Sedona Plein Air Festival week

Phew...it's been a long week.  It started with glorious weather but by Wednesday we were painting in a snow storm.  Well...snow flurries, perhaps - but snow nevertheless.

This morning, the artists gather at L'Auberge - here in Sedona - for a 'quick-draw'.  Last year I painted the a couple eating breakfast at the outdoor creek side restaurant.  This year, I doubt anyone will be eating outside!  Still too chilly.

These are three of the six pieces I have done this week.

8" x 8"  "Local Color"

8" x 8"  "Quince - Warm Refuge on a Cold Day"

(Jerome, Arizona)

                                       SOLD

9" x 12"  "Sedona's Best"

Oak Creek Market and 'Sedona's Best' ice-cream parlor in uptown Sedona

Sedona Plein Air Festival

SThe Sedona Plein Air Festival starts tomorrow with a paint-out in uptown Sedona, with 32 artists from all over the U.S., including me.   I have a few spots picked out for tomorrow's painting session,  but will probably be painting at the intersection of Jordan Road and Hwy 89A from 2:30 - 5 pm.      On Sunday, October 25th, I'll be painting in front of Windrush Gallery from noon - 2 pm.

One of the festival artists, Latvian artist Larisa Aukon, www.aukonlarisa.com,  will be staying at my house for the week - and artist Joe Garcia, www.joegarcia.com,  and his wife, Anne, will also be here for the festival.  Artist Susan Faust www.susanfaust.com,  will also be painting with us!  So it will be a busy week - painting all day then washing down the bugs and dust with a glass or two of wine in the evenings while discussing the joy and challenges of our day's work.

I painted this piece last year in uptown Sedona and was honored to receive the Curt Walter's Award.

Yellow Umbrellas - Uptown Sedona

SOLD

Painting plein air is so much more fun when you share it with good friends.

Three new pieces for Legacy Gallery

These are 12" x 12" oils on Ampersand cradleboard.  Similar to 'gallery wrap', the painting surface sits is on strips of 2" deep birch....a more contemporary feel and no frame needed

"Lines and Spines"   SOLD

"Hooks and Crooks" SOLD

"Pins and Needles"  SOLD

Sonoran Moonrise

I recently did a small painting titled, 'Red Sky at Night'.  If you scroll down a few posts, you'll see it.  I really liked the feel of it - so I used the same colors for this 8" x 8" oil, 'Sonoran Moonrise'.

'Sonoran Moonrise' will be in Legacy Gallery's Holiday Small Works Show.  www.legacygallery.com
The show opens on Thursday, December 3, 2009 with an artist reception from 7 - 9 PM. 

Tip for cleaning brushes....

This morning, I was cruising (or is it surfing?) around the internet, checking the blogs of some of my favorite artists. Among them is Carol Marine. www.carolmarine.blogspot.com

Check out her 'painting a day' oils. Clean, vibrant color and great compositions.

Anyway, she has a great brush cleaning tip that I'd like to share:

Murphy's Oil Soap! It leaves brushes nice and soft, AND you can put old, dry, caked up brushes in a jar of it for 24 hours, wash them like normal, and every last bit of paint comes off.

Hope Carol doesn't mind that I lifted this off her blog and partially quoted her. I did leave out the bit that 'it smells good' as I cannot stand the smell of the stuff. In spite of the awful smell, I'm running out today to buy a large bottle. Finally I can save some brushes that I forgot to clean.

Birds in Art

The Wall Street Journal has a great article on the Birds in Art exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204518504574417023686769120.html

My painting, 'Cold Embrace' is in the 2009 exhibit. 'In the Wind' was in last year's exhibit and is still traveling with the year-long national tour.

For more information on the annual Birds in Art exhibition, go to: www.lywam.org