2017 Christmas card, finally

Bright Dreams, 5x7 c. K.Schifano

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

For some unknown reason, we did not send our annual homemade cards for the past two years. After 40 years of designing, writing and mailing them it should have been natural. In fact, it felt unnatural to NOT send Christmas cards. I was not inspired to paint a Christmas appropriate or red flower scene when the weather was warm and snow hadn't arrived. In fact, I often don't paint seriously from mid November through New Year's so I can concentrate on family, gifts and baking buckets of cookies. Baking is certainly an alternate art form. Though I have considered working on the card in August that has never happened, part of my tradition is the December rush.

Some of the most entertaining cards were drawings years ago by Charles or Robin, printed in green or blue or red (or black at first, before colored inks were possible) on white typing paper. Santas, Rudolph or funky decorated trees in my file still make me smile.

Maybe the problem of no little kids was solved this year. As I sat in my allergist's office, waiting 30 minutes for my shot reaction to not happen, there was this sweet artificial tree tucked in a corner and a little boy reading aloud, a girl squirming on granny's lap and two preteens. And this tree in the corner. I sketched it in my ever-present moleskin drawing book and took a photo.

 It didn't take long to turn it into a painting. With help from Carl my painting was laid out and printed as our 2017 Schifano card. They may have been mailed a bit late, but the deed is done! Merry Christmas, and here is a toast to good traditions.

An evening at 700 Bistro

  A sweet coffee shop by day and a wine bar at night, 700 Bistro in Lewiston hosted an artist evening. The emphasis was wine with chocolate, how could that be wrong? 

This shop is directly across from my Lewiston Art Festival tent site in August, so I had an opposite view.  I brought a single large painting and a selection of 5x7s, ideal for gifts. It turned out to be a lovely evening, art and wine is the perfect blend.

Thanksgiving Plein air?

Thanksgiving week in Texas is perfect weather for outdoor work, in my case, it is perfect for outdoor painting. I used triple coats of clear gesso on a smooth board to keep its natural brown under color and lightly sketched the shapes. As I worked I realized the clouds were about to change, so the sky would be fairly clear in less than an hour. Although I was with my old French easel in full shade to work (play!) the fluctuations of sun and clouds on the landscape would make working accurately difficult.  My scene kept changing. 

I started with the sky and captured the clouds as fast as I could right down to my planned horizon. It worked, as they blew into the east and I gained the advantage of steady sunlight to complete the picture.

Located at the edge of a fairly dense community, this interesting scene provided me with a bit of variety and a joyful afternoon. I used a limited set of paints, a total of just 5 tubes. A standard Red, Yellow, Blue and a dark brown modified each other with White to create new colors. I probably have more natural and varied greens here than when I carry tubes of green. There is a lesson right there.

Long after my travel headed towards home, I realized my painting was left behind. I may see this again in a few months when I make a return visit.

Tanked, 12x16 oil

Using Pastels on Autumn Days

As the days grow short and evening comes earlier, the shadows seem darker and are definitely longer. It's the best season to paint, because shadow creates form and landscape painting is the process of making a 3-D form look real on a flat surface. The shadows and reflections are the depth makers in a picture, besides using perspective, overlapping and diminishing sizes. Oh my, sometimes my brain hurts trying to keep it all together, but it is a good kind of hurt, like rewarding and satisfying work. 

Therefore, my fall paintings have a distinct set of values and colors different from summer. These two recent pastels illustrate this, the sunlight in the trees is at a lower angle....because the earth is curved and my northern latitude is tipping away from the direct rays. Working on them, I also considered the depth of shadows in the background and between and under trees. The sparkle of summer flowers and green grass is gone when shade takes over.

Red and Blue by Bonds Lake 9x12 pastel

Willow by Little Beaver Island 9x12 pastel

Tea Time and Urban Sketches in Ireland.

I always carry my little moleskin drawing book, but added a 5x7 sketchbook to my purse for a trip to Ireland. We stayed in Dublin, walked the city to see museums and sights for 5 days and then rented a car to take day trips. We went to Galway and drove along the Wild Atlantic Way, spent a day each in Howth and DunLaoghaire, Wicklow and Glendalough. 

A cold brewed coffee setup attracted my attention in a lovely little coffee shop in Dublin. I should have left my card, the girl in the drawing took a photo of my painting and she probably has a million followers asking 'Who did that?'

One of the first dinners out with Charles was in this lovely wine bar/pub. The chairs were each printed with notable wine labels and they were probably the most comfortable seats of all the places we ate. We feasted on a cheese platter and a bottle of wine while it rained for a short time. Afterwards, I took a few photos of the lights reflecting on the rain-wet streets. Making memories.