Paint The Town...A few more pictures

During the week of the Paint The Town event in Florence, CO, Friday was designated 

as "town" day.  The idea was to paint with in a 6 block area of the old downtown.  

Florence, like many older towns, has lots of charming old buildings, both industrial 

buildings as well as lived in homes.  There's always a never endless body of work 

from which to choose.

My first painting on Friday was the upstairs window in a boarded up 2nd floor.  I was happy 

with the way this one turned out.  As you can see from the photo versus my painting, 

the light and shadow continued to change.  I did a quick sketch to start and stuck 

with that...trying not to "chase the light."

 On Saturday morning 4 framed paintings were turned in to the Bell Tower Arts Center.  

During the judging there was a "quick draw" at a local home.  The house was from 

around the turn of the century and had been lovingly restored.  The yard was filled 

with wonderful old trucks, tractors, antiques.   Again, so many things to paint in the 2 hour

time allotted.  I painted an old wash tub sitting on one of the back porches.

Good Ole Days

Good Ole Days
Oil  12" x 12"
SOLD

I'm honored that "Good Ole Days" is part of the Colorado Springs Fine Art Center at Colorado College's 2018 Gala Art Exhibition and Auction.
The Exhibition and Auction will open this Friday, August 24, both online and on exhibit.  Viewing and bidding leads up to and during the Gala, and closes officially as part of the Gala festivities on September 8.

Art lovers rejoice and be inspired to add to your collection in support of the Fine Arts Center.

Art Show and Auction Details:
On Display: Aug. 24 – Sept. 8, 2018 at the Fine Arts Center, Colorado Springs.
Online Auction site will be available for viewing on Friday, August 24. Visit https://www.csfineartscenter.org Bidding open to everyone!
Bidding CLOSES: Saturday, Sept. 8 at 9 p.m.

Sunny Vista Living Center Juried Show

Hanging On The Line

Oil  16" x 24"

Morning Light

Oil  12" x 12"

Tonight is the Opening of the Annual Sunny Vista Living Center Juried Show.  I'm honored that these two paintings were juried into the show.  Hope those of you who live in the Colorado Springs area can attend tonight's opening, or stop by Sunny Vista while the exhibit hangs until June 17th.

Through The Wringer

Through The Wringer
plein air oil  10'" x 8"
click here for Paypal
$195.00 + $10. s/h

When I was a little girl we had a summer cottage on Lake Michigan.  There was an old wringer washing machine in the basement.  I remember helping my mom lift the laundry from the machine and wringing it through the wringer.  (Not sure that I've ever used the word "wringing" before.  And, since no one wrings laundry any more, I may never use that word again!)  I think that today I would say squeeze.

I actually looked "wring" up to make sure that it's still a word.  Here is what I found:

wring

riNG/

verb

1. 1. 

   squeeze and twist (something) to force liquid from it.

   "she wrung the cloth out in the sink"

   synonyms:

   twist, squeeze, screw, scrunch, knead, press, mangle "wring out the clothes"

   
   

   I also don't think that I would say "mangling" the laundry!

Old Wringer

Old Wringer
plein air oil  10" x 8"
SOLD

This old washing machine (and quite a few others) was sitting in a former garden supply store.  I loved the color!  Right away I knew I wanted to paint it.  I photoed the others in case I don't get back there soon to paint, although I imagine they'll be there next spring.

I'm sure that this washer was thought of as very modern and made washing and rinsing much easier!  After items were washed and rinsed, water had to be removed by twisting.  To help reduce this labor, the wringer/mangle machine was developed.  The mangle used two rollers under spring tension to squeeze water out of clothing and household linens.  Each laundry item would be fed though the wringer separately.  The first wringers were hand-cranked, but were eventually included as a powered attachment above the washer tub.  The wringer would be swung over the wash tub so that the extracted wash water would fall back into the tub to be reused for the next load.  I remember as a little girl, my mom had the washing machine set up so that the rinse water would go into a big sink and that water would be reused for the next load.

The holidays are almost upon us.  For November and December I'm having a holiday studio sale.  All of my paintings are 25% off with free shipping.  Many of my paintings can be seen on my Daily Paintworks site, or scroll back through my blog.  Email me about any paintings that you would like and I'll send you a Paypal button with the reduced price!  Thank you!

Hanging On The Line

Hanging On The Line
Oil  16" x 20"
click here for Paypal
$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.

Laundry Day

Laundry Day
plein air oil  8" x 10"
click here for Paypal
$195.00 + $10. s/h

This plein air piece is from a recent painting morning at Rock Ledge Ranch here in Colorado Springs.  I've painted many times at the Ranch.  It's a historical, "educational, non-profit living history farm and museum that depicts life in the Pikes Peak region in four time periods:  American Indian area in 1775;  1860's Galloway Homestead;  1880's Chambers Home and Ranch;  1907 Edwardian Country Estate."  Every thing on the ranch is done "in period"...so, the laundry behind the country home was washed in a wringer washing machine and hung out on the line to dry.

My past Rock Ledge Ranch paintings have included sheep, barn, path, shadows, roof area of the country home, and poppies.  But in all of my time there over the years, I've never seen the laundry hanging to dry.  As I walked down the path and looked into the back yard I immediately knew that I'd found what I was going to paint!

My view of the garden from the path...I just knew that this was my painting!  I set up on the other side of the laundry in the shade.  When the "period dressed" woman of the house came out to take down the wash, I asked her to leave it up for a bit longer.