ART SHOW in INDIANAPOLIS

Opening this Friday, April 13, Indianapolis, Indiana in Broadripple.  

SHOW STOPPERS

What a reception we had on Saturday evening!  As soon as we had everything ready to go, I took some more pictures of the work hung in the gallery from our Open Studio Sessions.  The doors opened at 5, and I took a few more pictures of people enjoying the show.  By 5:15, the place was packed!!!  I put the camera away and enjoyed a wonderful evening of being with friends, meeting new acquaintances, and appreciating some great art, as well as delicious refreshments. 

People really enjoyed the show, stopping to look at each of the paintings carefully.  Here are some of the comments our guests made to me ---

"I go to a lot of art shows, look them over, and leave. THIS ONE, however, is superb, and I've been spending time viewing each piece carefully."

"What excellent art that is so diverse.  I like how it shows the artist behind the work, and not the teacher:-)))"

"I'm coming back this week again to look over the show when it's not so crowded. The work here is so professional."

"You must be so proud of this show!" 

"The work in this show is amazing."

"The paintings are excellent, not a bad one here."

"This doesn't look like a 'normal' student show, where you can usually always see the influence of the instructor's painting style."

"I go to many many art show each year, and this is the best show I've been to in a really long time!"

And my favorite comment,  " This show makes me think that these artists have been set free to express themselves however they want. And the work is extremely well executed - just stunning." 

The comments made me proud of what everyone has been able to create.  Several guests were also art teachers who were really admiring the strengths of each painting. 

I was happy.  The purpose of this show is to feature the works that artists have created in Open Studio.  Knowing that others appreciate your art is very rewarding. 

My honey was also very busy shuttling people to and from the show to the overflow parking a few blocks away.  How I appreciate all he does to support me on this awesome art journey.

Many people were amazed, intrigued, and astounded by the various ways paintings were created. It was a classy show all the way around, thanks to all the artists in OPEN STUDIO.  The refreshments were provided by the artists also, and we went through a lot of wine, coffee, and apple cider, too.

Hours for the rest of the show are Tuesday from 9-2, closed Wednesday and Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday, then open on Friday from 9-2 and on Saturday and Sunday from 12-4.

The facility where we have the show is newly refurbished and has been a wonderful venue for our art.   "Thank you" to the Women's Art Club of Cincinnati for letting us display our work.

There are four different Open Studio sessions each week.  Tuesday's Tribe meets for four and a half hours each Tuesday morning, and Wednesday's group calls themselves "It Takes a Village to Paint a Picture."  I call them Wednesday's Village.  Thursday Mornings also meet from 10 - 2:30 and Thursday Night's Alright meets from 6-9.  Some groups presently have a waiting list to get in since open studio is limited to fifteen artists per session.  You are welcome to contact me for more information about Open Studio.

Thanks for so much stopping by my blog to enjoy the show.

YOU ARE INVITED !!!!!

Our  Open Studio Show  opened yesterday at the Women's Art and Cultural Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Their huge building has been incredibly refurbished - - - it used to be a dairy barn!   Our hanging crew of fifteen had the whole show hung in about two hours, with over 80 beautiful paintings displayed, including acrylics, collage, ink, and watercolor.   Many of the pieces can be seen here, but to really appreciate the show, you'll need to see it in person - reception info below.

Many of us got our exercise for the day, reaching and stretching as we changed pictures from one wall to another.  Ginger helps Diane straighten one of Eileen's acrylics as Marianne reaches up to straighten a watercolor.

A variety of techniques and subject matter enhances the carpeted gallery walls.

'Open Studio' happens in my studio four times per week.  One session meets in the evening, and the other three are longer daytime sessions, from mid morning into mid afternoon.  I get to facilitate the sessions and assist in any way I can as the artists create unique, one-of-a-kind masterpieces.  Often, I demo a process or technique to guide someone to work out how to accomplish what the artist wants to express. 

This show features some of their recent work.  With forty artists showing their work, many of their paintings had to be left in their home studios, paintings that also deserved to be hung on the walls.  There's just not enough wall space for all the work they have done over the last 24 months. 

Here we are --- me, contemplating whether or not something needs to be moved - Valerie, pleased with how really good it looks, and - Kathy, just about ready to call it a day!   Diana is behind us checking out artwork from a different Open Studio than she attends.

The subject matter in this show includes abstracts, landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and florals.  You'll find fine art created by professional artists as well as by artists who have just recently taken up painting.  From traditional to unpredictable, this show has so much to offer. 

