I recently submitted a painting to Grey Cube gallery art contest ‘Animals‘. No, I don’t usually paint animals, but I chose the cover, and one of the internal illustrations from my recent book ‘The Alphabet Clan‘ and the cover was accepted!
Last month I shared that I had some of my work accepted into the ‘Seascapes’ show with an online gallery in the UK, and that they were going to create a little video of the winners, showing their art as it would look on a wall. Well, HERE it is!
One of the advantages about online showcases is that the work doesn’t have to be available, and the particular painting that is in the video went to its forever home some time ago. One of the disadvantages, I guess, of having someone mock-up the video is that the painting is depicted much larger than it actually is. Oh well!
Nice little array.
I had entered eight paintings in the Imperial County Fair this year and seven of them won ribbons! Four of them – the first and second place winners will be on display in Pioneer’s Museum in Imperial until the 27th.
I awoke to a cloudy sky. There had been a forecast of possible overnight rain, and I had put a tarp over my painting, though it was not big enough and I could only tarp about 60% of the finished part. As I was starting to get ready to leave, it started to rain. There wasn’t any time in which to hurry any faster. It rained a little as I drove the 40 miles to Indio. When I got there, Mamun (the city planner) was walking out to the parking lot. He said to me ‘It rained hard here overnight, it’s a disaster, it’s all gone.’ $%&#$%^. Then he confessed he was joking. $%&#$%^, Mamun!
We did have some sprinkles during the day, much of the morning I had most of my work tarped, even under the canopy. It cleared up in the afternoon, though there is still a forecast of rain overnight. Here’s the progress.
Some clouds and a bit of space going in.
All the sky is done now.
Here come the clouds – in more ways than one.
I’m hiding it from the rain here, some is blowing in under the canopy.
Space is finished, now to add space objects.
All done except for those cracks I found I can fill with chalk easily
Some of the crowds, some of the clouds. It actually got a lot** busier than this, but I was busy at that time.
Totally finished. “The artist as part of the environment”. 8’x8′, chalk on blacktop.
Let’s go check out some of the competition.
Competitor 1
Competitor 2
Competitor 3
Competitor 4
Competitor 5
Competitor 6
Competitor 7
Competitor 8
Judging is at noon tomorrow, but we have to be done by 10am.
I spent much of the day folded up on Miles Ave in Indio, wearing out my fingerprints, making my knees and hips sore, and straining my back. This is for a big competition. Well, big for me, anyway. I’ll let the pictures paint the thousand words as my fingers are sore from rubbing chalk into the blacktop.
Here we go!
Laying the grid to guide my outline
The outline
This is what it’s called
I look like Darth Vader at this point
Progress on the face
Face and neck mostly done
More corrections on the face. Being faceblind isn’t easy – I think** it kinda** looks like me, but I’m not sure.
The waterfall on the left of the face, and the sky in between
The field is in. I’m not entirely happy with this part and might rework it later.
Blocking in the left hand. OK, I’m done for the day.
#1155 Approaching Storm. Mixed Media, 48×24″. $1500. The following poem is written for and painted into the painting: Approaching Storm We play before the approaching storm, the swirling air that lifts our wings We shelter from the coming rain but love the greening that it brings We know the drops will wash us clean and, too, the sky where we are kings
This month I was happy to have four paintings accepted into competitions. Two were accepted into the National Orange Show – the county fair of San Bernardino, and two of three were accepted into Co-La-La-Lage – a show of Collage Artists of America, whom I have recently joined. It just so happened that the take-in/judging for the CAA show and the reception for both were at times where I was going to be in the area. Often this is a deciding factor on whether or not I will enter a show!
#1270 “4th”. Mixed media, 15×15″ $150. The following poem is written for and painted into the painting: 4th The fourth of July stars bursting against the night and raining color.
After having attended a 1-day conference about financing for non-profits, as one of the advisory committee members for Moreno Valley Cultural Arts Foundation, I was able to go to the reception and awards ceremony at the fairgrounds in San Bernardino. I didn’t win any ribbons but made a couple useful contacts, some for me, some for MVCAF. I was blessed with having had my paintings hung close together – and near the entry for the reception. Those were the successes. The failure was of my phone to let me know that it didn’t save either of the photos I took of them to put on the blog! But here are the ones that were accepted.
If you’re in the LA area – perhaps you would like to attend the reception for the CAA show which is this coming Saturday, 7-10pm at The Loft at Liz’s. This time I’ll make sure I have the photos on the phone!!!
Skyscapes for the Soul - Jeni Bate 