SCVWS Award

"Thundering Waters"
12" x 15" Watercolor
$400

I changed out my old Windows machine for a Macbook Air which I love, but I had problems working on my blog. Bob solved the problem by installing Chrome. However, if anyone else has suggestions for a good blogger app, I would appreciate hearing from you. 

Now for the happy news: Recently I received an award at the 49th Annual Members Show of the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society. You can see the winners from the show and the juror's comments.

We were heading for a multi-week vacation and I almost did not enter the show. Usually I create a painting specifically for the show, but this time I entered a recent painting inspired by our winter storms. California has suffered a prolonged drought. After four years with two of water rationing, we have had more than the normal rainfall. In January the Anderson Dam spillway was in high gear and I loved a photo my sister-in-law, Jackie, took of the water. She gave me permission to use the photo as inspiration for my work. I was very honored to receive the award as the show was of a very high quality.

Check out the winners on the SCVWS website.http://www.scvws.org/gallery.php?cat=60

For those who are local, the show will be open until the end of April at the beautiful Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos. The show is hung on the second floor of the main building.

Showtime



"Early Morning Shadows on the Rio Grande Gorge

Taos, NM

14" x 19" Watercolor

$300 (unframed)

 

 

The Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society (SCVWS) will be having a summer show, "Shades of Summer" in Saratoga. I called upon some photos and memories of early morning at the eighth highest bridge in the USA to create a painting for entry in the show. A hot air balloon was suspended over the landscape and the bridge shone in the early morning light.

 

I used a lot of imagination for the colors. My challenge was to subdue enough of the painting to put the focus on the center part of the gorge, bridge, and balloon. I just finished the work so I may yet make the some changes. I have to walk by it for a few days so it can tell me if it is done.

Entry for the 49th Annual SCVWS Membership Show

"Hoping We Get Some Wind"

16" x 23" Watercolordd caption

 

Framed and ready to go



It seems I am never satisfied with my first pass on paintings I want to enter in shows. So I painted this one over. You can read about my inspiration in my earlier post.

You can see that I changed the lighting and the angle of the lighting which I felt made for a stronger design. Of course, I had to imagine it, so I hope I was fairly accurate.  I decided to use 300 lb. Arches Hot Press paper which gives quite a painterly look with it's resistant surface. I used a different approach, not doing an under painting as I did before. I changed the color on the fence and Martin's shirt. I also went for more modeling on the clothing. I had to capture the photo of the framed piece at an angle due to all kinds of reflections on the glass.

The Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society's 49th Membership Show promises to be a good one with slightly over 100 entries. There are 400 people in the society and all are welcome to enter a piece of art. The show is not juried, but it is judged. This year, Robert Semans, a fine oil and pastel painter who happens to teach my Monday morning drawing class, will be the juror who selects the award winners.

Yesterday I spent a wonderful day at the beach with fellow SCVWS artists at the Santa Cruz Paintout. To be precise, we were painting that day in Capitola, a gem of a beach town. I will post once I have completed my 3 pieces, which are almost done.

Time Out for Art Business

 

Where is the rest of the tour? I had an art show almost immediately after returning from Indochina and then I had to prepare for Silicon Valley Open Studios, three weekends of 400 art studios open to the public. So I've been framing, matting, ordering supplies, and piecing together a booth.  That and a busy life got in the way. Here is an approximation of my invitation to SVOS (format has to be different for the blog). I am almost ready, so I will resume my tour posts.

 

Silicon Valley Open Studios

May 10 and 11, 2014

821 Riverside Drive, Los Altos, CA 94024

11:00 AM - 5:00 PM.  

The 28^th Annual Silicon Valley Open Studios is coming right up. Save the date. This year I will feature my watercolors and collages on canvas, a recently added medium. In addition, you can select from matted, unframed watercolor, acrylic, charcoal, and conte works. New works also will be available in greeting card format.



