Orchids at the winter display

Unfinished 10 days ago, I added a bit of color to the wall and played with soft and hard edges when the pace of the Christmas holidays finally slowed. It didn't take long so I wonder why I waited, I want art work completed rather soon. This pastel painting nearly finished itself because there was so little to do when I returned to the studio. 

Brighter Than White Orchids, pastel 9x12 ©2015

Back to the Botanical Gardens

The orchids are stunning at the Buffalo Botanical Gardens. Plein air painters have moved indoors for the winter and the changes at the gardens are mind boggling. Two greenhouses are closed for their renovations, completely sealed for lead abatement and replacement of the glass in the domes.

The decorations for Christmas are everywhere, little snowglobes are ready for wish-making, the giant train set is tooteling, ribbons, lights and snowflakes hanging and brightening every corner. This orchid, identified only by a number and no name, beckoned me. I had pastels but started my painting with black sharpie underpainting to intensify some of the dark areas. On the way home I was tempted to stop at Hyatt's to buy new intense colors but I'll have to consult my charts and pastel drawers for some elusive shades, then open my wallet.

It was a treat to be out with pastels, the oil tubes have been my steady companions this year. As I was working on this my brain was considering how it would be different if I had brushes and canvas instead. I wasn't working as close as the photo shows, I put the picture into the display to use the camera, my seat was in the greenhouse aisle.
Not yet titled, unfinished in the photo.

(In progress)

Japanese cherry blossom festival

The second annual Cherry Blossom Fest at the History Museum in Buffalo was perfectly timed with the best show of seasonal pink flowers. While I worked on my final larger picture, 'Cherry Blossoms on Saturday', the flowers cascaded like rain, carpeting everything in pink. WHen I returned home my tweezers picked a branchful of leaves and petals out of the wet painting. The NFPAP artists also worked here on both Saturdays of the festival. Everyone plans to return next year. 

      Pink carpet. 5x7 palette knife oil

Cherry Blossoms on Saturday 12x16 oil

Framing History 7x5 oil

30 Paintings in 30 Days, #9

Sunshine, breezes, bees and flowers, it seems like the big chill has left western New York. All the crocus came out at once and all the bees gathered in the front yard to celebrate. Setting my chair a bit away from their honey convention I relished Spring, short sleeves and warm breeze.

One third finished with my 30 in 30 adventure and I notice hand twinges from holding the brush. My surgeon said 6 months and I'd be as good as new so I suppose it is the effect of working small with thin handled brushes. I'll know soon enough as I convinced myself that it is about rebuilding muscles that were misused for so long.

This is just a happy painting, from a beautiful day. Click Here to email me or use the Paypal button.

Crocus Happy Dance, 4"x5", oil on HDF board, 2015

Crocus Happy Dance

Unframed $45.00 USD

An 'indoor Plein air' at Buffalo's Botanical Gardens.

It is 'back to the gardens' season. Too cold to stand outside on ice covered ground in the swirling snow with wind chills hovering around zero, my Thursdays at Frederick Law Olmsted's 1900 Botanical Gardens are a relief from winter house air. Oxygen, green tropical plants, fragrant flowers and happy visitors make for wonderful paintouts-indoors.

  

Orchids and Amaryllis, oil 9x12, 2015

An indoor study

Nearly finished, 'Fresh Orchids'

Ah, February, it hasn't had a thaw yet and it is too frigid to paint outdoors. 

Contemporary realist painter,  Thomas Kegler held a one day workshop in still life painting at Partners in Art, North Tonawanda, and I joined for a day out and some inspiration. I had attended his workshop two years ago and was intrigued by his use of glazes, especially on a finished painting.

At that time, I had a spray of orchids which I carefully protected on the frigid drive to East Aurora. For this workshop, I hunted around for a similar subject and found this cymbidium plant. My plan was to create the same size and subject to create a pair of pictures. Now that I have them home together I see the difference two years of painting-and thinking-can be. Yes, it is a pair and I hope they stay together.

Day 2 of 5 FB paintings

Day 2 of 5 Facebook Painting Challenge.

