Putting Art to use on a Quilt Trail

Steve and Theresa with the first Quilt Block east of the NC mountains

Art takes on many forms and our most recent project is celebrating the art and history of quilting. What better way to combine art  for the masses than by establishing a Quilt Trail. Popular in over 30 states and several Canadian Provinces they offer numerous entrepreneurial opportunities for artists and businesses! And in a country that has become way too dependent on government handouts, we're all about promoting self sufficiency. :-)
It's a huge amount of work but as we're proponents of  the "roll up your shirtsleeves and start" school of thinking, we simply.....started. :-) So here is the first Quilt block-a 4'x 4' block constructed of MDO sign board and framed in 2 x 4's by a volunteer and hand painted by Steve. A substantial of our research comes from the best (and we don't see a need to re-invent the wheel!) Barbara Webster-founder and director of the western NC Quilt Trail.

This pattern is called "Card Trick" and the building it is now attached to (the Franklin Country Arts Council building) was originally home to a group of bridge players! Plans are to have approximately 200 throughout the county.
A fun change from structured painting!

Child with Rabbit

OK so it's a stuffed toy bunny ! Still, anyone with a child knows the attachment that children form with their little stuffed animals!

This cameo pastel was created from a client's supplied photo as a present for the dad. Big success!

"Everyone loved it! The problem was everyone was thinking the pastel was for them!. So yes, I will need some prints!. Thank you again!"  J. Morton

Cameo Pastel of child

My cameo portraits are super popular and this one was created from some photos that I took of my subject. Grandma commissioned one of another grandchild several years ago and now it was Lilly's turn. :-)

Little girl in white oil painting

This 16 x 20 oil was quite a challenge! Photographers all deal with photoshop and a large number of artists do as well now. Sometimes I think that a little more sketching would bring the brain back as "photoshop" is something an artist always did....long before the computer! This little girl came from 2 photos. I created a pastel of her sister 6 years ago and they had an "oil photograph" made. So I had a photo of the little blond headed sister-full body and a head and shoulder photo of the other dark haired sister...basically combining them together and then deciding to add the arm to the right as the original photo showed (vaguely, in parts) her little arms pulled up to her body. But after painting that, it looked awkward, so I rubbed out the arm (with a crowd watching) and sketched it back onto the canvas and then painted it. Fun with a crowd around! Anyway the client was THRILLED with the results.
The very cool thing is that the dress in the oil was detailed (more so than the photograph) and it had been made by the grandmother. Both little girls wore it for their portraits (6 years apart!) Grandma's Dress is an heirloom as is now this portrait!

Wild Roses and Artist inspiration

I am not, by nature, a landscape painter. Odd, huh? You would think that an artist would paint pretty much anything and in one respect, I do. But my artistic heart is on subjects...people and animals especially. Or a tree. Now THAT I can get a grasp on-a big, impressive or gnarled subject! But a landscape? No. To look at a beautiful landscape has always held a wonder for me. The oceans, the the pastoral farm settings, a pasture with cows, the mountains of the Blue Ridge. But to paint those scenes? Actually.....no. Sometimes I look at all the green in all its variations and think "No, I don't wish to paint each leaf." But of course I miss the point don't I? In memory, one remembers with a softness, not with clarity and that is probably why the Impressionist movement has such a following. I am quite fond of my husband's work as he loves his landscapes and perhaps has the essence of what I just said-light, color and generalities to combine into a beautiful coherent scene. But having said all that, maybe, just maybe, after wandering through my yard yesterday and looking at the once a year amazing burst of colors from the wold and heirloom roses that surround the house, studio and pastures, I might be persuaded to pick up a brush and boldly go where I usually don't go! Into a landscape!

Making changes in a portrait for a client

I completed the changes for the client in this large oil of their 3 charming sons.

Look carefully and see what I did compared to the image I posted 2 weeks ago!

We are getting ready to head to the Indian Wells Art Festival in Palm Springs, CA. The show is April 2-4. What a fun cross country adventure!

Family oil of boys and their pets

What a delightful experience it has been to work with the Faykus brothers! Their joy of life and their home in the country pours into their everyday attitude and being! Although their 30 x 40 oil is not quite done,I have had the family live with their portrait for a few weeks to get a feel for the overall impact. So just a few tweaks to do here and there and this beautiful moment in time is theirs forever!
Originally I photographed the boys and their huge Newfoundland and mellow Golden Retriever (and Siamese) in the late fall.
I created a more springtime look to the portrait and although everything is pulled together to create one cohesive look, the viewer can't tell that I used many reference photos!

But in this scene it is all about the exuberance of childhood! The rough and tumble relationships between brothers. The family pets involved with their young masters. And the growing up with an emphasis on being outside in all weather. It is an opportunity for growth and discovery at its most basic level!

I look forward to the final unveiling!

See more of my Portraits!

Jackson Pollock ART FUN!

Grab a child or enjoy this art creation game yourself!
Anytime you pop onto my site, visit the Jackson Pollock box in the lower right corner and spend a few minutes having FUN!
Just use your mouse, create and print!

Keeshond pastel

Prince was loved by his owners for 15 years and they felt his passing keenly. So they approached me for his portrait and we settled on a full body pose of Prince with his trademark "smile."!

Most of my dog portraits are created from client supplied photos via the Internet.
And most are combination images meaning that I work with the best head sot, the best body shot and embellish from a client's memory.

After all, photos are far from accurate! And in the minds of an owner of a beautiful friend, prince still had his magnificent coat and happy look.

Duke Charity Horse Show

Well it is that time of year again and we are set up and flourishing at the Duke shows in Raleigh NC! Beautiful, crisp fall weather has perked the colors of the trees and although we need rain badly, the weather can' t be better at the moment! The explosive Grand Prix is Saturday night and a glittering assortment of spectators will be out in full.

And of course, with our booth set up at the doorway and both Steve and I painting, we have encouraged all of our clients to stop on by!

Now I must confess that as I write this, it is 8 pm, cold, dark and I am in front of a fire while Steve is at the show :-) But hey, that's life! Our home is about 30 miles from this show so unlike Saratoga, NY or Blowing Rock NC, we are close enough to commute and not camp.

Returning to the rest of the story

I have artist friends who create wonderful art and write enchanting blogs. Even after a show or an event, they continue in creative mode as if no event had taken place.

I think I am jealous!

I returned home late on the 11th after leaving a week of shows behind and after meeting a client outside of Clifton, VA. And although I would love to just walk into my studio the following day and begin to create, an actual ART business just isn't run that way (alas!)

Tuesday morning comes early and with it a sorting through the piles of mail. Bills here, Taxes there, checks over here, online bills, phone calls to return, the list to go over. Appointments, who to arrange a meeting? Who to send an image to, sorting through who handles the camping at the next show and what prints to ship to clients.....and that is before lunch! Physically there are drives to the bank, the Post Office, the grocery store, unloading the car...Steve is at the Keswick shows with the van and camper.

It is good to know that nothing extreme happened while I was gone :-) so one must always, while noting what did not get done, note what DID get done and balance it out.
My point being, when I paint, I paint! When I work, I work. Dispersed between painting sessions is the constant marketing, the constant emails and phone calls, the whole panorama of running a business....and I would not have it any other way!

Yes, I am still, at times, jealous of those artists who seem to have not a financial care in the world, whose only thoughts lie far removed from business.....but then I remember my art history and easily relate to those artists through the centuries, who, like me, needed to make a living and were fortunate enough to be able to blend and train their skills and talents into a profession that has endured for centuries!

OK. Adding to my blog can be crossed off my list!