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Do you love decorating for Christmas? It's fun and festive to switch out wall art with Christmas-themed things. You can frame cards or hang Christmas paintings and prints. I've painted up a few angels this year and am offering them at an excellent price: $30 each or 2/$50, free shipping. Contact me to purchase or ask a question. Art is a wonderful Christmas gift! There are 2 of each style and I have already sold one of the Rustic Angels. They are 8x10, original oils,and the sides of the canvas are painted so framing is optional.  Standing Angel, upper left, is done in a heavy impasto...thick, luscious paint applied with a palette knife and brush.
Kneeling Angel, upper right, is painted with a glazing technique with many thin layers of oil paint glazed over the canvas. Rustic Angel, lower, is painted to look like a soft angel doll on a wooden board, embellished with pinecones and greenery.
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Yes, I have said it and, probably, you have too. You know... when you are browsing through a gallery or an art show, moderately saturated by the visual overstimulation and a painting catches your attention and you (profoundly) blurt, "what a great frame!" Maybe it was a great frame, but you know it was the painting that drew you in. So, what DO you say to the artist when looking at her work?
I had a wonderful booth location at the art show I was in last month, third from the door...which meant the visitors and shoppers were fresh, open, and ready to mingle. We had great conversations and I came away with five helpful observations: 1. Looking is free! Go right into an artist's display and look at everything. You don't have to say a word and the artist knows a sale is not going to happen at the first look so won't be expecting you to buy a thing. 2. Say what you are feeling! I was so surprised and got all warm and fuzzy inside when I heard throughout the weekend the same expression of peacefulness and restfulness my paintings evoked in viewers. I don't try to paint with that in mind, but it must be coming through in my style. So if the display of paintings trigger joy, energy, happiness, gentleness...express it to the artist. 3. Ask for the story! Every painting probably has an interesting history and most artists are happy to tell it. Possible questions might be "Where is this setting?" "What kind of bird (horse, tree, flower) is this?" "Did you travel to this place?" "Is this from a photo or from life?" Hearing the stories behind the paintings adds to the fun of viewing art. 4. Ask for a card! And use it as a segue to learning about the business side of art. Does he have a website? a gallery? How long has she been painting and how did she learn? Artists like giving out their cards and don't like taking them all back home after a show. It's nice to know your little moo card might be floating out there, giving happy vibes to someone. 5. Share your story! If you're a painter, say so and then there are hundreds of things to talk about. One time I did just that and got an excellent 30 minute private lesson in plein air composition from a really good artist. If you've always wanted to paint, say so and you may discover some avenue to get started. If you just enjoy interesting art, a conversation about beauty, culture, mystery might be in store. Trust me, you don't have to say anything at all and the artist won't mind. Especially if she is eating lunch. But do try, if you can. It makes the experience of seeing and understanding art so much richer and memorable. It values the time and effort and love the artist pours into her work. And when the words, "What a great frame," start to leave your lips tell yourself, "I can do better," and try out one of my suggestions. What is it about umbrella pictures? We all seem to love them. Maybe it's the juxtaposition of the jaunty bumbershoot and the miserable drippy day. I would say that's the Northwest in me speaking, but the truth is umbrellas are rarely used in Seattle. It's simply too clumsy to have to deal with them and the rain generally is manageable with just a hood on the jacket. My "umbrella paintings" were a hit at the Autumn Artisans Show in October. These sold:
These are available:
This large painting is also available! It measures 15x30" and is beautiful! The colors glow in good lighting and it was a show stopper!  "Gray Day Bright Umbrellas" 15x30 Oil on canvas $400 unframed $500 framed *free shipping" For inquiries and more info...go here! Here's a candid photo of the paintings in good lighting (but blurry iPhone skills):  We had visitors at the workshop...big ones. And curious, too! Our local plein air artists organization, The Chestnut Group, presents a wonderful array of workshops at very affordable cost each year, one of which I attended last month. Anne Blair Brown demonstrated how to do a quick and loose plein air study to use as a reference for a larger studio piece. It was a beautiful rural setting just outside of Nashville with stone walls, pastures, barns and a picturesque home...oh, and horses. I learned some things that day about horses, such as: they are herd animals, they are very curious, they like to nibble on car handles, wipers and mirrors, and they get pretty lively when the cooler, fall weather hits. There were about 25 cars to choose from and they messed with a few of them. It wasn't long before a couple of the bolder horses decided to take a closer look at the painting business. Mercifully, I was safely in the middle of the human pack and the equines kept their friendly tormenting at the outer edges. It was all quite entertaining until the kicking started (horse on horse, thankfully!) There was a horsewoman in our midst who jumped to the rescue, waving and shooing them off, much to our relief. I don't mind a little wild life, but I think I will stick to chickens, thank you very much.
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