A well deserved vacation! Travel Journaling For Memories.

My intent was to get back from a lovely vacation for my husband's birthday and our upcoming 40th wedding anniversary and get these pages in my Travel Journal posted onto the blog before now.  But do to unseen delays I'm a bit late in accomplishing that.  (More to come in my next post on why.)   

On The flight to FL

A much needed trip after a grueling spring of Art show fundraiser organizing and teaching.  My artistic juices were in desperate need of refueling, and it was time to celebrate as well as chill and relax.  What better way than to spend a day and a half in Fort Lauderdale before setting sail on the Carnival Cruise ship "The Breeze", one of their newest and largest.

While in Ft. L, we noshed on some great crepes and then toured the historic Bonnet House, circa 1920, home of artist Frederick Clay Bartlett, a muralist from Chicago.  This home's property became Ft. Lauderdale beach, and the home now sits in the midst of the urban growth of hotels and beaches.  For more info see Bonnet House: here   I had a ball touring this home and getting to see his working studio while in FL for the winters.  His second wife Evelyn started painting in her 50's and became, in my opinion a better painter than her husband.  It is a must see spot if your in the Ft. Lauderdale area.

                                                               Orchids attach to all the trees in the beautiful gardens.

Departing from Miami, Day One and Two of the cruise aboard ship, towel animals and open seas.  Sleeping at night was good with the gentle sway of the Atlantic.

Day Three - "Jamaica Mon!  No problem!" Excursion Day to Dunn's River Falls from Falmouth our first Port of call.   A thoroughly wet and wild climb to the top of the falls, rapids body surfing and light rain in the rain forest that surrounds this beautiful spot.  Then off to the Bamboo Beach Club for lunch and Jamaican rum drinks, champagne cocktails and surf!  I sketched the cove and the turquoise water.  Steps ascended up the cliff to a cave, I'm told by our tour guides, Heather and Damar.   They loved my sketch and signed on the page!  It's fun to get others involved in your journaling.

Day  Four - Grand Cayman and a walking tour of town, shopping then a quick taxi to HELL and back.  Met the devil, Tom bought a T-shirt to prove it.  

 He was actually a nice guy, ex-merchant marine from Norfolk, VA,  a small world.  Chickens and roosters ran loose here, after escaping during a long ago hurricane. We stored up energy for Thursday and went back to the ship early enough to sketch the shore from our balcony.

*

Day Five  -  #6 TO CHECK OFF THE BUCKET LIST DAY 

(Also known as climb a Mayan pyramid day.)

COBA - the tallest Myan pyramid/temple, and only one still open to tourists to climb.  

Thurs. was Cozumel - A three hour trip - Two ferry rides, a 1.5 hour bus ride and we were at Coba, the Mayan city's ruins.  A Rickshaw ride through only a fraction of the restored ruins brought us to the tallest Mayan pyramid, and the only one you can still walk up - My goal.  Walk is a relative term, 138 ft. with 112 steps, most a good two steps tall, it was 90% humidity and 89 deg., and we were given 30 minutes to go up and back down.  The steps crumbled in areas, so I stayed in the center, looking up twice, it seemed like it could take forever, but I made it!!!!  My son Chris was waiting to take my picture.  Did I mention Chris is a fantastic travel planner :))

At the top was a great view of the rain forest, so I closed my eyes, centered my breathe and emptied my thoughts, as the Mayan guide suggested, to invite the power of the gods.  Not sure if it worked but I didn't have a heart attack!     Now for the more difficult trip down, with quivering leg muscles.  All my on the ship training/stair climbing,  proved no preparation for this climb.  So I used my best ass-et in this case, which everyone else was doing.  Young and old, we came down on our butts.  Slow but efficient, and with the slippery steps, a sound decision.  

                            In the picture below - that's me bent over climbing up!  

Our Mayan rickshaw driver/peddler (Manuel) was a god send, he spoke little English but laughed when I told him I was 20 lbs. lighter after the climb from all the sweat, so the ride back should be easier.  Our time was limited so this sketch was done after I recovered on the way back home.  Tom and the boys were proud of me from my trek up Dunn's River but they were very proud that their newly celebrated 60 year old Dad and 57.5 yr old Mom went up when many younger people on our bus did not.  

Shopping for some "Mayan bling" was accomplished right on the bus ride home, an obsidian necklace with my name spelled in Mayan characters to commemorate the Day.  Apparently Mayan couples exchange these necklaces with each other's name on them instead of wedding rings.  

Carnival held the ship for us as our three hour trip back was delayed by a late ferry.  Even though this was my bucket list item the guys all were glad to tuck this climb into their "Life Experience memory list "  And I was glad to add it to my journal.

