PSV at Goodwin House 2012

See more at http://tinyurl.com/Goodwin2012.

Sale at The Loft Gallery ends soon

The sale ends on Sunday, so come by for some great deals. Because I retained the featured artist space for during the sale, I have a great selection of artwork available!

Target Gallery at the Torpedo Factory - March Madness

Look for my two seafaring mixed media pieces, Explore and Voyage. I played History Geek on these two, playing off Sirens and Elizabeth I on one and The Ambassadors and a skeleton on the others.

10x10 on panel, 1.5" gallery sides
Edit - I could not part with Voyage, so it's in my private collection.

Pastel Society of Virginia Logo

PSV installs at Goodwin House in Alexandria (Fillmore at Beauregard) on Sunday and the show runs to April 14. We are having a reception there on March 11 from 2-4p. It will feature a slide show by Lynne Grossman as well as celebrate our first birthday and recognize of Miriam A. Kilmer, who is the graphic artist for our new logo!

Thank you so much, Miriam.

Entering 2012 With a Bang

I now have a QR code for my blog, Potomac Artworks



and my photo blog:



More to come. My computer has been up and down for a month. It's about to be up again if it kills me.

Coming Clean Closing

Open through New Year's Eve, Coming Clean is still showing at The Loft Gallery in Occoquan. Go for a fabulous taste of Italy from Naples to Venice, laundry or no.

Find a map and gallery hours at the Virginia Tourism site, below. See you there!

Tuscan Harvest

The photographic reference for this pastel painting came during a train trip from Rome to Venice and I know it was from north of Florence, but I am not sure how far north. The entire trip was wonderful for seeing the lush fields and vendor carts. This is my homage to them.

This was the beginning of the piece, prior to a water floated underpainting.

Tuscan Harvest
pastel
12x16

San Michele

San Michele is another beautiful island near Venice. The brick walls makes one wonder what is within.

This is among my miniature collection for the exhibit.

San Michele
3x4
pastel

Valle a Campania

I took many reference photos out a bus, ferry, taxi, or train; often times it was out the other side of the transportation. This one was like that through a bus's window into a glowing Campania valley.There were so many levels and layers to the landscape that I chose to use a different style to show it. Call it elongated pointillism ... over a watercolor underpainting on UArt 500.

Okay, I did manufacture the cloud, so Naples Sun is not the only painting with a cloud, but it is the only genuine one.

Valle a Campania
4x10
pastel

Coming Clean Opening

The Virginia Tourism website has more details about today's opening of Coming Clean: Clotheslines in Italy.

Also find a map and gallery hours. See you there!

Naples Sun

A pair with Naples Fresh, Naples Sun depicts several buildings which could boast of laundry billowing in the breeze and drying in the heat. It also has the pleasure of having my only cloud in the whole series. Anyone looking at my blog knows how I love to paint a cloud!

Naples Sun
pastel
8x8

Naples Fresh

Naples is a port city. It reminded me of an old woman with beautiful bones, but past her time. The living accommodations also seemed to limit space for appliances ... to my benefit. There was laundry everywhere!

Naples Fresh
8x8
pastel

Linee Electriche

The reference photo for Linee Electriche was taken early one morning as we traveled by bus from Rome to Naples and Pompeii; it is from the Campania Region.

There are many sorts of lines, not all hold laundry. I especially like that this painting shows adjacent electric towers, one with lines closer to a mountain ridge and heading deep into a valley. Just like laundry lines, they run every which way.

 

Linee Electriche

4x10

pastel

Burano Colori

From a photo I took in Burano, Italy, a small island known for their lace industry, colorful houses, and fishermen, this pastel painting is a play on what colors you'll find in Burano. Instead of the emphasis being on a colorful house, the emphasis is on the colorful laundry I found there instead.

Burano Colori
9x12
pastel
SOLD

Venezia Originale

All referencing my own photography from August 2011, some of my paintings for this exhibit are charming miniatures which have nothing or everything to do with laundry! The photo basis for this one came from our trip the airport, which is primarily accessible via water taxis, beautiful wooden powerboats which zoomed along within these structures as guidance.

The painting's title salutes Venice's origins, the marshes, which still exist at its edges.

Venice Originale
3x4
pastel

Coming Clean: Clothlines in Italy

My first Featured Artist exhibit at The Loft Gallery at 313 Mill St in Occoquan is called "Coming Clean: Clotheslines in Italy" and runs from December 6 through December 30.

You are invited to my opening, which will be officially from 1-4p on Saturday, December 10, and will feature Italy-inspired food and live violin music. Unofficially, the reception will begin before noon; come around 11:30 to get your free ticket in the Occoquan $1000 in gift certificates drawing at noon.

The exhibit marries my two loves: I use my own photographic references as the basis for pastel vignettes of this highly intimate subject, laundry, found hanging in southern, central, and northern Italy.  It's been a labor of love, so come out and see this collection of pastels.

Workhouse Small Works in Building 16

Come by the Workhouse in December for the continuing W-16 Associates Small Works ShowS. Yes, that "S" means the show will change over each month and the next time is on December 7.

Sales can walk, so we will back fill to keep the gallery freshly stocked. Come early, as these little pretties go fast. Check out the new gift shop in W-16, too, which also features small works as well as other gift items created by Workhouse artists!

Workhouse Arts Center Black Friday Schedule

Come out to see our Small Works Show in W-16. Sales have been great, so stop by early.

Small Works in Pastel at The Loft Gallery

Visit The Loft Gallery at 313 Mill Street in Occoquan for well priced Small Works decorating trees and table tops galore beginning November 15.

Hours are Tuesday-Friday 11-4, Saturday 11-5, and Sunday 12-5.

The Town of Occoquan will hold their Annual Tree Lighting at 8pm at the Town Hall on Friday, November 18. Begin across the street beforehand at The Loft for a special Open House from 4-8pm. Light refreshments will be served.

Here's a sampling of a few of my pastels which are on display:




These beautifully framed pastels are perfect for teacher's gifts and other small, but meaningful, occasions.

Pint-Sized Mixed Media

 
Don't miss the Annual Small Works Exhibit at The Loft Gallery at 313 Mill St in Occoquan!

Here are a few of my mixed media minis in their cuter than cute heart frames...

Watch for my pastel minis in a few days, plus look at the Workhouse for more!


At only $12 each, these mixed media minis make incredible gifts for friends, family, teachers, neighbors, and Secret Santas alike. The show begins on November 15 and runs through the holidays, plus there's a special holiday reception November 18 from 4-8pm.