"Sunspots"

This painting is in my own collection.  I'm down-sizing before putting my house on the market as I'm returning to live in my native country of New Zealand.  Unfortunately, I can't take everything!

Sunspots, a 40" x 20" oil on canvas, shows a male hooded oriole in palms.  It was in 2006 Birds in Art at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Museum.   It is custom framed and includes the 2006 Birds in Art Catalog.  Contact me for the price.

"Sunspots"

40" x 20" oil on canvas

"Shadows"

This is a 36" x 36" oil on canvas that I did a while ago.  I was inspired by the shadows of palm trees on a street in Charleston, South Carolina.   The bird is a mourning dove.  It's one of my favorite pieces because of the abstract composition.

"Shadows"

36" x 36" oil on canvas

An unfinished illustration...

I was hoping to have this finished to post this evening, Christmas Eve.  It's not finished - but I like the way it looks so I'm posting it anyway.     This is the second illustration for my book,  No Peanuts for Santa which I hope to have published by late August, 2011.  Though it's the second illustration,  this is for the first page of the book.   The previous post shows my first illustration which will be used for the last page of the book.

Merry Christmas to those that celebrate the occasion and Happy Holidays to those that don't!

No Peanuts For Santa

A few years ago I wrote a Christmas poem for kids with peanut allergy, as I am one of them.  I got a good response so I've decided to illustrate and self-publish.  Three years later and the project still isn't finished but I have sworn to finish it and have it on the market by Christmas, 2012.

T'WAS THE DAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS, 

IT WAS STARTING TO SNOW, 

THE REINDEER WERE HITCHED 

AND ALL READY TO GO. 

THE ELVES WERE STILL PACKING 

THE LAST OF THE GIFTS, 

WHEN SANTA GOT ITCHY 

AND STARTED TO SNIFF. 

HE HAD SPOTS ON HIS TUMMY, 

THE ELVES HEARD HIM WHEEZE. 

MRS. CLAUS CALLED THE MEDICS, 

‘OH DO HURRY, PLEASE!’ 

THE MEDICS ARRIVED 

AND SPRANG INTO ACTION. 

THE DOCTORS DECLARED, 

"THIS IS A REACTION!" 

NOW THINK VERY CAREFULLY, 

WHAT DID YOU MUNCH? 

CAN YOU REMEMBER 

WHAT YOU HAD FOR LUNCH? 

SANTA PONDERED AND SCRATCHED 

AT THE HIVES ON HIS BELLY. 

AND THEN HE REMEMBERED, 

PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY! 

THEY GAVE SANTA EPI, 

ANTIHISTAMINES TOO, 

AND THEN THEY TOLD SANTA, 

"NO PEANUTS FOR YOU!" 

THE NEWS WAS ANNOUNCED 

BY T.V.AND FAXES, 

THAT SANTA CLAUS SUFFERS 

FROM ANAPHYLAXIS 

THE WORD TRAVELED QUICKLY 

FROM LONDON TO MAINE 

NO ARACHIS! NO GOOBERS! 

AND NO “MAY CONTAINS”. 

PLEASE READ THE LABELS 

ON COOKIES AND SWEETS 

THAT YOU LEAVE FOR OL’ SANTA... 

ONLY PEANUT-FREE TREATS! 

THE REINDEER WERE READY, 

THE SLEIGH WAS ALL PACKED 

AND AROUND SANTA’S BELLY 

WAS A NEW EPI-PACK. 

"HI-HO" SANTA YELLED 

AS THE REINDEER TOOK FLIGHT. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL 

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT! 

Copyright Adele Earnshaw 2007

Painting Plein Air

I just read an interesting article in the Huffington Post on painting plein air.    I enjoy painting outside but am not a hard core plein air painter.  One of my galleries, the Santa Ysabel Gallery in San Diego County, California, insists that the work for the annual plein air exhibition be 100% plein air.  I honor the gallery owner's  commitment to the plein air tradition and I paint by the rules for the annual show.  My work for the Sedona Plein Air Festival is also 100% plein air, but when I'm painting plein air for me, I'm not opposed to tweaking paintings in the studio with a bit of light here or a darker brush stroke there.   I sit my outdoor studies on the studio mantle for a day or two until I know if they are finished or if they need a 'tweak'.  Yellow Umbrellas - Uptown Sedona, is one of my favorite 100% plein air paintings.

