Lori Putnum workshop

I am getting so psyched about attending and working with Lori Putnum in June in upper state NY!
I went yesterday to the Art and Design Show in Boston.  They always give away tons of magazines at these affairs.  In the latest Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, she is featured in the article Artists Making Their Mark. 
Here is the photo that went with that article: View with a Room
I was happy with myself, finding this link.
The treatment of the foreground inspired me to use a similar treatment on my current painting that has a lot of space devoted to the foreground but it is not the center of interest.

Paint, drop off, go to receptions

Sometimes it seems that that's what we do.  Anyway, today I painted at the Cox Reservation in Essex.  I arrived early as rain was in the forecast and painted from 9 to about 1 and it didn't rain.  Yes!
It was cold and windy however, and when I left I had to rush to get a hot soup to thaw myself out.

I dropped off another painting at Rockport Art Association to replace the one that sold.  Yes! again.
And that's where I had my soup at the coffee shop nearby.

Someone wrote to ask about buying a painting from my show up at the Rhythm Cafe.  I guess I'll have to see why they aren't informing the customers.  Maybe they are too busy.  When I was there the other day, they were very busy.

I received an email from the person who bought my Heart Candy Box painting, and she said very nice things about seeing it in person.  Yea

Tonight at 7 I'm off to a reception at Newburyport Art Association for the current show and I'm meeting a friend, Anne, who is coming along with me.

The painting I started this morning at Cox is a big one for outdoors, 18x24".  I'd send along a photo of the view, but my camera battery died.  Darn it, just now, I remembered that you can use your phone to take photos.  Da

Snickers and lily pads

Yesterday I finished a floral painting that looks so great in the new frame from King of Frame.

I also got a good start on my Snicker's Candy Bars.

Today I got a good start on a nice small lily pads on a pond but had a hard time getting the paint to stick.  You know how that goes.  Every once in a while it happens.  It was a different board than I'm used to, so it pays to use the official brand Gessobord!

  I'm off to have dinner at the Rhythm Cafe with friends.  The Boston Globe did this article the other day on the Rhythm where my solo show is up until mid-May.

Article on Rhythm Cafe in the Boston Globe

Cheery Candy

My idea for today is to paint Snickers Candy Bars both plein chocolate and dark.  I prefer dark.  But I want to have a high key painting to lift my spirits on this stormy day here in New England.  We are waiting for a nor' easter.
I also found one painting I forgot to put into the Rhythm Show, its 8x8", a bouquet of flowers that were painted from life.  Funny thing is, I forgot about that too and was looking all over for the photo before I remembered.  I couldn't take a photo of the finished work yet as I tried but the wet paint wouldn't photograph well enough.

Here, for your amusement, is a peek at the portrait from last Saturday.

We have 3 hours with lots of breaks.

No rest for the.......

Ok, I can't even think of everything I've done in the past couple of days.  OK, Thursday I finished my Red Geranium, which is still wet, tons of red paint on it, and it's supposed to be going on show tomorrow morning in Merrimac.  Friday was another framing day.  Saturday I painted a portrait which went rather well, a slight improvement for me with colors and noses, and more framing.  Sunday I brought two paintings to Newburyport for the next show while on my way to the opening reception of the Rockport show.  BIG SURPRISE!!! My painting sold in the first 1/2 hour!  I'm so pleased because the buyer is a respected connoisseur of art.  The painting is the Scraggly Sunflower. 

So afterwards I finished framing and organizing for installing the Rhythm Cafe show in the morning.

Goodbye Baby

Sold

Happily another candy bar painting has been sold.  Today, however, is framing day.  I delivered a painting to Rockport Art Association and the showroom was already chock-a-block full of paintings and there were 3 hours left to deliver. I'll also submit a painting to DPW today.

Newbury Marsh Early Spring

The funny thing is that my show at Rhythm Cafe will have giclees of some paintings because some that I planned to hang there have been sold.

Announcement Cards for show at Rhythm Cafe

This is the photo part of the card, there is text on it as well as follows:

Art Exhibit at Rhythm Cafe

March 24 to mid May 2014

Mary Pyche - www.marypyche.com - mpyche@comcast.net

12 School Street Merrimac MA 01860

It's all on a black background with white letters, very nice job by Image Tech in Methuen.

