Lakeside Retreat

Last Spring Mom discovered an antique oval frame complete with curved glass. I promised to paint something for her to go in it. This is what the completed painting looks like.
I took inspiration from a nearby lake where I find retreat. Using some reference shots of the local lake and my imagination, I sketched the scene and began the painting process working on illustration board that I prepared with gesso.

Happy New Year!

Iowa Blizzard December 2009

You may have been following the current blizzard on the Weather Channel, but there is nothing like living through it... the sound of the wind howling, the furnace running more frequently to keep the house warm. I'm wearing wool socks with warm shoes and have cuddle duds on under my jeans. Our house is pretty tight with the new windows and siding we installed in 2008. But it's still chilly. Could it be because almost all I can see when I look out the windows is white? I'm staying in today and hopefully there will be a Christmas letter done before the day ends. What would you do with a snow day?

Art on Display in Marshalltown

Yesterday a good friend helped me install my new art exhibit. There are now 38 of my works on display at the Fisher Community Center's auditorium in Marshalltown, Iowa. They will be up until January 5, 2010.

My exhibit is being hosted by the Central Iowa Art Association. The Marshalltown Chamber of Commerce is located in the same building and can be contacted at (641)753-6645. Call ahead to be sure the auditorium is open for viewing. The Fisher Impressionist Collection is also housed in this facility and is worth a trip to Marshalltown to experience.

It was a satisfying experience to see so many of my paintings on display at one time. I have several interests and like to try different techniques. I wondered if I would have a cohesive exhibit in the months leading up to this show.

I have to admit that I was a bit overwhelmed when we unpacked all my paintings yesterday morning. Where to start? What to put in which location? (There is one full wall and three partial walls to hang art on.) Then I remembered how we organized the art wall in Cherokee at the Sanford Museum earlier this year when we sorted paintings by predominant color. That's what we did again and it worked out just fine.

Last night an opening reception was hosted by the CIAA. I was so blessed to have some family and old friends come. A few community members stopped by. I think the busy holiday season and the frigid temperatures kept many of the usual art lovers away. More family and friends are planning special trips to view the exhibit. I am grateful for the interest shown in my work. It was very encouraging to me.

Lastly, many thanks go to my supportive and helpful husband.

New Hope Journal Entries

I packed up my journal kit before heading out for our Thanksgiving travels. I hadn't worked in my "HOPE" journal for several weeks. Over the past several months, I used up odds and ends of paint from other projects to give several pages a base color.
For the above page, I cut up strips from a greeting card catalog and adhered them with a glue stick as Hubby drove along the interstate. Then I added sharpie pen and white marker accents to the border I created. Last night I painted the word hope with Golden fluid acrylic. When it was dry, I added the same marker accents plus some metallic gel pen.

This page had some Golden absorbent ground mixed with cobalt teal paint that I smeared on with a palette knife. While it was still damp, I pressed a tree stamp into the ground. That was done several months ago.

I found that Prismacolor Pencils work WONDERFULLY on this ground. I had to use very little pressure to lay down color. It was easy to add multiple layers of color. I used a Pitt brush marker for the lettering. I worked on this page while my brother-in-law prepared breakfast. It was relaxing to color while we chatted about family.

I keep a folder with hope quotes in my journaling tote. That makes it easy to find inspiration for my pages.

It had been my intention to work on this journal more frequently this year & thought it would be complete long ago. But it was nice to have this to come back to after spending so much time on other things. I haven't selected a topic for next year. I might not until I get this journal done.

Grade A Sunset

I wish I could say I saw the "A" in the sky when I was shooting this pic! As hubby drove south on I-35 last Saturday, I loved all the texture created by the clouds, so I grabbed my digital camera and hoped for the best. While reviewing my shots, I saw that I had captured jet trails that formed an "A".
It was an "A" day after spending some great time with family for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Marshalltown Art Exhibit Publicity

I found out that our local newspaper ran an article and picture on the front page publicizing my upcoming art exhibit. This is a picture Hubby took of me in late summer. The CIAA (Central Iowa Art Association) requested a photo of me with my art.
Just in case you missed my earlier post, there is an opening reception this coming Friday, Dec. 4th from 5:30 - 7:30 in Marshalltown, Iowa at the Fisher Community Auditorium on Center St.