Day Six back on the Breeze, and at sea heading home, I was quite sore, muscles joints and the hot tub felt great.  

And Day Seven - 6:40 AM back into the port of Miami, and the trip back to the airport, and to Richmond.  Ending with Chinese food back home.  

I hope this summer you too will go out and sketch your travels, whether they are at the beach, in far away lands or right in your back yard.  It's worth writing those memories into your subconscious.  Looking back at my journal pages I can smell, taste and envision my experiences and you can train your memory muscles to do just that too.  

The best part was coming home to my faithful Studio Assistant "Bacio" who enjoyed himself at the Countryside Bed and Biscuit here in VA.  He's just not sure why he couldn't go, and promised to do better in puppy class if we promised to take him next time.

"Norwood's Buttercup Fields" A Plein Air Study, 5" X 7" Oil on Canvas Panel.

Oil Paintings and Plein Air Outings

NEW!!! Oil Painting Blog

New to my blog as well as to me, join me for my adventures in Oil painting.  

Yep you heard it O I L, (water mixable that is!)  

I've always had a sensitivity to oil paint but mainly the solvents needed for their use. After a few years of trying to make pastels, acrylics and my beloved colored pencil work "En Plein Air" for onsite paintings I've found that water mixable oils will do the trick.  I'm using Cobra brand for this purpose and I'm taking to it like a duck to water.   

"Norwood's Buttercup Fields"  A Plein Air Study, 5" X 7" Oil on Canvas Panel.

I had a really great day today!  Who can ask for more than that?

Creating my very first Oil painting, (using Cobra Water mixable oil paints).

Wonderful Spring air, very few bugs, painting in the shade of a hundred year old tree - and Virginia buttercups filling the fields at a local Historical landmark plantation, Norwood.  This plantation has been in the same family since 1835.  To view the plantation click:  here 

The back fields, I plein air painted, in colored pencil, one c-o-l-d November morning in 2013, are horse fields that lead down to the James River in Powhatan County.  When we visited that Nov. day the owners volunteered to allow us to come back in the Spring to paint the same fields when the buttercups were in season.  

Me at my easel. 

And Oh my! Were they right about the beauty of the golden fields!  What a view from the back of the house.  Knowing that at one time, there had to have been tobacco or other crops planted there, but today they board horses.  The horses came and went all morning long but this painting was not about them.... it's was all about the buttercups.  

Ok, about the Cobra paints --  as an ex - acrylic & watercolor painter, who has primarily made her way to the wonderful translucent color of Colored Pencils - 

Cobra's, by Royal Talens,  are Juicy, Creamy and didn't dry fast like Open Acrylics do.  The breeze was warm and 92 deg. today at 2:00 when we finished.  So they did dry enough to add layers on top of my underpainting to enable me to finish in the field.  No solvents are needed, not even water, except to wash out a brush!

Although I worked small, "just a study" I told myself.  It didn't have to be a finished painting, after all.... my first oil and first completed "Painting Media" painting in 15 years.  I left the golden field of Norwood happy and content that I finished a piece in 3 hours.  That would never have happened in CP, I'd have had to go home to finish it even at this small 5 X 7 size.       

OK now since we painted under the trees, evidence of critters and debris fell into my palette the longer the session went.  To the point that I was adding texture as I went.  LOL ;))))

While I have much to learn about these oils, I love not getting a headache from solvents, and clean up is easy with soap & water.  Stay tuned for more adventures in Oil.  

Showing my new colored pencil painting "Sisters" as progressive demo

"Sisters" a 24 X18 Colored Pencil painting on Ampersand Pastelbord.

Figurative works often tell a story with their imagery and my new piece has it's own.  Each Tuesday morning I drive to my oldest son's home to get my two granddaughters on the school bus.   Our normal morning routine is like many, breakfast, lunches packed and involves getting their long hair ready for school.  The idea for this piece came about from creating braids in various styles.  Cora, the eldest is a blonde and Shauna is brunette.  Their bond as sisters is close even though they are three and a half years apart.  They have many similarities, they love to dance, are great students, and loving grandchildren.  But like any two sisters they have their own personalities and differences, much like their different hair color.

So I asked them to pose for me, something as little divas they love to do.  Braiding their hair together, blonde into brunette, their single braid became a lovely mix of them both.  I had the girls dress in contrasting colors, their favorites, pink and blue.  Jeans of differing shades completed the look.  Arm in arm they walked out the front door and down the porch steps to the front yard.  Keeping their braid tight they had to match their steps, they stepped in tune, left right left.

