Publisher's Invitational Plein Air 2013 paintings

This is it. All of my finished paintings, from nearly a week in the mountains, sort of taking it easy, so I also have a collection of drawings and sketches to go with these as well as a head full of beautiful memories.

This first landscape painting is '3 Dollar Sky', pastel 9x12 because I started by laying in the gray-blue for the sky with a new stick of Unison pastel. It was half gone when I had the undercolor completed. As it cost $6 a pastel stick it was named well.

 'High Falls 3' 16x 12 pastel. This was my second trip carrying gear down the semi perilous steps, but I had also painted a 4 foot tall picture from my previous references.

 On the way home, we stopped in Harristown for a 'painting break', one more for the road? one of just two oils I did this week. 'Harristown Interlude', oil 8x12

 Norman Ridge Skyline, pastel 9x12 Miles of mountains recede on the horizon. The air at this altitude was so fresh, the wildflowers were bright and the day was perfect, with perky little crooked clouds trying to stay afloat.

Return to the VIC3 oil 8x12  Three paintings in 3 years from the same spot, if only I had walked another 200 yards to a super paint spot in shade. Next time, I suppose.

'Rocks at Bog Falls', 9x12 pastel, a very quick painting, there were a lot of bugs in the muddy spot I selected for this composition.

 Roosters at Bog River Falls', pastel 12x16, the first I painted here.

 Solstice Above the Flume, 9x12 pastel. I was looking down at this section of the rapidly descending flume water, seated on huge round rocks at the edge of the cliff. I was sort of tilted forward so my toes were constantly pushing me back from the edge as I painted. When I finally got up my feet were very happy as well as stiff.

From the same vantage point I was able to see the Flume below, perhaps my favorite image of the week. We arrived very early in the morning before the rest of the campers and I ventured very close to this falls area to paint this one first. As I finished, a bit of sunshine sparkled on the top of the waterfall, shining into the gorge from overhead.

Solstice Sun on the Flume, pastel 12x9

3 Variations of Marsh Grasses in Western New York

If they have not been crushed by heavy snow, marshes keep their tall fronds of dry golden grasses through the new year, until new grasses fill in. Spring growth adds bulk and color variations as the green shoots stretch for sunlight.

These were coincidentally painted the same week, each about 25 miles further away.

The first is an oil, made in Buckhorn State Park, my favorite meadow, secluded and quiet, with a distant view of mists from the Falls to the west. It was hot and a little buggy, occasional clouds gave me a break from the sun even though I had an umbrella for shade. The marsh grasses nearly glowed white in the sunshine

The center painting is a pastel, painted at Tuscarora State Park on my second visit there this year. Peggy sat close to the water and made a statement about the movement of the water, giving me an idea for the title. It was neither hot nor cool, just a perfect painting day.

This last picture is also pastel, painted deeper into the Tifft Nature Preserve than I usually venture. A map noted that the water is named Mosquito Pond. Wrong. The non native Red Ants in this area were atrocious, even marching in thick lines on the raised walking platform. I tucked my pants into my socks, sat with only my boot toes touching ground and occasionally jumped around. It makes me itchy to remember as I write this! The grasses here seemed almost pink at the tops, I liked the horizontals formed by the receding layers of nature and the patterns of verticals from the growth near to far.

Ironically, I created three paintings in one week with the same subject, unintentionally, each captures its own moment and place.

Reminiscing, 9x12 pastel, 2013
Water Flows Both Ways, 9x12 pastel, 2013
Mosquito Pond in Tifft, 9x12 pastel, 2013

Lilac Gardens in Niagara Falls, Ontario

c. K Schifano

I am so fortunate to be able to get outdoors and spend a day in nature. Finding the right weather helps! A planned outing to the Niagara Parks in Ontario was postponed because of doom and gloom weather reports, but I chose to venture across the bridge anyway, the day seemed bright. It is close and I wanted to capture the lilacs in bloom. They were early this year and I was going to miss them if I waited.

Open fields by the expanse of the Canadian power project were subject to the announced winds, so I set up against the breeze, behind the car, easel on the ground with me on the inside of the car surrounded by pastels and materials. Within an hour I was gripping the top of the easel to steady it in gusty winds and watching tourists walk around sideways, head into the wind, clothing whipping around. It kept getting stronger while the scent of lilacs increased and the bushes rattled to their roots.

