"Poppy Crock" watercolor class demo $99 sale Diane Morgan

Watercolor on Arches 300# cold press.  Demo from class at http://www.venusstudiosartsupply.com/

“Poppy Crock”  Watercolor class demo 10 x 13”

http://dianem1111.fineartstudioonline.com/works/1490571/poppy-crock

All class demos now on sale for $99. See the entire $99 collection

http://dianem1111.fineartstudioonline.com/collections/13769

Hooray, hooray the First of May. 99 Bucks sale starts today

"Pop of Color"  watercolor.  One of dozens of my demos from watercolor classes this season that are on sale for $99.  Many originally $475.    99 bucks sale for the month of May only.
http://dianemorganpaints.com/works/1455049/pop-of-color
To see the complete selection  www.dianemorganpaints.com 

California Poppies Landscape Painting by Theresa Paden

California Poppies Landscape Painting

By Theresa Paden
"California Poppies in the Morning"

10 x 10"

Oil on 1.5" gallery-wrapped canvas.

Edges are painted, so no frame is needed.

Email me for purchasing information.
theresapaden@gmail.com

Click here to visit my website to see more paintings

The Poppies of Arlington Gardens by Marian Fortunati

The Poppies of Arlington Gardens © Marian Fortunati 16" x 8" Oil on RayMar Panel
Click on the link above for additional details.

Occasionally I drive far to the east toward the San Gabriel Valley to paint with a group called "Thursdays En Plein Air".  Because of nasty L.A. morning traffic, the drive is tedious from my house to that area and I can't often join the group.  However, I sometimes do take advantage of the day by

	Brenda Swenson critiques the watermedia work.
	Chuck Kovacik steps in for Walter McNall to critique the oils.
	Yellow irises... Beautiful!!!

joining them.

There are many reasons  for going.  Among them are:

1. Each session is followed by critiques by respected water-color artist Brenda Swenson or oil painter   Walter McNall a wonderful artist who is quite a beloved character.  If either of them is not present there is usually someone who steps up to take their place...   This is a difficult task but adds so much to the day... We all learn from listening!
2. They go to places I've never visited -- often they are lovely.
3. The group is large and diverse and I enjoy meeting and getting to know the various artists during the time we all break for lunch after painting all morning.

Several years ago because of this group, I discovered Arlington Gardens.    The lovely Arlington Gardens lie in Pasadena, CA, part of the San Gabriel Valley.  The gardens are a magnificent example of what a community can do to enhance the neighborhood.   Whenever I have the opportunity to paint there with a group, I jump aboard.  Each visit is magical and each year different.

Last week's visit was warm and sunny -- actually almost hot!  After wandering around the gardens delighting in the wide variety of flowers, plants and beautiful corners, I settled on the field of poppies.   Red poppies I'm told are originally from Italy.   Scattered among the large red flowers were our orange California poppies.   Pure heaven!   I decided to change the look by having a long narrow vertical format.  -- Just to be different I guess.   But I liked the outcome.  Hope you do too.

Another group I paint with is going next Thursday, but the weatherman is predicting rain and thunderstorms.   Hmmmmmm.

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"Poppy Path" A Colorful California Landscape by Marian Fortunati

Every time I travel to across California, I am filled with a special joy when I see fields of flowers.   This pathway of poppies leads me right into a little bit of heaven.   I hope you will enjoy it the wide splash of color across the grassy field.

I was thrilled to learn that my painting, "Poppy Path" was juried in to the Buenaventura open show.  More than 400 paintings were entered into the show but the juror, Gary Lang, could only choose 80 paintings to hang.  Here is what he wrote after jurying the show:

“To all the artists who submitted artworks to the Buenaventura Gallery invitational it was truly an honor to witness your efforts first hand. Too many unique creative visions to curate into one exhibition. There was no true rejection, rather my attempt to select and reward an edge of the whole. In many cases I would overlook obvious talents in an effort to honor courage, vulnerability and risk as I have learned that none of us can afford to be too comfortable.  Every artist in this competition has merit, and 10 shows could have been curated from the work I looked at. 

Cudos to you all, and thank you for pitching your time honored projects to the public at your own expense. I get it, tip my hat to you all.”

Gary Lang

Perhaps I will see you at the reception if you are in the area.  If you can't make it on Saturday, please try to go by this lovely gallery before the show is over.

Perhaps I will see you at the reception if you are in the area.  If you can't make it on Saturday, please try to go by this lovely gallery before the show is over.

Poppy Path      © Marian Fortunati 16"x20" Oil on Canvas Panel

Click on the above link for additional details.  Best of Show, 2011 Open Competition "Coastal" by Laurel Murray-Joleaud 25th Annual Open Competition Buenaventura Gallery January 10 - 28, 2012 Reception & Awards: Saturday, January 14 4 - 7 pm The Annual Competition brings artists from all over the county competiting for cash prizes and other awards. 700 E. Santa Clara, Ventura, CA 93001 • 805.648.1235 www.buenaventuragallery.org

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Commissions and An Upcoming Show --- Marian Fortunati

I've been struggling with trying to paint anything worthwhile lately.

