Featured Artist… John Pototschnik!

On February 13, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

“Another Snow Coming” by John Potoschnik

I ran across a painting by John Pototschnik on Facebook and it caught my eye right away. What fabulous work he’s got! I love how this painting captures the light, and those cool blue undertones of the snow with the pinky highlights just set such a mood for this painting. Gorgeous… Also love the tree with the sunlight hitting it so nicely. Great work! If you get a chance, check out his paintings AND his blog! His blog is absolutely amazing, he keeps you up to date on what’s going on as well as interviewing other artists. These are not fluffy interviews, these are MUST READS! He is entertaining and articulate, check it out!

Here’s a blip about John from his website:

John Pototschnik (Poe-toe-sh-nick) was born in St. Ives, Cornwall, England but grew up in Wichita, Kansas. He received his art training at Wichita State University in advertising design, followed by instruction in illustration and design at Art Center College in Los Angeles. Most recently he has studied human anatomy at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

In 1982, Pototschnik began painting professionally in the fine arts. Prior to that, he worked as a freelance illustrator for ten years with many of Dallas’ major advertising agencies and companies.

Since beginning his fine art career, Pototschnik has become a popular speaker and juror among art organizations. His paintings are in many private collections from Hawaii to Rhode Island and also in several public collections including : cities, banks, corporations and museums.

Pototschnik resides in Wylie, Texas with his wife Marcia. They have two grown sons. He is a past president of Artists and Craftsmen Associated and the Plano Art Association. He has been honored with four George Washington Honor Medals from the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, the John Steven Jones Fellowship, plus many other regional and national awards. He is recognized in “Who’s Who in American Art” and “Who’s Who in the Southwest”. His work has appeared in “First”, “The Artist’s Magazine”, “Southwest Art”, “American Artist”, “PleinAir Magazine”, “American Art Collector” and “International Artist”, plus six books…”The Best of Portrait Painting”, “200 Great Painting Ideas for Artists”, and “Expressing the Visual Language of the Landscape”, “100 Ways to Paint Landscapes”, “100 Ways to Paint Flowers and Gardens”, and “100 Ways to Paint Seascapes, Rivers and Lakes”. Several of his paintings have been published by the New York Graphic Society and Bentley House Publishing. He is a signature member of the Oil Painters of America and the Outdoor Painters Society.

“My artistic influences are diverse, ranging from the Barbizon painters of Corot, Daubigny and Millet to the American tonalist, George Inness. I believe all I need to know of the principles of art are to be found in the works of the masters. My paintings are not flamboyant, mysterious, trendy or shocking but I am interested in depicting the truth about life, as I see it, in a naturalistic way free of frills and bravado. I enjoy depicting simple, common, everyday life and its objects as things of beauty and worth. I intend to show the dignity and value of the subjects I paint – just as my artistic influences have. Through continued hard work I want to give to society paintings that transcend the culture and it’s ever changing tastes. . . paintings that speak to the heart.”

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Diane May!

On February 11, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

“Point the Way” by Diane C. May – Image

Diane May is an artist from Tennessee who is part of PAPSE (Plein Air Painters of the Southeast). I urge you to check out Diane’s website… take a look at her paintings. Wonderful, fresh and a wide variety. I really love her style! It wasn’t easy to choose only one! Also check out the JOURNAL tab! It shows which plein air events she’s participating in as well as workshops she is giving. I wish her studio was here in Charleston! I would take the Growth Edge Class that begins in the spring! It sounds wonderful! So if you’re in the Nashville, TN area, you might want to check it out!

Here’s a blip about Diane from her website, click HERE to read more:

Diane May is a representational artist with a contemporary expressionist sensibility. “My paintings celebrate what I find good and right in the world.” Her work explores light and color in the landscape as well as in the constructed reality of the still life. She paints on location and from life whenever possible. When creating larger works in the studio, she references her ‘plein air’ paintings and outdoor sketches in order to maintain an authentic reaction to her original inspiration.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Ride Down Powell by Darrell Hill…

On February 9, 2013February 6, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

Ride Down Powell by Darrell Hill (Private Collection)

In memory of a fabulous artist from Hawaii, Darrell Hill. His work never ceased to amaze me. He will be missed by the art world. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends…

Featured Artist… Mark D. Nelson!

