Super Sunday Sale

Midtown Gallery

1912 Broadway

Nashville, TN

Wildflowers I

oil on board

6 x 6

available at http://www.midtowngallery.com/

Looking outdoors at my back yard right now looks nothing like the images I am creating inside. Still trying to keep my spirits up during the winter doldrums, I am painting a series of wildflowers on hillsides and also marshes with "happy clouds". The small square format is perfect for these scenes. The hillsides are based on my Tuscany travels where I have painted. The marshes are images from different locales around Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. One thing I tell my students is to choose your subject in a landscape. Is it the ground or is it the sky? Don't divide your composition by painting the horizon line right in the middle and developing details in both areas. This is a fun (two) series for me and I love the wide floater frames I am using on them. The new paintings are available at Midtown Gallery in Nashville where I am now represented. Midtown Gallery is located on Broadway near Vanderbilt University. I used to be in Local Color Gallery in the same location a few years ago and am very excited to be back showing in the Nashville area. I hope you will drop by Midtown and see my paintings. For Super Bowl Sunday, Gary Tisdale the owner does something pretty unique: he has a Super Art Sale from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. It's a great time to get new works for your collection at great prices. Tell Gary you know me!

Also, I am now a part of Daily Painters of Georgia and you can follow our blog: http://www.dailypaintersofgeorgia.blogspot.com/ I am hoping it will motivate me to shoot, edit, and post my paintings more often. I wish I could say that I don't mind that part of the art trade, but I dread it. So I usually wait until I have several new paintings to shoot before I set things up. This will be an experiment to see if I can do this!

Have a Super Sunday no matter whose team wins today!

Durinda

Housebound and Happy

WIP in studio

If you are not in the southeast region, our big news here this week is the Big Snow. Over 8 inches at my house. Unusual for our area, especially since we had about 4 inches on Christmas Day. Now for you Yanks out there who get snow all the time and just get out and go in it, we don't have equipment to clear secondary roads. Our 2 or 3 salt trucks work the main interstates. The rest of us are on our own. So, pretty much our whole city is shut down until the snow melts. No school, even the malls were closed yesterday. And yes, I am staying home this winter instead of being at the beach. My S.A.D. has not kicked in yet. I am actually enjoying looking at the snow.

So, how do you paint snow? My personal preference is a composition with some color in it whether it is blue or violet cast shadows or something architectural like a stone wall or corner of a house. If you are unsure of composing landscapes, use your viewfinder in your camera. I will be watching the light today from the sunroom for cast shadows. Right now, the whole scene is white. The sky is the same color as the ground. I already have a view in mind that I want to paint. I will have my supplies ready in case the sun cooperates with me.

If you are new to painting, use the quiet time to organize your materials. Put your name on your things. Try out your paints by making a color chart and writing the names on it. Email me for a copy of a color wheel you can make. I always find things to do in the studio. I spent a lot of time Sunday cleaning my palette. If you have old magazines, go through them and rip out things you like (scenery, interiors, faces, etc) to start a resource file. It's nice to have a photo of a certain thing if you are painting something similar. I keep flower catalogs to help with painting gardens or flowers in pots. If you are not a painter, you can keep a file too of things you like and would want a painting of some day. It is much easier for the artist to visualize what you have in mind if you can show an example. It doesn't have to be perfect. There is always some research in painting a commission. Even giving a color swatch torn out will help.
In the meantime, I will be snug and warm in my sunroom studio painting flowers I bought Sunday. I'll keep an eye out for the sun to peek through. It's kind of like, "when the moment is right" commercial. When it happens, be ready (to paint, of course).
Take time to enjoy your view!
If you would like to continue to receive this blog, click the title and go to the main page where you can subscribe. The blog is a written commentary on what and where I am painting or traveling. My newsletter features a recent painting and/or updates on shows or paintouts. You can subscribe to it on http://www.durinda.com/email-newsletter. I welcome your comments or suggestions about what you would like to see in the blog. So let me know!

Durinda

Sending Holiday Greetings Your Way

Tuscan Poms and Grapes

Oil on linen

2010

It has been my tradition to paint or draw my own holiday card image since I was in college. Some years I have ideas in the summer months and have the cards at the printer's in October. Most years I am painting at the last minute and the printer worries that the cards won't be ready Christmas week. As with most people I know, I don't send out as many cards as I once did. I am sure most people think that sending cards will become a thing of the past since so many send email messages now. I still believe that people enjoy receiving a "hard copy" of a greeting. You can look at them more than once, they don't take up memory space on your computer, and they can be shared with others without having to type or click a key. I like seeing the family photos that many send.

My image this year is from a table setting in Tuscany. While going through my photographs to find something to paint, I came across my shot of the bowl of fruit. Very simple, and yet I immediately thought of the symbolism of the pomegranate for abundance, fertility, and good luck. It has been used for centuries as a decoration in many cultures especially Mediterranean countries. All this to say, I wish for you and your family a year ahead of prosperity, happiness, and peacefulness in your heart. If I can be of any service to you this year, please contact me. I cherish the relationship I have with you.

Remember that there would not Christmas without Christ.

