Thursday, November 19, 2009

Artwork for Alex's Lemonade Stand auction


There are a few people in this world for whom I would do just about anything. One of these lovely people happens to be Ann Walsh, a Windsor resident and good-deed-doer who asked me if I might create something in the art realm for an Alex's Lemonade Stand "Lemon Ball" in Philadelphia this coming January 2010. This framed piece will be auctioned at the ball.

I envisioned some lemons, sliced with the light coming through the sections so they appear to be their own light source. My colors would be yellow, blue with green and white...

This is a small piece, about 9"w x 7"h, but it was fun to do and I am honored to have been asked to create it for such a cause. I am bringing it to my giclee printer, so it will have a life beyond the original as several people have asked about prints. I plan to donate a portion of the proceeds from the prints to Alex's Lemonade.

The photo here is from my digital camera, so it's not perfect, but, you get the idea.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Page 15 in International Artist Magazine issue 69


I entered "Grandmothers' Gifts" in the Still Life challenge a few months back and was pleased to find I had been selected as a finalist. This gives the artist an entire page with their work and contact information, as well as work method and inspiration.

For this particular piece, I chose one of the photos I took for the "My father's Light" shoot. This was one of the last photos; I'd pulled off rose petals and placed them in the crystal bowl and on the tablecloth, which was a gift from Steve's grandmother, Esta Kriegsman. The gold sugar bowl came from my paternal grandmother, Maude Irma Richardson, whom I never knew. The sunlight passing through the crystal and glass creating spiked abstract shadows captured my eye. Created in 2004.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Winner of Lillian Ciaravino Award at Catherine Lorillard Wolfe exhibit in NYC


I was pleased to discover I'd won an award for drawing (for Red & Green Series 2) at this exhibit which held it's awards' ceremony on October 23, 2009 at the National Art Club in New York. Steve and I drove in for this dinner, hitting little traffic going into the city on a rainy Friday and found a great parking spot right outside the club.
The National Art Club is a fabulous members-only club that organizations are able to utilize as a venue and it is gorgeous inside. Dinner was great and we sat at a table where 5 of us had won awards for various artworks. I met so many wonderful people that night and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. A power point presentation of all the winning artwork ran concurrently with the presenting of awards.
We got home around midnight, which wasn't too bad!

Monday, November 16, 2009

I found the firefighter I drew!!

It has been so busy since September I am going to catch up little by little. I'm going to start in September with "my" firefighter.
I have been "looking" for him on the internet for several years, wanting to contact him and send him a print of the original. The name I was given was incorrect, although I didn't know that while searching. Some time in September I decided to try again and found the original photo I used with the Ladder company he was in. I found their website and sent an email. A week later I received an email from a firefighter who used to work there. After sending him my story and a small photo of the artwork, he wrote back - it was him!!
I have had a full size giclee made and as soon as I pick it up, I am sending to him!! Can't tell you how thrilled I was to find him.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

September 11, 2001


After the tragic events of that day, many artists felt a need to express their emotions with their art. I work from photos and there were so many to choose from - I wanted to draw something that said it all to me. As I flipped through the December issue of Reader's Digest, this photo of a NY firefighter caught my eye. Young, exhausted, walking towards the viewer with tears in his eyes, holding up the American flag found in the rubble of Ground Zero; this is what I had been looking for. I found the photographer was Pete Souza and through the generosity of the Chicago Tribune, obtained an 8 x 10 of this image. I thank both Mr. Souza and the Tribune for allowing me to use this. Now if only I could find the firefighter - I would love to give him a copy as I have giclee prints of this.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Dog Days of Summer!


I'm sitting here in my studio and the fan isn't cutting it. It's been hot and muggy for days, now, and summer has finally hit us. I find myself heading out to the patio in my swimsuit and sarong to work at the table under the umbrella. It also allows me to watch the kids in the pool and jump in when the sweat gets in my eyes. But, I can't bring my PC outside for this, so I try to get just paperwork done outside. I hope I don't have to go anywhere that requires makeup and a hairstyle, because right now, it ain't happening! :)

Thursday, July 30, 2009

A Rose by any other name...


I took the reference photo of this rose at the side of Nelson Hall, at the First Church in Windsor a couple of years ago, while the Boy Scouts were unloading their camping gear. I try to bring my camera on all trips and this rose was calling to me. :)

Monday, July 20, 2009

My painting in the Guild of Boston Artists Show coming up Aug.6


The Guild of Boston Artists is at 162 Newbury Street in Boston, the very street where I first went to college (the now defunct Chamberlayne Junior College). I am so pleased to be in this show and once I finish framing the piece I've entered, I'll be heading up to Boston to drop it off. The opening reception is August 6th. For more info, check out - http://www.guildofbostonartists.org/
This piece is called "Red & Green #2" which is a companion piece to #1, the first still life I did in 2002. Last fall I was flipping through the photos I took for this series and pulled out the one for this. It's good to go back and take another look as things catch our eye differently. I love the dramatic lighting and drapery. This is done entirely in colored pencil on white Stonehenge paper. I use no black; instead, I create a warm black with layers of my darkest colors. It makes a big difference.

