"Mission Santa Cruz"

My third mission in my mission series.  This is Mission Santa Cruz in downtown Santa Cruz.  My best friend's children were baptized  here.  I have fond memories of this church.  Before I start my next mission, I am taking a break by painting landscape of a field of renunculus.

My only computer without an internet hookup was in my studio.  It is hooked up now and I have two new listening pleasures.  The first one is Blog Talk radio and I started listening to "Artists Helping Artists".  I found it to be extremely help.  The other is Radio Pandora. It is a wonderful station that lets you choose what kind of music you would like to hear.  Both wonderful things were suggested by other artist friends.

"Mission San Luis Rey"

At the Matthews Art Guild reception tonight, I received an honorable mention for this painting.  Thousands of people will see it this weekend at "Matthews Alive".

"The Angel of Art" sold at Shain Gallery

Last Saturday's reception for "Calling All Angels" at Shain Gallery was a huge success.  All the angels drawn by the children were precious.  The artists interpretations were amazing.  At this time I do not know how much money was raised for the Avon Foundation.  I should know soon.
Meanwhile I entered two paintings (Mission San Luis Rey and Dancing Pears) in the Matthews Art Guild show for the Labor Day weekend  in "Matthews Alive".  Thousands attend this event every year.  I hope to see you there.

"Something Different"

I took a break from painting my California Mission series to do something more whimsical.  I have several canvas place mats that I bought for a project years ago.  I was running low on my 6" x 6" panels so I thought it would be fun to do some place mats.  I have some beautiful rose photographs from my trip to San Diego that shall be my place mat subject.

"Mission Santa Cruz"

This is a 7" x 5" study for my third mission in my California Mission Series.  I would like to go back to California sometime and paint all 21 of the missions.  Each one is so unique.

QR code for smart phones.

For those of you with smart phones, this will connect you to my images of paintings on Charlotte Artists.

www.charlotteartists.com/c.pighin

Mission San Luis Rey

This is the second in my California Missions series.  San Luis Rey was the second  mission founded by Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest from Spain.  Twenty-one missions stretch along the Camino Real from San Diego to Sonoma.  This mission is five miles east of Oceanside and started in 1798.  I visited this beautiful white washed mission in June of this year.

Sunrise on Ocracoke Island

Sometimes I wonder if one can really paint and capture something as beautiful as nature itself.  On a recent trip to Ocracoke Island, my daughter got up early for the sunrise and took many gorgeous photos of the beach, sky, and sand dunes.  I was stunned at the beauty of her sunrise photographs.  I also regretted sleeping through it.

"The Angel of Art"

The "Angel of Art" found a home at Shain Gallery on Sewlyn Avenue until the night of the auction. Over 30 artists working in various media have interpreted children's drawings depicting their ideas of what an angel may look like.  These works will be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds donated to the Avon Foundation for Women to Benefit Breast Cancer."   August 27th, 5-9pm at Shain Gallery.
Live link to the auction:

Start bidding now!


http://www.32auctions.com/view_auction?id=caaauction&pwd=caaauction

www.callingallangelscharity.com

"Cappuccino Anyone?"

I was trying to find a cup and saucer to paint.  A mug would not do and neither would a china tea cup.  I kept digging in my cupboard until I found this ancient cappuccino set.  This was just right.  Maybe next I will get out my thirty year old Pavoni espresso maker and paint that.

Dancing Pears in New Video

http://youtu.be/gYvsd9rt02s

New Youtube Video.  Before publishing a video on youtube, make sure you are not using copyrighted music and also check fair use laws.  In my other video, I used music from Kenny G and George Benson.  It was blocked in Germany.  It seems to be fine for the USA so far.

Enjoy my new video.

"Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcala"

On my vacation to California last month, I visited seven of the twenty-one missions built from1769 to 1823 by the Franciscan  missionaries from Spain.  El Camino Real was the road traveled in which the missions were built from San Diego to Sonoma.  This is the first of my mission paintings.  

Size 18" x 24"  unframed $450

"Big Boy"

Our tomatoes are plentiful this year.  We have been enjoying caprese salad, home made tomato sauce, tortilla soup, home made salsa, and home made pizza with sauce.  All the delights of summer including basil.  With all the cooking, I still have time to paint.  I love this "Big Boy" tomato.  I hope it looks as juicy as it tasted.