My artist friend, Susan Faust (her website is down for a few hours this morning...try the link later) uses plein air painting to gather information, seldom finishing her outdoor studies.  Instead she uses them for larger studio pieces.  She is painting on location today with  Michael Chesley Johnson and Michael Coleman and asked if I'd like to go but I declined.  In early December, I much prefer a warm studio.  

Yellow Umbrellas - Uptown Sedona

Another "Square Dog"

5" x 5" oil on board

SOLD

Called 'Square Dog' because of the 5" x 5" format, this is another piece for my dog project.  This pup is really pretty with one blue eye and one amber.  It's done on Ampersand gessoed board as are all the pieces in the Square Dog series.  

"Dora Jack"

"Dora"

5" x 5" oil on board

SOLD

This little oil is part of my Square Dog series.   This little Jack Russell looks like such a character, I really enjoyed painting her.   

My artist sister, Joanne Hanson,  spent the week of Thanksgiving at my house painting in the studio   while my brother-in-law worked on my house.  (Have I mentioned that I've got the best brother-in-law in the world??)    Take a look at Joanne's work!

New Zealand painting holiday

"Sandspit, New Zealand"

6" x 8" oil on board - painted on location

I've blogged about this before, but just in case you missed it.

In late February and early March of 2012 (15 months from now) Joe Garcia and I will be leading a Painting Holiday in my native New Zealand.  If you don't know Joe's work, then you must know his books, The Watercolor Bible and Mastering the Watercolor Wash.  Joe is a watercolor master....but don't tell him I said that.

Joe and I have been teaching together for years, including workshops on a river barge on France's Burgundy Canal, the Oregon coast, the Art Institute of the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson, and several workshops in a villa in Tuscany.  During an Italian workshop this past September, our students put in a special request for a non-workshop in New Zealand...a painting holiday.  So keeping our students' requests in mind, Joe and I have organized a trip of a lifetime!  Joe and Anne Garcia have travelled with me to New Zealand many times so they know the country well.  My sister and her husband are also helping out with organizing, cooking and acting as translators and guides.  Yes, New Zealand is primarily an English speaking country, but you still may need a translator!  

Unlike traditional painting workshops, this holiday welcomes non-painters.  Our daily excursions to the bays, beaches and islands will take us to places that are not only paintable, but also have activities for your non-painter partner; hiking, snorkelling or scuba diving, swimming and sight-seeing.  There's also a golf course nearby, horse-riding and other activities.   And for the painters....the pressure is off.  No studio demos and classroom time.  Instead, you can hike with your partner or sit and paint alongside me or Joe.  We're going to paint the places we visit - perhaps a full landscape or just a red pohutawaka leaf or sea shell.  We will spend the week talking art, painting and soaking in the scenery.   When you get back to the States, you can take your stack of watercolors into Kinkos and have them bound into a sketchbook to remember my country, Aotearoa, Land of the Long White Cloud.  


The first holiday is scheduled from February 26 to March 4, 2012.  It's almost full, with one or two openings available, but if we have enough interest, we're going to have a second week, March 7-March 13, 2012.  New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere - so the seasons are reversed.  This will be late summer down-under.  

Price is about $2500, give or take $100.  This includes a week's accommodation, breakfast, lunch and 4 of 7 dinners.  It includes the planned excursions but does not include the cost of optional activities for spouse or partner.  It doesn't include airfare to New Zealand.  Airfare March, 2011 (2012 fares still not posted) are $1150 RT from Phoenix, Arizona - about $1200 from Denver - to Auckland.  We'll pick you up at the airport and drop you off there a week later.  If you'd like to see more of New Zealand (you absolutely must see more!) after or before the workshop, we'll provide you with more info on how where to go and how to get there!

For more information, click on this link.  It will take you to our online brochure that has much more information.

"Waggy Tail"

This is yesterday's painting that wasn't posted here as I was busy eating turkey and pumpkin pie.

It's the third painting for my 'Square Dog' series....all 5" x 5" oil paintings on board.  Titled, 'Waggy Tail'....I know you can't see his tail but I can tell it's wagging by the look on the dog's face.

"Waggy Tail"

5" x 5" oil on board

SOLD

"Possession is 9/10th's of the Law"

This is the second 5" x 5" oil I've done for my Square Dog project.   Funny how I'm not really a dog person but I love painting them!  I can see I'll have to photograph this piece again.  It really is square - bad photography on my part.  