 

 

“November Morning at Byington Winery”

Santa Crus Mountains

24” x 20” framed watercolor

 

  “City by the Bay”

20” x 18” torn magazine collage on canvas

My art business can now accept credit cards, as well as cash and check, though there is never an obligation to purchase. I value your interest and support. 

This year I was invited to join a group of very talented artists at a popular Los Altos site: Wendy Marshall,  watercolorist; Jeanne De Campos-Rousseau, mixed media artist; Janet Trabucco,  craft artist; and Debbie Bobby, jeweler,   There are many Open Studios in the area that week, so you can plan an enjoyable day viewing art.  

See http://svos.org/ for more information about the three-weekend art extravaganza and to map out your art trail.



Plein Air Adventures Feed the Spirit

"Autumn's Bounty"

 14" x 12" Watercolor

Triton Museum, Santa Clara, CA

 

 

"Pau-Hoa Buddist Temple"

San Jose, CA

 

 

Temporarily interrupting regularly scheduled programming...I bring you some plein air  pieces. Yesterday I joined my Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society in a plein air competition at the Museum in Santa Clara. This event was part of the month-long Member's Annual Show at the Rose Shenson Gallery. We painted on the grounds for a little over two hours. I loved this little Radio Flyer wagon with autumn goodies on the porch of one of the houses on the property. The artists got to vote for the three top places and visitors got to vote for the Honorable Mention. You can see show winners here and soon the winners of the plein air competition. We have some awesome artists.

 

It seems that since returning from Europe, art has taken a back seat, so doing some plein air painting makes time for art. This past Thursday we were welcomed at the Pau-Hoa Buddist Temple on McKee Road. The temple is very active and as we painted among the beautiful buildings, monks, volunteers, and worshipers came and went.

 

I have no in-depth knowledge of Buddhism, in spite of having friends who are Buddhists, so I hope I do not offend with my terminology or explanation.

 

 

 

The main temple building

Backlighting made it challenging to photograph and paint

 

 

A worshipper at the main alter

 

The alter contains many types of food

 A smaller place of worship where incense sticks burned in the urn;

People frequently prayed at the alter while holding burning incense sticks

 

Artists take a lunch break and admire the paintings

 

Show time

 

Granddaughter Jamie's art and a bit of good news

Horse sculpture from found pieces 

(c) Jamie Cyr

Wire and plaster sculpture

(c) Jamie Cyr

Our granddaughter is an amazing artist and just graduated from high school as valedictorian of her class. Not only does she paint in all mediums, but she also does sculpture. The horse is constructed of such things as a hair roller and bits of wood, all found pieces. It was a gift to her sister Kelly who loves to compete in horse shows. I am guessing on the materials in the second one and will clarify with Jamie. Additionally, she won third place in the Congressional Art Competition for high school students. I will locate that image and show it soon.

I received good news when I got home from the East Coast. "Poppies on the Fault Line II" was accepted into the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society's show, "Think Big," juried by Charlotte Huntley. No side of the framed piece can exceed 14 inches. She selected 40 pieces from a large number of entries. Yesterday I used  http://www.americanframe.com/  to build the frame, mat, acrylic glazing, and backing package for it. They are very reasonable and will also print your images on a support of your choice, including paper or canvas. I did not order a print, but may in the future. A friend recommended their site to me.

Working on a Commission

"My Nepenthe"

11" x 14" Watercolor

A friend who attended my art show and saw a tiny painting of the scene from the Nepenthe Restaurant in Big Sur was hoping it would be larger. I offered to do a larger version. I started it last week and finished today. Well, I might add a few more touches. It's always a challenge to recreate a piece. Each one turns out unique, no matter what. Now to mat, frame, and deliver. I am promised a second commission.

