Longmont Artists' Guild Members Show Opening Reception

LONGMONT ARTIST GUILD

MEMBERS ART SHOW

at the

GREAT FRAME UP

430 Main St., Longmont, CO 80501

October 9 – November 7, 2015

Artist's Opening Reception

Friday, October 9^th

6-9pm

Free parking in the back

Come join the fun! Refreshments! Wine cash bar!

Meet the artists! Beautiful artwork for sale!

Vote for your favorites!

Award ceremony at 8pm!

 

A snapshot of me with my two pieces at the opening reception of the Plein Air Artists Colorado National Exhibit last night in Boulder. 

The Mary Williams Fine Arts Gallery was packed with artists, guests and collectors. It was exciting to see so many friends and get to meet so many top level artists, whose work I had admired in magazines, books and videos. In fact the whole experience was that of walking through the pages of the Southwest Art magazine. It is such an honor to be included in this show. The exhibit is open until August 30th and is well worth seeing--and prices are very reasonable too!

RRWS National Exhibit Bronze Medal

 

June has been full of nice surprises. The latest was the Bronze Medal at the RRWS National Exhibit in Moorhead, MN. I was not able to attend the opening ceremony last Tuesday, but did have a chance to see the show before it opened and the worker in charge of setting up the lights was kind enough to take this snapshot of me by my painting "No Left."

This piece retires from exhibits with a nice history. Initially, it was not successful and collected several rejections at shows, until I revised it by darkening the building and shadow on the right, and created a lead into the painting with the spatter on the foreground. After the adjustments, it was accepted into a local, a State and two national shows, and won an Honorable Mention and a Third Place Award.

It is a painting I love, not only because it shows one of my favorite places, San Francisco, but because its overall realism is undermined by the abstraction in the shadows and details, and I find the interplay of the two very intriguing.

Shadows of History at the LAG Exhibit

Shadows of History, watercolor on paper, 9x12

Finally back home from a long trip... I was unable to attend the Longmont Artists' Guild 2015 show, but heard it was very successful and learned my painting Shadows of History won the second place award for watercolors. It was great to have a chance to display some of these smaller paintings, as a lot of other shows have size restrictions.

This was one of the first paintings I did without the use of a pencil drawing. I was really pleased a how well the straight lines ended up, and at the positive/negative design of the fence, which prevented it from being too conspicuous and restrictive. I am very glad juror James Whartman saw merit in it as well.

The subject here is a view of a farm setting at the Littleton History Museum during a paint-out. I did a different scene en plein air and captured this view with my camera. Years later, I did this painting from that photo but could still remember a lot of the light and atmosphere of that bright summer day.

Outdoor Creations Opening Reception

Standing Apart, watercolor on paper, 9x12

The Outdoor Creations exhibit opened last night with a nice reception and great turnout. For most of the evening the Great Frame Up gallery was packed with artists, guests and public in general. I had the opportunity to view the show with my wife and a number of our friends and to talk to a lot of the artists. Congratulations to the Boulder County Open Spaces and Parks organization for the successful event.

As an added surprise, my painting of a farm scene in Hygiene (a piece of land owned by open spaces), called "Standing Apart" won an honorable mention (see image above).

This piece was completed in two sessions: The first morning I set up, did my thumbnail sketch and pencil drawing, and after the first background washes, the wind picked up and almost took my paper block flying, and then it started raining. So I had to return the next day to finish the work, the cows were gone and the weather different, but I had enough information from the first day to complete the painting. I was pleased with it and it was the first piece I chose to enter in the show, so I am very glad it got acknowledged by the selection jurors and award juror.

After the reception, Christina and I (next to my four paintings in the photo above) went out with our friends to celebrate with dinner, drinks and dancing. Not a bad evening!

Outdoor Creations 2014

Prayer to the Fallen, watercolor on paper, 12x9

The four paintings I completed on site this summer for submission to the Outdoor Creations exhibition have been selected for the show! This juried en plein air exhibit is promoted by Boulder County to celebrate its parks and open spaces.

It was a joy to create these pieces, and I am very happy to able to share my view and interpretation of these magnificent places which, in the nearly 18 years I have lived in Boulder County, have served me well for relaxation, exercise and for inspiration. As an artist, my hope is that the deep connection and admiration I feel for our open spaces come through to the viewer of each of my paintings, that I do some justice to their beauty and may help our community not to take their value for granted.   

The Outdoor Creations exhibit will run from October 10 through November 8 2014, at the Great Frame Up gallery at 430 Main Street in Longmont. The opening reception will be October 10, from 6 to 9 pm.

Red River Watercolor Society Signature Membership

I am just back from a road trip with my family through the Dakotas, including a visit to Medora in the Badlands National Park and a paddling competition in the Sheyenne River.

I was also able to visit the excellent Red River Watercolor Society 2014 National Exhibit at the Hiemkomst Center in Moorhead, MN, just before it closed. This was a very significant exhibit for me: My painting Twin Elevators (26x20 watercolor on Yupo, shown above) was selected for the show by juror Michael Reardon and received the Jack Richeson Award. But more importantly, I am very proud to have achieved Signature Membership in the RRWS with my third acceptance into their National exhibit.

