The Meadow at Stella Niagara

A bit of American History-the large meadow across from Stella Niagara Education Park is the only level landing spot on the lower Niagara River all the way to Youngstown.

Now it is a public park and WNY conservancy land and maintained with native plants and an occasional mowing on the long winding path for walking.
The photo is from my painting vantage point. It seems small but I could see the window and details clearly. 

Lytle Preserve

 It is a treat to find a new park or location to bring my paints. We were invited by the Art Trail to paint at an event in Lockport. Families (and visiting goats) walked the trails at beautiful Lytle Park. The variety of greens was staggering.

Having had a recent Total Knee Replacement, I settled for a scene near the car, while other painters went down the trail to find a bridge, wooden walks and lovely views. This is a park I will return to!

Lytle Preserve, Lockport, oil 9x12 oil 2024

A New Peace Bridge view

Painted today, noticed by many, gone tomorrow. It was an early cool Spring day when a few of us decided to paint near the Aquarium. I had a different location in mind, but I had never considered the Rainbow Bridge from this location. Already parked, I realized I wouldn't have to go far. There are a lot of memories in the painting, crossing into Canada, the Falls, stairs to the gorge and many Niagara Falls natives commented on it. Needless to say, this one was shipped out as soon as it was dry enough to travel. Expats love Niagara!

Indoors in the Winter, Commission Painting

 A new customer inquired about two paintings she had previously seen, one at the Junior League Buffalo Showhouse and the other on my website, kschifano.com. 

Unfortunately, one was sold while the other was a History Museum auction item. After some discussion, and convincing meI could reproduce them, I repainted each one. It was nice to work on larger canvas indoors during the winter. I completed one in my home studio while the other was painted in Studio 120 at The NACC. 

They are both shown here leaning against her fireplace. They were to be mounted on the wall above, in lovely company with other artworks. My pleasure!

Another Moment, oil, 24x36

Still Dancing, oil 20x24 

Niagara Falls power

One more pastel before I return to using oil paint. It's a summer day and my friends are meeting at Three Sisters in Niagara Falls State Park for a warm day by the water to paint. There are so many angles at Three Sisters that are perfect for painting, so difficult to choose. 

On this day I brought art supplies to the end, where the crashing surf racing down to the Horseshoe Falls makes the most noise. A few years ago this area was upgraded with natural plantings and handsome fencing but that keeps us away from the rocky eastern sections of the third island. I decided to show the massive rocks on the shore beyond the fence. 

The Third Island at Three Sisters 12x9 pastel

Saturday at Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival

Guests of the History Museum are checking out my work in progress on the Museum porch. I chose the Albright Knox and the new building in progress, seen behind the pink blossoms of the Japanese Cherry Blossom Garden. 

Only 5x7, this is the plan for the large oil painting below.

10”x20”, the two museums are separated by beautiful trees in all seasons. And a parkway, can you pronounce Squajaquada? 

Same place, one year apart, different media

Sun and Clouds Picnic II, oil 9x12 2022

Autumn Sun Streaks, pastel, 9x12 2021

Painting in a rainstorm

I was excited to paint in Youngstown at the end of the mighty Niagara, it ends at Lake Ontario with two forts, several dozen sailboats and two marinas and Canada all in view.

And then it rained, in fact it poured and was 1" deep under the tent which also started dripping underneath. No good for pastel painters, but I was using oils. The red roof shed was a perfect collection of shapes, so I started my painting...not planning to have my view blocked by the blue sailboat 'lifter' which wheeled in front of my view. 

In Fall all the large and small sailboats are removed from the Niagara River and packed together, similar to cars at a busy mall on a Saturday holiday weekend. The huge masts create an aluminum forest, with ropes continually clinking on metal.

But, I persisted and happily completed my painting. How many more old buildings will I find?

I

RCR shed at Youngstown Yacht Club 9x12 oil c. 2022

Interpretation of Bonds Lake

Here is a painting in progress, nearly finished. A few more rocks and some long shadows and it was done.

We paint at least once a year at Bond's Lake and usually include the lake and the stunning colors of trees across the water in our pictures. Today I chose the path that is now blocked but leads to where we used to park. Purple loosestrife, a noxious weed, is nevertheless beautiful in late summer. Long shadows herald the approach of Fall as the sun appears low in the sky.

Bond Lake's Loosestrife, oil, 5x7 c. 2022

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

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

Always Carry a Sketchbook

It looks precarious, but the hill isn't as steep as it seems, and it is raining lightly. Between my sun umbrella and the willow tree above I stayed fairly dry. This is on Lake Ontario, a lovely day spent with Laurene.

 This is my final Urban Sketch, but out in Niagara County, about 6x8" in my trusty sketchbook. It is a watercolored ink drawing. Some of these campers will live here until the weather turns and they leave to southern homes for the winter.

A true nocturnal painting

As the seasons change on a particular day, a solstice or equinox, I try to paint outdoors. This nocturne painting has been photographed dozens of times, to capture the crimson glow in the horizon sky as well as the blue of the moonlit evening sky. 'The camera never lies' does not apply here as the camera has not been able to capture the truth for nearly three months. This is a summer equinox painting and it has a gloss on the surface that my paintings do not normally exhibit without varnish. Perhaps working in the dark has mixing color problems? The canvas has a more even blue shade across the top of the sky.

