Plein air rain out success

Sometimes a painting chooses itself. A few fresh cut carnations sat in the studio for several weeks. After removing some spent stems & replacing the vase I realized there was a composition in front of me, similar to the April calendar picture [a few posts below]. The next day's plan to paint plein air was rained out so I was able to spend the day sketching & structuring the canvas; the foreground was nearly complete in a full day's studio work. Waiting until night to capture the reflections & complete the layout, I was able to mull over the differences in the two pictures, besides the obvious ones of shape & surface. The Primula was painted when the sun was down by 6, I had to wait for dark until after 9 to work on this one. Both flowers sat on my work table for a long time before they 'spoke' to me. It all goes back to 'paint what you know'.

Considering the daylight background, I could have used the leaf greens of outdoors for a very different painting, and someday I will. The most fun with this picture-the challenge to paint the glass vase & the black stones I use for stability.

Carnation Reflections, 24x12 oil, 2008

Frontier House, Lewiston NY

The yellow building is now known as The Chocolate House, while the larger one is the Frontier House, a classic 'Lincoln slept here' location. This was painted from the Keybank corner last week with the NFPAPainters. We started at Piper's Village Inn, and returned there for a wonderful lunch.... Jill Paolone & Brad Smith came to visit me painting twice-about 3 hours apart. We all thought it was almost finished during their first visit! 

 I marked locations of lamps and handrails in wet paint at the end of 7 hours on Center Street & went home. As the paint got a little stiffer, I was able to finish the lamp posts and rails in my studio.

Lewiston's Historic Frontier House oil 16x20, 2008

A Florida Room in South Park, Buffalo

My final indoor Thursday painting at Buffalo Botanical Gardens was right before Easter. We stop painting there during holidays because the crowds come for the seasonal shows. Then we work outside instead. Their new Florida installation room  features a lot of water, including waterfalls, ponds & fish. This lovely hosta-like plant was thriving in the stream at the entrance to the tunnel under the footbridge. It reached out of the dark with brilliant yellow darts.

PipeLily 9x12 pastel 2008

Spring in Prospect Park-Niagara Falls

Unfinished, I have to share this bit of Springtime. Tulips, forsythia, fruit trees in bloom, buds & blossoms everywhere. Started yesterday, I laid in most of the colors & shapes you see before I lost the light & got frustrated. For the first time, I returned with a wet painting to the same site to finish it. It was still overcast, but bright and I was able to put in the bench & streetlight. It just needs to get a little skin on the whites so I can glaze the big white tree with a bit of yellow & punch up the white gloss of the globe. The whites were entirely too wet to do anything with yet. So much for plein air. At least the national definition is 85% complete on site. It won't take more than 5 minutes to glaze once the paint sets up. 

Spring in Prospect Park, oil 11x14 2008

Niagara Falls Paintings

Painting outdoors is definitely seasonal. Although I paint outdoors in the winter, the warm weather has a greater appeal. It's time to paint Niagara Falls and capture the Spring greens. I just hope I can still open all the colors in my traveling easel.

The April Calendar picture

Last Spring I purchased this Primula at the Botanical Gardens. It spent weeks-months, maybe, in the dining room before I brought it up to sit on my easel. One evening I noticed the reflection of the back of the plant on the dark window glass. I could see all the flowers of the plant. Out came the palette & brushes. It was so exciting to paint a flower-close up-after doing so many landscapes. It also convinced me that I could easily paint indoors safely if I left the window open a bit and continued to use no solvents to paint.

Along with the December Holly, it represented April and my 16x20 studio oils at the show, and gathered lots of attention. I have really enjoyed having this painting around, and now it has found a new home as a Mother's Day gift from Fran Volpe to her daughter. Nice choice! Time to turn the calendars to May.

Primula Reflections, oil 16x20 2007

Travels as it Dries

This juicy rose is home again, and pleasing me at the end of the hall. It was delivered, still wet, to the NACC solo show February 1st. It dried very nicely there for two months, with plans of relocating above Martha's couch. Well, it went 'fine with the rug', but clashed with the pink pillows and afghan on the couch. The gold & black frame had too much drama, too, so the other newer painting will remain there. It spent a few days at the Albright Knox, too, but I fortunately have it back, ready to do the 'wall-dance' at 1575.

The varnish goes on late this summer.