Three more 'picture hangers' are discussing where to pound the next nail - Bernie, MaryJane, and Jean.

Our Artists' Reception is this Saturday, Nov. 19 from 5 to 7..... lots of paintings, people, and refreshments to enjoy with free admission, too.  Regular show hours are Tues - Fri, 9-2 and Sat/Sun 12-4, (closed on Thanksgiving day.)  The show is open through November 27, 2011.

The Women's Art Center is located in Mariemont on Cambridge Avenue.  Be sure to Map Quest or Google the location and please join us if you're near Cincinnati, Ohio. 

For more info about Open Studio Sessions, you can contact me at sandymaudlin@gmail.com.

More photos of this show will be posted on this blog after the reception.  Hope to see you there and I wish you could all attend!

A big thank you goes to Kathy Sarlo for providing all of these photos.

GRATE DAY!

Yesterday was the Watercolor Society of Indiana's annual juried show opening.  (Click on my painting at the WSI website to see it enlarged.)  The show will hang in the Indianapolis Museum of Art until early December, and my 'Amazing Grates' received the second place award!  YES!!!  Jerry Smith received First Place for a stunningly beautiful rural scene done in acrylics, also. 

Gerald Brommer was the judge and stated that he judges work on four criteria --- technique, drawing ability, visual design, and the spirit or content of the work.  Although I knew that he dislikes YUPO, I submitted my Grates on YUPO anyway.  

Here's what he said about my painting - "The surface of this painting is wonderful.  Gorgeous stuff happens in the painting.  It is well designed, and the design works beautifully.  The surface is to die for.  The composition fits together so well that one could possibly get 16 little paintings from this big one." 

The painting is 40x26", and it was amusing to watch as one guy tried to 'find' all 16 paintings in the piece.  It's been said that a good painting should be able to be divided into four good smaller paintings, so a big smile landed on my face when I heard what Brommer said.  I consider him to be one of the best workshop instructors ever, besides being such a wise judge:-)  He's a very affirming, positive person.

All the grates and sewer lids in the painting are from Indianapolis.  It was a grate 'happy dance' day!

"AMAZING GRATES" Fluid Acrylics on YUPO 40x26" COLLECTED

ART SHOWS

Entering and attending art shows seem to remain low on my priority list, but a couple of weeks ago, a good friend insisted I enter a show. This painting along with 'Liguid Gold' is in that show at 'The Evergreen' on Galbraith Rd. in Cincinnati. It's an all-watermedia exhibit featuring many works by members of the Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society. If you're in the area, please do stop by to see it - located across from Drake Hospital. The paintings are hung throughout the main buildings. The surface of this painting is on a wooden door covered with a mixture of joint compound and acrylic medium. Using my 'tape batik' method, several layers of multi colored glazes were applied over several layers of the saved 'taped' shapes. A lot of touch up was done when the tape was removed, so the taping process is not as evident as it usually is. The advantage of painting on a door is that no frame is needed at all. The painting was sealed with several coats of varnish and hung.

One of our local TV stations, WCPO Channel 9, ran a feature on the show in one of their newscasts this weekend, too, and LIGUID GOLD was shown on the newscast. Sweet!

Someday, maybe I'll understand why entering shows just isn't my cup of tea .....headed out to the garden right now. Must plant three viburnums before my Thursday morning class gets here. It will be a good class today! Have a great day.

"ORTA ARCHES" Transparent Fluid Acrylics 43 x 24"

CELEBRATE

Months ago several friends advised me to enter my Italian pigeon picture in the Watercolor Society of Indiana's annual juried show. Since, at most, I enter only two shows a year, it didn't seem right to submit a painting that seemed to me so boring or too simple. But these giant sized pigeons did make it into the juried show - which was a pleasant surprise, for sure.

Today awards were presented in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, where the WSI show will hang through the first weekend of December. The pigeons received the third place ribbon, along with a generous gift certificate from Cheap Joe's in North Carolina:-) and a very nice junk of change! THANK you for being so encouraging and having the eye to see what to enter. Your advice is so appreciated, and your friendships are such a blessing. Now let's celebrate!!!

IMAGINE THAT

If you're within driving distance of Cincinnati, Ohio, make time this next week to stop at Sharon Woods Visitor Center in Sharon Woods Park on Lebanon Rd, just off I-275. The art show, IMAGINE THAT! in their gallery is exceptional and features recent works by the artists from my four classes. My husband and I were there yesterday, and Bob said that the quality of this particular show was very upbeat and professional, a must-see show!