The late afternoon fall sun played an important role in giving their hair and clothing a great glow.  The actual background of the scene in my reference shot was a little too busy.  Too much to keep the focus on the girls and their bond. (hair and embraced arms).  So I simplified the background to a more distant colorful tree line softening the horizon and making grass less competitive with the figures.

After transfering the line drawing onto the white Ampersand Pastelbord, I completed the sky (using my usual rubbing technique to layout the clouds) and began the tree line.  Blocking in the trees after I did a watercolor pencil tinting on the grass.  It became obvious I needed to set it aside until I had worked out how simple I wanted the surroundings.  It's hard to get a start on a piece and set it aside for a while, but sometimes that's exactly what needs to happen.  My start on "Sisters" sat for more than six months.

It's not my nature to leave work go unfinished.  The reality is, the work seems to stare back at me as much as I stared at it!  Analyzing me as much as I analyzed it.  Maybe that's how we come to an understanding of what needs to be done to bring a piece to completion.  Other pieces and obligations get in the way or completed as I worked out in my head what it needed.  So I started on the hair, weaving the braid just as I did the original braiding.

I then started on the girl skin at the neck catching the light of the afternoon.  Cora's blue shirt and it's folds then Shauna's pink shirt.  Keeping watch on the brightest lighting on Shauna's right shoulder. Moving on to their hands.

Working on their jeans, was actually so much fun, Cora's dark denim, Shauna's distressed denim.  Alike but yet different, just like my girls.  Again keeping the late afternoon sun on the front right hand edges of the pants.  Tenner shoes next and then finishing the fall foliage in the trees and adding CP to the underpainting of WC CP's in the grass.

In the time (one year and a half) from when I took the reference photo of the girls, till today Shauna is now taller than her older sister and the two are developing into young ladies.  Capturing a moment in time of these two sisters was a pleasure and a trial.  I hope you enjoy my efforts and the work in progress shots.

2nd Annual Student Show and What's been happening in Jan.

I'm a little late in posting photos of my 2nd Annual Student show at Crossroads Art Center & Gallery on Jan. 16th - Feb. 17th, in my exhibit space.  We had a great turn out and lots of beautiful art.  Unfortunately I don't have a group picture of all those who are showing their work but I am so very proud of all of my Students.  they work very hard and I believe enjoy the process of Colored Pencil Painting.  This is by no means all of them but a short view of the show.  If your in Richmond go by Crossroads Art Center & Gallery before Feb. 17th to see the work for yourself!

The infamous "Bob" with his portrait by his lovely wife, Toni Brown. Dressed as he was in his portrait. This was her first portrait accomplished in my class. And it won an award in her local Fredricksburg Show. Great Job!

Jean Dickson with her first Rose accomplished in our Beginner's class this spring.  And she has moved on to more lovely work since.  A decorative Painter Jean has many talents.

Barbara Chadwick with her "Study in Red" her first piece accomplished in class and "Pumpkin" drawn in class and from life.  Barbara is a botanical artist who usually works in watercolor and enjoys working from life in that tradition.

Pauline and "Clyde"  in front of her first portrait of her handsome hubby.   Pauline's work in the show also included her piece from our shiny objects class,  Still Life With Strawberries.


Additional students in my show with work are Jan Ozolek and her "South African Lilac Breasted  Roller"-Bird Portrait seen to the left of Pauline in this picture.  And Brian Austin's lovely landscape view "Sister Bay Beauties" with Echinacea also in this view.

Rebecca Spangler's two landscapes: "Savannah Street Scene" and "Mabry Mill" are also part of the exhibit.  (pictures coming)  And Barbara George's "Ireland Green" butterfly-botanical piece.





Kathy Scott's "Provincial Cafe" is a lovely street scene from one of her many European vacations.


So as you can see my students have worked hard and deserve to have their paintings shown both here and on my exhibit walls at Crossroads Art Center and Gallery, Richmond, VA

They are already hard at work on new pieces in 2015 and I'm sure the show will grow and gain more interest for colored pencil painting!  I know my pride in showing their work keeps me teaching and encouraging new people to pick up this media.

Gloria

My Last Studio Piece for 2014 "Backlit Watermelons"

             Backlit Watermelons - 10" X 20" Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard

My last studio piece for 2014, is finally photographed and on my website.  The only thing that says December about it is the red and green subject matter.  This is the seventh piece in my Backlit Series and is currently waiting for my show in April "Artful Healing"  a fundraiser that benefits the World Pediatric Project.  The funny thing is I was temped to make holiday cards out of it! LOL  

Instead I photographed my new puppy "Bacio" in his holiday get up.  He's sort of become my new studio pal.  As he learns his studio manners I'm learning to lighten up a little and have a bit more fun.  Who can resist that face!