Complementary Rose, oil, 24x24 2008

Buckhorn State Park

As I pack up sweaters and gloves for the season, I find myself putting snow pictures away as well. Painted last year, this is the road through Buckhorn that I use to drive to Niagara Falls. Having had less snow than cold, I rarely was on a snowy East-West Park Road this winter. That's a good thing.

The painting was acclaimed at Quaker Bonnet, it created a contrast with the Allen Street buildings-kind of a window to the country.

The Road to Work 22"X28" pastel

Painting Night in Winter

This gem was inspired by the best (and final) snowfall of the winter. It had snowed lightly, but steadily all weekend, trees were spectacular weighted with snow. This is earliest morning light, facing East on Huth Road. The streetlights are yellow-orange in color, casting long violet shadows. These trees are now blooming with Spring leaves; the painting took me longer than any other I have done. I also learned a great deal about using glazes and multiple layers of color to build depth while I worked up a sore shoulder from all the strokes required to create the branching. This is the absolute opposite of plein air, but is influenced by all I have learned by painting on location as well as the series of studio oils completed in the past few months.

Out of place with blooming Forsythia in the yard, I look forward to the summer, as I look back at what I was able to capture during the most beautiful weather event of the winter.

Snow Before Dawn 28"x22" oil

Painting at Night

Painting at night seemed like  a serious challenge, and the coolest gift of 2006 was a hat with headlights, so I could see the colors on the palette or pastels. However, my first night painting was in Houston, from a 3rd floor porch at Jeremy & Robin's apartment. No hat & headlight in sight, so the indoor lights illuminated my page and I perched on the edge of a chair to see the commercial building out the complex & across the road. Night painting? I am hooked.

From the Porch in Houston, pastel, 9x12 2007

Not so black & white

I thought it was Spring & awoke to fresh white-but not a lot. It was just enough to cover almost budded branches and create a winter wonderland-in earliest Spring. From my favorite Buckhorn road, you can see me surrounded by beauty. I am considering a B&W painting, but I still see the colors-shall I leave out the pinks or the golds?

Watch for the painting!

Turkey Vultures?

The seasons are changing here & apparently there was some carrion was under the melted snow. These turkey vultures roosted just down the street-all day. Sideways is appropriate for April Fool's Day, but this was no joke. They are about 30" in size, with a wingspan of 6 feet-and look like eagles when they swoop.

Final NACC pictures

The end of the exhibition at the NACC was quite exciting. Since the show was held over for a month my family-Bobbie, Chris & Sandi Peters had an opportunity to see this show in the Garden Gallery. In addition, I was asked to speak at the Finally Friday event, which was sold out. This is a catered lunch & talk that is held on the final Friday of several months of the year. I neglected to ask the attendees if they came for the food or the art. The art & discussion was well received & my prints remain a favorite for new Niagara area art collectors. Thanks to Gina, Kelly, Kathie, Ray & Carl for all their help & support to put this show together & bring my work to the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center for the past two months.

Art Dialogue WNYAG show

Rejected from the Traditional Art installation, the same judge then accepted all three of my Modern Art submissions. The first opening was the same night as my Solo at the NACC, so I had a wonderful evening there instead. It was a lovely show, even without me.

This Friday, 3/21/08 is the reception at Art Dialogue Gallery for the Western New York Artists Group 12th annual juried members exhibition Modern Art Installation. I will be there to see the three new paintings & all the other entries with my extended family-John & Maureen, Bobbie, Chris & Sandi, and Carl.

This juicy composition is a studio work inspired by the Warm Lake grapes, and is followed by another showing tomatoes on the vine-to be finished in the next few weeks. It is from one of my photos of apples from Marian's trees when we lunched outside in October. 

Working in oil on larger canvases in the studio is a great way to paint nature in the cold weather-even with the window open. It is difficult to transition from 3-d objects and working from life to painting from an image. The flat picture is so static, the paint must find a life of its own without birds & bugs & passersby for ambiance. Hence, books on tape. Thank you, Buffalo & Erie County Library!

formerly titled 'Five Apples and the Light'

Pteradactyl Apple, 5 Apples & the Light 22x28 oil 2008

Wellsville evening light

As winter winds down and the [hopefully] last snowfall melts, I remember the first snow of the season-unexpectedly early. We were in the southern tier, visiting Monica & Mike in  Wellsville and woke up to winter white on the hills.  We were like kids, staring out at the hills,the pond, farms and the wet street winding into the distance.

The evening before, I had painted this little evening light view of one of their outbuildings. It was already framed for me, begging to be noticed. I was  looking uphill out a square window in the living room.

