ZFest Arts & Music Festival

Zachary Louisiana had its 8th annual ZFest, arts & music festival, this weekend.  We had a great time taking our kids on the carnival rides.  My son sang with his school choir, on the main stage.  It was fun hearing the local music and eating the food.  The Regional Arts Council of Zachary held a judged art exhibit.  Award winning artist, Bonnie Williams was the judge.  I was thrilled to see my watercolor painting "Good Bedfellows" was awarded 1st place.  Students entered some pretty impressive pieces in the under 18 catagory as well.   I hope to see the art show grow more each year so everyone can see what the talented local artists are painting.

Art for Madisonville Exhibit 2014

I was suprised and excited to see that my "creating" painting won 1st place at the Art for Madisonville exhibit.  It is my first, 1st place ribbon. (Yay!)  It is 16x20 acrylic on canvas.

I also entered two other paintings done in pastel.  "Old Coffee pot Gumbo" and "Just Looking Around"

Framed paintings

I had a busy week here at "Lisa's frame shop".  I framed my newest 4 paintings and I think they look just right.  These are slated for a few exhibits this spring (if they get in).  After that they will be up for sale....

Now back to the drawing "painting" board.  I have some ideas for the next paintings I want to do.

Old Coffee Pot Gumbo

I am thrilled to share that my Old Coffee Pot Gumbo Painting was juried into the 2014 Brush with Burden Art Exhibit.  The reception will take place March 22 from 3-6pm at the LSU AgCenter Botanical Gardens (Burden Center) in Baton Rouge. The exhibit will hang from March 23rd - 30th and is open to the public.

Pastel Workshop

 I conducted a workshop in soft pastels at Joie Petite Designs, in Zachary, LA.

These ladies were a lot of fun and did a wonderful job on their paintings.

We collectively worked on a still life, with apple slices and fabric, during the morning.  After lunch, each worked on a painting of their choice.

I hope to run another session later in the spring.

 

 

Work in progress completed

I think I have finished this painting.  I will let it sit for a few days, and glance at it as I walk by.  Sometimes something will jump out as odd and I can fix it before I snap a photo of it with my good camera.  I also need to come up with a good title for it.  I usually start calling it something in my head as I paint it but haven't settled on a name for this one just yet....

Work in progress

So here is where I started this afternoon.  I added color to her shirt.

I added blue for the blanket, working on folds and shadows.

Phew.... this is as far as I got today.  The fabric is almost done.  I started darkening the background behind her pillow but need to darken it more.  The facial features of both the girl and dog need some more detail, as does her hair.  I like the way the saten edge of the blanket turned out.  I hope to get it done in one (or two) more sittings.  Then I will look at it for a few days before deciding it it needs anything else.  Thanks for following along with me. :)

Work in progress .....

So here I go starting a new painting.  A friend of mine is letting me use her photo as a reference (thanks Tiffany).  I love to see a painting develop as a work in progress.  So I will post as I go, for anyone else who would like to watch.  Also, this is the first time I have used the blogger app on my iPad to post so I am not sure what this will look like.  My laptop seems to show more ways to customize.

Tiger Lily

watercolor

12x16

This is the finished painting.  This one started as the painting demonstration at Joie Petite Designs in Zachary.  I will frame this one in a simple gold frame with an off white mat. 

Painting demo at Joie Petite Designs, Sept. 14th at 1pm

photo reference

I am getting ready for my painting demo at Joie Petite Designs on Sept. 14th at 1pm.  I have sketched out a tiger lily, using a photo I took last summer.  I started painting in the stamens so that I can apply masking fluid to them and be free paint the petals underneath.

This is watercolor on 11x14 paper.

I am using 3 pigments: gamboge, rose madder quinacridone, sap green.  I may use some ultramarine blue to create grays for shadows.








Joie Petite Designs, Gallery & Studio
4257 Church Street, Suite 104
Zachary, Louisiana, 70791

Framing and re-framing

first frame on "Two Blades of Grass"

I had originally framed this painting in a simple black frame with off-white mat.  Being that this is a pastel painting, I had placed a floater in between the painting and mat.  This is so any pastel dust that may fall, will fall behind the mat keeping it clean.

 

Recently I taught a watercolor class to adults, where I live in Zachary, LA.  One of my students offered to make me a unique frame out of old barn wood.  He did a great job and I decided to re frame this cow.  I think she looks great!

re-framed "Two Blades of Grass"

I think she belongs in this frame.  I used a framing method called Passe-Partout Framing.  I used an acrylic spacer between the UV glass and the painting.  I decided not to use mat board.  PH neutral tape was used to seal the glass to a strong backing board.  The painting is now sandwiched between the glass and backboard.  Should I ever want to change this frame, it lifts out as one unit.  No air or humidity can seep in to cause damage.  I read about this method on Richard McKinley's Pastel Pointers Blog.  See link for full details http://www.artistsnetwork.com/articles/art-demos-techniques/pastel-pointers-blog-passe-partout-framing

 

I love the look of this painting without mat.  I have already framed my "Looking Back" pastel cow painting in another barn wood frame.  It looks great.

Beaux

acrylic 16x20

 

Here is Beaux, the black lab that comes to stay with us from time to time.  He is such a beauty, I wanted to paint him.

The Pampered Pooch

Zachary, LA

 

Here are both paintings, "Beaux" and "A Little Chocolate", hanging proudly at The Pampered Pooch dog spa.  I think they look great on this green wall.  Perhaps they will sell or someone may want a commissioned painting done of their "fur-child".