My Husband’s Regret…

I just got my new full set of sennelier oil pastel grandes in the mail  over the weekend and I can’t tell you how excited I am. For those of you who have never used oil pastels (which is, I imagine, 99 percent of the adult population) let me tell you that this is the crème de la crème of oil pastels. For a mere … (cough cough)… well, lets leave out the price…..you get pigment that goes on as smooth as lipstick, in colors that are just gorgeous. I am not sure anyone really understands my excitement about these colorful sticks. I showed my husband, in the hopes of him sharing in my joy, but all he said was, “My one regret in life is that you will never look at me in the same way you look at those oil pastels”.  Yikes, I ‘ve been caught.    ~Rita

 

Before the Gala, 8×10 oil pastel

 

Advice for the Day: Don’t Look Under Your Couch Cushions…

I was recently expecting some overnight guests and decided to do a little extra house cleaning. Bad idea. One thing led to another and before I knew it I began cleaning things that had not been cleaned in …. uh, (clearing throat)… well, lets just say quite a while. Before I knew it, a day that had been slated for painting was eaten up with housework. (Sigh) In looking back, I did manage to finish this painting “Adirondack Waterfall” over the next couple of days, and  I did manage to learn a very important life  lesson. That lesson? I should  always remember to never  look under my couch cushions if I want to paint! ~Rita

Adirondack Waterfall, 8×10 oil pastel

 

The Proof is in the Painting….

 

I saw it today. I swear I did. The ground. Brown dirt with old deteriorating leaves. Oh what a sight!  It’s happening! The snow is  melting. I grabbed my pastels and painted the view from my window. So just in case you don’t believe me, here it is….  the proof is in the painting.  ~Rita

March Thaw II, oil pastel 8×10

 

 

I must have missed it…..

I heard someone say that today was going to be the first day of Spring.  Excitedly, I looked out my window at various intervals during the day, patiently waiting,  and either saw :

1. Snow drifts

2. Snow falling from the sky

3. Ice

4. My window thermometer reading 27 degrees.

As I continued to wait for Spring to arrive, I painted this painting of  the Spring that exists  in my mind’s eye. I think , that if Spring did arrive today, I must have missed it.  ~Rita

The Wait, 5×7 oil pastel

 

I confess….

I confess… I am a hoarder. Not a hoarder in general, but a hoarder of art stuff. I can’t help myself.  I can’t throw away paper that I tried and didn’t like; that easel that never really worked for me; that acrylic ground that just wasn’t quite the right texture.  I guess I save it all because it speaks of possibilities to me. Part of the fun in my process of creating is not knowing where I am going to end up.  So having all this stuff around give me a place to explore…. with materials that I use every day, and materials that I initially didn’t like. It’s a nice surprise when that old thing that was thought to be useless winds up being the very thing that brings a painting to life.  And its a reminder to me to always look for the unexpected in art as well as in life—sometimes we receive the biggest blessings from the least expected.  ~Rita

Woodland Song, 11×14 oil pastel

 

All in God’s Plan….

My sister has a theory that people who are avid exercise enthusiasts  are actually wearing out their bodies rather than strengthening them. If you run your washing machine more often are you extending its life or shortening it? Yes, don’t worry, she says it tongue in cheek, but she did cross my mind when I recently went to the doctor with shoulder/arm pain and it was suspected that my pain is due to years of using that arm to excess when I paint. (Sigh)

So, my dilemma is how to  continue to paint while I give my shoulder/arm a rest. While I haven’t quite figured that out entirely just yet, I was thinking about how it must have been part of a bigger plan that I am  lucky enough to be fairly ambidextrous. Here is my latest painting, Sunlit Splendor, which was painted almost entirely with my non-dominant left hand.  ~Rita

Sunlit Splendor, 8×10 oil pastel

 

 

Just an FYI: I didn’t die

 

 

Everyone knows that the way an artist truly gets the most recognition is by someone discovering the greatness of their work after they die. Museums and galleries love to exhibit the work of all of the great deceased artists. So is the case with the Saratoga Springs New York History Museum whose multi-faceted exhibits include historical  art and artifacts to educate its viewers about the rich history of Saratoga Springs, NY. This winter however, the curator decided to take a different tact and featured its first  living contemporary artist — me. The show, which features 30 of my landscapes opened on February 12th and will run through March 27th. So if you happen to be in the area, I would love to have you stop by. And just for the record, in case anyone is wondering,  I didn’t die. I am still very much alive and kicking. ~Rita

For a glimpse of the show click on:

http://www.saratogahistory.org/current-exhibitions

Beauty Prevails…

Before it got so frigidly cold,  I went on a hike with my son to a trail called Saratoga North Woods here in upstate New York. It seemed like a harmless idea: he said it was a short trail, a couple of miles that was more like a stroll than an actual hike.  Well, it did start as an easy trail but what we didn’t account for was some very icy spots that made the climb a little more difficult. That being said it was still pleasant and very pretty until…(of course there is an until because none of my hiking stories ever seem to end pleasantly)… until we got to two trail markers that were on opposite sides of a wide stream. Rock- hopping has never been a strong suit of mine but I can do it if it is not too rigorous. As I stood hesitantly on the last rock before jumping on to the embankment I was listening to my son say “C’mon Mom I know you can do it!!” and I quickly learned one thing : Don’t ever trust a kid cheering you on. Yes, you guessed it. Plop down in the water I went, quickly covered in mud. We finished the hike with me cold, wet, and cranky. (Sigh)  But, I guess somehow in the end, even in unpleasant circumstances, beauty prevails. That scene with the water, snow, and rocks was etched in my mind, and when I got home I found myself in the studio painting it. Here is my rendition of “Saratoga North Woods.” ~Rita

Saratoga North Woods, 5×7 oil pastel

Is Bigger Better???

So many times people have asked me, “Why don’t you paint bigger??”  Yes, its the age old question: is bigger better?

Quite frankly, I am  tired of this question. While I have painted large works in the past, I really enjoy the intimacy of a small piece. I remember recently going to the Clark Museum in Williamstown Massachusetts and seeing room after room of amazing works in all sizes… most of which were quite large. But the piece that I found myself most mesmerized by was a small work, not bigger than a five by seven. A dark, moody, interior by a 19th century dutch artist with such remarkable lighting it took my breath away. Its impact was bigger than any piece I had seen that day.

For me, its what you see in a painting, how it moves you, which is what gives it meaning and value. Size? In my book, it just doesn’t matter.  ~Rita

Here is my latest:

Finding Hannah 8×10 oil pastel

 

 

 

Baby It’s Cold Outside!!

I was listening to the TV the other day and was struck by how many times a local newscaster came on in little  snippets to tell the viewers tomorrow’s weather. But it wasn’t just tomorrow’s weather, it was BIG NEWS: “IT’S GOING TO BE A COLD ONE OUT THERE TOMORROW!! STAY TUNED FOR THE DETAILS!”  Really?? This is news?? Shocking. Its winter in upstate New York, and here I was thinking it was going to be warm and balmy. A real newsworthy item that would match the excitement in his voice would have been “BE PREPARED! IT’S NOT GOING TO BE COLD TOMORROW!!” Oh well.  Here’s my latest painting.  A landscape. A cold, snowy landscape. After all, it is winter in upstate New York.  ~Rita

Evening Hush, 8×10 oil pastel