'Wellsville Window' 12x12 pastel 2007

8959 Green Castle Way

This house portrait started as an abstract design concept. Because I was working indoors, I decided to use acrylics instead of oil paint, and I was thoroughly flummoxed by the paints instantly drying in the heated studio air. I got caught up in architectural accuracy (I couldn't blend the quick dry paint) and needed a straight edge for the long horizontal and vertical effects. It got more & more realistic, so I played with a hard edge style-then I needed more detail to express the depth. Alas, I realized that the original house painting plan got in the way of a good result. I wanted something loose and expressionistic of 8959, then when it became realistic, my beginnings were tripping me. I should have handled the brick quite different if I had known where I was going. I especially like the entry window & the Bottlebrush tree.

Nice house, Robin & Jeremy.

'Green Door on Green Castle', 30"x15" acrylic on panel 2008

Leah's Tree

It seemed like the last snowfall of the winter, just a few inches followed by brilliant sunshine. I set up my canvas & paints at the back window and plein air'd this one from indoors. It is a good example of the adage 'paint what you know'-I could sit and look out these windows all day. This is a little bit to the west of the other trees 'out back' that I have painted. The path to the left leads into the woods and to the firepit.

'Leah's tree, late winter' 20"x 10", oil

New NACC Show Date

The Studio painting show, 'Rushing Summer, A Private Wintergarden', will be extended through the month of March. The NACC, located at 1201 Pine Ave in Niagara Falls has a 'Finally Friday' luncheon series scheduled on March 28. I was asked to be the guest speaker (it is in the Garden Gallery) and will be speaking about my work on the walls. Noon 'til 1, the food is spectacular, reserve your seat for lunch at the NACC at 716.282.7530 if you would like to join me.

More Reception Pictures

As the evening ended, John & Karen, with A.J., Krista & Mia Polechetti, helped us close the gallery for the evening. It was such a treat to have so many friends & family go out of their way to share this special event

Artist Reception NACC review

Friday evening's reception at the Niagara & Cultural Center was spectacular; even the weather cooperated, it was mild & clear, one of those winter evenings that is just pleasant. Thank you all for coming, your comments, kind notes & messages. 

The consensus is that the image I chose for the postcard, 'Pinot Noir, not ripe at Warm Lake' was a favorite, followed by 'What's Pink is Blue' & the B&W conte rose #7. 

The jury stood at a deadlock over their favorite wine, equal numbers of guests chose Chablis or Pinot Noir. The sodas were barely touched. More people talked about cherry almond fudge than carrots or grapes, duh.

I was asked 'What's next?' and have put little thought into the answer. Immediately, I will complete the painting of Robin & Jeremy's entrance arch, next project is up in the air! 

Niagara Frontier Plein Air Painters meet next week to develop this year's outdoor calendar, I hope to get out in the snow to paint once or twice before then.

NACC opening preview

The Garden Gallery at the NACC is ready for my "Rushing Summer: A Private Wintergarden" artist reception on Friday February 8, 2008 from 7-9 pm. Thanks to the innovative layout by Carl Schifano, the artwork is hung 'salon style' to give the viewer the opportunity to see some work close up and others from a distance. The tall ceilings and lush atmosphere created by color & nature are a warm contrast to the snow outside. For this show, the gallery plants were moved to the triple doors area where they thrive on the lengthening daylight and fresh air. In answer to several questions and the perception of the Buffalo News reviewer, the 'private wintergarden' part of my show title is a reference to the Niagara Falls Wintergarden' s former life as a greenhouse. I frequently walked the paths and sat while children played 'stage' in the concert area by the pond. It was an especially lovely place in the winter, no matter the weather, one would be transported by the green tropical trees, the flowers, giant ferns and lucky resident birds. Everyone always smiled in the Wintergarden, even if just passing through. This is one of architect Cesar Pelli's most exciting buildings. It was designed by him with the Rainbow center in 1975. Many of his buildings are designed with glass skin & they are especially beautiful at night. Perhaps we can reconstruct the feeling of a lush wintergarden by gathering Friday night!

