Linda Blondheim Art Studio Newsletter, October 1, 2009

Night Palms
20x24 inches
acrylic on wood panel
HERE




Studio/Plein Air Equipment for sale

I have the following for sale:

used frames

miniature- 3.00 each (4x6)
small 10.00 each ( 6x8-8x10)
larger (12x16-16x20)20.00 each
1 heavy gold 30.00 (18x24)

a nice 12x16 inch panel drying box, 50.00

an old 8x10 drying box,needs a lid, 10.00

Art instruction books 5.00 each

email me: lindablondheim@gmail.com


My next E-class is Virtual Plein Air, I - November 10, 2009beginning September 29.
http://www.lindablondheim.com/publications.php


Florida Clouds


I don't know about other places, but here in North central Florida we have had the most incredible clouds this fall. I've gotten into the habit of jumping in the car, late in the afternoon with Henry and just driving around to gawk at them with awe. I can't remember a more impressive view of the clouds in recent years.

We like to think of clouds as our mountains here in Florida. We have every hue from bottle green to teal, orange,pink,red,yellow, and rich dark purple.

As a landscape painter, I have a keen interest in them and a fascination with painting them. I am of course, not alone in this quest. Lots of my painting friends do them as well. Some of my painting friends have signatures to their work with their clouds. I have one friend who is well known for her pink clouds. What's fun is that her paintings always have pink clouds, no matter what the atmospheric condition or time of day she is painting.

Mine go through various stages of development. of late, I have been using a lot of back lighting on mine with fairly deep shadows on the fronts of the clouds. A bit more red in them as well, but I'm very fond of the orange blue compliment gray in mine.

Clouds become a landscape painter's signature, part of their style if they have a keen interest in them.

Here's a bit about Clouds:

Cloud Types common cloud classifications Clouds are classified into a system that uses Latin words to describe the appearance of clouds as seen by an observer on the ground. The table below summarizes the four principal components of this classification system (Ahrens, 1994).

Latin Root Translation Example

cumulus
stratus
cirrus
nimbus heap
layer
curl of hair
rain fair weather cumulus
altostratus
cirrus
cumulonimbus

Further classification identifies clouds by height of cloud base. For example, cloud names containing the prefix "cirr-", as in cirrus clouds, are located at high levels while cloud names with the prefix "alto-", as in altostratus, are found at middle levels. This module introduces several cloud groups. The first three groups are identified based upon their height above the ground. The fourth group consists of vertically developed clouds, while the final group consists of a collection of miscellaneous cloud types.

Since I am not a science type person, I'll simply enjoy the view. I often like to go to the Orange lake overlook just south of McIntosh, Florida to enjoy the huge cloud formations rolling across the sky in the late afternoon there.

Clouds allow me to wonder and dream about our good earth and sky. I can't think of any more beautiful visions than an open sky full of ever changing clouds. Because they change so rapidly, I've learned a thing or two about saving time while painting them. I will often premix all of the colors I want to use for a cloud study, making it much faster to work and capture their beauty.

The next time you want to have some free fun, go out to a place with a vista and take your lawn chair. Sit and dream, while you watch the clouds go by.



The Painting Process

Night Palms

I've been fooling around with my "Night Palms" theme this week, first with a 5x7 study to warm up with and then this painting. I've gotten a lot of questions about the Night Palm series from friends, collectors and other artists, about the process.

Some of the paintings are actually started on location and a few of the small ones are done alla prima on location. When I paint out for nocturnals I NEVER go alone, unless it is in my own yard. Safety is very important, especially for us gals!!

I often use a little book light for the work, which clips onto the lid of my paint box. I got mine at Radio Shack and it comes with a little battery stand that is plugged in to sue when I'm not painting. It is convenient but not really very powerful, so i am always looking for another way. Some people paint with the miner's head lamps, but the spotlight from those can be difficult because they do not produce any ambient light and are almost too strong. One of the best ways is to paint where there is a lot of ambient street light or on a full moon night, my favorite.

My best method is to go out and simply observe what things look like at night, taking notes and thinking about how to portray objects in darkness, then going back to my studio to produce paintings like this one. Painting nocturnals is more about the esthetic of the look rather than the reality of night.

I've always loved the night and feel comfortable with it, having been a landscape painter for most of my adult life and living on rural land. We learned very young how to navigate in the dark, ride horses and so forth. There is a mystery of the night that is very appealing in art. We are all fascinated by nodcturnal paintings.

