Nicholas Consevatory Show

I had a lot of fun hanging work for the Nicholas Conservatory Show yesterday along with my fellow guild members.

Here is Mosaic, a Rockford Art Guild collaboration.

 In honor of 60 years of art.

Mosaic

8 x 8 Panels

$25 each 

Show will be on exhibit at Nicholas Conservatory Show and Spring Art Scene 

Panels will be distributed after Art Scene

A few more pictures from the show...

 

Mosaic

My painting, Diane's Irises by Paula Marsh's beautiful piece.

Just in time for Spring, my painting, 

 Beth's Tulips is located by the beautiful iron door.

Come and join us Saturday for the opening reception 

10AM to 3PM.

 

Day 26, Watercolors, Work in Progress

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.


I have some watercolors that I have been working on for a long time. It's hard to paint everyday and not work on them. So yesterday I gave myself a treat and I worked on my Lily painting. It still has quite a ways to go and I 'm still figuring out the background - although I think I know what I want to do.

Work in Progress

Watercolor

11" x 17'

NSF

I was struggling with where to put my I pod while I painted. My husband bought me an I Pad clamp for my work desk. It can stand freely, or attach to a tripod. I'm loving it! I can paint and easily change Pandora channels or check social media quickly.

It also works great for Painting selfies: 

Day 25, Watercolors and Pen, The Marina

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

The Marina

Watercolor and Pen

8" x 12"

$85

 

I started this painting last Fall. It's the marina at Madeline Island in Wisconsin. It feels good to get some of these pieces done that I have left unfinished. Not sure what I'll do tomorrow; pastel in Paris, Rockford Alcohol Ink or work on one of the three watercolors I have left unfinished. Hard to tell, I guess we'll just have to wait to see.

Day 22, Watercolors, My Day in the Garden

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.


What a wonderful day I had yesterday. It started with painting at Katie's Cup, just me, Pandora Radio, the fireplace, and the view of the snow falling outside the window. There were other people around  too, having their business meetings or working on their computers. I realized that I just love painting around people, not as a voyeuristic thing, but more as an inclusive thing. It's like I'm in my own little world but still apart of the crowd. It feels right.

My Day in the Garden

Watercolor

5 " x 7"

$65

 I love painting my garden in the winter. It's my way of reminding myself that the warm weather is coming. It made yesterday all the more special. Being my birthday, my husband took me out to lunch and made me a wonderful steak dinner at night. I loved getting all the well wishes during the day and I couldn't help thinking just how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful people and loved so well. How terrific it is that I got to spend my day just perfectly... painting and with family. 

How blessed we all are, that those we love from so far away are visible on Facebook or other social media or just a Skipe call away.  

Thanks for helping to make all me dreams come true.

Day 6, Watercolors, On the Vine

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

Sometimes going back to one's comfort zone is a good thing. I like doing the abstracts and oil paintings, but when I do watercolors I feel like I'm home, like I have a lot more control over my work. I assume a lot of that has to do with familiarity. So, I have to push myself to do more in oils. But for today it's all about comfort.

I love growing tomatoes. The problem is; Spike, our lab, loves tomatoes too. Red or green it doesn't matter we'd find them half eaten all over the yard. So we tried to get clever by hanging the plants upside down and putting them in various containers. Nothing really worked very well. Then, one day my husband came home with a huge planter, for shopping malls, which we continue to use. It works well, and Spike can concentrate on the pear and apple trees.

          The Vine

                Watercolor
                   5" x 7"
                     $50

To purchase this painting go to http://www.jillraefinallyart.com/30-in-30.php  Or just hit the "Visit My Web Site" button on the right of this blog. When you get there go to "My Art"  then "30 in 30 in the pull down menu. 

Win a Custom Ink Drawing. 

I will create an Ink Drawing from a photo that you email me. It could be a favorite vacation place, your house, or anything - just not portraits (they aren't really very distinguishable.) The art work will be between 8x10 and 11x14, depending on the photo and will take about one week to complete.

 

All this is to introduce my new Monthly Newsletter coming out at the end of this month. It will include what's currently happening at JR Finally Art along with some deals exclusively for my newsletter readers. Each month this free newsletter will be emailed to you so you won't miss a thing.

