What A Year!

 

 Unfurling

30 x 30

 

With all that has been going on in life this year I finally got to spend some time in my studio and finished up this little beauty.  It's a white Dahlia with so many interesting shapes and soft soothing colors.  I needed a calming painting like this right now.....how about you?

Paris Painting Returns to Paris (Kind of)

Song - Little French Song by Carla Bruni

I had a happy surprise several months ago when a woman named Isabelle contacted me through my painting website.  She was wondering about purchasing a painting that I did a number of years ago.  Unfortunately that specific painting had sold several years ago so besides making sure she was legit and not some hacker, I did my research and put on my thinking cap.  Isabelle has a French language business in Paris and she is a tutor.  She wanted my painting for her website.

Here was my solution.....anything sent to Paris would be incredibly expensive to send and since she only needed an image of this painting (which I still own the copyright on) I offered to send her a high resolution copy for a nominal fee while the money transaction would go through PayPal.  She was very happy with that idea and the most charming thing is that we still email each other every few weeks wondering how each of us is dealing in this time of craziness!

If you would like to take a French language class in Paris or on Skype her contact is here:

https://french-in-paris.com/

New Exhibit

I paint with a group of amazing women artists and occasionally we hang exhibits together. 

After waiting 2-3 years for a show at the Orinda Library Gallery BASA's name finally came up.

We were due to hang on March 31st and then the pandemic hit.

So with Covid-19 on everyone's mind we decided to take what we have been working so hard on and give you a virtual show. How creative is that!

Here is the link: Click Me!

During this stressful time I hope our video gives you a moment to relax.

Stay well......Jeanette

Morning Light

Morning Light - 30x30

Several weeks ago I was on Instagram and I came across a photo of the most amazing peonies which were lit so dramatically that I instantly fell in love.  Wendy Straderick from Essex in the UK, politely gave me permission to paint from her glorious photo. You can follow Wendy at wendysgrandgardens on Instagram.

I just finished this beauty today and it's patiently drying on my studio counter.

The Show is Hung

Artist Joanne Taeuffer and myself hung our new show at the Orinda Library Art Gallery on Monday.
The show is titled -  The 21st Century Flâneurs.

Lucky for us we brought along two Sherpa helpers and all looks great for the reception on Sunday!
Hope you can join us at the Orinda Library on Sunday, July 7th from 2:30 to 4:30.  There will be light refreshments and cold drinks.

Two other artists will be showing in the gallery cases.  Above is Kath Balamuth's beautiful work and below are the talents of Elaine & Robert Drew who are illustrators. 

There is a lot of new work to look at!  Hope you get a change to make it to the reception but if you're away for the weekend, please try and stop by the library sometime in July!

Orinda Library, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda CA 94563

Open Daily

M-Th 10 am - 8 pm, F & Sat 10 am - 6 pm, Sun 1 pm - 5 pm

21st Century Flâneurs

I will be showing at the Orinda Library's wonderful gallery during the month of July!  A good friend and fellow painter, Joanne Taeuffer will be joining me for a fresh show entitled ...

As you can see, we both paint in different styles and bring our individual points of view to our work.  Joanne often seeks out quirkiness and bold color while I tend to look for beauty and calm.....I raised three boys so I wonder why I need calm in my life!


PS - the impressionist flâneur  was someone who strolled through the modern world and observed and recorded that world.  We hope also to be such passionate spectators of the everyday!

Bit by Bit

 In 2013 our family took a fishing trip to Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana.  This barn struck me as an old working beauty.  It was located near Victor, Idaho where we were staying.

It overlooks the majestic Tetons, foothills and lots of pasture land.

I would love to know it's history but I didn't think to ask anyone at the time.  It probably isn't standing any longer as it looked like one more winter might do her in.

So I painted it for a show I was doing in Danville, California called "Barn Dance" but I was never happy with the painting.

I kept playing with the mountains in the background. Then it stuck me that there was no entry into the barn (this was the back and I loved the view of the mountains).

So I added a door and lived with it for awhile.....but it was still too stagnant for me......

"The Old Guard" - 40 x 30

Two years ago I added a fence and a road and lowered the mountains.  I lived with that for awhile......mmmm......still there was something needed. I felt that this painting had a lot going for it so it was worth working with.  And yesterday I added cow.......there it is! Some humanity.....life!

Ahhh...I can breathe again.....how about you?

The above photo is from the show "Barn Dance" with the group of women I paint with -  Bay Area Studio Artists!

They are amazing!!!

Finding Your Tribe

Finding Your Tribe

Bath, England

18 x 24

My husband and I took a trip to England & Scotland two years ago and I fell in love with the people, the countryside, the houses and tea time!

I painted this from a photo that I took near the Roman Baths of several school children running home from school as happy as can be. In fact it's the Bath Abbey in the background.

