New Painting Finally!

Finally I am posting one of my new paintings.

Apple Harvest Afternoon 22x28

oil on canvas

I have been working on this painting forever it seems.

I snapped a picture on the tree line, while waiting in the long line of traffic after the Apple Harvest festival in Arendstville, PA. I liked the quality of the afternoon light. I wished I could paint on sight, but knew that would be impossible. Afternoon light is so fleeting. I wish I could be like Monet. Monet had several canvasses lined up. He painted on each one at the same time every day. Oh well, I am not Monet. I have a day time job. I also have a digital camera.

I started this painting using only a palette knife. There are layers and layers upon layers of paint.

The sky gave me fits. I started with palette knife, but it looked too busy. I came in and used a brush in the end to make it softer.

Then we got all this snow. The paint wouldn't dry. I tried to frame it and smeared it. I had to touch up the sky again.

A love/hate relationship with this painting.

I have a couple of others that are at my March solo show. The show is in a little coffeehouse. They play live music. It is a small room in an old Victorian house. It is a non-profit organization that offers art and music lessons to children. It is not very glamourous, but it is a show.

Deadlines, Due Dates and Drama

Yikes! Yuck and Yahoo.

It seems like February was all about the above. Daughter's portfolio submission deadlines and prep for my upcoming solo exhibit. This is my first solo by the way. I've been a featured artist at the Red Raven, but it wasn't solo. I shared my exhibition with one or two or three other artists.
This is my first totally solo exhibit.

So I've been holeing up in my shed, painting away. Okay I promised to post, but I lied. I mean, painting is just one of those things. I could never be a daily painter. I admire those people. But painting to me is one of those spiritual things. I go. I paint. Sometimes things work. Sometimes they don't. I've made some major breakthroughs. I've been struggling with certain aspects. I haven't been ready to post.

The show is the entire month of March. I have to get my paintings in by March 1st. Annelise had her portfolio review to UArts February 5th. MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art) required everything by February 13th.

I had to help her as her Art teacher could not. So I've been editing and posting her art, not mine.

By the way, she got accepted into UArts with a $56,000 scholarship ($14,000 a year for four years). UArts is her first choice. A university in Philadelphia with three schools - Art & Design, Performing Arts and Communication Arts.

Oh, that, uh snow thing. We had 44 inches in a week. I feel I lost a week or so.

I've been doing Bernatio, reveling in my daughter's acceptance, trying to get my show together. I keep fooling around with the paint. I'm sitting on that tiny precipice between revelation and ruination. Sorry. I'm a bit overwhelmed. I cleaned up my language a bit. I'm sorry if I've offended anyone. I've been listening to Modest Mouse and they swear a lot. (They are excellent to paint to, however!)

Oh the drama thing. My kids are both involved in the spring musical. The show is the first weekend of March.

Snowed Again

Remember that 1970s poster, "Stoned Again" with the melting face?
Didn't everyone post that on their bedroom wall?

Anyway. We are "enjoying" our second Nor'easter in five days. Remember the grill picture I posted Saturday?

Here is an update. Posted about an hour ago. We've gotten another 18+ inches today.


By the way, that little yellow building in the background is my "studio" or , um, "painting shed". It might be a while before I can post those paintings I've been working on.

My amazing husband shoveled a path to the birdfeeders.


We had no room to put the can anywhere else after the weekend's twenty-two inch snowfall.

Doug started plowing last night. He plowed twice this morning before the brakes went out.

I guess we're snowed in (again). No melting faces anymore. We still have some wine from our January run to Baltimore!


Freja and Fiona enjoying a romp in the "plowed" driveway.

I think it needs to be plowed again. I'm still in my pajamas. I'm betting on a snow day tomorrow.

I'm ready for spring!

Nasty Nor'easter

The dark eyed Junco is staring at my breakfast. He should not be looking at me like this.

There is an obscene amount of snow on my back deck.

That is my view from the kitchen table. It is not right.




It doesn't look like we'll be grilling anything for a while.

There is a minivan under all that snow. We measured twenty-two inches.

The snow is literally up to the window.

I put a bit of my table in for perspective.

BTW I was right. Nuts! Back in November I said NUTS were the best indicator of the severity of the winter. You didn't believe me did you? Hah!

I am going back into Bernatio.

Bernatio

My daughter told me about Bernatio. I didn't know. Today was Bernatio day.

She was given a word search. They were making up their own words. She found "Bernatio" . The "correct" word was "hibernation", (as in groundhogs). It is Groundhog day here in Pennsylvania. I like Bernatio better.

I've been in Bernatio lately. New semester. Nine new classes. College application deadlines are looming. I'm trying to help daughter put her portfolio together so I'm not posting my stuff.
I keep effing with it. I'm probably ruining it or not. Hope you good friends have the patience to wait.