As 2014 sinks into the sunset I have a few other plein air pieces yet to scan or photo so a few more pieces are yet to come from 2014.  And while I'm anxious to start my new studio piece there is always so much art business to catch up on.  Do you get bogged down with the business side of art?  An artist is just like many sole proprietors, there is always so much marketing and office stuff to do than the creation side of the business we all love.  

Before the year ended I made my LIST OF GOALS FOR 2015, and try as I might to keep it concise, it's a long list.  I think setting goals for your art business is the best way to stay on track as the year progresses.  Although my tendency when I review my list from the previous year, if for my eye to go straight to the things I didn't get done,  I'm always pleased when I get to check off the items I did get done.  I do this the old fashioned way, writing it down in a notebook/journal.  I know it is the visual side of me that likes keeping the lists manually instead of digitally.  How about you?

Top on the Goals List is to say "no" to some of the art volunteer work I do.  And I am ahead of that item.  This leads straight to the the top line item on my list which is to complete more work in 2015, monthly.  My goal in 2014 was to work out a system and increase my speed in plein air work with colored pencil.  And this was the main reason I completed a higher number of works last year.  

While smaller than my studio work, the plein air pieces have helped my work in so many ways.  Observation and actually seeing is so much more hightened when working en plein air.  And this comes into play even when I am photographing a still life for a studio piece.  As time frees up this year I plan on completing more sketches of my setup for each new still life work while things are still fresh.   

Colored pencil painting's slow process of many, many layers hinders the ability to keep things fresh long enough to complete a larger studio piece entirely.  But color studies and sketches can help your minds eye remember, as it sort of writes itself into ones memory as you sketch.  

Of course my blog entries were on my list of Goals for 2015, I have hopes to create a video and some demos for the blog this year as well as post more frequently.  So please if your reading my blog leave a comment, ask a question, or just plain let me know what you want to see.  I'd like to make this a meatier place to find colored pencil information.  

What are your goals for 2015?

Gloria  Callahan         

Strokes Of Genius Vol. 6 : Value / Lights & Darks by North Light Books

I am so very honored and proud to have had one of my images placed in this book of wonderful drawings.  Colored Pencil, Pen & Ink, Pastel, Graphite and much more.  My work "Harley's Davidson"  Colored Pencil can be found on page 51, as seen below.

A link to the North Light Book is HERE.

Of the 1500 entries submitted there are 140 great images.  If you are into drawing this is a must see book.  I received my copy on Monday and now that classes are finished for the week I can't wait to drink in each and every drawing, along with a hot cup of coffee that is!

Happy scribbling everyone. 

Gloria Callahan

More 2014 Plein Air Colored Pencil Works

I promised you more Plein Air pieces and here they are:

"Pier 22 Annapolis Docks" a 8 X 6" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard completed during a weekend workshop on location at the docks.  My BFF and fellow plein air junkie, Kathy Scott also worked at this view in her native oil paints.

In Sept. we attended a plein air workshop from Oil Painter - Barbara Nuss who's book on Composition we both own and hold in high regard.  Which can be purchased from her at her website HERE or at a Barnes and Nobles.

Now again most workshops I attend in plein air are for other media, not colored pencil.  But I always feel you can learn from other artists in their approach and palette.   I just translate in my head the colors they mix or demonstrate into my well known Prismacolor shades.  Black Grape, Moss green etc.

To the right is Kathy's 10 X 8" piece done in Oil "Dockside Bar"  Her piece was also finished in the studio afterwards.  To view more of Kathy's work her website can be viewed HERE You can see the differences two artists observe in the same view.  It is the artist's prerogative to add or remove elements they find distracting to their subject.

The view across from the main dock area was in constant motion.  The large sail boat Woodwind II from my piece, came and went in the 4 hours we painted in the sun.  A large bay charter boat came and went from slip 22 every hour and a half.  Blocking our view and making us move our set up spot initially.  But such are the perils of working in the fresh air!  

The above shown pieces were from our second day of the workshop, Sunday.   On the prior day, Saturday we watched a demo Barbara completed from the window of the Quiet Waters State Park in Annapolis, MD, while we waited for the rain to clear.  Then it was out to the South River view to take it on for ourselves.

So my "South River View" an 8 X 8" Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard came to be.  Now again, my colored pencil works are usually near 75% complete on location, with the build up of layers and saturation of color added afterward.

We concluded our trip to Maryland with a detour thru Chads Ford, PA to see the homes and studios of N. C. Wyeth and his son Andrew.  What a treat!

