Showing posts with label architecture portrait. Show all posts
Showing posts with label architecture portrait. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Pastel! Umbrellas! Plein Air!

 Although there were no customers when I began, a lunchtime crowd eventually filled the tables at Mississippi Mudd's riverside restaurant. The speakers blasted golden oldies and kids and pets walked by with their caretakers to the river's edge. Three tables of card players nearby muttered 'pass' or made comments to their partners after a play. Their $11 split club money would go to the winning pair and there was a lot of laughter. What a great place to be on a summer morning.

These must be new umbrellas, they are so inspiring, bright, and unfaded. Sitting in the shade of a huge maple the view of the outdoor dining area was a perfect place to be the painter. Pastels were perfect to catch these vibrant colors.

Morning Umbrella Dance, Kath Schifano
Morning Umbrella Dance, 9x12 pastel c. K. Schifano, 2023 


Sunday, March 27, 2022

Landmark home on Grand Island


 Last Fall I met with friends in Ferry Village. It was a little breezy and rain threatened but I worked from a covered area across the street to capture this home. When I moved to Grand Island it was sad looking, but as the years passed it has been renovated and restored, now it is a landmark as well as historical. The bunting displayed was a challenge to draw cleanly as the picture is only 9x12 and I was using pastels. Someday I will paint it instead.

Ferry Village Jewel 9x12 pastel c.2021

Thursday, August 26, 2021

Summer and Pastels in Buffalo


The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens is a prime painting spot all year long.

The first problem is choosing a site, followed by some housekeeping. Will I be in the way of visitors? What is the best view of an artist on site? We have to choose how the scene is viewed, is it on the side of the canvas or over the top? Considerations include keeping the sunlight off both the canvas and colors on the palette. In this instance I was under a dense tree, keeping cool on a hot Buffalo day. With the easel set in a lowered position, some of the foreground was blocked for me. It had rained and the greens were brilliant and flowers were blooming freshly.
Kath Schifano, working

Kath Schifano, plein air
South Side Garden at Botanical Gardens

Every corner and garden is fresh whenever I go back to visit or paint. These flowers are as large as dinner plates and the whole plant is taller than I am.



 

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Always Carry a Sketchbook

It looks precarious, but the hill isn't as steep as it seems, and it is raining lightly. Between my sun umbrella and the willow tree above I stayed fairly dry. This is on Lake Ontario, a lovely day spent with Laurene.


 This is my final Urban Sketch, but out in Niagara County, about 6x8" in my trusty sketchbook. It is a watercolored ink drawing. Some of these campers will live here until the weather turns and they leave to southern homes for the winter.

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Unity Island



Drive down bumpy Niagara Street towards downtown Buffalo, find the elusive Unity Island entrance, wait your turn for the one way railroad bridge (5mph, please) and there it is. Before I entered the quiet park I knew this would be my view. I was attracted to the water seen under the bridge, and the shore of Canada across the river. These little ink drawings colored in with my travel watercolor set are fun and good for the spirit. I took photos of everyone else to post on the NFPAP blog, Diane took a photo of me.

Tuesday, August 25, 2020

This photograph is close to where I stood for the next picture, my 'downtown painting day'.


With so much to see and interpret, I am amazed how much I did include. This was drawn and painted from the back of my car, I use the open trunk to provide myself some shade.


 Under the Skyway 6x8" pen and watercolor ©2020

Two Trips to the outer Harbor of Buffalo

Paulette Jurek suggested painting at RCR Boatyard this summer. I was overwhelmed on arrival by the expansive vista, boats, buildings, rusted infrastructure to the south, the water on both sides, city skyline and trains. I decided to draw with ink and color in with watercolor on this first visit but planned to return.

'Buffalo Smells Like Cheerios', 8x6 pen and watercolor ©2020

Two days later I came back with pastels to work larger. Here is the initial underpainting, when there are only shapes laid in.
My view, there is a bit of city hall behind the central buttress. I put it into my painting.

