Friday Inspiration: just keep painting

Hello,

This week I read a wonderful interview on Loriann Signori's blog with M. Katherine Hurley. And I was struck by a few of her answers to the questions Loriann asked her.

"My paintings now show much more of the actual process. I want to reveal the push pull that happens as I paint... ...Now I am trying to hold back from destruction of mark. I want the view[er] to see the layers of things."

"...I just keep painting. That in itself is a learning process. Keeps adventure alive."

"I always have something started, ongoing. With something on the easel or table it makes it easier to wake up thinking about it. I put paint to canvas before I go to bed. Once the ball gets rolling it feeds itself. It gets its own energy."

I could not get any images of her work to post here, so be sure to visit M. Katherine Hurley's website to see examples of her work, and visit Loriann Signori's blog to read the interview.

Daffodills & Vasari {Bountiful Observations no. 13} SOLD

Daffodils & Vasari

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

Framed painting
SOLD

Inspiration demands the active cooperation of the intellect joined with enthusiasm, and it is under such conditions that marvelous conceptions, with all that is excellent and divine, come into being. ~Giorgio Vasari

The little red book is from the library of S, it is a volume of The Lives of the Painters, Sculptors & Architects by Giorgio Vasari. I am lucky to have married an engineer who also has an interest in art.

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Friday Inspiration: Take a Break Once in Awhile...

{Naomi in the backyard}

This week I learned that sometimes you need to slow down and take a break... What brought this important lesson home was that fact that I LOST a painting this week! And because things have been so busy, and off schedule, I have NO idea what happened to it!

Monday and Tuesday were exceptionally busy, long, and demanding days for me, and I just tried to incorporate too much into those days and losing a painting was the result.

...so, I just wanted to share with you, that sometimes the best source of inspiration comes from taking a break, getting away, and making time to be calm.

{Naomi taking her time while beginning to explore some...

oh, we can learn so much from just observing how babies

interact with the world around them.}

On Thursday, this is just what I did. We {Naomi and me} met a friend in DC to visit the French Galleries in the West Building of the NGA, caught up on things, and enjoyed the floral display in the rotunda.

{Me and Naomi at the NGA}

Have a wonderful weekend, and I hope you find a moment to just take some time for yourself.

UPDATE 3/26/2012:  I found the painting!  All I can say is, silly me...  now I have a system in place that will hopefully prevent a repeat of this EVER happening again!

Pink Hyacinths { a new small floral painting} SOLD

Pink Hyacinths

{7" x 5" (17.8 x 12.7 cm) – oil on linen panel}
SOLD

Unframed painting: $100.00 starting bid + S&H

This was the first time to paint hyacinths since working on the de Heem copy. Initially I started off real tight, and after a few hours realized that the painting was not going in the direction I wanted, so out came the palette knife and I scraped the painting down.

With the initial experience in mind, I set out to capture the essence of the flowers without tightening up, and I am pleased at how it turned out. There is an abundance of soft edges, paired with some specific focused areas.

Three Pink Roses {a small floral painting}

Three Pink Roses

{7" x 5" (17.8 x 12.7 cm) – oil on linen panel}

SOLD

Framed painting: $250.00 + S&H

Life-glowing season ! odour-breathing Spring !

Deck'd in cerulean splendours !–vivid,–warm,

Shedding soft lustre on the rosy hours,

And calling forth their beauties ! balmy Spring !

~Mary Darby Robinson (1758-1800)

Happy first day of SPRING!

Liz

Here's what this painting would look like framed
(available framed upon request after auction)

Stargazer Lily {Bountiful Observations no. 12}

Stargazer Lily

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

Available for purchase via my Etsy Shop

Framed painting: $400.00 + S&H

Finally the days are getting longer and brighter!

I am so excited about the warm weather and what it means it is bringing, SPRING! Last week I spent time prepping my vegetable and flower beds. There is still more to do, there always is, however I hope to be rewarded soon with fresh peas, arugula, and flowers from my garden. And I plan on incorporating these items into some paintings...

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Playing hooky...

...and spending this week out in the garden!



We are having a beautiful spell of weather here in the DC region and I am taking advantage of it by prepping my vegetable garden and flower beds!

So I will see you next week Monday.

{some of my blooming plants}

Camellias {Bountiful Observations no. 11} - SOLD

Camellias

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

SOLD

Framed painting: $300.00

One the biggest joys I get when working on a still-life painting is when I can source my subject matter from a friend's, neighbor's, or my own garden. These beautiful camellias are from a neighbor's down the street, one side of his house it totally hedged by big and beautiful camellia bushes.