On February 8, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist4 Comments

Mark D. Nelson. A fabulous artist and I wish I knew how I ran across him… I wrote his name down in my day planner, as I do any artist who pops up who’s work I truly admire and I want to feature. Is this striking or what?! I am loving that GORGEOUS orange, the delicate yellow flower POPS against the dark background. This is fabulous on so many levels! Mark has the innate ability to add a modern twist to a painting. I would like to be able to paint like this. But I know me. I would cover up all the color from underneath that I love peeking through… I do it every stinking time. One day…

You can FEEL the chilliness of this ride… Oooh, I’m looking forward to getting to the sunlight ;) Fabulous without being tight…

“Trees” by Mark D. Nelson – Image: Gallery 1261

Need I say… I LOVE THAT ORANGE… mental note Barbara… orange against the darks is making my heart sing! LOVING this!

Here’s a blip about Mark from the Gallery 1261 (Denver, CO) website:

As a high school student, Mark Daniel Nelson was awarded the prestigious National Scholastics Art Scholarship, which he used to attend the Colorado Institute of Art. Graduating with Best Portfolio honors, Nelson earned a living as an illustrator working for clients including Coors, University of Denver, The Miami Herald, 5280 Magazine, and legendary photographer James Balog.

Nelson has since shifted his artistic focus to painting abstract geometric forms – natural as well as structural – in pursuit of what he terms “a contemporary sublime”. Nelson’s work has been placed in a number of prominent regional and national collections and has been displayed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

(First two images from artists Facebook page)

Featured Artist… Paula Holtzclaw!

On February 6, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

“Study for Sunlit Pines” by Paula Holtzclaw

I first saw Paula’s paintings on Plein Air Painters of the Southeast’s Facebook page. Ahhh, the talent!

When I see that artists have their paintings categorized on their websites I always go to the plein air group first. Those are the paintings that are typically the loosest and most representative of what the artists see’s when they’re painting. I went straight to this study of the sunlit pines (NFS). It’s a beauty isn’t it? I love those trees, the clouds, the shadow and sun… gorgeous!

“For Miles and Miles” by Paula Holtzclaw

What a great name for this one! “For Miles and Miles”, I mean it feels like you’re sitting right there on that rock, looking out over the sea for miles and miles, while the sun hits your face… ahhh, this painting gives you a nice feeling, doesn’t it?

Here’s a blip about Paula from her website:

Far horizons and infinite skies are the hallmark of Paula Holtzclaw’s art. Paula is best known for her landscapes celebrating areas still untouched by industrialism. Her depictions of its beauty, unspoiled by man show her concern that these last wild places may soon vanish. Her compositions, often large in scale, have a classic and universal appeal.
     Paula’s love of art began at an early age, passed on to her, she believes, by her grandmothers, both of whom were artists. After time spent raising her twin sons, she returned to her original passion for painting. In 2002, Paula left her 20+ year medical career to paint full time. Always a willing and eager student, she remains committed to honing her artistic skills. “Travel has been an important impetus for my art, always stimulating my desire for plein air painting, and quick studies which provide the opportunity to learn from nature itself, the greatest of all teachers. I have been fortunate to study under such fine mentors as Joni Falk, Linda Glover Gooch and Scott Christensen and Jeff Legg.”
     Paula Holtzclaw’s paintings are collected throughout the nation. Her paintings have been displayed in many national juried and museum exhibitions, a few of which are the American Impressionist Society, Salon International, Scottsdale Salon of Fine Art, The Oil Painters of America, American Women Artists National Exhibitions, Bosque Conservatory, Texas , and ASMA ‘s New England and West Coast Exhibitions. Paula was a finalist in American Artist Magazine’s 29th annual competition 2012, and their 2010 and 2009 Cover Competitions. She was a semi-finalist in their 70th Anniversary Competition, 2007. She has just been selected as one ofSouthwest Art’s “21 over 31” Artists, (November 2010) and also by Southwest Art Magazine as one to collect, July 2009. A member of Pap-se (Plein Air Painters of the SouthEast), Paula is also a Signature Member of: American Women Artists, The American Society of Marine Artists, Women Artists of the West, and The National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society. She is Associate Member of California Art Club, Oil Painters of America, and American Impressionist Society.
      Paula resides in Waxhaw, N.C., a small community just south of Charlotte, (where the horses outnumber the people), with her husband Chuck, and constant companion Timber, her “Velcro” Golden Retriever.

