paintings Archives - Page 43 of 45

Let the framing begin…

Posted on July 3, 2009 by heather

Already knee deep in July…or is that the corn being knee high by the 4th of July ?

Either way the framing has begun for the Granary Show and here’s a look at our morning excursion to fetch the frames and paintings. We arranged to have the largest paintings done at the same time which meant only one trip up with the trailer. Both the frameshop and the photographer’s studio are within 5 miles of one another and about 20 minutes drive from the studio.

My apprentice was concerned when we hooked up the trailer that she might not be needed for this trip…thus the batting of the big brown eyelashes…

How could I resist one so ready to work…

And off we go… this is the shop I worked at while saving and preparing to give painting my full time attentions.

They are the friendliest and most helpful folks around and make it a true pleasure to work with them…

With the frames loaded it was on to see John…

John Corcoran, the king of the camera, is the man behind the magic that allows me to bring my work to the big and small screen. Every painting goes to him to be shot in multiple formats so that I have a permanent and accurate record of the image. Nothing gets by this detail guy and I am forever grateful for his stunning work, jovial good nature…and steamed dumplings ! You can check out some of his own creations at Sterling Commercial Photography.

He and Pat always have way too much fun…

But time’s a-wasting and we’ve gotta get this show back on the road and home to the studio which is beginning it’s annual pre-show craziness…

My apprentice and my Lackey have just come in to tell me to get off of this machine and get a move on…

stay tuned…

MV show opening 23 days and counting !

Life is a bowl full of…

Posted on June 24, 2009 by heather • 1 Comment

Sour Cherries !

In Mima’s honor, Finnegan and I sat on the quiet sunny summer morning porch and carefully pitted three boxes of sour cherries into Saren’s beautiful bowl… enough for two pies…one for us and one with a Z for Zola and Zack…and Zue.

pies

A few years ago this week I was on pins and needles waiting for the orchard to say it was ok to pick the sour cherries as I was scrambling to include a painting of Mima’s Sour Cherry Pie for the recipe series in the Granary show that July.

The pressure is off this year…all the paintings that can be done are done…and it was almost a zen like meditation to have a whole hour to do nothing this morning but sit and pit.

Now on to the painter’s notes…

and maybe just a tiny pieced of pie.

American Art Collector

Posted on June 20, 2009 by heather

Many thanks to John O’Hern and the editors of the American Art Collector Magazine for showcasing the painting Temple of My Familiar in their latest issue. You can access the magazine on line if you are a subscriber or find it at most book stores to read the entire article. Above is a link to the AAC website and below is an excerpt from the article. The painting is on exhibition at the Granary Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard.

Sunshine at last

Posted on June 14, 2009 by heather • 1 Comment

When we walked out onto the creekside porch early this morning and saw our shadows … Finnegan and I knew it would be a good day. It has been so wet and steamy for so long and to see blue skies and walk in dry grass…the best.

The sun followed us over to the studio…

and now this can take a rest…

and there’s nothing like sunshine on whiskers…

But there’s no time to waste…the show approacheth and the Finnegan’s job is to get me back to work…

So here we go…a messy kitchen set-up…with supervisor on duty…

Apprentice gets to work…

Posted on June 8, 2009 by heather

We’re in full tilt show-prep mode here in the studio and our young apprentice has been keeping a tight schedule. I’m trying to make up for lost time and get a few more paintings finished and this next one has been rumbling around inside my head since it came to me in a dream last winter. The stars aligned and the rain went away and the model was free so Finnegan gathered the boots and teacups and headed out for the pool early this morning .

As prop assistant, she is in charge of making sure the set up is complete…

I have been using her pool lately for everything but swimming…besides the mosquito factory, it is now a staging pond for spoon blanks that I split a couple days ago and am carving up when there is an extra hour in the day… it’s all Follansbee’s fault… http://pfollansbee.wordpress.com/ …but Finn’s job is to keep me focused and to make any adjustments needed in the setup… like pushing the model a little to the right…

It’s exhausting work, and she’s nudging me off of this machine so she can take an afternoon nap.