Press for NACC show

The text from Sunday Buffalo News Niagara Week end article:

Warm Images

The Buffalo News

Published on February 3. 2008

WHAT’S ON/Happenings around Niagara

No, they’re not resurrecting the city’s Wintergarden, but the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center’s Garden Gallery is showing the work of Kath Schifano, called “Rushing Summer: A Private Wintergarden,” with vibrant colors and close-up views of botanicals, flowers, fruit and vegetables. The center is hosting a gallery reception, 6-9 p.m., 1201 Pine Ave., Niagara Falls. Free. Go to www.kschifano.com for more information

Text from Island Dispatch-

Local Artist in the News

Island Dispatch

Published on February 1. 2008

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

The Niagara Arts and Cultural Center’s Garden Gallery will showcase the artwork of Grand island’s Kath Schifano during the month of February.

The Garden Gallery will feature Schifano’s exhibit “Rushing Summer: A Private Wintergarden.” As a plein air artist, pastelist and oil painter, Kath’s “Rushing Summer” highlights her study into various forms and color and her process as an artist.

A gallery reception will be held on Friday, February 8, 2008.

The Garden Gallery is an open area, full of natural light and is located on the second floor of the NACC. The gallery is open 7 days a week and free of charge. For more information on the NACC call 716.282.7530 or visit www.thenacc.org. To learn more about Kath Schifano visit her website at www.kschifano.com.

On the front page is Schifano’s “What’s Pink is Blue.”

Niagara Arts & Cultural Center Show

February features my newest show, 'Rushing Summer: A Private Wintergarden' at the Garden Gallery of the NACC.  It is a collection of studio paintings of nature, including oil paintings & pastels. The reception is on Friday, February 8, 2008 from 7-9. Please join me for a snack & some conversation-it is casual!

Grand Island Artist paints Houston

I did not actually paint Houston; I might have, but the carefully prepared traveling box of art supplies remained in Grand Island as I flew South. Borrowed paints allowed me to paint this January blooming 'Bottlebrush' plant. It is nearly two stories tall and lives right at Robin & Jeremy's front door. This is also a return to acrylics; I am astounded that the paint dried so quickly, especially since I had recently used drying extenders with my oils. The difference? I could just put my wet brush down to go eat dinner while painting with oils, and pick it up the next day to continue blending. The acrylics would dry on the bristle while I thought about where I should place the brush! This was painted plein air from their porch, but the next painting will be created & completed in my studio. I am back and it is 15˚ here.

On one of our walks I met a gentleman painting plein air. He used the biggest palette I have ever seen-a potential sail on our windy days. It would have made a great coffee table. Talking with the painter about context & composition, I asked 'what are you looking for here?' His answer - 'Paying customers with cash.' I guess he has been painting outdoors a lot-I left him to his wishes.

'Bottlebrush flowers' 9x12, acrylic 2008

Robin & Jeremy's back yard

We spent a week in Texas after the holidays. The morning January shadows in Houston are not the familiar long blue lines of tree trunks and branches stretching across the snow. The sun is still low, but there are leaves and green. As I enjoyed my coffee I watched these tree shadows move along the shed. Later in the week I chose this composition & fortunately  started painting early enough to catch the light I wanted.

January AM, Houston  12x9  Acrylic on WC

Winter Bird Watching

Our winter birds are primarily tree clingers, woodpeckers and finches. Their favorite food is the gooey suet seed block that leaves grease spots on the window. These two birds in balance are a Nuthatch & a Black Cap Chickadee.
Today a giant Northern 'yellow shafted' Flicker showed up to dwarf the feeder cage and grab our attention. Missed that photo!

White still life

Now that I rediscovered painting indoors, I prepared several larger canvases with gesso & sandpaper, and laid them around the studio to dry for the second coat. When I returned to my easel, the snow outdoors and the white gesso paintings indoors created an interesting study in white. I was distracted by the beauty of the day & didn't put on a toned underpainting. The next artwork may have to be pastel.

National Grid Art Market

Just before Christmas, National Grid in Niagara Falls had an art marketplace sale that I participated in with several other artists, jewelers & crafters. This image shows three house paintings on my easel across from the display. The top Altman home painting, in its new frame-still protected in plastic-caused a bit of a traffic jam. It went to its new home for a Christmas surprise.

Merry Christmas

Just sitting up, waiting for Santa to arrive, so I am sending my Christmas card image here to everyone in the world (wide web).
Merry Christmas.

Winter's Holly Berries, oil 16x20 

Holding on to the sun

It is early December, and there is a dusting of snow. There's not much, but it is white.

