New ( Little) Paintings

I love making these little 6"x6" paintings.  These three will be making their debut at the Wild Arts Festival this weekend at Montgomery Park in Portland.  There is a link at the bottom of this post for a two for one admission coupon.  

The first one is one of my favorite spots to paint on Sauvie Island, just off Rentenaar Rd.   It's a beautiful place, and has the added bonus that I can park on the side of the road and paint right out of the back of my car.  It seems like there aren't very many places around here where that is possible.  

Our Little Corner of the World   6x6  pastel  N Equall

This second painting was done on location at the Beaverton Creek Wetlands Natural Area, from the little bridge.  This painting was done plein air, which simply means it was done outside, on location.  

Beaverton Creek   6x6 plein air pastel   N Equall

This third painting was also plein air, and was also painted on Rentenaar Rd on Sauvie Island.  This canal is further down the road from the other location- almost to the dike, just before the boundary gate.  It was painted on a beautiful October afternoon, with sandhill cranes hanging out in the field to the right of the canal.  Their cooing conversations were magic.  

The Space Between   6x6  plein air pastel   N Equall

Click here for 2 for 1 coupon for admission to the Wild Arts Festival

Countdown to the Wild Arts Festival (and a link for a 2 for 1 admission coupon)

I'm feverishly working to get ready for the Audubon Wild Arts Festival this weekend (November 22 and 23) at Montgomery Park in Portland.  It's bananas around here!  I've got stacks of new greeting cards,and a bunch of new paintings all framed and ready to go.  I'm excited about the tan kraft paper shopping bags that were just delivered, ready to be filled with a new painting, crisp white tissue, and a black raffia bow.  

My booth will be located on the second floor.  From the escalator, it will be on the far right aisle, third booth in (#48).  I'm still pinching myself that I'm in the show- I'm just thrilled to pieces.

Here are a couple of  new paintings that I'll be bringing to the show...

Crow Family Portrait IX   12x12 pastel  N Equall

click the link below for the coupon

 Wild Arts Festival 2 for 1 admission coupon

Chip- The Indoor Cat    16"x16" pastel  N Equall



 Hopefully bringing the cat to an Audubon Society art show doesn't ruffle any feathers!

May 2014

I've been busy painting at Lusher Farm for Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego.  It was such a wonderful surprise to be invited to participate, and it's been an adventure trying to get back into the plein air groove.  It's coming back...slowly.

One of the best parts of Lusher Farm for me is the dog park.  It's big, the views of the hillside and farm are beautiful, there are nice restrooms and safe parking.  I took Deuce, my sweet chocolate lab, with me to paint last weekend.  It was his 11th birthday, so to celebrate he got to spend an entire afternoon in the previously unexplored timid/shy dog area of the dog park.  It was great!  In the past, we've gone to the big, all purpose dog area.  The last time we went I realized that while my boy is still full of fun, he can't keep up with packs of young adult big dogs.  So we tried the other area.  Deuce had a blast meeting a steady stream of non-aggressive dogs that were more into sniffing then wrestling.  I met some very nice folks who had their dogs there for some off leash fun, and got started on a couple paintings for possible inclusion in the plein air event.

On Monday, I went to my first Painter's Showcase meeting.  I'm so excited to be a new member!  I had to pinch myself- I was sitting there with more than twenty of the area's finest artists that chose me to be in their group.  I'm thrilled to be part of PS, am excited to get to know the other members, and be part of the big show they put on in September.

I also received notice today that I've been accepted into the Wild Arts Festival in November.  Yippee!  I was rejected a couple of years ago, but tried again this year with a more cohesive body of work, and a clearer vision of what I really want to be painting.  Birds.  Wetlands.  Nature Refuges.  Repeat!

I am so happy to have these awesome additions to my art show calendar.  It feels great!

People's Choice Twofer!

Yamhill County  24x24  pastel     People's Choice winner at OSA Fall Juried Show '13

 I was very honored to be awarded the People's Choice award at the Fall Juried Show at the Oregon Society of Artists Gallery in Portland, OR.


 I also was awarded the People's Choice award at the Hillsboro Plein Air event last week.  Along with a lovely ribbon, I won a beautiful Guerilla pochade box and gift certificate.

Thank you to the People!

Hello Autumn  11x14  plein air pastel    available at the Walters Cultural Center Gallery in Hillsboro OR thru October 2013

Umpqua Plein Air 2013- Best of Show!

First Look   6"x6" plein air pastel  Best of Show- Umpqua Plein Air 2013

This was my third year participating in Umpqua Plein Air, put on by the Umpqua Art Association in Roseburg, OR.  As in previous years, the plein air event was wonderfully organized, with all the information spelled out ahead of time.  The actual schedule of events was different from previous years...this year, the quick draw was held for two hours on the afternoon of the first day.  