I’ve got the panel oiled out and the sketch done so it’s time to lay down some paint… catch ya latah.

The fence is finished and the roses are a-bloom.

Posted on June 1, 2009 by heather • 2 Comments

Ok so this blog is getting far and away from the art related content which is its focus… but I am trying to keep it real. If an artist is painting from her soul then she brings to the easel every part and corner and adventure of the surrounding world. If each sense is alive then they are constantly recording and… on a good day…remembering.

Painting from ones authentic self, nod to Joseph Campbell, is my goal. Woven through the early days of this year have been threads of death, dying, grief and mourning, anticipation, joyous birth, heart-pounding happiness, soul searching love and ab-stretching laughter. I’m expanding the dialogue here to share some of this life that is lived behind my easel. You will be the judge as to whether or not the common threads make their way into the paintings.

In that light, here are some photo updates and some things that fall into the category of … musings…

Finnegan's fence — Teaching her to spell her name

claiming clamshell — Just wait until we get to the beach !

Lots of lovely little girls.

Posted on May 27, 2009 by heather

There’s nothing brighter

than the smiles on a gaggle of little girls

gathered around a giggling puppy

with their grandmothers oogling

on a glorious spring day…

Painting Finished !!!… and Finnegan’s fence progresses

Posted on May 21, 2009 by heather • 1 Comment

’tis DONE !!! … though I’m going to have to wait for the photographer to do his magic in order to get a good reproduction, here is proof that the panel is off the easel and I am moving on…

The last few days involved cleaning up the detail on the remaining boats and making sure all the shadows were correct, then glazing in several more layers of water and reflections. Varnish will make a huge difference with a painting with this much contrast. The van dyke brown and olive green dark dry with a dull matte sheen and all subtleties within those dark areas are lost until the varnish pops them out. Imagine a beach rock which is transformed from a dull grey when first you pick it up on a hot and dry summer beach…and then comes alive with color as you let an ocean wave wash over it.

With that major project completed…and before I begin the whirlwind effort to paint the rest of the works for the July show…I treated myself to a rare morning of carving. In the midst of the pile of sticks, which Finnegan and I have been collecting each morning for her fence, I found a honeysuckle branch that decided it would rather be a walking stick. The wood is wonderful to work with. A slow growing hardwood that has a beautiful heartwood of purples and reds. Finn worked on removing the bark while I whittled away at the knot holes and we created a right fine pile of shavings…

It does my soul good to spend a morning listening to the birds, watching my sweet puppy play with her new bone, and working with wood.

We’re making good progress on the fence as well but were up too early to start hammering so here are some shots of yesterday’s work…we were running out of fallen branches so decided to get some fresh meat and trim out the honeysuckle and take down a couple saplings that were too close to the power lines.

After all that work…it was time for a break…

and then over to the fence to say hello to Jed and make sure Zola doesn’t miss her school bus !

Now… back to work !

Quick Update

Posted on May 14, 2009 by heather

There’s a thunderstorm overhead so I’ll not tempt the fates by taking the time to add commentary…will just list, in chronoligical order, these recent photos of the ever-so-painstakingly-slow-progress of the painting. I can’t seem to pick up the speed or to compromise on the detail or to find enough hours in the day…but here’s some of the paint I have laid down this week…

Studio Gallery Sale

Posted on April 30, 2009 by heather • 2 Comments

Announcing our first annual spring sale in the Studio Gallery

All prints and original oil paintings will be 20 % off for the entire month of May !

You can visit virtually by clicking the link below…

HN STUDIO

OR…please feel free to stop by in person.

I’m breaking in my brand new apprentice and she’s eager to show visitors around the place…so come check out the artwork and meet little Finnegan…

Yours in lilacs…

Heather