Shrooms and 8 X 10 Colored Pencil on Pastelboard

This small new piece was finished last week.  The reference came about on a wonderful August day which was spent with my oldest Granddaughter Cora on her first Plein Air Painting day with me.  At the time she was just 7 and really enjoyed our day at Sunday Park in Brandermill.  These colorful little mushrooms were growing after a pretty wet week here, just loving the moist understory of oak trees sharing the spot with a small creeping ground cover.  (of which I haven't identified)

I actually started this piece as a demo back in Sept. at an outdoor art show, and worked on it for just minutes that day and on each of the 3 consecutive shows thereafter.  I find that having a sample of my artwork helps people to understand that it is indeed colored pencil on board.  Some have actually argued with me that it's not.  So this is much easier.  Since I was busy with the holidays and commission pieces this little gem was neglected until now.  The original reference was great on the details of the mushrooms but really bad on the dark forest floor, so I had fun winging it, and just plain old recreating the area from my mental notes and sketches from that outing.  I just love turning a leave and drawing folds.

So here you go, it always bugs me when I don't immediately finish a piece.   Enjoy the small things in your life today!   

Waiting For Harvest II

                                Waiting For Harvest II - Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard

I finally finished the second Waiting For Harvest piece and an addition to my Wine Series.  Again it is the same size as the first one (16 X 12) which was Pinot Grigio grapes from the Castello di Colognoli vineyards in Greve, Italy (which is in Tuscany).  These were Sangiovese grapes to be used for their Chianti wine that the family makes at the castle.  And one of my favorite red wines.  What attracted me to this cluster of grapes was the large knobby vine  and it was so large you knew the age of Tuscany was inside and out.  They were very sweet to eat and I believe were harvested just after we left in late Sept. 2009.

This will probably be the last of my wine series as I begin work on a commission piece for a client, that I will post after Christmas so I don't give away any surprises.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday everyone and have some wine it's good for your Heart!  Red Wine that is.
Gloria

Additional Painting To My Wine Series

                       Waiting For Harvest 16 X 12 Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastel Board

In full swing of Art Festival/Exhibit Months, it seems my goals to get new work completed for the Wine Shows to come meet with distraction on a daily basis.  I attended the Exhibit at Glenview Mansion in Rockville, MD on Sunday of the CPSA (Colored Pencil Society of America) Disctrict Chapter in DC, of which I am a member.  The mansion is a beautiful and artsy place to exhibit with so many shows going on besides ours.  I have three paintings in the show and received nice comments from the other members on them.  A must see if you are in the area.

Now for the painting seen above, it's finally finished and I'll do another similar with red grapes soon but it will have a distinctly unique feature, stay tuned.  Both of the references for the 2 grape harvest pieces are from my 2009 trip to Castello di Colognoli, in Tuscany.  This of course the white grapes on the vine waiting for the harvest, thus the title.  The photos were taken late in the afternoon just after dinner and the warm setting Tuscan sun was setting.  The feeling of being there comes back to me as I work on these, remembering the sweet taste of these white grapes.  But I've started a wine still life to give me a break from all the grape drawing, and Still Life are one of my best sellers.

I've got frames to order and at least 2 more paintings to finish by then ......so back to it.