Then I turned again to Bob's paternal grandmother, Bertina, from her wedding photo around 1912. I like how I painted the first one, but I didn't have the drawing bang on. So I tried a second time and I still wasn't satisfied. I was encouraged when I talked to an excellent artist at Open Studios this weekend. Rajani said that the painting I was admiring was her third try and she almost gave up. I was encouraged to finish yet a third version, this time in the smaller format to enter in an exhibition of small paintings. I need to live with that one a day or two and likely make small modifications. Then I will post.

Show Takedown Today

California Paintings

World Travel Paintings

                                                                    Vermont Paintings

The show at the Forum hung for over a month. Today we dismantled the show. I took some photos. Enlarge these photos and you will likely recognize some of the art, all of which has appeared in this blog. (Excuse the camera distortion that makes some of the paintings appear lopsided.)  I will hang the paintings at my home/studio and invite collectors and friends to come to a weekend open house.

Small works

"Wedding Day"

10" x 12" Watercolor on Hot Pressed Paper

My Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society is sponsoring a show in Palo Alto at the Pacific Art League's Norton Gallery. This is a juried show, unlike our other exhibits and our Members' Show. I am experimenting with pieces to enter. All framed pieces must not exceed 14" on any side. So I figure for the next few weeks I will concentrate on painting small.

I painted Bob's paternal grandmother, Bertina, once before. You can see the painting here and read about this adventurous spirit. The third post shows the finished piece.  I felt I had some drawing issues with that one and I wanted to try something a bit different. This time I included Bertina's pretty floral headpiece she wore on her wedding day. 

Ted Nuttall had us painting on hot press paper and I really like it. I can push the paint around and do many layers by letting each dry thoroughly. The result is painterly, which I like. In case you are wondering, I have not yet gone back to my collage that I have half completed. I will after I get some painting out of my system.

"Art and Place" Show at the Forum Gallery

Vermont art

California art

On Wed. we hung the show at the Forum, a beautiful senior community of about 400 people at Rancho San Antonio Park.  The Forum is one of the finest in the Bay area and at the reception I met architects, doctors, the woman who started the docent program at Filoli, Stanford University professors, and  research scientists. Many people formerly lived in nearby Palo Alto and other areas of Silicon Valley and helped shape the technology industry.

The hanging was a challenge for the gallery manager and her crew. Judie had to order more hooks and complete the hanging with her maintenance crew. I was so pleased with the beautiful job they did. Yesterday Bob and I arrived a bit early and posted the art cards beside the paintings. I find that people linger to read the cards and view the paintings, a suggestion by the manager of University Arts who also is a prolific artist.  One woman told me how much she enjoyed my writing, which pleased me because I love to write. Here is an example of an art card.  The number is cross-referenced to my spreadsheet that includes pricing.

“Winter in the Garden" #33

North Danville, Vermont

14" x 11" Watercolor

In summer the stylish scarecrow protected the prolific plants

from hungry birds. The crops have been harvested and eaten, 

canned, or frozen. The garden was put to bed a few months 

ago. Ms. Scarecrow continues her cheerful watch in the 

Northeast Kingdom of Vermont on a subzero day.

Mary Paquet calpaquet@aol.com

http://mary-artadventures.blogspot.com/ 408-629-7325

Judie displayed my artist statement and show description and I brought a dozen extra copies of each, which soon ran out. I shall send her additional. My business cards are available, too. I forgot my camera so used a cell phone, which affected the quality of the photos.

I selected the theme "Art and Place" because my inspiration comes through my personal experiences and  travels, both local and worldwide.  I featured the landscape, architecture, and people of California (my current home), Vermont (where I grew up), and the world. I had people tell me how much they enjoyed the Vermont paintings as many here came from the East. The snow scenes were especially popular. 

The reception was top drawer and well attended. The room had large round tables with linens, a bounteous buffet of appetizers, and a bartender serving a selection of wine, champagne, and non-alcoholic drinks. I was asked to speak, along with Helga, a resident who displayed her beautifully knit crafts in cabinets. The head of the welcoming committee introduced people who recently moved to the Forum.

