Nancy Silvia: Studio Visit

My friend and artist Nancy Silvia invited me out  for tea so I naturally took the opportunity to ask permission to write about and photograph her studio, WOW!! It is such a lovely expansive space. I could tell that Nancy really enjoys the space also. Here is a link to Nancy’s website where you can see more of her work. http://www.nancysilvia.com/ Nancy is also the current president of The Plein Air Painters of New Mexico.

I know you will enjoy this tour. I was fascinated by all of the pastels nestled in her fabulous table. Talk about eye candy! Nancy has an amazing ability to capture so many of the qualities that I love about the New Mexico landscape, the light, the dryness of the desert, the amazing array of skies. Growing up near the ocean in Connecticut, Nancy claims one of her earliest visual memories is of the horizon line, and earliest influence as an artist the marine paintings of New England. Drawing and painting were a primary activity since childhood. Nancy earned a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA in Painting from Yale University.

Professional memberships include American Society of Marine Artists and Signature Membership in Pastel Society of America, Pastel Society of New Mexico, and Plein Air Painters New Mexico. Nancy has been awarded residency grants at The Ragdale Foundation in Illinois and The Ucross foundation in Wyoming. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums and included in public and private collections in both the USA and Japan. She recently had shows at Gallery Tokyo Eizo in Tokyo and The Coryell Gallery in Lambertville, New Jersey.

Nancy lives in Santa Fe, NM and is represented in New Jersey by The Coryell Gallery, and by Rabbet Gallery in New Brunswick.

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Waterway: Oil on Canvas 30X60

Here is a recent painting, Waterway Oil 30X60 on canvas, currently available at Pryor Fine Art, in Atlanta Georgia  www.pryorfineart.com,

I spent many years in and around the waterways along the Gulf Coast from the panhandle of Florida to the bayous and wetlands of Louisiana. I am thrilled to revisit some of the many photographs I have taken over the years of this area and find inspiration along with fond memories for a new series of paintings.

 

 

 

 

New Gallery Representation: Pryor Fine Art, Atlanta Georgia

I am thrilled that my work will now be represented by Pryor Fine Art in Atlanta, Georgia.

http://www.pryorfineart.com/

I have had several delightful conversations with gallery director Tiffany Hay. Really looking forward to working with her and Ann and Susie, the owner.  Pryor Fine Art strives to present artists and paintings that transcend and transform everyday objects and moments, all the while, providing the collector with a peaceful place to connect with these emotive, original works of art.  The gallery is a nationally recognized liaison between a successful stable of artists and collectors everywhere. The thrill and joy of dealing art come from close relationships with artists and patrons alike. Nurturing our artists to continue to create and evolve is just as satisfying as sharing their work with our clients.

It will be very meaningful to me to work on paintings that depict the landscape of my childhood. Growing up in Alabama and then later living for many years on the Gulf Coast of Florida I have a deep affection for the South, the lush landscape and lovely warm moist air.

The slideshow consists of the ten paintings Tiffany selected for the gallery.

Here is the contact information:

Pryor Fine Art
764 Miami Circle
Atlanta, Ga 30324

Phone: (404) 352-8775

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Joanne Teasdale: Studio Visit

if you have been reading my blog for a while you have to be jealous of all of these amazing artists that have created such great work spaces. Santa Fe is just the best community for artists. Last month my critique group met in Joanne Teasedale’s studio. Here is a link to her website http://www.teasdaleart.com/

You can see from the   photos that Joanne is both a painter and a glass artist. She is always expanding her forms of expression. Joanne is also a world traveler. Many of her works are from photographs taken on one of her trips to various places around the globe. Recent travels to New Orleans and an extended stay in Venice gave Joanne many haunting images to work from. You can see how versatile she is. As a painter myself I am particularly drawn to her paintings both the portraits and her beautiful beautiful elegant Landscapes.

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Montgomery Museum of Art: Auction 2012

Every other year members from the selection committee for the Montgomery Museum of Art  travel the US in search of fine art galleries and artists to participate in the Auction.

This is my second year thru my gallery here in Santa Fe Winterowd Fine Art to be working with the lovely staff and volunteers at the Montgomery Museum of Art.

A collection of more than 500 paintings, etchings, bronze, home décor, jewelry and silver have been selected from galleries including Santa Fe, New York, Charleston, Hilton Head and Atlanta.

My parents live just south of Montgomery. They visited the Museum on Saturday and called me immediately after to tell me how excited they were to see my painting. Does it ever get old hearing your parents excited about your art? I think not.

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There are many fine works of art available for purchase and supporting our cultural institutions is always a good thing!

Auction proceeds have a direct impact on Museum exhibitions, acquisitions, and education programs.  Call 240-4333 for your tickets today.