I selected unpublished paintings that had a bit of humor when they were made. The first 'My Peonies Have No Ants' is a Springtime plein air; painting the flower buds outdoors I watched so many fat ants crawl around that I decided to be 'different', therefore, no ants.

The second was painted at a vendor workshop, 'Studio Zygocactus'. We were to paint from photos to evaluate a new paint product. I forgot eyeglasses and painted this sideways, displayed it sideways and didn't know it. Nowadays, I often paint outdoors without my glasses.

The last is a Botanical Gardens close up. Behind me was a vicious spiked cactus, hence the title, 'No Leaning.'
I nominate Patricia Gaeta to post 3 paintings a day for 5 days, we want to see what you are up to!

 — with Patricia Gaeta.

From Facebook Artist Posts 1

Day 1 of 5
I am nominated for the current Facebook Challenge by Frances Gaffney, a Manhattan and ADK artist and friend, to post 3 artworks for 5 days and nominate another artist each day. It has been a pleasure to see so much great work from so many artist friends and I am pleased to be a part of making FB posts beautiful.
These 3 are earlier works, pastels on 22x30 BFK created from real roses in my studio. I have always been inspired by nature and this series of rose paintings 2003-04 were stepping stones to becoming a better artist by observing and recording as well as the experience of working with limited color.
In the shadow of Frances, I nominate Elizabeth Flannery Damesimo to post 3 paintings a day for 5 days.
1. Investigating Pink
2. Rotated Rose 
3. More Moon Shadows

Painted Anthuriums

  Can't wait to go paint outdoors? Join me on Thursday mornings in South Buffalo.

 Buffalo's Botanical Garden has the most amazing displays as the plants react to longer days and warmer sunlight. The cactus are pushing flowers, the koi are more active, orchids scream gorgeous and all the freshly trimmed trees are putting out new branches.

This set up is with my new Guerilla Painter artist box, it is so versatile and lightweight, my first use of it  here was a joy! I will write about it soon.

'Anthurium Spring' 9x12 oil c. K. Schifano

More than just cookies

Merry Christmas in paint

December is a time of wonder, the first snow, decorations, great music and joy. I spent a quiet day, early in the month, surrounded by an acre of poinsettias. This is probably only possible because they have no scent! I snuggled next to a particularly pointy leaf variety and used my palette knife to capture the angular shape of the leaves. If you find some time to visit a Botanical Garden it will pleasantly reward you with new views every time.

I think we made 9 varieties of cookies this year, it was an ongoing project for the month and just as satisfying as painting is at this time of year. Come January, there will be lots of time to work in the studio.

Merry Christmas, may you share your days with your friends and family and find the joy in each moment.

Poinsettia with points, 5x7, oil

A Lesson in Painting

The first of several deliveries here last week was a paper wrapped bunch of...mini orchids...just what I needed! My sister, Bobbie Peters had sent them, she knew I would arrange the flowers and probably use them for a painting. I had been to florists twice in the past looking for this particular flower so I was especially pleased.

I had already signed up for an artist workshop with Thomas Kegler a week after they arrived and one of the items on the supply list was objects for a still life. I grabbed some tomatoes, peppers, oranges, ribbons, small boxes to stack under the drapery and half the original bouquet to head to East Aurora and the Roycroft campus on a frigid Saturday. Three years earlier I had made a '5 year plan' of personal goals and attending an art workshop was on the list. Check! His Hudson River painters traditional style attracted me, particularly the way his surfaces are developed with glazing. Although using the Hudson River painters techniques are not on my short list, my experiences painting at historic locations in the Adirondacks these past two years have piqued my interest.

Tom's friendly attitude and open sharing of technique made the 8 hour class valuable to me, as a self taught oil painter I have read articles and books and painted next to many painters, but this was a challenge to actually follow someone else's instructions. Using odorless mineral spirits for an underpainting was the first big change, my mind kept going back to his demonstration and trying to follow his different approach to working on a canvas. Having already finished my 'first thousand paintings' it took effort to adjust what I already do, but I was able to experience painting in a new way for the day and had a lot of fun in the process. Overall, the biggest thing I learned is not in this picture yet. Final glazing with thin color adds warmth to the picture and brings out some texture in the brush strokes. When I do that I am going to try it first on another picture that was waiting for a finish, then come back to this one.

