2017 Artists Open Studio Tour

STANISLAUS COUNTY
ARTISTS 
OPEN STUDIO TOUR 

Saturday APRIL 22nd 

and 

Sunday APRIL 23rd  2017

11am - 5pm

This year I will be making a change.  Instead of opening up my own art studio in Turlock, I will be joining Henrietta Sparkman at her Modesto studio.  We are # 20 on the map.

FIVE ARTISTS: Henrietta Sparkman, Carol David, Chloe Fonda, Corrine Robson, Rhett Regina Owings


Henrietta works in a variety of media creating fascinating abstract works of art.
Joining us at Henrietta's studio are three other artists:
Carol David (impressionist pastel figures and California landscapes),
Chloe Fonda (watercolor abstracts and monoprints)
Corrine Robson (hand crafted jewelry).
Rhett Regina Owings (paintings, embellished paper cranes, note cards & prints)

$10 tickets/tour booklets will be for sale at our location:  2409 Sherwood Ave, Modesto, CA.
From McHenry Ave. turn onto Bowen then right on Sherwood.  
We will be open from 11 am - 5 pm.

Additional tickets are available at the Mistlin Art Gallery (Modesto), Carnegie Art Center (Turlock), Chartreuse Muse (Modesto), and the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce (Oakdale).

VISIT US AT #20 ON THE MAP

Open Studio 2016

Wonderful turn-out for my Open Studio April 23 & 24, 2016

 Greg Frazier and I pose in front of my Daily Paintings display.  The pegboard panels worked very well for displaying the 6"x 6" paintings.

 Here is part of our set-up.  We were resting and waiting for the crowd to show up.  Our weather was good which was a nice change from the last few years with wind and rain.

Greg had some wonderful wood pieces: puzzle boxes, wooden pens, puzzles and other items of fun.  He does such nice work.  I especially like his burl bowls with the abalone inlays.  So pretty!

 Visitors had the opportunity to choose from boxes of unframed paintings and try them out in frames.  I also had matted original work, matted reproductions, paper cranes, and note cards from which to choose.

 Here is one of my visitors choosing a matted original.  She also chose one of my Daily Paintings!


I want to thank all those who helped set up and take down, and store away all my stuff!

Still Exploring the Color ORANGE

SPRING POPPIES  6x6  oils

APRIL 11th  Monday
Last week we took a 3 day trip to Monterey, CA and the coast.  I was amazed to see all the California poppies in bloom on the hill sides and even in downtown Carmel and Monterey!  Well naturally, I had to take photos! After all, they are ORANGE!  I was so surprised how difficult poppies are to paint and they are made up of such a variation of oranges and yellows.  Capturing the various shadows and changes in color was a challenge.  

< Here is my first effort.  I worked in water mixable oils on an ampersand gesso panel.  DAILY PAINTING # 29

SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE

< Here is my 2nd effort.   I am worried that my paintings will not be dry in time for my Open Studio April 23 & 24th, so I thought I would try acrylics this time.  Wow!  What a difference!  I have not worked in acrylics in a number of years and found it quite a challenge.  The colors change as they dry, blending is more difficult and making puddles of color doesn't work because they dry so quickly.  But I worked on.
DAILY PAINTING #30    6x6 acrylics on ampersand gesso panel

CALIFORNIA GOLD   6x6 acrylics

< Second try at acrylics. I am slowly learning to manage acrylics and remembering from my work with them years ago.  I realize that I could use some new brushes,  I don't want to use my oil brushes and the ones I have are just too soft.  And I am struggling with the transparency of acrylics too.  But I do think this one is a little better.  
DAILY PAINTING #31

CARMEL POPPIES  4X6 acrylics

< So now I am getting a little more confident in acrylics.... well just a little.  This time I tried a smaller painting... just 4" x 6" on gessoed watercolor paper.  I found these poppies growing near the Carmel River in front of a house.  So cheerful to see them!
DAILY PAINTING #32





I can't believe I have painted 32 paintings now!  Great practice!
These little guys will be available for sale at my Open Studio.  
6x6s are $100 without a frame / $125 with a floater frame.  
4x6s are matted to fit an 8" x 10" frame and are $45 each.  
Believe me, they look better in person!  Come on by and check them out!

