Day 4: Day's End

Day's End

oil

8 x 10

$250.00

Available

http://www.Durinda.com

There is something quite somber about going to the Chickamauga National Battlefield and seeing the cannons and monuments.  When you read the accounts of the fighting there, you can only imagine what a hard and trying time that was for so many men and their families.  The Park, as we call it, adjoins my neighborhood so I travel through it almost every day.  This painting was done for the 6th Cavalry Museum (http://www.6thcavalrymuseum.com) exhibit "Lives and Lands of the Civil War" which is part of the commemoration of the Battle at Chickamauga. I did two more paintings which are different scenes of the area.  The exhibit opens Friday, Sept 6 4:00 - 7:00 pm and lasts until Oct 26.  

Bank Notes

Bank Grand Opening

Durinda, Pam VanZant, Bank of Chickamauga Branch Manager; Larry Kuglar, Director, President & CEO of SouthCrest Financial Group, Inc and First National Bank of Polk County

Friday was an exciting day as the Bank of Chickamauga held its Grand Opening of the new building. I was so honored to have been selected to create paintings for the space. It is a beautiful building. I had the opportunity to "see" it from the blueprints before it existed and watch the stages as it was built. Pam VanZant, the Branch Manager, gave me sample swatches of the furniture and wall colors. She even had a tiny wall of brick built so I could see the colors in it. Having a brick wall in an interior space is an unusual accent, and I loved the idea of bringing the colors and textures indoors. It really warms up the space.

The paintings depict scenes from the historical area of Chickamauga: The Train Depot, now a museum; the Lee and Gordon's Mills; and the original downtown Bank of Chickamauga. I chose a fall color scheme to fit with the interior colors and to tie the three scenes together. My friends at Ringgold Art and Frame did a super job with the framing and I was happy to see Raye Brooks one of the owners of RA&F there for the opening.

It was fun to see man other people I knew in the area who came by for the opening and the ribbon cutting. I also met the contractor Dan Baker and several others who were a part of the project. Visitors enjoyed hotdogs and ice cream under tents outside and received gift bags.

If you get the chance, drop by the bank on US 27 south in Chickamauga and take a peek!

Later,

Durinda

HOP, HOP, HOP!!

Harvest Moon I

Watercolor

Saturday, September 13, is the Gallery Hop in Chattanooga. Several galleries and artists' studios will be open from 2 - 9 pm with receptions. Some are opening new shows. This is my painting that is in the Tennessee Watercolor Society Exhibit at Gold Leaf Gallery, 2646 Broad Street. The exhibit's theme is "Harvest". There are 20 paintings in the show. A list of the galleries is in today's paper and also available at each gallery. Sounds like a fun time to see area art and friends! Bill and I will be stopping by Gold Leaf sometime that evening and peeking in a few others too.

I collect "skies". This was a section of a photo I took from my front yard when we lived at the golf course. I didn't know at the time that the September full moon was called the Harvest moon until later. I am just a city girl, after all. This year's Harvest moon is September 15. Hope I am out with my new Nikon that night too. We have a natural field across the street from us right now with a view of a ridge behind so that would make a good view.

Hope to see you Hopping and Happy Painting!

Durinda

Amelia Island part 2 and fall paintings

This is SanJon Gallery in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Fl.

Here is the shot of Sandy Hinton and me in front of some of her wonderful works in her gallery I talked about last week. Sandy paints in acrylic and watercolor. She had a painting in the Tennessee Watercolor Society exhibit this year. I put links to her work and the gallery in last time. I hope to show a few tropical paintings in her gallery during October. Amelia will be a great place for the workshop. Lots of interesting things to paint!

I don't know why I couldn't load my photos last week, but I think the computer is trying to tell me something. I think I have every photo on it that I have ever shot with a digital. HMMM- time for a cleaning?

This week in the studio I have been working on fall landscapes. Never too early to get ready for fall shows! My concern has always been how to keep fall landscapes from looking like "Kmart", excuse me, but the contrast of reds, oranges, and yellows, with greens and browns can be too much. I credit Diane Johnson with getting me in the North Carolina mountains one fall to paint foliage. Her advice was to mix a complement with the colors. Since the sap is going away, so is the color, so you need to dull it. Only where the sun hits directly on upturned leaves would there be a brighter hue. I try to keep that in mind when painting fall scenes.

Get out and enjoy the summer while you can!

Durinda