Charlene's Featured Artist Reception at Gallery Saratoga 12-2010

My featured artist show in Gallery Saratoga marks the end of a very busy year of art shows for me. What a lovely day it was too. Rich played drums in the trio while I talked with family, old friends and new. I never did paint those vineyard scenes I wanted to paint, but I'll try again next year for my featured show in August. (As you can see I already had enough paintings to fill the wall.) For now I'm happy to get back to house work, decorating for Christmas, wrapping presents and having family and friends over. I'll try to post more pictures of the show soon.
Thanks to all of you who came to the show! Your love and support keep me going!

Welcome Signs in Coffee Society

Today I hung my Welcome Signs in The Coffee Society in Cupertino (near the library). In my collection of ribbon I found some sturdy cords of all colors that fit nicely into the holes. Perfect.

Welcome Signs

Here is new product I'm offering that's hot off the press, just created today! Art on UV protected aluminum so it doesn't fade with sun or weather. It's perfect for outside. Here are three welcome signs I'll have at my shows, but anyone can order most of my paintings on the aluminum and I'll ship to you. These are 12"x12" and also come in a rectangular size. They'll have something creative to hang it from, probably copper wire and beads, but that'll be hot off the press tomorrow.

My Baby and His

Aaahhh, can anyone be any prouder than I am of them? My boys and my grandbaby. Family is indescribably good when it's good.
Ok. I just had a 3 day show at Villa Montalvo and it was successful so I'm very glad (I'll post about it soon. but I still have 2 more shows in two weeks!!!!) I have to tell you though, that the love of family is tops and if it ever comes to choosing between success in the art field and them, well, is there any comparison? I'll choose family any day.

Red Hat Ladies in Miniatures for Villa Montalvo!

Introducing the Red Hat Ladies in Miniature Paintings with Collage. I'm painting this series to sell at the Yuletide Event at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga this coming weekend. I took photos of the ladies dressed in their finest when they came to the Yuletide last year (and at the summer luncheons). Now I'll frame each of these in 5x7 frames and make greeting cards from them. What fun.

Silicon Valley EVA Artists Miniatures Show

Recognize some of these?






Last Saturday I had an art show with my art club, the East Valley Artists, at a local restaurant.
I had the privilege of heading it up this time so it was good practice for me. Only 8 of us could make it, but it was well worth the effort to get out there and offer our artwork for sale to our neighbors. We made it a miniatures show, so the originals had to be under 11x14". I'd like to do this again but next time plan for everyone to paint the same size painting on the same material.

Art Journaling Class in Saratoga

We just finished our first class at the Saratoga Senior Center on Art Journaling. Christine and I taught it to two very talented women. What fun we had. It really was not like work at all. I was amazed at how creative they all were and how nice their journals turned out. Next January Christine will teach this by herself and I'll go on to teach miniature acrylic and watercolor painting.

Painting Acrylics for Teaching Fine Art Classes at the Michael's Arts and Crafts Store in Cupertino

I'm starting to teach Fine Arts classes at a Michael's Store nearby! Here I'm practicing what I'll teach with small canvases that are 2 1/2" x 3". What fun it is to paint very small paintings. Each one takes me about 2 hours to do and so far I've painted 3 of these. You can call the Cupertino Michaels to sign up for classes too.

Wedding in Soquel Day 10- Complete

Presenting: The Wedding in Soquel.

After 10 days of blogging the step by step process (and more days before and in between), I have completed my assignment. There is a definite feeling of satisfaction and peace with knowing I tried my best at this job. I'm sure there is so much more I can learn, but for now this is the all I have and today I will rest. Till next time, God bless.

Baby Baby!

Painting break... Feast your eyes on this beautiful little creation. Evelyn smiled at me this week for the first time... aaaaahh.

Wedding in Soquel Days 8 and 9- Flowers, Colors,Trees

Hello, changed my mind and I'm back blogging this step by step. You'll see lots of changes in two days of work. Hopefully today I'll get much more done since I stayed home this weekend to concentrate on finishing the painting. I did get slightly sidetracked so far with starting a new facebook group page for my business. I'm so busy with planning for new shows and classes coming up that I think it will be better if I told everyone from one page made for that.
The Group name is: Celio Arts and Friends on facebook.
and the email for it is:
celioarts@groups.facebook.com

Wedding in Soquel Day 7- Back to the drawing board

Here is the painting taken in the daylight. I like how the Ott light from last night showed me the way it will look with more whites on the gazebo and tent, so I'll definitely do that today. This will be my last photo in the step by step till I show you the completed painting. Don't know when that will be, but I'll have other posts from my exciting adventures in painting!

Couldn't wait to show you what I've done since the regrouping earlier (that was around 4:30 pm and I've been working till now, 11:00 pm) This was taken with an Ott light, so I'll have to take it again tomorrow. I'm happy with how the barrels are coming out and that the path is fitting in better. Tomorrow, flowers, flowers, flowers.

Sometimes I reach a point in a painting where I really don't know what to do next, and I hit that point today. I thought I needed to change this or that, but after I went back to my original idea, and after I asked a friend to help, I broke through and have a clear path ahead of me again. I am about half way there so it makes sense that I'd re-evaluate my direction in how to complete this painting in the best way. By the way, the friend I told you about, it's her birthday today!
Happy Birthday Barbra Joan! Thanks for being a good friend.

Wedding in Soquel Day 6- Adding more elements, highlighting and correcting

On to day 6 of this wedding painting. It's Saturday and I have the whole day to paint. I hope to get very far along with it. I love putting in the elements and even correcting things when they need it. Thanks to Rich for suggesting I measure the photos of the actual wine barrels with a ruler and then measure what I painted in to get the proportions right. Things are open to lots of change at this stage. You just don't know how some things will look till after you put in everything around it. I am liking the focal point though.

Wedding in Soquel Day 5- More Background

Today I painted at my house with Christine. It was drizzling off and on outside, so it was nice to stay inside and paint with a friend.

Wedding in Soquel Day 4-Background

Paint to canvas. It's a start. This painting will change so much from this, believe me and hang in there. Now I only want to paint constantly till I finish.

Wedding in Soquel Day 3- Sketch

Hello fellow bloggers! Yes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this sketch is almost beautiful to me. It stands for good communication, forward movement and colorful possibilities! I've sketched on a piece of watercolor paper I cut to the 18x24 size of the canvas. The placement of things may still change a little, but by this stage I'm really committing myself to where I'll put things in the painting. Tomorrow I plan to start the painting with acrylics.