In my opinion, the diversity of both technique and subject matter is only surpassed by the passion and energy in the paintings. The expertise of these artists, working mostly in watercolor, is incredible, as you will see.

Take a good look, too, at the panels of one of a kind Artist Trading Cards. On display are 45 small trading cards, each the size of a baseball card and individually hand painted by a different artist from class.

Paintings are for sale, unless marked NFS, (not for sale - meaning that the artist just can't part with it yet - and may never want to part with them either:-) Browsing the gallery, you'll discover exquisite watercolor batiks, dynamic YUPO paintings, dramatic abstracts, colorful landscapes, intriguing cityscapes, intimate still lifes, sensitive portraits, and delicate florals. Every painting is an original, conceived and created by that artist.

Show hours are 10 to 5 daily. Our MEET THE ARTISTS RECEPTION is Sunday, October 11 from 1 to 4, and we'll be closing the show at 4 pm that day. Looking forward to seeing you there.

ON YUPO - BEST OF SHOW from Watercolor Society of Indiana

Inspiration for this painting came from an experience I had walking across avery windy bridge on a rainy day in London a couple of years ago. We were hurrying to see Westminster Abbey before it closed.

The wind had already broken my umbrella, and the rain was icy cold. We certainly were not dressed for the sudden change in weather. Those were the things I remembered as I tried to capture that moment in time on a piece of YUPO.

Rather than painting an accurate picture of the area as I saw it, my desire was to convey the feelings I felt during that cold, rainy, hurried walk. I already had a photo of the scene and wanted to be able to express what took place in a more visual and emotional way.

The excitement of being in a other country, exploring it's beautiful city with so much going on, even on a rainy, windy day, is what this picture is about. If the viewer can connect to that feeling, then what I'd hoped to create was successful.

We didn't make it in time to go into Westminster Abbey. Someone viewing this painting may even sense my disappointment of not getting to see it. Still, the overall trip was a great success.

The title, INTERLUDE, conveys several meanings. The rain and wind were an interlude in our beautiful day. A stop at the abbey would have been a special interlude but was not to be. And the trip overseas for me was a HUGE interlude in my life, changing the way I saw things, and even the way I painted. I am so thankful that I got to take the trip as well as be able to visually express my reactions to the experience as an artist later. It was an interlude I will always cherish.

Betsy Dillard Stroud was our judge for this show, and she offered each of the nine award winners some wonderful comments about our paintings. The paintings will hang through the last weekend of October in the beautiful Indianapolis Museum of Art.

If you like, scroll to the very bottom of this blog for my post dated May 5th, where you can also see the first painting of this scene created from the same photo, with changes posted on May 18. I think this newer painting captures more of the feeling I wanted to convey. May 5th's post also shows the original photo I worked from.

Just in case you wanted to know, this painting started out with a good white shape. The good white shape became the 'no longer visible' bones that help hold the painting together. I really appreciated this award from this great group of watercolorists!

"INTERLUDE" Transparent Watercolor on Heavy Weight YUPO, 20 x 26"

TREASURES

Art shows can be lots of fun, they can be fabulous, or occasionally, they can be very disappointing. This weekend's art show in Michigan was really fabulous, lots of fun, and went WAY, WAY, WAY beyond my expectations.

Lynne and Jamie opened their beautiful lakeside home to display as many of my paintings as I wanted to bring along, and both worked hard at making the event a special occasion for that Saturday. The whole day was a great success, with one of their daughters even making the trip over to help out. Melissa and I had some time to visit before the show, and I so enjoyed getting to know her better.

Lynne had invited friends over for the afternoon, and many of them now have new art hanging in their homes. THANK YOU to all who came and made the day wonderful. Lake living in Michigan is a special treat, particularly at this lake.

Gallery owner, Nancy Boyce, from the Golden Finch Gallery in Three Rivers, also stopped by. (She'd generously loaned us many easels to use for the show.) One of Lynne's daisy batik paintings that I'd done earlier was hanging on the wall, having been framed earlier this year by Nancy - who has such impeccable taste, her framing complimenting the painting so well. Actually, the framing Nancy selected made the painting look REALLY elegant. (This hummingbird was one of many who enjoyed the paintings while dining outside.)

Needless to say, I am still walking on clouds, so thankful for a wonderful weekend, thankful for good friends, for people who appreciate fine art, thankful for the gift of being able to create with a paint brush. It was a incredible experience.

I so appreciate Lynne's hospitality and generosity. She is truly amazing and creative. She golfs a good game, makes beautiful jewelry, is an ARTIST - a professional photographer - complete with her own dark room and studio, is an excellent chef, knows how to watercolor, and knows how to genuinely make a person feel right at home. PLUS- she puts on a mighty fine art show. Thank you so much, Lynne and Jamie, for this weekend, for your friendship. I treasure you both.

