N.A.W.A. Annual Open Small Works Exhibition

"Now Being Served" - 6"x6" - oil on hardboard panel

"Now Being Served" has made it's way into the National Association of Women Artists Annual Open Small Works Exhibition in New York. Yippee!! My first show of the year. The exhibition dates are February 1, 2012 through February 27, 2012. The reception will be held February 8, 2012 from 5-7pm.

As a condition for acceptance into the exhibition, "Now Being Served" must be made available for sale. I mention this only because I've had several purchase requests in the last year, and now that I am finally ready to part with it, I thought I'd let it be known to anyone interested.

To make a purchase inquiry, please contact N.A.W.A. directly via their website (link provided above).

Study: Honey with Lemon

'Honey with Lemon' - 10"x8" - oil on hardboard panel - SOLD

At the end of each year, I do my annual studio purge where I get rid of the old and make way for the new. Then I tally up my canvases and supplies, make lists of what I need to order and start fresh with new paintings. 'Honey with Lemon' is my first painting of the New Year: simple, clean and making use of some leftover 8"x10" hardboard panels I had collecting dust through most of 2011. After completing 'An Unfair Advantage' and 'Do Not Stop On Tracks', I needed a simple painting to clear my mind. 'Honey with Lemon' fit the bill. Plus, we've had an unseasonably mild winter so far, the light being almost spring-like in its brightness, and I wanted to take advantage of that.

Speaking of 'An Unfair Advantage' and 'Do Not Stop On Tracks', they were accepted into the juried exhibition to which I entered them. Yay!!! As the exhibition date nears, I will make an official announcement. For those of you who sent me notes of encouragement, thank you. :o) For those of you who are still vacillating on whether or not to attempt entrance into competitions, get on it. When you do make it into one, it feels SO GOOD.

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And now for something completely different....

'An Unfair Advantage' - 10"x10" - oil on canvas

'Do Not Stop On Tracks' - 10"x10" - oil on canvas

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a wonderful time ringing in 2012. I chose to stay home for the first time in ages, cooked a roast, drank some bubbly, ate specialty chocolates and lazed on the couch in my pajamas watching movies until 1am. It was GRAND.

In more pertinent news, I spent December completing new paintings for exhibition submissions and also finished several small commissions for clients for the holiday.

Exhibition season is starting up again, and I've got several lined up to submit to in the coming months. Looking forward to the challenge. In fact, that's the reason I even write about these, most of which I don't get into. I like to challenge myself to try for new things, to stretch and grow and stick my neck out despite not having a guaranteed outcome. And I like to encourage others to do the same. There's always something good to be learned from each attempt, always something worth the effort regardless of whether or not you get in. So, now and then you'll see me post about submissions, my intent being to encourage fellow artists who read my blog to just go for it. :o)

Above are two submissions to a juried gallery exhibition titled 'Planes, Trains & Automobiles', which will be held in March of this year. They asked for submissions early on, in December, and I had a couple months advance notice to try to come up with something different.

I expected there to be quite a few direct approaches to the theme taken by other artists, and quite a few playful approaches as well. I knew I wanted to play, and I also knew I wanted to try my hand at the soft vs. hard focus look I had going with the Coca-Cola bottle paintings I did back in October.

My first thoughts were on Matchbox cars, and then while cleaning out one of my closets back in October, I found an old Monopoly board and playing pieces. One of my favorite games, and perfect for the 'train' theme. So, over the next few weeks I mulled it over and found a way to combine the two.

I like how they turned out and I had an absolute blast arranging and painting them both. And again, like the Coca-Cola bottles, messing with the focus on each painting proved......challenging. BUT, it did go more smoothly than the Coca-Cola bottles because this time I had some previous experience and trusted my eye more.

Hopefully the titles of each painting explain the paintings themselves within the content of the exhibition theme.

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Doughnut Study: Plain Glazed

'Plain Glazed' - 6"x6" - oil on hardboard panel - SOLD

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Another venture into the territory of doughnuts. I could smell this one the whole time I was painting it. Very distracting. I'm gonna have to go do some cardio. Maybe a juice fast. Lettuce. Rice cakes.........

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Doughnut Study: Maple Glazed

'Maple Glazed' - 6" x 6" - oil on hardboard panel - SOLD

Technically, this is the study for 'Delicious III' which I've yet to post because I kept getting irritated with how I'd rendered the tissue (or whatever they call those wax paper sheets you use to grab doughnuts off the pastry shelves). Dissatisfied with my results, I decided to do a study before going back to rework the tissue. And this is why studies are so valuable- they help you work through blockages at a smaller scale so that you can more easily accomplish what you want at a larger scale. I should have done the study first. Turns out there is a whole protocol for tissue to get it to look just right, and it involves a tricky combination of wet on wet, wet on dry, dry on dry and neutral underpainting that was previously a mystery to me. Now I know. And the thought of painting tissue again does not scare me as it did two days ago when I started the study in a state of mild-to-moderate frustration. Oh, who am I kidding? I was cussing up a storm. Enjoy!

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Delicious II

'Delicious II' - 10" x 10" - oil on canvas

The second of the 'Delicious' series. A favorite food, partly because it's just so darned pretty to look at!

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Delicious I

'Delicious I' - 10" x 10" - oil on canvas - SOLD

One of three in a series I will be unveiling this weekend. I love painting food. I LOVE painting food. I think it's the feeling of abundance and comfort that arises within me when I do. It's a truly happy experience to paint. Anyone who has followed my blog over the years knows this about me, my love of food painting, and in the last year or so, my love of hamburger painting. A favorite treat.

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