Classes are finished!

I'm so excited....classes are finally over and I'm looking forward to a break. Next semester will be anatomy and color, line & design. I finshed my bust for my figure modeling class and my last two drawings for the figure drawing class. What a relief....

Now I can work on some of the projects that have been floating around in my head all semester...and get to some pastel painting. I haven't touched the pastels in too long...it'll be interesting to see if my drawing class has improved my painting. Anyway, here are my last assignments ...and Happy Holidays!

Only 5 days of class left and the semester is over!

It's been a busy couple of months and I can't believe that much time has passed since I last updated my blog...bad blogger, bad blogger. Anyway, here are some of the homework assignments that have been keeping me so busy. We're finishing up this week, only two more drawings and a clay bust to go!

Finished Homework Assignment

Wow, this one took some time to do and still needs work. This is the homework assignment from this past week and is a copy Bernini's sculpture of David.

This week we're continuing our work in anatomy and concentrating on arms and legs. The assignment is to do another copy of a master's work, this time it's Raphael. I'll post something as soon as it's finished.

Speaking of sculpture, I haven't posted anything from my figure modeling class. Our past weeks' assignment have been a controposto pose (weight shifted to one leg) which has taken some time to say the least. The sculpture is built on an armature and stands about 2ft. tall. Also, we had to make a mouth too...so here they are.

On the lighter side, my hubby George had his 39th birthday on the 23rd. We ate cake at the 'rents and made sure the table and plates were decorated transformer style! Complete with transformer masks...George wore four of them at the same time.

Another week gone by and here's the latest drawing, this isn't a homework assignment...just an exercise. This is a copy of Michelangelo’s Libyan Sybil.

Art School

I'm really having a great time with my art classes this semester...figure drawing and figure modeling. The sculpture is new for me and a bit awkward, but the figure drawing is great. There's something about being able to accurately render the human figure that 's really inspiring and uplifting! Here's a piece I did for the last module and couple from this module. I have my sites set on getting out in the public eye and beginning my illustration career before finishing school and dedicating as much of my time to that as possible.

We just came back from Albacon (sci-fi and fantasy writer's convention in Albany, NY) and had a great time. The event could have been organized a little better and the website needs work, but the wealth of information from the panelists and guests was well worth going. We also met some really fantastic people in the bar...that just happened to be from my hubbie's hometown, teach at his school, shared my husband's name, and is a published author. Strange thing was that they weren't even there for the convention and they were staying in the hotel next door and only came over to the bar for drinks! There are no coincidences in this life, we were bound to cross their paths. They were really great people (Hi Pam and George!) and I hope we get to see them again sometime soon...
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Back in Art School!

It's almost the end of September and school has started once again. I'm currently taking Figure Modeling, which is a new experience for me because I've never worked with clay before. I'm also taking Figure Drawing, which is challenging but I'm learning a lot. Another new experience for me this fall is the workshop I'm giving at the local YMCA, I'm teaching a pastel workshop to a small group of children. We'll be working on landscape paintings this week!

The Zoo To Do benefit for the Thompson Park Zoo is right around the bend October 3rd, 2009 from 6:30 - 9:30 at the Flower Memorial Library. Adirondack chairs, painted by local artists will be sold and part of a silent auction during the benefit. Here is the chair I've painted for the benefit...I wish I could be there but I'll be in Old Forge for the Plein Aire Event that weekend.

Summer Festival was a hit!

On August 15th, the North Country Arts Council put on the 1st Annual Summer Art Festival and it was a true success! We had many artists show up to sell their wares, dancers, musical preformers and entertainers...we also had really great weather. A big thanks to Tracy R., Tracy G., Ingrid C. for withstanding the brutal heat to and sit on the asphalt to do some street painting. To see pictures from the Summer Festival, you can visit us on our Facebook page.

I decided to paint this hand with butterfly...all of the spaces were 6 x 6'.

August is almost over (I can't believe it) and school is only days away, not just for me, but for my boys and my husband as well...we're all going to be hitting the books! I'm taking a figure drawing class and a figure modeling class. I've never worked with clay before so it should be pretty interesting.

