At the exhibition “Homage to Salvador Dali” at the Museum of European Art on September 5th, “Celtic Lady of the Lake” (oil) was selected as one of the top ten favorite paintings voted on by visitors to the museum! There were over 40 different artists displaying works, some from the Buffalo/Niagara region and many international artists.
I couldn’t attend though I had two pieces in the show, as I’m way over in England!
This painting was commissioned for the cover of a CD album by a Celtic musician Sheila Stratton-Peel and I have hand signed CD’s available if anyone is interested! @ $10 each.
It’s been years since I’ve shown at the MEA and in the past I had paintings selected as the Painting of the Month, that is the top one favorite selected by guests. Those paintings were: “Exquisite” a portrait of a Classical Indian Dancer, a portrait of “Salvador Dali” and also my Mythological painting of “Daphne Transformed”. Please click on these to read about them and see a picture in my gallery.
If I get pictures sent to me of this show, I’ll be sure to add them to this post…so if anyone attended and has some?? Please send them my way.
Hi folks, just passing on some great news, I have three paintings I submitted to be juried for the Miniature Painters, Sculptors + Gravers Society in Washington DC and all were accepted! Yay! The three paintings I entered are following, click on each to see them larger in my gallery and more details about each. I even have links there to blog posts about how I painted them, have a look!
Here is a direct quote from their website about the society: “The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, DC, (MPSGS) was founded in 1931 by Alyn Williams (1865-1941), a well-known portrait miniaturist. The MPSGS is the oldest Miniature Art Society in the U.S. It is the second oldest in the world next to the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers in London, England–the world’s first Miniature Art Society also founded by Mr. Williams. The Inaugural Exhibition of the MPSGS of Washington, DC, was held at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in December 1931. The Society has held exhibitions annually for 71 years with the exception of the years 1932 and 1942.”
Let me know if you live in the DC area and are going to the show. I’ll be unable to attend as I’ll still be in England.
I have just updated a few pages of my website. I have separated my Links page into two extensive pages, Nature Links and Art Links. Both feature links from all over the world and I am open to suggestions for more links please! I put them up for your convenience as a nature lover or artist; but also because they are favorites of mine and now I know it’ll be easy to find them!
The NEWS page is where you can find my current news, but it also has two pages to click at the top: Art Exhibits and News Articles. The Art Exhibits page will show you any upcoming shows I’m in and my past shows; as I update that page, many of the shows will be links to pictures and articles about that opening. The News Articles are links to news-clippings etc.
My LESSONS and PRESENTATIONS page has new pages linked to it also, Art and Nature Books is where you’ll find a list of books I use for Nature or Art study. When the page is finished there will be links for every section to pictures of the books for your convenience, though I seriously doubt I can fit every book on my shelves! The other new page there is My Art Supplies and Equipment, I will put pictures or blog posts about each listed area, painting, drawing, photography, books and some misc. pictures from around my studio or of me using the equipment in the field.
If you have any links to suggest then please pass them my way, and if you’d like to link to my website please do and let me know.
Friday night around Buffalo is usually a pretty busy art scene night, last night there were a few openings going on. I went with my son Paul to the ‘Free Friday at the Knox’, every Friday at the Albright Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo NY, on Elmwood Ave. We got there kind of late to really have a good walk through to see the exhibits, we were mostly interested in catching the Contemporary Dance performance going on. As we walked through the gallery…we saw Van Gogh, Monet, Dali, Cezanne, Mondrian, Gaughin, Motherwell…oh gosh…so many great ones and I’m rusty at my art history so it’s hard to remember!
After walking around I told myself I need to get back for a long visit with my sketchbook. I’ll have to find out if they would allow me to do color studies. I’ll pay a visit, do sketches and put it up on the blog.
We eventually made it to the Contemporary Dance performance…wow it was really interesting. I honestly didn’t think I’d like it, but when you have really talented, classically trained dancers, it becomes wonderful just watching the unbelievable control of their body movenment. There was a dancer Erin E. Bahn, who had a solo performance of a snake swallowing a swan. Ok…as she started I didn’t get it, the top half of her was a swan and the bottom a snake. It took me a few minutes to understand that this was two characters in one; the snake swallows the swan as she wriggles the costume tube up her body…complete with snake head with sparkles. It was really good at the end and completley creative!
After that Paul and I headed down to Franklin St. to the Jung Center to see my friend Bruce Bitmead’s opening called “A Private Pop Culture”. That’s me and Bruce above posing by a painting called “Marry Me Mary”, I thought that was funny.
Here’s my son Paul and I by more of Bruce’s paintings.
I had to try taking this photo in the mirror…can’t believe it came out as well as it did because I hand held my tiny camera. But I wanted to show how beautiful the mirror, woodwork and candles were.
Above, a candle and glass photo, nice and cozy.
My friend Gene Witkowski, photographer, talking with some visitors to the opening. In the forground is Cornelia Dohsa Peck, a collage artist originally from Germany I met when I was Co-Director of the Museum of European Art in Clarence, NY.
A group shot of visitors…enjoying the goodies on the table. Notice the interesting painted woodwork in the background; the houses in Buffalo have some beautiful old details in wood and stained glass. I am sure it wasn’t painted like this a long time ago.
Here I am with my buddy Gene Witkowski posing by Bruce’s painting called Lapwing. Reminds me of an idea I’m working on with birds, but in my more realistic style. Gene did some photography tonight of the Dance performance…he can always be seen shooting the Neglia Ballet, a local dance company.
And the last photo, my son Paul standing by the largest tree in the city of Buffalo! It even has a plaque on it! It’s a sycamore tree and I think I need to come back with my sketchbook to draw it; it’s over 200 some years old.
I just thought I’d put up some pictures from the annual art opening that the Buffalo Arts Studio has just before Christmas. It’s a great event to go to, see friends, have a drink and lots of nice appetizers and even some live music. David Kane played the keyboard and there was an improve dancer. My painter friend Sue, me and Carl, a writer and musician.
Some crowd shots.
Me and Roberto, a buddy of mine from Buffalo State College sculpture class.
Wood sculpture by Roberto Pacheco, a woman dancer.
Ken Morgan photographer and David Kane the musician.
Bill Cooper, painter, and for this show he decided to make some paper sculptures.
(I’m posting this late because of the car accident) This is the Open House of the Burchfield Nature Center where I’ll be teaching Nature Sketching (for kids and adults), plein air Landscape Painting (oils), and a Fairy class if we can squeeze it in! It’s a gorgeous gallery and many acres of grounds to walk on and discover, located right outside the city of Buffalo, nestled alongside the Buffalo Creek.
Each teacher had an area to display their work, I brought some oil landscapes, watercolor birds, and a few of my Goddess oil paintings to show how I combine my love of nature and mythology. I brought my field bag and actual supplies to show people who were interested. People were very curious and loved being able to look in my sketchbook, like a glimpes into someone’s personal world. Well it ‘IS’ a glimpse into my personal world, parts of it! Every page I’ve shared here on my blog they were able to look at in person, it was great. Three times during the night, new student sign up sheets had to be printed for my Nature Sketching class!! Wow, looks like I’ll be busy! Some guests and friends checking out my display, (me talking with my hands as usual!), Dave, an old friend from college, Ken Morgan and Gene Witkowski, some of my photographer friends. And a picture of me and Cy Alessi , from “Art Voice” magazine. The last photo I’m talking to an interested student, sharing my sketchbook with her. Check out the website for the Burchfield and view the grounds, classes etc. I’ll post pictures as I teach and explore the grounds myself.
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