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