A NACC Art Award for Plein Air

The Light in the Tunnel, 20x16, oil on canvas
Award for Excellence in Plein Air Painting

Pete's Tavern 18x12 pastel on Wallis 

The annual Niagara Arts and Culture Center's summer exhibit "Beyond the Barrel" is always a fun event and a chance to catch up with artists in the center, two gallery shows and friends who hibernate the cold months. These pictures were my two entries, and both were accepted. I try to apply for this show every year, in 2018 the show was appended "Inspire".

At the reception 'The Light in the Tunnel' was awarded the Vjolla Cela Award for Excellence in Plein Air Painting. The certificate hangs by the painting throughout the exhibit and I also received a cash prize. This lovely show of mostly WNY artists will remain in the Townsend Gallery until July 29th.

The Sunday Niagara Gazette published an article and a photo that you couldn't miss in the Night and Day section. These kind of recognitions are flattering, but also reinforce my dedication to creating art that says something, that contains the spirit of the place it is produced. 

The saying 'paint 1000 pictures before you are a painter' is true. Check.

A favorite painting finds a new home

3 Sisters in Sunlight 12x24 oil on canvas c. K.Schifano

This is perhaps the most powerful painting I will ever do. In fact, it is. I had drawn and painted it several different times from various directions but was aware that a north-northeast facing orientation would rarely have sun or shadows and the work would look flat. Considering this issue, I realized that the late Spring sun would shine on the stone early in the day and I made plans to catch that light. This is a pedestrian bridge to Three Sisters Islands in the Niagara River rapids, very close to Niagara Falls. The name comes from the daughters of General Parkhurst Whitney who settled here in 1810.

When I arrived with the sun low in the sky, it was still in the shade, so I planned the layout on my canvas and began to paint the water and lower part of the canvas, the tree trunks and sky. Finishing those areas I was eager to paint the bridge stonework. However, I had come too late in the season as the leaves on the tree in the right side cast heavy shadows. Sunlight wouldn't touch this bridge again until the next Spring and before leaves opened. 

At that moment....

That tree crashed down, right into the water and the smashed branches and leaves all covered...only the lower area that I had already captured with paint. People and Park workers converged on the area immediately to see what the crash was about. The tree had just broken and fallen at the moment I was wishing it was not there.

That is powerful plein air power.

It actually glowed and I think I was the only one who kept doing what I had started before the crash. Of course, I was slightly shocked, and in awe, but accepting the event as some sort of omen. Just keep painting.

This was several years ago and other paintings of this area have been purchased and loved by their owners. Although several clients held this painting and nearly purchased it, it was always put back in exchange for a different scene. I believe most of them were overwhelmed by the power in the story of this picture, and two people admitted that to me. I decided to keep it in my studio.

Last week '3 Sisters in Sunlight' left me to a new home. I am so pleased that Theresa was immediately attracted to the painting and also loved the story. She spent time looking through many other paintings but this one stayed with her. I am so happy to send it away to someone I consider a friend and who loves the picture for its power like I do. 

Mother's Day Rose collection In progress

A stunning double order of varicolored long stem roses came from Monica's daughters with both our names on the card. There were so many that we used two vases for them.  Peach, lavender, pink and shades of those colors were all represented.     The smaller of the bouquets made its way into the studio and I have been working on a rose painting for more than a week.  I added forsythia  branches and plum blossoms from the garden to the composition.  Roses open fairly quickly so I worked on them first.  Although unfinished, the wilted roses are still in the studio as the branches and leaves still serve as a reference when I need it. It is unusual for me to tackle a project like this but I am finding joy in the challenge and am probably honing skills for a future picture.

I have taken pictures several times and turned them black and white in order to see the values as I was working. It helps to choose emphasis areas as well as my use of dark and light colors.

The entire time I have been working, which is significant with a painting such as this, I have endured the company of a critic, a visiting resident cat, Chiquita. She wants to be close as possible to me and the stool in the picture isn't close enough for her. She would paint with her nose if I let her. She would be in my lap if I was not standing to work.

Chiquita the critic also likes to rearrange my set up. 

On the street 186 Linwood

Buffalo, a mecca for great architecture and architects is full of variety and details. Every street has unique buildings no matter the economics of the area. Lovely Linwood Avenue is tucked between Main Street and Delaware Avenue and was on the Thursday NFPAP paint schedule. A short walk up Linwood after parking and there were multiple opportunities to choose from, this house was painted partly because of the large shady area across the street.

The challenge here was to capture the soft light bluish-gray white color on the first floor. Of course the front door was purple!

In progress, turning the easel to keep sun off the canvas

It is a wide street with stately homes and mature trees. People were walking dogs, getting exercise and running errands. It is so nice to be in a walking area of Buffalo that is also residential. I smelled laundry, heard birds and vehicles. I felt the occasional breeze and flickering sunshine. Mostly, I saw a very cool Sears and Roebuck plan house that I needed to put on canvas. Oh. what fun Spring is!

