A Glorious House Plant model

My out of control vine was unwrapped and 25' of woody stems uncurled from one thin stalk in the ground. The annual Stephanotis flowers are fragrant and showy but plants can't live forever and this one was about 20 years old. And bulky. I'm glad it is preserved in pastel and safe under glass.

I bought it at Buffalo Erie Count Botanical Gardens in a 3" pot for probably two dollars. Maybe I'll start a new one  

Stephanotis 28x20 pastel

Riverworks summer fun

The complex at Riverworks is constantly expanding up and out and becoming a great family site. We took our grandchildren for dinner and they enjoyed the variety of watercraft passing, including party boats and cruisers. 

They didn't see this side until we were leaving so we took a few turns on the slowest Ferris wheel ever. It was magical. I've painted the LaBatts six pack twice and other views here too as there's always something worth studying  

Riverworks Ferris Wheel 9x12oil on birch board

Pansies!

Gosh we love Spring. The colors, greens and flowers, birds and warm weather are delightful. A pot of cool-loving pansies graced the porch for weeks before it was painted. Bluish blooms turned lavender and white faded to yellow. A still life that kept moving  

Pansies 12x16 oil

Donated to ‘Artists for Lahaina'

So much was lost to the fire that decimated the city in Hawaii, including lives. Hearing of artists who lost their studios to the fire as well as homes cars and family members is heartbreaking. Originally planned to support artists, the auction of art donated by many artists will benefit all types of need for all people in the stricken area.

This lily painting is 12x16 on board and will be mailed at no charge to the winning bidder. 

Backyard garden flowers

That's my granddaughter Amelia in the blue hat, she painted next to me with her new set of gel crayons. I hadn't used my pastels for a while and went out to capture my July garden flowers before the August Black eyed Susans took over and the daisies faded. I hope the foreground marigolds last well into the Fall.

The Summer Garden, pastel, 12x16

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.

 

Annual Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival

Saturday at the Buffalo History Museum was a perfect Spring day and thousands turned out to see the blossoms. Five painters worked on a scene similar to this, set back from the crowds and walkways. Every painting captured sunlight, flowers and the joy of emerging spring. These trees appear to dance, with the classic architecture of the museum in the background.

'Saturday's Cherry Blossoms' oil, 12x16 c. K. Schifano

 Sunday was not as bright, in fact I was caught in the rain as I packed up. My easel was right under the tree with this particular flower right in front of me. I did the same thing last year but the breeze kept blowing the thin branch and it was a bit disconcerting to catch the details. This time, there was no breeze but a little girl jumped up and grabbed my flower. I reacted so quickly-and pretty loud-that I doubt she will ever pick another flower. Instead of seeing some of the centers the bunch now tipped down but I am still satisfied with the shape. Still wondering why, with hundreds of flowering trees and flowers she chose mine. 

'Sunday's Cherry Blossoms' oil, 12x16 c. K. Schifano

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.

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.

 

Buffalo Garden Walk Painting Invitation Step by Step

 The annual Buffalo Garden Walks offer opportunities for artists to paint in various gardens. At Vermont Street and 17th there is a public vegetable and flower garden and I reached out to NFPAP members to join me and Buffalo Society of Artists on a sunny July Saturday. The many visitors and especially children were fascinated to see us at work.

The back view of the tall Yarrow flowers drew my attention this time. Compared to the brilliant yellow flowers on top the underneath stems are deep rich greens and even blue in the shadows. I sat to paint to observe this view under the yellow Yarrow flowers.

Step by step in the community garden

Under the Yarrow, 9x12 oil

Published in ‘Outdoor Painter’-Again!

https://www.outdoorpainter.com/best-plein-air-easels-for-artists/

An article about various kinds of plein air equipment by artists from all over includes a photo of me with my Guerrilla box, painting in a sunflower field in Sanborn. I am so pleased to be in the company of 'name brand' artists from all over the world in this international art magazine.

My box holds all my equipment as well as the finished wet painting. All I need to add is a tripod and my lunch. I have purchased several different size setups from them and am happy with each one.

 Click the link to see various easels and setups that Plein air painters use. I’m the one in the sunflower field. 🌞

Bringing Spring indoors

An unusually early Spring brought out glorious flowers that lasted weeks longer than usual because it didn't get hot. The Forsythia bloomed for at least a month and the huge yellow bush out back reflected yellow into every window. We had planted 3 of them in one spot and it is about 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide, a haven for birds waiting their turn at the feeders. I have planted lots of yellow daffodil bulbs over the years but the majority have turned themselves into these orange centered daffodils.

This is a traditional still life with soft pastel sticks and it was a very happy project as long as the flowers lasted in my studio.

In progress

Bringing Spring Indoors

Bringing Spring Indoors, pastel, 20x16

BNAA Fall exhibition

The transition of the Eastern Hills site to a town square continues to evolve.

 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

The BNAA is a juried group, new members are juried into the group, then the shows are juried for exhibition and awards. New artists are welcome to join as Associates or Juried members.

A Still Life That Needed a Little More

Fresh flowers are abundant on the Tuscany estate and peach and pink multiflora roses surround the Art House. Rose of Sharon in the back appear to be a wall of violet and herbs are grown as shrubs and landscape plants along the paths. My bouquet needed a little support, I added short dense branches to make it stand. They were a soft blue green and scented like sage. Not looking, I titled the flowers with the color name of sage in the title.  It took a day or two before I realized that the plant I had clipped was rosemary, and so the title was changed.