I think this is a good time to share a beautiful paint out morning in September-as morning light & sun shadows from mature evergreens revealed to me the 'Secret Meadow' and gardens in Youngstown.
Oil 12x24

Quaker Bonnet Eatery

My solo art show, 'Significant Growth: Before & After October Surprise' is now up at Quaker Bonnet. It is a series of 16 plein air paintings featuring the trees and scenery of western New York. The first picture shows me with Liz Kolken, owner, and the second shows my 4 foot tall plein air of Fall trees and a 24"x30" image of the same location a week later.

Fall & the Park

It has been a fine Fall, except for the construction of East-West Park Road in Buckhorn. I have missed my regular drive through the park and the opportunity to see the great Oak on the curve as the poison ivy reddens and the leaves darken, lighten and fall. I planned to paint it again during this season, as the vine has changed the tree and buried the base and climbed the trunk. This image, 'Buckhorn Oak' was my first oil plein air-two years ago. It will be in the December-January08 show on Allen Street in Buffalo.

Drying Time

This is finally finished and drying, and I am moving it around my house as I imagine how the Altman's will like it. All that it needs is final varnish and a frame. Note the tiny name sign in the front foundation planting. Let me know when you see this, M.A.

Not quite complete

StepByStep-the Altman's

Working on a home in Deveaux, I have a collection of step by step images to show how the painting develops. If I posted as I painted, it would appear with the finished image first, so I waited to put the pics up in order.....

Believing what you read

Windy Mists 11x14 oil - painted during Worldwide IPAP weekend

I was psedo-quoted in a Canadian newspaper-something about shiny things at the Falls. The gentleman who interviewed me took copious notes about my painting process, the International Paintout & where I show my work-as well as the plein air process. I think he remembered something about waiting for the balloon ride to go up again. I wanted the shadow to be accurate, from life. Or else the quote should have been attributed to another artist. Either way, it was nice to be mentioned.
Read it at---http://www.niagarathisweek.com/arts_and_entertainment/article/121320
How international!

Falling Water

'Steps at Niagara', 16x20, oil Having painted the Falls en plein aire at different times, I challenged myself to choose a section of water and paint it closeup-except I was thousands of feet away. These steps are on the American Falls, near Luna Island. They take up about 1/3 of the total height of the water in this area.

Worldwide paintout footage

YouTube has a video of the Worldwide International Paintout site in Niagara Falls Ontario last weekend. It's nearly nine minutes long and includes television footage of the event. I am the seated artist, facing the gardens, with greens & an archway in my painting. It is from the 60 minute quick-draw part of the competition. You can see many of the finished & framed quick draw pictures, including mine, hanging on the chrome grid by the tent. Hah!
I tried to cut & paste this address-but all I got was this still picture. Guess I should read directions. It's too long to watch unless you know everyone anyway!
http://img.youtube.com/vi/27h96QudC2Q/2.jpg

IPAP Breaktime result

I was painting in the Worldwide International Plein Air Paintout in Niagara Falls Ontario. Sherill Primo (on the walkie-talkie) asked for feedback on her painting. It was quite lovely! When I returned, there was a crowd in a line behind my easel. ---They were looking at my painting and the scene. What a shot! Several left when I pulled the camera out, but they left enough space to take this photo. That is my portable easel and carryall in the center.

While painting, a breeze blew the Balloon ride in front of the Casino & it reflected in the glass building. Then it landed & never went up again. I waited an hour for it to take off again so I could paint it in the sky, I suppose it was grounded. I have to use a reference photo to finish the balloon shading. The resulting painting "Skylines" 16x20, oil, has a foreground of large red Canna flowers mirroring the positions of the USA buildings.

Support Local Arts

This is 'support your local arts organization season.' At least it seems that way-my mail is full of social fundraiser invitations and requests for donations of artworks to raise money for galleries, museums and non-profits of all types. It is hard to choose who to support, because there are so many worthy organizations and so many reasons to want to help. I just delivered this painting 'Walton Woods' (oil, 10x14) to Castellani Art Museum at Niagara University for their gala next month. It was my first plein air with Niagara Frontier Plein Air Painters. The day was cold and damp, but the Spring thaw was well on its way and early weeds were beginning to sprout. The white birches across the pond were a main attraction for me that early Spring day.


'One Bloom for Summer' (pastel, 15x23) is my record of a renegade Christmas cactus, sending out a single July flower. You can see my reflection in the glass as well as the daylight bulbs in the studio. Oh well, I had already cleaned the glass & assembled the frame before I took the picture. I gave this to Impact Art Gallery in Buffalo for their 'Starry Night' fundraiser in October.