Rocky Stream...

Happy Halloween. I thought I might have some Halloweeners visiting the studio today. But instead,  the 76 degree weather must have taken them out doors to enjoy this lovely fall day. It reminded me of a day last month, before the leaves began to change, when we found this lovely rocky stream not far from our house on the north side of town. This is a 5 x 7 watercolor on Aquaboard that I did that day. A really pleasant day...I want to go back and explore some more. $150/$5/NCSTx

Quick sketches...

The best thing I can recommend over and over again is to do lots of sketching.  Some of my students have told me the last few days that they enjoyed seeing these little quick sketches that I do all the time.  I was also reminded of the time I accompanied my daughter to Vienna when she was singing with a group that was performing there.  I sketched everything! The buildings, the interiors, the singers, the hotel... I had my sketchbook with me all the time. Good or bad, fast or slow, I was indelibly etching these images on my brain in a way that a momentary snapshot never would.  Now get out the pencils and get to work!  This quick sketch is graphite and watercolor... $50/$5shp/NCSTx

Vienna Boys Choir...

...and so in the middle of the recuperation and cabin fever what should come to Raleigh but the Vienna Boys Choir.  What a treat... All along the audience had the delight of hearing these angelic voices. What we were surprised with was the behind the music notebook antics that caused the giggling to ensue.  Our friends and my husband and I had the good fortune to have been given these lovely seats 8th row center orchestra, so we were privy to all the on stage shenanigans.  They were after all a bunch of little boys... and how they managed to travel with 25  7-12year olders I'll never know.  The littlest and the biggest were teamed on the front row...whatever it was that set them off - it affected the front 10 rows or so as well.  This was a little memory sketch in graphite and watercolor I dashed off when I returned home...  $50 /$5shp/ NCSTx

The cafe series...in the piazza

Continuing the cafe series, I want to impress on my students that the graphite/watercolor sketch is the fastest possible way to collect ideas.  Seated, and sometimes standing, just about anywhere for a very short time can give you movement, placement, rough shapes and the basic idea and feel of the place. Use dozens of these to create the painting later int he studio if you are not comfortable with the "street show" you become as an on site plein aire painter. This is 5 x7. $50/$5sh/NCSTx

The cafe series...the red dress

This is a quick 7 x 5 watercolor sketch of a lovely, tall woman in red... on a cell phone.  I thought the burgundy of the dress matched the cabernet she was enjoying. Back when I was doing a series of cell phone paintings, this was among the quick sketches. I love that we have these wonderful outdoor cafes even here in Carolina now. It has taken years, but I am so happy that Raleigh has added our wonderful cafes and this lovely way to enjoy food, friends, and the beauty of the day.  $50/$5sh/NCstx

The cafe series...near the villa

I think that this was a very interesting juxtaposition of the cafe near an amazing palazzo behind the wall. The building of the cafe is off to the left out of the frame of my 5 x 7 inch watercolor sketch.  But in this series of cafes in Italy, I was surprised at how many of these I collected over time in many different media. These little ones are easy to do in your lap or on the table after expresso and biscotti. Families, sunshine, great food, a little vino make up a great great day...
$150.00/ $5shipping/ NCSTx

The cafe series...

A wonderful artist Johanna Spinks is off to France to do a five week residency. Love the idea. She will have a marvelous time.http://portraitpaintingbyjohannaspinks.blogspot.com/ to see her things. She will certainly have time to enjoy the scenery in the villages as well as the famous towns and their museums. In the meantime, I thought I might bring out my cafe series from Italy for you to see. This is a 7x5 oil called "Waiting." Just a little something fun.  There will be some more later this week.

A portrait warmup....

This young lady was the perfect subject for a quick warm up. You know that painters, like dancers, singers, pianists, etc., really tend to to warmups before beginning a long day's work. Many of us do tiny 5x7 paintings as a warmup or preliminary. But sometimes it feels good just to do as I did today and grab a 20 x 16 canvas that had a nice thick palette knife layer of texture onto which the painting could fly out of the brush... And this one really did. Let me know what you think...

N. C. State Fair...

One of my fondest memories, biggest challenges, and favorite people in a non-typical work environment is the 25 years I spent as the Superintendent of the Art Department of the North Carolina State Fair. I was on contract with the state to produce a state-wide art exhibition every fall in Raleigh at the State Fair. When I arrived, we took in about 300 snap shots and art pieces in a WWI warehouse building on the fairgrounds near the RR tracks. We gave out a small amount of prize monies in $10, $20, $30 increments. What a joy it was to become a part of this crazy family of administrators, full time workers, and part time helpers who came together once a year to put on this great family oriented party! Logistically, it was a nightmare. We used to take in, catalog, tag, wrap, store, judge, hang, label, ribbon, and open the show all in 6 days. We were up for 10 days and reversed the process in 1 day at close. Whew! Over time the department grew to take in nearly 2,600 pieces of art and award $23,000 in cash, college scholarships, and products. By that time, we were the featured show in the nicest building on the fairgrounds...the Governor Bob Scott Building where the big Jim Graham Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture would move his office for the length of the fair. He sat over us with a wall of glass windows looking down on us like God. It was a great challenge and great fun...and a LOT of work. But at the end we had wonderful judges coming from all over the US and wonderful museums in DC and up and down the east coast. And the artwork was better and better with each passing year...it was quite the show to be in. I have not been a part of the fair for a number of years now. But this year, I was asked back to Judge a category that was added... it is for a deserving portrait or figurative piece. The ribbon and award are called, "Luana Luconi Winner Faces of Carolina." what a nice, full circle feel that has... Thanks guys! http://www.ncstatefair.org/2009/

Sketch to final oil portrait...

The sketch I shared with you earlier was completed at as oil portrait. This posthumous portrait is nearly complete and may have a change or two requested by the family concerning the necklace. If we decide to make a change, I will share the final version with you.

With great disappointment...

I have no artwork to share with you tonight. It is a great disappointment that I am unable to be in Pasadena to teach my classes this week. When I broke my leg last week, I still fully intended to make the trip. But due to complications, it was recommended that I remain home. I particularly want to thank the folks at SilverBrush.com, Ampersand.com, RichesonArt.com, StrathmoreArtist.com, and Sennelier/ Savoir Faire for their continued support.

Portraits in progress...

The sketch stage is so important to me. I feel that I might not be able to move ahead as easily without the study of the head and body language that is accomplished during the drawings. Here is the full graphite sketch of this lovely lady...

Portrait of a lady...

I enjoy waking up everyday looking forward to the work I do. Meeting new people, becoming a part of their lives, and creating an artwork that will last long after the person and the family are gone. This is a posthumous portrait...much more difficult to produce for me. I rely on the personality, the humor, the voice, the visual physique, the movement of the person to dictate how the painting should be completed. With the posthumous portrait, I must gleen all that informtation second hand from family and friends of the subject. This is a graphite detail from one of the sketches we are considering...

Take time for a break...

Okay that was a deceptive title... in reality, I have broken a leg and found that keeping up with most tasks this week to be somewhat more difficult. So I took time off for the break...oh, you get it, right? In the meantime, here is a little watercolor of acorns on the deck. Fall has arrived. The weather is wonderful. Enjoy the days ahead!