Peaceful Beauty: - hanging a show with a friend!

Art for show card, featuring Lisa's work on the left & mine on the right

Peaceful Beauty: Paintings by Marion Corbin Mayer & Lisa Molyneux

St. John's UU Church, 320 Resor Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220

November 1-December 31, 2016

Artists' Reception November 21, 5-7 pm

I have been really busy prepping to hang a show with my friend, Lisa Molyneux (www.LisaMolyneux.org).  We hang on October 29.  It's raining today so we put it off until Thursday.  I am really excited. This will be my third show at St. John's, where I have been a member since 1976 (!) It's a great venue for showing paintings and I am excited to be sharing it with Lisa.  It's nice to be taking 22 new paintings to hang. Anything we decide doesn't fit will head back to my studio for the Holiday art walks.

Essex Studios - the building where my studio is located - will be hosting Holiday Art Walks in both November & December. Since most of my new work will be at St. John's I will just have to keep painting away to generate more.  See www.essexstudios.com for more info.  These art walks are the perfect way to find unique holiday gifts & decor.

I am also working on several pet portrait commissions and getting ready for a workshop with Stanka Kordick Nov 7 & 8. Whew!

Here are some images of work that will be available at St. Johns and my studio:

On the Terrace

Lavender Field

Indiana Barn #1

Moonrise

Olympic View

Sweet Peas

Three for the Road

I will also be offering  a limited number of 2016 calendars. Stay tuned for pre-ordering instructions

It's an exciting time to be alive and painting....

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Sea View - 7 of 30

Sea View, 10x10" Pastel on acrylic under painting
7 of 30

 I chose to enliven an existing acrylic painting for this day's work.  I had done this earlier on gessoed arches watercolor paper and was not happy with the results. It seemed flat & dead, not the effect I was going for.  Once again, dipping into my pastel collection I set to work.

The broad strokes of toned gesso provided enough texture for the pastels to stick to the paper nicely. I do plan to add a spray or two of Sennelier fixative before framing this.  I am thinking about the beach especially this week because in years past we went to Tybee Island, Georgia, for several days before dropping our daughter off for another year at Savannah College of Art & Design. (SCAD) Alas, she graduated last May.  Actually, YAHOO! No more trips to Target to set up her apartment...

I am really pleased with how adding pastels jazzed this on up!

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

3 for the Road - 6 of 30

3 for the Road, 8x8 pastel on Wallis paper
6 of 30

I am keeping up with painting but lagging on posting the images. This piece came from my discovery of a 9x12" piece of white Wallis sanded paper in my flat file.  I had purchased a case of pears at Costco and wanted to capture the blush before they became overly ripened.  I set them on a piece of glass to capture the reflection as well.  My goal was to explore my new box of Terry Ludwig pastels  & paint loose and juicy color.

Underpainting with opposite colors

My set up - Terry Ludwigs in front, Heilman box on the right.

I will probably develop the dark background a bit more but I am happy with this.  Framing pastels is a bit more complicated than oils but I do love the immediacy of the colors.

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

French Fields - 5 of 30

French Fields, Acrylic on paper

Whew! Caught up with this post. It's not enough to paint every day, I also want to photograph the painting and get it posted here and on the 30/30 site. It's fun to see all the other paintings being created. Some folks are creating big paintings each day. I tend to work small, although I do plan a couple of 12x12's before this challenge ends.

The inspiration for this painting was born in the fields of southern France. Last summer I was blessed to be able to spend a week at www.hautbaran.com, painting with Bill Farnsworth.  It was a dream come true to wander around the Quercy region of France & have time to take lots of images as well as paint.  I know I will go back to those shots again & again.  There is something hypnotic about the poppies in the fields of France, followed closely by sunflowers & lavender...

Being able to travel with my husband at this time in our lives is a huge blessing.  Our health is holding steady & we have the luxury of having the time to go. I do not take it for granted.

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Bartlett - 4 of 30

Bartlett, 3x5", acrylic on gesso board
5 of 30

I had a lot of fun with this one since I found a big box of pears at Costco for inspiration.  I took some other reference images for future paintings, then ate one!  If you look around your local art supply store you will probably see these 3x5" samples of Ampersand Gesso Board.  I really like to paint on this surface in oils and found that it worked equally well for acrylics.  I had smooshed left over paint on the surface earlier this week, then added the pear. It was interesting to play around with layering colors using Golden glazing medium. I learned my set up for acrylics from Robert Burridge. I cover the surface of the table with heavy duty plastic sheeting, then squeeze out the paints right onto the plastic.  It's way more chaotic than how I paint with oils, enabling me to loosen up more easily. I highly recommend his workshops, especially when the supplies are included...

