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!

Wild Arts Festival Postcard

Here is the postcard for the Wild Arts Festival.  I'm so excited to have my crow painting featured on the card!  Happily, the original is available, and will be at the show.

I just shot some new photos of the little crow family that dines here at my house, so I will be working feverishly to have some new crow paintings to show at the festival.

Crow Family Portraits VII  12x12 pastel

What's New?

Here we are...November already!  The summer absolutely flew by.  I  have one new paintings to show, and a lot of work that needs a little more attention before it's ready for viewing. 

 I participated in Roseburg's Umpqua Plein Air competition in September, and am finishing up three paintings for the Oregon Society of Artists "200 for $200" show that opens this Friday night.  I'll post those soon- they're not quite finished yet.  I also participated in my first Painter's Showcase show at the end of September.  This painting won an honorable mention...

Goosey V  11x14 pastel

So now I'm working to get ready for the Portland Audubon Society's Wild Arts Festival, November 22 &23 at Montgomery Park in Portland.  I was thrilled to find out that they used one of my paintings on the promotional postcard as well as the two for  one coupon.  Sweet!!!
 Click here for 2 for 1 coupon- Wild Arts Festival

Lavender Festival, Art on Broadway and Muse in July

I've been busy!  The Yamhill Lavender Festival is this weekend (July 12 and July 13) and the plein air art show looks fantastic.   I have five paintings hanging at the show, and  I won an honorable mention for one of my paintings from Jackson School Lavender.  It's a wonderful event in beautiful Beulah Park in Yamhill, OR. It's a lovely 40 minute drive west from Beaverton, and is a great way to spend a Sunday.  Admission is free, there are vendor booths with lavender products, live music, food booths, beer, pony rides, and the plein air art show.  I'll be hanging out at the show tomorrow.

I am part of a group show with Painters Showcase this month at Art on Broadway in downtown Beaverton. The reception for the show is tonight, July 12 6-9pm.  The show will be up through July.

I I'm also part of a group show at Muse Art Supply in SE Portland at 45th and Hawthorne with other Oregon Society of Artists open studio painters.  I have four paintings hanging, and one of my paintings made it onto the Muse newsletter.  Woo hoo!  

A Tricky Start to the Plein Air Season

 And we're off.  Plein air season has begun.  I say this as rain pounds against my window.  It's just a spring thundershower, but wimpy me is inside with the heat on.  Maybe I'll go outside to paint tomorrow...

I did get my paintings submitted to Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego which is part of Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts  June 20-22, 2014.  They were due last Friday, and even with the grandkids here, I got the photos of the paintings shot and emailed.  At least I thought I did. Yesterday, I got a frantic phone call and email from the organizers, wondering where my work was.  What?  I sent it.  And they didin't have it.  I had no idea that there was a problem.  No messages on the computer that it didn't send...nothing.  The organizers graciously allowed me to resend the images.  I'm not kidding...it took 15 emails to get the images to them.  Six images.  I tried sending them all at once, splitting them into groups of three, sending them individually...and they finally all got there after 15 tries.  Some of the emails just vanished in transit, which I think is really weird.  I don't get it, but I'm happy that they arrived!

Here are the pesky images that they will be picking from...all painted on location in spring weather at Lusher Farm in Lake Oswego, and the Upper Easement next to Jantzen Island.

I Know A Place   12x24 plein air- oil paint   N Equall

Through The Trees   12x12 plein air pastel  N Equall

A Warm Welcome  12x16  plein air pastel  N Equall

The Way Things Used To Be  12x12 plein air pastel  N Equall

Lucky Clover  6x6 plein air pastel  N Equall

Along The Path  6x6 plein air pastel  N Equall

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!

Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego

I am excited to be an invited artist participating this weekend and next in Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego.  I'll be painting this Saturday, May 10 at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego, and somewhere down by the river with Jackie McCartin at Foothills Park/Roehr Park  on Sunday.  My fingers are crossed that the weather is cooperative!  Paint out days are May 10-11 and May 17-18 Finished artwork will be displayed at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts June 20-22.

-click on the link below for more info, and to see a list of the other participants-
Plein Air: A Chronicle of Lake Oswego

Three shows this weekend!

This weekend I will be in three shows here in the Portland metro area.

Chip  8x8 pastel     at Celebration of Creativity this weekend!

Celebration of Creativity starts this evening and runs thru Sunday at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Beaverton, OR.  I have ten paintings hanging, twenty framed and unframed paintings in the bin, and lots of cards.  It is always a wonderful show.   The church becomes a big gallery.  It's not a booth type art show. This is the first time that I've been invited to participate, and I'm thrilled to be part of it!  Click here for more info.

I will also be participating in the Buckman School Art Show and Sell, at Buckman Elementary School in SE Portland (close in).  This is my fourth year being asked to participate, and it's sure to be lots of fun with lots of great arts and crafts.  This is an art focused elementary school, with something for everyone.  They have performers on stage, more than 100 artists showing their wares, and an art room so kids can try their hand at different activities.  It's running this year Sat 11-7 and Sun 11-5.  Click here for more info about the Buckman art show

Sunday afternoon is the Oregon Society of Artists Spring Juried Show at their gallery in SW Portland.  I'm going to try to make it for the ribbons, which will be awarded around 2:30.  I have one painting entered into the show.Click here for info about Oregon Society of Artists