A friend in need....

This evening, I am thinking of my friend and fellow artist, Lyn St. Clair, who, tomorrow, will be having bilateral mastectomies for breast cancer. For many of us who are self-employed, medical insurance is prohibitively expensive, so Lyn is uninsured.

Artist Paula Waterman is starting a blog for Lyn's benefit. It will show paintings that Lyn's artist friends are donating to raise money for her medical expenses. I will post the blog address as soon I have it.

Time of Day

I like painting landscapes that give me a feeling of time of day. This 7" x 7" could be anywhere where egret are found. It is called, 'Day is Done' - though it is a name I've used a time or two before. After twenty-plus years of painting full time, sometimes I just run out of titles!

"Cats & Cows"

I exhibited a couple of small 6" x 6" cat oils at the Waterfowl Festival, in Easton. I could have sold each one several times. A sleeping kitty seems to work well in a square format.....enough space for the body plus a leg or a tail hanging down. On the flight home from Maryland, I was thinking of a project for December....and have decided to do a series of paintings of little cats. Dare I try to paint 12 before early December?

On second thought, Windrush Gallery in Sedona has been asking for paintings of cows. A-ha!
I will do a series of six cats and six little calves. I will post them here as I complete them.
They will be at the gallery by December 8th.

Sleep on it"

I just finished this 20 x 24 oil. I decided a couple of days ago that I needed one more large piece for the upcoming show in Maryland - so have been painting fast and furiously. I'll live with it for a day or two to decide if it really is finished.

I've been busy!

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I leave in less than a week (November 11th) to exhibit my work at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland. I think this might be my 25th year. How is that possible?

The festival is held in the pretty little town of Easton, Maryland - on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It's a 1.5 hour drive from BWI (Baltimore) Airport. The entire town is involved in the festival - with exhibits in the armory, schools, even the fabulous old brick building that houses the Elks (which is where you'll find me). I usually take about 35 originals.

These are some of the little guys that are on their way, Fed-ex, to Easton. (divided up into two posts) They are all either 6" x 6" or 7" x 7".

I've been busy - continued....

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"Bouquet"

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I painted this little 5" x 7" oil a few days ago at the Sedona Historical Museum as part of the Sedona Plein Air Festival. I like it for its color and simplicity. This piece will be one of my paintings on exhibit today and tomorrow at Sedona Arts Center gallery.

"Anniversary' - quick draw

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Last night's opening for the Sedona Plein Air Festival was a 'gala' event at L'Auberge, on the creek in Sedona. The week's work for all the artists, plus our 'quick draw' paintings, done at L'Auberge yesterday morning, were exhibited. I think all the artists were surprised by the turnout. The place was packed and people were buying!

Curt Walters selected my painting, 'Yellow Umbrellas - Uptown Sedona', for an award. Jill Carver, a lovely artist (English living in Texas) won the well-deserved 'Artist Choice' award.

I sold several pieces, including yesterday's quick draw painting titled, 'Anniversary'. My 'motif'
was the outdoor restaurant overlooking the creek. As this was a 'quick draw' we had to start painting right at 10 am and stop painting at noon. As it turned out, the couple I chose to paint,
were celebrating their 25th anniversary. They came to the gala and bought the 8 x 10 painting.
It's always nice when a painting goes to the right home.

All the artists will be in the main gallery at Sedona Arts Center from 10 am to 5 pm today, and 10 am to 3 pm tomorrow. We're only allowed to exhibit three pieces in the gallery per artist. As the paintings sell we replace it with another piece from inventory, with the goal to have sold all six by Sunday afternoon.

Sedona Plein Air Festival

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I'm one of thirty artists participating in the Sedona Plein Air Festival. It's been a long week but I've done some pieces I'm happy with. I volunteered to house an artist for the festival - and have had a great week with my house guest, Larisa Aukon, a classically trained Latvian artist who has been in the U.S. for twelve years.

These are three of the pieces I've done this week. "Four-Eleven", the 8 x 10 with the red door and windows, was done in Jerome. The second, "Indian Gardens" is the historic country store a few miles down-canyon from my house, and the third, 'Yellow Umbrellas', was done on the first day of the festival in uptown Sedona.

It's been fun!

