this show is that you also get to advertise in four collector magazines at a discounted priced.  I was advised by my very savvy artist friend that I must take advantage of this offer.  I haven't had time to read the information yet, but I'm excited to learn more and to be part of the exhibit.

Driving through South Jersey

Last weekend I visited my mom who lives in New Jersey.  There was still some snow on the ground but enough of the ground was poking through to made for great color variation.  On my ride home, I stopped everywhere that had a great scene.  This was an abandoned farm.  I got an early start at around 8 am and the shadows were long and blue, so beautiful!  I'm calling this Buckshotem Farm because that is the rural road I have to travel down.

This painting will be featured in Gallery 222's Petite Show that is opening on Friday, Feb 8.  Please join me for the reception on Friday Feb 8 from 5:30 - 8:00 pm.  

Sold

I found out I sold this small winter landscape today from the Clifton Wine Shop.  The Clifton Wine Shop is a quaint boutique that has hard to find wines.  Very popular in my town.  People come in and out all the time or just hang out for a bit pondering the wine selection.  The owner and sales people are nice to talk to and when more than one visitor is in the shop a group conversation starts up among all.

This is the second sale from the shop in two weeks and thus I'm thrilled to find a nice (non-gallery) venue to sell my smaller works.  I have to say I'm running out of stuff.  I have to start painting like a fiend.

I have a feeling our wintery weather inspired someone to purchase this painting.   We finally got some snow, not much, but enough to stay on the ground out here in the "country" for at least 2 days.  Sales also support the town's art guild.

A mini painting

Here is a small painting I completed Monday night.  The rose is not necessarily a miniature, but the size of this painting is 6 x 6 so it qualifies for a mini status.  I plan to do a few of these single (or double) flower paintings for the Clifton Wine shop and the Gallery 222 petite show.   Now I have to find reasonably priced frames so the price is petite too.

I decided to do a violet underpainting so the darks were already present and I could better judge where the light was hitting.  It was quite a time saver as I normally start with the hot center and then work the cool shadow colors in later.   I believe in blocking in the shadows first, so I don't know why I normally start differently with flowers.  I also used a lot more transparent red oxide for the reflected lights and mixture of permanent rose and viridian for the dark shadows.  Very interesting combos.  

Jan/Feb Issue of Int'l Magazine Published

I finally got my International Magazine Jan/Feb edition that has my painting featured in it.  Whoo hoo.

Winter Class Demo

First day of class was Thursday.  What a great group of students...really friends... taking the class.  It is such a thrill to have so many enthusiastic painters and folks that just love art.  For the first class I perform a demonstration of my painting techniques to show how I approach the drawing, blocking in of paint and refinements.  Everyone in this class has painted before and some are expert painters, so I probably don't need to show them much, but it is always interesting to see how someone else approaches a painting.  I can never paint as fast when I'm thinking and talking so I tend not to get very far along.  Thanks to Michela for taking these stage photographs

Painting in Tuscan Style Magazine...sort of

My friend's gorgeous house is featured in this month's issue of Tuscan Style Magazine and he informed me that my painting is in one of the photos.  This is the painting "Carnations" that was a finalist in the Blossom Competition and was lucky enough to tour around the country at different museums.  It's the painting on the night stand.  I can't believe he waited a year after purchasing it to actually get it because it had to finish being on tour.  What an honor.