Drawing Inspiration from Italy

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Italy for the first time. It totally lived up to the hype. For me, gelato was perhaps the most magical discovery and a very compelling reason to return many more times.

Stand Off
8 x 12 Original Pastel.

My husband and I spent some time by Lake Como and then went south into Milan. During our time in the north of the country, the weather was absolutely beautiful. But by the time we arrived in the city, well, you guessed it: The skies opened and it rained. Oh boy, did it rain. Hailstones and all. And if you follow my artwork and my web site, then you know that this is an ongoing theme for me: Whenever I visit a city, it rains.

This is not a complaint. In fact, I’m starting to think that maybe I possess some sort of meteorological clout: The power to create rain-slicked roads with fantastic reflections and cool play of light!

This piece, Standoff, is my first new work inspired by our trip to Italy. I caught this along Via Dante in the “see and be seen” shopping district of the city. What total fun this piece was. It’s the first of what will no doubt be a series of rain-themed works. And that suits me just perfectly. You can get a better look at this piece in the Portfolio section of my web site. Enjoy!

Starting a New Art Show Season

This weekend, I’ll start my 2012 outdoor art show season at the Westchester Festival of the Arts in Scarsdale, New York. This is a new show for me, so it’s a grand experiment (and adventure), as many shows are. In a couple of weeks, at the start of June, I’ll also exhibit my recent works at the Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Study, Night at the Rodeo, 12 x 18 Original Pastel.

To kick things off this year, I have some new cityscapes. One of them is featured here. It’s entitled, “Study, Night at the Rodeo” and it was inspired by a recent nighttime visit to the Columbus Circle area of New York City.

This piece is characterized as a “study” because I plan to create a larger piece based upon this motif at some point in the near future. The larger piece will differ somewhat in composition, but I wanted a second opportunity to explore this subject because I find it so fascinating. The carefully orchestrated and chaotic dance of taxi cab drivers is a never-ending source of fascination for me, and I enjoyed creating this piece because of its fun colors and dynamic shapes.

You can get a closer look at this piece in the Portfolio section of my web site. Enjoy!

New Works and a New Web Site Arriving Soon

Although things have been relatively quiet on my web site lately, rest assured that a lot is happening here behind the scenes.

For starters, I’ve been working hard in my studio as I gear up for another busy art show season. I’m pleased to add a new addition to my schedule this year. During the weekend of May 19, I’ll exhibit at the Westchester Festival of the Arts in Scarsdale, New York. And shortly after that, you will see me at the Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the first weekend of June.

More immediately, I am exhibiting new works locally at the Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College, Pennsylvania. This show resumes my interrupted exhibition from earlier this year when some unanticipated renovations ended things a little earlier than scheduled. This local exhibition will be up through the month of May.

Black Moshannon, No. 34 - Spring Light 8 x 12 plein air pastel.

Included here are a couple of new pieces fresh off the easel. The first is my debut plein air work for 2012, a new addition to my ongoing series of Black Moshannon State Park landscapes. This is Black Moshannon, No. 34 – “Spring Light.” 2012 marks my 8th year of working on location within this delightful state park. And it marks just the second time that I’ve dragged our new studio mascot, Maple, out with me. I say “dragged” because poor Maple is cursed with terrible car anxiety. Unlike the vast majority of dogs, it’s a struggle to get Maple into our car. Once she’s in the park, she enjoys herself. But getting there is an ordeal. I don’t know how we’re going to persevere through this upcoming summer because I’m planning many outings. Somehow, we will manage.

Anyways, this new landscape captures a subtle but gorgeous character of light across the bog as afternoon began to ease into evening. I painted this last week, during a fairly mild day. But since that time, we’ve had snow! Such are the topsy turvy days of spring.

The next piece fresh off my easel is “High Line Vista,” a view looking uptown from the recently-opened High Line Park in Lower Manhattan. What a treasure this location is! It’s a beautiful innovation and asset for the city. The first time I visited there back in early 2011, only a portion of the park was open. And it clouded over by the time I got off the subway. Blech-h-h. But I had the opportunity to visit there again this past December, and — as you can see — I caught a beautiful sky and light for my efforts. Hooray!

High Line Vista, 20 x 30 original pastel.

Finally, I want to highlight a coming attraction. In May, I will unveil a brand new web site. A fresh new look and design, combined with the enhanced functionality of true e-commerce. You will be able to purchase my originals online! Development work on this continues and none of it would have been possible without the patient and savvy help of my cousin, Aaron, who owns a web design firm in Austin, Texas and who is himself an accomplished artist. Watch for this new web site in a few weeks. We are putting the finishing touches on it as I type and I am really excited to unleash it.