Janis!

 

I had an idea of trying a new approach to portrait painting by doing a splash background and then imposing the figure on it.  This is Janis Joplin, based on photo I got on the internet.  I made some changes because the photo was black and white and I wanted color.   I think I will try this process again.  I like the effect and it was fun to do it.  She seems too young here....but then she was too young when she died.

Capitol Hill Art Walk

 

I will be participating in this neighborhood art walk, and it should be fun.  I am not sure yet if it will be in the front of my house, or inside....it depends on the weather.  I will have cards, unframed paintings (shrinkwraps) and some framed paintings.  I also plan to have some free stuff---bookmarks and cards that are kind of out-of-date.  The address is 629 Ellen Wilson/Navy PL SE for those in the DC area who might be able to stop by.

Italian Countryside

 

This is my most recent painting.  I did it from a photo I took when visiting my cousin Jane.  Her family has vineyards and an organic garden near Bologna Italy though she has sadly died.  This is a view toward a neighbor's home.  I was inspired by the theme "Framing A View" for an upcoming show at a local business Frame of Mine.  I liked the idea of looking through the foreground greenery to the view of a building typical of that area and the fields and trees.  The show will be open April 29 through June 23.   It's a great venue, right on Barrack's Row in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.  The Capitol Hill Art League has several shows there each year, and this is one of them.

Tangled

 

Here's another painting that will be in the May/June show at the Hill Center.  My photo doesn't do it justice as the colors are more intense than they look here.  It started with a photo from Helen Jolley's Facebook page.  As I recall, she or her husband Mike took it on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state.  The tree roots are tangled and it is just very intriguing.  I had a challenge to do it and started with a strong underpainting and then mostly worked on what would look good to me....not necessarily what was in the photograph.

White Water Rush

 

This is a painting that I did because I like painting rocks.  The photo I used had some rushing white water, so I did that, too...and it turned out to be the main point of the painting.  I will be showing it in May and June at the Hill Center here on Capitol Hill.  That has been a good venue for me and I have sold several paintings there.  It is an old Civil War hospital that has been converted to a place for classes, lectures, movies, and more...and always good art shows.   

TY Leslie

I am a little behind on my posts.  I recently went on a retreat to Rehoboth Beach in Delaware with some friends from my memoir group.  I have actually been making pretty good progress on an autobiography and am using the same format as I use for these blog entries; i.e., I post a picture or a painting and then tell about it.  I was very flattered when my progress was recognized with the gift of a mug with a Cicero quote; "A room without books is like a body without a soul."   That resonates!   I also got some red pens, yellow highlighters and post-it notes as well as a binder with printouts of some of my entries--I can add to it.  It was very thoughtful and I say "thank you" to Leslie Bridgett because she is the person who made it happen and because she has also been foremost in encouraging me in my writing process. All in the group are very supportive, though, and Ann Manheimer, Deborah Hanlong and Patrick Hamilton made the retreat happen.  They also lead regular meetings which rotate between speakers and opportunities for us in the group to share what we've written.

Memories

 

I did this watercolor sketch some time ago when my friend Mary Procter came to my house for a little sketching session.  Mary and I have done plein air outside together, but this was a day when it was cold and blustery and we were indoors.   The Capitol Hill Art League (CHAL) has a monthly challenge, and the February theme was "Memories."  I submitted this.  There is a very informal judging process in which the winner of the previous month's challenge chooses the winner for the next month.  This little sketch was recognized with an Honorable Mention in February, which was a pleasant surprise.

I had won first place in the December challenge for the painting of a Ukranian Snowgirl and and so I got to choose the January winners.  It is just something CHAL does all on-line with postings in our google group, on Facebook and on Instagram and is just for fun and to keep in touch.   This month's theme is "Ocean's Up," and I'm not sure what I will do...yet.