Flown the Nest

It seems right to start the New Year with some updates about the work and images of new work. I am happy to say that a few more of the small pastels based on birds have found new homes including these three:

 

Flicker

 

Chickadee

 

Indigo Bunting

 

 

There are still a few more perched on the wall, so give a shout if you want to see images or if you are interested in stopping by to see them in person. And check in here soon for a look at the newest work in the studio.

Farewell to this Messenger

The poet Mary Oliver left this life this week, and her poems are cropping up all over social media. The day she passed, I picked up the collection Thirst and read this poem, the first in the volume.  Although I have already posted it elsewhere, it bears reading again.

 

 

MESSENGER

 

My work is loving the world.

Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird –

equal seekers of sweetness.

Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.

Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.

 

Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?

Am I no longer young, and still not half-perfect? Let me

keep my mind on what matters,

which is my work,

 

which is mostly standing still and learning to be

astonished.

The phoebe, the delphinium.

The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.

Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,

 

which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart

and these body-clothes,

a mouth with which to give shouts of joy

to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam

telling them all, over and over, how it is

that we live forever.

 

 

Finding this particular poem was such a gift at that moment and reading it that evening seemed a fitting way to mark the day and send the poet on her way to the next thing…while she still lives on with those of us bound to this earth as we read and share, and are moved and inspired by her words and her life.

 

 

Manakintowne Workshop

~~~~~~~

please join us at the farm for the

 

MANAKINTOWNE PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 9:30-3:30

(rain date October 6)

 

~~~

 

BRING YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM

 

or

 

TRY OUR OIL PASTELS ~ ALL SUPPLIES AND BASIC INSTRUCTION PROVIDED

(perfect for beginners)

 

 

TUITION $115 ~ BRING A FRIEND FOR $10 DISCOUNT FOR BOTH OF YOU

(INCLUDES A GOURMET FARM LUNCH)

 

 

Enjoy a restful day working among the fields of Manakintowne Specialty Growers in Powhatan. Instruction for plein air drawing and painting is offered, or you can try oil pastels with beginning instruction and all supplies provided (a great opportunity to try a new medium!). We break mid-day for a delicious lunch and good conversation. Space is limited, so sign up soon! (Contact me here.) 

                                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last Nests…Rare Sale

Nest of Possibility  (SOLD)

 

Space is finite in the studio, and there is little room remaining on the walls and boards; so I am reducing the price on the last seven nest images to make room for the new drawings in the works. There are five framed oil stick drawings and two oil paintings on wood panel. Most will be reduced  by half. Let me know if you are interested, and I can send pricing information. Come by the studio to have a look in person! Please note, sizes are the framed sizes, and they are approximate.

The image above is the largest:  oil stick and graphite on paper, 22″ x 25″

 

Terra   (SOLD)

oil stick on paper, 13″ x 15″

 

Sure

oil stick on paper, 10″ x 10″

 

Elemental   (SOLD)

oil stick and graphite on paper, 18″ x 18″

 

Eclipse

oil stick on paper, 18″ x 18″

 

Where to Begin   (SOLD)

oil on wood panel, 11″ x 11″

 

Winter Nest   (SOLD)

oil on wood panel, 11″ x 11″

Landscapes

I haven’t posted any landscapes for a while, so here are three relatively new ones. The top one is oil stick and graphite on paper (15″ x 15″), the second is oil pastel on paper (11″ x 9 1/2″), and the last one is a small oil (paint) on paper (6″ x 4″).

 

 

 

[Work]

The annual faculty/staff/board show [Work] is open in the gallery at VisArts and will be there until August 19. The exhibit is interesting and diverse and includes work in many different media. I’m showing some small (4 1/2″) soft pastels including these:

Hummingbird

 

Dove II

 

There are quite a few more of the soft pastels in the studio, so stop in to see those too. Here are a couple:

 

Dove

 

Indigo Bunting

For a bit of information on these drawings and how they came to be, scroll down a few entries to the one titled “For The Birds.”

