Works in Progress

I tried painting a sunset from a friend's photo (with permission). I was not happy with it, but added one of the morning blessings in Hebrew. I had to abbreviate it a little to fit it in the space. I am not used to doing Hebrew letters with a brush, I used to do calligraphy with a dip pen. That works better on the letters. The blessing thanks God for giving us the wisdom to distinguish between day and night.  It is acrylic paint on 18" X 24" canvas.

On a foggy, rainy winter day I decided to paint a little bit of spring. This is a crabapple tree in bloom at Dorrs Pond in Manchester, NH, one of my favorite places to walk when I lived in NH. The walk from my house to the pond and around it was about 45 minutes. It was a walk I enjoyed in all seasons. I'm not sure if I'll continue working on it. It is just a nice memory for me. Oil paint on canvas, 11" X 14".

Aurora. 8" X 10" oil paint on canvas board.  I don't really like painting from other people's photos, but this was a beautiful one in a desk calendar of Alaska photos that I bought in Skagway on our Alaska trip.

These are practice paintings for me and are not for sale, but I enjoy challenging myself to try different techniques and landscapes.

Vacation (continued)

We had a lovely time on the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, Maine. This was a nostalgia tour for us as we had one of our earliest dates there 33 years ago. We found a bench with a number 33 on it too.

We went back to the Currier Museum in Manchester. I used to be a member and I always enjoy seeing their new exhibits.

I found what I think is a red tailed hawk's feather on one of our walks. I've also seen deer and turkeys here.

This is just outside the apartment where we are staying on vacation in NH.

My son was kind enough to take me into Boston so I could see this sculpture. It is by old friends, Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein.  Donna and Andy have been very busy creating art this year.

Moving on

My last mural in Manchester, NH. I painted the homage to Van Gogh on the left of this garage door on Litchfield Lane.  My paints and brushes are all packed now.  We sold our house in Manchester and bought a house in Boise Idaho to be closer to family.  We leave for Boise on July 14th so I probably will not be posting again for a while.

To see more murals by other artists of Friends of Art Manchester, check out the blog post:
http://friends-of-art-manchester.blogspot.com/2017/06/litchfield-lane-murals.html
I was very impressed with the work of all the artists, especially the lion painted by Christine Keenan. I don't paint in that style, but I would love to try a piece like that. It looks like it would be a fun painting.

We spent 10 days in Idaho, house hunting, and visiting with family.  The house we picked is one level (Yay!, no stairs - I need a new knee, but that has to wait a while) and has a family room which I would make over into an art studio.  I'm really looking forward to this move even though it is a lot of work.  Boise is a nice city, although I'm not used to city sprawl.  The city is on a grid system and I don't think it will be difficult to learn once I remember which main roads are east-west and which ones are north-south.  I noticed that the road signage was much better than what we have in NH.

Once outside the city, it looks like NH as well although the mountains are certainly much higher. My daughter and I walked around this park which is near our new home. There are bike trails here too and I'm looking forward to biking in our new neighborhood as it is flat, not hilly like here.

We visited a friend in Idaho City. He lives in a hilly area with great views.  

Great restaurant in Idaho City.  We had lunch there but did not have room for pie.  I want to go back at some time just for coffee and huckleberry pie.

Our new home with the Sold sign. I am bringing a sketch book on the road (it is about a 10 day trip across country). This is the first time we have driven this far with a dog.  My husband and I share the driving and have done other trips of 1000 miles, but this is closer to 3000.  I hope to have wi fi at the hotels so I may post something in between.  Have camera and laptop, will travel. :)

Still practicing

I think this is finally finished (see last post for earlier process) although I haven't put it up on my website yet. I'll wait a few more days in case I change my mind. (Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, water mixable oil paint on hardboard, 16" x 20")

Meanwhile, I did a group of studies of gates from my photos in Ein Hod last March. I find myself fascinated with all the wrought iron doors and gates. There were a few wood ones too.  I don't think I'll make any paintings from them, but they were interesting to sketch. I did pencil sketches first, then went over them with markers. Good practice.

I have done some paintings with gates in the past and they are on my website.

After watching a video showing how to use oil paints in a watercolor style, I practiced painting from my photo of Taylor Mill in Derry, NH.  Unfortunately we have been in a drought situation and the water was not running over the wheel. I had to imagine what it would look like. I'm hoping for lots of snow this winter, then I'll go back and take another photo or paint plein air. It was an interesting old building.