"Possession is 9/10th's of the Law"

5" x 5" oil on board

SOLD

A Good ol' Dog

This 5" x 5" oil is an old yellow lab - hopefully the people I did it for will like it!   This is the first painting for my Square Dog project!

"Good 'ol Dog"

5" x 5" oil on panel
SOLD

"Don't Crowd Me"

This is the second of four pieces that I've painted for Legacy Gallery's Holiday Show,  opening December 2.  My four 5" x 5" are a series of cactus flowers, all framed identically in floater frames.

"Group Hug"

This is the second of four small cactus flower oils I've done for Legacy Gallery's Holiday Show.  The show opens on December 2nd and will continue to hang through the end of December.  There's a link to the Holiday Show catalog on their website if you'd like to see the paintings by Legacy's other artists.

"Group Hug" 

5" x 5" oil on board

Levi Doesn't Care Much...

This great little cow oil is Shane's latest piece. It is titled, Levi Doesn't Care Much for Strangers Since the Yogurt Incident of '09.   I don't have a clue where he gets his titles.  As his mother, I will reveal that at the age of 8 he changed his name to T.S.Garp and for a full year all of his school papers bore that name.  (and no, I did not allow him to watch the movie...someone else did).  

I don't know if there is any connection between T.S. Garp and Shane's original titles, but as when he was 8, I assume it is because he has the soul of an artist.  To see Shane's commercial illustration work go to www.blot.com.  His blog is www.turpitout.blogspot.com.  

Shane Rebenschied - "Levi Doesn't Care Much for Strangers"

5" x 7" oil on panel

Purchase this for $100 + $6 s/h

Depths of Glory

Depths of Glory by Irving Stone is about the life of Camille Pissaro with Cezanne, Manet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet and other French Impressionists.  I've read it a dozen times, relating to the painter's words of wisdom.

Camille Pissarro is credited with saying, 'Where does this hunger come from, that drives some of us to draw with a ferocity that is equaled only by the necessity to breathe, to eat, to survive"?   "The compulsion to draw and paint was a positive presence.  Was it a gift or a deficiency?  A blessing or a curse?  Were they self-anointed or the chosen?"  

Years ago while painting outside, I told my artist friend about the book and asked, 'are we the self-anointed or the chosen'?  He thought it was the height of conceit that in regards to painting, I would ask if I  (or he) were the chosen? Never would I think that I could be the chosen when it comes to painting ability....only when it comes to the compulsion to paint.  I still wonder if is a curse or a blessing?  

The only thing in life that I put above painting is my family.  Which brings me to my point on today's post. I am delighted to see that my son is similarly afflicted - as Pissaro also said, "how did one explain this rationally to one who was not similarly afflicted?  Where there was no shared language"?   My son and I have a common language.  

He sent me this painting-in-progress this morning.  I love the cow and almost wish he would leave it as is - incomplete.  I love the brush work on the momma cow's back.  Just gorgeous!

A new project?

I'm back home and in the studio.  First thing on the list is to give the studio a good cleaning!

I've got several more small oils to do for the  Holiday Show at Legacy Gallery.  (this year I'm doing a series of cactus flowers) and then there's a list of commissions I have to start on. I also have a half-finished 20" x 24" red fox painting on the easel to finish and ship to The Walt Horton Fine Art Gallery in Beaver Creek, Colorado.    I've got paintings to ship to The Horton-Hayes Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina and several larger pieces to do for Legacy Gallery.  No rest for the weary.

I took some 5" x 5" dog paintings to the Waterfowl Festival in Easton.  They got lots of attention and all sold the first day.  Since then, I've been mulling over an idea for another online project which I'll call 'The Square Dog'.   The title 'square dog' has a meaning in my family as my brother had a much loved and rather fat mutt called Tom, whose portliness made him look square.  My brother was racing cars at the time and his racing team was called 'The Square Dog Racing Team'.  As the dog paintings are a square format,  I might as well keep a good title in the family.

I'll start posting images for the Square Dog project sometime in December, hopefully in time for Christmas.  As 5" x 5" is not a standard size, the paintings will be sold framed and will be more complete paintings than my 75 for 75 project, therefore will sell for $235 each, which will include shipping.  I'll be using my rather large file of doggy reference for the project but also welcome commissions.   If you get the photos of your dog to me by early December, I'll have it done by Christmas.  

These are the pieces that inspired the project.

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

Is the recession over?

If I can use my sales at The Waterfowl Festival in Easton Maryland as a gauge of the economy, then I declare the Recession over and done with.