We then joined Helga, our friend Libby (who asked me to do this show), and Judie for dinner in the restaurant.  Everyone dresses up for dinner and I felt like I was in a fine resort. Off to one side people were enjoying live music. Helga invited us to see her home with a breathtaking view of the mountains and park from high on a ridge. 

Monday Art Class: Challenged by a Cherub and the SCVWS Members Show

"The Apple of My Eye"

12" x 16" pastel

At my weekly drawing class for the last two Mondays, I have worked on a still life containing an 8-inch cherub and an apple on lace. Bob always reminds us that though we are working in pastels these days, our class is all about drawing. I was able to achieve a good likeness here of something known as a putto, though we were calling it a putti. According to Wikipedia:

A putto (plural putti) is a figure of a human baby or toddler, almost always male, often naked and having wings, found especially in Italian Renaissance and Baroque art

Bob makes the rounds and when he got to me, he saw problems with values, a drawing problem. The cloth behind the putto was a pale beige shiny fabric. However, the values of the cloth looked too similar to the values in the putto, so Bob went to town with green and grey. This is something I would have considered with my watercolors because I am in charge, but in Bob's class, I try to be fairly true to the still life. He also reemphasized getting the value patterns established first and then little detail is needed.

SCVWS Members Show, October 3 thru October 29, 2011:

Postcard Art: "Group Therapy" by Michael Rogan (c)

Our Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society 44th Annual Show opened today at the Sunnyvale Art Gallery. I entered "Family Duet" into the show. I recently got to paint at the Carmel Paintout with Michael Rogan who's art is featured on our promotional postcard, above. The shows and receptions are always so well done. If you live in the Bay Area, do come by to see all the wonderful art and enjoy some refreshments.

Sunnyvale Art Gallery

251 West el Camino Real, Sunnyale, CA

Sunday, October 9, 3:30 - 6:30 pm

An unhappy accident has made me the new leader of SCVWS a few month's early, so I am stepping into the position now, rather than in January. I will be kicking off the awards ceremony.

You are also invited to participate in or attend our Flower Painting Competition on Saturday October 22, 12:30 to 4:30 (all artists and mediums welcome). The Gallery is a combination floral shop, cafe, and art gallery, so the owner will be creating arrangements that the artists will paint. The competition includes awards.

Shiny surfaces

Shiny Bottle

10" x 12" Pastel

I finally got to attend my regular Monday morning drawing class. Jury duty, art society meetings, and Labor Day have precluded attending class. We had a small group today and Bob took us back to basics of modeling forms and highlights on various surfaces. We had several choices and I took this bottle to challenge my ability to achieve transparency and specular highlights. I had some guidance from Bob on values (push it more in the shadow on the label) and adding more chroma to the bottle. There is quite a mixture of colors to achieve the shifting values on the glass. Bob was pleased with the results.

Tomorrow I go to The Forum Retirement Community to meet with the person in charge of art shows. I was invited by a friend who lives there to do a show early next year. I have the car loaded with a photo portolio of sample work of my various genres -- landscape, florals, people, still life, and experimental. I also have a large portfolio case with some matted originals and several framed plein air pieces. Most of the work is watercolor, but I have some collage, acrylic, pastel, and charcoal.

Stormy Weather and a Successful Reception

"Les Trois Artistes"
Jeanne de Campos-Rousseau, Moi, Diana Henrichson

Bob awaits the crowd

The reception begins

Many people braved the stormy weather
and were blessed with rainbows

As we drove the winding highway over the coastal range to Santa Cruz, rain fell in buckets, making driving pretty unpleasant. I worried that not many people who planned to make the hour drive would brave the elements. Vino Primo is upstairs and you walk across an open, suspended walkway between the wine bar and a restaurant to enter. From my sailing days, I estimate about 40 knots of wind blasting us. So much for the careful hairdo! Later we lined the windows to view double rainbows.