Durinda

Painting Classes

Mike working on his watercolor Imke and Maren with their still lifes

I couldn't resist sharing a few shots from my weekly classes at Townsend Atelier since we finish up this week. The students this session were so dedicated and easy to teach. Mike had private sessions in watercolor painting on Mondays. He is an excellent draftsman with graphite (pencil) and wanted to learn to use color with watercolors. He really has developed his skills quickly. Tuesdays the morning "beginners", because most have a background in some form of drawing or graphic design, have sped through some still life paintings. Some with natural light and some had spotlights. The afternoon painters chose a landscape theme for this term and have painted their way through the seasons, finishing with a snow scene. We love our open space at the Atelier where we can arrange easels and setups in different ways. I can't believe the second session is coming to an end. Time flies when you are having fun painting!

New sessions begin January 10 & 11. Many of you know I have spent winters in Florida for the last eight years. This year I am going to try to "stick it out" here. It's not easy for me. I am sure I have S.A.D. So to prevent any downward feelings on these cold dark days, I have decided to have lots of color in the classes! We will use flowers of all sorts and sizes as subjects during the next term. I love to paint close-ups and also floral bouquets. So if you are craving some brightness in January and February, Peggy is taking registrations now! Don't feel you have to be experienced in painting flowers. We will start off with the basics. I will get back to landscapes in the spring, maybe a garden or two? And hopefully take a few of you outdoors with me painting. Until then, I hope you are enjoying the holiday season!

Colorfully yours,

Durinda

Studio News

Red Kimono

Watercolor

This is more of a newsletter today. I have several things that I want to share with you!

Join Reflections Gallery and the artists of the Tennessee Watercolor Society for the opening reception of "Color Zone", on Thursday, November 4 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. My painting "Red Kimono" is part of the exhibit. I chose one that had a color in its title. Also, this one is pretty colorful on its own. It will be interesting to see all the different interpretations of the theme. The reception will even have color themed goodies. Reflections Gallery is located at 6922 Lee Highway, Chattanooga. Phone: 423-892-3072.

I just received notice that I have been accepted as a member of the Women Painters of the Southeast. This is a group of, of course, women painters, many of whom are friends of mine. I am excited about joining this group and being a part of their prestigious exhibits.

The weekly painting classes at Townsend Atelier are going strong for the second six weeks session. I have some very nice students who show a lot of promise with painting! We enjoy each other's company while exploring the techniques of painting. The winter session will begin in mid-January. Contact Peggy at Townsend Atelier for more information. Remember: Art Classes make excellent Gifts for that special someone!

Next week right after the Tuesday morning oil class, I will be traveling with friends to Ft Myers Beach, Florida for the Paint the Beach-Sandcastles to Shrimp Boats plein air festival. This event will coincide with the 24h Annual American SandSculpting Championship. I know you have seen these events on television or maybe you have seen one in real life? The sculptors work on the beach and create unbelievable sculptures from the beach sand. So, I am sure there will be lots of interesting things to paint. Along with the paintout, there will be a sale of the paintings for the public Friday through Sunday.

And...a plug for a friend of mine! AndreeTerry has a writeup this month in the Georgia magazine. She is the owner of Andree's Essential Soaps in Athens, Georgia.

Andrea developed her soaps and lotions for her mother when she was receiving chemotherapy and found her skin would get very dry from the treatments. Andree kept making her soaps and lotions using the finest essential oils from around the world after her mother died. Then she too discovered she had breast cancer. Fortunately, it was caught in plenty of time and she is fully recovered. The business means even more to her now as she works to share her products

with other cancer patients. You certainly don't have to be a cancer patient to enjoy her lotions, soaps, and moisturizers. Check out her website to learn more about her wonderful products.

Thanks for allowing me to cover a lot of ground in one blog. I do appreciate your readership and feel free to share the link with others. I still want to write a bit about traveling and painting in Tuscany and now add to that: Ft Myers Beach!

Enjoy your weekday-

Durinda

Treat Yourself to Eye Candy!

Through the Poppy Field

oil on linen

8 x 10

It's not only time to buy sweets for the little ones, it's fall fix-up time! (Can you tell I watch HGTV?) You have guests for the holidays and parties coming up, you need something new in just the right size and color to liven up that room! This Friday, Oct 22, I will be doing a painting demonstration along with several other regional artists at Artistic Gifts & Framing, Dalton, GA. Donna Hilley, the owner, has lined up an outside street fair of sorts. We will be taking small works on canvas and paper, most unframed, for your gift list! I know when I rearrange things at home, I change out paintings and photos and a few throw pillows for a seasonal look. I am taking some of my little "jewels". Donna has lots of wonderful mouldings that would look great on any artwork you choose. If you don't see something that completely grabs you, commission a piece for that special place or someone. I am back from a wonderful week in Tuscany and really inspired to paint now! Hope to see you Friday!

Durinda

Ciao, ya'll!

Packing up for the Tuscany Workshop week. My bag may be overweight this time. I am carrying my pochade box, tripod, paints, and panels with a week's worth of clothes. Whew! Looking forward to the rolling hills covered with vineyards. We may have rain one day, so already thinking about interiors at the monastery and views out the windows. Don't know if I will be able to post from there or not, but do know that I will be painting, painting, painting! Hope all ya'll have a great week coming up too.

Ciao, ya'll!

Durinda