A few artists have not done as well - but overall, most artists seem to be heaving sighs of relief.  Not only are little pieces selling,  but work in the $1000-$6000 price range are also wearing red dots (which means SOLD!)

This is the last day.  This evening I pack up up my remaining work to be shipped home Fed-ex ground then head for the airport in the morning.  Tuesday morning I'll be back in the studio!

When I'm on the road, I blog with photos from my cell phone, which aren't the best, but are better than nothing.  This is the Waterfowl Festival's Gold Room,

where my work is exhibited.  That's my buddy, Joe Garcia (photo taken before the doors opened) ready for the crowds!

Morning on the Eastern Shore

The weather has been spectacular as has been the fall color.  And if that isn't good enough, the show is also going very well.  The Waterfowl Festival has always been one of my best shows - and this year, it's 'back to normal' after two slow years.  So I have said goodbye to some of my favorite paintings that have gone home with collectors, and am starting to mull over ideas for new pieces.

One of the main things I like about doing large group shows, such as this one, is that it gives me the opportunity to hobnob with my fellow artists.  Matthew Hillier and his wife Julia Rogers, are showing their work in the same room as me - so every time there is a lull in the crowd, I spend time looking at their work.  One of Julia's paintings is a magnificent oil of a flying egret (over 5 feet horizontally and vertically) and Matthew's seascape oils are to-die-for.  I love the way he handles edges and softens lines.  Really amazing work.

Early morning cruise

As an artist, I meet some of the greatest people.  Friends/collectors in Easton, Margaret and Dick, are at the top of the list.  Joe Garcia and I really got to know Margaret a few years ago when she took our workshop on a river barge on the Burgundy Canal in France.  This year, they invited us to stay at their waterfront home in Easton and surprised us this morning with an early morning cruise of the waterways out to the Choptank River, off the Chesapeake.  It was a beautiful morning with fall color at its peak.  The crowning glory was the bald eagle that flew right over the boat.  What a fabulous morning!

I have 36 new originals on exhibit this year at the Gold Room in the Tidewater Inn.  If you're in the area, stop by!    The festival opens this afternoon with a VIP event and is open to the public starting tomorrow morning. For more information on The Waterfowl Festival such as location and hours, just click on the link.  I hope to see you there.

The Last Piece!

This is the 35th oil I've done in the past few months for The Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, that I leave for on Tuesday.  It's also the last painting for the show.  It's been a long few months that at times, felt devoid of inspiration.  But I persevered and have some pieces that I'm pretty happy with.

This is a 10" x 8" oil on panel titled, 'There is a Season', inspired by the bright autumn leaves outside my studio window.

Now it's time to pack up the last of the paintings and head for the airport!

There is a Season

10" x 8" oil on panel

SOLD

"The Long Way Home"

This is 12" x 9" oil on panel.  This piece gave me an opportunity to play with the composition and the chance to use some interesting light.

The Long Way Home

12" x 9" oil on panel

Three Dog Day

I didn't really paint all of these in one day, but I finished all three today.  These are 5" x 5" oils on Ampersand board...and will be included in my exhibit The Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, next weekend.  I'm looking forward to getting out of the studio and spending a week on the Eastern Shore - such a pretty spot to be at this time of the year.  The Blackwater Refuge in Cambridge, MD., is one of my favorite places to paint, watching the thousands of Canada geese and other waterfowl.  I can only imagine what it was like before the white man arrived in America, when hundreds of thousands of geese would blot out the sun.  What a sight it must have been.  (funny, but to find a link for the Blackwater, I googled 'The Blackwater Refuge' and clicked on google images.....and one of my own paintings came up.)

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

These aren't particularly good reproductions of the paintings.  As usual, I'm fighting the glare off the wet paint.

Light through trees

Sunset Through Trees

I've painted a series of 'light through trees'...there's something about it that intrigues me.  This is just a small oil on an 8" x 8" panel that I've floated in a narrow floater frame.   I rather like the effect and am now working on completing six 5" x 5" floaters for The Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, next week.    The first two  5" x 5"'s  are of dogs - a chocolate lab and a border collie.  I'll post them tomorrow. 

"Folded Wings"

"Folded Wings"

14" x 7" oil on board
SOLD

This looks more like the work I did in watercolor because it's one of the first pieces I did when I switched to oil about five years ago.  A few days ago I found it stashed away, unfinished.  A few brushes strokes and it is done.  The bird is a sparrow.