And… YES! If you’re wondering if this website looks different… it does. Again. Ha ha… I think I’m really liking this one! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Martha Burkert!

On February 4, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

“Daisy” by Martha Burkert

There is something refreshing and different about Martha Burkert’s work. Brilliant colors, happy composition and style. Very nice! Check out Martha’s website.

Here’s a blip about Martha from the Maine Home + Design website:

MARTHA BURKERTMartha Burkert grew up in Texas and received a BA in English from Tulane University in New Orleans. She took studio classes at the Maine College of Art in Portland and the University of North Texas in Denton. Burkert was invited to an artists’ retreat at Maine Audubon’s Borestone Mountain Sanctuary in Monson in 2008, and she has exhibited widely at galleries in Maine and Texas. The artist now divides her time between Dallas and Yarmouth. She is represented by the Elizabeth Moss Galleries in Falmouth.Martha Burkert was compelled by the beauty of Maine to learn the technical skills needed to capture it. While she has been painting only since 2000, the artist already had a keen sense of design—she was a location scout and photo stylist for Thos. Moser and for home-furnishing catalogs. Burkert’s mature work shows the influence of some of Maine’s best colorists, including Fairfield Porter (1907–1975) and Alfred Cheney Chadbourn (1921–1998), who worked representationally but leaned toward abstraction.Burkert often creates small paintings and oil sketches on-site. Additionally, she takes photographs in black-and-white instead of color because the chromatic range is too limited for her needs. Yet all these direct responses to nature only serve as references and jumping-off points. In the larger paintings she executes in her studio, paint application, color resonance, temperatures, and commanding shapes become the artist’s focal points. “The bigger the canvas, the more I push color and form in a more exaggerated direction,” Burkert says.

Complex landscapes are often arranged into a repoussoir of more detailed flowers or trees in the immediate foreground, with expansive planes of loosely painted color in the background suggestive of the sea, clouds, or other major landscape formations. In Queen Anne’s Lace, Burkert evinces the liberties she takes with naturalistic representation, and water and sky have turned into bands of yellow and pink. The artist often experiments with color combinations until they feel right to her—an emotional and intuitive process that the artist confesses she doesn’t fully understand.

Growing up surrounded by the landscapes of Texas, Burkert appreciates the beauty of vast unfilled spaces. Maine’s landscapes, on the other hand, are more visually complex and seasonally changeable. The artist therefore likes to distill her paintings to their basic elements. “There is a beauty in simple things,” she says.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Randy Sexton!

On January 30, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist7 Comments

“Peace Hogs” by Randy Sexton

I first saw this image on Facebook. Ahhh, Facebook, gotta love it. It’s the most awesome tool when looking for the latest and greatest art. I love how artists are posting their work, its fascinating!

This is amazing on so many levels. I have always admired Randy’s work. I featured Randy back in September 2012, but couldn’t resist another post… this painting is so full of life. No harsh edges, just strokes of genius smattered here and there and TADA… a painting so fabulous that it takes your breath away! There is so much going on, yet not too much detail. The colors and strokes… INTERESTING. There is so much to see you don’t want to look away.

I love that the info about Randy on his WEBSITE isn’t just a bullet list of accomplishments. I never make it through those… I like to hear the story behind the person, why they paint, how they paint, who they studied under, who they look up to, where they live, about their dog, ha ha… anything other than the regular blah blah blah… Randy’s website is very, very nice, I encourage you to check it out! Here’s a little blip about Randy from his website… for more, either check out his website, or click on the September link above to see more info… Here goes…

“A ‘painters’ painter’, Randall is one of the premier contemporary California landscape painters, also paints still-lifes, figures, and portraits with equal mastery…His work evokes deep feelings, whether it’s the solitude of a deserted street at night or the exultation of a beautiful landscape, each speaks softly to the viewer.”
Jean Stern, Executive Director -The Irvine Museum of Art

Randall currently teaches at Pixar University
Randall was honored with the coveted “Artists’ Choice Award” in Laguna Beach at the 10th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Event held at the Laguna Museum Of Art
Randall is proud member of the artist group known as “The Outsiders”

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Paula Frizbe!