Learn More About Google+

I was reading an e-mail from Alyson B. Stanfield, art biz coach and she said this:  "Unless you’ve been hiding under a virtual rock, you’ve been hearing a lot about Google+ (a.k.a. G+) over the past couple of weeks. You’ve also been seeing more +1 buttons popping up on your favorite sites, like Art Biz Blog."  Well I guess I was living under a rock.  People are using it as a like button.  Also it was time to up date my Google profile.  The idea is make it easy for people to find you and your art.  I'm going to find out more about G+.  How about you?  http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/

"The Angel of Art"

The "Angel of Art" is on her way.  I'll let you know where her first stop is going to be.  "Over 30 artists working in various media have interpreted children's drawings depicting their ideas of what an angel may look like.  These works will be auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds donated to the Avon Foundation for Women to Benefit Breast Cancer."   August 27th, 6-9pm at Shain Gallery.

www.callingallangelscharity.com

First You Tube Art Video!

http://www.youtube.com/my_videos_annotate?v=x3Q11xT8mx4

"The Angel of Art"

This piece is for "Calling All Angels" art auction.  Fifty children drew pictures of angels.  Artists then pick one of the angels for inspiration.   Above is the angel I picked and the painting process from the beginning to the end.

Summer Blueberries!

As I work on my first California Mission painting, I set aside some time to do a small painting.  This is an 8" x 8" panel using Indian Yellow and Cadmium Scarlet red for the background.  I like the hot background with the cold Blueberries.  For Sale:  $95

The Beauty of California

As a native Californian there is no place as beautiful as my home state.  This trip was to see old friends, visit missions from San Diego to Sonoma, visit galleries, and to take as many scenic photos as possible.  I have to admit it was my first visit to San Diego.  The birthplace of California had many things to offer.  I loved the galleries of La Jolla but even better was Laguna Beach.   I discovered the "Red Fern Gallery" which carried Edgar Payne and Kevin McPherson.  I met watercolorist Bill Hudson at the Cottage Gallery and he gave me his watercolor pocket guide written by him.  At Jones & Terwilliger Galleries in Carmel I saw Brian Blood and Lindsay Goodwin beautiful paintings.  I am very inspired and cannot wait to get back to work painting

Sliced Green Apple

I attended a wonderful workshop last Saturday with Kelley Stanford.  After giving a demo and talking about paint mixing, Kelley had us  paint a still life.  We divided our 6" x 6" panels into quarters.  Then Kelley timed us.  Each little square got better.  My new favorite color is Indian Yellow which we used for the flesh of the apple.

Painting Again

The last few days was a struggle to get motivated to go into my studio and paint.  Today I decided to warm up with painting two pears on 4" x 4" canvases.  In the first painting, I used red and purple for the pear and yellow and green for the background.  The second pear, I greyed down everything and used mostly purples for the pear.  Now I feel ready to finish up my other paintings.  Have a great painting day.

Art Exhibit at Christ Church on Providence. May 3-30.

This is a favorite painting of mine.  As a native California living in North Carolina, I still enjoy painting California scenes.  I especially like the rolling hills of California.  See fourteen of my paintings at Christ Episcopal Church on Providence Road in Charlotte.  Two are California scenes and the rest from Mountains of Beaches of North Carolina.

Red Strawberries Again.

This is my third painting of three strawberries.  The other two I gave away.  This one is for sale. 

The Angel of Art

 

 The Angel of Art is changing from Olivia's drawing to the acrylic underpainting to cold wax mixed with oil paint to this last layer.  There maybe other layers on top of this one. 

Mint Museum Art and Garden Tour ~ 2011

I was happy to do some plein air painting in this beautiful "Cinderella" Queens Road West garden .  A perfect day to paint outside.  This was the first painting of the day with morning sun.  I caught the feeling of the moment in this painting.  This 8" x 8" sold by the end of the day.

Angel with wings.

This layer has oil paint and cold waxed mixed together.  I think this will be fun to watch this angel grow and change.

"The Angel of Art"

Last night's guest artist at the Mint Museum of Art was Charlotte Zweber Chavis.  She used a symbol of a butterfly to represent a spiritual transformation.  Charlotte started with an acrylic wash and then used oil paint and cold wax for the next layers.  It was such an inspiration for me that I'm trying her technique today for my next piece.  This piece is for "Calling All Angels" art auction.  Fifty children drew pictures of angels.  Artists then pick one of the angels for inspiration.  The symbolism of the butterfly seemed to go well with the "Calling All Angels" art auction angel theme.  Above is the angel I picked and the beginning of my angel painting.

Kevin Macphearson's DVD

I felt in need of a painting lesson today.  I used Kevin Macphearson's limited palette and painted along with him as I watched his DVD.  This is not of copy of his plein air painting but an attempt to imitate the experience of painting quickly and finding the shapes that represent the buildings and water.

