Workshop - Natural Object Still Life Painting

Nest, oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Natural Object Still Life Painting Workshop

at Townsend Atelier

June 8, 9, 10th 2012

9-5pm

$350

with Special Demonstration & Gallery Talk at  

The Hunter Museum of American Art 

Thursday June 7th 5-8pm

I am so stoked to be headed to lovely Chattanooga, TN in June to teach a wonderful painting workshop.  I hope you will be able to join me.  I also have the great honor of being invited to give a demonstration at the Hunter Museum of American Art.  If you can't make the whole workshop, I hope you will at least be able to enjoy the evening demonstration and gallery talk.  Here is the official description and a few links.  Please contact the lovely, helpful folks at Townsend Atelier if you want to sign up or need help finding accommodations. 

This course will cover the essentials of oil painting from proper surface preparation to color mixing, with a primarily earth tone palette.  Using direct observation, students will learn about composition, color theory and paint application as well as gain skills and confidence in representing what they see.   Students will be encouraged to select their own items that will enable them to develop personal narratives or meanings within a still life painting.  This three day oil painting class will start with an optional walk to experience and connect with nature, as well as to collect the natural found objects that the student will bring back to the studio to paint.   Students who choose to skip the morning walk will be encouraged to bring their own natural form discoveries such as various botanical items, seed pods, skulls, feathers, bugs – whatever it is from nature that you are inspired by!  The teacher will also bring such items from her own collection to share.

Townsend Atelier

201 West Main Street Suite 107
Chattanooga, TN

423-266-2712
or toll free: 1-877-903-1488
www.townsendatelier.com

info@townsendatelier.com

The Hunter Museum of American Art

10 Bluff View

Chattanooga, TN 37403 

(423) 267-0968

www.huntermuseum.org

The Expedition & Beyond continued

This past weekend a dozen women from across the US (unfortunately our Canadian contingent Kate Stone could not join us this time) traveled to Alexandria, VA for the opening reception of The Expedition & Beyond at Principle Gallery.  It was a fantastic evening event filled with meeting new collectors and other artists.  Thank you to all the folks that came from near and far to join us for this lovely exhibition!  You can read more about this exhibit both HERE and on the WPW site.  Also, a few bloggers have offered nice write ups about the exhibit: Matthew Innis on the Underpaintings Blog  and Tricia Ratliff on Agile Arts Blog.  Thank you both!  (You can also see more photos of the reception on my facebook page).

I went back the next morning to take a few installation shots.  Then, most of us headed to rural Pennsylvania for a short painting retreat at the home of Catherine Prescott.  I will post more about that soon...  In the mean time, enjoy taking a look through these photos.  The exhibition is up through May 15, 2012.

Terry Strickland: The Three Fates; Mia Bergeron: Silence

Diane Feissel: Where the Land Meets the Water; Alia El-Bermani: Diane with Kitten

 Alexandra Tyng: Elemental Balance; Rachel Constantine: Departure/ Arrival

 (over fireplace) Stefani Tewes: The Stillness Beneath

 

 Alia El-Bermani: Becoming;  Catherine Prescott: Northern Interior

 

Alia El-Bermani: Becoming

(foreground) Cindy Procious: Jewels of the Ocean; Sadie Valeri: Self Portrait at 39 

 Rachel Constantine: Self Portrait with a Man

Stefani Tewes: Embrace

 Alexandra Tyng: Hot Enough

Cindy Procious: Where's the Tobasco;  Mia Bergeron: Away; Linda Tracey Brandon: China Frog and Red Peonies; Catherine Prescott: Death is Not a Domesticated Pet;  Linda Tracey Brandon: Mia in a White Turban

   (far right) Katherine Stone: Lucie in the Wind; Sadie Valeri: Undersea

Katherine Stone: Vanitas

Principle Gallery

208 King St

Alexandria, VA  22314

703-739-9326

www.principlegallery.com

Guardian

 

Guardian, oil on panel, 64" x 48"

My painting Guardian is now dry enough to photograph.  As I stated in the previous post (which you can read here), this painting is a deeply personal image that has stuck with me for approximately three years.  I'm not ready to verbally explain all the symbols and meanings of this painting - hopefully there are some that you will be able to read in the painting on your own.  I will share that this has been one of the most rewarding painting experiences of my life.  This painting has developed and evolved and gushed out of the deepest parts of my being.  I feel so much gratitude for being able to experience this.     

 Guardian (details), oil on panel, 64" x 48" 

 

Stories of Contemporary Reaslism

Several of my works are included in the innovative online exhibition and sale titled Stories of Contemporary Realism at The Brigham Galleries.  This exhibit was guest curated by artist Kyle Thomas.  "Stories" opened for viewing on March 27th and continues thru May 31, 2012.  

 Cary Ann, oil on panel, 18" x 14"

Each artist was asked to give the back story of each piece or grouping.  In my usual fashion, I got a bit wordy...

"This query forced me to see how my works are inter-connected. What I realized in looking back, is that these works very clearly represent my life and the changes that have occurred for me in the last few years.  Starting with the painting of my friend Cary Ann, which was painted from life in my former Pasadena, CA studio thru to the large nude that was literally JUST finished here in my new home in North Carolina, you can clearly follow how my life's recent changes have affected my work. I consider figurative painting my first love. Painting people defines who I am and how I process this world, so when this recent move to the South made me NOT want to paint the people around me, that was a huge deal for me. Feelings of being foreign and disconnected from the people here, forced me to turn to different inspirations for my work. I became fascinated with the often overlooked, very common southern plants and the abundance of green that now surrounds me. It was through researching these Southern Weeds (as I call the series) that I started to learn about the South and started to gain a connection to the history of this place and its people. I have been able to return to my first love of figurative painting. Now, I do feel a deeper connection and understanding of the people around me. Though it seems my paintings are merely a direct response to the experiences of my life as they happen, my hope is that there is some universal truths that we can all share in the work. Honestly representing the emotions, content and characters of my life is the only way I know how to express these universal human truths."

Nest, oil on panel, 8" x 8"

Globe Sedge, oil on panel, 16" x 16"

Goldenrod, oil on panel, 24" x 24"

 Study of Kat, oil on panel, 12" x 9"

Threshold, oil on panel, 64" x 48"

Artist included in the exhibit are:

Greg Bennett

Robert Bodem

Candice Bohannon

Stephen Cefalo

Marc Dalessio

Matt Dickson

Michelle Dunaway

Alia El-Bermani

Frank Gardner

Ignat Ignatov

Tara Juneao

Michael Lierly

Leo Mancini-Hresko

Alfred Paredes

Scott Prior

Tony Pro

Mario Robinson

Richard Scott

Kyle Thomas

Ray Vargas

Katie Whipple

You can also view a video preview and discussion of this online exhibition on The Brigham Galleries blog here.

Featured in American Art Collector

I am so honored and pleased to share that my work is featured in the current April 2012 edition of the magazine American Art Collector!  The article acts as a preview for the upcoming The Expedition & Beyond show at Principle Gallery, which opens Friday the 13th.  My painting Becoming can be seen on a nearly full page spread.  Thank you to American Art Collector for featuring the exhibition - it is a lovely article.  You can purchase a copy of this magazine at any Barnes and Nobles or other book store near you.