Taylor Mill study, 8" X 10", water mixable oil paint on canvas board.

I decided to get away from realistic paintings for a while and watched an online video of sunflowers done in a Van Gogh style. That was fun using acrylic paints.

Meanwhile, even though we have not had enough rain, the fall leaves are still looking very beautiful. This is a photo of the tree behind my house. I love the fall colors.

What inspires me to paint

I wasn't going to bring a painting to be voted on at the last meeting of Manchester Artists Association, but I liked the mixed media painting I had done "Follow Me" so I matted and framed it. (I had a mat and old frame in my studio for it). I won a certificate and some nice comments from other artists.  My painting is on display this month at the Triangle Credit Union on Candia Road, Manchester. I typed up information about the memorial and the battle site so anyone looking at the painting would learn more about this.

Unfortunately our puppy got hold of the watercolor paper (he seems very attracted to paper, toilet paper, magazines etc.) and chewed a little on it. I covered up the chewed part with the mat, but it also covers the front of the first horse's face. The image I posted on my website shows the full horse.

I guess what inspires me to paint is the beauty all around us. I think of the divine (whether you call this God or some other name) as the Master artist. I remember writing a poem about that years ago (it is in my first poetry book available on Amazon).  I have enjoyed retirement and traveling the last few years with my husband and we both take many photos. I have been doing small paintings in different styles the last few weeks just to keep practicing and teaching myself how to paint better. I have tried some online courses, but found that I didn't want to paint someone else's image.  I need a relationship of some kind with an image to want to paint it.  Unfortunately one way to learn is to copy from the masters, but that doesn't work for me. I need to "feel" something when I am painting as my painting and poetry are both expressions of my emotions.

This is an experiment of working on black gessoed canvas board. I found an old photo of the old Notre Dame Bridge in Manchester, NH.  I really liked that bridge and was sorry when it came down. I started in monochrome, but decided to add some colors as I went on, not only to the bridge (which was green), but also to the millyard buildings and the river.  The inspiration photo was grayscale, not color.  I'm not sure if I'll do any more to finish this, or just leave it as is, a study of the bridge. Acrylic paint, 8" X 10".

This experiment is also acrylic paint on canvas board (8" X 10"). I remember walking the trail along Lake Massabesic years ago and taking the photo of the two fisherman. I took several photos that day and tried to frame them with the trees. I enjoyed the memory, especially now that I have knee problems and can no longer hike.  Again, it is just a study and I don't know if I will make a larger painting. I can see several areas that definitely need to be improved, but that is the point of the study. I'm not aiming for perfection in a study, I'm trying to work on details as well as get paint on the canvas. I do not post the studies on my website.

Ready to Ride, 16" X 20", Acrylic on stretched canvas

While I had the acrylic paints out, I convinced myself to finish this painting. I wasn't happy with some of the trees so I tried to improve them.  This one shows the boats that were waiting for the tourists. We were on the Athabasca River in Alberta (Canada) and had a wonderful experience on the boat ride, saw a bald eagle and an elk too as well as the beautiful mountains.

So, I have been going back through my photos from my travels the last few years and finally started another 16" X 20" painting, this one of the Mesa Arch at Canyonlands National Park (Utah). I have blocked in broad areas of color so far in acrylic (underpainting) and started on the oil painting.  I must admit that while I really love New England, I also enjoy all the colors of the west and I'm looking forward to our move to Idaho in 2017.

Last craft fair of the season

I decided to limit the number of fairs I did this year as I find they are a tremendous amount of work for very little return on my time. However, one fair I did was one that I am have been exhibiting at for several years. I see some of the same customers for my cards each time. It helps that I am sharing a table with my writer husband, Joe Smiga.

I made my first credit card sale. I used my Square card reader (which hooks onto a cell phone) and sold the painting on the upper right in the photo. These are the two mounted policemen at Veterans Park in downtown Manchester. A retired policeman bought the painting as an award gift to someone else who had been helpful in an advisory capacity to the police force and had recently retired. I was very happy that I decided to do this fair again.

Valor and General Stark -- you can see a better photo on my website and still buy cards and prints there.

I finished November Day, the painting I was working on in my last blog post and posted that to my website as well. It is the painting below Valor and General Stark in the photo above.  Tomorrow is my last painting class. I won't be taking another class in the next semester as we will be traveling again in March.  I'm looking forward to our trip to Ein Hod, Israel as I already know some of the other artists there (it is an artist village) and I will be trying some plein air (outdoor) painting while I am there. I will just make some small studies, take lots of photos, and hopefully paint some larger paintings when I return.  Meanwhile I am studying some modern Hebrew to try to refresh my memory although most people speak English there too.