Green Meadow

"Green Meadow" (24" x 20")and "Blueberries"(4"x 4") sold at the art exhibit at CCDS this weekend.

Paintings, pottery, jewelry and much more at Charlotte Country Day School

20" x 24" ~ $450

See this painting "Green Meadow" and many more at Country Day School.  It is a very exciting art exhibit.  April 14th,15th, & 16th (8 a.m. to 4:00 & Sat. 10 a.m. to 4:00)

Upper School Library.

Custom Made Pochade Boxes

Please to present another pochade box made by my husband.

Box 1:  12" L x 10 1/2" W x 3 1/2 "  Price:  $99

Box 2:  14" L x 12 1/2" W x 3 1/2" D Price:  $109

704-560-3261

Includes:  Brush Holder, Palette, Wet Canvas Carrier in the lid, and Tripod attachment.

For Sale at Teena's Art Gallery

110 South Ames Street

Matthews, NC

"Orange Slices"

The daylight shining through these orange slices made it a delight to paint.  I used several variations of yellows and reds to make the different orange hues.  The canvas I used was 4" x 4".

Red and Yellow Tulips!

I posted a beautiful photo of tulips from my yard on  Facebook.  Many of my Facebook friends thought I should paint the tulips from the photograph.  I painted it on a 6" x 6" panel and put it in a black 5" wide frame.  The price is $95.  I'll be selling this and many more at Country Day's Big Saturday April 14 - 16th.  See you there.

Time to get ready for painting en plein air!

Custom Made Pochade Box

12" L x 10 1/2" W x 3 1/2 "

$95

704-560-3261



Wet Canvas Holder, Tripod Mount, Brush Holder, and
Palette.



Holds  8 " x 10 wet canvas or panel.





Shows with wet canvas storage in place.



Shows 8" x 10 panel and brush holder.



So Many Things to Blog About!

Wednesday night at the Mint Museum with Daily Painter, Kelley Stanford, was fun and educational.  I think Kelley will single handedly get most of Charlotte Artists Blogging. 
Thursday at Memorial Garden in Concord was amazing. The weather was not too hot or too cold.  The perfect Spring day.  Plein Air painting in a small garden with thousands of tulips blooming was inspiring.  Then instead of having lunch, another painter and I stopped at a chocolatier and had fabulous fruit tarts.

Green Pear

The same pear but version three of it.  I finally signed it.  No more changes!

Red Strawberries with blue green background

I like this color combination so much that I painted it twice.  One is a 4" x 4" canvas and the other is a 6 " x 6" panel.  E-mail me for prices.  The 4" x 4" paintings I on put on easels and the 6" x 6", I put in frames.

Art Exhibit at Journey Church

A beautiful Spring day to hang artwork.  My husband and I went to Huntersville to hang eighteen of my oil paintings.  After about two hours, everything was hung to our satisfaction.  I hope you enjoy the slide show.

"Yellow Green Pear"

I love the shape of this pear.  It has some angles  instead of all curves.  I used the compliment of  purple on Munsell color system with yellow green.  I had enough time today to finish this 6" x 6" painting and start a 4" x 4" one of strawberries.

Same pear a day later.  The pear was too far to the left so I moved it.  Now it looks so different.  I lost the angles.

My hall and studio walls are bare.  I'ven been busy getting ready to show twenty pieces of my artwork.  I received a phone call from a person representing Journey Church in Huntersville.  She saw my work on line and asked if I would hang in the lobby of their church.  There are other shows coming up and I didn't think I had enough inventory.  After finishing my inventory sheet, I had forty paintings that I could show.  My husband was kind enough to make four shadow box frames for me.  I have finished my labels and up dating my bio.  I will hang my artwork on Thursday and take photos for my blog. 

"Daybreak at the Beach"

Another sky study.  This is not the first time I painted this sunrise.  I created this with more feeling of how I remember the sky looking that early morning two years ago.

Daily Painters

I've been following "Daily Painters" for awhile now.  I've been inspired to paint small paintings for ideas and practice.  This morning I read something posted by Mary Maxan about daily paintings giving her discipline, confidence, and ideas.  I realized that was true for me also.  I started three new paintings yesterday sizes from  6" x 6" to 24" x 18".  All of a sudden the produce department is a plethora of ideas for still lives.  Even old reference photos take on new color and meaning.  Thank you Daily Painters for the inspiration.

"Wisteria and Dogwood"

Sold!