On January 28, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

“At the Lake House” by Paula Frizbe

Paula has such a great style. I especially like this painting, called “At the Lake House” – what a dream, eh? Oh, the color of the water, the lake house, and that TREE with it’s quirky whimsical branches. This is a wonderful painting!

Paula has many more, be sure to stop by her website if you get a chance! I see that Paula is a member of Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. They also have a great Facebook page if you’re interested!

Here’s a blip about Paula from the Leiper’s Creek Gallery, located in Franklin, TN:

Paula Frizbe has been a professional oil painter for over a decade. Her career in the arts spans almost 30 years. Her professional career has afforded her painting opportunities throughout the United States and in many foreign countries. She is a signature member of The Cumberland Society of Painters, Alla Prima International and Plein-Air Painter’s of the Southeast. Her work is owned by numerous private and corporate collectors. She is currently represented by several galleries in five states in the south and southeast.
“To me, the whole idea of painting is to respond to and then convey to others my view of the world around me. I find no pleasure in reinventing the world, nor seek a self-fulfilling inward gaze. My joy comes from the pure thrill of adventure.
The world is infinitely complex. The continual hunt for and then surprise finding of her mysteries is my sole motivation.”
Paula Frizbe — Artist statement

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Logan Hagege!

On January 25, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

Cloud Shadows on the Wall by Logan Hagege

I know what you’re thinking… STUNNING! Right? Those dramatic colors and shadows, the fabulous texture makes for one helluva painting! I’m not the only one that thinks so… this painting won the Artist’s Choice Award at the Coors Western Art Show! Great job Logan… it seems that he completes one masterpiece after another.

Here’s a blip about Logan from his website:

Logan Maxwell Hagege is a talented artist who excels in depicting the figure and landscapes. Serious study in art started for Logan when early interest in animation sent him to a local art school, Associates in Art. His interest quickly moved from animation to fine art while attending life drawing classes, and later the Academy`s Advanced Masters Program, which was modeled after the old time French Art Schools where students spent more than six hours per day studying from live models. Logan also studied privately under Steve Huston and Joseph Mendez. This artist has drawn inspiration for his subjects from his native Southern California as well as by traveling extensively to view various landscapes in the American Southwest and the Northeast Coast of the U.S.

Logan finds encouragement and guidance in masters of the past such as Gustav Klimt, N.C. Wyeth, T.W. Dewing and Maynard Dixon. One idea that drives Logan`s work is that evolution in art is never ending. He is constantly challenging himself with new ideas and new ways of looking at the same subject.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist (and SEWE artist!)… Mark Horton!

On January 23, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

On The Road by Mark Horton

Part of the Southeastern Wildlife Expo

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Mark has one cool style. Known mainly for his landscapes they draw you in and capture you. His marsh scenes are an exquisite view of what the Charleston area is really all about. Look at this painting… don’t you feel like you’re about to embark on a hiking adventure in the woods? Whew, I do… I think I burned a few extra calories just thinking about it, ha ha…

On occasion Mark gives workshops, so be sure to check out the gallery website to see when one is coming up. If you’re an artist, I’m sure it’ll be one that you will find both informative AND lots of fun!

The Southeastern Wildlife Expo (SEWE) will be sweeping into town soon. Very soon. Come February 15-17 Charleston will be hopping… even more than normal! People come from all over the world to attend. Read a little more about SEWE from their website… check it out, great photos and information!

Now in its 30th year, the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition has grown to be the largest event of its kind in the nation, attracting over 500 artists and exhibitors from around the globe who present their offerings to over 40,000 attendees. A 3-day celebration of nature that has earned a reputation for excellence, SEWE now hosts the world’s foremost experts in wildlife and nature art, as well as conservation research and environmental education.