The RRWS is based in the Fargo/Moorhead area but has members from all over the country. They boast a high caliber of workshop instructors and exhibit jurors, and a great number of top level water media artists who participate in their annual shows.

Colorado Watercolor Society 21st Annual State Exhibition

Friday was the opening reception of the Colorado Watercolor Society 21st Annual Watermedia State Exhibition. It was a great opportunity to introduce our new son to the artist community, so Christina and I brought André Oliver along to the show. This is a great exhibit, with lots of varied content and styles, and great technical and artistic quality. The juror Kathleen Conover was present at the opening and gave tours of the exhibit, talking in detail about the award winners. The Foothills Art Center has a beautiful gallery and the organization is excellent.

The exhibit is open until March 24th, at the Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado (www.foothillsartcenter.org), and is well worth visiting!

Mammoth Mine and Louisville Fine Art Show

Standing Guard (Mammoth Mine), watercolor on Aquabord, 20x16

This painting was done on location at the Mammoth Mine site in Boulder County. It was painted on a beautiful June morning, the building has beautiful aged colors and a slanting stance that speaks of its age and service, and it is guarded on all flanks by aspen trees. It was a privilege to get to paint on this site, thanks to a permit from the Boulder Country Parks and Open Spaces administration as part of their first plein air exhibit event, since this location is closed to the public. The painting is now sold and I am very pleased that the buyer is someone who knew this location growing up and appreciates the environment and feelings that the painting evokes.

On a different note, this has been a busy season, with overlapping shows. Just as the Boulder County plein air exhibit came to a close, it was time for the opening reception of the Louisville National Fine Art Exhibit, last night. The event was very well attended by many artists and the local community. In fact to crowded to even take a photo together with my painting, but no regrets. I hope to return there during the week for a calmer viewing of the great paintings in the show.

Boulder County Plein Air Art Exhibit Opening

Afternoon Glow, Legion Park, watercolor on Aquabord, 16x20

Friday, August 19th is the Exhibit Opening Reception of the Boulder Parks and Open Spaces Plein Air Art Exhibit, at the Old Firehouse Art Center in Longmont. The exhibit features four paintings by each of the twenty artists selected for this event. In addition, a preview of the artists and their work is being held at the Boulder Courthouse at the Pearl Street Mall, where my painting Afternoon Glow, Legion Park is on display. This painting, like the other four, was done on site, completed in two sessions, last June.

This has been a long process, the selection started back in March, the painting period was in June, so we are all excited to finally have the show open to the public. The reception starts at 6pm and the exhibit will be open until September 3rd.

PPWS International Exhibit Opening Reception

The Pikes Peak Watercolor Society National Watermedia Exhibit reception on Friday was a very nice event, I met a lot of interesting people and some famous artists. The photo above shows me posing by my featured painting. I was in good company--my painting was hanging between those of Karen Standridge and Frank Lalumia, both of which received awards. Other well-known names in the exhibit included Bill James, Susan Hinton, and Elaine Daily-Birnbaum, among others. Juror John Salminen was present with his wife Kathy. My congratulations to the Pikes Peak Watercolor Society for organizing such a great quality exhibit.

Invitation: PPWS International Exhibit Opering Reception

The Pikes Peak International Watermedia XVII Exhibit will hold its Opening Reception this Friday, June 24th, from 5 to 8pm. The location is the Cottonwood Center for the Arts, 427 E. Colorado Avenue, in Colorado Springs.
The Awards Reception will be on Friday, July 8th, from 6 to 8pm, at the same location.
Two opportunities to view the art, meet the artists, and the juror, John Salminen.
The exhibition closes July 23rd.

Invitation: RRWS National Exhibit Awards Reception!

You are invited: Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 21, is the date of the Awards Reception for the Red River Watercolor Society 18th National Watermedia Exhibit. The exhibit and the ceremony are taking place at the Moorhead Hjemkomst Center, in Moorhead, MN. There is no admission fee, and the public is invited to the reception from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Information and directions at: www.hjemkomstcenter.com

I am honored to be part of the show, and hope lots of visitors get to enjoy this event. I will miss the ceremony, but will visit the exhibition in July.

Boulder County Plein Air Art Exhibit

This a recent plein air study done on location in North Boulder, celebrating the fact that the weather is more friendly nowadays, and that I have been accepted into the first Boulder Country Plein Air Art Exhibit. The 16 selected artists will be doing their paintings in June, and the exhibit will be held from August 1st to September 3rd, in two different locations, in Boulder and Longmont. Four guest artists will also add four paintings each to the show, for a total of 80 pieces portraying the beauty and variety of the local open spaces, from lakes to museums to mountains.