I do have a few more works yet to see the finishing touches from other 2014 plein air adventures in CP.

Stay tuned!
Gloria

A Red Shoe Evening - 11" X 14" Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard

                                                      A Red Shoe Evening 11" X 14"

With all the Plein Air painting I've been doing this summer and teaching it took a little while to finish this Still Life.  It will be making it's debut at Crossroads Art Center and Gallery at this weeks opening reception, Sept. 19th, 2014 6-9 PM.  But since I have been doing several landscapes I kind of see the landscape of this work too.  I may have to get this photographed again as it looks a little more bright than the original piece.   But at least you get to see it.

The story behind this reference starts with my daughter in law and her new red shoes.  You see the kids came home for a costume party a year or so ago, one that fit the TV show Mad Men's theme.  Her new red shoes looked killer on her with a strand of pearls at her neck, red cardigan, white blouse, and dark skirt.  A true 1960 look for her and my son in his skinny tie and suit.   Off they went to have fun, however the next morning I saw those pretty red shoes kicked off on the floor of my kitchen with their reflection in the floor.

Well by now if you have been reading my blog you know this gal cannot pass up a good reflection to save her life.  Ideas were "a poppin" in my head.  When my daughter in law came downstairs I asked if I could borrow her shoes for a photo shoot.  Her comment tickled me,  "Those shoes killed my feet all night, I won't be wearing those anytime soon.  Of course you can have them."  I was so pleased since that meant I needn't hurry to photograph them before they left.

A week later I set up the still life with my old pearls and a few perfume bottles on a shinier surface and snapped away.  This would be so cute in a woman's bedroom or dressing area!  A reminder that we ladies will do anything for fashion at least once, and a killer pair of shoes has a double meaning!

Does it make you remember such an evening?  I think maybe several in my case since as a young girl I had a hard time resisting a "cute" pair of shoes or how they can make an outfit!

Gloria Callahan

Colored Pencil - Plein Air Summer

                                                     Sunday Park Plein Air  6" X 12"
                                           Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard

Summer 2014 started with working "En Plein Air" (in the open air) with colored pencil and it's still going strong.  So while my posts have been a little farther apart I have been working on getting my speed up and working in new and various sizes.  2013 and prior I mostly worked in 5 X 7 sized pieces and one 8 X 10 but I had vowed to work a little bigger in plein air this year.  Many other media painters work their plein air just as small but they may get 2 pieces done in the time I work on one.  No matter, it's all in the doing as far as I'm concerned.  The above piece was at a local park here in July  at Brandermill's Sunday Park.  A small park in Chesterfield County, VA.  Quiet during the week and just a perfect spot for working on my speed.  I liked the long format of this board and had previously only worked on my backlit fruit series on it.  See here or here for a sampling of that series.  One of which I don't think I ever placed on the blog is:

                  Backlit Citrus 2  6" X 12"  Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard  SOLD

While I liked the long format for the still lives mentioned, I'm finding I also really like this long format for a larger vista.  So I will be sure to do more plein air pieces on these boards.

The largest piece plein air I have tried was 9" X 12" on a 5 hour session plein air and a few hours at home.  Virginia is blessed with at least one lavender farm in the Blue ridge mountains east of Harrisonburg.  My favorite plein air pal and side kick, Kathy and I ventured out for an overnight in the area on the hunt for plein air sites.  White Oak Lavender Farm was our first stop, day one of the trip.  As a gardener, woman and foodie it's a little distracting at a place like this because you just want to buy up their plants, scented lotions, lavender balsamic vinegar and lavender blueberry jam.  Yes, you heard right lavender balsamic vinegar!  But I digress.....

Although it's a great place in a quaint Shenandoah setting, it's not the quantity of lavender you see in Provence.  But since I was bummed my friends were in France and I was not this would do nicely.  Our hard winter was hard on the lavender and so a little imaginary enhancements were added in the following piece to even out the farm's replacement plantings in some areas.

                                                          Lavender Fields 9" X 12"
                                           Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard

While I think capturing the distant Blue Ridge mountains and more distant rolling fields of the farm went well, most of the work on the foreground field of lavender was completed at home.  Lavender is very hard to capture well, but I did my best.

Did I tell you that working outdoors in a field of lavender is dreamy!  No other word for it d-r-e-a-m-y!   As the breeze on this overcast day blew by, the scent was ethereal, not over powering just light on the wind.  Kind of like the approaching rain heading our way.  It held off until just the end of our session when we could not wait any longer to make our purchases in the farm's gift shop.

