My Work In the "Abstract" show

 Capitol Hill Art League is having a show of abstract work at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop.  I don't usually do abstract work, but I decided to enter.  Above is a picture taken by Jenifer (daughter visiting from Tennessee) of me at the show reception.  The work that was selected for the show is titled "Under the Sea."  Here's a close-up of it.  It is watercolor and pastel.

The show includes a lot of interesting work and I am happy to be part of it.  It is up until August 22 for local friends who wish to go.  

TY Louisa

 

I have a had a practice of making little paintings as thank you notes for the gifts I get.  Sometimes, I don't get them posted....sometimes I don't even get the painting done! 

Well, in this case I got some lovely flowers from Louisa for my birthday.  They were so beautiful that I just had to make the painting.  I gave her the card.  The painting doesn't quite do justice to the bouquet, but she was happy with it and I am happy to have a way to do more than just say "Thank you." 

CAPITOL HILL ART SHOW AT HILL CENTER

Every year the Hill Center here in DC (formerly a Civil War hospital) hosts a show specifically for members of the Capitol Hill Art League, of which I am a member.  It is juried and actually has been a pretty good source of sales for me.  I have two paintings in the show:  "Barred Owl" and "End of Day--West Coast."  The reception is Thursday, and the show will be up until Auguust 29.

Lots of interesting artists are participating.  It should be a great show.

  

Poppies Collage

 

This is something completely different!   In my Wednesday Studio class, with Ellen Cornett as teacher, we made flower collages.   It was great fun.  Ellen provided us with papers that had been painted in various colors and patterns.  Most of the students cut out flowers, but I decided the poppies needed tearing to honor their jagged petals.  This is my result.  I did use pen for the black part.

Here's a picture of how it looked when all the collages were hung on the bulletin board:

Glimpse Through the Rocks

 

Wow!  It has been awhile since I posted on this blog....I used to do it frequently, but seem to have paused that effort.  Well, here is something new. It  is a view through rocks at the California coast of a little beach with some driftwood, more rocks  and the air above the ocean beyond.   I did it for an upcoming show at a local gallery "Frame of Mine" that  will have an opening reception on February 14.  The theme of the show is "Landscapes."   

Dove of Peace Labyrinth

Here's my morst recent labyrinth painting......a dove of peace with an olive branch.  It is always rewarding to do these and I enjoy the finished product.  This one is based on a design I saw on pinterest, but I made some changes.  

"Blogspot" has changed to "Blogger," and it is possible I lost my followers.  I'll look into that.  Meanwhile, I will  post on Facebook anyway.  I may just give up this blog.

Drawing from Heifer International picture

 

This is a drawing I did some time ago....like, maybe 10 years!!!!!   I was cleaning up my old sketchbooks and found it there.  I really like it and so thought I would share it here.   It is from a photo in the Heifer International magazine, I think.  I had donated to a family in Pakistan and so now I can fantasize that it is the women in that family with a lamb they purchased with my donation.  I have no proof, but I like that thought.

Smith Home

It has been awhile since I have posted on this blog.  This is my latest painting.  It is of Louisa and Peter's house on E ST SE here in DC.  It was fun to do it and the colors in the painting are a little more vivid than those shown here---but not much.  I deliberately made the houses on either side a little less detailed.  The woman in the front yard (gardening) is Louisa.

One of the most fun things about this painting is that Griffin remembered the red wagon that is beside the steps.  It was fun to do this...a place of lots of good memories.

Flora and Fauna show at CHAW

 This is information on a show I am in at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th St SE  in DC Capitol Hill neighborhood.

 This is my painting in the show:  "Deer in Backyard"

The reception is on July 19 from 5:30-7, but CHAW is open most weekdays.  I hope my local friends can make it to the reception and/or the show.  

Creekbed in Northern California

 

This is another painting I did in the book I had written about before---maybe a couple of months ago.  It is a book of handmade papers that my friend Patrick Hamilton gave to me.  His sister had died and she was an artist and it was part of her things.  It is a little sad, because she had not had an opportunity to use it at all.nea

This painting is a quiet creekbed with a bridge in Northern California. It might be near the coast.   I didn't label it and I am not sure.  I am very happy with the play of colors and with the lone figure.  It is one of my favorites so far.

Capitol Columns in Fall

A favorite spot to visit here in Washington DC is the National Arboretum.  It is truly spectacular all times of the year.  One of the main attractions is the Capitol Columns, which are Corinthian in design and mounted in a formation on a hill.  They were part of the original Capitol design and installed in 1828.  However, when the Dome was completed in 1866 it was apparently was much larger than what was in the original design, and it didn't look right.  Eventually an addition was completed on the east side to balance the design and these columns were removed in 1958.  With the help of benefactors and an architect, they were moved at a later date to the Arboretum.  This view shows how they look from afar in Fall...one of the best times to visit and walk around the historical installation.
 

