Annual Plein Air art exhibit

This evening, Friday, November 20, a plein air group I belong to PAPO (Plein Air Painters of the Ozark) is having artist reception at the Visit Bentonville which is in Downtown Bentonville, Arkansas.

Please click to play video ~

"En plein air (French pronunciation) or plein air painting, is a phrase borrowed from the French equivalent meaning "open (in full) air". " ~ Wikipedia

They tend to be smaller paintings.... 4"x6" - to whatever size the artist chooses.  Common sizes are 4x6, 6x8, 8x10, etc.  The tradition is the artists paint as much as they can while at the location and call it good.  Some use the paintings as studies for a bigger paintings they plan to produce in their studio with the help perhaps of some photos they took.  I often paint on location, take photos, and finish the piece in my studio.  I also occasionally embellish my final results by adding people, etc. A local artist I highly respect made a statement I can't forget. Fred Betz declared that "Every landscape needs something that poops!"  Since that time it's been very difficult for me to leave a landscape painting without adding something two-legged or 4-legged!

Some of the paintings at the PAPO show 2015

Plein air pieces I tackle are fairly manageable sizes so I usually go ahead and frame them myself, mostly to save on expenses.  It's not because I take joy in handling a whole different set of tools from my paint brushes to hammer and electrical things at all, since I am extremely bad with measuring and numbers and I am always in danger of damaging the painting because I am mostly working with one arm!  Those wires in the back don't ever satisfy me at all because they're never as tight as I'd like them to be.  Still I'm definitely grateful that I can do it at all and as I said, to cut back on expenses and keep the prices more reasonable.

So I thought I'd go ahead and create short video of what it takes to prepare for this art show.  I'm sure fellow artists would say it's still a very limited depiction of what we had to do.  For instance, it took a couple hours designing the installation; moving the paintings all over with people climbing up and down the ladder.  This was all before the title cards were organized with great precision and exhibit statement was written up.  I must say the group did a mighty fine job to get us ready for the curtain call!

My art and thoughts on Norman Rockwell

 

"Why is My Husband not looking at the Norman Rockwell exhibit?" 

watercolor on paper

It's been very busy in my B'ville art life.  I'll start with most recent and catch my blog up to my farthest memory...

We are honored to have 300 plus Norman Rockwell art works visit our local museum Crystal Bridges Museum American Art.  I'm always eager to view original figurative art and that was pretty much the extent of my excitement.  However, as images were being revealed in the museum's FB page, I noticed my interest growing.  Sure enough at the members' preview, I was greeted by these gigantic original paintings!  They were in oils, not some quick paintings that were slapped together to meet a magazine cover deadline.  I know, if only I had read up.  But it was nice to be humbled and surprised with an in your face kinda boldness :)

"Triple Self-Portrait"
Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, February 13, 1960. Oil on canvas. 44 1/2 x 34 3/4 in. (113 x 88.3 cm). From the permanent collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum

The painting above is one of the pieces visiting.  As I study this, I realize Rockwell pretty much worked like I do.  Like me, he surrounded himself with inspirations from other artists who have done something similar to his current project - photos, books, magazine, mirror, etc.  Brushes on the floor and lots of crumpled papers that simply fell off the pile and I ran them over while concentrating.  My brain is usually like a chipmunk getting more bloated as I acquire all it takes to attack the canvas and any kind of distraction like email, phone calls (and bills) are pushed off the peripheral. 

Anyway, I owe Mr Rockwell my heartfelt apology.  I didn't mean to disrespect my fellow artist.  I was especially saddened when I read that he always felt like many fine artists didn't see him as their equal.  The only reason why he's not my equal is because he will always be above me.  Wow what a fine fine artist he was!

I haven't posted in a while because of so many ups and downs in my life.  I get very affected by stress.  When I have less than all of me to devote because other things needed my attention, it's very hard to go about the routine I like to keep.  I'll always choose family first over my art.  But the clouds somewhat let up and first thing I had to do was get busy producing close to 20 new pieces for a new gallery that started carrying my work back in October.  That's the Norberta Philbrook Gallery.  I produced 17 smallish -6x6, 8x8, 6x12 13 oils and 4 watercolors because I am artist of the month. The reception was well attended and I have sold pieces.  But I feel most victorious that I didn't succumb to the bad flu going around until after I delivered the paitings!!!!  I had every intention to paint MORE but my body had other plans.  After all, my husband has been sick up and down from the bug since October and I was able to avoid it and meet my obligations!  As I type I'm coughing still so let me finish by sharing some photos from the reception.  As always, clicking on each image will give you a bigger view.  I tend to update my Artist page on Facebook so if you're really curious, you can always find me there :)click here ->https://www.facebook.com/ErikaNelsonArtist

"Pensive Vigil" 6x6 oil on canvas

"They're Home!" 6x6 oil on canvas

"Nude Study 1" 8x8 w/c Photo by Norberta Philbrook Gallery

Featured Artist for September and latest art

We are still in packing mode for our selling and buying home project.  It seems I've been packing mainly my art supplies and paintings for a million hours now and I'm not sure I've hit halfway yet :(  It makes me really really REALLY wonder if I really want to be an artist HAHAHA!  