More photos from the fair, we had a good location right in front of the post office, same as last year:

Acrylic vs. Oil Paint

November at Lake Massabesic.  I enjoyed walking with a friend along the Audubon trails through the woods to the lake. I took a few photos. Acrylic paint on gessoed board, 16" X 20".  This was an experiement on a Richeson hardwood board (panel), not on canvas. I used two coats of gesso and sanded in between.

I have to admit that I am getting a little frustrated learning how to use oil paint. I took a break this weekend and started a scene with acrylic paint. I still have a long way to go, but I didn't feel the level of frustration with waiting for a layer to dry before I could proceed. On the other hand, I missed the way the oils mix and their texture. I guess I'll continue to use both at different times. I have three more classes this semester. I won't be taking any painting classes during the winter since we will be traveling during the month of March, but I expect that I'll continue to paint. I have books and DVD's and a few good artist friends to inspire me.

This was play time for me. I used an old piece of Japanese Masa paper which wrinkles well, a brayer (a type of roller) and acrylic paint. I used a brush for the letters.

I have packaged up some of my cards for my next fair, Saturday, December 12th, 1000 Elm Street, Manchester, NH, 10-2.  I usually sell quite a few cards at this holiday market. I'll bring some small original paintings with me too. Last year I was happy to sell one of a very happy horse (Mug Shot).

I think this painting of Gregory and his mares is almost done. I'm not sure if I'll change anything before I call it "finished". It's always hard to know when a painting is finished. Gregory is a palomino Missouri Foxtrotter (good trail horse) who is a gelding, but he still watches out for the mares.  He lives in Mojave, California for now with family, but may be moving to Idaho next year.

Another example of not knowing if the painting is done. The small painting of the Canadian "Mounties" was done with oil paint and palette knife so the oil paint is very thick. I'm letting it dry and I'll think about it some more. Just a cute image from my trip last June. These mounties were guarding the gift shop at one of the tourist sites (to the glacier).

Thanksgiving was very enjoyable this year since I only had to cook a few things to bring with me. Next up is Chanukah on Sunday evening, Dec. 6th. I will be cooking for that one with help from my hubby and family. Happy Holidays to all. Merry Christmas to my Christian friends.

Craft Fair in December

I am only doing one local craft fair this year. My husband, author Joe Smiga (www.joesmiga.com) and I will be sharing a table at the Intown Holiday Market fair on Saturday, December 12, 2015. The fair is at 1000 Elm Street, Manchester, NH and runs from 9:00 - 2:00 pm.  I will have some of my urban downtown Manchester paintings on exhibit along with cards and sets of cards that can be given as gifts (or used for yourself). Stop by and say hello.

Joe is having a good year and doing more fairs. He's finishing up his 8th novel now. I've read the first 35 chapters and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of them. He has a very scary, but realistic, view of terrorism.  He will be happy to sign a book for you.  His events are listed on his web page: http://www.joesmiga.com/up-coming-events/

New oil painting class

"Crossing the Tracks" 

I'm back in school, taking another continuing ed oil painting class at New Hampshire Institute of Art. Last year I took Intermediate Oil Painting, this time I'm taking a class called "Explore, Exploit, Express" with Patrick McCay. Everyone is working on a their own project, in various media. It is quite interesting. The students are all on different learning levels too.

The painting above is from a scene in the millyard of Manchester, New Hampshire.  Almost all of the old millyard buildings have been rehabbed now and have a variety of businesses in them. In the past, they were used for manufacturing, using the waters of the Merrimack River to create electricity for the machinery.

This is a 9" X 12" oil painting on canvas board. I hope to finish it this week.

Since it is an exploratory class, I played with a scene from the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada and created a sci-fi image. I'm calling this one "Many Moons". This one is also 9" X 12" on canvas board.

I have leftover canvas from another project, so I decided to glue it onto a board (using gesso) and following some directions I found in a book.

Eventually there will be a waterfall on this painting. This is Gibbs Falls on the Crawford Path in Crawford Notch, New Hampshire.  The painting is 16" X 20" and I'll be working on it this week in class.  The upper left will have trees too. I'll post the painting as I progress with it.