I'll also be getting ready to teach a pastel workshop at the YMCA starting September 9th. Which is also the due date for the Bra-vo exhibition at the Handweaving Museum in Clayton, NY. They're asking people to decorate bras, which will be auctioned off, to support breast cancer awareness. The Remington Arts Festival is also coming up in September, which I still need to register for, it's a one day art show & sale in Canton, NY and is held outside in the center of town.

In October, I'll be plein air painting in Old Forge and will then donate the painting for the auction...so a lot will be going on these next couple of months.

Stretched too thin....

Wow this past week has been busy! We just got back from our weekend camping trip to Lake Lila, which was probably the most work we've ever done for a camping trip (portaging a canoe over a quarter of mile over roots, rocks and mud and then getting rained on during the trip back...), and I've been on the go ever since. Lake Lila is a beautiful lake off of Route 30 in the Adirondacks next to Little Tupper Lake....no motorized boats are allowed and it's a wonderful, peaceful place, next time we'll stay longer.

I spent Monday cleaning up the camping equipment and the house, then I've been on Ft. Drum getting my graphic design work organized, which is where I'll be again today. Then a meeting tonight....and the workshop at the YMCA on Friday, which I still have to prepare for...nothing like waiting to the last minute.

So this weekend is looking like a more opportune time to start on a painting a day...we'll see how it goes!!

A Painting a Day!

After being on Wetcanvas and other artist's websites, looking for inspiration, I dropped in on Karen Margulis' blog. She's been creating a painting a day for four years now and her work is amazing! I seem to be at a standstill with my artwork and haven't really painted anything since last year, with pastels anyway. So....I've decided to make a commitment to myself (and now to everyone that visits here...) to take this challenge myself. I'm going to shoot for 100 days and post my daily paintings here....wish me luck!!

Great time in Elmira!

We had a wonderful time this weekend in Elmira despite the rain on Saturday. We arrived at the Newtown Battlefield State Park Friday evening and stayed in one of the little cabins...which was very cute. The festival started the next morning at 10am and we got started painting the background colors with tempera paint. The tempera, which is water based, makes a nice even background for the soft pastel layer. As we were finishing up the last of the background, a volunteer stopped by to let us know that a storm was rolling in and we should get it covered up. We had to let the paint dry a little bit first and then we laid two layers of plastic over the painted background. It made no sense to start gridding anything out because chances were that some

water would find it's way under the plastic, no matter how well it's taped...and it would all just be lost. So, we decided to wait until the next day to get started with the grid, sketching and soft pastels. The thunderstorm came that afternoon and pretty much wiped out any chance of going back and getting started with the soft pastels. George and I went down to the painting the next morning around 5:30am to remove the plastic to give the paint a chance to dry out before we came back at 8am. George, my mom and myself started snapping the chalk lines for the grid and I got started sketching out the painting. By 11:30am I was finshed sketching and we got started laying in the soft pastel. The judging was at 2pm and the festival ended at 4pm, so I knew I was up against the clock....not a very good way to paint. I concentrated mostly on the face while my mom worked on the fruit and the upper corners and my husband cleaned up the borders. We managed to get some of it finished, but sadly, more of it went unfinished...which was kind of a bummer. I decided that I wanted to at least outline some of the areas, so onlookers would be able to get an idea of what the image was intended to be.

Even though we lost a day and I didn't get to finish my painting, it's really to be expected when painting on the street....nothing endures....

This is the finished painting, well...not "finished"...but where we decided to stop....

We all had a fantastic time and my mother and husband were of great help, I wouldn't want to go without them! We had the chance while we were taking breaks to look at the other artists work, which was just fantastic! I'll upload a seperate slide show of the other artwork so everyone can enjoy it.

Many thanks to the wonderful people that work for the Elmira Downtown Development, they always do such a wonderful job putting on this event, it will be something we attend for many years to come. The best part of the festival would have to be the kind people that we met, from the onlookers walking by, to the business owners and of course the other artists....!! Hope to see all of you there next year!