Surprisingly, we had a wonderful turnout. People were treated to a glass of wine and appetizers as they browsed the art and chatted. I was delighted to sell three of my paintings during the reception. The first that sold was included in the official show:

"Franken Vine"
16" x 20"
Watercolor

I also sold two unframed pieces: "The Coast", which I've been asked to frame, and "Sunset Over Tuscany", along with a few cards.

One of my brothers lives on the coast, so he and his in-laws joined us, along with some friends, for dinner in Santa Cruz after the reception. We had torrential downpours and a lightening show, though its unusual here to experience electrical storms. Three gallant Bob's lined up on the windward side of the table near the entry door to protect us, where they managed to intercept most of the blown raindrops when people opened the door. We drove back home over storm-swept mountain roads.

Birthday Bouquet and Reception Coming Up

"Birthday Bouquet"
15" x 22"
Watercolor

Bob's daughter gave him a fascinating cut bouquet for his birthday on October 8. The twigs had small gourds in green and orange and looked so Fall festive. Jamie suggested that I might like to paint the bouquet. I started a few weeks ago, before heading off to Santa Fe and then leading a workshop. My Thursday night South Side Art Club was down to two of us painting at my home last night. I did quite a bit of work on this piece and then finished it up this afternoon (well, give me a few days of eyeballing it in passing and I will likely make adjustments). The setting is entirely imaginary, befitting a birthday boy.

If you are in the area, please join me for the reception on the Santa Cruz Wharf tomorrow between 2 and 6. There will be some nice art, three artists, good company, accompanied by appetizers and wine. You will be treated to million dollar views from Vino Prima.

"Les Trois Artistes" Reception on Saturday

"A Study in Black and White" (charcoal)
"Red Peppers and Pitcher" (pastel)
"Georgia O'Keefe's Mountain" (watercolor)
"Rain in the Fjords" (watercolor)

"The Coast" (watercolor)
"Memories of Ghost Ranch, NM" (watercolor)

"Matinee Memories" (watercolor)
"Villa Montalvo Gardens" (watercolor)

"Sunset over Tuscany" (acrylic)
"Dancing Poppies" (mixed media collage)

Some of the Matted Original Art for the Show

After coordinating the Frank Webb workshop, I immediately turned my attention to the ongoing "Les Trois Artistes" show on Santa Cruz Wharf. You can read about the show here. Because of a number of circumstances, we decided to have our reception on November 20. I've been organizing greeting cards, Bob cut mats, and I prepared the matted art in crystal bags for the canvas bin I will place there Saturday. I have a limited number of pieces hung, and I wanted additional recent art to display as many of my guests have attended previous shows. I selected a variety of pieces in different media. I even have one charcoal.

If you live in the area, please stop by our reception. You can make a day of it in Santa Cruz.

Vino Prima Wine Bar
Towards the far end of Santa Cruz Wharf
Saturday, November 20, 2 to 6

Frank Webb Workshop and a Report on the Post-Impressionist Show

"Birthday Gourds"
In progress
Watercolor

Will the real birthday gourds please stand up?

As I sign off for a bit to coordinate a demo tomorrow and a 5-day workshop featuring Frank Webb, I leave you with a work in progress. Bob's daughter Jamie gave him a wonderful and unusual cut bouquet for his birthday in October. The fruit looks like little pumpkins, most in a bright red-orange, but some still in their lime green phase. These colors are Jamie's favorites and were featured in her beautiful wedding last year, so the gift is extra special. We were tickled pink (as they say in New England) so I photographed them on the dining table. Before leaving for Santa Fe, I took one branch to my Thursday night art group and drew a composition free-hand on my watercolor paper. Last night I hosted the Thursday night bunch and began the painting.

Now I will set the painting aside until after the workshop. I've been busy coordinating with the artist, helpers, and attendees; shopping for hospitality food; making badges; and arranging accommodations.