Here's a peek at my set up.  I have my tubes of acrylic paint separated into ziplock bags by color family.  It helps manage the happy chaos.  The fluid acrylics are grouped together in a box.

Model with painting...

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Rush Hour - 3 of 30

Rush Hour, 6x12", oil on panel

Rush Hour photo reference shot by Ginny Roush McKinney

I am keeping up with the daily painting but falling behind on the daily posting. I did upload this image to FaceBook on time though.  It seemed proper to do so since I got my reference image from my friend Ginny of Marshmallow Ranch.  She shot this in South Dakota while she was out there RVing with "Sisters on the Fly".  Ginny says this is a terrific outdoor adventure group for women & it sure sounds like she is having a blast.  She hasn't gone the tiny home route but she has traded her 4 bedroom house for a big RV & truck.  I still wonder how she gets her mail.  Ginny & I went to highschool together in Parkersburg, WV. (PHS, class of 1971)  I love reading her postings on Facebook and look forward to her visit here in Cincinnati next month.

As you can see, this is a loose interpretation of her image.  I cropped the image for a closer view & especially love how the trees turned out, as well as those darn buffalo.  One of these days I'm gonna go out there to see this for myself.I really haven't explored Mountain Time much. I usually head to the beach...

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Olympic View - 2 of 30

Olympic View, 7x5", Acrylic
2 of 30

Today's image is based on a shot I took at the Washington Lavender Farm in Sequim, Washington last month.  As you can see, the Olympic Mountains are "peaking" out in the distance.  This farm features breath taking views of both mountains and the Strait of Juan de Fuca - the route from the Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean that all the cruise ships take, whether from Seattle or Vancouver.

Once again I wanted to capture the essence of the scene & acrylics offer an immediacy of color.  It was very fun.  I like to add birds to my landscapes to allow the eye to see something breathing. This area features ravens, crows, stellar and grey jays among other wonderful wildlife.

We were lucky enough to arrive the Monday before the annual Lavender Festival. There are many, many lavender farms in this area (as well as pot farms - both medicinal & recreational marijuana is legal in Washington.)  We visited two lavender farms but alas, no dispensaries or pot farms. Legalizing marijuana has not resulted in a crime uptick but I am sure the pizza sales are up...

Sequim is in the rain shadow of the Olympic mountains and features weather similar to Provence, FR. Its a popular retirement area as well.  I hope to return and take more photos one day.

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Here we go again - the September Painting Challenge

Sweet Peas & Sea View
6x9", Acrylic on Paper
1 of 30

The goal is "30 Paintings in 30 Days" I already know this will be particularly difficult because of our travel schedule this month but what the heck?  The ultimate goal is to paint more.  Try new things. This month I am experimenting with acrylic painting rather than oil AND I anticipate working in oils, watercolors and pastels as the mood strikes. I know watercolors are way more manageable while on the road.  The last week of September will feature a plein air workshop with Lori Putnam so I anticipate some really new work then.

I did not take "process" shots this time. I was having too much fun playing with paint. This image is from our trip to the Pacific North West in July.
We started in Seattle then took a 7 day cruise to Alaska and finished with a bit of exploration of the Olympic Penninsula.  Stay tuned for more paintings! I love the big trees and wonderful light of the PNW. Years ago we thought we would move there to join some friends but alas that never happened.

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Ice Climbing, 12x12", Oil on Canvas. Click here to order a print!

My goodness I have been away from this for a good long time. This image is of a painting I created as a wedding gift for my nephew and his lovely wife.  I swiped one of their images from Facebook.  They love to do active, outdoorsy things together, hence the image of them ice climbing together.  (So NOT on my bucket list...)

Reference image

This painting was particularly fun because it began as a drippy, loose acrylic painting. I then finished with oils, keeping it as loose as possible.

Underpainting

 It was tempting to just leave it so wet & juicy but I felt the need to "finish" it in oils.

I think I captured the COLD feeling of being out on that ice.  It was fun to let some of the drippy underpainting stay in the final version.  I couldn't go to their wedding (in Ooray, CO) because it was the same day as our daughter graduated from Savannah College of Art & Design. I was sorry to miss it but happy that our gift was waiting for them upon their return.

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Follow your bliss. We've all heard this. 

This is ME totally blissed out by painting!

