Going, going, gone....

Looking Up
Oil with a palette knife on cradled artist panel

8" x 8

I donated this painting to the Foxboro Library Art Auction which took place this past weekend at the Foxboro Country Club. What a well organized and fun event. There were 53 works of art auctioned off and they are estimating that they raised around $14,000 dollars for the library. Pretty impressive. You can read more about the auction by visiting the Foxboro Art Association blog.

Below are some photos from the night.

The organizers of the event.

The auctioneers with the painting that solicited the highest bid of the night-Founder's Day Parade by Jackie Canna-for $1050.

My painting being auctioned off.

I bid on several paintings and was lucky to have come home with a beautiful pastel by Cindy Kerr.

It's like an artist's version of Oscar night

Last night I attended our monthly Foxboro Art Association meeting looking forward to the evening's scheduled demonstrator, Eli Cedrone. Her paintings are so inspiring.

But during the first part of the meeting they planned to announce the ribbon winners for the current Spring Member's show. The room we hold our meetings in is the same room where they hang the paintings for the shows. What a wonderful display of talent. I am always so impressed. Well, I can't even tell you my delight and surprise when I heard my name called as the winner of an Honorable Mention ribbon in the Oil/Acrylic category. I've never won a ribbon before (and was so glad there were no speeches required. Ha!) Here is the painting that won called Afternoon in the City.

But wait, there's more.

When the announcement for the Best In Show was read, well that was my name too. I can't even explain how surprised, delighted, and absolutely thrilled I was as I accepted the beautiful light colored teal ribbon. You would have had to have been there to see my face. "You've got to be kidding, right?" Here is the painting that won called Abstract #1.

I'm so proud. What a wonderful honor.

Masquerade Show and Pastel Demo

After John Singer Sargent, Daughters of Edward Boit

by Frank X. Quinn

Last Wednesday was the reception and awards presentation for the Foxboro Art Association's show called Masquerade. The painting shown above was done by my friend and fellow painter, Frank Quinn. An ambitious undertaking and didn't it come out great? If you look very closely in the bottom left corner, you will see an electical outlet (so clever, Frank!) .

Everyone did an amazing job painting their own version of a famous painting or in the style of a famous painter. I wanted to show you some of the entries, but the room was very crowded so my photos aren't the best. They will give you a sense of the some of the entries anyway.

Below is the first place prize winner, painted by Diane Scotti (after Sargent). Really beautifully done.

Here is a link  that shows my entry, inspired by Mary Cassatt's painting Mother and Child. Everyone enjoyed the show so much, they are talking about making it an an annual event. 

The second part of the meeting was a pastel demonstration by portrait artist, Alain Picard. It was an inspiring presentation and very entertaining as well. How many of us could paint under pressure like that if front of a large group of art critics? His work is simply stunning. Here is a great shot, taken by Frank, that shows the model and the artist with his painting in progress.

I also took this shot of his pastels because he said he got these trays at IKEA for $6 each and he can stack several of them without crushing the pastels. Pretty cool, huh? 

Do you have art supplies or materials that you use that were actually meant to be used for something else? I think that might make an interesting future post–how artists get creative with art supplies and tools. Even better, send me photos and I will post those too.

There's something about Mary Cassatt

Mini Cassatt, Mother and Child 

Oil with a palette knife on canvas paper

8" x 6"

SOLD

I painted this for an upcoming show that the Foxboro Art Association is sponsoring in January called Masquerade. Artists are asked to choose a painting by an artist they really like and do their own version of it. I chose this painting that was part of a wonderful Mary Cassatt exhibit I saw back in 1999 at the MFA in Boston. It has been awhile since I had done any more additions to my Mini Masters series and I forgot how much you can learn by doing an exercise like this. And it's even more challenging when you try to do it with a palette knife on a small scale. I think I might do some more!