"Moosley"

My grandkids came to my house for a sleep-over a couple of nights ago. I had a good chuckle when I saw how eight-year old granddaughter buckled her beloved 'Moosley' into her suitcase.

"Nap"

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"Nap" is a 9" x 12" oil of a red fox. I'm happy with this painting as I haven't 'noodled' it.
(noodled = spending hours rendering detail when a few well placed brush strokes can say the same thing). This painting will be on exhibit at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland.

"Full Tide"

This 8" x 10" oil is available at The Lord Nelson Gallery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
www.lordnelsons.com

"Break the Silence"

Next week, October 19th through the 26th, I will be one of thirty artists painting plein air in the Sedona Plein Air Festival. www.sedonapleinairfestival.com. In addition to the exhibit of the work that we will paint on location in Sedona and surrounding areas, there will also be a Showcase Exhibition of studio work.

This little studio piece, 7" x 7", titled 'Break the Silence' will be on exhibit at the Sedona Arts Center in the 'Showcase' exhibition.

"Fly Away Home"

This 20 x 24 oil is bound for the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, November 14, 15 & 16th. It will be one of 35 originals that I will be showing.

I have a few more hours of work before it is finished.

"Flotilla" & "Wilson Mountain"

Now that Art for the Sangres is over, I'm painting for the next two shows. The Sedona Plein Air Festival is mid October, here in Sedona...where I live. In the 'Showcase Gallery', we're allowed to show studio pieces....but the rest of the work will be painted the week of the show and will be strictly painted on location. This Sedona landscape is 10" x 10".

The second piece is a little piece (6" x 6") titled 'Flotilla', earmarked for the Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland in mid-November.

"Cows & Asters"

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I just returned from a one-day show, Art for the Sangres, in Westcliffe, Colorado.
I was not expecting a very good show because of the economy, but went prepared with a variety of sizes, including more little pieces than I would usually take. I sold 14 of 19 pieces in five hours!

WOW! If you are an artist, take heart.....people are still buying art. If you are an art-buyer......thanks. I can only do two things - paint, and evacuate aircraft. I'd like to stick with my current career choice.

I painted this little piece on location in Westcliffe. It sold at Art for the Sangres.

"Winter Falling"

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"Winter Falling" is a 6" square oil, earmarked for Art for the Sangres in Westcliffe, Colorado in a few weeks.

The original idea for the painting included flying crows...but I've decided to do a larger painting that will be titled, 'Crows & Cows' and have the dark crow & cow shapes overlap to make large masses.

"Sense of Place"

Sometimes shows request titles and sizes of paintings before they're painted. Usually I spend days thinking of just the right title for a finished painting - but when I don't have a clue what I'll be painting for a specific show - I send a list of vague titles that could be anything. "Sundown" is a good one - it could be setting sun on a cow or a landscape.

Such is the case with this cat painting, named "Sense of Place" that I've done for Art for the Sangres in Colorado in a week or two.

"Patrol"

Since I switched to oil two years ago, I've enjoyed painting little pieces - more than I ever did in watercolor. Perhaps I have less time at stake with a small painting . If it doesn't work.....wipe it off and start over. Sometimes I will waste an entire day just playing - turping off - and starting over. At the end of the day, I don't have the feeling that I have nothing to show for the day - but I almost feel exhilarated from the experimentation and new things I have learned.

This little fox (6" x 6") started out this way - just an experiment...but I stopped after the first few swipes with a rag. I liked it - so left it 'half finished'.

This painting will be one of the 18 pieces I'm showing at Art for the Sangres in Westcliffe, Colorado, September 27th. http://www.sanisabel.org/art_for_the_sangres.asp


My friend and fellow artist, Terry Miller, attended this year's Birds in Art Exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. My painting, 'In the Wind' is in this year's exhibition. I was unable to attend because of scheduling conflicts. Terry has written a blog on this year's exhibit. http://pencilshaver.blogspot.com/

"Little Dogie"

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I'm working on oils for an upcoming show; Art for the Sangres, in Westcliffe, Colorado on September 27th. www.sanisabel.org This great show benefits the San Isabel Land Protection Trust. The one day event includes a silent auction for plein air paintings that the artists paint the day of the show.