"186" oil on canvas, 12x9 (c) K.Schifano 2018

Italy in 2019, Exhibit in 2020

Based on my posted art work and not a proper application, I have been invited to be the resident artist at Borgo Santo Pietro in Italy for a month next year. It is an elegant 14th century manor expanded and updated to be an exclusive hotel in the hills of Tuscany.

It is nestled near Sienna and Florence and I am provided with a lovely glass walled studio surrounded by gardens, water, farmland of grapes and vegetables, flowers and history. I plan to be outside painting en plein aire but have the studio to retreat to if the weather should be windy or too rainy.

This has me very excited and already doing some long range planning. It will be a welcome interruption to 2020 exhibit preparation, Trilogy XXX with Karen Foegen and Carol Case Syracuse at Artists Group Gallery. That will involve the three of us Plein Air painting in many of the same places over the next two years. Our exhibit will feature our three paintings of the same locations as well as sketches on site and possibly some studio work from the Plein airs. This will be intriguing and interesting.


These two special events were recently confirmed and, as things happen in threes, I’m waiting patiently for the next big one!

Cherry Blossom Festival in the Japanese Garden

Each May the Buffalo History Museum presents a week long festival when the Cherry Blossoms in the Japanese Gardens open and celebrations of the Japanese tea ceremony are held as the cascading flowers fall to the ground. Parades, boat rides, music and painters, cosplay actors, bonsai, free admissions and spring bring out crowds of happy visitors and many cameras. 

In progress.

This year I decided to choose a close up of the pink tree flowers. After drawing the plan for this in a sketch book I decided to paint the Cherry Blossom flowers horizontally. My selected bunch were right in front of me and a bit above. Mild breezes kept moving the branches and I managed to keep from getting dizzy by not looking up until the breeze slowed.

The final painting. 'Early blooms in the Japanese Garden ' 9x12 oil

Photo (with my French Resistance pochade by Judson’s Art  Outfitters) by Diane G. My pink hat draws the most comments during this event. 

Billy Wilson Park

Although there is a lot of grass in the photo, this early Spring painting has such a little bit of green in the scene that I viewed, in the moss on the logs and a bit of skunk grass starting across the pond.

Annual early Plein Air events at places like these are the perfect way to welcome Spring. Ducks and geese and turtles abound, the sounds of toddlers in the new playground nearby and expansive views of the wetlands all combine to celebrate the new season.

I’ll edit this and add the final photo soon.

Buffalo skyline At Paint The Town (edited)

I had an unusual opportunity to paint from the top floor of the iconic Electric Building in Buffalo before the adaptive reuse was completed. The top floor was designed as the corporate offfices of the electric company and was paneled with carved and detailed wood, elegant doors were disguised in the walls and great windows opened in every direction from the empty round space. The first long distance transmission of DC electricity was sent from Niagara Falls to this building.

The views extended for miles in every direction to Canada, Grand Island, and the Falls as well as the challenge of looking down onto streets in a radial grid designed by Frederick Olmsted for Buffalo. I chose a window facing southwest through the First Ward, past the grain elevators to the wind turbines in Lackawanna and beyond to further shores of Lake Erie. The dome on the right is the Buffalo Sabres ice arena.

Perspectives were altered by looking down, and the clarity of the air made distant details easy to see. Truly, it would be a pleasure to access those windows again! 

"Paint the Town" is an annual fundraiser for the Buffalo History Museum and I have donated paintings there for several years; the generous patrons have bid the prices high enough to make my work valuable to their endowments. I chose to give them this skyline painting because patrons are familiar with these buildings and the location, I think it should bring them a good price. 

I am asked for donations frequently and carefully choose organizations that I wish to support and which will benefit most from a work I am willing to part with. Artists are asked to subsidize clubs or donate too often, to support all sorts of endeavors and fundraisers but their work may be auctioned or sold for low amounts and without benefit or value to the artist. The public is often unaware of the difference between a print and an original painting. For these reasons, I investigate requests and try to match my life interests with their needs and the quality of the invent. Years ago I was told by a potential client 'I won a $350 painting for $40!”.  Shame. 

Be generous. Support your local museums! Paint The Town event is May 17 this year.

'Where I Like To Paint, Buffalo '. 12x24 oil 

edited:

The painting was placed in the Live Auction and was one of the last to be featured, so it earned the museum a great price. I was thrilled to see it front and center for the event, and more thrilled to watch the bidding. The new owner invited me to see it in his home, he was excited to have won it.

Covered wastebasket for Plein air.

 It is frequent painting outdoor season and there is sometimes time to stop for a tasty latte on the way to meet up with friends to paint. Those sturdy cups come in handy as a waste basket with a sturdy cover. I make sure there is one available in the back of my car to collect paint rags and paper towels as well as my apple cores and gum wrappers.

