AT Sketches in Georgia

Here are two little sketches I did while Adam and I were on the AT in Georgia with David Horton and lots of great friends in March.  Notecard-worthy maybe.

Park Avenue Studio

My home studio is coming right along.  The new HUGE and wonderful window was put in on Wednesday.  It won't get much morning light from the north, but I'm not a morning person so that is okay.  The warm evening light will be perfect for me!!  I am so pleased with how much this opened up my studio space.  It makes me much more excited to finish this project and move in.  I will be so glad to be at home painting whenever I please.  I am lucky to have so many who care enough about me and my work to help make this happen.

Drywall, fixtures, HEAT, and a coat of paint...a studio party is soon to come!

Benchmark Drawings

Here is a benchmark drawing from one of my Kindergarten students in Mill Creek. I just found it today going through things for a student exhibit next week at the Randolph County Community Arts Center and thought it was so hilarious! I don't know what in the world this kid thinks deer do- but that definitely looks like poo to me. Enjoy!

The Little Seneca Creek Painting

Here is "Little Seneca Creek"!  This was a fun oil painting- start to finish.  I had been on an adventure with Adam this fall along Seneca Creek and took some neat photos- especially this one of a little stream that flowed into Seneca Creek.  I usually don't start a painting with a single-color underpainting, but for some reason I tried it with orange since it was a colorful scene and I think it really made it "glow".  Even though I covered up a lot of the orange (even the orange seen in the leaves is different from the initial orange underpainting), it still seems to seep up to the top and warm up the water/grass/trees.  It is just so neat- I'm sure to try that technique again soon.  Adam and his friend, Dan are planning a three day stage run in October that starts at The Mountain Institute on Spruce Knob and runs past this spot on one of the three days.  The WV Trilogy should be a really beautiful weekend of running!

Here is an oil painting of my Great-grandma Alma feeding chickens on the Burky family farm in Helvetia.  It took me quite a while to work from a black and white photo to add my own colors and embellishments, but I am finally happy with it.  I displayed this during my recent solo show at the Randolph County Community Arts Center in October and November.  I am interested in doing more paintings like this and have found several old photos that just suit my style lately.  The next image to get started on is one of my Great-great grandparents (Wilmoths) on my Kramer family side sitting in front of a corn field.

This little jewel is now somewhere in the White House- yes, in D.C. This was commissioned as a gift for Michelle Obama during the presentation of a National Youth Program Award given to The Old Brick Playhouse for their apprentice program. The image is a hand-embellished oil monotype of the Lehmann family's shed on their farm in Helvetia. It truly feels like West Virginia to me. Serene. Simple. Beautiful. I am so pleased with our young theatre program and with the opportunity to have some big recognition in our little town.

These three images are from my current solo exhibit in the Randolph County Community Arts Center. The first image is an oil monotype called "Uncle Eddie" and was made from a slide image found in an old box of my great uncle's belongings. The second image is still life study in oil on canvas of a group of tomatoes from our garden this summer. The last image is an oil monotype of the old Shoemaker's Shop in Helvetia. The exhibit will be up at the Arts Center until Nov.25th. The Arts Center will receive a large portion of the sales of any work in the exhibit - so please go take a look and consider a significant gift for yourself, your friends, or your family to benefit a great Elkins non-profit.

I will have a new Solo Exhibit opening at the Randolph County Community Arts Center. The reception will be held on Friday, October 23, 2009 from 5-7pm in the Maxwell Gallery. My new work is part of a collection called "Taking Time" and consists of oil monotype prints and oil paintings.

Square-format oil on canvas. I was not too keen on the square canvas at first, but it is really neat to showcase specific objects this way. I sold this within the first few weeks it was at Artists at Work Gallery. I am working on a few more object studies and will probably continue with the square-format canvases even though they go mostly against what aesthetics say. They're cool! This picture does no justice to the fruit- it looks more juicy in person. I'll have to do another one.

Here are two oil on canvas; I just finished them and sent them to their homes. The first image is of my friend, Katie and her new baby Oscar. I am in need of more practice with people and skin but this isn't a terrible attempt. The second image is the beginning of the Highlands Sky 40 mile trail run that is put on in Canaan Valley, West Virginia. It was said that they all "look like they are peeing"-(let me repeat: I need more practice with people) so take it as you wish- but they are really just standing around waiting to start running with their little fuel belts and backpacks on in the foggy morning. Enjoy!