(This is the postcard they sent out this year...with my street painting from last year...very cool!)

2nd Annual Elmira Street Painting Festival

We're headed to Elmira today to participate in this years 2nd annual Street Painting Festival in Elmira, NY. It's a wonderful event, with tons of people, fantastic artists and a super group of people that put the whole thing together. My mom and I will be painting Alfonse Mucha's illustration "The Fruit"...my mom thinks its a little too ambitious, but it never hurts to try...if the rain holds off we'll be fine. I'll post more when we get back!!

Yipes!! Where did the time go???

I can't believe it's already the 4th of July!! Things have been going well and have been really busy around here. I'm trying to keep up with the graphic design projects I have on Ft. Drum while entering shows and trying new things.

The reception at the National Northeast Pastel Exhibition in Old Forge, NY was a great time and I got to meet some wonderful people that are on the artist community Wetcanvas. Paula Ford, Lynn Vokatis, Adriana Meiss, and Don Ketchek. We all ate dinner together after the reception and talked "shop"...it was so nice to be surrounded by kindred spirits! To top it off, I just found out yesterday that my painting "Adirondack Stream" sold! How exciting! The next show is ...

The "Along the River's Edge Show & Sale" at the Handweaving Museum & Arts Center in Clayton, NY is opening on the 9th of July, my charcoal drawing "Asian Still Life" will be on exhibit there until the show closes August 28th.

The 2nd Annual Street Painting Festival in Elmira is fast approaching...this coming Friday we'll drive down and stay until Sunday. I've chosen to do a reproduction of a Mucha's painting "Fruit" in an 8 x 10' space. I'll be sure to bring the camera and take plenty of photos of all the work there.

After the street painting festival I have a few more things lined up...I'll be teaching a Pastel workshop for children at the YMCA, attending the Croghan Free Library at the end of this month to speak to children about creativity and art and participating in the street painting demo at the Summer Festival at Thompson Park in Watertown, NY, August 15th. This event is hosted by the North Country Arts Council and they are still looking for artist's to sell their work, so if you're interested please visit there website and sign up! A 10 x 10' space is pretty inexpensive and it's going to be a great time!

Somewhere in between everything that's going on, I need to carve out some time to actually create! I have a wonderful new french easel and I'm eager to get outside to do some plein air painting this summer. Wish me luck!!

Americade!

Americade was a lot of fun and George and I are really glad we went. The weather was beautiful in Lake George, perfect for riding. The ride home was another story, it was cold and raining the entire way home and we didn't have any rain gear. We stopped a few times to warm up, but it's kind of hard when your clothes are sopping wet! Anway...we made it home without getting hypothermia, we'll plan better next year. Here are a few pictures I took...

Another sunny day...

We dropped my brother John off at the airport yesterday, I was sorry to see him go...I wish he lived closer. Andre and Karlheinz are still here, so we'll be keeping busy with them and will possibly be taking a trip to Niagara Falls. Here is the charcoal drawing I did of my father for my last assignment in class...I also gave this to him for his 70th birthday. It's 18 x 24"....

No time for art! My brothers are here visiting along with my cousin Karlheinz from Germany. My father's birthday was a lot of fun and I'm really happy that we all got together to celebrate it...I think it's been about twenty years since we've all been in the same house together....crazy! We're headed to Old Forge today for some site seeing and picture taking, I'll post some photos when I get a chance....

A New Blog...

I'm just getting started on setting up this new blog so bear with me. George and I have a lot going on lately, he's now on the marketing committee of our New and Improved North Country Arts Council, a much needed group in this area! Check back here often for new updates and news about the events taking place and possible opportunities for local artists.

On my end, I've just finished up my first semester at the Academy of Art University...it was a challenge, but I learned a lot and will be a better artist for it. Relatives are coming into town, so I'll be helping my mother keep everyone fed and then in June George and I are off to Americade! I'm so excited!! I'll be back later to finish setting this up and post some artwork as well...