Settled on the porch, facing south, trees blend into the colors of night while the sky glows overhead. Studying the night sky values ahead of time and careful color arrangements on a palette made this a fun challenge. Every month the full moon has a name. June's name is 'Strawberry Moon' the time when the berries are ripe and sweet. All summer we have enjoyed the distant planets in our night skies.

Saturn, Jupiter and Strawberry Moon, oil on panel 9x12 c.2020

Adirondack Plein Air Festival

After months of Covid 19 lock down, I was crushed to have my acceptance and first appearance at this prestigious outdoor competition cancelled. However, it was changed to a virtual exhibit, so the artists who could come to the park had three weeks to paint alone and submit their work digitally. With the gracious hospitality of a good friend available, I quarantined before my trip. No way would I want to bring the evil virus to the pristine air of the Adirondack Park. A five hour drive there was liberating after being mostly cooped up since early March. I relished the pine air, clear skies and dramatic mountains. I didn’t see any other painters and we all missed the celebrations, dinners, client parties and seeing each other's Art. But I painted in the mountains and found great joy there. These are my three submissions. 

'Pine Carpet in the High Peaks, (Keene)’ 9x12 pastel. A high altitude view of other mountains. 

‘Adirondack Rocks', 16x12, pastel painted during the heavy rains of hurricane Isias-from a porch

'North of North Creek', 10x20 oil. The water is the Hudson, way up where it starts

 

Looking through the cattails

 From the left side and close up.

Starting out.

Final painting.

Italy. Tuscany.
I was offered a month residency at an exclusive Michelin starred estate as their resident artist. From a stocked and charming studio, called the Artist House, I painted gardens and farms, animals and flowers, ancient stone buildings and classical architecture.  

Liking a hard surface for my brush, I attached linen to boards and used a portable box for oils and brushes. The picture here shows my view at the studio, where a covered marble chip patio had three outdoor couches and a large stone table. My first painting in the shade there was this wisteria vines bridge, thick with impasto and water lilies. It is named the Monet bridge.

My joy was unbounded in the summer sunlight, surrounded by waterfalls, white ducks, peacocks and a frequent visitor, a giant blue heron. What beautiful surroundings to inspire and enjoy. A speaker attached to the music on my phone made it even more special. Music accompanies painting like a comfortable old friend. 

A few days later, I realized that the vines were flowering and I added a few hanging purple blossoms, as well as more light and shadow.  "Song of the Water Lilies" was purchased on my last day, to a collector in California.

Song of the Waterlilies, 16x12 oil on linen. C. 2019

A bit of Magritte

The artist Magritte played with images, some serious, others were whimsical. My favorites are when he has a painting overlapping a picture, the image behind the canvas is on the canvas. I tried it. 

This is a view and of the lower Niagara River on my easel, painted from Canada overlook by the Whirlpool. I lined up the painting with the view.  It’s harder to photograph than it looks. The painting is the image on this month's calendar page.

This is a sample of painting by Magritte, all of it is paint, including the easel and curtain.

‘Calm’ A pastel at Tifft preserve.

Calm 12x16 pastel Kath Schifano

Beautiful, lush, quiet, peaceful, and natural Tifft Wildlife Preserve is a jewel of a place, formerly a massive and useless brownfield in South Buffalo. It used to be a busy railroad terminal for industry, full of crisscrossing tracks and the junk associated with a zillion old trains. With a great deal of help from  the community and government it is now a large sanctuary open to hikers and interested people. Nature has totally reclaimed this place. A few years ago you could see rust and grain elevators in the distance, as trees grow, that view disappears.

Love to paint here, I think some of my most peaceful moments painting happen here, every painting has a story. Ask me about the turtles. This calm pond sometimes has egrets and herons on the shore, it always has ducks and turtles and fish. Bring the kids, find peace.

Burchfield Nature Park

Buffalo Creek and Burchfield, 9x12 pastel c.2018

Sharon Fundalinski and Peggy Walker introduced me to this park at least ten years ago and every time I return it is a lovely day with slowly rippling water, little kids with grandparents, people walking dogs and peaceful nature sounds. Many of the stately trees are gone as the creek has the potential to become fast and furious and the trees roots are eroded, year by year as they age.

 

There are still a few massive trees that may have been painted by Charles Burchfield. He lived directly across the creek from this one.

Out The Window and Fresh Snow

Winter plein air paintings are exciting. And FAST! However, I have become progressively lazier when it comes to painting outdoors in the winter. It was a weird winter season in 2017-18, sometimes cool, sometimes cold, but almost always the days were mostly gray. No shadows and no heat equal no incentive to paint outdoors. It was an easy winter to do errands or take a ride, but without the contrasts created by my friend The Sun, painting a landscape like this took a backseat to studio work this year.

This is my 'go to' subject which is the woods behind the house. A brilliant sun after a light snowfall inspired me to set up inside at the dining room window. I've been watching these cut tree logs since the neighbor cut several trees (which are permanently preserved in many earlier paintings). They seem to change each day, each week, sometimes like they have moved themselves. Naked trees quietly surround them, like mourners for a friend. I worked with color to distinguish the slices, to give them dignity in their sad state. The brilliant shadows of hibernating wetland giants slowly passed across the field as I painted.

I can still see what was there a year or two ago, and wonder about the title. It's a lovely calm winter painting but to me it is a requiem for the fallen trunks.

Standing Tall For Me, oil 12x16 on linen c.2018

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