Art for Life at Abend Gallery

"Green Cup" a 6 x 6" oil on panel is a donation to the art auction at Abend Gallery next Friday, May 17th.  Here it is framed:

First Week of May



"About to be Peeled"
5 x 5 oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting

 

One of my artist friends on Facebook said she like my scratching when it was more in a "destroying mode" instead of the outline scratching I have been playing with.  So this was for her....exaggerated edges and a WHOLE lot of scratching and destroying.  It was soooo fun though.

 

 

"Purple Pansies"
6 x 6" oil on Gessobord
SOLD

I painted a similar "pose" of these pansies last year in pastel.  I wanted to see how I would do with oil and all the complex (for me) little shapes.  It sold in less than 24 hours and I'm happy.  It's off to North Carolina as soon as its dry.

We had yet another spring snowstorm this week.  The "pool guy" is starting to work on the swimming pool in our complex.  It was odd to see the turquoise of the painted pool, with patio furniture on the pool deck all with about 6" of snow. Ah....spring!

Two New Minis

"Red Plum"
4 x 4 oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting



"Lemon Light"
4 x 4 oil on Gessobord
Click Here to Purchase Painting

Pieces of April

"P-Eggy Sue"
5 x 5 oil on Gessobord
Sold
FASO Favorite 15% for March

 

"Green Cup and Strawberry"
6 x 6" oil on Gessobord
To be auctioned at Abend Gallery
on May 17, 2013 for
Art for Life Event
Benefit for Project Angel Heart

Is it April already?  Taxes done (ugh), new washing machine (long ugly story), lots of art business and painting accomplished.  I'm not a fan of April, so come on May!

I'm painting with an eye toward the holiday season as I've committed to having "bunches of paintings" ready for Abend Gallery here in Denver. 

The big summer convention and exhibition for CPSA (Colored Pencil Society of America) is also fast approaching - the last week of July.  This year will be in Brea, CA and should be a great time.

Thanks for listening!

Catching Up

Wow, time does get away from me! 

I was in Orlando, Florida March 8-12th for a Colored Pencil Society of America (CPSA) board meeting.  There are 13 people on our board from across the country and we all converged in Orlando for planning and brainstorming.

We also toured the Ormond Beach area, as the gallery for our 2014 exhibition will be held at the Ormond Beach Memorial Gallery and Museum.  It's going to be a great place to showcase colored pencil art...not to mention the beautiful tropical gardens that also surround the museum.

This was about an hour from Orlando, traveling on a late Sunday afternoon.  It was also Biker Week  in Ormond Beach....many, many motorcycles....and loud noise.  We tucked ourselves away in Lulu's a seafood restaurant about a block from the beach, and it was so delightful.

I loved Florida, but hated the travel.  Does this mean I'm getting old?  I used to think travel was so "glamorous".

Ormond Beach, FL (Atlantic Side)
From my recent trip to FL for the CPSA board meeting

I woke up this morning to an email from FASO (Fine Art Studios Online) notifying me that "Sunny Side" has been chosen as a Finalist in the February Bold Brush Competition.  I have been entering the competition each month for some time now, and I finally made the list of winners.  Super happy!

"Sunny Side"
4 x 4 oil on Gessobord
Finalist for February
Bold Brush Competition
YIPPEE!

The Green Pepper

"Green Pepper"
4 x 4 oil on Gessobord
Painted 2-24-13
SOLD

"Green Chile"
4 x 4 oil on Gessobord
Painted 2-16-11
SOLD

I almost always find it amusing to paint a reference that I painted several years ago.  I notice my palette has cooled from warm to cool (at least on this one), and my edges have definitely become softer. 

Someone inevitably lets me know they like the older one better.  :-)

Interview with Daily Paintworks

I have been a member of Daily Paintworks for over a year now, maybe going on two years.  Time flies!  Last week, Jennifer Marine, asked if I would be the featured artist for the week starting Feb 22, 2013 and answer a few interview questions.  Here is the link to the interview - Click Here  

Yesterday was the day I cleaned out my art supplies and furniture from the studio I shared with JunieB for the last two years.  While I will definitely miss seeing JunieB so often, I don't think I'm going to miss going to the studio so often. 

When I got home, I got the groundwork laid for two paintings, an 8 x 8" (new size for me) and a 5 x 7", then because I was pooped - yes, I'm old - I did a quickie painting of cherries.

