And it's not even my birthday...

My sister and brother-in-law are visiting from Colorado.   They surprised me with a new easel that brother-in-law Jim made for me.  WOW!  This means I don't have to sit on the floor when I'm painting the bottom of a large painting as the support that holds the painting goes up and down, but the easel doesn't (unlike my old one).  It's weighted so it's so much easier to raise and lower the height of the painting.

Jim is asking for input from me so he can tweak the design.  He's thinking of custom building easels for other artists.  So if you need an easel.....

Thanks Jim & Joanne.

Journey Into Light

This oil is fresh off the easel....9" x 12" on board.  The location is Ace Basin, about an hour south of Charleston, South Carolina - but it really could be anywhere.

The Colors of Tuscany

I'm teaching a workshop in Tuscany in September.  It's a joint  Earnshaw/Garcia workshop taught in both oil and watercolor.  This is a small 8" x 8" oil of the view from Montelcino.

If you'd like more information on the workshop, go to my website; www.AdeleEarnshaw.com and click on WORKSHOPS where you'll find dates, etc. and a link to Sedona Arts Center. 

2010 Birds in Art Entry

This is a 28"L x 10"W oil (on board) of an elf owl in senita cactus....about a half an hour away from being finished.

The painting is untitled - if you have any brilliant suggestions?   The elf owl is strictly nocturnal and roosts in trees or cacti, often in cavities.  I would like a title that suggests poor planning on the part of the owl's part - as the morning sun has found him.

Edited to add:  Thanks to Joe Garcia, the painting has been named, 'Rude Awakening'.   Perfect!

"Contemplate"

I've been struggling with my Birds in Art Entry - so decided to lighten up my mood today by painting one of my favorite subjects.  This is Joe & Anne Garcia's kitty, Mouser (again).  Good thing I don't have to pay the cat royalties.

Join me in Tuscany!

I'm teaching a workshop with Joe Garcia in Tuscany this September.    This will be the second time we've taught there so I know firsthand what a fabulous experience it is. 

The workshop will be held at Villa Fattoria Bacio in the town of Certaldo, 50 minutes by rail from Florence (to the north), 25 minutes from Siena (to the south) and within viewing distance of the towers of San Gimignano.

             
                                                                     View from the Villa                                                             

We stay at Fattoria Bacio where the workshop is held in the villa's studio.  While we're painting, the villa's owner, Patrizia, is cooking fabulous Tuscan meals for us.. .washed down with the villa's own wine.   We will paint in the studio and plein air on the villa's grounds.

The workshop will be held from September 4 - 11, 2010, with room for only five more students.
Non-paintings spouses/partners/friends are welcome too.   For more details on the workshop (including cost) go to http://sedonaartscenter.com/visitingartistworkshops/categories/workshop-list.htm
then scroll down to September and click on Tuscany - Earnshaw/Garcia. 

Getting there is not difficult.  You can fly into any major city in Italy (Florence or Rome are good choices) then take a train to Certaldo, where a representative from the villa will pick you up.
 If you plan to see more of Italy before or after the workshop, there are many festivals in Tuscany in August.  Volterra celebrates with a medieval fair the last whole week of August and on the last Sunday in August, Montepulciano's  Bravio delle Botti  (barrel rolling race) takes place.   Eight neighborhoods compete for a Palio, a painted cloth banner.  The barrels weigh 80 kg each and are rolled uphill about 1800m along the main street of Montepulciano, finishing in the Piazza Grande.  Costume processions precede the competition and a street banquet follows.  The event dates back to 1373.  August is when all of Europe goes on vacation, so if you prefer cooler temps and fewer people, save your sightseeing for after the workshop in mid-September. 

On my last trip to Italy, Joe & Anne Garcia and I spent a week in my favorite part of Italy;  Riomaggiore, Cinque Terre, on Italy's west coast,   We spent another week in Montelcino, a hill top town in Tuscany.   We rent an apartment or house (often more reasonably priced than hotels) which gives us the option of cooking our own meals.  Half the fun is buying food in the markets. 

  

If Tuscany is on your bucket list, come and spend a week with us in Certaldo!

If you would like more information, email me.

adele.earnshaw@

gmail.com

(Written this way to hopefully foil spammers)

Artist's House

    View from my front door, taken a few months ago.

I have a very cute house in Oak Creek Canyon, a fifteen minute drive north of Sedona, Arizona. I'm giving serious thought to going back to New Zealand for part of the year but don't particularly want to sell my house yet.   Only 1% of Oak Creek Canyon is privately owned so property here is hard to find.  I'm thinking of renting the house out as a fully furnished vacation rental....but for a minimum of two months at a time as there are renting restrictions in my neighborhood.  As there are lots of artists who follow my blog, I thought I would put it out there to see if there's any interest.

The house is 1200 square feet,  non-smoking, 2 bedroom plus a studio, 1.5 baths, dishwasher, washer dryer, microwave, fireplace, barbeque and creek access.  The house would be fully furnished right down to the linens, dishes, etc.  There is a phone but you will need a Verizon broadband card for high speed internet.  The studio would include easel and taboret.   Bedroom #1 has a queen bed.  Bedroom #2 has twins.

I live in a small neighborhood of summer cabins.  Only three are occupied year-round - the rest are  used on the occasional weekend.  My home will be available April 1 through October 30th next year.   No pets.  I prefer adults, preferably two people.    It's ideal for a couple of artists who would like to spend some time painting in the Sedona area.

If you are interested in more information, please email me at adele.earnshaw@gmail  (please add .com to the address) and I'll provide photos and price.