Saturday Night Concert

We happened upon a free outdoor concert last Saturday and I had my camera with me. This is actually a composition using 4 different photos.  I got way more fussy and detailed than I wanted to. There are some things that I like but, overall, I am disappointed in this result. :(
16x20 oil on canvas

The Primacy of Doubt - New Camera, New Photos

For my birthday, my family surprised me with a new camera - a fabulous, complex computer of a camera that I am just now learning to use. I decided to re-photograph this painting using my brand new Nikon digital SLR D5100. I read the manual, and then read the manual again and read it for a third time! There is so much to absorb and try to put into use but the camera is now set to what I think are the ideal settings for me - only time and experimentation will tell. In comparing these photos with the previous set (my very old Sony Cybershot) I find I am much more pleased with the capturing of a color more true to the original and the crisp way that the paint shows up. It's time to retire my old paint covered Sony for this new technology for sure. Please let me know what you think as well.

I also received a shipment of new business cards from Vistaprint. Both sides of my card have the same info so there really is no front or back. The card was fun to design - I love the ability to use my own images and design the card via the internet. Hooray for Vistaprint!

Giraffes in Interior - Untitled

Great fun to conceptualize and to paint! Oil on linen 20x16.

Ballerina Two

Oh this was such fun to paint - such glorious color and light! The painting is 14 x 18 oil on canvas. The bottom photo is the start and the top photo is the finish. A good painting day today and I am happy!

Alla Prima Oil Portrait Study

Doing quick alla prima portrait studies to try and get back my skills. This one is from the book on direct painting techniques by Al Gury called "Alla Prima".

Toulouse Complete

I thought I would warm up today by placing a few well considered strokes on  my Toulouse Lautrec painting - and ended up spending several hours refining and finishing! I consider it done now and will move on to my next subject. I have posted the finished piece and a close up of the figures. Each brushstroke gave me so much pleasure today - just concnetrating hard on shape, color and value without concern for the subject. This canvas may be too raw but I feel I am on my way again - and its a good feeling!

Steeplechase Once Again

And a final few tweaks added today (Tuesday March 8th) and I am calling this one done.

18x24 oil on canvas board. The top photo is the final picture and next are two close ups. 

The series of photos above show the process of this painting from the original oil sketch with  a few strokes of color through to the final piece and two close up shots to show detail. The canas was toned with burnt umber plus thalo green and the original oil sketch was done in burnt sienna with some burnt umber for the darkest darks. In the second shot, I am massing in broad areas of color using thin paint and paying close attention to areas of shadow and light. I love how the horse is leaping into the shadow. The third shot shows the background added and the 4th is the final picture. All comments are greatly welcomed and appreciated.

Bathing Beauties

I had a good time painting this little a la prima study. I am not sure of the crop or the composition, but it makes me happy. Its 12x 16 oil on canvas panel.

Memories of a Childhood Winter - Going Sledding

A small oil on canvas - 11x14 titled Going Sledding. This painting is no longer available for purchase.

The Aiken Horse

The February/March issue of The Aiken Horse magazine was published today with this ad on page 36! If you follow the link, you can flip through the pages - an amazing magazine! I am so happy to have my steeplechase painting featured in this ad. This painting is 16x20 and is one of the pieces on display this month at the Willcox Inn courtesy of The Chisholm Gallery.

Portrait Study Alla Prima

A few refinements and the final portrait

A quick alla prima portrait study 12x12

Aiken Standard Article February 4, 2011

The walls of The Willcox are beaming with equestrian pride this month, as the Chisholm Gallery,
a leading international dealer of sporting art, has brought an exhibition of more than 20 artists from
all over the world. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, needlepoint collections, vintage photographs, pearls, botanical water colors, lithographs, caricatures and more are on display and sale throughout the hotel for the rest of the month. Chisholm Gallery owner Jeanne Chisholm said, in her business, she strives for a
mix of fine art from new and established artists in a variety of media and subject matter. One of Chisholm’s favorite exhibits in the gallery is that of Susan Smolensky, an artist who depicts Steeplechase horses and scenes. “She has captured a dynamism that nobody else has,” said Chisholm of Smolensky. “The elevation, the angle at which she depicts the steeplechase horses jumping – she really makes you feel like you’re right there with her, right there in the moment of the jump or landing.” Many thanks to Ashleey Williamson, Aiken Standard writer.

