Grasslands Inspiration IV Show

I was thrilled and honored to receive this award last night at the Opening of the 

Grasslands Inspiration IV Show at Mari Michener Gallery

University Of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO.

It was a wonderful show full of great photos, watercolors, oils, acrylics and dry media 

influenced by the grasslands of north-eastern Colorado.  Thank you UNC (my alma mater) 

and the Northern Colorado Heritage League.

The show hangs until September 23.  Stop by and see it if you're in the Greeley area!

Grassland Inspiration IV

Grassland Inspiration IV:  Looking East Prairie Appreciation Show

UNC (University of Northern Colorado) Michener Library Greeley, CO  

August 22 - September 23, 2016

These are two of the three paintings that I will have in the Grasslands Show at UNC in Greeley.  Because I had participated in the Littleton, CO paint-out in early June, I received an email a short time later inviting me to participate in the Grasslands Show.  I had never heard of this show, but am an alumni of UNC and thought that it would be fun to participate.  There were well laid out eligibility and requirement "bullets" in the brochure.  The most important was that the paintings had to be of the 7 "grassland counties" i.e.:  the seven counties in northeastern Colorado.  It had been years since I'd been up there, Greeley is about 2 1/2 hours from Colorado Springs.  So, my husband, always supportive of any thing related to painting that I do, and I spent two days driving around the back roads in that area and taking 100s of photos and getting so inspired by the grasslands.  It was really fun!  

Upon returning home I spent hours editing my photos and looking further for inspiration.  Then I sketched dozens of pictures of my favorite locations.   Dozens because once I started looking I was so inspired by all of the different colors of the grass.  Then, I started painting.  My idea had been to do three pretty large paintings, but it was already the third week of July and the paintings were due in Greeley on August 17th!  That didn't leave me much time, but I work well under pressure.  Because I wasn't sure which of my sketch/ideas would become the largest painting, I decided to do several 12" x 12" "practice" pieces first.  Well, those "several" pieces became 7!  I loved painting those 12" x 12" pieces.  While deciding which of those would become a larger piece, I started on a large square painting of an old school house sitting in the middle of nowhere.  Then I also started on a large square of a windmill.  

Then, we went on a week long trip, so I wasn't able to finish the windmill, or start on the larger one of the grasses.  But, I chose the two of the 12x12s that I liked the most (above), framed them and submitted those two and the school house.  I think that it's important that we always know what we can do and just do it.  I realized that I wanted to enter this event, I didn't have lots of time, but I could do it.  And, I'm really happy with all of my paintings!  I'll post them soon.  

Hanging On The Line

Hanging On The Line
Oil  16" x 20"
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$595.00 + $20. s/h

Last month I did a smaller plein air painting of this laundry.  (click here to view that piece)  This is a larger studio piece, from a different view, but the same laundry "hanging on the line."  This laundry is  from Rock Ledge Ranch here in Colorado Springs.  I loved all of the different whites and the movement created by the breeze.

I also think that I loved painting these laundry pieces because they remind me of my childhood.  when I was a little girl my mom hung the sheets out on the line to dry.  I remember them blowing in the breeze and remember running through them.  As artists, we paint what we see, but we also paint what's in our hearts.

Corn On The Cob

Corn On The Cob
Oil  8" x 6"
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$100.00 + $10. s/h

This is the same ear as yesterday's post, but shucked.  Decided to get 2 done before dinner!

Sweet Corn

Sweet Corn
Oil  8" x 6"
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$100.00 + $10. s/h

Corn on the cob is one of my favorite vegetables, right up there with asparagus.  Right now the stores and farm stands are selling lots of corn.  The best corn in Colorado is from Olathe on the western slope.  I think that it's the cool nights and sunny days that make the corn so delicious.  It's so sweet that people talk about "the Olathe sweet corn being ready!"

Sometimes you have to paint right before dinner!

Downtown Art Walk -- First Friday

Downtown Art Walk -- First Friday

As in many towns across the country, here in Colorado Springs First Friday evening is a great chance to head downtown and visit galleries and enjoy art.  This past Friday I painted during the Art Walk at Cacao Chemistry, 109 N. Tejon, Colorado Springs.  Cacao Chemistry is not a gallery, but a chocolate store, and soon to be dessert bar, that uses its' walls as a gallery.  I love when venues support the local arts!  I set up my easel in the front and had a great time meeting people as I painted.  

Additionally, Friday was the opening of the Olympic Games.  Colorado Springs is "the Olympic City" with many of the sports teams main offices here, as well as the head quarters of the US Olympic Committee and the Olympic Training Center.  Several blocks downtown were closed off to traffic and a there was a huge Olympic Celebration.  It included athletes still in training, former Cirque de Soleil acrobats performing on a 2 story portable contraption, Brazilian dancers in spectacular costumes, and the largest display screen that I've ever seen showing the event direct from Rio.  Thousands of people came downtown to enjoy the celebration.  Many of those spectators came into Cacao Chemistry for chocolate, and to see what I was doing!  Thank you Cacao Chemistry!

Summer Blooms

Summer Blooms
plein air oil  10" x 8:
SOLD

I recently participated in a plein air event hosted by the FOX Garden Group.  FOX is the "Friends Of eXtension", which is a part of the Colorado State University Extension Group.  This group deals state wide with "serving current and future needs of Coloradans by providing educational information and programs that safeguard health, increase livelihood, and enhance well being."  There are Extension offices in many towns in the state.  In Colorado Springs they have volunteers who who can call to ask questions about gardening, plants, etc.

The local FOX group has an annual garden tour.  Last year, my plein air group, Garden Artists, was invited to paint during the 2 day annual event.  That was a big success and this year we were invited once again.  I spent 2 days painting in 4 gardens.  This painting was done in the Saturday afternoon garden.  Not only was the event wonderful for gardeners to see gardens new to them, but for me, being a gardener and artist it was amazing!  (Also, it was in a neighborhood very near to mine and so convenient!)  The FOX group is very organized;  there were several volunteers in each garden to answer questions about flowers & gardening.

It can be challenging plein air painting under any circumstance, but with 100s of people touring the gardens I had to be very focused.  Many of the visitors had never seen a plein air painter and came to talk to me.  It was a great marketing event and overall a win, win situation.  I'm already looking forward to next years' tour!

Pink Hollyhocks

Pink Hollyhocks
Oil  16" x 8"
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$395.00 + $20. s/h

I loved painting all of these hollyhocks.  And, I love having them in our backyard.  These long stretched canvases are perfect for hollyhock paintings!

Hollyhocks are easy to grow from seed.  While they are a perennial, many only bloom bi-annually.  It's a good idea to plant seeds 2 years in a row.  That way you'll have them growing in your garden every year.  Once they start growing it's easy to sow some of the plants' seeds in the fall.  Also it's easy to save seeds over the winter and sow more in the spring.