Art on the Walls at the Y

Landline Pastel

The show is up at the YMCA with pastels by my friend Barbara Wolf and me.  Along with street scenes from NYC and landscapes from Wyoming you will find fruits and vegetables in the Kitchen Series.  All priced right for a unique gift this season. Stop by the Y any time or mark you calendar for a reception on December 12th from 5 to 6 p.m.  Hope to see you there.

If you have access to Warren AFB stop by the Holiday Mart in Fall Hall this Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m.  I will have mini-mini's, note cards and the Wyoming Pride series on display.  

New Venue

Raw Chocolate Pastel 12 x 9  $250

I was delighted to be asked by Maura Jacobsen to place my pastel  paintings at the Wyo Art Factory.  Maura opened the business not only as her Studio for her unique ceramics but as a place to host events related to art as well as birthday parties, workshops and next year watch for art camps.  She is also on the Art Design & Tour.  The next tour is November 13th from 5 to 8 PM.

One of the pieces at the Wyo Art Factory is Raw Chocolate.  I was intrigued to learn more about chocolate, a FAVORITE staple in my home, after visiting Theo Chocolate in Seattle.  The cocoa pods were bright and leathery before they are opened and processed.  Theo Chocolate is unique in their processing as they do not use soy lecithin to thicken the chocolate.

Meeting Other Artists

Along Hwy 7 Gilpin County CO

Sunday was  our day away driving in the Colorado mountains, stopping to photograph the glorious fall foliage and meeting the artists on the studio tours. The artists are all members of the Pastel Society of Colorado.  Virginia Unsled was in a spot with 360 degrees views with a detached studio in Gilpin county, near Black Hawk.  Jeannette Stutzman, Sally Davidson-Marovich and Karen Spotts all had their studios spaces showcasing their art and personalities in the Evergreen area.  

The Evergreen Studio tour had another artist I admire and was delighted to meet, Jane Christie. Her luscious pastels are painted on black Canson paper.  See her art at Saks Gallery in Denver.  Saks Gallery

Check out Jane

A Commission

Wyoming Pride Series

We were driving in Maine when I got the email from Beth at the Wyoming State Museum Store.  She needed 30 paintings for the Legislative trade delegation to take to Asia. Would I be interested?  With cell reception in the middle of Maine (we are traveling to the smallest town in each state)  I accepted the commission and mentioned my pastel pal Gail might also help.   I choose our Wyoming state flower, the Indian Paintbrush, which I have painted several other times. The image is the finished 5x7 pieces in four compositions delivered for framing.  Gail painted the Wyoming state bird, the Meadowlark.   The paintings are on the way to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan to be given as gifts.  

one of the 5x7 pastels

All Pastel

Persistent Spring  - Pastel

You know that I coordinate the Nagle Warren Mansion venue for our monthly Cheyenne art tour, Art Design and Dine.  With an unexpected cancellation I needed to fill the August slot so have invited my pastel pals to do the show All Pastel.  Join Maureen Bader - Bob Nelson – Jeanie Schlump – Gail Watford – Barbara Wolf and me at the reception on August 14th from 5 to 8 PM.  See the luscious pastels at the Mansion in the lower level and then visit the other venues.

And save the date for more fabulous art at the Seventeenth Street Art Festival August 15 and 16 on 17th Street behind the new Rib & Chop House at 400 E Lincolnway.   I will be there with my photographer husband Don.  

Inspiration at Natural Grocers

I Love visiting our Natural Grocers.  Petra is the one that lovingly displays all the organic vegetables.  One day I had a camera in my pocket and snapped a few shots.   On my last visit to the store I mentioned my admiration of her displays and that I had painted her produce and she was delighted and wanted to see them.  So you may see them also as they now hang at natural Natural Grocers Cheyenne.  

Eat Your Greens 

Petra's Produce

If you like Vegetables be sure  visit Deselm's fine art as Harvey has a set named Open Air Market.

Mom's Day 2014

Mom Day Lilacs 

She always seems to know what to reserve to commemorate mom's day.  We visited Dakota Art Pastel last month when I visited Seattle to see #1 daughter Kristin. She sent me home with a box of pastels, wrapped in purple paper, admonished not to open until mom's day.   Ah... an entire set of Blue Earth pastels in every hue and value of purple.  I knew I wanted to do the lilacs, that are close to blooming for this season, so grabbed a reference photo from last season.   

The photos are what we really had for Mother's Day 2014.  Saturday the tulips were lovely and Sunday was the beginning of almost a foot of snow.  Yes Spring in the Rockies is just like that.    Photos by Don.

Spring 5-10-14

Spring 5-11-14

Have Been Painting

Did you know that it is still painting when using the medium of pastel?  Since it is pure pigment with a bit of binder and the strokes of pastel mimic brush work you will hear the term painting, not drawing.   With two galleries Blackhawk in Saratoga and Deselms Fine Art  in Cheyenne I really must create the time to paint.   Today I worked on three different pieces, inspired from my recent trip to Seattle to visit Kristin.   I hope they will be ready to frame this week.  So some that are framed....

    Bold Beauty 8x8 at Deselms Fine Art

Open Market  5x7
at Deselms Fine Art

Open market Deux 5x7
at Deslems

Now back to painting.

Blissful Hues

Blissful Hues 14x11 or 11x14   How will you hang it?  

When a painting is just not working I will knock off the pastel and begin again.   This time a floral was overloaded, overworked and just not becoming a painting I loved.  The sanded Wallis paper can be used over, though a ghost image is noticeable. 

Spread before me were some favorite colors of pastel...the ones I seem to pick most often. Instead of working the floral again I just let the muse lead me into my favorite hues and ....

Here is my first abstract.
Let me know what you see, how you feel.... 

Summer's End in Western Spirit

Summer's End Pastel 10x20

It is always rewarding to get the little notification you have been accepted.  Western Spirit is an exceptional show featured at our Old West Museum with almost 200 artists from across the nation juried into the show.  It opens March 1st and runs through April 13th.  

This piece will be there with over 300 other pieces.  It is based on a photo I snapped at our Governor's residence, an arrangement in an old milk can.  The light was just right making the sunflowers gleam.  

The Falls 16x20 

This is also the first year that the show has included photography as fine art. Don just took up photography two years ago and he has two images to show.  Be sure to come and see Begin Again and The Falls, both images of a Yellowstone trip. 

Begin Again 16x20