Trying out a new style..........

Three little 10 X 10 kitchen paintings are now part of the Saugeen Artists art store now open in Hanover.  I wanted to try something quite different from the usual, and came up with a kitchen theme.  I painted using obvious brushstrokes, and paid careful attention to values, working from dark to light, adding brushstrokes that would give each object its shape.  I love that challenge!  I'm working on three more, on a green underpainting. 

Photos of the Saugeen Artists Store in Hanover..............

.................to entice you inside!  I created a new window display yesterday.  New work is being added every day, with a big rehanging next week.  There are free artist demonstrations every Saturday afternoon, and a ballot box for tickets to win a gift basket on December 21. 

 Two floors of great art!

Here is the new window display........

with Teddy making up his Christmas list.

Besides paintings he can choose jewelry, knitted neck warmers,

....stained glass.......

.......and while he waits at the counter to pay, he can choose from lots of cards, and then put his name in the ballot box!

The Art Store is open!

Welcome to the Saugeen Artists Christmas Store!  It's finally ready, after weeks of planning and effort.  Here is a preview of what you will see when you come to visit.  We are on the main street of Hanover, beside Hanover Travel on the west end of town.  I'll be keeping you posted here......................

This shows some of the art you will see
when you come in the front door.

There is an upstairs gallery too,
full of wonderful art.

I have several paintings there, as well as many cards.
I have ideas for more paintings, which will arrive
as they are completed.
You will have to come around if you want to see the theme I've chosen for these small, affordable pieces!

Studio Tour Memories

What a beautiful weekend it was for my recent Studio Tour!  In spite of the forecast for rain, it held off until Sunday, and the temperature was pleasant.  At least 70 visitors ventured out to come and see my art and my Stanehaven Studio over the three days.  In fact, there was probably as much conversation about our home renovations as there was about my art..........  but that's the fun of studio tours!  I could have sold the house at least once............

 I sold 2 paintings and lots of cards, and met some wonderful artists and art lovers.  This is one of my paintings that went to a new home:

My next project is to work on items for the Christmas store my Art Group is organizing for November and December in Hanover. (And also to make a crib quilt for my new grandson Carson!)

Two Tours in One!

I'm preparing now for two Studio Tours on the same weekend at my studio.  The Art Map Open StudioWeekend invites people to studios in the Art Map booklet.  This will be my third open studio weekend.  You can see the map and find other studios here: 

http://theartmap.com/Open_Studio_Weekends.html

It will be my first time on the Autumn Leaves Studio Tour, so I hope to see some new faces who are following the map in the brochure, or here on the website:

 http://www.autumnleavesstudiotour.ca/2013-AutumnLeavesStudioTour.pdf    

Even the GPS co-ordinates are there! 

Everyone is welcome to come and share "art talk" and a cookie!

Seasons in Watercolour...........

.....................is the name of my upcoming show at Cava Coffee in Walkerton.  It will highlight watercolours from the last several years, that I actually still have in my possession. This coffee shop is brave enough to be near Tim Horton's, turning south on the street just west of Timmy's.  It's a lovely cafe, with good coffee and excellent lunches.  There is a room there for meetings called the Saugeen Room, which is also used for art shows on a regular basis.  It's a great idea, and benefits everybody!  

Stanehaven Studio opens tomorrow!

I look forward to having visitors come right to my home studio in the next three days, to see the work I've been doing.  I have several new acrylics since last year's open weekend with THE ART MAP.  Look for this sign at the bottom of my lane!

              Click here                    http://theartmap.com/Open_Studio_Weekends.html

 to see more information about the Art Map open studio weekends.  There will be another one in October, if you miss this one!

Click here   

http://theartmap.com/index.html 

for general information about the Art Map and directions to all the studios.

The excitement is mounting in my art group, the Saugeen Artists!

We are preparing for our annual "Show and Sell" on the last weekend in July.   I have a few new paintings I'm preparing for display there.  I will have cards for sale, too.

As usual, we will be part of the Sights and Sounds Festival in Hanover.  Our venue is the IWA Hall, 405 10th Street.  There's good parking behind the hall and on nearby streets.

We have about twenty

artists participating, including painters, jewelry-makers, fabric artists (floor cloths to bags), photographers, stained glass artists, and a potter.  This year we will have a gallery of "Little Masterpieces" contributed by the artists for sale at a very reasonable price.  Most of us will be present to discuss our work with you or to answer questions.  

It's not even too early to think about special Christmas gifts.  And many of us accept commission work.

The show opens with our gala from 4 to 9 Friday night, that includes refreshments and some live musical entertainment.  It continues on Saturday from 9 to 5, and Sunday from 12 to 4.

Come by and say hi if you're in the area!

Packing up my paintings again.......

