Gallery Visit with Students

 Olivia, The artist Zanne Brunner, and Amber

 Zanne's "Barbie" inspired series is just too much fun!. The top paintings are oil pastel on paper. The lower group is gouache on canvas. The little purses were filled with trivia facts about Barbie.

 Paintings and clay masks taken from the large painting below.

 This large painting of Zanne's son, and his uncles was the inspiration for a new series of work in the show.

 "Barbies on a Stick" was the inspiration for the paintings in the first photo. The artist bought the Barbies at an estate sale for 50 cents along with the pot holders that later became their dresses.

 Oil pastel on paper, and the mask

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 My favorite portrait from the show with the clay mask.

Tuesday I took  my IB Visual Art students  to see local artist, Zanne Brunner's solo exhibit "Voyage" at I-Square Visions Art gallery. Zanne is a good friend of mine and agreed to meet us at the gallery after school to  talk about herself and her "voyage" as an artist, teacher and now director of the I-square gallery.
Zanne entertained us with her adventures and journey as a child growing up in Detroit, which inspired her love for the color teal. She  told us about her first painting teacher in collage who told her to limit her choice of colors...like that worked. She worked as a graphic artist in N.J. and later came to R.I.T for her teacher degree. She was a High School Art  teacher in Webster until she retired a few years ago. She is now a full time artist who also works as the director for  I-Square Visions Art gallery in Irondequoit.

Stages of the Process for 2013

 A work in progress, don't worry that back ground sky won't stay blue.

 Just love the blue green leaves of Agave.

 They may look like pumpkins now but they are golden barrel cacti.

 Cleistocatus

  
 You might remember last fall that I used photo's from a trip out west as inspiration  to create several paintings for a landscape show that I was in. It brought back such wonderful memories, along with a new found love for cactus/succulents that I've started collecting them.  I've taken and collected photographs of different cactus and decided to created a new series of paintings.
 As you can see I always start with black line to create the abstracted form, and than start adding color with oil pastel. I'm so excited with these beginnings I've decided to post my process.
Last year I neglected my blog a bit so documenting the painting process might be a great  way to jump start the blogging process again.
Hope you enjoy. 

Merry Christmas

"I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family life.

Whatever is is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever." - Neil Gaimen

Hanging Art at Orange Glory Cafe

 Thank goodness for my husband Chris. He's the guy that knows how to measure the walls, find the studs behind the paneling, and adjust the wire on a painting so they all hang level.

 Figuring out how to hang that very heavy painting behind him. You can't use just one nail for that.

 Measuring an marking the wall with blue tape.

 The first nail goes in the wood paneling.

 Gathering the hardware.

 Looking good.

 This is a lot of work! I'm getting tired just watching him.

It took Chris four hours to hang the art work.

 A sneak peak of part of the show.

 The frame is straight, it's my crazy painting that's crooked.That explains a lot doesn't it.

The opening is this Wednesday, December 19th in The Times Square building from 5:00 to 7:00 pm.

Join us if your in Rochester.

New Landscape Paintings for Group Art Show

" Louse Town"

Virginia City, Nevada

Oil Pastel

33X45"

 "Enjoying the View"

Virginia City, Nevada

Oil Pastel

24x18"

 "Bright Orange Globes"

Oil Pastel

24x18"

A month ago I was asked to create several abstract landscape paintings for “Scapes Unlimited.” These paintings, while not really abstract, were inspired from photographs taken during a trip to Virginia City, Nevada. While in Nevada, I had the opportunity to study under Plein-Air artist, Jean LeGassick.

From this trip, I choose three of my favorite photographs. Two of the photographs were taken at “Louse Town” just outside of Virginia City. It was named by miners after Chinese immigrants settled in the area during the Gold Rush. The only inhabitants of this beautiful desert now are wild stallions, and yes we actually saw them that day.

The third photograph, “Bright Orange Globes”, was taken in the mountains between Reno and Virginia City. The landscape was amazing! The colors were breathtaking; varying from lush creams, to shades of orange, green, and lavender. The clear blue skies went on forever.

Working from those three photographs brought back such wonderful memories. I hope you enjoy the paintings as much as I had creating them.

All Finished "Taking Off"

Stages of a New Painting

 Oil pastel on brown paper. I'm almost done and thought I would share with my blogger friends.

This was the first stage. Having so much fun creating these crazy drawings. I feel like a kid again.