Friday, July 3, 2009

My shop on Cafepress is open for business!

I opened this shop a while back with a few fashion designs, but, have now expanded to include my fine art, with a separate section for my Christmas ornament drawings. I also changed the design of the shop, so it's a bit easier to navigate! So go shopping at:
http://www.cafepress.com/2LipsArtDesign

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Real Simple Magazine July issue!


I was pleased to be commissioned by Real Simple magazine a couple of months ago to do a small illustration of a busy woman, running with a purse, tote bag, cell phone, keys, etc and I enjoyed it so much I did about 6-7 different concepts for it! They chose one and I was eager for the July issue to come out. You never know if an article or piece of artwork will get "killed" until the last minute. I ran to Target and found my illustration on page 204. It was a good feeling to see it in print!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

My method of framing - keeping costs down and appearance up!

I have been doing portraiture since I was 16 and always found that framing can be incredibly expensive. When I first moved to Connecticut in 1988 I began working at Koenig's Art Emporium in downtown Hartford and learned a lot about the hows/whys of framing. I had scars on my fingers from cutting sheets of glass, dry-mounted prints on foam core and cut mats in a rush for customers who needed one done in a hurry. I also tallied up the cost of an ornate wooden frame, mat, glass, to the dismay of customers who said, "But, this picture cost me only $10" - it didn't matter - the larger the picture, the more money it cost.
When I complete a portrait on commission, the client frames them. But, when I started creating my own fine art, I ran into these cost issues.
After years of spending a fortune on framing this is what I do: I buy Pleine Aire frames when they are at least 50% off. These are the wooden pieces, or chops, only. No glass or mat. I then purchase plexiglass and an 8-ply mat from The Framer's Edge in Orange, CT. I order over the phone and they deliver to my door. I don't think their prices can be beat. I purchased a Fletcher driver which shoots metal points into the wood in the back, securing the artwork within the frame. So, I put it together myself and at the end, what would have cost me $200 and up to frame one piece, finishes at about $60. There may be even less expensive ways to do it, if I bought the chops and put them together, cut my own mats, but, I am not about to attempt cutting an 8-ply mat and I just don't have the time!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

The value of finishing your profile!




I had joined http://www.noenga.com/ (a global art website) a little while ago, and was having a hard time navigating the site, so, in frustration, I gave up and walked away. As I constantly need to be reminded to ask for help when I need it (just ask my husband) I discovered this week that one of my colored pencil pieces, "From Within" was the gold cup winner for the month of May and I was listed as stp, an anonymous artist. Embarrassed, I quickly finished my profile, uploaded a photo of myself and added a few more pieces of art to the portfolio. So, another new lesson learned!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Cambridge Art Association Northeast Prize Show - 2nd prize!




I was in my studio early this week and received a call that I'd won 2nd prize in the Cambridge Art Association's Northeast Prize show, but I'd missed the dropoff date and had to scoot up to Cambridge, Mass. on Wednesday to drop off the piece. "Grace", peonies done in colored pencil, was my entry and I am so pleased to be in the show, let alone win a prize.
The opening reception and awards ceremony is Friday, May 29, 6-8pm at University Place, which is right down the road from the Assoc. building home, seconds from Harvard Square.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

This week is chock full!


I am finishing up painting a dog statue for Paws for the Cause, to benefit Windsor Education Foundation. We have a Cub Scout pack meeting Friday night, then I am face painting at our Scout Booth at the Shad Derby - we have a big carnival for a fish - parade and all.
On Saturday night I get to put my ball gown on and attend the CT Heart Ball Gala with my husband down at Mohegan Sun Casino. I am really looking forward to dressing up - let's hope we don't have any wardrobe malfunctions! The red dress fashion piece I created is an auciton item at this ball. I hope everyone likes it :)

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Colored Pencil Society of America 17 National Exhibit


Today the long awaited for posting of selected artists for the CPSA 17th exhibit came and I was very pleased to see they had chosen one of my pieces - "For Barbara", completed during 2 months of lunch hours at work.
I was staying at the home of artist Barbara Van Winkelen, in June 2006 and was walking out of an incredible Nantucket basket shop, when I saw this particular basket in the doorway, filled with cranberries and all sorts of wildflowers. I snapped a couple of shots with my digital camera and this one said, "Draw me!"
I completed the flowers & berries first, starting in the small space under the handle - it just seemed more manageable at the time. The basket weave intimidated me just a little, I don't know why, yet it ended up being the easiest part of the whole piece!

Thursday, April 30, 2009

The Art of Fashion

Recently, I was asked to create a piece of artwork as a silent auction donation for a very worthy cause - close to my heart, you might say. I whipped up a bunch of concepts on my PC and I think they can stand on their own as complete. I had a blast doing these.