The painting above was done with a single brush, a squirrel mop size 6, on a 18x12 sheet of Fabriano Artistico rough paper. All the colors are M. Graham: ultramarine blue, cobalt violet, yellow ochre, cobalt teal, viridian, burnt sienna, permanent alizarin crimson, and burnt umber. I used a lot of drybrush to bring out the textures of bark, ground and rock.

Award at WAS-H 34th International Exhibit

I learned I received the Board of Directors award at the Watercolor Art Society - Houston 34th International Exhibit, which is currently being held in Houston. This is a great incentive, and even greater honor considering that the juror was John Salminen, whose work I hold in the highest regard. The awards ceremony was last Friday, unfortunately I could not attend in person. The list of winners is now posted in the WAS-H website. The show is open until April 15th.

CWS 2011 State Exhibit Opening Reception

My painting "Grattan Bridge" (detail on the left) will be featured in the Colorado Watercolor Society 20th State Watermedia Exhibit, which opens this Friday at the Foothills Art Center, at 809 Fifteenth Street, in Golden, Colorado.

The exhibit showcases 80 Colorado artists, selected by juror Soon Warren of Fort Worth, Texas.

The opening reception will start at 6:30 and is open to the public.
It is also my birthday... an extra reason for you to join us and celebrate!

Sometimes Good Things Come in Pairs!

Supposedly, misery loves company, but sometimes good things also come in pairs. Even though I find guinea fowl curious creatures and decided to do this sketch of two of them, that is not really what I am talking about...

I just got good news of acceptance into two upcoming exhibits: The Rockies West 18th Annual National Exhibition, juried by Paul Jackson, and the Colorado Watercolor Society 20th State Watercolor Exhibition, juried by Soon Warren.

This is a good start towards my goal of exhibiting more often and more widely in 2011. Last year I was very busy being a new father and limited myself to only a few events. I will be posting more information about these two shows, which happen in March.

And since I did mention the guinea fowl, this is another page of my sketch book... I observed them at a farm during my trip to Brazil, and thought this would be a good subject for a "lineless" sketch, in which I try to paint directly, without pencil lines or any drawing, by observing and reproducing with the brush the shapes I see. This is a fun exercise to do and it helps loosen up from the rigidity of lines.

Demonstration This Saturday!

This Saturday, October 2nd, I and other artists represented in the Rocky Mountain National Exhibit will be doing demonstrations of our techniques, from 11am to 2pm, at the Foothills Art Center in Golden.

I plan to do a complete painting on Yupo, of another urban scene, in a style similar to the piece in the exhibit, to give people a good sense of the methods and materials used, the thinking process, etc.

This will be an informal event, the public is encouraged to ask questions and participate. The artists will be in front of their exhibit paintings, doing the demos at the same time, giving the public the opportunity to choose whom to watch. It will be a fun experience, and it is totally free. By the way, admission is free all day to the exhibition as well.

Longmont Studio Tour

This is a photo of my exhibit space at Longmont Studio Tour this weekend, taken during one of the few quiet moments when I was not involved in conversations with visitors. My display was hosted by Creative Framing on Main Street Longmont. I brought in my paintings, unfinished pieces, some of my equipment and samples of materials.

It was a great opportunity to interact directly with customers, visitors and other artists, in an environment which, unlike a solo exhibit, was not meant to be simply a consistent selection of pieces on show, but a broad display of work, materials and methods. People of all ages viewed the pieces, asked questions, were happy at the opportunity to handle some of the materials and were frank with their opinions. Painting is often solitary work, so it is great to be able to connect to the public in such collaborative way and learn what is working and what is not. I had very interesting discussions and obtained valuable feedback. I am definitely encouraged to paint more, share more information and plan future exhibits.

A big thank you to all who visited. I hope to see you again in future events!

Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Reception

Here we are again, Miguel Lucas and I, posing by my painting "Parallel Lives" and photographed by my wife Christina at the RMNW 2010 Reception in Golden, CO, on Friday evening.

Congratulations to the Foothills Art Center: The exhibit is beautiful and the reception was a very nice event, well organized and attended by many. Artists and visitors were entertained with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, live music and the award ceremony, and of course the art-- beautiful, intriguing, varied, inventive, colorful or moody, abstract or representative, in acrylic, watercolor, gouache, casein, collage, and mixed media.

Carole Pickle of Emmaus, PA won First Place and 11 other artists received awards.

The show is not to be missed! There are 80 paintings, selected by jury Judy Morris out of 602 entries, including works by Cheng-Khee Chee, Ratindra Das, Mel Stabin, Z. L. Feng, Jonathan Frank, Frank La Lumia and James Toogood.

Right after the award ceremony, we left and headed to Longmont to catch the second half of the Longmont Studio Tour opening reception. We got to the Muse Gallery quite late, and were surprised to still find lots of people there. We hear the event was successful with lots of attendance and some sales.

This is just the first of the events, the gallery is offering a preview of the open studios weekend later this month, with a sample piece of each of the 60 participating artists, but more activities are scheduled.

These were too great opportunities to chat with fellow artists and art lovers, appreciate great art and spend an enjoyable evening.