I'll add some more plein air work in another post but for now you can see some of what I've been up to.

Powhatan's James River Plein Air - Sticking it out in the Rain!

                                           Powhatan's James River Plein Air Study 8 X 10

Now that summer is half over I thought I had better catch you up on what I have been up to recently besides teaching summer open studio class in my home studio.   The above plein air study was CP painted on Ampersand pastelboard last Wednesday.  My cohort in Plein Air travels, Kathy Scott and I painted at the new Powhatan James River State Park.  She in oil and as usual I worked in CP.  We had planned to get an early start before the impending rain or heat and humidity of the Mid Atlantic set in.  But after a brief walk around we were forced to work under the pavilion on our morning's pieces.  The view was at more of a distance from what I had originally decided to paint so I worked from memory of the view I liked the best, supplemented with short jogs out into the rain to re-familiarize myself with the original view.

The rain of course was not my only challenge today.  You see I had a board from a failed attempt to plein air in my bag which had a slightly rendered image on it already, a statue in a garden surrounded by rocks.  Although it appears in the photo below like a landscape sketch it was really in a vertical format 10"h X 8"w.  After erasing the board as best I could, then turning it into a horizontal, you can see what I was left with in the image below:

Not the best when using a translucent media like colored pencil, but I actually had little hopes for this new piece given the rainy day we were working in and the distant view of my desired composition.  As you can see in the reference photo taken below,  my view from under the pavilion showed little of my original vision.    

But 3 hours later when the rain had stopped and a few faint sun rays came out, we were invaded by a YMCA camp bus of little people ready for a "Nature Talk" by the park rangers.  So we packed up and vowed to return on a sunny day.  I worked for a short while when I arrived home the next day tweaking the far bank and foreground areas.  You can see my statue underpainting is hidden (actually she is under the tree bases and along the front bank of the river).  

Lessons learned:  #1Yes, you can salvage a failed start and cover it in CP just like in other media, on Ampersand that is.  #2 I was proud of Kathy and myself having stayed the course in the rain.  We found a scene stuck with it and worked thru the conditions. #3 I think I captured the atmospheric moisture in the distant shore as still kept  the lighting and shadows of my initial view before rain set in.

Besides being a great friend and CP artist herself Kathy is always ready for an adventure!  Here is Kathy Scott's plein air from our trip: A 10" X 8" oil painting titled: The James River In Powhatan.   More of her work can be seen at her website:  http://kathyscott.fineartstudioonline.com  As you can see Kathy chose to keep the rainy feel of the day with her piece.  Her view was certainly different than my own, but I'm sure you will agree, a lovely calming view of the James.

                                         

Our trip was the second in a series for me of James River views from the central VA area in which I live.  More to come for this series.  Next blog post will continue my plein air travels with CP from this weeks trip to a the Harrisonburg area of VA and more!  

Have a colorful week!  

Gloria

Finally I have my latest piece finished, photographed and up for all to see: Life's Bowl 18 X 18, Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard

Life's Bowl

Colored Pencil on Ampersand Pastelboard

18 x 18

The Rainer Cherries in, and reflected on a this silver cup and the antique silver spoon near it, are kind of a metaphor for the how life is supposed to go.  We all know the phases, "Born with a silver spoon in your mouth" or "Life is a bowl of cherries"  As you all know I love my shiny objects and reflections.  And the pieces I put them into usually go quickly and with a lot of joy.  Don't get me wrong I loved the reference for this piece and the composition but I just became bogged down with life in it's process.  Kind of like life was trying to prove the above noted phrases wrong.  

After the successful art fundraiser which took 15 months to plan in March (I wrote a blog entry about it Last month) and my classes gearing up in early April, I just plain ran out of gas.  And then the dreaded 

.........Cue Ominous Music Here......... "Artist Block"....... hit me!  Smack in the face!  I didn't have time for it.  I hadn't thought it would hit of all people me!  The girl who loves to get out my colorful pencils and play with color.  But it did, it hit hard and as hard as I tried I just couldn't get myself back in line.  Has that ever happened to you?

I tried meditating, relaxing, fiddling with another media (Acrylics).  I tried a short vacation, garden work, you name it and I just couldn't recover.  So what do you do?   You GOOGLE Artist's Block!  Yes, you heard me right, when all else fails in this day and age you google it!  And after reading articles other creative types had written, you tube videos, and the like, I stumbled on an article that said "Artists block is just procrastination,  get over yourself and get going, the only way out is to get to work!"  Well now I'm paraphrasing the article but that was it in a nutshell.  If I thought that bit of information would have gone to my core as it did over the next couple days I would have remembered which article I found it in, so I could give the author credit here.   

