Pumpkins

This Halloween was definitely one to remember. Mostly due to pumpkin carving contests. My team even won $50 worth of pizza from the college! Here are a few photo recaps from this most recent holiday.




Winning werewolf pumpkin for the Germanna competition.

 

3-D Owl Pumpkin Carving

Halloween 2011
I was a raccoon this year. :)

2011 6x6 Show--My First Placing

As usual I had about twenty pieces planned for this show--about 5 got started and only 1 got completely finished, a watercolor of a bird that I had painted during the summer.

Black-Capped Chickadee

 And, what do you know, I actually won my very first placing! Second out of over 150 paintings!

Second Place

At the time my painting hadn't sold yet, but I haven't had an opportunity to check since then. Honestly, the generous prize money was more than I could have asked for.

Now that I've won second in a show, I suppose my next goal should be first place. Better watch out for me next year!

Oh, the Irony

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2011/092011/09262011/654290?______array

 

Here is an article published in today's Free Lance Star about the festival. They chose a photo of my unfinished piece to represent all of the artists...

The Festival

This weekend is Via Colori 2011. Let me give a quick recap on last year's festival:

It was nearly 100 degrees, I was in the relentless sun, I was sick as a dog, I didn't really get to even draw anything, and then it rained. It was horrible because of these things.

This year, all of the conditions were perfect. It was beautiful weather, cloudy, I felt good, I was well-prepared. Everything was in my favor. It was just me, the chalk, and the pavement yesterday.

And I didn't enjoy it at all... That's all there was to it! I have used pastels well in past, but they really aren't my favorite medium. The asphalt was so bumpy and porous and cracked that it was hard to draw on. My back was killing me from kneeling over on the hard surface for hours straight. I just couldn't get anything right with the pastels, so I hated what I had produced. Not to mention that it was live with crowds of people watching me as I struggled. All of these things just added up to an unpleasant experience, and around 2pm I stood up and just decided that I was done and that street art just wasn't for me. I guess it's one of those things that if  you never try, you never know. Can't love everything, I suppose!

Citta Colori Show

Tonight was the Citta Colori show at the Ponshop. My mom and I dropped in quickly for the gallery talk. There weren't a ton of pieces, but the ones that were there were amazing. Instead of a juried show, this one is people's choice with voting throughout the month of September. I decided that I would vote only for one of my own pieces if mine were actually my favorites, and they definitely weren't!

Me at the Ponshop reception.

My submissions to the City Colors show.

Come and vote for your favorites!

City Colors

I just dropped off my two pieces for the City Colors exhibit at the Ponshop, for which there will be an opening reception on Friday. Having finished my second painting, a self portrait (the practice Birth of Venus didn't work out), just before leaving, I had to stop at Michaels and buy a frame (and borrow their screwdriver) on the way to the gallery. After the stressful delivery, I was finally calming down on my drive home when a thought suddenly struck me and I bolted upright in my seat and screamed "THE TOES!!!"

I forgot to put feet on the crow.

Will anyone else notice? Probably not. Does that make me feel better? Not really.

I just can't believe that I framed a painting and delivered it to a gallery without realizing that I didn't put any legs on the bird. That ever happen to anyone else?

It's really not that noticeable...

Via Colori 2011

This years Via Colori festival is quickly approaching! I have decided to recreate Sandro Botticelli's version of the Birth of Venus, and signed up for a 6ft by 6ft square to do so.



The Birth of Venus

 I am really really hoping for everything to go well this weekend. Last year I was sick as a dog, it was insanely hot, my spot was right in the sun, it rained overnight, and I had to work. I am really crossing my fingers that none of that happens this year!!!

I just started practicing for the festival by recreating the painting in a 16x20 format in prisma pencils.

Practice, practice, practice!

During the month of September the Ponshop is hosting a show for Via Colori artists only, in order to give us a chance to advertise representations of what we will be drawing in chalk. I will be submitting my Venus of Sebastiano Ricci painting, and possibly my Birth of Venus practice as well.

More of Via Colori to come as the date approaches...

In Progress

These days it seems like I have more projects in progress than actually finished. There is one thing that I have actually completed recently:

Black Capped Chickadee

Here is something I am currently working on, trying to go with the green theme and only use natural or recycled materials. The feathers are all going to be made of flower petals, with the frame, legs, and beak being made of wood. I'm still thinking about the eye though...

Flower Canary
(sorry for the poor quality photo--more the come as it progresses!)

And that's not even mentioning the things that I still need to START! Like several 6x6 octopus paintings for the October show. Whew, I'm getting tired just thinking about it! Wish me luck!

Lucketts Show

I did not end up being able to make it to the Lucketts show this past spring, but my aunt and mother were kind enough to take a few of my paintings with them. Unsurprisingly, none sold. Apparently there was a woman interested in my original rooster, but did not want to offend by making a ridiculous offer. One cool thing that did happen though, was that I designed a logo for my aunts craft business, called Off The Porch, and she had it made into an awesome stamp to use on the bags and tags.