I've been enjoying the beautiful fall weather and colors here. I've been walking, both with friends and on my own. Yesterday I went back to the Audubon trails by Lake Massabesic. I hadn't been there for a quite a while. It was quiet and peaceful. The leaves are not quite at peak color yet. I even saw a very small snake (maybe a brown snake). I'm not sure of what it was, but it's not a dangerous one. I love all the changing seasons in New Hampshire, but I think autumn is probably my favorite one.

The Artist Interview

I was approached by Marietta Gregg, the Marketing Director of Patience Brewster and encouraged to write a blog post. I checked the site and saw Christmas ornaments. I thought that was a bit strange since I am Jewish and do not buy or use these items. However, I know I need to keep marketing to get my name and my artwork out there. I liked this quote from their blog:

 “Make the kind of work you love and believe in. It is all about showing up at your desk and picking up your pencil, paintbrush or piece of clay. Let the magic happen.

Then, if you want to share your work with the world, or if you want to sell it, you need to make it visible. The internet sure makes this much easier than it was back in the day.

Be ready to listen. Try to find a group of fellow artists you respect for honest criticism. It is great to get feedback that does not come from your closest friends.”

Here are the questions and my answers for the interview:

1. As a child, do you recall a significant moment when you felt truly affected or inspired by any particular artwork or artist?

Answer: I am a “late bloomer”. I took my first art class when I was in my 50’s, a beginner drawing class. My children had all grown up, my bookkeeping business was running well and I decided to go back to school.  My husband encouraged me to try something new when I suggested I take another writing or poetry class.  We talked and I said that I always liked going to museums.  I was always interested in art, but this first class taught me to make good drawings on my own (not just cartoons). I have always been a creative person, but this was my first time with art supplies and art concepts. As a young woman, I expressed my creativity with cooking, sewing, knitting, crocheting, gardening and playing the piano.

When I lived in the NYC area (1960’s), I enjoyed going to the museums and collections in Manhattan. I especially enjoyed the Frick Collection and I remember looking up at the interesting ceilings as well as looking at the paintings. 

2. As an artist, what do you hope to convey with your work?

I tend to paint from my photos with occasional plein air work.  I hope to convey a sense of place. Since I have retired I enjoy traveling and have done many paintings from Israel as well as the U.S., Canada and Costa Rica.  My husband and I enjoy hiking and I love to paint trails and mountains. The trails are a kind of metaphor for the journey that we are all on, the journey of life.  As a poet I create images and emotions with words. As an artist, I try to connect with the essence of the image aesthetically and spiritually. I also enjoy painting flowers and animals.

My website has “galleries” including some inspirational ones.

3. What memorable responses have you had to your work?

“If I don’t buy this today, I know I will regret it” – from a customer who purchased the original “Mug Shot” – an amusing close up painting of my daughter’s horse (an example of foreshortening) 

A buyer from Texas let me know how much my painting of Franconia Falls reminded her of hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her children when they were young. (Good memories).

A comment on my poetry collection: “Until the Angels Call”

“Poignant, centered and spiritual poetry by a word-craftswoman. These poems are up close and personal...poetry that reveals and sheds light on hope and life. Highly recommended. I read it on my iPhone kindle while flying to Iceland. The poems were a warm companion.”

4. What is your dream project?

I’m not sure I have one, but I enjoy putting words on many of my images and creating cards. I probably would enjoy illustrating some of my old poems at some time in the future.  Meanwhile my art group “Friends of Art Manchester” is looking for more walls to paint.  We have done several murals and I enjoyed taking part in that process.  I also did my largest painting to date, 4’ X 5’, as a project with this group for Webster House.

I would love to see more urban art in downtown Manchester and hope to participate in it.

I enjoy doing customized pieces and commissions and would like to do more of these.

I would like to have gallery representation at some point.

5. What artists, of any medium, do you admire? (Famous or not!)

I admire the impressionists, but also like the plein air painters of New Hampshire. I follow several artists on Facebook including a group called “Quintessential New England: Paintings by Facebook Artists”. I also love to look at paintings of the west and the national parks. I continue to take art classes and I’m looking forward to my new class starting later this month. I hope to loosen up and learn to paint in a more “painterly” style.

I will be sharing a booth at the “Art in the Park” show in Merrimack, NH on September 26th.  I will post the detailed information on my blog and website soon.

"Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finishing up the month of August

It has been a busy month, but I finished up two small paintings.
Spring Magnolias at Wagner Park

After a long winter, I rode my bike one spring day to this park. It's real name is "Wagner Park" but the locals also call it "Pretty Park".  Many artists go there for some plein air painting, sometimes with models.