(One last item of note.  I was asked what my ebay ID is - it's Cornstreetvintage - a holdover ID from my early ebay efforts.) My listings all have my name - Cynthia Haase - in the title, so a quick ebay search should find my items being auctioned.)



"Cherries Flambe"
4 x 4 oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Home

Emma's Flower Garden
Photography Still Life :-)
Craft Hour at Grandma and Grandpa's on Emma Tuesdays
2-19-13

Some of you may remember reading recently that I have given up my studio in Golden.  While it was a joy to have for the last two years, I think during that time I have learned the discipline of painting most everyday. I have now set up my painting "studio" at home in the dining room right next to the bank of north facing windows.  North light being the best, you know.  I remember watching a video demonstration by master oil painter David Leffel.  He was talking about painting with the natural north light, someone in the crowd asked, "What if you don't have windows that face north?" David replied, "You move." His point being, painting is either your priority or its not.  My old studio had windows in every direction except north...so maybe this move "home" was to accomodate the priority of painting.  If you are serious about painting, you will paint at home.  Did I mention it's also cheaper?

I've also been experimenting again with selling paintings on ebay, the online auction site (like I needed to explain that.) A Facebook friend recommended I check it out, so I did.  I've sold 16 paintings since Feb 5th on ebay...and one on Etsy.  (Etsy has been dead for me since Christmas.)
The first week of February I watched the paintings that received bids, the ones that didn't and how much a painting like mine might go for.  The paintings that receive bids start VERY low, like $.01 or $.99....the first few auctions under my belt I thought I would choke when the bidding was at $5 until the last minute when they end up selling for a whole bunch more.  It's funny how much ownership you feel when you've bid $.99 on something. You don't want to relinquish your possession, so you keep bidding.  But if you were asked to bid $50 right out of the shute, you wouldn't...even if  your $.99 bid grew to $50...the psychology of bidding!  The final prices I was receiving wasn't much different, on average, than what I get on Etsy, probably a bit more. It's' just I have more control over when a particular painting goes out the door and when the money comes in.  I've also had the pleasure of "meeting" collectors from hither and yon parts of the US and Canada.  Two wonderful folks bought 4 and 5 paintings apiece.  The highest price for a 6 x 6" so far has been $71 plus $5 shipping. That's the highest price I've received for a 6 x 6, unless it was framed and on exhibition in a gallery setting.

So if you are in the market for a painting, please check out the Daily Painting widget in the upper right corner....bidding starts at 99 cents!

Lightness of Being

"Sunny Side"
4 x 4 oil on Gessobord
SOLD

"Cherry Bomb"
4 x 4" oil on Gessbord
SOLD

"Limeade"

4 x 4" oil on Gessobord

SOLD

"Natural Pear"

5 x 5 oil on Gessobord

SOLD

I've been spending some time this week painting in natural light, as opposed to darker, more dramatic, artificial lighting.  This has been a great deal of fun and a good learning exercise.  Subjects bathed in natural light require different colors (especially the shadows and the color temperature.)

They feel lighter, brighter and more contemporary (as opposed to traditional.)

To purchase or bid on these paintings, please consult the Daily Paintworks widget on the top right side bar.  The image will be shown as part of the slide show and you can click on the painting your are interested in.

New Paintings and Spare Time

"Conversations"
6 x 6 oil on Gessobord
SOLD

"Cherry on Purple"
6 x 6 oil on Gessobord
SOLD

Been having fun with color and lots of brush work for the last couple of days.  I'll be making the most of my last month at the studio.  Sadly, June and I have decided the rent money could be spent on lots of other things, and we both could take advantage of the spaces we have in our basements.  I think after two years I have enough discipline to now carry on at home.  If not, I'll be looking for studio space :-)

In case anyone is wondering what I do in my spare time...hah!  I also serve as the president for the Colored Pencil Society of America, an excellent art society with a board of 13 and a membership of over 1500 worldwide (mostly in the US.)

Each year CPSA holds two excellent exhibitions, one online exploring mixed media with colored pencil as the dominant medium, and one international exhibition held in a different location each year.  This year we will be at the Brea City Gallery (CA) in July and August.

We are pleased to unveil our ET!9 online beginning today at the CPSA website.  Here is the direct link to the exhibition.  There are some extraordinarily creative works this year and it could be our best Explore This! exhibition to date.  Enjoy!