I am often asked "How long did it take you to paint that?"
My answer is simple: 
"After 50 years of practice, it took me 3 hours to paint this small painting." 

Still Getting Ready for Open Studio

APRIL 7th
 The last few days have been filled with painting and getting my studio presentable for the public.  Only 16 days left to get things in order.  Open Studio Tour is April 23 & 24th and I hope some of you will be able to stop by and see my new work.  

I am still focusing on my Daily Paintings.  I now have the first 6 framed and I like the way they turned out.  I used a floating frame type.  

Won't they look good on a wall together?

And I have been continuing my exploration of the color orange.  What a wonderful color!  It is fun to look for things that are orange.  My rose flowers are now in full bloom and the peachy orange ones are wonderful.  I just wish I could remember the name of that rose.  

First Spring Rose   6x6

< Here is the first rose that opened.  I put it into a pretty glass vase and of course my little owl had to get into the act.   So many colors of orange in this flower! 

Just Peachy   6x6

So now for a close up!  Lovely flower!  Such fun to see all the colors of orange!  

Pretty in Orange   6x6

<  This rose is very orange!  But with so many variations!  The golden yellows and soft pinks add to the vibrancy of this rose!  

Peek-A-Boo    6x6

And in this one my little Mexican owl had to get into the picture!  I call this one "Peek-A-Boo!"   

I can't wait to frame up these rose beauties!  

Come to my Open Studio and see them!

Getting Ready for the 2016 Art Studio Tour

Painting display boxes for prints 

I am getting my studio ready for the 2016 Stanislaus Artist Open Studio Tour in April.  Painting boxes, painting gesso on panels, matting work, and just plain cleaning too. Hope you can stop by my studio!

 

6x6 Daily Paintings in the sun to dry after varnishing

Painting gesso on panels for painting

Last week, Turlock artists met at the Turlock Library and put up a display of our work. Drop by the library and see our work.
Tickets / map are available at the Carnegie Center for the arts in Turlock, the Mistlin Art Gallery in Modesto. 

 

Orange Juiced!

 Day 12 Wednesday, March 23

ORANGE TOAST

I wanted to do a quick and small 5" x 7" painting and still had my red daisy from yesterday's painting.  I noticed a tall wine glass on my shelf and dropped the daisy in it with the piece of mistletoe.  Added the orange and voila!   "Orange Toast"  5" x 7"  This size sure seems small after enjoying the 6x6s. 







Day 13 Thursday, March 24

ORANGE JUICE

My orange tree is loaded with oranges so painting them has been a good practice.  I have painted them whole and sliced them, but what about juicing them?  So out came my juicer.  This time I added some scrap booking paper to the background.  A fun touch, don't you think?  "Orange Juice"  6x6  Yum!  Orange juice tastes so good.  One thing I discovered as I painted.... orange juice is not ORANGE at all, but quite YELLOW !

ORANGE MUG AND ORANGE JUICE

Day 14 Friday, March 25   I painted an orchid this day which was fading fast and I wanted to try a capture it now.  I will post that painting later.

Day 15 Saturday, March 26  Shopping at the Dollar store and discovered some very colorful mugs to try. Now if you don't think orange juice is really yellow, compare it to this bright ORANGE mug!  The little owl figure is from Mexico where I spent part of a summer.  He is so cute.  I think I will add him to more of my paintings!




 Trying to get ready for the  
Stanislaus Artist's Open Studios.
Hope you can drop by and see my Daily Painting progress.
Saturday,  April 23  and Sunday, April 24th
Tickets are available at 
Carnegie Art Center in Turlock and Mistlin Art Gallery in Modesto.