"LAKESIDE" Transparent Watercolor - 2 colors - Raw Sienna & French Ultramarine - on 140#CP Arches, 15 x 11" COLLECTED

LIMITED PALETTE

Painting with a limited palette is advice frequently heard in the art world. This painting was one I taught in a class nearly 15 years ago using just Raw Sienna and French Ultramarine, both from Winsor Newton.

Using a limited number of colors does help give unity to a painting. Even if a painting is well painted and the technique is flawless, without a sense of unity, the picture will lack the 'viewer's holding power.'

It's a strange thing that if a painting has unity, you don't think about it being there, but when it doesn't have it, you get that feeling that 'all-is-not-right-in-this-painting. Fortunately, a limited palette is only one of the ways to help create unity.

Most of my paintings have between eight and fourteen colors. I started out in watercolor by selecting two reds, two yellows, two blues, payne's gray, and burnt sienna and have gone through a lot of paint since then.

FYI - my favorite, can't-live-without-them colors include Hansa Yellow, Permanent Yellow Deep, Raw Sienna, Quinacridone Burnt Orange, Quin Coral, Transparent Pyrrol Orange, Perlene Red, Quin Magenta, Cobalt Violet Deep, Cobalt Blue, Indanthrone Blue, Ultramarine Turquoise, Cobalt Teal Blue, and Green Gold, with the italicized ones being my top eight. All are Daniel Smith brand watercolors, a company in Seattle, Washington, and first seven are cool colors, the last seven are warm. I'd toss in Lunar Earth, Quin Violet, Serpentine, Perylene Green, Phthalo Blue, Cerulean, and Lunar Blue if I could have twenty one, although I doubt I would ever actually use that many in one painting.

This weekend, I'll be watching sailboats on beautiful Klinger Lake in Michigan where fellow artist and friend, Lynne Kasey, is opening her beautiful lake front home for a very unique art show. It will be a great weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll be back to the blog after the show. See you Monday.

FOREVER

"FOREVER" on Arches 140# CP 27 x 21"
Today's a gorgeous fall day. The colors outside remind me of this painting done two years ago about this time. Before using all transparent watercolor, I placed masking tape, torn into the appropriate sizes, to mask out the lightest value areas, before painting almost randomly with color to evenly darken the remaining areas. Usually it takes about six to seven layers of tape and paint glazes to get the textural effects and value patterns as seen here. Putting all that tape on then removing it when I'm all done is tedious, but I love the results.

My desire was to portray the 'old' of the village with the old, old couple, and I was pleased with the outcome. The painting received the Gold Medal from the Ohio Watercolor Society's Annual Juried Show in 2006, with Stephen Quiller as judge. YES!

WATERCOLOR SOCIETY OF INDIANA SHOW

This painting will hang the month of October at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in the Watercolor Society of Indiana's annual juried show. Received the WSI Member's Award. too:-) The show hangs just down the hall from a Rodin exhibit, so we're in good company. However, his sculptures are all from his 'Gates of Hell' series ..... pass through the 'Gates of Hell' to get to the art show. Hmmm...

After I painted the first Pescatorri painting (previous post), I wanted to zoom in on the people. This is only one of the three I've done of the very same subject with some compositional modifications each time. One's on YUPO and the third one was created using the Good White Shape process. I'll post them later. The painting here employs lots of layers of masking tape (eventually peeled off) along with transparent watercolor glazing techniques. I sure love making cool textures.

If you're in the area, make time to visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art - WORLD CLASS facility and grounds. I was SO impressed!
"PESCATORRI MORNING" on Arches 140# CP 18 x 24" *** WSI Members Award 2007

A GREAT SHOW - Feb'08 at Sharon Woods

Here are some photos from yesterday's opening. That guy right in front of Kathy's truck painting (2nd pix) is my Bob (married 40 years this June...) That's me, the teacher, in the top photo by Susan's sunflower painting, getting a hug from artist and good friend, the other Bob! Many more original paintings are posted below created by 45 wonderful artists. Our turnout for the opening was excellent, too! 'Thank you' to everyone who visited the show.

So many masterpieces, so many unique artists with their own special style, all making the show an adventure to see! Stop by between now and 4 on Sunday the 24th. I know you'll enjoy the show.

At Sharon Centre in Sharon Woods, Cincinnati, OH - open 10-5 daily.