My First Show!

Here is a picture of me at "The Best and the Brightest" show in Scottsdale. I had my husband take it to show how cool it looks. I went with the black frame but I rubbed a little gold in the creases. I think they must have liked it because they put it by a door and hung it at eye level. If the picture were a little bigger you could have seen my name tag with my name misspelled on it and NO red sold dot on my card. You can see on the wall behind me that there is also no award ribbon :( But that's okay, they gave the "Best of Show" award to a painting of a travel trailer.

Sheri Dinardi

When I first came in the front door I was blown away with this beauty! It won an "Honorable Mention" and I think the "People's Choice" award.

I can paint like that, I just don't have the time. I was really surprised at the level of talent at a student show. It really was impressive.

Cari Updike

I met this artist first. Her name is Cari Updike, she is from Mesa and lives about 3 miles away from me. Her husband didn't like my painting, but she did. They said that they have been coming to this show for 8 years and this is by far the best show they have seen.

Pris Butler

We both thought the green on this was cool. And a black frame is the way to go.

Nancy Becker

There were several cow paintings. Actually, a lot of western paintings. Is this the 'West'?

Elaine Locati

LOVE, love, love this one! It could have been painted right on the farm in Iowa. So pretty.

Tim Perkins

This painting won 1st place in the oil category.

Paula Stern

I don't care for this painting, but the name was funny and it sold right away for $500. The name..."Seeds of Social Justice". Hmmm... what does THAT mean?

Elizabeth Pollie

THIS painting also sold right away. It is Peeka's favorite. It is 20x20 and it sold for $3000!

Jon Francis

THIS... won "Best of Show"! What!?! I rest my case. Because right next to it was the best piece in the whole place.

Sheri Dinardi

Several people were just standing around it staring the whole night. I am surprised it didn't sell at $2900. I would have gladly paid that...if I had an extra $2900 laying around that I wasn't using. If you are in Scottsdale and you want to see some good art, go to the Scottsdale Artist School.

My First Art Competition!

I finally got accepted into an art competition. It's the "Best and the Brightest" show at the Scottsdale Artist's School. I did this painting of a sweet girl in my church. I just loved the way she turned her feet.

Now, here's the problem, I have to frame it and I can't decide which frame to use. I personally like a gold frame for portraits, but black is all the rage right now. Maybe you guys can weigh in and help me decide. Here is the black frame:

Clean, simple and unadorned. Would look good in a Tuscan style home.

Here is the gold frame. Classic, timeless and a little flashy. What to do, what to do...

So, I need you to post in the comments which style you prefer as I have to have this thing delivered by Wednesday. Yikes!

Oh, and I am not the only artist in my home. Look at what my Art Girl did. A mother couldn't be any prouder.

Now, go vote.

OPA in AZ

The National Oil Painters of America has a yearly members only competition. Then they exhibit this competition at an art gallery. This year it is in SCOTTSDALE at the Legacy Gallery on Main and Scottsdale Road! Woo Hoo!!! I have already been twice. The show runs until May 24th so hurry up and go see it.
This one won some award but I forgot what it was. All of the art is for sale. This one is the most expensive one that sold. It was $4000. For a 24x36 I think it is a fair market price. But most of the sold paintings were under $1500. This recession is really hitting artists hard.

This one is painted by my kids favorite dude, Dan Gerhartz. We go and meet him every year at his spring show. This is a 24x36 and he wants $13,000.
Michael Mao. Very brushy up close. Beautiful. I'm thinking of doing a series of white paintings.
This is a good example of a bad photo. This painting in person just glows.
I love realism. The name of this one is Plain and Peanut M and M's. How cute.
Robert Coombs.
I really want to paint a cow. I think they are so cute.
Again, way better in person. It really inspires me. I think I'll paint one like this of one of my girls in our woods in Iowa. Does anyway have a long satin dress they want to loan me? I won't ruin it with mud and branches- honest.
I love peonies.
$20,000. For reals? I mean, this is a REALLY beautiful painting and all but $20,000?

This one is probably my favorite painting of the show. I am so going to paint this. Can you just see Married Girl in her wedding dress holding her bouquet?