Working in pastel, all excess powder from my sticks was gone with the wind, mark making had a whole new meaning for me in the gales that started increasing. I always said I would rather paint in the rain than wind, but I love the plein air effect of wind in this painting. It still vibrates and blows on my page.

As I finished, fat raindrops started and I pulled the hatch shut. My drive home was erratic as the gale winds had toppled trees, broke large branches and sent all sorts of things into the roadway, heavy rain compounded the difficulty. I had spent the day out, captured it and made it home safely, another great paint adventure.

Windy Lilacs, 12x9, pastel, c. 2013

North Tonawanda boathouse park

 Notice the tiger!

 The NFPAP painters returned to the Niagara River and one of our favorite spots, near the Erie Canal. This day, the wind at the N. Tonawanda boathouses was too strong for me to paint so I was sketching various angles of buildings on the water. One of the residents asked me to paint their two cottages, including the huge tiger on the porch roof of the white one. Sitting in the shade of a huge tree with my car blocking the wind, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the residents tackling summer chores around me.

Side By Tiger, pastel 9.5 x 12.5 pastel c. K. Schifano

Whirlpool State Park Painting

This first painting is only 3x5, the size of an index card. I painted this when I arrived in the morning, the light was coming from the left as I stood well up on the hill overlooking the lower Niagara gorge at Whirlpool State Park. 

This photo shows my [ incomplete ] 2nd painting of the same scene in progress. Working larger, in the late morning to afternoon light, the shadows have nearly reversed, the colors are flatter in full sun and even the dramatic old Whirlpool bridge has lost its brilliant glow of morning. Having finished both of the same scene, it is hard to believe that they are the same place on the same day.

Shadow on the Whirlpool, 8x10 oil

Turning around from my easel, the colors of Spring and dense shadows on the ground were tempting me to try a third painting....but the second one had to be completed before I retrieved a new panel. By then, my bones wanted to sit in the soft seat of the car and go home. I will try to remember to come back here next Spring to find another spot and perhaps capture the trees in flower.

Painting For Preservation

As a plein air painter, I have some unique opportunities to meet people, make artistic statements and work in new places. On May 4, the Painting for Preservation group met at 54 North Street in Buffalo to paint this relic and bring attention to the possibilities for rehabbing. For decades, it was the home of a radio station, it was also a gift shop with the most memorable gardens out front. Vacant for too many years now, there are still hyacinths and tulips popping up in the yard and the fancy brickwork, although painted, is still dramatic.
Shadows of History, pen, c. 2013

Just a few blocks away, East Utica Street has a row of large Victorians, well kept for a hundred years, but now vacant and succumbing to the elements. Various artists met there on May 14, another beautiful Spring day in Buffalo, drawing friendly visitors, children and neighbors.

Angles of History, pen c. 2013

These two drawings, as well as a pastel and oil series of my grain elevator paintings and other P4P works are displayed at a group show at CJ Jung Center on Franklin Street in Buffalo through the summer.

Some of the painters, neighbors and visitors on Utica Street.

Painting a House Portrait

For a long day, morning to night, I worked on this house portrait, indoors but with dreams of plein air. I had sketched it the night before and knew I would need a lot of time for all the nooks and crannies and landscaping. I left it outdoors to hasten drying while I grabbed my lunch. I was leaving Texas on a plane the following day and needed to complete the painting which was commissioned the day before. It is always interesting to see how a project like this progresses, not every home starts with the sky, and unless it is plein air they are never finished in less than a week.

The title is from the homeowner's beautiful red bushes, clusters of Texas flowers that can be planted like hedges.

The final picture had a bit more texture on both the roof and brick as well as stronger shadows in the eaves. I didn't get the final photo because...it was dark out and I needed southern daylight to shoot the picture. I am surprised the wet paint did not glare more than this.

Rocket Roses, oil on canvas panel 10x14, 2013

WInter in the Schifano Studio

Kath Schifano, Winter Divot

 Is it climate change? Am I just lazy? Is it age? I have a harder time each winter choosing 'good days' to paint out, particularly at the Falls. I go with camera and paint supplies on a January or February morning and come home with...photographs.