2014 Show Lineup (so far)

My upcoming show schedule is as follows:

1.  Solo Exhibition at the Rhythm Cafe, March 24th through mid-May.  I'll post my announcement cards tomorrow.  Reception TBA.

2.  Rockport Art Association Contributors' Show, March 23 to April 19.
Reception, Sunday, March 23 from 2-4, all invited.

3.  17th Annual Newburyport Regional Juried Show, April 25 to May 25.
Reception, Sunday, April 27 from 3-5, all invited.

4.  Portraits of Newburyport Show, September 12 to 27th.
Reception, Saturday, Sept. 14 from 7-9, all invited.

Odds and Ends

Today was a day of lots of little projects both art and computer.  I'm trying to get ready for the Rhythm show and right now it looks like tons of stuff needs to get done, but I think it will come together without too much fuss because I'm trying not to stress and say whatever happens, happens.  
I sold another painting on DPW.  I'm liking the idea that I can, excuse the expression, get rid of some of my excess inventory.
I found a great online program that does what PicMonkey does, it's called iPiccy.  I made a postcard and sent the artwork to my printer who is making a couple of giclees for me of paintings I want to have in two places at the same time.
Colin Page sent this out today.  I love his art and I'm posting this so you can see his painting.
Colin Page Workshop flyer and a beautiful photo of his painting.
I'm in some sort of art perfect storm.  I'm excited and want to do three things (at least) all at the same time.  I don't know about you, but I have to do it while I'm in the mood for it in order to do a good job, and by the time I get to some of these ideas, the thrill will pass.

Show at Rhythm Cafe, March 24th

Hello friends and neighbors.  I'll be having another solo art exhibit at the Rhythm Cafe starting on March 24th and going into the middle of May.  Please forward this information to your friends who live nearby.  It will be a somewhat whimsical show with original oil paintings of flowers, candy bars and fruit.  It was going to be The Flower Show, but I didn't know the date until a couple of weeks ago, so I added a few other paintings.  I've been working just about every day and posting to several web sites.  Besides my own blogs, of which there are many, I'm concentrating on posting to the Daily Paintworks page.  This is a site similar to e-Bay or Etsy but it is only for the art of painting.  www.dailypaintworks.com

Thanks for helping to spread the word, and besides arranging for some luncheons with groups of friends from painting and skating, I may have a reception, all are invited, on a Saturday afternoon, TBA.  If you are interested in joining me for lunch, let me know. :-)

www.marypyche.com

http://www.rhythmcafe.net/

I love to recycle

I'll be working on my pond lily today to add to my flower collection for my Rhythm Cafe Show in Merrimac MA, but here is an article from ArtSupply.com that you may find helpful and informative:

Recycled Art Tools and Materials Nothing stimulates creativity like a big, playful collection of tools that you love to use, and that are right at your fingertips. Imagine being a kid again, and you have a huge toy box filled with every toy you ever wanted. That is a wonderful way to feel when you walk into your studio to create, so let's cultivate a studio full of tools that are fun to use. The best part of filling your studio with creative tools is that it can save you money – money that you can use to buy things like paint, canvas, drawing supplies, and all the other lovely materials you might need to express your creative spirit. Old Kitchen Gadgets and Materials You might be surprised how much creative use you can get from old kitchen items. From rusted cookie cutters, to old utensils, to warped pans, make sure to evaluate before you trash kitchen supplies! Basting brushes make a great option for painting and applying liquids, rubber spatulas are great paint mixing and blending tools, and old cutting boards are wonderful work surfaces. Straw are great for spatter painting techniques, and styrofoam leftover containers can be used to create prints. You can even use old food; for instance dried-out root vegetables like carrots and potatoes are a great medium to use for carve and create stamps, as well as wine corks and old dish sponges. And after you've finished the pickles, save the glass jars for organizing the small materials in your studio, and empty cans are great for paint, varnishes, stains, and other liquids. Remember to clean those jars and cans thoroughly to prevent contamination of your paints and tools. Harvest the Gardening Tools If you garden, landscape, or care for an exterior space, then chances are you have various materials and tools amassing. Landscaping material is a great source for structural elements: chicken wire is extremely flexible and can be sculpted into any shape you envision; old fence pieces, gates, and trellises are fun for larger scale sculptures and installations; old or broken terra-cotta pots and tiles can make for interesting mosaic projects – the list just goes on! Hardware and Building Materials Duct tape, leftover wood cuts, extra screws, and dry wall putty can all be put to great use in your artwork. Rebar is fantastic for structural support, copper pipes are easy to cut and have a great look, and that half-full bag of concrete mix could be the beginnings of your next great creative endeavor. Also, never pass up an opportunity to snag old tools: hammers, rubber mallets, box cutters, tape measures, and clamps can all be put to excellent use in your studio. Old Office Supplies and Random Crafty Items Feathers, string, styrofoam, and sponges: anything that can hold paint can be a brush. Pushpins, staplers, and hole punches are almost a must-have for a creative, and if you have a stack of old business cards sitting around, put them to use in your next multimedia collage.

