Category Archives: Oil Paintings

We ‘Seven Palettes’ had a great opening reception yesterday!

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The day was cold and icy, but that didn’t deter our lively guests from traveling to Gallery B in Bethesda to celebrate the opening of our month-long art exhibit.  Thanks to all of our friends and family who were able to attend.  And for those who couldn’t get there – we missed you!

Each of us made several nice sales of paintings, prints and greeting cards – and received kudos from those who weren’t in a position to buy.  Here’s a glimpse of the festivities.

Sara, Ann & Penny perfecting the refreshments
champagne & strawberries, anyone?
some of the baked goodies
Nancy and friends
Penny and pal
heading to buy Nancy’s ’25 MPH’ painting
perusing Penny’s paintings
looking at some of Maureen’s paintings
big crowd
more guests
beautiful music & conversation
Helen and customers
cluster around the sales desk
another cluster at the sales desk

Another New Painting for Gallery B

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Here’s another new painting for the Gallery B show.  Also inspired by the C & O Canal — late afternoon with the sun raking low across the tree tops.

C & O Face-off. Oil on Linen. 8 x 10.

I did a similar scene in gouache a few years ago, when I was first dabbling in that medium.  I love the contrast between the trees in light and shadow and their reflections in the calm canal water.

C & O Autumn. Gouache.

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New Exhibit Starting ~~ Gallery B in Downtown Bethesda ~~ January 2017

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Some of my painting pals and I (aka ‘the 7 Palettes’) applied awhile back to exhibit our art at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda, MD.  We were honored to be selected for a month-long exhibit at this prestigious location during January 2017.  Gallery B is a project of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, a local non-profit organization charged by Montgomery County, MD with promoting Bethesda.  It gives special support to the arts in our area.

Under the theme of ‘Local Color’, we will showcase our art reflecting the lovely scenes and vistas of the Greater Washington area.  Here’s one of my recent paintings of the C & O Canal that will be displayed during this exhibit.

canal and trees

C & O Spotlight. Oil on Linen. 11 x 14.

Gallery B is located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, #E, Bethesda, MD 20814.  Gallery hours are 12:00 – 6:00 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays.  There will be a public reception during the Bethesda ‘Art Walk’,  January 13th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm.  Please join us!

 

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More Good News ~ My Painting Selected for Annual Friends of the Yellow Barn Exhibit

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I learned yesterday that my entry was juried into the annual Friends of the Yellow Barn exhibit at Glen Echo Park.  The show opens today and runs through December 18.  The public reception begins at 4 pm this afternoon, with awards announced by juror, Kristi-Anne Caisse, Assistant Director for the Katzen Museum at American University, at 5 pm.   Y’all come if you’re in the area!  Original paintings make great holiday gifts!

Here’s my painting, based on the spectacular old growth Sitka spruces we saw out in Oregon awhile back.

Sitka Spruce, Oregon.

Reach for the Sky. Oil on Linen Panel. 8 x 10 in.

A Year-long Painting Project is Completed!

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After struggling (really, procrastinating) for over one year, I have finally finished a large oil painting, Mary’s Orchids. 

painting of orchid and pots

Mary’s Orchids.  Oil on linen, 2′ x 3′.

My sister Mary asked me to paint this work, requesting orchids, cherries, and a piece of pottery by Walter Anderson, the wonderful artist who lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast near our home.  She also asked for it to be sized at two feet by three feet.  Gulp.

I bought the canvas panel, arranged the elements in dozens of compositions before settling on this one, roughed out a drawing on the plastic wrapper of the panel, and then STOPPED.  I was intimidated by the difficulty of the composition and its sheer SIZE.  I hadn’t attempted anything that large since the portrait I did of our dad for his 90th birthday three years ago.

I have at least four pots of yellow orchids hanging around the house.  As each orchid lost its flowers, I’d buy another pot in the expectation that I’d be starting ‘soon’.  This went on for so long, the original orchid re-bloomed!  So I decided I better get cracking, especially after passing the one year mark.

Finally it is done, about to be varnished and shipped down to Mary in Houston, TX.  Whew.

If you’ve got an extra minute to spend, check out the site of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, MS.  It’s a fabulous museum, built with my dad’s help, honoring a fabulous artist.

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Our Kentlands Exhibit is Featured in Today’s Washington Post!

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Today’s Maryland edition of the Washington Post showcases our new Kentlands Exhibit in its Going Out Guide.  Congrats to Nancy Butler on the use of her beautiful painting, Difficult Run, to represent the work of the Seven Palettes!  Come see this lovely exhibit anytime through September 5th.WAPO 7 07 2016 Going Out Guide

 

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Brushes with Nature ~~ a New Exhibit at Kentlands Mansion!

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The City of Gaithersburg annually invites artists to compete for the opportunity to exhibit in its various art venues.  Several of my art friends and I (aka ‘The 7 Palettes’) are delighted to have been selected to display 50 of our new works at the premier Kentlands Mansion, scene of weddings and other major events.  The exhibit will run almost three full months — from  June 17th through September 5.  Please bring friends and families to see our art and join us at a wine and cheese reception on Tuesday evening, June 21 from 7:00 to 8:30.
Announcement

Getting Bolder with Flowers

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I made this flower study during a recent workshop with Duane Keiser.  He plopped the vase down on the table one hour before the session was to end and suggested we paint quickly!  I was slinging and slapping that paint around like mad.  I completed it in the allotted hour.  Actually, it’s more accurate to say I ‘stopped’ at the end of the hour!  Duane encouraged me to go for the bright blue background — which the composition had in ‘real life’.  I was about to tone it down to something insipid.  I’m glad I followed his advice!

Red Roses & Frilly Purple Things

Red Roses & Frilly Purple Things

Portrait commission — grand-nephew Les

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Here is a portrait of my grand-nephew Les, younger brother of Ceci, whose portrait was featured in a prior post.  You’ll see that he, like Ceci, was captured with bright sunlight flooding over his head and spilling down onto his eyebrows, nose and cheeks.  These are unusual poses, but were great fun to paint.  Sweet sweet children.  In the meantime, another baby brother has joined the family.  Once he gets a bit older, his portrait will be painted as well.

Les Duhon

Les.  Oil on Linen.

 

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