Upcoming Juried Shows and More

The Associated Women in the Arts is having a juried show for its exhibiting members October 1st through October 30th at the Louisiana State Archives Gallery on Essen Lane.  AWA's reception is Thursday, October 17th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm.  There were more than 75 paintings that were entered and approximately 40 pieces were chosen for the show. I submitted the three top paintings (shown below) and all three were juried in.  Our juror for the show is Malia Krolik.  She is the Coordinator for the LSU School of Art Galleries.  It's important to note that one other AWA member and I are in charge of the reception for this event.  It is important to us that we make this as welcoming as possible for you.  We want you to come and visit and see the art and buy the art and share the art.  So please come spend the evening with us!

The second juried show that I have been accepted into is the Louisiana Art and Artists' Guild's 44th Annual River Road Show.  This is a first for me.  I received the notice just this morning.  Yeah!  This is a nationally juried show and was juried by Judy Betts. My painting was one of 75 paintings accepted.  There were over 400 entries submitted by 131 artists from 26 states.  Each of the artists has one piece in the show. 75 artists. 75 pieces of art.  The last photo (below) is my entry in this show.

The exhibition is open from Friday, November 15th through December 19th, also at the Louisiana State Archives Gallery on Essen Lane.  The reception and awards presentation will take place on Friday, December 13th from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.  Please come by and visit and enjoy the refreshments on this evening as well.

Associated Women in the Arts

Archives Show

"Trail to Avalanche Lake
"26" x 26", Oil on Panel$835.00, Framed

"Plume"
11" x 11", Oil on Panel$135.00, Framed

"Far Shore"
11" x 11", Oil on Panel$135.00, Framed

Louisiana Art and Artists' Guild's

44th Annual River Road Show

"Magnolia 9"
14" x 14", Oil on Panel$325.00, Unframed

In The Corner of the Yard

"The Corner of the Yard" (Study)
Oil on Birch Panel, 7" x 7"
$145.00

Click here to Buy Now on Daily Paintworks

Wednesday is the day I paint with some friends, also painters.  I was having a hard time getting started because I wasn't getting inspired for some reason.  It's been a busy hectic week and I think I'm finally feeling the effects of the go, go, go of back to school and work.  So, as everyone else was getting started, I continued to walk around and around until I finally noticed the way the light was filtering through these banana trees in the back corner of the yard.  That was all I needed to see.  

Ahhh, the smell of wood and varnish in the morning!

It's here. It's here. It's here. It's here!!  Yeah!  FINALLY!

I have been waiting a long six weeks for this to show up at my door.  It finally came yesterday evening.  However, I was so busy dealing with "stuff" that I decided to wait until this morning to open the box and savor the gift that is this Open Box M pochade box!

Open Box M in the morning light

There's nothing like the smell of fresh cut wood and varnish in the morning.  I can't wait to put it all together with my new tripod and go painting tomorrow.  Today is an "in studio" day but tomorrow we will be out "in the wild" (well, not too wild) painting.  After having borrowed and used a French easel and an open box m, I am pleased with my purchase.  Both have their benefits, but I love the ease of use and convenience of this small box.

Closed view of the box from top down. 

Can't wait to see what happens now.  Especially since I just nailed down a two-person show for December.  I really need to get working!  And with fall coming up on us, the weather will be beautiful. Timing is perfect.  (I'm dancin', I'm dancin'.)

Another view of the closed box.

That Goose Just Won't Leave Me Alone

Cedars at the Lakes (study)
9" x 12"
Oil on Panel
$225.00

Click here to purchase through Daily Paintworks 

Yes. I did it. I went back to the lakes today to paint and it was much more interesting today than it was yesterday.   I started off with the maintenance personnel cutting the grass and edging all along the sidewalks.  Of course, it just so happens that they hadn't started cutting under the tree where I wanted to work.  I waited to see if they would get to that area.  Finally, after 15 minutes when they didn't, I decided I will just plant myself in that spot and they would have to work around me.  And they did.

I didn't want to take a picture of him while he was coming toward me.  He'd probably think that was a little creepy.  So I waited until he turned to go back the other way.  Still creepy, I think.

After that, a woman came up to me to observe my amazing painting talent - okay, that's what I thought at first.  We all have egos.  But, she wasn't there for that.  She wanted to talk to me about herself and how she used to paint.  She told me how she had gone to an art school up in Canada and ended back up in the states after going back home (she's oriental).  Now, she's here and her husband is a professor.  So, we chatted awhile until her friends showed up for her to go exercise.  An hour later she was back and we chatted some more.  That was followed by a lady that was on an "exercise scavenger hunt" - which is something I've never heard of, but I totally love the concept.  She wanted to take a picture of me painting because they had to photograph something that made them smile.  When I asked her if she would forward me the photo, she realized she lost her phone.  That led to an unsuccessful search for her phone.  I guess something that made her smile led to her not smiling so much.  I did decide to stop painting and help her look.  But, as I said, we were unsuccessful.

I've heard that you always meet new people when you go out and paint outside.  Since yesterday was so relaxing and tame, I thought this day would hold the same.  It didn't.  It doesn't mean it was less meaningful.  I met two nice people and who knows, maybe we'll meet again.  Maybe my first visitor will get back into painting and find something for herself again in addition to her family, husband, and children - kind of like me.  And if you found a phone at the lakes, please return it.  It's the right thing to do.  It would bring her smile back, too.

And, in the end, it was the goose that tried to get me again.  He actually followed me from one end of the lake to the other while I was searching for the phone.  I thought for sure he would bite me this time. I'm starting to not like him.  

Oh yeah, I did finish another painting.

Does a goose ever get hoarse?

Hahahaha. You get it?  A play on words.  That's what I was thinking this morning out at the lakes when Marylyn and I finally ventured out there to paint today.  We were greeted by a not so friendly goose who kept honking at us and coming at us in a not so friendly manner. We were hoping to set up closer to the water near some picnic tables but the goose had other ideas.  I even asked the park maintenance guy that question and he said, "That one? No. He fusses at everyone and likes to nip at them."  I guess we're lucky we came away unscathed!  So, we ended up choosing the cool spot in the shade of an oak tree.   We have plenty of these in Louisiana.  I took photos of Marylyn this morning as she painted.  I have none of me.  Perhaps I should try a "selfie" next time.  Hummm.  Tried to take photos of the scene that we painted.  We had a panoramic view and the choices of views was great. As you can see, my second painting was painted with dappled light falling on my painting.  I did take the two photos of my work but I did it while sitting in my car in carpool line.  The life of a wife, mother, and painter wrapped up together.  Good stuff.

"Plume" (plein air study)
7" x 7", Oil on Panel, Framed
$135.00
Available for Purchase Right Now at AWA Archives Gallery Show
October 1 - 30, 2013

Click here to purchase through Daily Paintworks.