Last weekend I did so by being a "repeat offender" attending a workshop with Artist Dreama Tolle Perry  in Lexington, KY.  It was indulgent to go back for a third time and I loved every minute of it.  Dreama has a unique way of painting and using color that has really resonated with me.  I am NOT a tonalist.  Yes, values are important but gee whiz, color is fun! I have attended workshops with Dreama twice at the Artists' Attic in Lexington and once in Carmel, Indiana. (pronounced Carmle, not CarMEL).  Some people go to Spas, I go to workshops!

I was blessed to be able to stay with a friend, rather than deal with the Lexington area hotel situation complicated by race season at Keeneland and the Rolex, a 3 day cross country event at the KY Horse Park.  It was great to have a quiet retreat after painting each day. Well, except for the thunder storms. My friend's german shepherd is afraid of thunder storms...

On the first day we painted tulips, from reference material supplied by Dreama.

Dreama used a big screem during her demos so we could see what she was doing.

My painting, Step 1: transparent, colorful underpainting.

My painting, Step 2: begin layering opaque colors & DARKS

My painting, Step 3, add finishing touches.
I made a few additional changes after this & still have to take the final image.

Source image provided by Dreama.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed myself!  Three days seems about perfect for a painting workshop.  I met women from all over the US and a lovely husband/wife team from Calgary, CA.  There was even another artist from Cincinnati.  We enjoyed driving home together after the workshop.

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

January Painting challenge: a look back

Painting Challenge Summary collage

January was made very interesting when I decided to participate in Leslie Saeta's "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge.  I go distracted and stopped at 14 but really enjoyed how this challenge helped me cope with my usual SAD during January.  I really hate living in the midwest during January & February. Love it the rest of the time but winter is tough for me, especially have a dog that needs to be walked several times a day. (NO fenced yard to fall back on...)

I loved having a reason to get going in the morning and sling some paint around. I accepted several pet portrait commissions and also participated in a group show called "Inspired by Abroad."

See http://aydzn.com/2014/12/inspired-abroad/  I also was blessed to sell three of my paintings during this show.  It was fun to participate in two openings as well.  One for the public & one sponsored by the Travel Authority  I really appreciate Amy Yosmali & AY Design / Art on Vine for this opportunity.

Daily painting has taught me that excuses do not matter.  Slinging paint does.  Being an artist is a blessing every day that I allow myself to settle down and paint.  Writers understand this.  There are so many other worthy distractions as well as silly things to do that can keep me from painting.  It takes a challenge like this to initiate the discipline to BE creative.  So get out there & do something!

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

12 of 30

French Laundry, 8x8", Oil on canvas panel, $100
12 of 30

Yes, I know, I have fallen a bit behind on the challenge. I accept that the 30 paintings in 30 days is a challenge & goal that may not exactly fit the reality of my life.  I do intend to keep striving though!

This piece is based on an image I snapped in Belaye, France.  On the other side of that low wall is a cliff, with the Lot river valley opening up below. Vineyards & sunflower fields are far as the eye can see...

I have a show opening tomorrow night at a very nice new gallery in Cincinnati called "Art on Vine".  I am so happy to have been included in this group show.  It's really great to see my work collected in one place, too.

 

Two pieces were inspired by our trip to Paris & Giverny in 2011, the rest came from images from our trip to southern France this past summer.  We stayed at www.hautbaran.com & it was amazing. If you ever want to visit France with people who create an amazing experience FOR you, this is the place!

If you are in the Cincinnati area, please come to our opening tomorrow night, details follow the link below.

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Information on my upcoming group show "Inspired by Abroad" can be found here

11 of 30

Shh! It's a Secret!, 8x10", Oil on Panel, private commission
#11 of 30

So here it is - my secret commission for an anniversary gift TODAY!  Hope she likes it. He was happy with it. I am pretty darn happy as well.  I love the moment when the dog's personality emerges from the paint.  Because this is a black dog & black can be such a "dead" color I worked in a lot of other colors. I think this is the best dog nose I have ever painted.  The anatomy of dog noses is really weird (IMHO). It is gratifying to be getting a hang of it.

Here's the magic behind the scenes...

at this point I always think, "Great heavens! What have I done?"

A grand day's work! Since I had this done already I was able to spend this afternoon doing some framing for my upcoming show. The opening is this Friday. See link below. Hope you can come!

I am grateful for the many blessings of my life as it is today. 

Start where you are

Love what you have

Do what you can

Information on my upcoming group show "Inspired by Abroad" can be found here