I planned to work with fresh images of snow and ice at the park, but find that the scenery is not very inspiring and that the photos are mostly black and white, or even just grey if the sun isn't resplendent.

In order to paint the Falls, but not stand around with frozen feet and goosebumps everywhere else, this winter I finally tried painting from photos and memory and have been having a perfectly lovely time in my warm studio, with great music, a glass of wine and every brush and color at my disposal. I discovered that the warmer seasons often provide the best views. Here are some of the paintings that will soon be in the Art Dialogue Gallery Collection in Buffalo

Kath Schifano, Goat Island Stroll

Kath Schifano, Peek at the Plume

Winter Divot 8x12 oil, 2013 

Goat Island Stroll, 8x12 oil, 2013

Peek at the Plume 12x8 oil, 2013

Texas architecture paintings

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My March 19 post contained a plein air painting I did in Houston. That outdoor excursion resulted in two new commissions, two similar homes in the Cypress area, both had many roof peaks and mature landscaping obscuring the beautiful architecture.

I often wonder why photos do not have layers; if only I could peel trees off the front to see what is underneath. Even with a handful of clear photos I had a hard time painting the whole shape of the structure. My habit is to paint the building and place the trees afterwards so some structure shows through.

An interesting detail by the architect was to include color variety with the brick, around the basket handle windows were outline layers of a different brick, orange, giving definition to the repeating triple windows. When I return to Houston I will look for more examples of two brick combinations. I have seen stone and brick as well as frame and brick homes here, but I had not noted the detail before, it breaks up the long facade and adds visual variety to it.

Park Island Spring, oil on panel 10x14, c. 2013

Schifano-Simons paint adventure

 I am not the only artist here. As I captured the majestic towering palm in a neighbor's yard on my little canvas panel, Amelia joined me to enjoy the shade on the deck and paint the afternoon away. Her watercolors were full of life and expression, the composition was beautifully and naturally arranged and we sure did have a good time, alone with our art, together with our experiences.

I was working to make the picture show the light and breeze of the afternoon and the camera recorded a better view of this palm than my painting did! My painting is a bit less bright and sunny than the picture in the next post, but the day and the memory are perfect.

Painting Houston in the Spring

Azaleas are bright and beautiful in Houston in March, this lovely home caught my eye as we drove by. Fortunately there is a shade tree across the street so I was able to plein air paint there. When I went close to the azaleas the pink blooms were as large as roses and glowing in the southern sun. The pines were giants, scattered on the property providing shade and majesty to the pretty corner home that welcomes you to a lovely established neighborhood.

I did a little more work on this after the photo was taken, some shadows and lights on the lawn and trees, straightened a few lines and details on the building. This painting was too wet to travel as I really piled paint onto the azalea hedges and my white is a very pokey dryer. Since I will return to work through my "must paint around Houston" list in the fall I left the wet canvas on Robin's mantel, and it looks pretty nice up there! I will have several dry paintings ready to varnish then.

There are no giant towering hardwood shade trees in Houston like we have up north, but the various palms and fruit trees are delightful to see and do create shade. This palm was way above the house across the street, just waving in the breeze and capturing the light. I painted this little panel from a comfy deck chair with 3 year old Amelia painting with watercolors beside me. We had a lovely afternoon together until she decided her bubble lawnmower should go down the slide and painting was interrupted. 

March Azaleas, 8x10 oil 2013

Afternoon Shade, 5x7 oil 2013

Painting Grand Island

Too cold and gloomy to paint out,  I have just finished painting a studio commission. This is another one of those 'surprise' paintings that I say I won't do anymore. Surreptitious drive-bys with my camera balanced on the edge of the car window just makes me paranoid, someday a wary homeowner will send an officer after me. "But officer, I just want to paint that house, not rob it!' 

Fortunately Malynda got into the spirit of the commission and gave me a variety of photos of different times and details. The look of Spring here is completely contrived as we started the planning after leaves fell and frost-or snow-was abundant. Her beautiful labs are near the front door in their usual positions, sitting and lounging.