My favorite place to observe for nocturnal paintings is Wekiva State Park. It is simply magnificent at sunset, sunrise, and into the night. The early evening and dawn color there is beyond beautiful with the smokey grays, deep mauves,blues,silvers and rusts of winter. I can't wait to get there every year to paint for a week.

Step outside at night and observe the mystery.


How About a Recipe?


I have been playing around with the idea of making old fashioned cakes and yeast breads to sell again. Not the fancy bakery cakes, but the old timey ones that Grandma used to turn out. It's been a long time since bakerys sold good old style cakes and there might be an interest for them. I'm thinking Lemon poppy Seed with lemon curd filling, Carrot Cake with orange curd filling, Red Velvet Cake. Sour cream with strawberry/amaretto filling and burnt buttercream frosting. Chocolate chip cake with chocolate ganash rum icing. I wonder if anyone would be interested?

This week's recipe, I made up the other evening when I was bored with the usual meal. it was surprisingly tasty.

Beans,Chili and Rice

1 can chili
1 can black beans drained
1 small chopped onion
3 cups hot cooked rice
1/2 shredded romaine lettuce
1 large tomato diced
dash of chopped cilantro
dollop of sour cream for each serving

heat and mix beans and chili
Pour over rice
top with lettuce,tomato,onion,cilantro and sour cream.

Yummy!!

Cook's Tip:

Forget the bagged salads and make your own. if you keep a tomato, bag of whole romaine lettuce, an onion and a seedless cucumber in the fridge, you can make a salad fresh in lickity split time. It will last so much longer than a bagged salad.



On the Road Again


I'lll be away for a couple of weeks, first to St John's County for "Painting the Region" along state road 13, part of the William Bartram trail. I haven't done a paint out since May, so I am very rusty. Let's hope I'll get my plein air muse back again for this event. I think most of my painting time will be at the ranch but I really don't know what any of the locations look like, so we will see. My tendency is to avoid other painters when I work, so whereever the crowd is, I won't be ;>)There are a lot of painters at this one, so it may be difficult to find a quiet spot each day, but I will try. I am not staying with artists I know or even my host, so it will be a bit lonely there. Come see me.


http://www.paintingtheregion.com

After Painting the Region, I'm off to Orlando for a day or two with my daughters and their men to the Wine Festival at Epcot. A mini vacation if you will. When I get back, I'll have lots of stories for you. I am hoping my host has internet service or there is a coffee shop nearby. I'll check in on Facebook frequently while on the road. http://www.facebook.com/linda.blondheim



A Tribute to North Florida

The Ken Burns Film


I've been watching the newest Ken Burns film this week, Our National Parks, America's Best Idea. it has been a profound experience for me, loving the land and water as I do. Ken Burns is one of our most gifted artists, a national treasure. If you have not seen his films you simply must. They are sublime recordings of American history and culture, made with meticulous craftsmanship and subtlty, giving dignity to those souls who came before us.

I wrote an email to Mr Burns through his agency this week, asking him to do a film about Evinston/Cross Creek/Orange Lake/Micanopy. I don't know whether he will receive the email, but I so believe that area of Florida deserves his magic touch with film. I wish a documentary film maker would discover this part of Florida. The lovely film Cross Creek done years ago was the closest one I've seen that does it justice, though it was a biography focusing on MKR.

When I drive through these old towns, sit in the Wood Swink by the stove, and wander the Wood Farm and Fair Oaks Farm, I long for a way to pay tribute to the beauty I see there. I fear that the Wood Swink will close before the repair work and upgrades can be done for lack of funding. I want to see the ranches and farms continue as they have been for a century or more. I cringe when I see the developers licking their chops at Orange Lake and the Paynes Prairie Rim.

I've done what I can by being part of land conservation efforts here in north Florida. I urge you to do the same.

http://www.conserveflorida.org/index.html
http://alachuaconservationtrust.org/index.php?/alachua/mission-history/
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/lands/fl_forever.htm
http://northfloridalandtrust.org/




Out Painting



This week I'll be packing for my trip and will not be at Paddiwhack. I'll be back in front of the gallery to paint two weeks from Friday.



This Week's Ebay Paintings


Opening Bid: $3.99
Retail Price: 55.00
S & H: Free
No Reserve

Type Blondheim Art into the Ebay search window.

EBAY