Artist's Cottage for Rent

I would like to return to New Zealand to live and I'm trying to decide if I should sell my home or rent it out either short term, furnished (more than 30 days) or long term, unfurnished. 
 
I live in Oak Creek Canyon, just north of Sedona, Arizona.  The canyon is one of the prettiest places in the U.S....second in Arizona to the Grand Canyon.  I have a very cute artist's cottage.  1200 s.f.  Two bedroom, 1.5 baths, with studio.  There is also a detached 10' x 12' frame shop with table and matt cutter.  There is no garage or carport.  I have legal creek access.  I'm at 5,000' altitude so there is snow in the winter - but snow comes and leaves just as quickly.  You're not shovelling it all winter.  The canyon is green in the summer, much cooler than Sedona in the summertime and Oak Creek is right across the road within about 100' of the house. 

My home would be perfect for another artist who, perhaps, would like to live in the canyon for six months or even a year.   At this point, I'm just throwing this to the wind to see if renting is a possibility.  Contact me if this sounds interesting.  I would be happy to send photographs. 

View from my door

"Weather Change"

This piece, like Duet in my last post, is also an oil, 20" x 20" on linen, that I've painted for The Waterfowl Festival.  I posted it on Facebook and got lots of great comments - so feel good about the direction I'm heading.  The actual painting has a darker foreground so will try to get a better photograph when it is dry.

 

"Weather Change"

20" x 20" oil on linen
SOLD

"Duet"

I've just finished this 20" x 20" oil on linen for The Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, November 12-14.  The painting was inspired by a 5" x 7" oil study of a flying egret.   I'm happy with the painting - a step towards becoming more painterly and a tad more contemporary.

"Duet"

20" x 20" oil on linen

Online brochure on our New Zealand painting holiday

If you would like to know more about our painting holiday in New Zealand, February 26-March 4, 2012, just click here!

Joe Garcia's wife, Anne, has designed a great brochure with lots of clickable links that will show you where we're going and what we'll be doing there!  We will be adding to the brochure in the months to come.

We have enough students to fill one week, so we are adding a second week, March 7 - 13th.  As students who have signed up for the first week may change to the second week, let us know which week you prefer.

Blue Rhapsody

I've been working on this 8" x 16" oil for the past week, just an hour or two at a time.  I've found that a painting will often turn out better if I don't rush it.  I'll get the basic idea down - then sit it aside where I can glance at it during the day.  I often find that the painting is more finished than I thought.

This painting isn't quite done - maybe another 30 minutes of tweaking to round out the breast and belly of the bird.  This is one of the originals that I'll be showing at The Waterfowl Festival November 12, 13, 14.

Color Study #2

This is another of the six little color studies I've done in the last couple of days.  Perhaps this should be called a 'mood study' rather than a 'color study'.  But then how do you show mood if not by color?  Perhaps value could indicate mood - such as in a low light with soft edges....but for me, mood is all about color.  I've cropped out the dark border as the glare off the dark, wet paint makes it difficult to photograph.  

I'm finding that I'm no longer interested in rendering or painting detail...been there - done that.  What I want to say can be done with fewer brush strokes.  I want to paint mood.  

This little oil, like the one in my last post, is 2.5" square on a 4" square board.  Framing these little pieces isn't going to be easy but I've decided to use a floater frame, floating the panel on an unseen square of gatorboard, leaving a 1/2" gap between the edge of the panel and the frame.  It's a simple/contemporary way of framing that fits my work.  These little oils will be shown at The Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland, November 12, 14 & 14th.  You can find me in the Gold Room at the Tidewater Inn in downtown Easton.  

Color Study #2

Colors Studies

Right now I'm working on oils for The Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland in November.  Yesterday I decided to try some simple little color studies of Maryland's Eastern Shore....no detail, just mood.  These little paintings are a way of working out colors - how one color works against another.  I like the way they're turning out.  This little piece is done on a 4" x 4" panel.  I painted the panel a dark color then did a 2.5" square landscape on the dark paint which makes the moody landscape colors even more intense.

More on the New Zealand Painting Holiday

We've had an amazing response to our painting holiday in New Zealand. Tentatively, we only have space for a couple more and we haven't even started to promote it other than here on my blog. So we've decided to see if we have enough people interested for a second week. The dates for the first painting holiday are February 26 - March 4, 2012. We'll have two days off and we'll repeat the workshop from March 7 - March 14.  Note that this is 2012 sixteen months from now.