Finished!
Route 5 Meets Buffalo, 12x16 pastel on Pastelbord   ©2020


Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Darwin Martin House Pergola

pergola painted by Kath Schifano

Darwin Martin chose Buffalo for his business selling soap. He became the first paid employee of the Larkin Company, worked his way up, innovated record keeping, and was instrumental in getting Frank Lloyd Wright to design the famous Larkin Company office building, open, airy and worker friendly space. The Larkin Company provided household items like soap which came with points or certificates. Households would exchange the certificates from the laundry soap and other purchases for various items. It expanded and rivaled Sears and Roebuck. I have a faux pearl necklace my Mom ordered with coupons from there.

Martin supported Wright during Wright's lean times and had him build his home on Jewett Parkway in Buffalo, as well as Greycliff in on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie in Derby, NY.  

I have painted the front facade of the Darwin Martin House before; this is the side and back view, just part of the long pergola that extends to the back of the property and attaches to the neighboring Barton home of his sister.

Since 2002 the entire complex, including the demolished gardeners cottage and the conservatory and pergola have been under restoration, now completed. The gardens are recently restored, sculptures have been placed in the lawn but the whole complex is now closed due to Covid 19. I'm hoping to see crowds return here soon. I did enjoy the quiet on the morning I painted this from the side street.

The Pergola at Darwin Martin House, pastel 12x16

Saturday, November 2, 2019

River Art Gallery Plein Air show

The bottom picture, '186 Linwood' and flowers on right are mine
River Art Gallery, the pink building in North Tonawanda by the theater, is a lovely art space. Three paintings in the current show, 'Plein Air Landscape, Discovering Nature' are my plein air works.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

6 Aches, 7 Columns, 8 Clay planters

A good start, day 1
One of my larger paintings in Italy is also the most ambitious. I drew it several times from the lawn before finally choosing to use oil paints on portrait linen taped onto a birch panel. The perspective must be exactly right as well as the arches, interior windows and columns. It was planned to be painted in the morning but the shade disappeared as the sun rose higher so I returned after three o'clock and shade had returned. Three afternoons later, I felt I had it finished. 

I was privileged to have an elegant daily breakfast here which inspired this painting of the lovely Tuscan restaurant, MeoModo.. I was able to observe early preparation of service for late dinners that were served at 8:00. Chargers were polished, tablecloths ironed on the table, silver laid precisely and fresh flowers placed. At the same time, waiters scurried to deliver room service and drinks to guests on huge trays, covered with elaborate basket lids. As the afternoon faded, chandeliers and dozens of white candles were lit, wall sconces burned and Meo Modo turned into a glittering dreamland.
Paint in Tuscany, schifano
Have Breakfast Here, Meo Modo, 18x24” oil on linen




Friday, October 11, 2019

Plein Air in Tuscany.

Step by step, I completed this oil painting sitting in the shade of olive trees while guests arrived and departed through this main entrance to Borgo Santo Pietro. Sitting in the shade at a tea table in the atrium garden and painting is high on my list of favorite places in Italy.



Welcome to Borgo
The final painting captures the warm welcome you will receive upon arrival, the comfort you can expect and the light of the Mediterranean sun. 

Welcome to Borgo, oil on linen 24x16 c. 2019





Friday, June 7, 2019

Where Tonawanda and North Tonawanda meet-The Erie Canal

Niagara Frontier Plein Air Painters met at Gateway Park on a fairly chilly and slightly windy day. Most of the painters worked small and in sketchbooks just in case the rain started up again. The walking bridge was in plain sight when I chose a rock to sit upon. The crisscross railings on both sides, the angles of the Erie Canal meeting Tonawanda Creek and the assorted stonework were an appropriate challenge. Keeping the Urban Sketchers materials in my car, I chose pen and ink instead of pastel today.


A familiar Tonawanda-North Tonawanda walking bridge

A bit of color was added to the ink drawing afterwards.

This is an Urban Sketch from last week on Main Street in Buffalo. The massive TriMain building was behind me with its familiar water tower. I'll draw that building another day. It was a pleasure to use the hidden People's Park on a sunny Saturday. this ornate church on the corner of Jewett Parkway is now a charter school.

Monday, July 30, 2018

Same old angle, new view

Rainbow Mist, looking towards Canada
I can walk along the Niagara River and see views of the mist rising from the bottom of the gorge for close to a mile. It never fails to amaze me and I have painted it from slightly different angles in different sizes and media.
This particular painting is unusual as I included the skyline of Niagara Falls Ontario. Usually, manmade structures are omitted or barely visible.
Rainbow Mist, 9x12, oil on birch panel c. 2018

Frank Lloyd Wright Boathouse

The start of a painting is a drawing - this is on a black toned canvas and it is in the shade of a building
Note how the light and shadows change, especially on the boathouse.