Established in 1982, the first Southeastern Wildlife Exposition took place in February of 1983, with approximately 100 exhibitors and 5,000 people in attendance. Its goal was, and is, to produce an event which contributes significantly to the economy while promoting the conservation and preservation of nature and wildlife through its educational outreach programs and its focus on the visual arts.

The Southeastern Wildlife Exposition is a critical part of the South Carolina and Charleston calendar. Run with the utmost professionalism and pride, an effort that began as a small winter diversion has now become the largest annual event to take place in South Carolina and one of the most popular and successful events in the country.

View the 2013 Southeastern Wildlife Expo brochure

Here’s a blip about Mark from the gallery website, I think you’ll have to agree with me that Mark is one accomplished dude… and on top of being exquisite at what he does, he’s a super nice guy. Someone that you really enjoy talking to. Now for the blip…

Mark Kelvin Horton was born and raised in rural North Carolina. After graduating from East Carolina University School of Art in 1983, Horton moved to New York City to begin a career in advertising and design. He carried with him the dream of someday becoming a painter.

Eighteen years of living in New York were spent working as a creative director in various advertising agencies and eventually founding his own design company. Those years also provided an invaluable opportunity for Horton to view and study firsthand the seemingly endless number of masterworks of art in the city’s museums and galleries. Horton became particularly fascinated with the works of George Inness, Herman Herzog, Frederick Church and the tonalist photographer, Edward Steichen. He was also captivated by the realism of John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer as well as the romantic landscapes of the Hudson River School painters. The experience had a profound effect on his artistic development.

During his years working as an artistic director and designer, Horton continued to nurture his “fine art side”, drawing, sketching and painting whenever he had the opportunity. In early 2001 Horton made the decision to devote himself full-time to painting. He left New York City and returned to his Southern roots, moving to Charleston, South Carolina.

Horton is particularly fascinated with the effects of light and weather upon the landscape. He paints beyond a literal interpretation of a scene to portray nature in a way that reflects his own ideas and sensibilities while capturing the spirit, color and changing light of a place.

If you can’t make it to the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition, check out the Horton Hayes Gallery website, and if you’re ever in Charleston, SC that is one gallery that you must pop in to. You won’t be disappointed!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Cassandra Gillens!

On January 21, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist4 Comments

A Good Day To Let Go by Cassandra Gillens

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What wonderful style Cassandra Gillens has. She’s been featured in Southern Living magazine. Her paintings are in the 2013 HGTV Dream Home on Kiawah Island… she has made quite a name for herself! Fabulous southern style!

Let me say… thanks mom! For mentioning this artist… good work, keep it up! That’s right, I have help. Do you really think I can come up with all these fabulous artists on my own? Fred is a big help, and now with my moms help I can say “I have people”, ha ha…

Here’s a blip about Cassandra from her website:

Cassandra Gillens is a self-taught artist, residing in the Low Country of South Carolina, an area she cherishes. Born and educated in Boston, Massachusetts, her earliest memories are drawing with colored chalks on the sidewalks of Roxbury; Massachusetts. The memories remain a part of her when she began to paint images depicting her early childhood years in South Carolina. Upon her return, she was moved to paint her visions of the Low Country’s comforting southern culture.

Cassandra is closely connected with the people and culture in this beautiful and historic land; her paintings depict some of her fondest memories as a child, and also of good old southern living and images of various life styles found on the Sea Islands. Her paintings show that love with vivid saturated color and simplification of forms keeping her true to style of fauvism.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Christina Hewson!

On January 18, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

Great Dane portrait by Christina Hewson

Our Jack Russell “Charlie” likes to go shopping… we often walk behind the house to the shopping center and swing through Antiques of South Windermere, one of his favorite places to visit and then on to Dolittles dog store… Charlie loves to visit with them! On one of our adventures, a while back, we saw these AH-MAZING dog and horse portraits. Absolutely breathtaking… the black and white just added to their elegance. Artist Christina Hewson can really capture the essence of the animal. Each one is so unique and special! She will be at the Southeastern Wildlife Expo February 15-17, so be sure to look for her there!

Check out her website, it’s fabulous, she also has a blog, so give it a peek!