Although I have painted still life pictures and flowers in a vase before, this will always remain special to me, my sister sent the flowers and they are in memory of Martha.

Roycroft Still Life, 20x10 oil on wood panel 2013

There is no Planning for Customers' Tastes.

During a Christmas season a few years ago I sold quite a few Niagara Falls area paintings, they are often sought after for gifts by local residents.

Last year landscapes and scenery with wide views were the favorites, but this year close up botanicals in both pastel and oil were selected. I looked at my studio display wall at the end of this season and all I could see hanging was....water paintings! My thought was that  Niagara and rapids paintings would sell well again but this year's customers were looking for more color and vibrant compositions. These are three sold examples while the painting mentioned in the last post was also bright and closeup.

It is a good thing that I paint for myself, choosing sizes, colors and subjects according to my location and media. Not having awareness of current styles I always stick to what I see and like and I had better keep that attitude.

Fortunately, people like what I do and choose to own and live with my paintings. My customers have excellent taste and have removed quite a few precious favorites over the years. Thank goodness they do because there would be no room to move around here if they did not. Except for a very few pictures, I know where each one lives, and I like knowing that.

Pond Plant, 20x16 pastel, collection of M. Irby

Pinot Noir, Not Ripe at Warm Lake, 20x30 oil, collection of DiCamillo family

Greenhouse Croton, 24x18 pastel, collection of Rusert Family 

December traditions

Home made cards are much more than a challenge now that the kids are grown and no longer illustrating sweet Christmas scenes for us to copy and glue. We have home made our cards for more than 25 years, with a couple of skipped years due to too much to do!

Each year we try to create a card image, fully expecting to get it all together in August or September, but that has NEVER happened, not once, even when I knew what picture would be on the cards! It has become our December 'hurry up' project and tradition, right after cookie baking.

This is a Buffalo Botanic Gardens painting from this season, the first of my pictures with colors that might work, even if it was not holiday themed. Since then, I went to the gardens to sketch three times to try for another image, coming home with approximately 10 plans and drawings, none of which suited my purpose. The gardens are now wall to wall with poinsettias and Christmas themed decor, absolutely entertaining and beautiful. This is a large leaf office type plant, the waxy leaves are richly colored and the red spathes in the center are a lovely surprise from an already handsome plant.

So, Merry Christmas! This is the image on our 2012 Christmas postcard, the reverse side has a lovely snowflake motif that Carl created, and tonight I will write my notes. I am saving some without the Christmas message for my own use, sending notes and postcards may be so 20th century, but I love it all year long.

December's Surprise, pastel 12x16  c.2012

Serendipity Success

c. Kath Schifano 2012

Different in technique from other Botanical Gardens paintings, this orchid spray deserves an explanation. The orchid room is attractive and comfortable for painting because of the variety and profusion of colors and textures with dramatic lines. The room also has left and right areas to set up where there is less traffic.

However, there is a persistent loud fan that drives me crazy, so I often choose to work in other rooms. Not this time. A dramatic orchid was placed in front of deep dark large leaves to emphasize its subtle shapes and dramatic beauty, I could not resist. Unfortunately, the heat and cold and weather changes in the humid environment create artistic hazards. In this case, big fat plops of condensation on the window grid above started to drip, spread the colors and splash. Well, the fan noise was already driving me batty, so I packed up and went home, where I continued to work on the ruined sections with a wet brush and a careful hand. I liked the effect, so I continued to paint with water as well as dry pastels and decided to go no further with the background. I like the 3-D effects of the plant and the mystery of the purples. I would love to have a stem of these cymbidium orchids in water in my home, it lasts for months.
Orchids on the Endcap, 18x12 pastel, 2012

Spring in Buffalo

Now that I have returned to weekly paintouts at the Buffalo Botanical Gardens, I see signs of Spring in every greenhouse. All the plants are stretching, greening, budding and turning to the light. The volunteer gardeners are furiously trimming before the big growth spurts crowd out the visitors.

Each week, I walk around, nodding to familiar plants, noticing reorganized displays, new splashes of color and seasonal installations. The desert cactus room is grumbling and plumping, buds are just barely showing on new shoots and flowers. A massive Prickly Pear cactus in the center garden display looked fatter and happier than ever stretching to sunlight and longer days.