Well, these are some of the highlights of the show. But there is a lot more to see at the Legacy Gallery. Go. Now. If you can't get there in time, or if you have no gas in your car, or you don't want to get out of your pajamas, you can click on this link and look online. Have fun!

THIS is why I never get accepted

So, I got this letter from the Church Art Competition people saying "thank you for entering...blah blah ... lots of entrants....we regret to inform you..." I don't remember what else because my sister in law was reading it to me over the phone. I actually didn't receive the letter as all my mail that has my maiden name on it goes to my brother in Cali. It's just as well, I was so busy with my son coming home and Christmas I just couldn't be bothered with packing up a painting and shipping it anywhere, anyways.

AND I never can get a good photo as you can see here. I wouldn't accept this painting if I were on the committee, either.

I swore last time I would get Sarah, the best art teacher ever, to do a scan for me but as usual I painted at the last minute and had wet paint and excuses, excuses. But in reality it wasn't a very good painting. It was painted well but it doesn't mean anything to anyone. I even showed this to some relatives of Louisa Sheen and they were unimpressed. There are two things to great art.

1. How to paint
2. What to paint

I got the first part, I just can't seem to get the last part. Maybe if I took a college illustration class I might learn something. I am open to ideas. If any of you have an idea of something meaningful to paint then I would love to hear it - I might even paint it.

Here is a link to Emily Mc Phie who knows "what to paint" even though some of her stuff creeps me out just a teeny bit, (like tree branches growing out of heads) you cannot deny her work definately has meaning. The link will take you to her Church art competition painting and I'm the one who told her she should enter! The painting is really good and has loads of meaning. It could be that she is a professional artist and knows what she is doing , or something. She really is good. I love her work. Enjoy her site.

Now what?

Well, I decided I had better get cracking on the "LDS International Church Art Competition" thing. I thought I would be clever and make a wood panel with Claussens linen on top. I sanded the wood and carefully glued the canvas to the wood. Everything went as it was supposed to. Until I lifted it up and saw bubbles AND lifted off pieces of oil primer. AAUUGGHH! I can't even get my head around trying to fix it and my art teacher Sarah (the best teacher ever) said to cut that part off and use it for something else. Wasn't that so wise of her? No worries, it's just art. But I am so stressed out over it. What if I am not accepted AGAIN? I will seriously have a melt down. Or eat chocolate. Mmmmm chocolate.
So, Friday, I drove 500 miles to the art store (okay, only 15 miles) and bought the same boring canvas I always buy to paint on. It is Centurion pre-stretched linen canvas. Also, it is a little too nubby for me but it was all they had.
Here is my surface. That's not my youthful hand. It's my 10 year old monkey's. She has beautiful hands. And I have been painting her painting for 2 years. Sorry, honey.

Here is the drawing. After I drew on the canvas, I made a copy with some acetate because I am so nervous I want to make sure I can go back to my drawing if I mess up. I don't know why, it's not a commision and it's not like anyone is going to say,"Oh my, Great-great grandma Louisa didn't look like that when she was 5!" I am actually making the whole thing up.
Here is my beautiful hand drawing on the acetate. It is a good thing to do if you are nervous. Computer geeks back up their hard drives all the time so I can back up my drawing. I hope I get it done in time. The deadline is October 10th. Just in case you want to see what I'm up against, here is a link to the Lds Church Museum. Some LDS artists have the courtesy of not entering in it anymore like Greg Olsen and William Whitaker. Now they are the judges. Uh, no pressure. But Leon Parson, Robert Barrett, Mike Malm, and Liz Lemon Swindle are probably going to enter so I just have to be that much better.
Here is something I have never done before. I drew over the pencil with a SHARPIE! I know, I know, you are thinking, "But Morgen, won't the sharpie show through?" Well, I hope not, but I was worried that my drawing would disappear even though I made a back up drawing on my acetate. I'm real nervous. And persnickity. It has to look just so. If I get distortion I would crawl under my bed and suck my thumb.

Here is the first layer with just the flesh tones. It looks like she has a bruise or red smudge on her forhead but that is just the photo. It doesn't look like that in real life. Wish me luck. I will post each new stage as it gets done. Then you can see how a painting progresses... or not, in my case.

And feel free to send me your comments. I am not a sensitive painter, you can critique all you want. Just don't critique my cooking, that's getting personal.

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