2019 First Painting

Hello 2019

In 2014 my husband and I traveled to Normandy to spend some time at Mont-Saint-Michel.  It was so crowded with tourists climbing up the winding road to the top that I was about ready to turn around but when we arrived at the monastery and I heard the monks chanting, I was a goner! I loved that the sheep were in the field nearby.

Here is my first painting of the New Year - Mont-Saint-Michel - 24 x 36.

Orinda Books Reception

The group of women that I paint with had a reception on Saturday celebrating our new show "The Herd Instinct".

It was a nice event and the store was also sponsoring a pet adoption that same day.  So there were kittens and puppies to enjoy!

Hope you can stop by to enjoy our artwork and the wonderful books at Orinda Books!


The show will be open until the end of the month of October.

A New Show

The Herd Instinct

 

The Bay Area Studio Artist (BASA) will present “The Herd Instinct,” an exhibit of paintings in acrylics and oils, at Orinda Books, 276 Village Square, Orinda, during the month of October. You are invited to a reception from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 6th.
“The Herd Instinct” explores the urge to gather with others of your own kind - whether it’s a migrating pod of whales, cows grazing in the pasture or jellyfish just floating through life. We have included everything from a peep of chickens to a mob of sheep to a loveliness of ladybugs. And, we’ve even noticed that inanimate objects seem to have a herd instinct so we’ve included an array of apples.
In addition to our BASA artists, Suzun Almquist, Jeanette Crawford Baird, Ellen Reintjes, Joanne Taeuffer, Sharon Tama, and Marcy Wheeler, we are joined by two guest artist, Lassie Colebourn and Ruth Stanton.

Temporary New Office & Studio

This has been my new office for the last three weeks............beautiful Lake Tahoe.

And this has been my studio for the same time..............

Most days consisted of reading, painting, beach time and cooking.

Ahhhh......bliss!

The family cabin is at the base of Mt. Tallac and the aspen were just beginning to turn color.

"Drama Queens"

I was able to finish my Paris Peonies and two other paintings.

Now it's back to reality!

At Home & Painting

Happy to be at home and painting again!  Above is a painting that I started yesterday of a bouquet of peonies.  The photo reference was taken this spring in Paris. (see below)

Can you believe this beautiful and massive bouquet taken through a shop window?

"Just living is not enough....

one must have sunshine, freedom, 

and a little flower."

--Hans Christian Anderson

Returning from Nantucket

I have been so out of the loop in posting my new paintings - but trust me - I have been painting!

I have just returned from ten days on Nantucket Island and it was magical.  The painting above was our view from the ferry as we were leaving Hyannis Port in the evening and heading to Nantucket which is 30 miles out to sea.  On the fast ferry it only takes an hour!

I had brought my painting supplies to the island and had a great little spot in the dining room of our home to paint.  It used to be a screened in porch but now it is enclosed with floor to ceiling windows on three sides that allowed for great light and air flow.  It was 98% humidity while I was there so it was impossible to paint outside.

We went to the beach on a few days to cool off in the Atlantic and the house in the above painting was our view behind where we sat on Sesachacha beach near Sankaty lighthouse.

My final painting that I started on Nantucket was of a window box on a House & Garden tour that my girlfriends and I went on in Sconset.  Everywhere we went on the island people had incredible gardens and window boxes! 

Misty Morning Walk

 Misty Morning Walk

40" X 60"

Love the feeling of the shepherd with his flock on an early morning stroll getting his sheep from one area to another pasture just like it has been done for so many generations. 

 

Pearl

Pearl - 30 x 30

I have had this painting finished for several months now and I have been pondering over a name for her.  Two weeks ago my family came over for a BBQ and I put them all to the task of naming this sweet cow.  Pearl was the favorite due to the prism of soft coloring within her white hide.

New Exhibit

The group that I paint and show with, BASA, just put up a new wall at the Lafayette Library.  Their summer theme is "Build Your Brain" so we submitted paintings of good food, music, exercise and reading, as well as a collaborative painting of Einstein!

Hope you can stop by the Homework room and get some inspiration from our new exhibit!

 Beach Dance 24 x 24

I Have So Much to Share

For the last 32 days I have been in the land of....

and......

Can you guess where I have been?

I have been traveling in England and Scotland soaking up fresh images and colors - absorbing new culture as well as ancient ones.

Time to start painting....see you soon.

Happy Birthday

Happy 100th Birthday.....to our National Parks!

Hope you can join me on Monday at 

the Lafayette Library for a reception.

Julia Parker's painting will be there!

 BASA's collaborative piece "John Muir, Starry Range of Light 

is a beautiful focal piece for our National Park Series.

Suzun Almquist, Joanne Taeuffer, Marcy Wheeler, Sharon Tama, Jeanette Baird

Bay Area Studio Artists will be there to greet you too!