The title refers to the windows, lamps and especially the two dogs by the front steps. 12 x 18 oil

Lights of our Life, oil 12x18 on board c. 2013

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

Spectacular Chicago brownstone

This 24x12 oil painting started with a snapshot on a gray day but my info was supplemented by an excellent image in street views on Google maps. It is a wedding present of Jason & Jaime's first home; the challenge of documenting historic brownstones continues!

Chicago architecture has many features found in Western New York, double porches, brick constructions, 100 year old beauties. This yellow 'brownstone' has more of the qualities of Brooklyn without all the matching end to end neighbors. These residents have lovely windows and daylight on all sides, a real bonus in this historic building.

Chicago's Brownstone, 24x12, oil c. 2012

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 

Art Dialogue Gallery Members Show, 2013

The first shows of the year are often group exhibitions at many galleries. In fact, group show season starts with December gift exhibits, when galleries carry smaller works and crafted items for holiday gift giving. One of my favorite 5x7s got away from me this year and I have no photo of it, anywhere, at all. I can't even find it listed on my OCD calendar of what was painted when, size and media. It was nice to carry home a check, but I wish there was a photo of it in my camera. I usually have wonderful record keeping skills but I let it slip through the studio before it was documented!

That little jewel was a plein air of the front of Beaver Island Casino, showing just the garden and in a furniture grade mahogany frame. If you saw it in my studio you know why I call it a jewel, I expect the new owner is very pleased with their purchase.

On the other hand, the current show at Art Dialogue Gallery is self selected; artists choose one work to represent them for the month of January. It is usually very interesting to see different work from artists at this show, often pieces are experimental, different media or subjects. I chose this stately tree trunk painted at Sonnenburg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY last June. It was raining hard when I started so I nestled under an elegant archway in the Japanese gardens section. This tree was gripping the ground with the knowledge of a century, pulling up the earth and dwarfing boulders at its base. The sun came out at the right time and created contrast between the wet rocks and tree trunk and long shadows in the sunlit grass. Water continued to drip all around me from giant trees, but I remained dry with my pastels in the shelter

Aging Gracefully, pastel 16x12, 2012

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

Not Just Paint. not just cookies

People often look at my artwork and say they wish they were artistic or creative, but art is more than paint, and these people all have their own skills. Many of my art students went on to work as hairdressers, florists, toy, jewelry and clothing designers, window dressers and in film and theater working on costumes, makeup and sets. There are so many ways to express your creativity, including how one dresses or decorates their home.

As for me, I nearly quit my paint habit in December when plein air season (warm enough to paint out) is over to move into the 'creative' kitchen. Not a fan of shopping in stores, I spend days in the kitchen baking homemade gifts, containers of cookies galore, incorporating color design, flavor blending and shape considerations with baking expertise before I begin the wrapping and ribbons. 

 Each year I make trays of traditional favorites such as Cuccidatis (filled with fig, date, raisin and more), Chocolate Spice, Wagon Wheels and Thumbprints, but I also try new ones.

  Always a favorite to eat whenever I go to NYC, I made my first Linzer Tarts and a new swirl cookie with raspberry this week.

 The Checkerboards are not new, but they are chocolate mint for the first time. This is also the first time I (reluctantly) added food coloring in my cookies, just three drops of green in the mint flavored batter made a pretty cookie with a visual mint hint.

 Merry Christmas!

2013 calendars

New 2013 calendars are available from me through the mail or at these local sites:

Niagara County
Art Museum Giftshop at Niagara University
Book Corner on Main
Studio One on Niagara Street

Erie County
Art Dialogue Gallery 1 Linwood, Bflo
464 gallery on Amherst Street & satellite shop in Williamsville
Quaker Bonnet on Allen
Serene Gardens, Grand Island Blvd, GI

$12 for calendar and case, $10 for a refill.
Mail orders, $15 and 11. Contact me for discount on multiple purchases to one address.

www.kschifano.com
Art news & pictures at www.kschifano.blogspot.com

2013 calendar

Dealing the 13 pages of my calendar to assemble the sets creates new colors
and patterns on my table as each month is added. It is assembled backwards, Back page, then December, November, October....this is a set of July ready for June on my table, I get a kick out of seeing a table full of my mini paintings as each month is added.