So if you google it you too may find that article or my blog entry, and I hope either one helps get you back on track.  

Oh, and since I'm back on track, I'll let you know about my current show where I am one of the four featured colored pencil artists mentioned below.  And if your in the Annapolis area before July 6th stop by and see a great show put on by the CPSA Chapter in Washington DC in the Willow Gallery at Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, MD May 21st - July 6th.  Reception is June 1st from 2-4 PM.

Colored Pencil Painting "En Plein Air" Article

I am very pleased to announce the above image is the issue my article (Plein Air This Year) for Colored Pencil Magazine - May 2014 edition has been published.  And may be accessed by subscribing to either the Print version or the Ezine version by the following link.   http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/744202

You know working in plein air (painting in the open air) has been documented here in my blog since it's beginning and while I use the skills learned and honed for normal CP work, a few changes have been adapted to what can work en plein air.  I have traveled to Europe, Bermuda, and around the US either on special art trips where the focus has been to work plein air and on family vacations, business trips with my hubby and with other artists working in various media.  As normally the only CP artist I have had to adapt.  And whether you are just travel journaling for vacation or doing a sketch crawl, CP is a great clean media to work in.  I hope you enjoy the article and the magazine as it has many other great CP artists included.

I have ventured out plein air-ing this spring but due to some tough weather outings, getting a finished piece done in the field has not happened.  Many starts and beginnings which you will see in a future post, have happened.  I hope to complete a few when my teaching schedule lightens up.  So stay tuned!

The main reason I have been slightly absent here on the blog is my local art association (Bon Air Artists Assoc.), of which I am president and a co-chair on our fundraising committee, produced our first inaugural exhibit "Artful Healing", a fundraiser to benefit World Pediatric Project (WPP) here at the Jepson Alumni Center at the U of R.  We showcased 63 local Richmond artists exhibiting and selling wonderful artwork of which a portion of sales went to WPP.  Over $42,000 of art was sold during the 1 and a half day event in late March, with the help of Crossroads Art Center.  The artists were thrilled and from the donated portion of sales we raised enough funds to send a travel medical team to one of the South American locations WPP goes, to help heal children.  30-40 medical procedures can be facilitated during one of these trips.  Bon Air Artists Assoc. worked tirelessly on the project for over 15 months and with the first year under our belt, we are looking to 2015 for a second "Artful Healing" to continue our efforts to support this great cause.

As we push thru the April Showers this week I hope all of you will get out there and make some CP art happen, even if it's just a sketch of a future painting idea or a flower from your garden.  

Gloria Callahan

      

At The Root Series

 At The Root - Orange Beets  9 X 12 Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard SOLD

My "At The Root Series" is officially that with the addition of the second piece, see my blog entry from my last piece created in 2013. (At The Root - Radishes) here  The background colors of this new addition are more true in this image than in the radish piece photo in the above noted link/blog entry.  So imagine the radish piece with more yellow in the background.  I must get the radishes rephotographed so they represent the series as more cohesive in color, which of course they are.

Which brings me to sharing my thoughts on a series.  I find it difficult to work on more than 2 in a series without interjecting a new subject matter (or non series painting).  Why you ask???? My old job was as a production painter for a local Richmond print company that sells hand colored - watercolor prints.  I did this for 8 years.  And is the reason why I do not paint for myself in watercolor any longer, or for that matter work in large series.  Burn out yes, but also working in a series stifles me a little.  So I need to take breaks and do another subjects in between.      

I like to think about how a series might hang when I work on them.  This piece faces to the left and the radish one faces to the right.  Keeping the direction you want the viewers eye to go in makes both pieces hang well together.  Of course they also should hang well when hung separately too, which I believe these do.  Color integration and cohesiveness is also something to keep in mind so they play well with their series siblings.  Even though they are of different colored veggies they have the same greens in common, the same background and surfaces are similar.  All things to keep in mind when working in series besides the obvious subject matter.  Framing in like frames also is a must, I believe. 

Timing for blog entries has been very short lately, due to the rather large Art Exhibit/Fundraiser for World Pediatrics Project I am helping to co-host.  Getting much else done by the way of art completion has taken a back burner these last few months.  But rest assured we are in the 2 week stretch before the event so the end is in sight, and before you know it I'll be back to the blog with more entries.  I thank all of my readers for your patience and returning to my blog to check in.  

Oh, and yes there will be more At The Root paintings, imagination has me thinking of all sorts of new subject, so stay tuned.