Let me take a few minutes to recap the Post-Impressionist show from the Musee d'Orsay on loan to the de Young Museum in the city. My drawing class took a field trip the day before we left for New Mexico. We had a wonderful time viewing pieces by Van Gogh, Degas, Cezanne, Gaugain, and beyond. Let me say that "Starry Night" looked just as vibrant as when I saw it in Paris. After feasting on the masters, we enjoyed the semi-outdoor seating at the museum cafe. Here is a picture of instructor Bob Semans fittingly seated beneath a Van Gogh self-portrait.

Robert Semans
Artist

Bob is a wonderful drawing instructor and has made his living doing commissioned portraits for many years.

Here is the view from the top of the de Young:

View from the top of the de Young Museum
toward Golden Gate Bridge

We had a wonderful day shared with fellow artists and some spouses.

I'm sure I will have much to report about Frank Webb, a watercolorist who has had a fabulous career.

Playful Poppies and an Art Show Report

"Dancing Poppies"
11" x 14"
Watercolor and Collage
***See addendum***

This past week I decided to experiment with my favorite California wild flowers, Poppies. However, I was not happy with the intermediate stage and got bogged down. So I thought about Gerald Brommer and collage and decided to cut out some of the Poppies and tear up parts of the half-done background. I arranged the pieces on 300 lb. Arches watercolor paper until I found a harmonious arrangement. I used gel mat medium to glue the pieces to the backing. I need to let this one simmer a while to decide if I want to do any more to this piece.

The Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society Members Show hosted the reception at Rose Shenson Gallery at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara on Sunday. As we left church that day, the skies opened up with the first real rain of the season. I don't believe we've had rain since May. The reception is always outside the gallery, so I wondered how Janice Faulstich and her helpers would pull this one off. They did so beautifully and we had a huge crowd attending. They used portable covers over the deck of the gallery where the food was layed out and over the rows of seats set up for the awards ceremony. I really could not get a good look at the show with so many people and must return. Award winners included friends Myrna Wacknov (second place) and Jeanne de Campos-Rousseau (sponsors award). Jeanne is my fellow exhibitor in Santa Cruz. At the moment our SCVWS website has not yet posted the winners.

An invitation via Facebook resulted in a fortuitous intersection between my bicycle riding life and my art life. One of the women in my bike club replied that she would be leading a ride in the area and they would stop by. Sure enough, when I arrived a bit after the start of the reception, there were my cycling guests with mud trailing up the back of their day-glo green jackets. These hardy souls rode in the rain and made good on Joanne's promise. They enjoyed the art, used the facilities, skipped the buffet line, and went on their way. They made my day!

Addendum: Originally I titled this work "Playful Poppies," but Kathy Cartwright, a superb artist, said they were dancing. I loved the description so much, I've retitled the work. Check out Kathy's wonderful blog and her website.

Shows are Hung

Les Trois Artists

Vino Prima Wine Bar
Santa Cruz Wharf
October 11 through December 5
Reception November 20, 2 - 6 p.m.

Yesterday after Monday morning drawing class, Bob and I drove to Santa Cruz to hang the show on the Santa Cruz Wharf. There are three artists showing: Jeanne de Campos-Rousseau, Diana Henrichsen, and I. One small wall bears the title of the show and one painting each. Mine is "Big Night Out" on the upper right.

Because the area has many windows and we were experiencing a picture perfect warm fall day on the coast, the paintings under glass have a lot of reflections in these photos. Diana is showing "Watercolors of California, en Plein Air," a very lovely collection of her works showcasing the beauty of the area in which we live.

Diana Henrichsen

Jeanne's work honors "First People of America."

My work celebrates "Moments in Time" with works featuring people, landscapes, and still lifes.



On Saturday, I worked the take in duties at the Santa Clara Valley Watercolor Society members' show. I saw some absolutely wonderful art coming in, so it's a show well worth seeing.

It felt funny this afternoon to slow down for a moment after working very hard to prepare for the shows, along with many other commitments since we returned from back East. Now, I need to get organized and refocused.