How about a water lily?

Yesterday I started a pink water lily.  I'm trying to keep the colors bright and clean and contemporary.  I started with all transparent paint colors to promote vibrancy.  Today I posted my yellow day lily--it has the glow of the sun shining on it.  It will be added to the paintings that will be at my Rhythm Cafe show starting on March 24th.  I'm not sure of the name yet, but it's flowers, candy and fruit.  Nice and happy and bright for a spring show, and who knows, maybe spring weather will be around by then!

Lots to do

Paint first, that's my motto.  I'm going to paint right after this, and unfortunately, it's not the first thing I've done today.  In order they are:
Check my inventory for what needs to be framed for the upcoming solo show.
Look through my frame inventory to see what I have that would fit.
Look through two frame company's' sites to see what to order.
Order from two different sites.
Make up Artist Statement for entry for Newburyport Portrait Show acceptance.
Send Artist Statement to NBPT.
Update a web site that I author.
Make up the package to mail to person who bought a painting.
Take photos and upload of packaging for my web page.
I'll edit that web page shipping info later.
Realized that I need a shipping area (department) here as stuff is not all in one place.
Think about flyers, etc. for upcoming solo show.
Email printing company about making giclees of paintings I may have to enter in another show.
Go to DPW and upload today's auction painting.
Go to my sales page and add the painting and auction info.
Go back to DPW to upload that auction to my fan FB page.
Go HERE and write this daily report.
I'm surprised that I can even remember what I've been doing, probably missed something.
Now I'll go paint.
                                     :)
p.s. I couldn't go to the post office and mail the painting because it's snowing out again.

Good day after all

So Rockport's show was great as usual and I spent over an hour there.  I almost wanted to pull up a chair to sit and stare at some of them (paintings in their collection).  Then I spent $100 at an art store on the way home.  Ordering online is better because you just get what you really need.
When I got home I had heard back from a couple of people about my strange changes to my website on DPW but it fixed itself somehow.  I'm sure glad I didn't spend the day home trying to figure it out.

Then I touched up some paintings and added polka dots to the sugar daddy candy bar painting, it is an improvement to that large field of plain-ness.  I'll go in and change the picture in a few minutes on some of my sites.  I did get a start on the M&M painting.  It's a bit busy and lots of brown.

Today I pick up my paintings at Newburyport Art Association as the show has ended.  I might stop in at the Grog.  My favorite bartender, Drew at Orzo, recommended someone at the Grog to me as a possible subject for the Portrait Show in September at Nbpt.  I'm getting discouraged about this portrait show because I can't find someone to paint.

DPW and Weebly "my website"

I'm off to Rockport Art Association's opening weekend today because I need an outing since this arctic weather is driving me crazy.  It warmed up to 24 degrees today and is finally out of the single digits, but I'm not happy.  When I get back, I'll work on the M&Ms.

Double checking things this morning on my online pages, I discovered that when you click on 'my website' on DPW, the site (which was created with Weebly) comes up without a background image and when you click on the gallery pages, they come up with minuscule thumbnails.  Ouch!  Well, I could stay here all day and try to figure it out, but I opted to write to a few help pages to try to get answers.  Just when I thought that I had at least solved the website problems and was thinking of making another one for another business.