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. 

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

Pastel! Umbrellas! Plein Air!

 Although there were no customers when I began, a lunchtime crowd eventually filled the tables at Mississippi Mudd's riverside restaurant. The speakers blasted golden oldies and kids and pets walked by with their caretakers to the river's edge. Three tables of card players nearby muttered 'pass' or made comments to their partners after a play. Their $11 split club money would go to the winning pair and there was a lot of laughter. What a great place to be on a summer morning.

These must be new umbrellas, they are so inspiring, bright, and unfaded. Sitting in the shade of a huge maple the view of the outdoor dining area was a perfect place to be the painter. Pastels were perfect to catch these vibrant colors.

Morning Umbrella Dance, 9x12 pastel c. K. Schifano, 2023 

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

How I did it! Steps to a painting

These are in my phone since last summer. It is a pastel on a brick colored Colourfix paper. Watch how the dark color modifies some of the shapes yet is not obvious in the finished painting.

Buffalo Waterfront, pastel c. K. Schifano 2021

 

Freedom Run Winery in October

Saturday Pumpkins  9x12 pastel, 2021

Fall Saturdays need pumpkins! I found this pretty collection at Freedom Run Winery in Appleton. Some of the painters headed into the fields to find apple trees draped with a season of healthy red ones, rows of grapevines, the view up the escarpment. I stayed right by the parking lot as I expected rain as well as a stiff breeze, neither of which help pastel paintings. Besides, I had enough of landscapes and haven't painted pumpkins in a decade or so! This was fun, people visiting the winery stayed back and had nice comments.

Saturday Pumpkins in progress

 

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.

 

Hallwalls MidWinter's Draw

 I was invited to film (on Zoom) a timed 45 minute painting. It is for Hallwalls annual fundraiser. I've attended the drawing rallies the past, an event with lovely food and drinks and dozens of artists working while we watch. After 45 minutes the works are posted for auction and new artists take their places. At the end of the evening the winning bidders take their art home. 

The 2020 summer event was held online and bidders had several days to view videos of artists producing their art and to bid. It allowed for a wider audience than when people had attended the events. This "Winter Night"s Draw" will also be a virtual experience with several days to view online before the bidding ends.  Bidding will be February 24, 7pm and close on February 28 9pm.

I am THRILLED to have been invited and be a part of this annual event.

Here is a smidgen of the my work. It's a good one, bid high.

Two Trips to the outer Harbor of Buffalo

Paulette Jurek suggested painting at RCR Boatyard this summer. I was overwhelmed on arrival by the expansive vista, boats, buildings, rusted infrastructure to the south, the water on both sides, city skyline and trains. I decided to draw with ink and color in with watercolor on this first visit but planned to return.

'Buffalo Smells Like Cheerios', 8x6 pen and watercolor ©2020

Two days later I came back with pastels to work larger. Here is the initial underpainting, when there are only shapes laid in.

My view, there is a bit of city hall behind the central buttress. I put it into my painting.

Finished!

Route 5 Meets Buffalo, 12x16 pastel on Pastelbord   ©2020

Darwin Martin House Pergola

Darwin Martin chose Buffalo for his business selling soap. He became the first paid employee of the Larkin Company, worked his way up, innovated record keeping, and was instrumental in getting Frank Lloyd Wright to design the famous Larkin Company office building, open, airy and worker friendly space. The Larkin Company provided household items like soap which came with points or certificates. Households would exchange the certificates from the laundry soap and other purchases for various items. It expanded and rivaled Sears and Roebuck. I have a faux pearl necklace my Mom ordered with coupons from there.

Martin supported Wright during Wright's lean times and had him build his home on Jewett Parkway in Buffalo, as well as Greycliff in on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie in Derby, NY.  

I have painted the front facade of the Darwin Martin House before; this is the side and back view, just part of the long pergola that extends to the back of the property and attaches to the neighboring Barton home of his sister.

Since 2002 the entire complex, including the demolished gardeners cottage and the conservatory and pergola have been under restoration, now completed. The gardens are recently restored, sculptures have been placed in the lawn but the whole complex is now closed due to Covid 19. I'm hoping to see crowds return here soon. I did enjoy the quiet on the morning I painted this from the side street.

The Pergola at Darwin Martin House, pastel 12x16

Figure drawing

The Carnegie Art Center has begun scheduling figure drawing opportunities in the evening. As much as I love the practice and challenge of figures I am a bit lazy about driving a distance after a long day. The Carnegie is significantly closer to drive than other spots and I plan to join them as the schedule is released. 

I arrived after the warmup speed drawings. For the remainder of the session the artists chose a long pose, on a stool, seated on her bent right leg. In the first drawing I dealt with a difficult foreshortened leg. For the second I moved myself to a side view for a quick sketch. This model maintained great posture throughout the pose which encouraged me to sit a bit straighter. Artists used a variety of media and views. I used 18x12 pastel paper with soft pastels, having fun blending values and color. 

About an hour with short breaks

 

20 minutes, I moved to the side for this one, basically unfinished.

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

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

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

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. 

Summer Tourist trapped!

Friday on the Overlook

I stole an afternoon and paid the dollar entry fee to paint on the overlook bridge by Prospect Park at Niagara Falls with Rachelle. Apparently a zillion tourists had the same idea.

We nestled against the tower elevator wall, out of sight to many and out of everyone's way as well but they found us. As usual, kids had the most interest and were often pulled away by parents eager to see the waterfalls but not interested in leaving their children behind. 

Rachelle Duzynski at work with pastels

One particular family spent time watching, asking questions and sincerely admiring Rachelle's pastel of the American falls. She hadn't painted in a very busy public area before and wasn't hearing the conversation, I wasn't aware how intense the crowded bridge was for her. The Granddad said his 42nd anniversary was coming and wanted to buy her (very unfinished) painting as a gift. Suddenly aware, she thought he wanted mine. It wasn't until the child was sent to get money from Grandma that the reality set in. What fun, first time in a crowd and her first sale off the easel! 

Afterwards, I added a bit of warm color to the river and the mist, not shown in the first photo. And yes, the Maid of the Mist is that small by the tremendous Niagara Falls.

Our view of both waterfalls from our spot

Rachelle Duzynski"s painting, sold to a Texan tourist.

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

Niagara Falls Red Coach Inn

Near the American Falls there is a grassy hill overlooking the rapids. I went there to paint the rush of a zillion gallons of water but again turned around away from my intended subject. The late morning sunlight on the famous Red Coach Inn was irresistible. I had to put in the shadows first and study the light and darks intently as the sun was heading around the building quickly. Early morning is the best time to 'catch the light' when painting but my cup of tea or coffee with breakfast and a newspaper is a treasured time and often delays my start. 

Red Coach Inn 12x16 pastel. 

Thinking About Frank DiGaudio

Frank was my stepdad and he suddenly died 3 weeks before 9/11. I'm glad he missed it but I wonder sometimes if he was lucky to be spared the experience. Anyway, his heart was with his BPOE group, the Elks, and he ran their Bingo, gaming nights, bought supplies and danced every song. When my friends went to Forest Lawn to paint I was immediately attracted to a huge elk sculpture inside the Main Street gate. Majestic and proud, mounted on a pedestal of rock I painted this elk and considered Frank. We had a lovely conversation. 

Where Elks Rest, pastel 9x12