It can roll around but won’t lose it’s contents as the lids fit firmly.  

Merit Award won at Kenan Center Gallery

Both of my entries were accepted to the Buffalo Niagara Art Association Spring Exhibit. I am very pleased that Juror Donald Zinteck selected this entry for a Merit Award. Two floors of excellent paintings to choose from makes the distinction more meaningful to me.This shows the painting mounted at Kenan reflecting the draped windows and chandelier of the beautiful building. The lights looked like sailboats in the water to me. 

This shows the placement between two floor to ceiling windows, it is next to their grand piano in the main floor parlor.

Horseshoe Races 24x30 pastel c.2016 Merit Award

Spring Equinox at Buckhorn State Park

Initial marks lay out the image shapes after drawing in a sketchbook to choose a composition.

Spring started March 20th. I try to paint at each change of season. I schedululed the Niagara Frontier Plein Air Painters at Buckhorn State Park at 4:00, hoping for warm afternoon sunshine. We got that beautiful sun and some solar heat to help warm us but it was still cold especially when the breeze picked up. 30 degrees is cold enough to make the paint tacky and some colors acted like melted pizza cheese. I used to go out often in the winter but have discovered the joys of indoor painting, too.

Here is my painting right in front of the actual scene as it was nearly finished.

   "Spring Equinox Snow" 9x12 oil

All together, I had on 6 layers which impaired moving! Fingerless gloves over leather gloves worked pretty well, and I sat upon my apron folded on the fence rail of the park road. So, pretty comfortable for the start of a new plein air season with my friends.

A still life challenge

In progress!

This was my view at a Burchfield Penney Museum Sunday still life challenge. It was an open studio where an artist assembled a setup for the afternoon. Loving a challenge, I packed my paint kit. There was so much to see here that I spent a long time drawing the various objects on the table, trying to make sense of it. The individual items were mostly retro with many old dolls and stuffed critters, all with faces, as well as tangled socks, scarves and bric-a-brack. It was a visual delight but an artistic challenge.

My still life challenge.

I chose the ancient Kewpie doll but needed to create a busier composition, and boy did I achieve that.  As I finished, it needed something on the left to lead into the 'pile' so I used some basket colors to create an angle complementing the other lines. That's artistic license. So is the different time on the clock plate.

Completely unrelated to my usual subjects, this was fun yet difficult which makes it immensely satisfying. My title may be temporary, we'll see if I decide to change it.

Critters With Eyes, 9x12 oil on canvas 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

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

Keep the cookies in the cookie jar

I took this drawing from a product design website after I finished my cookie jar painting (below). Before I painted I had made several drawings and had a bit of a challenge to figure out the extension on the lid, it dipped a bit and stuck out, but the plastic didn't hold light or shadow to create the form correctly. I certainly could not attempt a painting until I solved a drawing, but I eventually did. 

The top in the illustration might have helped me see the differences in the shapes.

Whatever. The cookies tasted particularly good, but after we had eaten some of them I saw a painting. Another kitchen item was moved upstairs to the studio for a few days. The first time someone asked "What happened to Elizabeth's cookies?" (my niece had baked and brought them in the jar for Christmas) I was tempted to say "What cookies?"

This crazy shaped, tilted top cookie jar is preserved forever in paint and the contents were delicious. Perhaps this will be next year's Christmas card.

She Brought Cookies, 10x7 on oil paper c.2018

Fall Harvest Sideline

I enjoy slicing, peeling, seeding and cooking fresh vegetables in various combinations, but mostly eating the products of my kitchen time. 

I happened to have an abundance of fresh vegetables on the counter when I noticed an interesting composition with a giant German Red garlic bulb right about the time I had a hankering to push some  oil paint around. The bright red basket usually holds our Christmas cards and was temporarily commandeered to keep the squash and tomatoes. I considered rearranging things but decided the natural grouping was already good. The basket went with me straight to the studio after I added some refrigerated blackberries on the left for balance.

Days later,  the acorn squash tasted particularly good, maybe spending a week in the art room before cooking gave it some extra flavor. I know I am always better after my time in the studio!

Winter Vegetable Basket, oil 9x12 c.2017

Winter Vegetable Basket, Kath Schifano

An interesting development

When I saw clear bags in an email from Judson Art I clicked the link to see if the prices and package sizes would suit my needs. They did! But a few days later I received an email from Judsonsart.com apologizing for using the image of my painting in their advertising without giving me credit.

Oh my, I saw the ad but didn't notice my own painting! 

I said no problem just add my name in the future. The email reply was "whew!"  Apparently someone else had taken a big offense in the past or they misjudged me as a typical New Yorker who would be litigation happy. Nope, not me. If you click the link, you will see the ad and a credit that I painted it.