"Put Some Rosemary in it" 24x18 pastel on paper

In progress, a season of sunflowers

Not titled yet!!! c. Kath Schifano

This fun old truck is parked at Sunflowers of Sanborn to add to the collection of curiosities that make a visit here special. The painting is in progress here, wet and on the easel.

The view from my parked car. 'Best parking space view' award.

Inside the field, you are surrounded by the joy of happy visitors and the sunny faces of the plants.

Farm to Table in North Tonawanda

Partner's Flowers, 9x12 pastel c.2018

Who can resist an evening paintout? These are marigolds and coleus in a window box in front of Partners in Art, North Tonawanda. The Farm to Market dinner was happening in a few hours and I was assigned to paint outside of Partners in Art. I had planned to include the majestic marquee from the restored Riviera Theater in my plein air but didn't have a clear angle of view. I sketched several historic buildings across the street but was still not inspired. However, when the music began I was suddenly sure of my subject-the huge planter of glorious red and yellow on the sidewalk by the shop. 

A lovely dinner on the Webster Bistro patio and a perfect evening with artist friends finished with a visit to where Ylli Haruni was painting. Graciously, he stopped painting his own picture to sketch me while Caedyn and I chatted. What a treasure, he flattered me by eliminating about 30 years. I even approve his adaption of my all day in the sun hat hair. I hope that the joy he captured in this picture comes across to everyone I meet.

Kath in pencil,  by Ylli Haruni 

Playing in the Sunflowers

We decided to call it Tailgating at Sunflowers of Sanford with a number of other painters Arriving all morning. Arriving early, we backed our traveling studios to the fence and painted away on another spectacular WNY summer day. As part of my process I changed a photo to B&W to check the balance of values. I touched the painting up a bit after I came home; driving home with windows wide open isn’t a great idea with a pastel painting in the back.

Wind Dancers, 12x9 pastel c. 2018

Putting color into a still life

My dear friend Raquel brought me a spectacular bouquet of tulips which kept expanding in the winter light, reaching taller and wider until I finally brought it into my studio in front of a canvas. What fun!! 

I hadn't worked larger for a while so I loved the challenge. The tulips continued to grow so I had to make artistic decisions about placement and not look back. Then they wilted, and drooped, but I wasn't finished so the artist in me had even more fun building form and light. As a simple still life of white tulips it was lovely but when I decided to add color it told its own story. 

Paintings often name themselves or rather a title comes to me while I'm working but this one eluded me. I posted the picture on Facebook and asked for help. Two Pink Tulips. Tulips Breaking Out. Spring Bouquet. In The Pink. I Will Wait For You. Just One More. Tulips From The Garden.  Beauty of Spring. Tulips Apart. Spring Splendor. Acceptance. Thank you, friends, I chose 'Color Doesn't Make Us Different ', suggested by my artist friend, Marolyn Corriere. 

The second photo shows my painting in progress and constant companion, Chiquita. She's on loan with us for a while and loves to be with us, wherever we are.

Color Doesn't Make Us Different, oil on canvas, 22x28 c. 2018

Working with a dark background

Clematis buds, about to open, are the second flowering of this climbing plant.  The fluffy light parts are from the previous blooming, the petals fall and the center turns into a pompom. It always flowered with the first brave buds the first week of June, but lately has been covered with open blossoms by then, the Clematis is starting to open in mid-May

This is a 'test' pastel of newly acquired skills using color to create strong contrast and interest. I think it turned out just fine.The paper was 16x20 but it had to be trimmed to remove all my color tests on the edges. I didn't expect it to work this well or I would have done my color tests on another page.

Crossing Seasons 16x10 pastel c.2017

Danielewicz Farm Sunflower paintings

Facing The Wind

I've Got A Secret

Yellow Joy

These are three of the four paintings completed during the Labor Day weekend sunflower extravaganza. It was the most exciting time as everyone was happy and excited to experience the acres of beauty. Each of these is pastel, I also made a large oil picture, yellow flowers and blue sky blazing.

Sunflowers!

 Wow. I saw pictures on FB, a lovely color spread in the Buffalo News, how could I resist? 

A few weeks ago my favorite painting of sunflowers was purchased for a presentation at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center. When I saw photos of this field I knew it was time to paint more sunflowers. A chance to see another field involved several hours of driving so I didn't go. Now I could find one 15 minutes from home in Sanborn.

This field was just an idea last year, farmland owner Louise thought planting sunflowers would be novel but had no idea it would turn into a media event. I met her kids and friends as well as dozens of people stopping on the road to take selfies and family photos, a pro photographer was shooting a model with reflection umbrellas and Channel 4 news appeared. (I was interviewed) Cars lined both sides of the street and the mood was jubilant, how could one not be overjoyed to engage with acres of yellow?

Yellow isn't a common color to use  a lot on my palette when Plein Air painting, yellow items often look more tan unless it is fall leaves. This was an opportunity to collect all my out cool and warm yellow sticks, some hot golden orange with some purple for shadows, light blue to capture the leaf lights. Why ever I selected terra cotta red for my background is unknown but I love the contrast. 

This pastel painting is still taped to the board, waiting for the decision, stop now or keep working. It's looking pretty fine in my house right now.

Louise, responsible for this lovely event.

 A panorama that doesn't do justice to the size of this field of flowers.