Alternative to the Frenzy

 

 

If you are weary of the Christmas shopping frenzy or trying to avoid it, this invitation is for you. It is quiet and peaceful in the studio – a welcome alternative shopping experience if you are interested in shopping for original artwork. I am not holding an open studio, but will happily be here by appointment for anyone who wants to stop in. There are drawings (framed and unframed), paintings, collages, monotypes, 3-D pieces, and even clay whistles to have a look at. I’ll brew up some tea or share a glass of wine if you want to come and have a look! If you are interested, get in touch or contact me here and we can set something up.

 

 

Enjoy these days, every one of them and every beautiful minute!

October Manakintowne Workshop

Time flies! It has been such a long time since I last wrote a post that it is already time for the fall drawing workshop. This is always a lovely day out at the farm with beautiful surroundings, good company, and fabulous food. Details are below. There are still spaces left; bring a friend and sign up soon!

MANAKINTOWNE PLEIN AIR DRAWING WORKSHOP 

Saturday, October 24,  9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Enjoy a day of plein air drawing with oil pastel at the Powhatan farm of Manakintowne Specialty Growers.  After gathering for a demo, students will choose a work site among the fields.  At the mid-day break, a farm lunch (from the fields!) will be provided along with good company.  After lunch, students may begin a new drawing or continue with the morning work. Some drawing experience is helpful, but experience with oil pastel is not required.  This is a good opportunity to try a new medium, as all drawing materials are provided. Those already working with oil pastel may want to bring additional supplies, and experienced students may work in their medium of choice. Tuition for the day is $115. If you would like to sign up or if you have questions, you can contact me here by making a comment or find me on Facebook.

May Plein Air Classes

Spring has sprung at last! My tulips are ready to open any day. So collect your drawing supplies, grab a hat, and sign up for the Manakintowne Workshop or the May Mornings drawing class, or both! Details are below.

MANAKINTOWNE WORKSHOP:

A PLEIN AIR DRAWING WORKSHOP AT HUGUENOT SPRINGS 

A perfect Mother’s Day gift for your favorite mom!

Saturday, May 9,  9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Enjoy a day in the country drawing plein air with oil pastel at historic Huguenot Springs in Powhatan, the sister property of Manakintowne Farm. The site offers beautiful old shade trees and a mature garden filled with peonies and irises. Some previous drawing experience is helpful, but experience with oil pastel is not required. All drawing supplies are provided, making this a good opportunity to try out a new medium. Those continuing with oil pastel are welcome to bring their own drawing supplies. The day begins with a short introduction and demo, and then students select a morning work site. We break for Jo’s gourmet farm lunch and good conversation. After lunch students may either continue with the morning drawing or begin another. Tuition is $115 and includes lunch and drawing materials for the day. More information will be sent upon registration. Sign up early!

A few comments from previous workshops:

A highlight of my year! A very lovely location with great food!

Perfect day in the country – great freedom to explore a new medium.

Such a beautiful day… and the weather was nice too! Thank you for such a wonderful experience.

A good introduction to a new medium. Sarah’s overview and individual attention were very helpful and informative. The setting was beautiful, the weather perfect, and the  food delicious.

MAY MORNINGS PLEIN AIR DRAWING CLASS

Thursdays, May 7,14, 21, and 28, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

$120

I will be offering this plein air class again this year on four Thursday mornings in May. Bring your oil pastels and paint sticks down to Pony Pasture Park at the James River. We will have the option of staying at this site for all of the classes or moving to Maymont for part of the session, according to class consensus. Please sign up with me as soon as you can, no later than April 30. If you are new to working outside, I am happy to answer any questions you might have regarding supplies you will need. More information will be sent upon registration. Enjoy a quiet morning at the River. Bring a friend!

For sign up or questions regarding either of these classes, contact me here through “comments” or any other way you can find me!

Old Glove

Recently I had cause to return to an old and familiar subject: the nest. I hadn’t made any drawings in this series for about four years, but thought I would take time to make a couple in a mid-size (22” x 22” or so), a size I haven’t used since the very beginning of this series. As I began to work on these, the process was immediately like finding an old, favorite glove and slipping it on; it was familiar and comforting (but NOT comfortable!). I quickly remembered how this would go: first the excitement of beginning – of laying in a graphite sketch and seeing it melt when the paint stick went over it; then the delight of watching the form of the nest appear in color over the English red gesso on the paper (like watching a photo come up in the developer); then the moment when the process shifts from allowing the drawing to have full rein over to needing to impose some control over what is happening on the paper; and finally that difficult place of balancing control and release (to the drawing) in order to bring the piece to its completion. This last step involves being open to see the energy and beauty in the imperfections that I am dying to adjust.

This process really applies to all the work, but it is most predictable to me with the nest drawings. And, honestly, the nest drawings and the process of making them have always afforded a metaphor and mirror for life for me. I always learn something from making them, even if just to be reminded of something I already know.

Experiment

In printmaking, monotype is a wonderful way to experiment with materials and open the door to chance and surprise in the process. If you aren’t familiar with monotype, it basically involves making/painting an image on a plate (plexiglass, metal, even paper) and transferring that image to the printing paper by running the two together through the printing press. Unlike other forms of printmaking where multiple images can be pulled from the same plate, monotype results in a unique image with the sometime possibility of a paler ghost print from a second pull. In truth the possibilities for techniques in making monotypes are endless, and I couldn’t even begin to describe them here.

Last summer I took a short four session class just to have an opportunity to play a bit. I suppose it should have been no surprise when my printing did not go at all in the direction I had imagined. Under the guidance of the excellent artist and teacher Chris Palmer at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School, I experimented with something I hadn’t tried before: using newsprint as the  printmaking plate. Caran d’Ache water soluble wax crayons can be used to draw on a surface and when run through the press with wet printing paper, the image transfers. I had tried this in the past using a plexiglass plate and was very disappointed in the result. But I had never tried drawing and layering the Caran d’Ache on paper. This allows the layers of wax crayon to be built up in much thicker layers than are possible on the plexiglass plate, and it also transfers the drawn strokes and marks which have a very different appearance than painted ones. There are, of course, still surprises in the printing, and that’s the beauty of the monotype process. My interest at the moment is to use the monotype as the base of mixed media images, adding in drawing, collage, trace monotype, etc., and this class allowed me to begin to experiment with that.

If you want to see some of the results, Hill Gallery is having an opening of the show CHRIS PALMER: TWENTY celebrating 20 years of Chris’ instruction at the VMFA with work from his students this Friday night, January 23, 5:00-8:00 PM. Stop in if you can!

Friday is a busy night. VisArts will be opening the annual [work] show featuring work by faculty, staff, and board members. Drop by 6:00-8:00!

Unframed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are a few of drawers of unframed pieces in the flat file and these are some of the landscapes. Most of these pieces are a little older, many are mounted and ready to frame. There are bargains to be found in these drawers. And here is a newer piece that is tucked away for safe keeping, a broadside with one of Kasey Jued’s beautiful poems. Read more about this one here. Only a few days left for studio visits. Stop in today or call to set up a time!

Small Landscapes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few smaller landscapes. The one above is 3″ x 5″ done in charcoal and conté crayon. And these are oil on wood panel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember to stop in for a studio visit. More details are here.