Great Reception

Last Friday night there was a fine reception at the Collector in Berkeley.  Wine, cheese, music and intriguing artwork!

These are 6 in my "French Waiter Series".  They will be at the Collector until the end of August. 

A Gallery in Berkeley

I have had the honor of being asked to participate at a gallery in Berkeley, "Collector".

Hope you can join me at the reception on Friday, July 11th from 6-8!

The Winter Prune

Whenever I drive around the Napa Valley, I always take my camera with me.  There is always something going on in the vineyards.

The mustard isn't showing in this shot but it is there in other pictures.

Several years ago I took some photos of the field workers pruning the the long canes off of the cordons, which is the lateral growth.  The mustard was already blooming and I was taken by how careful this man was with the vine.  Even though I am sure he had cut thousands of canes, he still was treating this cut as important. 

My rough, beginning sketch

The Winter Prune - 18 x 18

This painting is on it's way to Mason Cellars Tasting Room in Napa later this week for a show with my Bay Area Studio Artists group.  I have one more painting to finish and then it's off to do the hanging!

The Getty 2014

Over the weekend I was able to spend some time at the Getty Museum in Southern California.

They have these wonderful metal sculptures that have Bougainvillea and Roses growing up through them to hang over the top and form shade as well as beauty.

A few of my favorite pieces that hang there are -

"Wheatstacks, Snow Effect, Morning" by Claude Monet

Just look at the beautiful color in both the haystacks and the snow.

"Les Iris" by Vincent Van Gogh

 

 

 

 

 

Overheard a guard say that they paid 90 million for this painting and it is now worth 108 million. Glad someone has money and can share this beauty with the world!

"Young Ladies Admiring Japanese Objects" by James Tissot

"Portrait of Louise-Antoinette Feuardent" by Jean-Francois Millet

"Portrait of Therese, Countess Clary Aldringen" by John Singer Sargent

"The Laundress" by Jean-Baptist Greuse

 This was a favorite find.  It was hidden around a corner and is small but sweet.  The laundress had dressed up in her Sunday Best for the portrait, not what she would usually wear to scrub clothes.  The frame is original and was designed by the first owner of this painting.

"Dancer Taking A Bow" by Edgar Degas

This is a little out of focus because it was in a room with very low light.  The Getty had all of their pastels and sketches in this room.

"Houses at Bougival (Autumn)" by Camille Pissaro

"The Portal of Rouen Catherderal in Morning Light" by Claude Monet

Mr. B checking out Monet's painting a little closer as we will be traveling to Rouen, France this Fall.

"The Promenade" by Pierre-Auguste Renoir

"Portrait of Maria Frederike van Reede-Athlone at Seven Years of Age" by Jean-Etienne Liotard

Time for a break.....

View of Santa Monica in the foreground and Los Angeles in the back

Measure twice....

The holidays brought with them a rush of commissions and gifts that needed to be done immediately.

Or even before immediately!

I was forthright with clients once I was at my realistic limit and left it up to them to move forward with their project, even though it would not be done in time for Christmas. Luckily everyone agreed and I made nice gift certificates for them to give to as a gift to family and friends.

Mom & Dad in Santa Cruz

However, two paintings were gifts for my family. The one above was for my sister-in-law, Donna to give to my brother, Tim.  The other one was a gift to my parents from me! 

I was painting over an old portrait - maybe that's what through me off!

I started on mom's painting 2 days before Christmas.  It was of her and her oldest sister sitting on a fence circa 1945. Ten hours into the painting, my son Jon walked into the room and said "gee, I didn't know Auntie Marie's legs were so long!".  As I stood up and backed away (which I should of been doing all along) I too realized that somehow I had messed up on the math to enlarge the photo to canvas size.  Oh no.....she looks like she is on stilts!!! 

I re-gridded it and started again but after and hour, I realized that it was more complicated than I had time for.  I loved this photo of her and her sister so much that I wanted to enjoy painting them and not rush.
 
I wrapped it as is, even with the new grid drawn on top of the painting and a note explaining that I would finish it in January.

The two people  I knew who would understand was my dear, sweet mom & dad.

And they did.  Christmas day it was hanging on their wall and they were as happy as could be!

Remember when you were in grade school and you made your mom a vase and your dad an ashtray out of clay?  It was all kiddy-wompus but they didn't seem to mind because they just plain ol' loved you!  That's just how I felt.

So the last few days I have been repainting my Aunt & Mom hanging on that old fence and enjoying every minute!

Tomorrow I will frame it and give it to them with love.

1591 Meets 2013

"The Critique"

Acrylic - 24 x 12

Just who is critiquing whom?  This is a young woman at the San Francisco Legion of Honor sketching a painting by Frans Pourbus the Younger dated 1591.

Has Jeanette been eaten by a dinosaur?

I know, I know.....I have been gone for awhile on both my personal blog and my painting blog.

I've been busy. 

Everyone seems to be busy. 

Life needs to slow down.

Can that happen???

Sing this to the tune of the 12 days of Christmas....

This month I had.....

1 dad recovering from hip surgery

2  friends in need of meals

and 3 new painting shows.

4 commissions waiting

5  deadlines  approaching

and 6 places to be to-day! 

7 new paintings drying,

8  Lemon trees freezing,

and oh yes,
many days of no-oh-oh rain.

10 Christmas lists,

11 Amazon drop offs,

and 12 places to be at once!

After wrapping 46 gifts today, I will be ready to put my feet up.  How about you?

Enjoy this holiday season, for no matter whether you got every ornament on your Christmas tree or the perfect Carrot Pudding made this year, or the dust bunnies from under your bed, it truly is about more important things.  And you are one of them.  Family and friends!!

Enjoy 2014...

xoxx - Jeanette