Saturday, June 26, 2010

Summer is Busy!

But not busy with painting projects. I have taken a bit of a vacation this week. First we had Father's day and that weekend is always a big car show at the state fair grounds. Then it was really busy with running with my mom. My grandson,Avery, was with us this week and I like to spend time with him. He is a talented boy, musically and artistically. Right now he is more interested in his band that he is part of so the art side of his personality is kind of dormant. These are little drawings he did while I attempted to paint outside in our yard. Mine was not successful. You really have to keep your hand in plein air painting to get good at it. He was quite satisfied with his. He told me that his art teacher had them draw from life and he chose the poinsettia to draw. He has it memorized. Two little drawings, 3x5 from my sweet grandson.
Poinsettia

Sunflower
Next I would like to get him to paint something on canvas with my acrylics. With some luck I will be posting that soon. Better get to painting myself too.
Here is a photo from the clouds we had last night after a really big storm. That kept us busy cleaning up the yard and drying out the basement and garage. A bit of a flood in the garage. Dan found the reason and we hope that the storm we have coming tonight will not bring the same results.

These are mammatus clouds. They were above us before the storm and then we saw them again after the storm. Wikipeida says they form under an anvil cloud. And anvil clouds bring big storms.That would be what we had. Lots and lots of rain and some pea sized hail. Our yard was flooded with run off from our neighborhood. We live in a rural subdivision and rely on ditches and culverts to take the water away and down our ravine. It was really gushing. The prediction is for more storms tonight. Let's hope that they are not as bad and that we do not get more hail and wind.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Fifteen minutes of fame

I think it was Andy Worhol who said that we all get fifteen minutes of fame in our lives. I have had mine at the Foot in the Door show at the Minnesota Institute of Arts. Dan and I picked up my painting on Thursday. It had hung there in the Institute for two months! That is more than 15 minutes isn't it?
This is Bear--our big old black cat. His portrait was my choice to hang in the show. Actually, this was the only painting that was one foot or less square. So he won by default. I guess I could have painted another but I also thought that I could find this painting easily since his eyes stand out so much. My mistake! If you click on the link for the Foot in the Door show, you will see that finding any painting in the exhibition is a frustrating experience. It was an easy job picking up the painting and Michelle's little vase. They were well organized and we were in and out in a half hour. It was fun seeing the walls again and as was true for each time I viewed the show, saw new paintings that I had not seen the last time. What wonderful talent we have in Minnesota. I just hope that I am around next time they offer this experience. I will surely enter a painting again. Then I will have had 30 minutes of fame.
Now if the weather can moderate a bit so I can get out to paint without getting rained on. I will try some more plein airs while we have summer.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Addition to Chrome File

I am coming to understand why I enjoy doing the chrome paintings. Beside the fact that they turn out so cool. ;-) Each of them pushes me to a new color scheme. When I am doing a plein air, I use the tried and true, warm and cool triad of yellow, red and blue with white. With the chrome paintings I find myself using new colors in very different ways. When I go to my class with Robert Burridge in August, I expect that he will be pushing the class to even more new color schemes. I love to learn and the chrome paintings are helping me learn more about color. Here is another new one that I did of the chrome on my own 61 Ford Starliner.  These are the star details on the roof post. This one got even more abstract in the finish. Dan would like to see this one displayed on its side, horizontal instead of vertical. I can see it both ways but like it best in the vertical. So I signed it that way in marker so it is decided. No going back now.
There is an artist across the hall from my studio who is painting wall sized abstracts that appear to be super enlarged close ups of chrome reflections but not that exactly. They are very complex and quite intriguing. Anyway, sometimes I wonder what these would look like if I did them even more abstract and very large. Someday.........................
61 Starliner Stars
11x14 acrylic on wood panel
June 2010

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Accepted!

My friend Gerry and I drove over to Waseca  to enter our Minnesota landscapes in a juried show. Then we waited for the word. Good words came yesterday. We both had our paintings accepted to the show!
Lanesboro Bike Trail 
I have posted this one before. It was the only painting that I had of an actual Minnesota scene. Gerry submitted a nice watercolor of a rowboat on shore up north. The show is at the Waseca Art Center. Hope you find time to stop by to see the show.

I have been painting chrome hood ornaments lately so that I will have enough for the Second Saturday at Stones Throw. (Keep hoping for a break in the rainy weather)



This one is a Leaping Impala. I love the gold and blue color scheme. I believe that this ornament is on the hood of a 51 Impala. Cool -- right?

This painting is another version of the Dodge Ram. Dan thinks it is from a 50's era car. I like the way these get an abstract feeling. There is another one in the works that I will have a photo of tomorrow.
Remember Stones Throw on Saturday in St. Peter. If the rain stays away!


Wednesday, June 9, 2010

River Rock Show

After hanging the show at River Rock last night, I went back today to take photos of the paintings in the day light. The yellow walls in the cafe are perfect for my paintings. The walls are good for the larger paintings. I saw some photos hanging for their last show and they looked too small with the new hanging system the cafe is using now. Anyway here they are........................
See what I mean about the yellow/

These are above a little sitting area.

River Rock from the outside, just in case you are stopping by to see and "Buy?" one of the paintings. ;-)

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Belated Birthday Gift

Here I am two posts in one day. I guess I am catching up with the month that I was not out here. My DIL had a birthday in May. I know that she loves flowers and that orange and brown are a theme in her decorating. What better than a flower painting. This one is oil on board. I loved doing this one. It almost painted it self. The colors are so cheerful and warm. The day lilies are not blooming yet so I did this one from a photo and just used the flowers and not the back ground. I like the way they pop out at the viewer. Sorry here is a little glare on the back ground. I used press on letters for the Believe. Happy Birthday Joey. Enjoy.
Natures Glory--Believe

Shows Coming Up this week!

Hi all--As you might know, I have been painting regularly these past few months and now it is time to show you what I have been up to. Just in time for Father's Day, I will be displaying my chrome hood ornement paintings on Saturday, June 12 (if it doesn't rain) at the Stones Throw Gallery in St. Peter. The chrome paintings are really striking. I have them from a small 8x10 to a very large 34x30. These are the result of many car shows that we go to. I am always drawn to the chrome bits on the cars and all the colors and shapes reflected in them. If, when you see them, you say to yourself I wish I had one of these to celebrate my street rod, just say the word and we can set up a time to take photos and make you your very own "Margie." I may not be Picasso yet but look out world here she comes. ;-)
Hope to see you on Saturday at the Stones Throw in St. Peter. You can't miss the gallery. It is in the big blue house on Minnesota Ave. just a few blocks north of the down town area.
While you are in St. Peter, stop at the River Rock Cafe for a sandwich and a cup of coffee. I have some of my landscapes and still lifes hung there in the coffee shop. The shop is a warm and inviting, with bright yellow walls. Just the thing for my colorful paintings.
While you are in St. Peter, you can see my whole year of paintings. Come to see me there and if you are looking for that special something for Father's Day give me a call and we can get some photos and get you one of those Margie/Picasso Paintings. 
Generation Gap-Not the usual Italian doorway. Modern vs. Ancient

One of my favorite chrome paintings. A mustang grill badge.
Be sure to come to St. Peter to see them all.

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