Quantum Poetry Finished and Close Ups

Put the finishing flourishes on this picture today and I am happy. It took me a while to realize where I wanted to go but once I made up my mind, it all came together. I am especially pleased with the  jockey and his bold brushwork. I like how he seems to be disssolving into the atmosphere as he strains to keep his seat aboard  this soaring black beauty.You may be able to see that on the close up photos.  And an update on the Willcox Inn exhibit - the crated paintings arrived safe and sound 3 days early! I never heard of that happening before - lol! Did I tell you that I have had a case of severe separation anxiety since shipping them? I wonder if other painters feel that way - but I almost called up the shipper to tell him to ship them back to me. I was able to restrain myself but I do miss them terribly.

Chaos Theory Two

18x24 oil on canvas panel

I love painting horse anatomy and this composition certainly presented a challenge!

Look Out Aiken, South Carolina - Here I Come!

Quantum Poetry 24x36 oil on stretched canvas

I spent this past weekend framing and printing out marketing materials for the exhibition hosted by the Chisholm Gallery next month at the Willcox Inn. Its a GORGEOUS place and has a pretty interesting early American history. Apparently notables like  Winston Churchill, Harold Vanderbilt, Elizabeth Arden and Count Bernadotte of Sweden have all stayed there at one time or another - how fun is that! I am so thrilled to have my steeplechase series hanging out there for a while! Tomorrow I will take a grand total of 11 paintings to be crated and shipped off. This has been a real learning experience for me and I am super excited about it.
In between all this hectic preparation, I had a little time to paint and what I did was take a painting I thought I had finished a couple of weeks ago and repaint the entire thing! I dont think I have ever done that before.  I liked some things about the painting but the color was not working for me - which was odd because I loved it at first. I changed pretty much everything about it and like it much better now - it feels right. I still have a few final highlights before I will call it done but its 99% there now.

Self Portrait and a Lovely Day

A 12x12 oil on canvas board self portrait done rather quickly alla prima this afternoon.

This morning I took my 8 paintings all dressed up in their fine frames over to the San Deigo Hospice Gallery 4311. I must say I am very impressed by the organization of the drop off. There was a team of white gloved volunteers who met the artists at their cars. They carried in the paintings and handled each one as if it was a Picasso or a Matisse or a Van Gogh!  I feel totally confident that my paintings are receiving the best of care. The reception is a week from tomorrow and the show runs through  March 4th.  After the drop off, I drove to the Blick Art Store downtown and treated myself to some new brushes and a disposable palette called Grey Matters by Jack Richeson. The paper is a medium grey tone and advertised as just right for mixing color of the correct value. I am excited to try it. Afterwards I had capuccino and a toasted bagel in an outdoor cafe with my daughter and her husband. What a wonderful day!

Down to Business

My new business card! I love having a memorable card to give to prospective collectors. I try to design it to be colorful,  representative of my current work and  style and to be - well, simply unforgettable! Its fun to hand them out at art show receptions, social events and serendipitous meetings. I create mine online at VistaPrint. At this site, you can  upload photos of your own and design your card exactly as you want it to be. I have ordered from them in the past and found the cards to be of very nice quality and the prices to be reasonable. This time, on a whim, I also ordered a few refridgerator magnets - I don't know why but  I sure hope I can find a use for them! In case you are interested, the link is: VistaPrint Business Cards.

Running With Horses

Sometimes I dream of running with horses. 20 x 16 oil on canvas panel.

On the Road to Glasgow and Update on John and Tilly

My life has changed a bit and I have not been able to paint the last couple of weeks so thought I would post an older painting. This one was shown at the Scottsdale Best and Brightest Show and sold before the show even opened! I was so thrilled and it remains one of my favorites. It is 16x20 oil on canvas. I hope to get back to my routine of painting every day as soon as I can.

My friend Gwen in Great Britian recieved the painting of John and Tilly that I posted here on my blog a few weeks ago.  I had shipped it to her as a surprise birthday gift and she was thrilled! Her comment was something like she is "over the moon"! As a surprise return birthday gift to me, she sent me a copy of a book she has written but not yet published called "Wave Me Goodbye". I intend to curl up with it over Labor Day weekend - and now I, too, am over the moon!

American Impressionist Society

Accepted! This painting was juried into the American Impressionist Society 11th National Juried Exhibition. It is being held at Richland Fine Art Gallery in Nashville, TN in October. This painting was done from a photo I took late one afternoon at the Del mar Racetrack here in San Diego, CA. It also recently won the Jurors Award at the Women Artists of the West show awarded by Peggy Kroll Roberts. I am so thrilled to participate in the AIS show this year! Here is a link to the AIS site where you can find a list of accepted artists: http://www.americanimpressionistsociety.org/