Wednesday, December 10, 2014

In the Walnut Room...

A few weeks ago our sketch group closed out our 2014 sketchy season with lunch and art in the Walnut Room at Macy's (Field's to all the faithful). Good food, good friends and a festive setting made for a delightful afternoon. This sketch is a detail of some of the decorations that filled the space. It was a good end to our year and I am looking forward to our 2015 schedule!

Monday, November 17, 2014

NWS Opening

Saturday, November 8, was the opening reception for the National Watercolor Society 2014 Annual Exhibit in San Pedro, CA. I was honored to have my painting, Puzzling, chosen as one of the 79 paintings that make up this incredible show! It was a great weekend, I got to meet many of the other artists and had the opportunity to study some impressive work up close. Plus I got to enjoy a weekend of warm, sunny weather. Many thanks to all the people that make this exhibit happen every year.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Patterns, Doors and Autumn in Old Town

So our last venture outside with the Sketch Group coincided with a beautiful October Indian Summer day, such luck!

I passed this red door on my walk to our meeting spot and decided to go back and give it a try. I couldn't begin to duplicate the complexity of the door! Also intriguing were the rows of tile patterns laid into the brick wall on either side of the door. And, of course, I had a carpet of fallen leaves at my feet.

And altho we will have one more indoor gathering to close out 2014, we ended our outdoor sessions on a perfect note.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Painting The Gardens in Lincoln Park

Last Monday was a beautiful day to sit in the sun and paint. The gardens at the south end of the Lincoln Park Conservatory were in fine shape and provided the subject matter for the afternoon. All of the rain this summer has provided lush growth that still looks great in September. Now the leaves are starting to turn colors and I hope to get an opportunity to capture some of that transition before the leaves fall.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Thunderstorm Moves Us To Navy Pier

Well it has been almost two weeks and another sketch group trip is almost here so I better show this before I forget! A nasty midday storm moved us from Olive Park destination to nearby Navy Pier to paint. We went near the exhibition hall area on the upper level for the view south and were able to watch the storm push thru the city and off to the south, interesting clouds and eventually some peaks of blue sky. It turned out to be a good spot! This is my second effort, the storm clouds against a patch of clearing sky above a bit of south Michigan Ave.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Heartland Patterns

"Heartland Patterns" is the title of my featured exhibit at the Illinois Artisans Gallery in The Thompson Center, Chicago. Currently, 18 framed watercolors grace the front window and wall of the gallery that is located on the 2nd floor. There is also a large selection of matted works and note cards, including a limited edition card of the painting that is hanging in the window. The exhibit will be up thru September 12 and the gallery is opened weekdays from 9-5. I will be at the gallery on Friday, September 5, from noon to 4 working on some paintings and answering questions about my work.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Fresh Wash on a Friday...

Trying to grab a little time in the studio this afternoon before weekend activities begin. It has been a busy week, delivered 20 framed paintings and 22 matted works to the Illinois Artisan's Gallery in Thompson Center for a featured artist show that will run thru August. It should be up and open on Monday. Also had to prep work for shipping and took care of getting a couple of digital entries sent out. All that cuts into studio time! Since my time is short and choppy , I have been working on some small-scrapes. This first wash of cadmium orange and cobalt blue is a start at establishing an interesting sky. Will post about the show after I get some pictures there early next week.

Monday, July 21, 2014

Remembering The Fields Project....

I am sorting thru a stack of small watercolors in preparation for an upcoming show at the Illinois Artisans Gallery in Thompson Center. I just came across this, it was done during a residency at the Fields Project/Ogle Co. It has been a few years ago, but I do remember painting at Barb Samsel's farm, always a favorite location for me, yellow barns, white farmhouse, flowers, animals, laundry or quilts on the line and planted fields all around. Such good memories of friends and beautiful country.

Monday, July 14, 2014

Rain Out .....

So rain kept the group from today's trip to the lily pond, we will try again in two weeks and hope for better weather! Instead here is a watercolor from the Lurie Garden at Millennium Park. This was from earlier this summer when the tulips were still looking good! I have been thinking about doing some larger floral paintings, it's been many years since I did a floral series.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Closed Due To Rain

Fortunately the rain moved off to the east last Monday by the time we were to meet for sketching in the Sculpture Garden on the north side of the Art Institute. Altho skies were gray for most of the afternoon, temperatures were warm and humidity kept the watercolor washes from drying too quickly. My first sketch was of a Calder sculpture in the garden, which needs a few finishing touches. My attention was given to the row of unopened umbrellas over small tables. I love umbrellas altho they are often much harder to draw or paint than I expect. This red one turned out well for a quick study and it joins the ranks of umbrella sketches. Perhaps I should do a few more and have an umbrella exhibit!

Friday, June 13, 2014

Down By The Riverside

Monday was as beautiful a day as you could wish to have for painting outside! We were along the Chicago Riverwalk, just east of Michigan Avenue on the north side of river. This sketch is of a boat that was moored and not in use so it was a good non moving subject! The sun was bright and I tried to keep it simple. This was the second of two sketches I did. The area is rich with subject matter and space to sit and paint so I hope we will return here in the early fall for another session.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Painting at Millenenium Park

It has been a couple of busy weeks since this was painted, but it was one of the nicer days I have spent at the Lurie Garden. Finally, we got there to paint and sketch while the tulips were still lovely and plentiful! This was the second of two small paintings from our visit, I was sitting near the center of the garden and looking north. I will post the other one later.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Another Detail...

Here is another detail from a larger work called Twelve Verses. This painting is a part of the more experimental abstract series where I apply color, texture and forms thru a variety of methods including pouring, stamping, transfers, brushwork and lifting. I do enjoy the looseness and flow of ideas that are a part of this approach.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Looking Out My Front Door...

Cold weather has kept me indoors more this year, even had to cancel the April location painting for our group due to wet, chilly day. So yesterday I sat inside my front hallway and painted a few of the tulips in the planter right outside. A little bit of outdoors as seen from the indoors. Today I am in the studio working on a couple of different pieces, sun feels good thru the window but I have been outside and know the chill persists!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Monday Sketch Group- March

Our little group has been fortunate to have an indoor meeting spot for the first three months of this cold and snowy year thanks the Holy Name parish. The first two meetings involved demos of drawing and watercolor techniques and discussions of material, supplies, line, color and composition. Yesterday we all brought objects and put together a still life to work from or you could choose just one object to concentrate on. It was good practice for all. Next month we will return to being out on location around the city, hopefully the weather will cooperate!

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Detail...

So I continue to experiment with pouring, printing and painting abstract watercolors while I do my usual abstracted landscapes. This is a detail from a piece I have titled Twelve Verses and it is in the final stages, just a few details left to finish! I have it hanging in the studio and keep seeing little things to tweak or add. I have five paintings going right now in various stages from just starting to almost done and ranging in sizes as well. Just need more time in the studio.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Back To Work

Well the Holidays and colds always seem to disrupt the work schedule! But I have been back in the studio on a regular basis for the last three weeks and making progress on some new work. This is a small study but it was fun way to get things going. I had the opportunity to exhibit three watercolors in the Atrium of Thompson Center during the third week in January which went well. Two of the three paintings are now on display in the Lt. Governor's office for the rest of her term! I am working on a variety of things now and will continue to try to share regularly.