The painting is "Sunflowers From the Porch"

2017 Christmas card, finally

Bright Dreams, 5x7 c. K.Schifano

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

For some unknown reason, we did not send our annual homemade cards for the past two years. After 40 years of designing, writing and mailing them it should have been natural. In fact, it felt unnatural to NOT send Christmas cards. I was not inspired to paint a Christmas appropriate or red flower scene when the weather was warm and snow hadn't arrived. In fact, I often don't paint seriously from mid November through New Year's so I can concentrate on family, gifts and baking buckets of cookies. Baking is certainly an alternate art form. Though I have considered working on the card in August that has never happened, part of my tradition is the December rush.

Some of the most entertaining cards were drawings years ago by Charles or Robin, printed in green or blue or red (or black at first, before colored inks were possible) on white typing paper. Santas, Rudolph or funky decorated trees in my file still make me smile.

Maybe the problem of no little kids was solved this year. As I sat in my allergist's office, waiting 30 minutes for my shot reaction to not happen, there was this sweet artificial tree tucked in a corner and a little boy reading aloud, a girl squirming on granny's lap and two preteens. And this tree in the corner. I sketched it in my ever-present moleskin drawing book and took a photo.

 It didn't take long to turn it into a painting. With help from Carl my painting was laid out and printed as our 2017 Schifano card. They may have been mailed a bit late, but the deed is done! Merry Christmas, and here is a toast to good traditions.

An evening at 700 Bistro

  A sweet coffee shop by day and a wine bar at night, 700 Bistro in Lewiston hosted an artist evening. The emphasis was wine with chocolate, how could that be wrong? 

This shop is directly across from my Lewiston Art Festival tent site in August, so I had an opposite view.  I brought a single large painting and a selection of 5x7s, ideal for gifts. It turned out to be a lovely evening, art and wine is the perfect blend.

Thanksgiving Plein air?

Thanksgiving week in Texas is perfect weather for outdoor work, in my case, it is perfect for outdoor painting. I used triple coats of clear gesso on a smooth board to keep its natural brown under color and lightly sketched the shapes. As I worked I realized the clouds were about to change, so the sky would be fairly clear in less than an hour. Although I was with my old French easel in full shade to work (play!) the fluctuations of sun and clouds on the landscape would make working accurately difficult.  My scene kept changing. 

I started with the sky and captured the clouds as fast as I could right down to my planned horizon. It worked, as they blew into the east and I gained the advantage of steady sunlight to complete the picture.

Located at the edge of a fairly dense community, this interesting scene provided me with a bit of variety and a joyful afternoon. I used a limited set of paints, a total of just 5 tubes. A standard Red, Yellow, Blue and a dark brown modified each other with White to create new colors. I probably have more natural and varied greens here than when I carry tubes of green. There is a lesson right there.

Long after my travel headed towards home, I realized my painting was left behind. I may see this again in a few months when I make a return visit.

Tanked, 12x16 oil

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

Tea Time and Urban Sketches in Ireland.

I always carry my little moleskin drawing book, but added a 5x7 sketchbook to my purse for a trip to Ireland. We stayed in Dublin, walked the city to see museums and sights for 5 days and then rented a car to take day trips. We went to Galway and drove along the Wild Atlantic Way, spent a day each in Howth and DunLaoghaire, Wicklow and Glendalough. 

A cold brewed coffee setup attracted my attention in a lovely little coffee shop in Dublin. I should have left my card, the girl in the drawing took a photo of my painting and she probably has a million followers asking 'Who did that?'

One of the first dinners out with Charles was in this lovely wine bar/pub. The chairs were each printed with notable wine labels and they were probably the most comfortable seats of all the places we ate. We feasted on a cheese platter and a bottle of wine while it rained for a short time. Afterwards, I took a few photos of the lights reflecting on the rain-wet streets. Making memories.

Finally, I resolved this problem

In October 2016, I posted this painting in progress, incomplete and still on my easel at Three Sisters Islands. There was something about it that kept my interest but also bothered me. I finally figured it out this summer when I stood closer to the rock and studied it. I needed to paint the transparency of the underwater part of the rock. In one minute in the studio I added a few drops of paint and it was done. And I like it much better.

The 4th Isle at Three Sisters, 16x20 oil on canvas panel c.2016

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

Broderick Park in Buffalo

I"ve been frequently drawing in a 6x8 sketchbook lately. Using a permanent black pen with archival ink the drawing is created, followed by watercolor to develop the picture.

This view shows my location on Unity Island, across from the 190 headed to downtown Buffalo. This park is recently updated and actually quite large even though it looks skimpy from the highway.

Two interruptions to the scene included bells ringing, traffic stopping and painters delayed while th Miss Buffalo glides under the bridge. This is really fun to watch.

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.