Here’s a blip about Christina from her website:

I was born in Charleston and raised 20 miles north of Charleston in Awendaw. My personal interests include swimming, drawing, piano, math, and science. I have been creating and selling oil and acrylic portraits since the age of fifteen. It is the only job I have ever known. My first year of college was devoted to the study of piano. But, I missed having time for drawing, math, and science. I enrolled in the College of Charleston where I studied all three. It was at the College of Charleston where I discovered my love for ink and brush. I paint portraits of animals and people in which I strive to capture the soul in as pure and simple a style as possible. I prefer to paint in ink or acrylic. I live in downtown Charleston where I feel privileged to practice my art. I invite you to visit my website and blog where I record my artistic journey.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Erik Weisenburger!

On January 16, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured ArtistLeave a comment

“Night Pursuits” by Erik Weisenburger

(Image via MAINE MAGAZINE)

Note: If you haven’t yet taken the poll on the design of this site, please see the end of this post. Only takes a click to select (or type in your own response) then click VOTE. I don’t know who responds, so feel free to answer how you like, you won’t hurt my feelings! Appreciate your help!

Maine Magazine is a fabulous magazine full of all kinds of great art and design in Maine. This painting by Erik Weisenburger is so cool and different. I love that big moon peeking through the trees. Erik’s art is very different and so interesting, check it out if you get a chance! This painting reminds me of being a kid, maybe at camp, walking through the woods with night approaching, the spooky story telling coming soon, maybe a bonfire and some marshmallows… great painting!

Here’s a blip from Erik’s website:

My current work is a continuation of my exploration into patterns and community, drama and subtlety while creating an image that will mingle with personal memories, including the anthropomorphization of the natural world I encountered as a youth. I have had a long interest in natural patterns, their mathematical balance, mysteries, and symbolic histories. Memorializing the small dramas and peripheral images from my surroundings and interests has been a long running theme in my work.

A series of memorial gardens that pay homage to mentors and influencers to my education as an artist, and paintings based on the history and inhabitants of Graceland Cemetery in Chicago served as a precursor to the images I am creating as a relative newcomer to Maine. Here, landscape dominates my visions: the movement of the ocean, wind, and visiting animals, while my interest in the history of painting and illustration often becomes it’s own source for re-interpreting these observations and events.

I work in a painting tradition used by the Dutch still life artists. Its luminous qualities and history-rich process best allows me to explore and interpret the mingling of memories, monuments, permanence and impermanence.

I am fascinated by our society’s intense efforts to keep death and change at bay. For those that do consider death and impermanence, there is an instinct to keep a foot in the mortal world through monumental and sentimental remembrance–attempts at permanent connection with others. It is my hope that viewers will find a personal meaning in the work, a moment of calm or a stirring of memory.

If you have a second… please take this poll… THANK YOU!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Gay Faulkenberry!

On January 11, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist2 Comments

“Swirling Tide, Shark Harbor” by Gay Faulkenberry

NOTE: I made a little theme change… let me know if you like it, or if you don’t… I’m trying to freshen things up for the new year… (To comment, click on the LEAVE A REPLY link directly under the title of this post)… happy reading!

Gay Faulkenberry is a plein air painter who has a nice loose style. What a nice peaceful painting! If you can’t make it to the coast, you just need a painting like this to make it FEEL as if you’re there! I love those rocks in the foreground, then the rougher churning water with it’s fabulous colors and finally the distant water with hints of the rock colors. Very nice painting! I enjoy looking through the host of paintings on her website, I think you will too!

Check out Gay’s work, it’s quite impressive. Looks like she’ll be teaching a few workshops this year as well, one in Easton, MD and the other in Italy, more info on her website!

A blip about Gay from her website:

“My love of color inspires me to take on one of the greatest of challenges: painting from life. I am driven to capture the excitement and subtle nuances of myriad reds in a poppy field, the values in a stand of golden aspens, reflected hues in a shadow, or glow of a backlit flower petal. Each of these encounters demands that I see the world with a fresh eye, which is what I hope to convey to viewers.” –Gay Faulkenberry

Gay Faulkenberry has been a force on the American art scene for more than two decades. Known for her impressionistic approach to color and light, she is renowned for plein-air paintings of urban and rural landscapes and for studio paintings of intimate still lifes, florals, and interiors.