I arrived in Roseburg about an hour before the event began, so I had a chance to check in to my favorite little place to stay in Roseburg, the Rose City Motel.  It is the cleanest and most comfortable motel I've ever stayed in, and at about $50 per night, it is a real bargain.  The rooms look like they are straight out of Country Living magazine circa 1983.  I was in the garden room, and the bed was as comfortable as my own at home.  

The quick draw was held in the park outside the Umpqua Art Association gallery.  My painting was nothing to write home about.  It happens.  Plein air painting is hard!  

Quick draw entry- photo shot in the back of my car, complete with reflections on the glass and poor color choices.  It started off a pretty nice painting, but I killed it somewhere along the way.  Oh well.

There was a catered dinner in the park after the quick draw, followed by a nice talk from the show juror Brenda Boylan, who spoke on the Good, Bad and Ugly in regards to painting plein air. 

The next day dawned partially cloudy, with a high chance of thunder showers.  I had signed up to paint at the Norris Blueberry Farm about ten miles NW of Roseburg.  The farm was awesome.  I wandered around for about a half hour, taking lots of photos and trying to decide where to set up my painting gear. Once I got near the pond (complete with two swans), I knew my search for a painting place was over.  It was absolutely amazing. The swans begged to be painted- beautiful white feathers, exotic black lined eyes and beaks, and then those weird legs that looked like their flesh colored tights were falling down.  They spent over an hour preening themselves on a little island just off shore from where I set up my easel, and I was very tempted to paint them, but I just couldn't once I started to really soak in the territorial views.  

I couldn't decide which view to paint, so I started two paintings- one looking north, and one looking east. I could see both directions from my easel. Because of the chance of rain, I set up my big Eddie Bauer beach umbrella from Costco.  It's huge, it's beige, and it works.  

I am a fair weather girl, and I just don't paint outside when it's anything but dry and pleasant. That is, up until now.  This was a timed event, and I had until 4 pm to produce something for the show.  I was pretty excited about the sky show that was going on, and the constantly changing state of the light on the landscape.  A pretty major storm was moving into the northwest, and it was fascinating to be a witness to the subtle and not so subtle changes.   

I chose to do a 6x6 and a 12x12 painting for the competition.  I hoped that at least one of them would turn out ok.  I never know if my idea is going to pan out, especially with the added stress of being in a timed competition.  Painting outdoors is challenging under the best of conditions.  I settled on my compositions, sketched them in, and using thin oil paint, completed both underpaintings.  It was feeling pretty humid outside, so I did a little blotting onto the underpaintings to try to get them to dry faster.  I didn't want to put much pastel onto the surface before the Gamsol was dry, as it melts the pastel onto the surface, and gives a darker look to the light colors.

photo- the view to the north, Norris Blueberry Farm

The 6x6 almost painted itself.  As soon as I noticed the sun lighting up the edge of the treeline, I was interested.  Then I noticed the trees that were a bit further back, and that I could see through the trunks to the fields behind.  That was it. I was totally besotted with the scene.  I love it when that happens!

The 12x12 scene was almost as easy to choose.  The view up the valley was spectacular, especially with the storm clouds piling up against the mountains to the east.  Purple and blue. Delicious!

I had not really planned for inclement weather.  I had a fleece zipup, but I had neglected to bring long pants or real shoes.  I was fresh from Hood River, and it had been around 90 degrees there.  If not for that Eddie Bauer umbrella, I would have been up the proverbial creek.

As the storm blew in, it got colder.  The wind started blowing.   And then it started raining.  Hard.  I saw other artists make a run for cover, and I thought about packing it up, but then I realized that I was dry under my umbrella. My easel, cart, pastel box- everything stayed totally dry.  I was chilly, but dry.  I figured I may as well stay put and finish my painting.

I was amazed when, in the middle the pouring rain, there was a tiny break in the clouds behind me and a brilliant ray of sun lit up the trees I was painting.  It lasted about 45 seconds, and was absolute magic.  I've never seen anything like it.  Probably because I NEVER paint outside when it is raining. It was fun adding the bright gold sunlight to the back of the field in my painting, and made coming up with the title much easier!

Sunbreak   12x12 plein air pastel    N Equall

I had no problem finishing both paintings before 2:30, and was even graced with a break in the rain, allowing me to pack up and get back to my car without getting soaked.  I backed into an open shed, and got both paintings framed without incident, and then safely turned in at the art center.

I was totally surprised and thrilled to be awarded best of show for my little 6x6 painting First Look.  The paintings from the plein air event will be on display at the Hallie Ford Gallery at the Umpqua Valley Art Association in Roseburg through October.