What happens after I get to dealing the January pages? Then it is time for packing the months into special calendar stand boxes and clear protective bags. I'm nearly finished with sorting this year, because starting when the pages arrive from the printer, I put them together in bursts. I have them ready by the August Lewiston Art Festival which is my only big art event outdoors. The final calendars will be ready for Open Studio next weekend.

October Art News

The Lower Trail at Artpark, Lewiston NY

Sometimes friends are the best reason to get up and try new things. With a report of warm sunny weather, Sherrill Primo convinced me to come paint at Artpark-right when I was preparing for my Houston trip. Of course I dropped my suitcase and joined her.

I knew we would be hiking a bit, so I packed my small art kit with me as well as a take out lunch from Orange Cat in Lewiston. The first surprise was how close we parked to the trail, and the second was how easy a hike it was, new trail had been cut and it was wider with crushed stone and mostly trimmed bushes and overhangs. Even the final long staircase was new with handrails and landings.

First things first, we sat and ate lunch....and talked....and contemplated the water, then we talked some more. We eventually got to work, but the quiet time down on the Niagara rivershore with eddies and flows, little whirlpools and changing water depth was just the recipe for a perfect day.

Glorious painting day

'Autumn on the Ridge' is a 12x18" oil painted yesterday on Lower Mountain Road, at a Shaw Barn paint out. I started with a 5x7 plan which sparkled in the morning light, it was mostly overcast for the rest of the day when I worked on this, but the brilliant Fall colors stood out against the farm buildings. I thought about naming it after the profusion of purple asters along the fields in the painting and the ride through Sanborn.

Part 2- Publisher's Invitational Paintout 2.0 2011

WHATEVER did I do on this blog? THIS ADK post was posted in the summer of 2011, when they were painted, now I see it as my newest post in 2012, oh well, consider a review of this art course, my blog. There was no changing a date until just today!

After painting a few pictures in oil, carrying them fresh and wet into another person's car and looking at the results that evening in a dorm, I realized that pastels would be a good choice in the mountains. The pastels are heavy, but require less space and equipment to carry. It was a good decision as I was caught in the rain and had to work very quickly. My yellow Fantasy Island slicker stayed waterproof, but my plein air umbrella wasn't totally waterproof when it stayed wet. The first painting here is successful because I stopped early and the pastels captured the image I wanted and will allow me to paint it again on canvas without the distraction of details and with the richness of experience. That won't happen soon, it's a possibility for winter, so in the meantime, it is NFS and I like it just as is.

The second was painted from the dock at night, oh how I love to paint at night, it was quiet and peaceful, and it is always a treat to see it in room light when finished. My hat batteries held up, so I could see my palette and picture quite well.

Splashing water at St.Regis Falls really is orange, this is a study for another pastel made the same day. I decided to add more of the area to my second painting, in the meantime, the light changed and it seems like the amount of water crashing had diminished. We worked under a pop up tent and had a wonderful time protected from weather.

Lewiston Art Festival Ribbon 2012

Although I participate at several individual events each year, they are usually indoors. My big 'sell it on the street' in a tent is also the nicest WNY art showcase. Artists apply for admission in the winter and their work is juried by a committee of artists. The jurors limit the number of artists and keep the show 'fine art' without work that is commercial or reproductions. It is a huge amount of preparation for me, and exhausting, but it is also the biggest social event, I see EVERYONE all in two days. Students, coworkers, neighbors, customers and acquaintances all come to chat and catch up. 

There are hundreds of artists and tens of thousands of visitors in Lewiston for the weekend. This photo by Carl shows Mary Grace Ohrum, a wonderful artist who started painting with Carl in the Artwheels program, and former neighbors from our first home on 3rd street, Niagara Falls, a lifetime ago.

Cooler weather prevailed for the annual weekend festival in Mid August, we always get rain in Lewiston but this year had only a brief downpour with a few minutes of sprinkles several times on Sunday. The sun shined brightly on my work though, as I was awarded a prize and an Honorable Mention ribbon in painting for this plein air, a view to the west side of Tuscarora State Park, looking across the creek, the water had a Caribbean color in brilliant sun which reflected into the spring trees.

Tuscarora Caribe, oil, 11x14 2011