Category Archives: Art Work

‘STOP NOW’ Makes it to the March!

Friends drove down from Long Island to join the Women’s March.  The wife wasn’t feeling well and had to stay home, so I stayed to keep her company while my hubby and hers each grabbed a big copy of my ‘Stop Now’ poster and took the Metro down to the March.

It took them more than three hours to get to L’Enfant Plaza, a trip that usually takes about 40 minutes.  Getting into and out of the stations meant additional long waits.  Once at the site, they found the crowds incredibly well behaved, helpful, determined and upbeat.  Many people thanked Pat & Bill for coming and asked to take their picture.  Bill summed it up:  I’m casting my lot with the women.  They’re amazing!  You don’t want to mess around with women!

I was bummed out to miss it, but lapped up the television coverage, getting a totally different perspective.  Here are a few shots of my hubby’s day on the streets of DC.

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Art for the Moment ~~ and Ongoing Display at Steptoe: STOP NOW

On a whim, I doodled on my iPad in response to an open call for poster art for the upcoming Women’s March on Washington.   One of its themes — “women’s rights are human rights” — reminded me of the good that women can do for everyone, when they act — and react — for the common good.  Here’s what I created.

STOP NOW.  Original iPad painting, 2017.

Though mine wasn’t among the five chosen from more than 5,000 entries, I’m satisfied with it nonetheless.

And I’m even prouder that my former law firm, Steptoe & Johnson LLP, is going to print the image six feet tall for display at the DC office where I practiced law for many years.  Wow.  Thanks go to partner Pantelis Michaelopoulos and his wife Cynthia Quarterman, also a Steptoe alum, who saw my art at last week’s champagne reception and proposed that the firm acquire ‘Stop Now’ for its collection.

Bethesda UP Publicizes Our Exhibit and Next Reception!

Here’s the news blurb Bethesda Urban Partnership circulated today about the Seven Palettes’ ongoing art exhibit in downtown Bethesda.

We’re having another reception for our ‘Local Color‘ show this coming Friday evening, January 13.  We’re featuring art, cookies and hot cider for all comers, 6 pm to 8 pm.  For directions and parking info:  Gallery B (7700 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite E).

Please join us!

We ‘Seven Palettes’ had a great opening reception yesterday!

The day was cold and icy, but that didn’t deter our lively guests from traveling to Gallery B in Bethesda to celebrate the opening of our month-long art exhibit.  Thanks to all of our friends and family who were able to attend.  And for those who couldn’t get there – we missed you!

Each of us made several nice sales of paintings, prints and greeting cards – and received kudos from those who weren’t in a position to buy.  Here’s a glimpse of the festivities.

Another New Painting for Gallery B

Here’s another new painting for the Gallery B show.  Also inspired by the C & O Canal — late afternoon with the sun raking low across the tree tops.

C & O Face-off. Oil on Linen. 8 x 10.

I did a similar scene in gouache a few years ago, when I was first dabbling in that medium.  I love the contrast between the trees in light and shadow and their reflections in the calm canal water.

C & O Autumn. Gouache.

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New Exhibit Starting ~~ Gallery B in Downtown Bethesda ~~ January 2017

Some of my painting pals and I (aka ‘the 7 Palettes’) applied awhile back to exhibit our art at Gallery B in downtown Bethesda, MD.  We were honored to be selected for a month-long exhibit at this prestigious location during January 2017.  Gallery B is a project of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, a local non-profit organization charged by Montgomery County, MD with promoting Bethesda.  It gives special support to the arts in our area.

Under the theme of ‘Local Color’, we will showcase our art reflecting the lovely scenes and vistas of the Greater Washington area.  Here’s one of my recent paintings of the C & O Canal that will be displayed during this exhibit.

canal and trees

C & O Spotlight. Oil on Linen. 11 x 14.

Gallery B is located at 7700 Wisconsin Avenue, #E, Bethesda, MD 20814.  Gallery hours are 12:00 – 6:00 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays.  There will be a public reception during the Bethesda ‘Art Walk’,  January 13th, 6:00 – 8:00 pm.  Please join us!

 

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More Good News ~ My Painting Selected for Annual Friends of the Yellow Barn Exhibit

I learned yesterday that my entry was juried into the annual Friends of the Yellow Barn exhibit at Glen Echo Park.  The show opens today and runs through December 18.  The public reception begins at 4 pm this afternoon, with awards announced by juror, Kristi-Anne Caisse, Assistant Director for the Katzen Museum at American University, at 5 pm.   Y’all come if you’re in the area!  Original paintings make great holiday gifts!

Here’s my painting, based on the spectacular old growth Sitka spruces we saw out in Oregon awhile back.

Sitka Spruce, Oregon.

Reach for the Sky. Oil on Linen Panel. 8 x 10 in.

Good News Yesterday! Featured by WAMA on Facebook Post!

Last year I created a couple of stylized iPad images for the Walter Anderson Museum’s Christmas card competition.  One of them was selected for their artist series.

My sister Susan alerted me that the museum featured my sketch this year in its new Facebook fundraising post for the holidays.  Way cool!  Here’s what it looks like:

wama-facebook-postHere’s the complete image — Walter, rowing his decorated skiff away from the Biloxi lighthouse and toward his Horn Island retreat.  Followed by an alternate, more colorful, version I did last year as well.

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A Year-long Painting Project is Completed!

After struggling (really, procrastinating) for over one year, I have finally finished a large oil painting, Mary’s Orchids. 

painting of orchid and pots

Mary’s Orchids.  Oil on linen, 2′ x 3′.

My sister Mary asked me to paint this work, requesting orchids, cherries, and a piece of pottery by Walter Anderson, the wonderful artist who lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast near our home.  She also asked for it to be sized at two feet by three feet.  Gulp.

I bought the canvas panel, arranged the elements in dozens of compositions before settling on this one, roughed out a drawing on the plastic wrapper of the panel, and then STOPPED.  I was intimidated by the difficulty of the composition and its sheer SIZE.  I hadn’t attempted anything that large since the portrait I did of our dad for his 90th birthday three years ago.

I have at least four pots of yellow orchids hanging around the house.  As each orchid lost its flowers, I’d buy another pot in the expectation that I’d be starting ‘soon’.  This went on for so long, the original orchid re-bloomed!  So I decided I better get cracking, especially after passing the one year mark.

Finally it is done, about to be varnished and shipped down to Mary in Houston, TX.  Whew.

If you’ve got an extra minute to spend, check out the site of the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, MS.  It’s a fabulous museum, built with my dad’s help, honoring a fabulous artist.

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Our Kentlands Exhibit is Featured in Today’s Washington Post!

Today’s Maryland edition of the Washington Post showcases our new Kentlands Exhibit in its Going Out Guide.  Congrats to Nancy Butler on the use of her beautiful painting, Difficult Run, to represent the work of the Seven Palettes!  Come see this lovely exhibit anytime through September 5th.WAPO 7 07 2016 Going Out Guide

 

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