The Wind At FLW Boathouse, 12x16 oil

 I chose to leave the foliage off the tree to keep emphasis on the building.
Note how the shadows are longer in this afternoon photo and there is no light on the front. The wind is evident from the furled flags.

Wind at FLW Boathouse, oil on canvas 12x16 c.2018

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Wilson, NY with NFPAP

white building, boats in water
Lighthouse Tower, c.K. Schifano
A group appointment to paint together on the shore of Lake Ontario means I can buy fresh vegetables on the way home. The nice bunches of asparagus I saw on the roadside were gone by the time I was finished, but the garlic sign was up. The garlic farmer gentleman cutting the grass was fun to talk to but unfortunately the garlic isn't ready until July. He said I could come back and paint there...and bring my friends. Angled trees and various sculptures added to the charm of his multiple farm buildings and gardens.
I wanted to paint the Wilson Restaurant but did not have a vantage point to see it from the public area and the homeowners were not around to give permission. I did have a nice view of this new building which is actually a residence and hotel, there is also a marina gas pump nearby. The boats along the front changed frequently as they filled up. The one I painted was pretty big and took a while to fill the tank. I cannot imagine what their bill is to fill it, probably they could afford this painting for that price; the painting would last a lifetime while the gasoline is just a memory.

Lighthouse Tower, 12x9, oil on linen

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

An interesting development

When I saw clear bags in an email from Judson Art I clicked the link to see if the prices and package sizes would suit my needs. They did! But a few days later I received an email from Judsonsart.com apologizing for using the image of my painting in their advertising without giving me credit.

Oh my, I saw the ad but didn't notice my own painting! 

I said no problem just add my name in the future. The email reply was "whew!"  Apparently someone else had taken a big offense in the past or they misjudged me as a typical New Yorker who would be litigation happy. Nope, not me. If you click the link, you will see the ad and a credit that I painted it.

The painting is "Sunflowers From the Porch"

Monday, October 9, 2017

Broderick Park in Buffalo

I"ve been frequently drawing in a 6x8 sketchbook lately. Using a permanent black pen with archival ink the drawing is created, followed by watercolor to develop the picture.
This view shows my location on Unity Island, across from the 190 headed to downtown Buffalo. This park is recently updated and actually quite large even though it looks skimpy from the highway.

Two interruptions to the scene included bells ringing, traffic stopping and painters delayed while th Miss Buffalo glides under the bridge. This is really fun to watch.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Finding quiet on the Richmond roundabout

 Kleinhan's music hall, Symphony Circle, Olmsted Parkway system, where am I? 

Behind the big old First Presbyterian church with a recently restored bell tower is a secluded entrance. A small garden was growing near the sidewalk. The elegant birches growing against dark medina sandstone bricks stood out like spotlights and the stained glass glimmered a bit from the interior lights. It was so peaceful away from the traffic circle. There was even a table for me to settle my art supplies. So that is where I chose to paint, at peace in the midst of the city.


Keystones at First Presbyterian, 12x16 oil on board, c.2017

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

House Portrait with TOO MANY LEAVES!

This post starts with a review. In the Spring, I was painting outdoors in Houston and was commissioned to paint a home a few blocks from where I was working. Here is an earlier post about that day in March  and the painting I worked on then , helped by both Ian and Amelia, plein air artists in training.

Step by step, this is the house portrait in progress as I worked on it this Spring in my studio. The owners had asked me to include some particular details and some fall decor from a photo they showed me.
commission painting, house portrait
Partway through I needed more information on the structure of the house, my photos were taken in early March when the leaves were starting to fill in, she photographed in April and this is one of her photos, taken as I instructed. Oh my.
Obviously I didn't get much info about the roof or dormer as the trees had fully filled in, so I worked with the various photos I had taken in March. Notice there is stained glass upstairs, a cat in the window as well as USA and Texas flags. 

Spring Into Fall, 12x12 oil on wood, c. 2107