Lucky man!

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Friday Inspiration: Laura Coombs Hills

Larkspur, Peonies and Canterbury Bells

pastel on paperboard, 72.39 x 60.01 cm (28 1/2 x 23 5/8 in.)

{source}

For today's inspiration I want to share an extraordinary still-life artist, Laura Coombs Hills.

I think her work speaks for itself, however I found this quote to be an apt description of her work. In the November 23rd, 1939 Boston Herald an editorial stated: “Somehow she manages to bring dancing sunlight and vibrant atmosphere within the four walls and to soak her flowers in it."

So true, her work just sizzles with the warm glow of sunshine.

Her career as a floral still-life artist started after a successful career as a miniture portaitist, and was very successful with having annual exhibitions that were well attended.

If you are interested in reading more about her life and art check out this link to a catalog preview, it has some great introductory essays. And here is a link to exhibition catalogues available for sale.

Bowl of Pansies

Pastel on paper/board, sight size 9 1/2 x 11 in

{source}

Pansies

Pastel, 10 5/8" x 11 3/8"

{source}

Pink Dahlias

{source}

Still Life of Flowers

Pastel on Paper,14 x 12 in.

{source}

Exhibition Opening Tomorrow @ NIH

Title: Tea, Prints, and Zinnias

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 24" x 30" (61 x 76.2 cm)

$2500.00

Eight of my paintings will be on display at the National Institutes of Health starting tomorrow. The exhibition will run from Friday, March 9th thru Friday, May 4th and will be on display in Building 10.

All paintings are available for sale and are administered by Lillian Fitzgerald.

Clinical Center Galleries
NIH, 10 Center Drive
B1 L410
Bethesda, MD 20892
lfitzgerald@cc.nih.gov
703-622-8475 or 301-594-5923

It is an honor to be part of this exhibition.

Title: Still Life with Bird Nest and Bottle

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 14" x 11" (35.6 x 28 cm)

$600.00

Title: Danni’s Treasures

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 14" x 18" (35.6 x 45.7 cm)

$950.00

Title: Fresh Peaches

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 18" x 24" (45.7 x 61 cm)

$1600.00

Title: Daffodils and Pears

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 24" x 18" (61 x 45.7 cm)

$1600.00

Title: Early Spring Tete-e-Tete Daffodils

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 12" x 10" (30.5 x 25.4 cm)

$600.00

Title: Oriental Lilies

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 18" x 14" (45.7 x 35.6 cm)

$950.00

Title: Still Life with Brown Bottles and Brown Eggs

Medium: Oil on Linen

Dimensions: 18" x 24" (45.7 x 61 cm)

$1600.00

Lemon and Silver Cup {a new small painting} SOLD

Lemon and Silver Cup

{7" x 5" (17.8 x 12.7 cm) – oil on linen panel}

Unframed painting: $100.00 starting bid + S&H  SOLD

A quiet moment captured.

Lilies and Rice Bowl {Bountiful Observations no. 10}

Still Life with Lilies and Rice Bowl

{8" x 8" (20.3 x 20.3 cm) – oil on canvas panel}

Click here to purchase

Framed painting: $300.00 + S&H

To me every still-life painting has an overlying emotion, and often I am drawn to setups that are calm, maybe quiet, and always filled with color and life. These lilies seemed to be a pair, like two friends hanging out and sharing the company with another. In this case, the new addition to my still-life collection, a small rice bowl.

Also, this weekend I began to work on a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) about this series, Bountiful Observations, like what inspired it, my process, and such. If you have a question about the series, please leave your question in a comment and I will incorporate it into my answers.

Thanks for stopping by,

Liz

{14" x 14" (35.6 x 35.6 cm) with frame}

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This is a painting from my Bountiful Observations series, with 25% of the net proceeds of each sale being donated to the American Horticultural Society.

Friday Inspiration: The Aesthetic Movement

I came across this great little video about the Aesthetic Movement in England. And thought I would share it with you...



Aestheticism (or the Aesthetic Movement) was a 19th century European art movement that emphasized aesthetic values more than socio-political themes for literature, fine art, the decorative arts, and interior design. Generally, it represents the same tendencies that symbolism or decadence represented in France, or decadentismo represented in Italy, and may be considered the British version of the same style. It was part of the anti-19th century reaction and had post-Romantic origins, and as such anticipates modernism. It was a feature of the late 19th century from about 1868 to about 1900. {source = Wikipedia}

UPDATE: for those who are unable to see the embedded video, visit the V&A Channel, the Cult of Beauty Video