Sandspit, New Zealand
Painted on location

This is a brief synopsis:

Enjoy a late summer painting holiday with Joe Garcia and Adele Earnshaw in Adele's home country of New Zealand.  Spend a week exploring and painting the beaches, island and rain forests of the Kowhai Coast where Adele spent her childhood, just an hour north of Auckland.  Unlike traditional painting workshops, your studio will be the beautiful New Zealand countryside.  Paint as  much or as little as you like.  Artists will be encouranged to complete at least one small watercolor each day that can be bound into a finished journal when you return home.  We will also work on sketches and notes in your travel diary.  You don't have to be a painter to participate.  Non-painting companions are welcome and it will be fun for everyone.  

Following is an idea of what our schedule and activities will be like.  This is our tentative plan for the first day.

Continental breakfast at the Retreat followed by orientation and a watercolor demo by Joe or Adele. We'll take a scenic drive on the way to Leigh Fish & Chip Shop (which is even recognized in Wikipedia as 'well-known for the quality of its offerings!) where we'll have good ol' NZ fish and chips served the old way, wrapped in newspaper.  

After lunch we're going to Goat Island where we'll take a 45 minute trip on the glass bottom boat before spending the afternoon painting on the beach.  If you're not a painter or don't feel like painting, you can rent snorkeling equipment and have the experience of a lifetime as the area is a protected marine reserve.  There's also a two hour hike where you follow the clifftop through coastal forest with views to the outer Hauraki Gulf.   For those who are diligently painting, a mid-afternoon swim will get the kinks out of your back!

On the way back to our retreat, we may stop at the Matakana Pub & Bistro for dinner.  That evening, I may take a small group to the top of Morrison's Hill to listen for moreporks.  This is the sound of the New Zealand bush at night - and more than anything else, makes me realize that I'm home.   While we're looking for moreporks, perhaps we'll see The Southern Cross in the night sky.

If you'd like to add your name to the first or second painting holiday, send me an email at:  adele.earnshaw@gmail.com.  For more information, you can go to the workshop page of my website.

Q & A

Do I have to be an experienced artist for this painting holiday?

No.  Joe and I will be there to offer our help, but we won't be hovering over you as we do in traditional studio workshops.   Other than the first day, we won't be doing 'demos' but you are welcome to watch us paint when we're out on painting excursions.  We will offer assistance (if you want it), daily critiques, painting locations and the camaraderie and fun of painting with other artists in one of the prettiest places in the world.   Non-painters are welcome and won't be bored.

 What does the painting holiday cost?

The cost of the painting holiday will be about $2500, give or take $100.  This includes seven nights accommodation (based on double occupancy). We have six two-bedroom, two-bathroom baches reserved at a retreat in Matakana.   (if you click on the link, you'll see images of the resort and baches) You can travel with a friend and have a room with twin beds and your own bathroom, or if you're traveling with your partner, you'll have a king or queen bed.  The cost also includes breakfast, lunch and 4 of your 7 dinners.  We will provide transportation on our daily painting excursions which includes a day trip to Kawau Island, the glass bottom boat at Goat Island and a sheep dog show.

Bach = New Zealand vacation house, cottage or cabin.  Pronounced 'batch'.

What isn't included in the price?

 Not included in the price is your airfare to New Zealand, three dinners, wine or liquor with the exception of the first dinner (we'll stop at the local market where you can buy beer, wine, etc), an optional Maori concert and museum visit on the last day if it works into your schedule, and transportation from Auckland Airport to Matakana if you cannot be at Auckland Airport for two pre-arranged meeting times.  Optional activities, such as snorkeling, are not covered. 

What does it cost to fly from the U.S. to New Zealand?

Depending on where you fly from, the current rates for late February 2011, on Air New Zealand from Denver to AKL (Auckland) is about $1400-$1500 roundtrip.  From Los Angeles, it's about $1350.    Keep in mind that these are 2011 prices as 2012 prices aren't available yet.

How long is the flight?

Eleven to twelve hours non-stop from the West Coast.  The flights leave in the evening - so you board your aircraft, have dinner and a glass of wine and hopefully sleep all the way to New Zealand!  The flight lands in the early morning hours - 5:30 am - 8:30 am.  If you have trouble sleeping on a flight, on Air New Zealand you'll have your own monitor and an unending selection of movies.

Will someone meet me at the airport in Auckland?