I was more interested in the blossoms than the "temple" structure at the park. It felt good to be out and about without boots and winter clothes.


This painting is mixed media, as I started in acrylic, then finished in oils. It is 9" X 12" on Ampersand panel.  I enjoyed painting on the panel as a nice change from canvas.

Morning Glory

I also like to paint on a black background from time to time, especially flowers.  I used black gesso on a canvas board to start this one, but eventually had to add some black paint when I was finishing up.

I usually see blue morning glories in the summer, but this one I spotted on my walk was white with just a touch of color.  The vines were growing down from the fence post as well as around it.

8" X 10", oil painting on canvas board.






I'm not sure when I'll start back on the larger paintings, but I prepared a little color study with acrylic paint on canvas paper.  This one is not a real place, just a combination of images in my head, from sunsets to beaches, maybe a jetty sticking out into the ocean. I liked the colors.

I signed up for another oil painting class that starts next month. I'm hoping that will get me to loosen up a little bit. The class is called "Explore, Exploit, Express".  I liked the title and the description: A visual art studio course designed and developed to: “get your drawing and painting beyond the mundane and mechanical cliché!”  This is a link to the NHIA catalog.
 http://www.nhia.edu/assets/Uploads/PDFs/CE--CT/2015/CE-FALL-2015.pdf

Meanwhile I'm getting ready to celebrate the wedding of my middle son at the end of this month. It will be my first time as "mother of the groom" and I'm looking forward to dancing and celebrating. That will be a good way to end the month.

Traveling and Landscapes

I finished my painting from our June trip to Canada. Athabasca River, oil painting on stretched canvas, 16" X 20". My website now offers T shirts, tote bags and some other items as well as cards and prints. Fine Art America has partnered with Pixels.com to print these items.  This view of the river is right before the water falls. I loved the trip to the Canadian Rockies (Alberta) and will probably paint more views from my photos. (Click on image to enlarge)

Meanwhile, my son's band was playing on a boat in Portland, Maine. I had never done a harbor cruise before and this was great. I've been to Portland many times (great museum there as well as fine restaurants and interesting downtown), but just cruising around watching the boats, old forts, lighthouses was very enjoyable.

Portland Harbor is also an oil painting on 16" X 20" stretched canvas. I enjoyed working with these colors too, quite a change from the colors in the Athabasca River painting.  This is the first time I've attempted an oil painting of a harbor with boats. I liked the way it came out. I did a small acrylic study of the sailboat first (image below). Then I decided I liked it enough to attempt a larger painting, but I liked the full scene for the larger painting, not just the sailboat.

Portland Harbor study, 8" X 10", acrylic on canvas board. I find that I'm enjoying working with the water mixable oil paints more as I get used to them, but I still like the acrylics too. Many times I use the acrylic paints as an underpainting. That helps me with colors as well as composition.  In composing the scene for the larger harbor painting, I moved the small boat in front from my photo (using scissors and tape on my printout, not Photoshop!) and placed it off center. The original photo showed it too centered for me. I also print out my photos in black and white as well as color. That helps me both with composition and values (light/dark).

In between the serious paintings, I also played with paints, trying a night scene on paper.

Night Study, acrylic paint on Strathmore acrylic paper. This one just came out of my imagination and some views I had seen on the internet. While Manchester (NH, my home town) is on a river, it certainly doesn't look like this, day or night!  I liked the way the sky came out, but that's about it for this painting.

Then I tried a self portrait, using the water mixable oil paints again, this time on Arches Oil paper. The nice thing about doing a self portrait is that I could make myself look much younger. The hard thing was mixing the colors. I need to learn how to make shadows better with these paints. Anyway, it was a fun experiment and I learn something new each time I paint. I'm just posting a little clip of this one here as I really don't like the full portrait.

By coincidence, thinking about my last posting on titles, Jason Horejs posted a good video on the same topic recently.  http://reddotblog.com/art-marketing-minute-video-creating-compelling-titles-for-your-artwork/

I bought a used pochade box (portable paint box) from an artist friend. These are very expensive to buy new, but I wanted one for plein air painting (painting outside). I would like to practice a bit before our next trip to Israel (next year). We will be staying at Ein Hod (an artist's village) for a full month and I plan on painting outside, not just from photos. I definitely need more practice with that. I've tried it out in my studio, but not outdoors yet. Looking forward to that too.