I'll show 18 originals, but ten of them will be little pieces, such as this 6" x 6" oil, titled, 'Little Dogie'.

NEW EMAIL ADDRESS!

Finally, I have come out of the dark ages - and now have broadband wireless internet, thanks to Verizon. I have a marginal cellphone signal at my home, which surprisingly, is enough to get a signal for wireless broadband.

Hughes satellite is getting its walking papers. (No, I would never recommend HUGHES)

My new email address is: earnshaw@swiftaz.net I promise it won't change after this, as I'm using my brother's company, Swift Wireless for my mail. (www.swiftwireless.net)

Please make a note of my new address and delete the old address (earnshaw@hughes.net)

Aotearoa - Land of the Long White Cloud

After a painting trip to Colorado, I flew home to New Zealand - or Aotearoa....The Land of the Long White Cloud, to see my Aunt...who is not well. New Zealand is often shrouded in clouds....easy to see why the Maori named it Aotearoa.

New Zealand or Aotearoa mean the same to me......home.

It's a hard life - but someone's gotta do it!

In mid-July, I spent five days painting in the Rocky Mountains with a group of artists, including V....Vaughan, Joe Garcia and my artist sister, Joanne Hanson.

As you can see, it's a hard life but the great weather didn't last.. It got even better with rain, snow, low clouds and cold temps. I actually prefer the inclement weather. It's moodier and there are no bugs!

Watercolor Workshop

I am teaching a three-day watercolor workshop at the Sedona Arts Center, September 6, 7, 8.
For more informtion, please contact Vince Fazio at the Sedona Arts Center, www.SedonaArtsCenter.com.

Aspen - Columbine Landing

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I'm in Colorado painting with 14 other artists for Parade of No Homes....a fundraiser for the Continental Divide Land Trust Coalition. http://www.cdlt.org/ I'm painting with V....Vaughan, Joe Garcia and Joanne Hanson.

This is yesterday's 8 x 10 oil.

Colorado - Parade of No Homes

This week, I will be in Colorado, participating in the first annual Parade of No Homes - a driving tour of protected open spaces with artists on-site, capturing the landscape on canvas. Sponsored by the Continental Divide Land Trust in Frisco, Colorado, art created this week will be for sale, along with food, cash bar, live music, silent auction and 'green' non-profit booths at the annual Friends of Open Space Party. For details and more information visit www.cdlt.org.

Over the past few years, I've done three limited edition prints to raise money for the Continental Divide Land Trust. Winter Fox is the latest. It is available for $35 from the organization.

If you subscribe to my blog, I apologize if you have received today's post twice. Blog spammers spammed me - and the only way I could get rid of it was to delete the entire post, then post it again.

"No Peanuts for Santa"

Four years ago, I discovered that I'm allergic to peanuts. The life-threatening diagnosis is also life changing in a positive way. Eating in restaurants and airplanes isn't quite as easy as it used to be but I feel so much better....it is a fair trade.

I learned that there are two to three millions others in the U.S. with peanut allergy. The majority of the severely allergic are small children. I belong to an online peanut-allergy forum where, in December several years ago, I posted a 'No Peanuts for Santa' poem, where Santa discovers he is also peanut allergic. The response was so good, I decided that when I had time, I would do illustrations to accompany the poem and self-publish a children's book, 'No Peanuts for Santa'.

The time has come...so this month, I've started working on the book. But who would agree to pose as Santa? Who else, but my good friend and fellow artist, Joe Garcia!

I share with you, one of the reference photos.

"Low Clouds & Cows"

....or is it 'Low Cows & Clouds?'. This is a 12 x 24 oil that I've done for an upcoming show, 'Art for the Sangres' in Westcliffe, Colorado. The piece just wasn't working until I took the plunge and strengthened the foreground with cad yellow & permanent rose - then added the dots and dashes of bright yellow/white behind the cows. I like it!

The Dream Catcher

This painting is just about finished. It's a 24 x 36 oil on Ampersand board. I had a great time painting it - one of those pieces that seemed to paint itself. I'm thinking of cropping 4" off the top as that will put more focus on the little girl. Must decide before I order the frame!