I'm looking at these cloudy skies a little differently now, and actually had another opportunity to paint an approaching storm a couple of weeks later at the Hillsboro Plein Air event. More on that next time...

Intermission- between Hood River and Roseburg

Yamhill County  24x24 pastel  N Equall

September has been my art vortex of craziness.  The saga continues...

Cluck  12x12  pastel - Note there are weird reflections in the glass- I will replace this image as soon as I get the painting back...I forgot to take the photo before framing, and figured awful was better than nothing! OSA Gallery

PNPA was finished, and I had one day in Portland before I had to be in Roseburg (175 miles south of Portland).  I was afraid that we were going to run out of food for our diabetic dog while I was out of town, so I cooked up a batch of chicken, vegetables and barley, did five loads of laundry, straightened up the house,  framed two pastels for the OSA Fall Juried show, dropped them off at the gallery, and repacked for the three day plein air competition in Roseburg.

Crow Family Portraits IV  pastel   N Equall
Artreach Gallery thru 9/29/13

I was already committed to participate with the Westside Artist Guild in a group show at the Artreach Gallery in downtown Portland in a show titled Five O'clock Shadows.  I decided to use only bird paintings for that show, so before I had left for Hood River,  I packed and delivered ten 8x8 pastel bird portraits , and three 12x12 crow portraits for my friend and artist Patty Gifford to deliver to the gallery for me.  That show will be up thru September 29.

Next time...Umpqua Plein Air 2013!

New Year, New Paintings

I have been having a blast painting the local crows.  They're loud, clever, and endlessly fascinating to watch.  I just love their rictal bristles(those whiskery, eyelash looking feathers between their eye and beak).

I will have these paintings, along with much more at the Spring Home and Garden Show next week (February 20-24) at the Expo Center in Portland, OR.  I'll be set up in the Artisan Village, along with some of my Oregon Society of Artist buddies.  I will be spending my time painting during the show, so I'll have my own little studio area set up.  This is my second year at the show- it should be great!  Click on the following for a discount coupon into the show...Click here for $2 off coupon to the Spring Home and Garden Show!

Crow Family Portraits I  pastel  12x12  N Equall

Crow Family Portraits II  pastel  12x12  N Equall

Crow Family Portraits III  pastel  12x12 N Equall

Crow Family Portraits IV  pastel  12x12 N Equall

Visual Arts Showcase November 5-13 2011

Out & About

Listings of arts, entertainment and leisure activities in the Tigard and Beaverton areas

The Times, Oct 27, 2011

SUBMITTED PHOTO / FOR TIMES NEWSPAPERS

“One Last Look Before I Go” by artist Nathalie Equall is one of the pieces to be shown in the Visual Arts Showcase scheduled for Nov. 5-13 at the Beaverton City Library.

ART

VISUAL ARTS SHOWCASE – The 29th annual event sponsored by Reser’s and presented by the Beaverton Arts Commission is Nov. 5-13 at the Beaverton City Library, 12375 S.W. Fifth St., during library hours. The event is free, the art is for sale. Call 503-526-2379. For more information, visit beavertonarts.org. Also planned is a media workshop for artists and performers presented by the Westside Cultural Alliance on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 10:30 a.m.; Music in Small Spaces presents The Oregon Guitar Quarter on Sunday, Nov. 6, and Flute, Viola and Harp on Sunday, Nov. 13, Teen Art Show Nov. 17-23, Family Art Day presented by the Washington County Museum and Print Arts NW Nov. 19, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and more.

Oregon Society of Artists Fall Juried Show- Honorable Mention

I attended the OSA reception today, and was thrilled to receive an honorable mention for my painting "Reflect".

My prediction was correct re: Lorraine Bushek  (who runs the Monday Salon group).  Her egg painting won first place. Stunning!  Congrats Lorraine!  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=161451053938166&set=a.161450490604889.40525.100002198173873&type=1&theater

Also, Gena Keith, also from my Monday Salon group won third place for her striking collage.  I knew it was an amazing group on Mondays, but to get three out of six ribbons from our little group is astounding.  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=161450897271515&set=a.161450490604889.40525.100002198173873&type=1&theater

Oregon Society of Artists Fall Juried Show

Reflect  pastel  N Equall

This Sunday marks the opening of OSA's fall juried show.  I submitted two paintings. I don't hold out much hope of adding to my ribbon collection this time, as the work being submitted was gorgeous.  If I were placing a bet, I'd put my money on Lorraine Bushek.  She has a gorgeous still life with eggs that seemed to be lit from within.  The awards will be given during the reception this Sunday September 4 around 2 pm.  The reception is open to the public.  Refreshments will be served.

Respite  12x36  pastel  N Equall