Yesterday, I got an email from the Cincinnati Art club informing me that the dates for the 

44th Annual Viewpoint 

have been changed.

OMG!

They moved the entry date to May 31st!!!

Seeing that made me panic since I was not even thinking about what I would paint yet. I thought I had 4 months to finalize my entry. Surprise! I have 2 months to make a decision.

Upon reading the email flyer, it looks like they changed the dates to be able to have the exhibit at a prominent gallery downtown Cincinnati. This could be a positive to someone who wants gallery representation. 

For me it means I have to stop procrastinating and get to work.

Gaylynn

Norman Rockwell Exhibit at Dayton Art Institute

My friends and I went to Dayton to their Art Institute to see American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell. The paintings coming from the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Mass. The exhibit traces the evolution of Rockwell's art and illustrations throughout his career. The exhibit has 42 original artworks and a complete set of 323 Saturday Evening Post cover tear sheets spanning 47 years.

Norman Rockwell    Four Freedoms: Freedom of Religion 

Norman Rockwell began his career as a teenager. His first publications was Tell Me Why. At nineteen he became the art editor of Boy's Life magazine, the official magazine of the Boys Scouts of America. He began his career at the Saturday Evening Post in 1916. Rockwell drew and painted over four thousand images in which he explored the impact on  popular culture with his reflections on childhood innocence to powerful, consciousness-raising images.

In this exhibit we saw these powerful illustrations in his Four Freedoms (Freedom of Speech; Freedom of Want; Freedom of Fear; Freedom of Religion), A Scout is Helpful, the painting of Murder In Mississippi along with the sketches and news clippings about the tragedy, The Problem We All Live With about Civil Rights and the Supreme Courts ordering of integration in schools. Idyllic childhood images such as Going and Coming, A Day in The Life of a Young Girl, No Swimming and  Girl at Mirror. Whether the images were comical, idyllic or powerful they were all amazingly painted.

Norman Rockwell     TheCritique  

One of my favorites was The Critique. The young man inspecting the Dutch influenced painting was Norman Rockwell's son. In his preparation of this painting, Norman Rockwell did many, many sketches of the paintings in this illustration. He painted the paintings in this illustration in the classical style of Peter Paul Rubens (portrait of his wife) and the Dutch cavaliers in the painting watching the young man's inspection of the lady.

In Rockwell's preparation he used several models to pose and  take shots of their expressions from different angles.  He then did a full sized study of the scene in pencil or charcoal. The woman's face was painted on clear plastic in many ways. Rockwell then held these sketches to the canvas until he found the head shot and expression that he liked. When he liked his sketches, Rockwell painted color studies. When all the preliminary work was finished, the final oil painting was started.

As the student leans in to look closer at the woman, she gives him a comical, yet quizzical look as if to say "get back buster!" The gentlemen's animated expressions, in the background painting, look on with concern as the boy leans into the painting. They probably wonder if the young man is getting too close to the lady. I just love the humor in this painting. The Critique was on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post April 1955.

Norman Rockwell is considered an illustrator, but I have always admired him as an artist.

I am lucky that I have friends that enjoy seeing exhibits and travel with me to view them. This exhibit will be at the Dayton Art Institute until February 5, 2012. I highly recommend the trip to see this thought provoking body of work.

Gaylynn

Following a Vision

Once a week, for ten weeks before Christmas I taught a watercolor class to an exceptional young woman. She had art in high school, but now that she was through college and in a new job, she wanted to learn how to paint with watercolors. During the ten weeks we worked on many techniques that lead up to her picking what she wanted to paint. She chose orchids, stating that she liked my painting of orchids.

E. Miller     Watercolor     SOLD

She obtained a How to book on painting flowers in watercolor. She liked the fuchsia orchids that the artist author had. My student took those orchids and placed them on her paper the way she wanted them to appear, not how the artist placed hers. She then talked me through her vision for the painting. The next four weeks she would ask how would she could achieve her goal and I sat beside her with my paper and reminded her of the strokes we went over, or how wet into wet would work in certain areas, dry brush in others.We discussed design on where the stems should be placed and if leaves were needed. All leading up to her vision coming to life.

I think she achieved her vision and can not wait to see what she will "see" to paint next.

 Gaylynn

Happy New Year! 2011 in Review

Onions     Watercolor     Donated to Boys & Girls Club Fundraiser

 It is that time of year when I take stock of my 2011 accomplishments and work on goals for 2012.