Smilin' Santa

 

My snowman for this year is what I call a "Smilin' Santa."  I had a lot of fun with him and the original of the painting has already sold.  He will be on my holiday cards and it is always fun to realize some people have collected them over the years and display them together.  

CAPITOL IN SPRING

 

This is something a little different for me.  One of my friends wanted a painting for her granddaughter's new home.  The idea was something that was very DC but also pretty.  I didn't feel confident to do it, and referred my friend to some other artists who did such paintings.  My friend and her husband found one that they liked, but it wasn't available.   It was the Capitol building with blossoms in front of it.  I decided to give it a try and this is the result.  I'm pretty happy with it and so is my friend  I hope the granddaughter likes it, but right now she is on a six-month assignment Qatar, so it will be awhile before she gets it.

HAND LABYRINTH

 

Here's another labyrinth.  I didn't post it when I finished it...a couple of months ago.  I'm not sure why...I think it was just oversight.  I like it and it was fun to do.  I was trying to fit the labyrinth idea into a hand held up in greeting or maybe in peace.  In fact, I kind of pair this one with the peace labyrinth.  

PEACE LABYRINTH

 

This is my latest labyrinth....a plea for peace.  I got the image from pinterest, but modified it with the peace sign in the middle.  

I am always intrigued by the labyrinth patterns...there are so many and yet they all have one thing in common:  a path to the center (although it may not be direct), a place to rest in the center, and a path out.  

I usually make them more colorful, but the blue and white seemed to be the best fit for this idea.

End of Day West Coast

This is a special memory kind of painting.  It is of Louisa and Peter walking along the coast near Fort Bragg, California (Northern California).  We were there for the wedding of Jenifer and Erik--so it was a time to cherish and be together and create some memories.  We spent several days there, so it was more than just participating in the wedding.  In addition the wedding and the time on the beach, we got to hike in the forest and meet some of the locals.  The painting will be in an upcoming show at Frame of Mine here in DC.  The show's theme is Seashore.  I think it fits right in.  Reception is August 24 1-3 pm.

TY Catherine

I recently had a visit from Catherine Rondthaler.  We had a nice dinner at my house with Louisa and Peter.   Catherine brought these beautiful sunflowers.  What a nice surprise.

We got to go to a the Renwick Gallery--always a big treat.  She also got to spend some time in the Capitol Hill neighborhood and some other adventures.  A real treat to spend some time with her, and the sunflowers were worthy of a thank-you card.

Catherine was on her way to a memorial service in Woods Hole Massachusetts for her uncle and my brother-in-law George Woodwell.  I wasn't able to make it to Woods Hole, but I did get to see the service on-line and it was beautifully done, with a balance between his professional and family life.  His professional life was as an environmental scientist and he was the founder of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, later named Woodwell Climate Research Center.  He also was a wonderful family man.  We are both honored to be related to him.

Multnomah Falls

 

This is the second painting in my sketchbook of handmade papers, and is another favorite place of mine.  It is Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.  It's a spectacular place.

Another reason I love it is because it has the imprint of Howard, who laid out the trail to the bridge...and beyond.  He also oversaw modifications on the lower part of the trail for wheelchair accessiblity.  What an acheivement!   And many good memories for me.

Bodega Head

 

I have painted this scene many times...from photographs.  It is on the Northern California coast and was one of my favorite places growing up.  Just beautiful...and usually not crowded.

This particular painting was a big challenge.  It is the first painting in the hard bound book I was recently given that has hand-made paper pages.  I think I will have to focus on loose landscapes in this book.  My plan now is to paint places that I love.

Me as a Papoose

 

This was quite a challenge!   I received a bound book of handmade paper--it is inspiring and also a little intimidating.  I decided to practice first on some loose handmade paper that I have.  My idea of the book was to make paintings that would capture different places and people in my life.  I am not sure I can do that, but my first test effort was to make this painting of my mother with me in a Native American cradelboard for carrying babies, or "papooses."  My dad's Aunt Duckie had a whole collection of baskets and this was one of them.  That pose was fun for the whole family and I am glad I have the picture.  Painting people on the handmade paper is hard, though!

I took this first one to my critique group and the suggestion was to do another one, using gesso on the paper to give it a better surface before applying the watercolor paint.   I decided to try the same photo and this is the result:

Both versions are interesting.  I didn't even finish the second one because I meant for them to be tests.  I think the color of the original is better in the first version, but the picture I took is not good.  I can't take another as I gave that one to Jenifer, who was visiting from Tennessee.  It went home with her.

It was a fun experiment, but the bound book is probably going to feature landscapes.  I love doing them on handmade paper.