A Commission and a Missing Muse
Actually about a month ago I was commissioned to do a painting.  This made me feel very humble since the client has already purchased three of my paintings.  But for any number of reasons, I've put off trying to work on it.   (Fear of failure, perhaps??)  After a few back and forth exchanges with the client, and several attempts on a smaller format, we've settled on a larger sized canvas.   Even at the larger size, the figure --which is important to the client-- is tiny and is proving to be extremely difficult to make resemble the client's relative as he stands in front of his mountain cabin.   Ah well...  Nothing ventured, nothing gained. 

And other paintings that I have in the works are just NOT moving the way I'd like either.   I think I've had the summer time blues or my painting muse is off surfing somewhere... or something.

Musical Chairs
In my last post I talked a bit about the musical chairs feeling of trying to decide which events to submit to and then which paintings to submit to which event.   Over the weekend I finally decided to submit to a local event and to forgo another event because of the cost.   Both exhibitions were being sponsored by Women Painters West, a club that, in general, highlights work which is less traditional than mine.   I usually don't get juried in to this group's shows.

Honoring Jane
The exhibition didn't have the snazzy venue, but a valued long time family friend, (Jane Friend - a wonderful water color artist) had encouraged me to join Women Painters West.   (She was a lifetime member).   Since she recently passed away at 93, one of the prizes offered was given in her name.   I entered this show to honor her and her good hopes for me. (Jane also taught at the venue where the show would be hung).  I figured I wouldn't enter the other exhibition at the fancier venue -- only this one.

Before I left, I put on a lovely stone bracelet which my friend, Diane Nelson-Gold, had given me.   Diane is a painter and she also makes jewelry.  I thought its energy would give me some good luck.  Upon driving to Burbank's Creative Arts Center and completing my paperwork at the entry desk, the other artists told me that the OTHER venue should NOT be passed up.   Hmmmmm.   I had entered THESE two paintings in THIS show because I wasn't going to enter either in the other venue.    Now what?   Still thinking about it now...   If I were to enter THAT one I'd have to come up with some different entries.  ----But I've still got almost a week.   SIGH.  Maybe...

************** SURPRISES!************************
The wonderful surprises came this afternoon when, after driving all the way back (with my fingers crossed and hoping I wouldn't have to take BOTH of my paintings home again), I found out that both were juried IN by the juror, Deanna Izen Miller, a gallerist with galleries in Marina Del Rey and Hawaii.   YAY!!

AND THEN I found out that she selected one of my paintings to receive a top cash prize!   WOW... WHAT a fabulous surprise and a wonderful honor!!!

Poppy Path

Point Lobos Poetry

If you can come by, I'd love to see you at the reception this coming Friday evening.

If you can't make it Friday, try to come by and see the show while it is hanging this month.  - Thanks!

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Poppy Path - California Landscape by Marian Fortunati

Poppy Path © Marian Fortunati 14" x 18" Oil on RayMar Panel

Okay...  So I just spent an inordinate amount of time setting up a Facebook Business Page.   I had avoided this in the past because I just didn't want to spend my time that way.  However, my friend, Leslie Saeta, and her great blogtalk partner, Dreama Tolle Perry, did a blogtalk show about it last week and it sounded like a great idea.  They always have interesting things to share.

Now mind you, I DO like to fool around with the computer and to figure out how to do things.....   BUT.....  now that I've spent the entire day working on this...  (I even set up a little store there too...... check it out ), I'm not sure it was worth the time... other than to say that I did it.

So if you use Facebook, would you do me a favor and make me feel better about my use of time by "liking" this page?

LIKE MY FACEBOOK BUSINESS PAGE

(Oh... and tell your facebook friends about it too, please.)

I keep on trying to do the "marketing thing".  Although marketing is important, I spend most of my "painting" time actually painting.   I find it far more satisfying, so I should probably stop trying to place my work in new venues, or to try new marketing ploys and just stick to what I enjoy most - painting. 

Here is one of the most recent paintings that I've finished - (Poppy Path).   I just love fields of flowers and so I tried to capture the "fluffy" feeling of fields of grasses and flowers that I saw in this scene.  Hope you LIKE it!!

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Papaveri - (Poppies) Original California Landscape Oil Painting by Marian Fortunati

I have a wonderful opportunity to show my work at a lovely local restaurant named Louise's Trattoria in Studio City, CA.  This is a somewhat trendy suburb of Los Angeles and I'm hoping that people will enjoy the work and perhaps be motivated to purchase some for their home or office.

I've framed and labeled 20 paintings and will hang as many as look good in the spaces provided.  Perhaps you live in the area and would like to drop by.    I'd sure enjoy it if you would!

Poppies Four, oil pastel on paper by Carol Engles

9x12 oil pastel on paper. jcengles@verizon.net or:

carolengles.artspan.com


California Artist Carol Engles