HOW TO CONTACT ME

I signed up for a Yahoo email address and posted it here. Since then, I have won the Irish Lotto at least a hundred times and dozens of wealthy Nigerians have died, leaving millions in their accounts. Of course, being the trustworthy person that I am, they would like me to take care of their money for them. My Yahoo email address must be on every bulletin board in Nigeria. So please don't try contacting me using my Yahoo email address as it no longer exists.

So....if you would like to contact me, go to my website: www.AdeleEarnshaw.com. On the front page you will see my email address as an image - or call me at the phone number to the right.

Thanks!

Two new pieces off the easel

The bear piece is called, 'Walk the Walk'.....and the fox is "Watch & Wait". Both are 8 x 10 oils done for the show in Breckenridge next week.

Last summer, a huge black bear had his way with my trash can and apricot tree - then left bear poop all over my lawn.....full of apricot pits. I hesitate to use the correct term, 'bear scat' as it looked like it had been fired out of a cannon. Obviously, the huge quantity of apricots he consumed didn't sit well with his GI tract.

Workshop Date Changed

A few days ago, I posted the dates for a watercolor workshop I'm teaching in September, here in Sedona. There is a scheduling conflict with another workshop at Sedona Arts Center, so the workshop date has been moved up a week to September 6, 7 & 8th.

Today's work

Oil - 7" x 7". The title may be 'Summit'. Will have to think on it!

Watercolor Workshop scheduled

I have been receiving a ton of emails asking 'when are you teaching another watercolor workshop'? I hadn't planned on it, but Sedona Arts Center has an opening in September so at the last minute, I am scheduled to teach one.

The workshop will be at The Sedona Arts Center, Sedona, Arizona, September 6, 7 & 8, 2008. I do two demos each day and while students paint, I spend individual time with each one. I will show how I work in transparent pigment, layering and glazing on dry 300 lb paper...but my last demo of the workshop will be in opaque watercolor.

Email me if you'd like more information on the workshop: earnshaw@hughes.net or adeleearnshaw@yahoo.com or contact Sedona Arts Center directly at: vfazio@sedonaartscenter.com. There'll be information on the WORKSHOPS section of my website, www.AdeleEarnshaw.com, in a day or two.

"Snow"

This 16" x 20" oil, simply titled, 'Snow', came easily. The paint jumped off the brush and knew just where to go. Wish all paintings could come so easily! This is almost finished....I have to live with it for a few days before I decide if it needs any changes.

Today's work

This is a 6" x 8" oil done for the show in Breckenridge in a few weeks.

My Favorite

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Of the landscapes I've been painting for the Breckenridge show, this little 7" x 7" is my favorite.
I have to show it in the frame as I like the frame as much as I like the painting!

More of Colorado

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I've had my nose to the grindstone, painting studio landscapes for an upcoming show in Breckenridge.

These are some of the pieces I've done in the last few weeks.

Deep in December

This is the finished......well, almost finished piece that I posted as an underpainting a few days ago. I'll sit in on the mantlepiece in the studio for a few days until I decide if it needs changes.

It's an 8 x 10 oil on Ampersand gessobord, for a show in Colorado in June.

Why am I working so hard?

......when I could buy paintings direct from China for a fraction of the time, cost & effort? Geez - I could be shopping at the mall instead of spending each day in the studio!


This is an email received by my sister:

Your website is beautiful, we would like to do business with you.
We are skilled painters in Xiamen China, there are lots of talent painters working together in our studio.We can paint oil painting at every grade of different style, our price and service are very competitive, I am sure you can make more money than before if you buy oil paintings directly from us.
The FOB prices for the paintings in our stock can be USD7/pc for 20x24inch and USD12/pc for 24x36inch, if you are interested in, I can send some photos of our works to you, we also can paint exactly according to your any e-mail pictures, it is very easy to do the international business now, feel free to ask me any question, looking forward to your reply…

Colorado Landscapes

My sister, Joanne, only started painting two years ago. She works in oil, doing primarily landscapes. In the past year, she has sold about 20 paintings through the two galleries she hangs in, in Colorado. (www.joannehansonart.com)

She has been invited to exhibit her work at 'Meet the Artist', an annual show in Breckenridge and
invited me to join her.

These 8 x 10 oil landscapes are for the show in Breckenridge in June.