In 2011:
I completed five paintings with one still on my easel.
I taught a private watercolor class. So FUN!

Troublesome Pebble     Watercolor

I posted 42 times to this blog. These posts also go to my FB page and I have over 580 "friends" that I share tweets with on Twitter. This is my way of getting out there and meet other artists for support and ideas.
I began listening to Dreama Tolle Perry and Leslie Saeta on Artist's Helping Artists on Blog Talk Radio. These ladies give great tips and have very helpful guests on their weekly show.
I updated my resume'.
I renewed my membership to Greater Cincinnati Watercolor Society. Here I learn from the wonderful speakers the club brings in each month.

Locked Out     Watercolor     SOLD

I entered 5 paintings into 4 juried shows. They made it into 3 shows; Miamisburg Art Guilds Annual Exhibit, GCWS Fall Members Show at Evergreen and the 43rd Annual Viewpoint at The Wessel Gallery, Cincinnati Art Club.
I received a 2nd place ribbon for my painting Waiting on the Rain  (see Gallery above) at the Evergreen Show.
I traveled to Nashville, TN to the Frist Museum and the Country Music Hall of Fame. I went to several exhibits at the Taft Museum. 
I attended Summerfair at Coney Island Park. This is a National Outdoor Art Show. It brings in many artists from all over the USA. This show begins my summer each year and is my favorite event at Coney.

I have to state that if it was not for my art community, I would not have made some of these accomplishments. I am grateful for All the help I received from Rhonda Carpenter and her husband. The mentoring I get from Rhonda, Deb Ward and the many blogs that I read and comment on.

Flower Market     Watercolor    SOLD

Now for my 2012 goals. This is very much what I wrote last year. I only reached 4 out the 25 so I am going to try again.

I want to stay organized. I can do this by:
Keep books up to date.
Keep files of my paintings up to date.
Keep my studio less cluttered.
Keep my portfolio/bio/artist statement/scrapbook up to date.

I want to become a better painter. I can do this by:
Improving my studio habits.

Painting 9 or more paintings for the year.

Keep teaching
Picking an artist to study their techniques/style.
Seeing exhibits at museums, galleries, art events, and art fairs. (4 or more local/far away)

Keep donating my art to the Boys and Girls Clubs Annual Fund-raiser.

Take a workshop/class.

Travel

Mugs with Oranges     Oil

I want to step up my game. I can do this by:           

Enter 4 or more juried exhibitions.

Take better quality photos of my work.

Participate in 2 group shows.

Obtain commissions.

Make 3 or more sales.
Meet more artists in my area.
Renew my membership to those I belong.
Join another are organization and become involved.

I want to work on my marketing skills. I can do this by:
Ordering new business cards and postcards.
Work on mailing list and strive for 200+ names.
Research the costs of prints/cards of my artwork.
Blogging once a week.
Creating a website.

Now to print this out and hang it in the studio!
I WISH EVERYONE A HEALTHY, PRODUCTIVE AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!
Gaylynn.

Merry Christmas

 Wishing everyone a joyous weekend. May it be filled with lots of family, friends and memories.

Safe travels

Gaylynn

The Different Views of Viewpoint

Viewpoint ended on Sunday. I saw it all three weekends. I went to the opening with my friend, Cindy. We took in the ambiance and excitement of the evening. I took pictures of the show. We talked to other artists and attendees of the show. We discussed what we liked and which ones we thought would take a prize. After the prizes were handed out we then talked about our choices and how we stacked up to the judges choices.

Then I took my friend Tina with the intent to take more and/or better pictures then I was able to do on opening night. Once there I decided to just absorb the atmosphere and enjoy the artwork. Again, I discussed with her our likes, but this time with the knowledge of who the winners were.

On the closing day of the show, I took my student so that we could critique the show together. It was nice to see the paintings through her eyes. I knew how I felt and the opinions of my friends. However, my student slowly looked around the show and come away surprised with herself about what she liked. She confided in me that she normally leans to works that are cool in color, realistic or modern in style. Then she found herself looking closely at the brush strokes, the detail and then the subject matter.

She told me that she thought she liked the paintings that were more realistic and had a finished look. However, after viewing the show she learned about color placement, texture and what she perceived as a "realistic" painting could be abstract in design. She pointed out two paintings where the subject was prominent and the background faded. She said that her first thought was that they bothered her that they were not "finished". She thought she wanted the tight detail. Yet, after looking around and seeing the paintings from across the room she could see how they worked.