All you have to do to enter the Custom Ink Drawing Giveaway is to subscribe at

http://eepurl.com/SHx-f  or just hit the subscribe button to the right of my blog. I will draw a name from all new subscribers on January 9th. You will be contacted by email and asked to send a clear photo via email within 5 days of winning. After about a week I will sent it out in the mail to you, no shipping charges, no taxes. It's free!

This has a $65 value.

Good Luck and thanks for subscribing.

Touching Bases

Hello everyone and Happy December!
 What a great time of the year so full with everything. It can be a lot of fun and also so overwhelming. I'm getting a bit behind in the mix here. My blog included. So I decided to just leave a bit of a note to say I'm still going.

Saturday's show at Midwest Stone Source and Design was so much fun! It included great live music, food and wine all for the great cause of the Rockford Rescue mission. I started carrying a lot of smaller items which did very well. (Although the economy does seem to be recovering some I think everyone's still very careful.) I won a wonderful bathroom sink basin that we'll install in the Union House, a 158 year old house that my husband is rehabbing.

I did a lot of crafts for the event which I will start writing up and posting to the blog.

I'm still painting at Katie's Cup every first and third Wednesdays of the month.
I have found that I love this. That's so incredible, me, someone who had a hard time just showing my work about four years ago. But I love being out around people in a peaceful atmosphere.  I find it keeps me more on track...can't play games on my i Pad while others are watching.

I'm starting to get ready for the Nicholson Conservatory show in February. I have three watercolors that I will be working on for that show. It's so busy but I know I have at least these times scheduled. Actually, I'm dying to just sit down quietly and paint. I'm hoping to get to it this afternoon.

Title This Painting.

This is the piece I have been working on to donate to the Holiday Artisan Show.  
The proceeds go to the Rockford Rescue Mission.

 What do you think I should title it? I did a similar painting for the 30 in 30 which I named Dahlias in Summer. Not too exciting. What do you think it should be called? Please leave me a comment.

Showing Up and Smelling the Coffee at Katie's Cup

Sometimes just showing up is good enough.  I have been having so much fun painting at Katie's Cup  in downtown Rockford. The whole thing started as a Rockford Art Guild activity but so far no one from the guild has joined me. (I think Wednesdays are a bad day for many who are either teaching classes or taking them at our local Woman's Space.) The original idea was to get together and share some ideas and fellowship. But I have found that I love it! Every week people stop me and ask me about my work. There's always something going on. Today was a kick off for Credit Union Week. The local TV channel was there to get the story.

Andy Gannon of 23 News approached me and wanted to know what I was doing with the crazy plastic table cloth I had spread over the table for protection. By the time my painting session was all over I was given a $10 Katie's Cup gift card, promised a donation of art for breast cancer research and talked to several people. Not bad.

Harry's Flowers

Alcohol Inks and Pen

8 x 12

$75

http://www.jillraefinallyart.com/originals.php

I even got some work done in the process. I had forgotten that I did have some painting started for days 30 and 12 of the 30 in 30. I finished the alcohol ink part the night before and penned it at Katie's. Harry is my next door neighbor, Nancy's husband. He went through a very serious surgery in August. His work sent him a beautiful bouquet of flowers which got dropped off at my house. I couldn't help myself but photograph it. (More future paintings.) Does anyone know the name of these flowers?

I started adding watercolor to this drawing from Madeline Island. All in all I would say it was a very productive day - just by showing up.

Day 26, Watercolor and Pen, Zinnias in Yellow

30 in 30 hosted by Leslie Saeta.

Zinnias in Yellow

Watercolor and Pen

8 x 10

$65

Zinnias are one of the few flowers that I will start from seed. ( Also buy a few from the garden center just in case.) I love them. They make great cutting flowers and their colors are wonderful and bight. These yellow buds were a bit understated. They were quiet and undemanding- but totally stunning. What flowers do you plant by seed?

To purchase this painting go to http://www.jillraefinallyart.com/30-in-30.php  Or just hit the "Visit My Web Site" button on the right of this blog. When you get there go to "My Art"  then "30 in 30 in the pull down menu.