We will be at the airport in the morning to pick up passengers arriving from the U.S.  You'll be driven to the retreat where lunch will be waiting for you and you can spend the afternoon unpacking, napping and taking it easy or take a dip in the pool.  We will also be at the airport in the afternoon to meet those arriving from other parts of New Zealand.

Will I have jet-lag?  What is the time difference?

To reach New Zealand you cross the International Date Line, so you will lose a day but you'll get the day back when you travel back to the U.S.  New Zealand is a day ahead and about four hours back from Pacific Time.    If you're coming from the East Coast, you'll notice the time change more.  It is 9:00 AM on Thursday as I write this - and 5:00 AM Friday morning in New Zealand.

Do I have to drive in New Zealand?

We drive on the left side of the ride with the steering wheel on the right side of the car so some Americans prefer to leave the driving to others.  We will pick you up at the airport, drive you to all the painting locations, take you to the supermarket if you need snacks or a bottle of wine and we'll return you to the airport seven days later.

Can you recommend a way for me to see the rest of New Zealand after the painting holiday?

We'll provide you with information on what you can't miss seeing while in NZ.  We'll also give you information on available tours.  For those interested, we're hoping to put together a custom tour with a Kiwi friend who does tours in New Zealand. 

This is where we will be staying.  We have reserved the group of baches cloest to the river.

Today's painting - Trumpeter Swan

This little study got away from me and is more detailed than I intended.   But no time to do another so this is today's piece for the 75 for $75 project.  Click on this link to see the rest of the work in 75 for $75.

The past few weeks, I've been  burning the candle at both ends as I still have a lot of paintings to do for the next show in Easton, Maryland.  No rest for the weary.

Adele Earnshaw - Trumpeter Swan

5" x 7" oil on board, unframed
SOLD

An Inca Dove for today's 5" x 7"

I do love painting Inca doves. (is it 'dove' or 'doves'?)   A nice round shape and warm colors....   This little 7" x 5" oil study is today's piece for my 75 for $75 project.  To see the rest of the paintings, go to the 75 for $75 page on my website.  All the paintings are $75 each, unframed plus $6 shipping within the U.S.  These little oils are quick, spontaneous studies that I do to help me become a better painter.  This is how I work out color combinations, brush work, etc.  I love doing them too!  I paint 8 am - 5 pm,  six days a week - sometimes 7 days when I'm getting ready for a show.  When I first started the 75 for $75 project, I would do the 5" x 7" study at the end of my work day, but I've found that if I do the little painting first thing in the morning, it loosens me up for the larger, more serious paintings that I work on for the rest of the day. 

Adele Earnshaw - Inca Dove #2

7" x 5" oil study on board, unframed

$75 + $6 shipping, priority mail

Shane hopes to start contributing to the project again this week.  He's been up to his ears in his commercial work.

"Lean on Me"

I painted this little oil for the Holiday Small Works Show at Legacy Gallery (Scottsdale, Arizona). "Lean on Me" will have two companions at the show, all 4" x 4" and framed identically.   I can see how my 75 for 75 studies have really improved my color and brushwork, particularly when I'm doing backgrounds.

"Lean on Me"

4" x 4" oil on panel

The Holiday Small Works Show opens on December 2, 2010 and will continue to hang through the end of December.   Opening reception: 7 - 9 PM   

Legacy Gallery, 7178 E. Main Street,  Scottsdale,  Arizona  85251  480 945-1113

A Gull for Today

This may be the first gull I've ever painted in oil.  I really enjoyed painting it - something about painting white in shadow appeals to me.  I think this is one of my favorites of my oil studies so far. 
I am amazed at how much I'm learning by doing these little paintings.

Adele Earnshaw - Gull

Another blue background!

My sister, Joanne Hanson, recently took a painting workshop from Jill Carver, one of the very best plein air painters.  Jill mentioned that her secret weapon is pthalo green.  I agree - mine too - but also pthalo blue.  Both pthalo colors can kill a painting if not used very sparingly.  I use pthalo green (the only green on my palette) not to mix a green but to cool a color.  Sometimes if I'm having trouble getting just the right color, a tiny dot of pthalo green will give me exactly just the color I'm looking for.  On the other hand, I use pthalo blue to add pizazz to a blue or mauve mixture.   In my humble opinion, there are no other colors that you can substitute for the pthalos.  So the pizazz in the blue background of this piece is from pthalo blue - but just a tiny bit of it mixed in with French ultramarine and a few other colors.