Katherine Trumble,Development Officer with the Montgomery Museum of Art was kind enough to send me these photos of my painting Water Meadows 24X36 Oil on Canvas

Click on the link below for more information about the Auction

http://www.mmfa.org/exhibitions.aspx?id=1345

Recent Commission Painting

This project was a fun challenge. I worked with an Art Consultant from Atlanta. Our client loved the oil painting on the left (40X40) but needed a larger work. I really like this ocher and blue color palette so it was a real treat to work out the composition and create a second work that  complimented the first. I know how important the paintings are to me that I live with so I like to honor a collectors request particularly regarding scale . The wrong size work makes everything look wrong. The reference for this image was from a  photo safari, an outing that I took when I was in Taos, New Mexico for a painting work shop in September. I like changing the colors of the landscape shapes and making them somewhat unexpected. I will see if Kimberly will send me a photo of the installation to share at a later date.

 

Studio Visit: Kathleen McCloud

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Our December crit group meeting was held at Kathleen McCloud’s studio in La Cieneguilla, just south of Santa Fe, NM . Here is a link to Kathleen’s website  http://kathleenmccloud.com/

Her work is represented in Santa Fe by Ernesto Mayans Gallery, 601 Canyon Road. This studio visit was such a treat. I love that Kathleen can walk out of her house and over to the studio.. a short commute, which is very appealing, especially  if we are having a lot of snow fall. Her six hundred square foot studio was so warm and toasty. Heated by a trusty  wood stove filled with crackling logs, aromatherapy and soothing sounds. Her studio has the character of a well lived in and worked in space. There is plenty of wall space to view work in progress and lovely views out to the mountains from the higher south-facing windows.

Kathleen is such an enthusiastic, inspired and articulate artist. Her restless intellect finds ways to comment on many aspects of daily life, and contemporary culture in addition to extensive research in history and art history. You can see from the photographs of the space lots of works in progress, ideas taking shape and a couple of completed works. We all loved the wooden piece that suggested a book shape, what a beautiful surface and original presentation. You can also see ideas that Kathleen is working on with indigo dyes, old gloves and handkerchief’s. What ever unfolds I know it will be beautiful visually,  thought-provoking and definitely a unique perspective,  not an easy task to pull off and Kathleen does all of this innately. It is inspiring to see an artist doing what they were meant to do in this world.

During the course of our meeting the word Transitions came up over and over again… so likely to be a big part of 2012.

Looking forward to seeing everyone’s new work next month, until then…..

Visiting an Old Friend

I have just returned from spending time with family over the Holidays. I sometimes find it a struggle to get going in the studio again. It is a pattern I have had over the years. Maybe some of my artist friends will post some suggestions.. how do you do it? Get re-connected with your work? Sometimes I come back to unfinished pieces and other deadlines, that can be my jumpstart. Sometimes, like now I revisit a familiar composition or color palette and see what new information it might hold. In this painting I really wanted to hold the abstraction and explore the surface as long as possible. One day I will have to post all of the different incarnations a painting like this goes through. The surface of the foreground of this painting looks like butter! It took so many layers to get the color harmony I was looking for. I am also enjoying this streak of turquoise.  Grateful to be able to visit an old friend to experience the joy of first becoming a painter when I watched with anticipation what every brushstroke might do and to feel the comfort of familiar surroundings and reminiscent conversations.

This painting, Far Away is 30X60 and recently delivered to Winterowd Fine Art, Karla Winterowd represents my work here in Santa Fe.

A New Year

2012 stretches out with endless possibilities.

2011 was a wonderfully memorable year. My first time to show at Art Chicago , a Group Show with Winterowd over the summer, a flurry of painting commissions in the fall then the holidays and time with family and friends.  So much to  value and appreciate about  experiencing life thru the lens of  artist.
In 2012 I will once again be showing with Winterowd Fine Art @ Art Chicago (April) and in October I will have a solo show  here in Santa Fe.
I am excited to return to the studio and start getting some of these myriad of  images and ideas out of my head and onto canvas via the heart…..

Below is a recent commission Blush 50X40

Munson Hunt : Reclamation

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I had the great good fortune, thanks to my lovely friend Tanya, to go with the artist Munson Hunt on a guided tour of her stunning exhibition at the Center of Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico titled “Reclamation”. (Also in attendance were Tanya Young and Karla Winterowd)
Below is a link to more about the exhibition which is up until the 8th of January, so hurry up !!!
http://www.ccasantafe.org/exhibitions/69-reclamation
In addition, here is a link to Munson’s website; http://munsonhunt.com/slideshow.html
It was such a treat to walk thru the gallery with Munson.  She is a thoughtful, articulate artist.  She talked about the search for these huge pieces of wood that came from reclaimed cottonwoods on a Nambe, New Mexico ranch.  They are charred, covered in Graphite, and are in human scale, six to eight and half feet tall.  Chainsaw marks and rippled charred surfaces are evident on close examination.  All are all slightly different in character because of the hand-cut nature of the process.
Personally I think one of the greatest gifts that artists like Munson give the world is a New Perspective!  When an artist takes the time to have this kind of in-depth dialog with her materials, wood and glass, something entirely new emerges.  Because I arrived early and was on the private tour, I had the opportunity to stand in the cavernous gallery with Munson’s dark charred wood sentinels, and walk among them.  It was a deeply moving experience to just BE with them. They have such a strong presence.  I told Munson that I think MOMA should build a special room to house the exhibition, permanently.  I would encourage everyone to get to the CCA and have this experience for themselves.  Thank you Munson !