Today Aggie and I headed to Thornbury to gather up our work from the L. E. Shore Library gallery.  Sheila met us there to pick up her work as well.  The great news is that we all sold paintings during the month of the show.  I was very pleased to have sold 5 pieces!!  They ranged in size from 24 X 30 to 6 X 6.  It was very encouraging!  One of them was this 24 X 30 acrylic called "Whimsy Valley".

Another one was this watercolour I have always liked, called Evening Glow. (I felt sad to see it go!) 

I am feeling more confident to look for other places to have a show, whether on my own or with fellow artists.  Most places require well over a year's waiting time to get in, but the time seems to fly by.  And there's nothing like a deadline to make me actually get out the brushes and a fresh canvas.  

I'm hoping to finish my current acrylic in time to enter it into the competition for the Art Map calendar this year.  I had a winter painting in the 2011 calendar, but I think there are more and more Art Map participants who will enter for the second calendar.  There is some stiff competition around!

I also have a commission ahead of me that I'm looking forward to getting at-- a portrait!  (Shhhhh!!  I can't say much yet-- it's going to be a gift...)

My next effort will be to take several new pieces up to the Southampton Gallery for the new hanging in a week's time.  Then I will begin working towards the next event, which will be the July "Show and Sell" weekend put on by my Art Group, the Saugeen Artists Co-op. 

Never a dull moment in my studio!!

A whole Studio Tour in one room!

The Owen Sound Artists Co-op has invited participants from a couple of local studio tours to display some pieces in the store.  As a new member of the Autumn Leaves Studio Tour, I took two of my pieces there to be added to their April show.  You get to see samples from a county-wide studio tour in one place!  While you're there you can enjoy all of the art in the rest of the store.

These are my two new pieces:

"Barn Window Box"
12 X 16
acrylic

Chicadee
12 X 16
acrylic

The Thornbury Show is up!

What a joy it was to see my own work and the work of my two dear artist friends, being hung in the L.E. Shore library in Thornbury, the town where I taught for 13 years.  It was a dream come true for me!  Perhaps I will see some of you at the "Meet the Artists" reception on Saturday, April 3, from 2:00 to 4:00.  Here are two of my new paintings that are there, and also photos of the hanging.

"Waiting for Apples"
acrylic
24 X 30

"Whimsy Valley"
acrylic
24 X 30

My acrylics are now up.

Sheila's work was grouped so well.

Aggie's work is so colourful!

Painting for the Thornbury Show

It's amazing how a deadline makes me so much more inspired and productive!  In April I will be joining two painting friends for a show in the L. E. Shore Library in Thornbury.  Aggie Stretch paints with me every week in my home, which has encouraged and inspired me for months now. Sheila Bannerman was a painting buddy when I lived in Stayner several years ago.  We three are putting on a show entitled "All Creation Sings" in the lovely gallery in the library.  Here are some of the new works I have ready:

"Shout for Spring"
acrylic
18 X 24

"A Sunny Window"
acrylic
24 X 30

"Winter Blanket"
acrylic
18 X 24

"Rooster's Perch"
acrylic
24 X 24 

Snow makes for great fun painting!

I was pleased to sell a painting at the Southampton Gallery recently-- on Christmas Eve!  It's called "Come in out of the Cold".  It's a 12 X 24 acrylic, based on a view from the building I meet in for church each week, in Chesley Ontario.

Snow really is fun to paint.  The shadows can be almost any colour.  Our minds tell us it's snow because of the placement of the shapes, and the gradation of the colour to pastel shades.  There doesn't even have to be any pure white!  

I have been inspired lately by some visits to art galleries.  One was the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, which had an extensive display of works by the Group of Seven and Tom Thomson.  How thrilling that was! The others were 3 beautiful galleries in Waterloo.  I am attempting lately to be more painterly, to allow my brushstrokes to show.  It's not as easy as it looks-- every stroke needs to be deliberate.  As I work with a slightly new style, I realize I am dealing with some of the same issues with paint that Tom Thomson and Lawren Harris did!  Following the fashion of those early outdoor painters, I decided to do some small winter studies, 12 X 12.  Here they are:

"Connections"
12 X 12
acrylic

"Guardians"
12 X 12
acrylic

"Shadow Play"
12 X 12
acrylic

 I think there are more winter scenes in the works yet!

It's after Christmas-- finally I can show what I've been working on!

I was busy for months before Christmas completing several commissions that were to be gifts.  What an honour to be asked to paint a picture of someone's precious castle!  I've included them here. 

The first three were done on half-sheets of 300 lb watercolour paper that was at least 15" by 22".  All were to be Christmas gifts.

 The next three were done on watercolour paper that was 8" X 10", which I framed.  The first was a Christmas gift.

 The next two were gifts for clients.

I hope everyone enjoyed their gifts!