My daughter, artist Emily Devine, and I were accepted for an artist’s residency at Mission Street Arts, in Jemez Springs, NM. We will be spending a week in the Santa Fe mountains at an art retreat, collaborating, creating art, and teaching our methods next July.
I was very pleased that my painting of Beidler Forest was awarded 2nd place in the Summerville Art Guild’s annual exhibition, “A Moment in Time”.
In early April, I went to Wannamaker Park in North Charleston, SC, with my paintbox and a small canvas. I have never been very enthusiastic about painting landscapes, but that first experience had me hooked. I have now completed 4 small pieces that I started outdoors.
Painting outdoors (the term plein air was started with the Impressionists in France) is a lot harder than it looks! There are so many shades of green! The sun moves around and changes your composition within hours! On Beautiful Beaufort, it was a good thing I had taken pictures of the scene when I started, because the tide went out and messed up my water painting! These works will be posted as soon as my web developer can help me add a new “Nature” page.
I just finished this commissioned piece for the Mom of these two boys. The painting is a gift for her husband, who is a fan of comic superheroes. I thought it would be fun to put the boys against a background reminiscent of a comic book. She loves it!
I spent 7 months in 2017 painting a commission for a Christmas present for a military family, him a career Army officer, her the other half of the partnership holding down the home fort while he served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, and stints in the field for months at a time. It was a complicated project, because adults have more character in their faces than kids, so I am learning to paint those identifying marks and shadows. I wanted Danny to recognize the decorations on his uniform, so that was one day’s session with a tiny brush. I have a special place in my heart for this couple, so I wanted them to recognize themselves and the love I put into the painting. They seemed surprised when they were presented with the work, hopefully because it was what they least expected, but also because they understood what a special project this was for me. Anna and Danny are now on the front page of my website. Please contact me if you might like to have me paint someone special in your life.
Anna & Danny