Sidewalk Art Show 2009

Thank you to everyone who made my time at the Sidewalk Art Show so wonderful this year!! I ended up selling a couple of pieces, as well as making encouraging contacts in my new art community of Floyd, VA. It was great to receive so much encouragement from fellow artists on the improvement of my work and my committment to painting almost purely on location. The changes in my painting techiniques were noted and it felt positive.

If you were a passing patron at the show, and you are still thinking about a certain work, wishing you had it hanging on your walls now, just let me know! Reach out via phone or email. If you are interested in a studio visit, I am available to meet with you by appointment.

Once again, thanks for all the support! Look for me at The Floyd Town Jubilee on Saturday, June 20th!

joli

Art outing in the Great Smokey Mountains!

I enjoyed a lovely visit to the Gatlinburg area of Tennessee, in the Great Smokey Mountains, this past weekend. I had a productive painting time, concentrating my efforts on capturing the view of Mt. LeConte from our cabin. It was tough. The terrain is a bit different than Southwestern Va in that there are many rolling hills. It was difficult to capture the shapes and undulations of the hills. I got a good start, however, that I will be able to finish with little effort in the studio. The trees were just coming into bloom, waking up the brown landscape. I would love to return to this area. It was breathtakingly beautiful at all times of the day!

Joli

1st outing of 2009

Today was an AMAZING day! It got up into the upper 70's, and so I was able to load up PePe' the Little Mule, and off to paint I went.

I worked my way East towards the parkway, and I found a wonderful overlook to kick off the painting season. Pine Spur Overlook. A beautiful view looking down on Franklin Co, VA. I started sketching on the canvas right after I set up, and the painting came quickly. Ahhh, the smell of the oil paints in the air after a long, cold winter! The painting was fast, and went well. A good start.

I met lots of nice folks, all of whom were very inquisitive about my work. It was VERY windy, so I spent the rest of the day tracking down new places to paint. I discovered some wonderful landscapes here in Floyd County, and there is one spot that I am "obsessed" over at this point. A wonderful barn up Rt. 221. In the afternoon, it catches the light so brilliantly, and so I need to figure out where to park so I can set up next time.

I hope you enjoy the photos, as much as I enjoyed the day. Until next time, happy painting!

joli

Paintings in Progress!

The studio has been a busy place! Inspired by the expansive views, I've been concentrating on new sunset and sky paintings. Each has taken on a new direction. Some small, some large. But in each I've loosened up my painting strokes and taken my time, letting each layer cure before working again. By doing this, I've discovered changes I wanted to make, and I've been more decisive on content.

I will be releasing my painting schedule for the year within the next two weeks. Look for me at Sidewalk Art Show in Roanoke, Art on the Lawn in Giles County, VA, and in the studio! I will be joining the artisan trail, Round the Mountain, this March. Check out the trail specifics at www.roundthemountain.org. I will also hold my first open studio day in April. Look for specifics here.

Until next time, may all your trees be happy tress!

joli

New Work!

It's taken a while to settle into the new studio. I decided to organize my seashell and seaglass collection for inspiration on my new palette table, and I also decided to return to my "roots" to spur creativity with some still life sketching. The sketching was followed by painting, and it felt great to "push some paint" again. Enjoy!

Setting up my new studio!

We finally got moved into our new house, and my new studio is taking shape. Upon opening all the boxes, it was a challenge to decide how I wanted my workspace to organized. It also felt a bit like "starting over." Kinda like the first day of school. I hope I can live up to the new setup and the amazing amount of space. My office nook is still a mess, but hopefully it will be more workable soon.

I will be setting my studio hours after Thanksgiving. Be on the lookout for a formal announcement via email and/or postcard. I am also planning on a studio open house in January.

Thanks to everyone for their support and encouragement on this new endeavor. I hope I don't disappoint! Until next time, may your trees be happy trees!

j.

NEW WORKS at the Cheshire Gallery

Here are two new featured works at The Cheshire Gallery in Roanoke. Be on the lookout for announcements regarding the opening of my studio in Floyd. I will be having open hours by appointment.