As I've mentioned before, I grew up on a poultry farm in New Zealand so I feel highly qualified to paint chickens - or chooks as they're called in New Zealand.   The photo has glare on it because of the shiny wet paint.  When it's dry, I'll scan it and replace this photo with a better image.

 Adele Earnshaw - Chicken

A little more on New Zealand (scroll down for today's 75 for 75)

If you're looking for today's 75 for 75 paintings, scroll down a bit for today's earlier post.

A few days ago,  on Tuesday October 5th to be exact, I announced that Joe Garcia and I have been asked to do a Painting Holiday in the part of New Zealand where I grew up.  Here it is, Friday October 8, and the trip is close to being full!  Wow - I think we've broken all records!

Just in case you're interested, I'm posting a bit more information about it.  Today I came across a few blog entries written by an American writer visiting the Matakana area, where we're staying on our painting holiday.  http://davidlansing.com/?tag=matakana  When you get to the bottom of the page, make sure you click on older entries so that you see a couple more posts about the Matakana area.  I particularly liked his post 'Drinking Wine With the Sun Gods' about a visit with John Crone, winemaker and owner of Hyperion  Winery...one we hope to visit on our painting holiday.

Some have asked if non-painters can come on the trip.  Unlike painting workshops where your spouse/partner/traveling companion may be bored to tears while you're in class, our daily excursions to the bush, beaches and islands of New Zealand's Kowhai Coast offer plenty for painters and non-painters alike. Almost all the places we'll be visiting have great hiking trails.  One afternoon will be spent at Goat Island, where after a trip on the glass bottom boat, the artists in the group can paint for a few hours.  Non-artists can rent snorkeling equipment and see the most amazing marine life as Goat Island has been a protected marine reserve for 30 years.  Diving lessons are also available.   On the following day, we'll take the launch out to Kawau Island we'll spend four hours paintings, exploring and hiking.  After returning to the mainland, perhaps we'll visit a few wineries before heading back to our Retreat for dinner.  After dark those who are interested can come with me to the top of Morrison's Hill where we'll look for the Southern Cross and listen for Moreporks (a native owl) or ruru.  Shortly after dark, if you're in the right location, you'll hear moreporks calling and answering each other.....more-pork....more-pork.  This is the sound of the New Zealand bush at night - and when I know I'm really home.  

My painting for today and Shane's for yesterday

Shane did his 75 for 75 painting yesterday and I forgot to post it here as I had to make a run to Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale to drop off four new paintings for their fall collection.   I love his new little 5" x 7" and when I read his titles, I wonder if my son might be part poet.

Shane Rebenschied - "Too Late for a Casual Withdrawal"

5" x 7"  oil on board

$75 + $6 shipping priority mail

Shane will add the 'buy now' button here shortly

This mourning dove's lively background happened when I had a few large blobs of blue paint left on my palette after painting another piece.  Rather than waste it, I used it behind the dove and found I rather like it.

Adele Earnshaw - Mourning Dove #6

5" x 7" oil on panel

$75 + $6 shipping

SOLD

Again, if you'd like to see the rest of the paintings in our 75 for 75 project, go to my website by clicking on this link.

Only 10 am and my painting today is already finished!

Today's painting for the 75 for 75 project is a hummingbird - it  could be either a ruby-throated hummingbird (found in the east) or a broad-tailed hummingbird (found in the west).  They're very similar and I don't have enough detail in the painting to show the subtle differences.   When hummingbirds are displaying or keeping other hummers away from the feeder, they remind me of X-Wing fighters from Star Wars - such wonderful little acrobats.

This painting illustrates the reason I'm doing the 75 for 75 project.  I can be more daring - more painterly with nothing more to lose than a little time and paint.  If the painting doesn't work - it's OK as I don't have much time invested in it.  Because of this, I find myself being much braver with the paintbrush, using a brush loaded with paint and laying down thick, broad brushstrokes.  I love painting this way!

The photo is not the best.  As I just finished painting it about 15 minutes ago, it's very wet therefore hard to photograph because of the glare.  When it's dry, I'll scan it and post a better image.

Adele Earnshaw - Hummingbird #7

5" x 7"oil on panel

$75 + $6 shipping priority mail

SOLD

To see the rest of the paintings in the 75 for 75 project that my son and have been doing, go to my website, www.AdeleEarnshaw.com by clicking on this link.