Food Show

This month has been so crazy! It's the end of the semester, I got my wisdom teeth removed, and there is just a whole lot of stuff going on. I didn't get to make it to any of the galleries on First Friday, but its been a couple days since my surgery and I've been cooped up, so I decided today would be the perfect day to go see! I only had the cupcakes up this month, and unfortuneately they didn't sell or place. After looking at all the other pieces though, I wasn't surprised. There were a ton of entries this month, and everybody really stepped up to the plate (and kicked my butt)!
At the beginning of the month The Freelance Star wrote an article about the upcoming shows and in the article about Liberty Town there was a little section describing three different paintings and I was lucky enough to be one of them, so that was really cool. Guess the cupcakes are going to Lucketts then!

Ahh!

There is just too much to do and never enough time. At this point I really would have to be a full time artist to get everything done that I need to. Not sure I'd make enough money even then though... There are so many show and fairs coming up, back to back, that I think I will have to start to pick and choose. April food show is fast approaching! Who knows what the heck is after that. X)

Cupcakes

Cupcakes are finally finished! Here they are. :) I will be doing a couple individual ones in different shades for the April Food Art show at Liberty Town, and I am starting my sushi paintings tonight. Enjoy!

February's First Friday

Well First Friday at Liberty Town was this past week and I entered 5 paintings that I just had lying around into the Young Fredericksburg exhibit. I was all amped up all week waiting for Friday, thinking about winning awards and selling hundreds of dollars worth of art and all that. I suppose that because my first gallery experience was so awesome that I just expected it would be like that every time. Not so. I didn't sell anything on opening day, and don't expect that I will in this show either. Nor did they give out any awards in order to not hurt any young kids' feelings. I'm pretty dissapointed, but I know that I shouldn't be. The show was very small, and only one fairly cheaply priced photograph sold, which is the norm for Liberty Town. I think that it was the subject matter--it was almost all people, and normal people don't want buy expensive paintings of random people to put in their home. I understand this, but I still feel like I kind of let myself down because, if I were really awesome enough, I could overcome that. Oh well. It was a lesson that had to be learned I suppose. Having said that, the painting WILL still be up in the gallery all month for sale, so you never know... ;)

5 paintings entered into February's Young Fredericksburg show.

Venus of Sebastiano Ricci, all matted, framed, and beautified!

Update: I just got notified that Frederick Douglass did in fact sell! Yay! :D

Christmas Commissions

I got a commission from my cousin Liz and her husband this Christmas to recreate some photos for her parents that they had taken on one of their many trips to their favorite places in Hawaii. I ended up doing a series of three 8 x 10 charcoal/pastel portraits in order to really capture the feel of Hawaii. I didn't get to talk to her parents for very long about them, but I think they were really happy with such a thoughtful gift and I was really thrilled to have the opportunity to help. :)

On the left an island shoreline, the middle is a tropical sunset, and the third is a waterfall into a cave with a palm tree (which you can't see very well). Please forgive the laundry on the the couch and bad glare on the photos!!! XD

Life at the beginning of the new year...

Back from Christmas and already full into the swing of things again. The spring semester started this past week and I couldn't afford to take a 'for fun' art class this time. That means I have to make time for myself to be able to do art. To be honest, I've been pretty sick of painting for a while since I had to do it for class, but after a little break I'm almost itching to get back into it. I have a ton of nearly finished paintings that just need a little touch-up or a frame, which I really, really hope to get up here soon!
April is the annual food-themed exhibit at Liberty Town and I am planning on having around 10-20 pieces to submit to the gallery. I have a set of 3 pink cupcake paintings that say 'Suger', 'Spice', and 'And Everything Nice'. Those turned out so great that I think they will sell really quickly, so I may also do a blue and green set. I also want to do oil paintings of 3 small plates and 1 large spread of sushi/sashimi. Maybe a couple simple little fruit paintings as well. The other part of this exhibit has to do with art made of food. I would really love to recreate a life-size bust of Marie Antoinette completely out of different foods, lacy bodice, elaborate powdered hair, and all! The issue with this has to do with costs however. The first place prize is only $100, and these pieces are not for sale. I feel as though the materials would exceed any possible winnings. We'll see.
The other exhibit coming up soon is of figure drawings, taking place at Headquarters Library. There is a group of local artists meeting every Wednesday at $12 a person that is working on pieces specifically for this exhibit, but unfortunately the meeting falls on the same time as my Calculus class. I don't think I'll be doing any big paintings, but hopefully I'll have some time to do a few charcoals for this. Its too bad they aren't accepting any nudes, or else I'd have a few to submit already, haha!