Mary Helen Wallace     Racing With the Moon     Pastel

She stated that she saw color used in a way that she would not have thought to use it. Using Mary Helen Wallace's pastel painting of a timber wolf as an example, she was surprised how Mary Helen had used purple, blues and pinks on the wolf's coat and how it still read as fur.

Carol MacConnel     Hyde Park     Oil

Then I gave her the million dollar question...."If money was no object, which painting would you buy and why?"


 With careful thought she choose Hyde Park (oil) by Carol MacConnel. She said that she felt she could look at this painting everyday and enjoy it. She liked the colors, the texture created by the brush strokes and the sunshine coming through the trees. She liked how it looked different from afar then it did close up.

She said that her decorating palette was neutral and she felt that this painting would be the showcase of any room she would place it.

I enjoyed each person that I viewed the show with and their perspective. Some of us liked the same paintings while some of us had a different take on a few of the paintings. We all agreed that the judge took his time and stayed true to his statement that he looked at the technical first when he chose each painting for the show and then the winners.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Gaylynn

43rd Annual Viewpoint

Gaylynn M. Robinson   Locked Out   Watercolor

Last night was the opening of the 43rd Annual Viewpoint. An international show produced by the Cincinnati Art Club. It was a beautiful fall evening in Mt. Adams/Cincinnati, OH. The Wessel Gallery held a large crowd eager to see the prized paintings of this show.


Deb Ward was the Viewpoint Chairperson that organized the show and handed out the awards. Deb did a fantastic job all around. This was her third and final year for being chairperson. Check out her thoughts about the show on her blog.

Greg Albert speaking at a GCWS Meeting

The Judge was Greg Albert. He is a teacher at the Cincinnati Art Academy's Community Classes, has written for the Artist's Magazine and is an author published through North Light Books.
Greg's criteria when he judges is concept and execution. In his words, "Concept is the idea the artist is conveying. The execution is how well the artist translated his concept in the chosen medium." - excerpt from his book The Secret to Better Painting.

Ken L. Buck   Free Spirit   Pastel

I am honored to have a painting selected to be in this show with a group of such accomplished artists. I am especially thrilled to have my painting hang in the same room as two of my former teachers. Both teachers won an award.


Ken won the Great American Art Works Award for his pastel painting Free Spirit.

Mary Helen Wallace   Racing with the Moon   Pastel

Mary Helen won The Bowman's Framing Award with her pastel painting Racing with the Moon.

Carolyn Ross Hibbard   Bloomin' Beauties II   Watercolor

A member of the GCWS, Carolyn Ross Hibbard, won the Ray Loos Watercolor Award for her Bloomin' Beauties II.

Rhonda Carpenter   A Difference of Opinion  Watercolor

 There were three more GCWS members that had paintings in the show, Rhonda Carpenter, Lorri Davis and Joan Rothel.


Rhonda also commented on her blog about the event.

.

Lorri Davis   Afternoon Davis   Watercolor

Joan Rothel   Ready to Fish   Watercolor

Wilfred Loring   May Clothesline, II  Oil

There were 15 awards plus the top three.











May Clothesline, II by Wilfred Loring of  Lindsborg, Kansas won 3rd place.

Gail Morrison   Hidden History   Oil

2nd place was awarded to Gail Morrison of Cincinnati, OH for her oil painting Hidden History.

Andy Curran   Gypsy   Oil

The top prize of 1st Place went to Gypsy painted by Andy Curran of Cincinnati, OH.


The different mediums exhibited were:

• 27 Oil 
• 3   Acrylic
• 12 Watercolor
• 1   Alkyd
• 10 Pastel
• 1  Oil Pastel
• 3  Colored Pencil
• 1  Pen & Ink
• 2  Charcoal
• 1  Mixed Media
• 4  Sculptures

My photos are not the best. It is hard to take pictures in a crowd of people. I highly suggest that you go to the Wessel Gallery at the Cincinnati Art Club the next two weekends to see these beautiful paintings in person. The gallery is open 1-4pm November 12-13, 19-20.

Happy Viewing
Gaylynn

Sidebar: A BIG Thank you to Rhonda and her Sweetie for their help with my paintings at the GCWS Show at Evergreen. My 2nd place ribbon is dedicated to them because if they had not helped me I would not have achieved that honor.