The narrow viewing halls make it difficult to set up for drawing or painting, but I was able to snuggle into a doorway and capture some new and old paddles on this mature cactus. Despite the needles and thorns, it is a beautiful thing.

No Leaning, pastel 9.5x12.5 2012

The Moon is A Balloon, 2011 & Wine On Third

 Years ago I started this rose painting, it was one of my early large floral pastels. It was matted & framed under glass-until the glass broke. I adjusted it to have a double mat after reworking the naked image in 2006, when I added blues to the previously white sky as well as more values of yellow in the petals. The rose peacefully settled in a quiet corner of the living room for several years. 

This summer I took it down and re-reworked it. The sky gained more blues, greens and a bit of violet, the  petal shadows were made richer with violet and orange and I finally completed the stem; poor rose only had sepals without a stem. Under glass, it is finally ready to show.

Invited to be July 'artist of the month' at Wine on Third, Niagara Falls, this painting is the first on the wall in a series of large florals and food paintings there as well as 6 Niagara Falls paintings. It is finally in public along with other studio works. Having mostly painted and shown smaller plein air paintings recently, I enjoy seeing the display of large works together, and it will be up until August.

The Moon Is A Balloon, 24x30 [framed to 30x36] 1995-2011

Giant Croton captures me

Spring comes first at the Botanical Gardens, the cactus start to swell and palms put out huge new branches, ferns thicken and unfurl from their centers. Intrigued by the changing leaf colors as winter wanes, I found a crowd of colorful Croton plants and moved them around a little to isolate this one.

There was a lot more color after studying the plant, and this painting took longer than I expected. 'Some green, a couple of orange, a bit of yellow, leaves aren't that hard.' Or so I thought. The light on each waxy leaf created new hues and shades, the shadow of one leaf onto another created more.

I was positioned in a narrow aisle and the best moment of the day was a toddler who considered pebbles on the raised beds delicious. His stroller brought them right to his reach; he waited until Mom admired the Venus Fly Traps and grabbed a handful. We warned her, but he was determined to have his souvenir. Apparently he had been practicing this grab for a while, not a healthy place to eat, and he probably went home with a bit of extra weight.

Greenhouse Croton, 12.5 x 16.5 pastel 2011

Amaryllis

The botanical garden's recent Amaryllis show was a riot of color, strap leaves & thick tall stems topped by gaudy trumpets marching along the greenhouse paths.

This beauty was buried with sprays of tiny orchids at the entrance to the ivy house. I was attracted to the red, green & white colors as well as the way it reached into the path.

Untitled, pastel, 9.5x12.5 2011

Cattleya Orchid

Last weekend's Botanical Garden's event featured the glorious blooming orchid room and the Orchid Society Show.

Leading up to this event, the orchids have been casually unfolding from balls and ovals and even zigzag bundles from their host of strap leaves and air roots. Otherwise unremarkable plants have become riots of color, and each week we painters spent time checking out the buds and new colors.

I had worked at a popular florist when all women wore gaudy corsages for Easter so it was the biggest work weekend with hours right through the night. Everyone's Mom & Grandma needed to have a color coordinated flower and bow on their Easter finery.

This cattleya puts the smaller cymbidiums and phalaenopsis to shame by its sheer size, as a corsage it was a favorite but I never understood why the big flopping petals that reached halfway across any women's outfit was so popular, in those days the color to wear was purple.

For me, sitting in the orchid room with these screaming yellow flowers for a morning of mark making was wonderful!

Not My Corsage, pastel 9.5x12.5 2011

Art is back in season

Finally, indoor plein air season! I have been going to the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens in the winter to paint over the past five years.

Everything changes quickly there, and seasonal displays of flowers add to the riot of color on the permanent plants. Amaryllis will be lining the walks soon.

Choosing to sit with my canvas on the same bench weekly would still result in very different paintings every time. This lemon tree has been my subject at least four other times, deep green fruit hides under big leathery leaves and tangled branches until subtle color changes to lighter green. The little white flower buds have a wonderful sweet scent.

Lemon Hide, pastel 12.5x9.5 2011