2012 National Juried Exhibition

Hi Everybody,

"Daddy's Little Artists,"  Oil on Canvas,  14"x18"

I have some cool news!  I enter my artwork in many juried competitions.  I never expect that my work will get in.  Art is so subjective.  For instance, I entered "Rainy Night 2," into the Annual Spring Show at the Academy of Art University last year and didn't get into the show. The beginning of this year, I entered the same piece into a highly more competitive show, not only did the piece get into the show, but it also won an award of merit.  So, as you can see when I enter something into a competition it's never guaranteed that it will be accepted.

Well, "enough beating around the bush," so to say.  The Great Frame Up Gallery in Longmont, Colorado is having a juried art competition: the 2012 National Juried Art Exhibition. The show is juried by Nicholaus Arnold.  Mr. Arnold has received his MFA from Syracuse University and a BFA from Wright State University.

I got not one, not two, not three, but FOUR PAINTINGS ACCEPTED into the EXHIBITION!!!
I am so very honored and appreciative to be a part of this exhibit!

         

           "Our Time,"  Oil on Canvas,  24"x24"

"Mommy & Me,"  Oil on Canvas,  20"x16"

"I Treasure You,"  Oil on Linen,  24"x18"

Here's information about the show below:

Exhibit Opens: Friday, July 13, 2012

Artist Reception & Award Ceremony: Friday, July 13 (6 pm- 9 pm)

Exhibit Ends: Friday August 31, 2012

Gallery: The Great Frame Up -- Artists' Gallery

Address: 430 Main Street, Longmont, Co 80501

Phone: 303-772-7293

Website: www.Longmont.TheGreatFrameUp.com

Why I love painting children!

Hi Everybody!

So....children.... Children are not easy to paint, let me tell you.  I first painted a child for a commissioned portrait.  Honestly, I was a little scared at first.  Any artist will tell you when painting kids that you walk on a thin line.  This line waivers from painting a sweet looking child or the exact opposite and the kid will look creepy or a stunted adult.  It's very easy to go into way too much detail and you can loose the innocence and youth of the child. Below is my first commissioned portrait of a young 5 year old girl, Hannah.

"Hannah Gardner," Oil on Canvas 8"x10"

After I painted Hannah, I realized that I was able to accomplish the cute innocence of a child, no creepiness at all!  When this occurred, I realized that I didn't have to be afraid to paint children anymore.  I became extremely interested in Mary Cassatt, a great Impressionist Artist.  She lived during the same time as such artists' like Monet and Degas.  Cassatt was able to be successful during her lifetime in a "boys club."  This is what drew me towards children with their parents.  The relationship of a child's love towards their mother or father is a beautiful thing.  This relationship will help unfold the child's development and growth. 

With this, I never looked back and have made painting children one of my prominent subject matters!

"Mommy & Me," Oil on Canvas, 20"x16"

"I Treasure You," Oil on Canvas, 24"x18"

"Daddy's Little Artists," Oil on Canvas, 14"x18"

New Series I'm working on! May 2012!

Hi Everyone!

Well it's been extremely eventful for me lately. My sister graduated from California Lutheran University on May 12th with a Business Marketing major. Maybe she'll be able to help promote me ;)  Also, Mother's day is always a big event with my family.  It's been an enjoyable, lovely month.  I'm blessed to have a family that is so supportive of me and my work.  For instance, my Uncle & Grandpa work together and they gave me one of their offices to use as my studio.  It is so kind of them, they just wanted to help in any way that they can.  My parents are absolutely selfless and wonderful!  They never try to pressure me into doing anything but I want to do, plus so much more!  So I am thankful for them! 

Enough with my thankful rant, back to art!  I am currently working on a new series of paintings for a gallery.  The gallery owner loved my painting "Rainy Night 1," and told me to do a series of 4 paintings of people walking in the rain and they will represent me!  I'll share the gallery name once I actually have my paintings finished and mailed out to them!  Until then, let me show you my current series of paintings that I'm working on!

As you can see below, none of the paintings are finished, I'm just happy with the progress that I've made thus far.  Please feel free to leave any comments and let me know what you think of my work!  I appreciate all the feedback that I can get!

I promise that I'll post sooner next time!  I need to get used to blogging :) 

May 5, 2012 Last Class for Spring Semester

Hey Everyone,

Happy Holiday!  I hope everyone is having a fun time today and that everyone stays safe.  Lots of drunkards out tonight.  Today, I didn't go out drinking.  I did have Mexican food for dinner, but, I eat Mexican food a lot anyways, I digress. Today, was my official last day of Plein Air Painting Class for the Conejo Valley Adult School's Spring Semester 2012.  This has been my first class that I've taught all on my own.  I feel that it has been an extremely successful class.  My students have all improved immensely.  I'll show their progress in a future post.  Also, many of them want to keep taking classes from me either through the school or on my own.  This makes me extremely happy to know that they enjoy my teaching and I'm actually inspiring people to make art.  In celebration of the class, I am putting up my last plein air painting that I did today.  We painted at Forrest Cove Park in Agoura Hills, California.  Actually, it was a lot prettier than I first anticipated.  There's Lady Face Mountain, Strawberry Hill, and many other hills and trees surrounding the park.  The weather was perfect, sunny but not too hot.  Could not ask for a more lovely day to paint.  Without further ado, below is my painting.

"Agoura Hills 1," Oil on Canvas Board, 9"x12"  May 5, 2012