Hawaiian Trip Sketchbook

As I mentioned in the previous blog post, I tried something different for me while in Hawaii. I often take a sketchbook on trips....but this time I took a sketchbook of watercolor paper planning to do watercolor sketches. I tried one or two with just watercolor and did not get excited. But then I remembered seeing sketches done with ink outlines and painted in with watercolor. I decided to try that approach.....and really had a great time. I thought I would share here some of the sketches from the trip. The first one on the left is a picture of some pomegranates we saw in a fruitstand. The second from the left is a view into the bedroom from the living room of the Honolulu condo. The third one is the view from the balcony of our Honolulu 28th floor condo. The next is one of the beautiful hibiscus flowers found all over Hawaii. The last one was a rose I could see from our balcony of our Big Island condo. Quick, simple and lots of fun!!! Enjoy a glimpse of Hawaii through my eyes.

Market Colors

We just returned from a two week trip to Hawaii which was wonderful! I did some watercolor sketching while there which was new for me......I will share that in another post after I take some photos of some of the sketches. Upon our return I have been very busy as I had to compile all the images from members of the Arizona Pastel Artists Association for our fall Winter Juried Show. I compile them on a CD to send to the judge for judging. I had a few final touches to make on one of my entries that I started during Hidden in the Hills as my ongoing demo for visitors. I really like how it came out....especially the bright colors. Tell me what you think!

International Association of Pastel Societies Juried Show

On Friday before leaving for a two week vacation in Hawaii I received a very exciting e-mail. For the first time as an artist I had submitted an entry to a national level pastel show.....the International Association of Pastel Societies juried show to be hosted by the City of Brea Gallery in Brea, CA. The e-mail I received on Friday was congratulating me for being juried into the show!!! I was very excited.....to say the very least! The piece I entered was "Late Night Snack"....the second piece I painted for the Art Challenge using the glass goblet. Just goes to show you....stretching yourself to paint something you would not have chosen to paint on your own has definite benefits!! I cannot include a picture here of the piece as I do not have my computer with me with the photos of my art work.....but you can see it in the blog entry "Art Challenge Part Two" posted on October 30th.

Young Bulls

This is the painting that I started working on the first weekend of Hidden in the Hills. The expectation is that artists are working even if they are not in their own studios during the open studio tour. I sold this painting (half finished) to a gentleman that came through that weekend. After all the hubbub of the second weekend of Hidden in the Hills, hosting the holiday get together of the Arizona Pastel Artists Association in my home, and getting ready for a holiday vacation in Hawaii I finally finished the piece. I was very pleased with the results! Aren't they a curious bunch?

Hidden in the Hills - Year One is in the Books

Hidden in the Hills is over! My first experience with this open studio tour and art sale was very positive although it ended with a bang! Sunday was the last day with 5:00 being the close of the tour. Around 4:15 the sky began to darken.....by 4:30 it was black! We got hit by a storm with wind and rain that had us scuttling to protect the goods. Needless to say we broke down early. It was interesting loading my paintings into the cars without them getting wet......but we managed! My husband was a real trooper....even though he was freezing as he rushed over to help me while still in shorts. The temperature dropped dramatically and with the wind...it was certainly chilly!

Everyone who has participated in HITH has expressed that their first year is the slowest. With that in mind along with our current economic condition I was looking for exposure and to sell some of my note cards I had created showcasing my art. Well....I exceeded my expectations. I did sell a lot of cards. Some people even bought them planning to make a collage or series of small framed pieces as they could not afford the paintings themselves. But......I also sold a painting! It was actually a painting that I was working on during the tour as a "working artist" of a group of young bulls looking curiously at the photographer. The gentleman who bought the painting (brave man as it was only about a third done!) is a jeweler who designs jewelry. He ended up calling me after the first weekend and asking if I wanted to display some of my work in his jewelry store. Needless to say I was tickled pink! I was also approached by a woman interested in having me do painting of her horses.....a possible commission! This last weekend I was approached by a woman representing the Thunderbird Artist Expo. This is a ten week long event held annually in a large tent with over 150 artists working and displaying their art. I was encouraged to consider participating in this juried event.

So.....HITH was a definite success for me....both financially and moving me forward in getting my art exposed! Can't wait for next year!

Hidden in the Hills Open Studio Tour and Art Sale

Well....my first weekend of the Hidden in the Hills Open Studio Tour and Art Sale is under my belt! Whew! The weeks of preparation are done.....painting, framing, making note cards, ordering postcards and business cards, buying a banner, buying propanels and hanging hardware...............and so on! And it all came together beautifully! Mother Nature even helped out with beautiful weather....even for the Valley of the Sun which is famous for beautiful weather! Since this is my first venture of this sort (along with the state of the economy) I was hoping to sell a few cards and get exposure as an emerging artist in an area crawling with professional artists. If I sold a painting it would be frosting on the cake. Well....I got the frosting! Over this first weekend of the two weekend event I sold many note cards, met many people interested in my art and how I do it, sold a painting, and got a commission! I am thrilled! All the effort and hard work was worth it. I can't wait till next weekend!

Here is a link to a video of my booth setup. I got many compliments on my setup which was very gratifying. I was set up on the back patio of the host studio of Lori Greenberg. The entrance to her studio where she makes glass beads is off this back patio. Next to me on the patio is a fine art photographer, Sal La Rocca who does beautiful work and is great fun to talk with whenever we had a lull. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBLCFNsz6H8

Fall Colors

After spending the weekend framing or reframing pieces in preparation for Hidden in the Hills which is just around the corner, I was able to get back to painting. Yesterday I completed a small 5" x 7" inch piece that I have redone twice titled "Fall Grapes". I like it OK now...but it still does not make my heart sing. It has a signature....but may find itself back on my easel before getting framed.

Today I finished a piece that I started during the Clark Mitchell workshop in Sedona a couple of weeks ago. This was painted along Oak Creek at the Crescent Moon Park. The location I painted is a few hundred yards down from Red Rock Crossing which provides the classic view of Cathedral Rock seen on all the postcards of Sedona. I loved the changing colors of the trees along with the small rapids in the creek as it flows around and over the rocks in the creek. It was a beautiful sunny day and I can still hear the creek and feel the sun as I look at the painting. I titled it "Oak Creek at Red Rock Crossing". It is signed and ready to be framed for Hidden in the Hills.