However, I am keeping up with my artistic obligations as well.  Last night I had to paint my 2 5x5 canvases for Art Center of the Ozarks's annual 5x5 auction fundraiser.  I had lost track of deadline so I naturally resorted to acrylics.  I have packed most of my accessories for this medium because I don't usually work with it.  But thankfully, I can enjoy a very limited palette so when I got hold of my red, yellow, blue and white tubes, I know I had no worries.  Also helpful were my Beste Duo brushes  which I really hadn't played with until last night!  They were perfectly handy to have except I couldn't figure out what end to soak in water!  My solution was to paint very fast :D  Used one of our dinner plates for mixing...I usually use an enameled pan.

 

 "Isolated Peace" and "Purple Clumps" 5x5" acrylics on canvas

Above are the two finished pieces.  I'm so happy I managed to paint them after packing all day and definitely exhausted!  But it felt so good to have painted and to meet an obligation!  My friend Mary picked them up first thing the next day to deliver 3 towns away from me.  Thanks Mary!

 

Hey, I am honored to be one of 2 featured artists at Poor Richard's Art this month YAY!!!  The other artist is Damon Chatterton, a wonderful polymer clay sculptor!  I plan to be be there for the Twilight Walk come see me!!!

"Kathy" 8x10 watercolor on paper

Another success story I have to share is the completion of this tribute portrait of my very missed niece Kathy.  This is a gift of mine to my sister Anna for her birthday next week - Happy Birthday sis! Enjoy Hawaii!  I love you!

Randy Higbee Gallery 6-squared Art Show

I took advantage of the opportunity to enter Randy Higbee Gallery's 6-Squared show that was announced on FaceBook And to my delight both my entries were accepted! Here they are, masterfully framed by Randy Higbee! The show will run until December 23rd at
102 Kalmus Drive, Costa Mesa, CA Phone# (800) 506-7624 As always, click on each image to see them in larger view. Hope your holiday season is going smoothly and happily! :)

"Autumn Harvest 2" 6x6 (art) watercolor on paper framed in white matt board and black rustic $175.00

"Charles" 6x6 (art) watercolor on paper framed in white matt board and black rustic $175.00

The official invitation

A small grouping on the exhibit wall with my paintings.

Father's Day ACEO watercolors

Back when I was a prolific "Ebay artist" I painted mostly ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals). They are baseball card size which is 2.5x3.5 inches. I painted them mostly in watercolors or occasionally used acrylics or oils. Those were the days before Ebay simply took the joy of creating and selling without worrying too much about making a good living out of painting. Here are three of my favorite Father's Day themed ACEO.

"Baby's First Man!" 2.5x3.5 inches watercolor on paper

"Summer Fishing for the Boys" 2.5x3.5 inches watercolor on paper

This last one is close to my heart as it is Lori Andrew's men. I fell in love with their matching chins! Thanks Lori!!!

"Chin Club/ Belong" 2.5x3.5 inches watercolor on paper

Fathers are very special especially for little girls! I hope nobody forgets to tell their dad they love them. I wish I could call my dad but he passed away in the mid-80's . However, I'm pretty sure he knew he was loved :)

I am currently in a group show that opened June 9th and will end July 3rd at the Art Center of the Ozarks. Now I'm just busy doing commission pieces until my next group show around the end of summer. I hope to jump back in DSDF again more regularly, but we'll see ;)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the good men who go out of their way to bring up wholesome children by giving them all their loving support! It's not an easy job but it makes a big positive difference in the long run!

Heart Glow watercolor ornaments

"Heart Glow" 6x6 inches watercolor

I did this for a challenge in my critique group that meets monthly and also for my WNW watercolor group. The project was to take a still life composition and cut it in squares, rearrange it for a more abstract composition and paint it. The theme is Christmas. Of course I added a representational object on top because I had a feeling sticking to the challenge was going to drive me insane. In fact, this is really 8x10 format and I cropped it heehee Well I love red, I love glass art and I love SOME heart-shaped things, so there you go.

8x10 version. see how it's better to crop it? ... or not?

I met this challenge despite my stomach issues since Saturday but I just am not going to be able to pull off this week's DSDF but y'all might go visit them as they always have cool art to see!