Re-scheduled Workshop

If you aren’t leaving town for Memorial Day,

please join us at Huguenot Springs for the

MANAKINTOWNE PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP
 
SATURDAY, MAY 26, 9:30-3:30
 

BRING YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM

or

TRY OUR OIL PASTELS ~ ALL SUPPLIES AND BASIC INSTRUCTION PROVIDED
(perfect for beginners)

TUITION $115 ~ BRING A FRIEND FOR $10 DISCOUNT FOR BOTH OF YOU
(INCLUDES A GOURMET FARM LUNCH)

Enjoy a restful day working under the old shade trees or in the garden of peonies and irises at historic Huguenot Springs in Powhatan. Instruction for plein air drawing and painting is offered, or you can try oil pastels with beginning instruction and all supplies provided (a great opportunity to try a new medium!). We break mid-day for a delicious lunch and good conversation. Space is limited so sign up soon (contact me here through comments). More information will be sent with registration confirmation. We hope you will join us for a peaceful day in the country!

Spring Workshop + Classes

please join us at Huguenot Springs for the
 
MANAKINTOWNE PLEIN AIR WORKSHOP
 
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 9:30-3:30
 
~~~
 
BRING YOUR FAVORITE MEDIUM
 
or
 
TRY OUR OIL PASTELS ~ ALL SUPPLIES AND BASIC INSTRUCTION PROVIDED
(perfect for beginners)
 
 
TUITION $115 ~ BRING A FRIEND FOR $10 DISCOUNT FOR BOTH OF YOU
(INCLUDES A GOURMET FARM LUNCH)
 
 
Enjoy a restful day working under the old shade trees or in the garden of peonies and irises at historic Huguenot Springs in Powhatan. Instruction for plein air drawing and painting is offered, or you can try oil pastels with beginning instruction and all supplies provided (a great opportunity to try a new medium!). We break mid-day for a delicious lunch and good conversation. Space is limited so sign up soon (contact me here through comments). More information will be sent with registration confirmation. We hope you will join us for a peaceful day in the country!
 
 

TWO MORE MAY CLASSES:

MAY MORNINGS PLEIN AIR DRAWING CLASS

Thursdays, May 3, 10, 17, and 24, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM  (rain date is May 31)
$120
 
I will be offering this plein air class again this year on four Thursday mornings in May. Pack up your supplies – oil pastels, paint sticks, or the medium of your choice – and come work out in the  fresh air. In past years we have visited Pony Pasture, the Wetlands, Maymont, and Virginia House. I’m scouting out new possibilities and will let you know where to meet beforehand. Be prepared for a little walking. Please sign up with me by April 27.  You can reach me here for sign up or more information. 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 the peace of working outside! Sign up with a friend!
 
 
 

DRAWING IN COLOR INTENSIVE – VISARTS
 
 May 21 – 25, 1:00 – 3:30
(registration only through VisArts)
 
Work with either oil pastel or paint stick or use the two together to make rich, colorful drawings. We will focus on discovering a range of possibilities for these materials and developing a personal approach to using them. Both are easy to clean up and highly portable making them a good choice for summer travels! Tuition information and sign up here.
 

 

Birds Continued

Cedar Waxwing

 

Chickadee

 

These are two more of the soft pastel drawings based on birds. Both of these are 4 1/2 inches square. Stay tuned for more work to be posted soon@

For the Birds

 

Cardinal

 

Jay

 

 

It has been too long since I posted new work here, so it is time to catch up with what has been going on in the studio. A while back I gave in to the seduction of the beautiful Schmincke soft pastels and made a series of abstract drawings influenced by several favorite artists (including Richard Diebenkorn, Sean Scully, and Christopher Wilmarth) and coming out of earlier work of my own, both two and three dimensional. Earlier this year, something about the soft pastels called me back to work on an earlier unsuccessful drawing and then to pick up a tiny (3” x 3”) prepared paper. For some now forgotten reason, that small square led me to think of songbirds and the goldfinch in particular. So began a series of small drawings (ranging between 3 and 8 inches square) most of which are based on a particular bird. Ultimately the drawing took precedence over any strict reference to the birds, and some went off on a completely different direction departing from any notion of birds at all. Some of the drawings incorporate some characteristic of a particular bird other than its coloration. To spot this, the viewer will have to spend more time than a quick glance and draw from his/her own birding experience. I’ll be posting images here every day or so, and hope you will come back to check them out! And, with luck, a few readers will be moved to have a closer look at the birds populating their environment.