“Taking my pochade box outdoors into nature excites me as much as designing a still life arrangement or re-creating the ambience of a room setting. Whatever the subject, I’m inspired by the way light reveals form and essence,” Faulkenberry says. She takes equal pleasure in designing her environment, including the French Cottage-style home and flower gardens she shares with her husband Roger, and her vaulted studio/loft with its ironwork cabling and antique shutters.

A native Oklahoman, where she continues to live, Faulkenberry was raised throughout the West and has traveled extensively in Europe. Her grandmother and “best friend” was a painter and Francophile, who favored the French Impressionists and displayed Taos artists at a lodge she and her husband operated in Northern New Mexico. Luminous color made an imprint on Faulkenberry, who worked in watercolors from childhood through her studies at Southwestern State and Oklahoma State universities. Focused on detailed dry-brush renderings of homes with architectural ornamentation, she first encountered alla prima paintings on several trips to Taos in the late 1970s. Her transition to oils was facilitated by independent studies with Russian master Sergei Bongart. Subsequent workshops with Ray Vinella, Ned Jacob, and Mark Daily refined her skills. “I remain a student of art, always reaching for higher levels of excellence,” she says. “However, it is the artist’s job to discover his or her personal voice in creating a language that communicates beyond words.”

For the past decade, Faulkenberry has been a popular instructor herself, conducting workshops throughout the United States and abroad. As a mentor, she shares her insights and technical expertise in using the eyes, heart, head, and hand in translating the joy of life onto canvas. She also encourages her students to see and study art by past masters, including artists who have influenced her: the bravura brushwork of Nicolai Fechin and John Singer Sargent, William Merritt Chase’s attention to textures and colors indoors and out, and the “quiet magic” of Emil Carlsen’s still lifes.

Faulkenberry’s work has been featured in leading art publications, and she is frequently asked to jury art shows. Her work is represented in corporate, private, and museum collections across the country. A Signature Member of the prestigious Plein-Air Painters of America since 1996, she served as PAPA president and spokesperson in 2008-2009.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Featured Artist… Cynthia Reid!

On January 7, 2013December 9, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn ART, Featured Artist4 Comments

Flower Mosaic by Cynthia Reid / Image: AddisonArt.com

How’s this to brighten up a dreary day? I love these nice bright colors, it’s so happy! We can’t complain here in Charleston, SC about gloomy weather… we had a day of rain, which was so nice… an all day gentle rain. I happen to love those kinds of days, but from what I can gather I’m some sort of anomaly when it comes to weather… I hear others say WHERE IS THE SUN after a day or two of clouds… I say WHERE ARE THE CLOUDS, hee hee… Fall, Winter and the beginning of spring are what we live for here in Charleston…

Here’s a blip about Cynthia from the Addison Art Gallery website:

Cynthia Reid left a successful career as a physician to pursue a passion for painting that had consistently increased while she was practicing medicine. Her interest in art began when she was young and painted with her paternal grandparents, both of whom were oil painters.

An avid gardener, Cynthia finds inspiration in gardens and in travels throughout the U.S. and Canada. Some of her paintings, especially those featuring poppy fields and lily ponds, reflect scenes from recent trips to France.

In working with oil paints, Cynthia uses a palette knife technique to juxtapose complementary, vibrant colors to recreate the joy, beauty, and textures of the natural world. She believes that painting is about trusting her intuition and the process, while being open to the unpredictable. Her contemporary impressionist style keeps mystery in the painting.

A member of the American Impressionist Society and Oil Painters of America, she has studied with Kevin Macpherson and abstract expressionist, Josh Goldberg.
Artist’s Statement
I paint because I have a passion for expressing the beauty of the natural world. Using a palette knife and oil paints allows me to capture that beauty by recreating nature’s varying textures, color, and movement. These three elements are seen in my recent works — bold sunflowers, vibrant poppies, dancing irises, and waterscapes.

My intention is that each painting allows the viewer to enjoy a sense of being in a particular place. I believe that the viewer completes every work of art and want my paintings to start a conversation.

Now THAT is a love of art! Stop by the Addison Art Gallery website to view more of Cynthia’s work, or stop by Cynthia’s website to see more great work!

Catch you back here tomorrow!