Waiting on a colorful spring to arrive and roots to grow flowers,

Gloria 

Last CP Painting for 2013 - At The Root - Radishes

                      At The Root - Radishes  9 X 12" Colored Pencil On Ampersand Pastelboard SOLD

This was my last piece finished in 2013, actually on the 30th at midnight, one day to spare.  I couldn't get to photographing it until today with all the craziness that is my life.   This will be a new series "At The Root"  with my next one's reference shot set up and ready to go.  The photo here is typical of many photo's of art where red is in play.  Reds are notorious for not photographing true to the actual piece.   They seem to photograph brighter/not the deep shade it is, even with Photoshop touch ups.  Either the greens are off, or the background is off, when trying for a match of the reds.  Sense some frustration here............ Well just trust that as usual the in real life piece is richer in all ways.

Anyway, since my last post on making a goal list, my own has grown by leaps and bounds, which is usually the case.  I've been trying to juggle a fundraising event that my local artist association (Bon Air Artists) is putting on to benefit the World Pediatric Project.  As president of the association and one of the chairs of the event, I am neglecting my art creation.  (And have been for some time.)  My total count of CP pieces (we all know it's a slow medium) for 2013 was only 12 finished, with a small 13th  workshop piece almost done.  I hate to have unfinished works lying around even if they are workshop pieces.  But it's small and I should be able to finish it while on the road.

We won't talk about how you learn to say no to volunteering too much, since I clearly haven't learned that lesson yet!  But one of my goals every year is to complete a set number of paintings no matter the size.  This year I missed my mark by 3.5 pieces.  I'm progressing to my 100'th worthy of posting on my website pieces, and should hit that mark this year in 2014, sooner rather than later.  We all know that every piece is not worthy of posting on websites or Facebook for that matter.  Discretion is learned.

Hoping your January is warming up at least in a colorful way is not in temperatures...... On to the next one in the series.

Gloria

Colored Pencil On Travertine Marble - Great new surfaces

                                        Celtic Greenman on Travertine Marble 10 X 10 Tile

This is a post that's been waiting to be written on a piece I accomplished at this years CPSA Convention in Brea, CA this summer.  Elliott Everson conducted this workshop, as a signature member of the CPSA, his work is very appropriate for this surface.  His website is here: www.elliotteverson.com/‎   Take a look at his work and subject matter, it really goes well onto the stone tile he works on and his location.  But since I'm not a fan of snakes, reptiles, and such, I choose to work from a reference of mine that reflected one of my passions.  Green men faces, I have them all around my yard and home, on a wall of my front porch and elsewhere in my garden.  I just love them.  This mythical figure the Green man symbolizes the life that is found in the natural plant world and on earth itself, and has many interesting stories and fables surrounding it.  Being a gardener I can't help to love the simple idea of the green man protecting my garden.  Their faces are as varied as the human faces in our lives.  

I had created this Celtic Greenman originally on a used violin for a fundraiser for the Richmond Symphony several years ago, called "String Art" (see below).  I primed with colorfix pastel primer on the front face of the badly beat up instrument and then applied my color pencil on top.  It was auctioned to raise funds for the symphony so I never had a chance to enjoy it at my home and secretly wanted one of my own.  

  

So it was this image of a stone carving from the Bamburg Cathedral I chose to use as my workshop adventure with travertine marble.  I highly recommend Everett's teaching method on stone, if you ever get to take a workshop from him.  And being an ole decorative painter working on new surfaces intrigues me.  

Working on unsealed, tumbled marble tile was an adventure indeed.  My normal method of working in 20-25 layers on paper or pastelboard wouldn't work here.  Yes, the roughness chews up your pencil a little, so that's similar to pastelboard or sanded paper.  But after a few 3-4 layers of wax based pencil (Prismacolors) you find the pencil sliding on the stone.  Now that would have bothered me but I had just finished working on double frosted mylar for my Jamestown Sea Captain. (See my Aug. entry titled:  Gloria J Callahan, CPSA - Colored Pencil Paintings: Jamestown Sea Captain and my busy summer.   Mylar or Acetate does not take many layers of wax based pencil either.  The one difference is that with the travertine marble can be spray with workable fixative to get a few more layers down. Which worked beautifully on the Celtic Greenman.  

Working with the rough surface was fun to incorporate the dips and crevices into the subject.  This gave me a whole new idea for a series of stone pieces to create.  More to come....... so watch for new work.  Oh, one more thing, you finish and protect your work by spraying with fixative then several light coats of acrylic sealant or varnish.  This of course would not allow you to use the tile for a trivet with hot surfaces as the varnish would be damaged and thus your work.  I'm happy to display it on a counter easel for the art work it is.  And now I have one for my very own.