Saturday, April 20, 2024
Pillbox Hats in the Studio
Friday, May 6, 2022
Pansies! Spring is really here.
Yellow Pansies, oil 16 x12 c. K. Schifano |
In Texas, pansies are planted outdoors as soon as the New Year's blooms fade. Visiting family in March I love the masses of color at street corners and gardens. A cold hardy flower, in New York we wait until April to see little plants shining at grocery stores, garden centers and the neighbor's baskets. My front yard gets a lot of sun so they don't last when it turns warm and I've planted them just a few times.
This pretty little thing was in a 4" pot. I couldn't resist the purchase but before it went intomy patio display I had to paint them. I brought the plant to Thursday Niagara Painters at the NACC and spent an unusually long time on this painting. Perhaps it was the arrival of Spring or the joy of this glorious color but this Pansy has a lasting presence in oil paint.
Of course I also bought the magenta pansies and painted them on another day.
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Filling sketchbooks, one story at a time.
I like to use art supplies and my brain. I don't need to make oil paintings or pastels, I just need to draw to satisfy myself. As a member of Buffalo Urban Sketchers we find ourselves limited by Covid to not being in a lobby or cafeteria to draw. Like the rest of the world, we have started Zooming together and our first Virtual Field Trip was to Acadia National Park in Maine. This is Jordan Park Trail which is familiar to Acadia visitors. I used Google maps to explore the park and choose this site.
A little bit of Christmas in my studio inspired this. My big artist nutcracker and a fake tree were joined by a poinsettia and some garland to make me feel festive in a time when no visitors or parties were on my horizon. This is a good candidate for a future Christmas card.
I have a painting of the poinsettia that I keep fiddling with, changing the direction of light, the background and also the color of the plant and its leaves. There is a pile of paint building up but experimenting is allowed at all times. I don't paint for business, I paint for myself and my soul. The plant continues to thrives on my good studio juju.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Bringing Spring indoors
In progress |
Bringing Spring Indoors |
Friday, November 29, 2019
BNAA Fall exhibition
The lovely and large, well lit site, Expo 68 Art and Design Gallery features the Buffalo Niagara Art Association Fall art show through December 5. It's open daily, except Mondays. These two paintings were selected for this spectacular Exhibition at Expo 68.
Peony Bliss, 48"x24" oil |
Under American Falls, 12"x16" oil |
Thursday, October 3, 2019
An Abundance of Vegetables
Watercolor plan for a large painting 6x8 |
A Still Life That Needed a Little More
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Burchfield Penney Saturday still life
Saturdays With Myles |
Watching the museum's schedule for additional opportunities to do this challenge, I am disappointed that these two paintings will stand alone. There is no way I could put up a crazy still life like either of them for myself. I have to laugh that I did this for my students regularly. Because the setups were completely my choice I didn't have the perspective of strange and new objects. Planning the shapes and colors gave me an unfair advantage. At this moment I want to apologize to all the art students who were overwhelmed by art room still lifes in Niagara Falls High School. It took me quite a few years, but now I know how you felt.
Both paintings are 12x9 oil. My Guerrilla Painter pochade box worked well on the classroom tables.
Critters With Eyes |
Wednesday, March 14, 2018
Putting color into a still life
Sunday, March 1, 2015
An 'indoor Plein air' at Buffalo's Botanical Gardens.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
An indoor study
Nearly finished, 'Fresh Orchids' |