Ending one Season, Starting Another

The Autumn leaves are still brilliant and there are more paint days ahead but an end of season art show for one of my groups will open November 1 in Lockport at the new Lock Side Art Center.

My friends in Niagara Frontier Plein Air Painters had scheduled paintouts at various locations, 7 or 8 every month since Spring. We hope for a good turnout to see the paintings that members choose from these sites to display at this exhibition. Although I painted the same number of pictures as usual this year, they were concentrated in three separate adventures, trips to the ocean in Delaware in June, the Zhang and Wooley workshop mid-summer and another late summer ocean week in Long Beach. In between I worked fairly small and skipped many dates to rest my wrist. In mid September I had wrist surgery and am thrilled at the improvement I feel, although I have not attempted more than a few touchups with paint yet. Some tiny studies, about 2x2 and 2x3 tested my small brush skills and took longer than I expected.

Not back to a regular painting schedule yet, I look forward to the opportunity to work with pastels again and I am considering some still life experiments this winter. It remains to be seen!

P4P doesn't always work

 

The original expansive Delaware Court structure had a lovely curved facade; Painting for Preservation artists had gathered there on a brilliant Fall Saturday to bring attention to the fact that the Chippewa Street businesses and stores were moving out to demolish the classic building and replace it with a monster huge structure. 

At a quick stop at Spot Coffee exactly a year later I see the new building is in progress. Fortunately the architect preserved the curved facade, it will be interesting to see how it is finished and how it effects the area as time goes on.  I am glad I had an opportunity to capture the original building, spend some time with it and paint a dignified portrait.

Delaware Court, oil, 10x12, 2013

This is the sitting room at the Knox Mansion

The sitting room of the Knox family is at the top of the main staircase. I think it was the master bedroom as the bath has the original pencil marks of the growing family's heights marked on the molding and now preserved with acrylic. The house is mostly empty, with a full pro kitchen it is used for special events.

November 21, 22, 23 the Friends of Knox Farm State Park present the Holiday Art Festival in the main house. I have been invited to present my art there; Monica will be sharing the room with me and another textile artist. This photo shows 'my side' and an exit door. Let the plans begin!