Last Thursday was finally the 5x5 show fundraiser for the local art center. Both my contributions were bought. Last I looked my Obama portrait had way more silent bids than McCain. I wonder if they ended up with one person. It's always a blast. So well attended and all the 5x5x1.5 inches canvases are lined up at eye level on all the walls of the lobby. At the beginning of the evening all I see are butts as shown here. But at the end after they call the closing bids and folks sales people have taken down the sold pieces I finally get to enjoy a more artistic view lol I can't imagine guessing the number of submissions... 300-400? There have been more in previews years I think. This was my 3rd year donating art and 2nd attendance.

Thankfully, the spread is always healthy and constantly replenished!

Raising McCain with oil paints

Just like that, yesterday's beautiful day was gone. I was pouring down rain today. It rained so heavily that it was as if someone had curtained us off from our neighborhood. Here's another look at my roses from yesterday's photo shoot. The lower roses are some from our garden. They are so fragrant and breathtakingly inviting to paint but... I have deadlines *sigh*

Today was date day with the hubby. The rain had pretty much stopped by the time we decided to get moving. We went to the mall (our 2nd trip there since it was built 3 years ago). He ran to Borders and I got my haircut. Then we met at PF Chang's for our late lunch.

There were having a summer art festival to which I was invited to participate. But being in wheelchair helps to make up my mind pretty quickly about not putting myself through the torment of doing short stints that require so much physical HELP while in the meantime I watch my work get a little more beat up through transport. Usually I'm so tired of the whole preparation that it's another challenge to keep a happy face on all day, also because I'm worried about my deadlines and what I'm not painting at the moment. Nope, montho-long exhibits or seasonal changes of display in the gallery is about my size.

We decided to head home after checking out each tent and visiting with fellow artists. Some were pleased, some disappointed, some glad to have recovered fees. No complaints about the rain.

Anyway, here are senators McCain and Obama by yours truly in 5x5 oils on canvas. I decided to not crop off any of his head like Obama because not option looked right to me. Now I can resume back to my commission portraits :) I must admit I struggled not to end up painting Steve Martin while I painted Senator McCain LOL!

Watercolor Starlings on Yupo

"Sterling Starlings" 26x20 watercolor on Yupo

Indeed I enjoyed painting this piece. The reference photo was excitedly sent to me by my dear Internet friend I haven't met in person but known since 2002 Leanne Wildermuth. Now she can't accuse me of never painting from her amazing photos :) She is true to her domain name artistbynature.com

I hear I didn't get any award in the pastel show but I move onward and entered this piece in the ANA (Artists of Northwest Arkansas) Annual juried show. For now it's the closest to museum art viewing as I can get without going out of town. I've seen some amazing works exhibited in this show so last year I was particularly pleased to receive best of drawing for my "On the Edge" charcoal drawing on toned paper. It's always an honor to hang among some great fellow local or almost local artists in this show. Last year was the first time for me to meet Theresa Rankin and her well done art in person. She took in best of oils last year.

Yupo is a wonderful tool for me to playfully express my colors in watercolors without losing the intensity to the fibers of paper. Every pigment and brave and carefree brush stroke is preserved on the surface of the paper. I am very pleased that I've met some new buyers by using this paper.

Pastel still life

"Teacups and Roses" 14x37 pastel on paper
I managed to keep myself together and finish this big piece for the Ozark Pastel (juried) Show. I was also sleepless for 33 hours as a result so I could finish both pieces and frame them then deliver them to Springdale Art Center of the Ozarks and finally to get home in time to attend our niece's baby shower. After all the sugar they had at the party I was pretty alert for a few more hours lol I had to chase all that sugar with some veggies and dip.

Well it would have been nice to be able to see some fellow artists and their works at the Art Center but when fellow artist Shirley Mullen and I arrived there, my van ramp wouldn't go down so I could get out :(

I also won't be able to attend the reception as the hubby and I will be out of town so I guess I'll have to catch the rest of the show another day.

After about 10 hours of sleep I'm feeling a little more like myself. For now I need to do some yard work and check into some portrait commissions waiting for me .

I will be painting still life with a group mid-week so hopefully I will have something to show for the effort :)

Pastel portrait

"Watching The Red Balloon" 9x12 pastel on toned paper

I drew this today while I "worked" all day at the gallery. Frankly, I can't believe I came up with something decent considering there were lots of distractions since it was not that slow. I wanted to see if I could swing a portrait for the Ozark Pastel Show since a renowned portrait artist Les DeMille is the judge. But I am also working on a big still life for the show mainly because I am trying to kill two birds with one stone.

My friend Dustie has these odd sized frames and she has challenged me and fellow artist Shirley Mullen to see who would be able to use it first. The prize? A free frame lol Oh well, it got me to work. When the show due date? Well tomorrow of course! Big shout to dear friend RED aka Vicki Ross for coordinating this show :)