Pictures from my Exhibit at Leslie Powell Gallery

Although I wasn't able to be at my show at Leslie Powell Gallery which opened on May 9, the gallery director sent me photos.

There were a number of sales and a good turnout for the Opening. It's always fun seeing people discovering my work and I thought perhaps others might enjoy a few pictures too.

The exhibit hangs until June 26.

If you're near Lawton, Oklahoma and would like to see the paintings live, I'll hope you'll drop in. Please introduce yourself to gallery director Nancy Anderson and tell her I sent you!

I'm working on some new paintings for upcoming exhibits these days. Although the larger pieces won't be ready for you to see for awhile, I plan to post at least a few new little 'uns soon!

Our May Painting Challenge: "Pig Party"! Legos Crashed My Party.

This month's Challenge subject, "Pig Party", was picked by group member Mike Beeman. I confess when he sent out the notice in April of what we'd be working with, I was at a loss for what to paint.

As the days went by I thought up several plans for paintings, none of which I developed very much. When I broke my ankle I started thinking about this idea instead. Those toy figures wanted to part of the painting again too!

So, here is my piece on the left. I had a blast with it and it definitely was a challenge!

(left)
"Piggie Party of Five"
4"x6"
Original unframed oil on panel
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD

And here are the rest of the Challenge Group's paintings.

Each artist put their own twist on the "Pig Party" subject. I love it that they are each so different and unique.

Aren't they wonderful!?

(left above) "Party Ears" 12"x7" Original oil on panel ©2009 Vicki Ross
(right above) "Pig Party" 14"x11" Original oil on canvas ©2009 Silvina Day


(left)
"Swine Barrel" 5"x7"
Original Pastel
on Canson Paper
©2009 Mike Beeman




(left) "Hog Wild" 5"x7"
Original oil on panel ©2009 Robin Cheers
(right) "Piggy Bank Picnic" 6"x6"
Original oil on canvas ©2009 Marie Fox

A Peek at my Exhibit at Leslie Powell Gallery

Tonight is the Opening of my show in Lawton, Oklahoma. Twenty-seven of my colorful landscape oil paintings will be shown in "The Joy of Light; Color in the Landscape".

Sizes range from miniature to larger 11"x14", all framed in silver or gold frames. You can read more about the show at my blog post recently.

I was hoping to be at the Opening to connect with friends, past collectors and meet new people. When I broke my ankle recently, my plans changed.

Nancy Anderson, gallery director, did the next best thing and sent me some photos of how the show looks hung in the spacious gallery. These are three of the dozen pictures she emailed me this morning.

"Eirenikos"

"Eirenikos"
This is the Greek word for "peaceable", which describes this relaxing scene of Mama with her nursing newborn.
©1989 Diana Moses Botkin

Original was sold to Evansville Museum of Art in 1989. This painting was also the top award winner at the 42nd Annual Mid-State Exhibition at the museum the same year.

My Challenge Group; Shoes (Mine are with Legos)!

I debated with myself about which device of torture I should paint for this month's challenge "Favorite Shoes", chosen by Silvina Day.

Even though I haven't been to ballet class for years, I decided my pointe shoes are my first choice for favorites, and I found a couple of old pairs stuck in a bag in my closet with my leg warmers, bandaides and a roll of athletic tape.

I was never a big Moody Blues fan, but I heard their songs in the 70s and the title intruded on my thoughts as I was considering my still life set-up, which seemed rather plain with the shoes alone. Those legos just begged to be part of my Challenge idea again. So, here is my contribution to our April Challenge, "Knights in Pink Satin".


7 x 5", Oil on board, in decorative gold frame
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin 
SOLD

And here are the fun paintings from the rest of our Challenge Group. Looks like almost everyone loves red shoes!










(left) “Red Slippers” 6 x 6", Pastel on Canson paper ©2009 Mike Beeman
(center) "The Red Shoes" 12 x 12", Oil on canvas ©2009 Marie Fox(right) "Decisions" 8 x 9", Oil on paper board ©2009 Robin Cheers

(left)
"Baby Shoes"
6 x 6", Oil on board
©2009 Michael Naples
 
(right)
"Shoo-Fly"
8 x 10", Oil on panel
©2009 Vicki Ross

"Red Silk Espadrilles"
11 x 14"
Oil on canvas"
©2009 Silvina Day

"Soul" Maple Seed Still Life Daily Painting

Original oil, painted from life 2.25"x3.25"
framed in decorative gold frame.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

Just when I thought I was finished with this series, I noticed another aspect of these little miracles. I've uncovered thousands of these from my gardens in the last couple of weeks and today I was struck by the hidden life that resides inside the seed. That green growing thing looks nothing like the brown seed and when it cracks open to reveal something altogether new, it is an amazing picture to me of the new life in the soul.

Sold Daily Paintings

"Retirement" Oil, 5"x7" 
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD

"Tenacity" Miniature Oil 
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD  

"Potential" Miniature Oil 
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD   

"Winter Survivor" Miniature Oil 
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD   

"Sunset at the River" Oil, 3.5"x5" 
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD

"Verve" Maple Seed Still Life Daily Painting

Original miniature oil painting 2.25"x3.25"
Framed in small decorative frame.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

The life in these little brown scraps of last Fall's leftovers is truly amazing, and reminds me that God put that amazing determination to grow in His creation.

"Spring Miracle" Maple Seed Still Life Daily Painting

Original miniature oil, painted from life, 2.25"x3.25".
Framed in decorative gold frame.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Every year in the fall, our maple trees produce about a zillion of these little helicopters. They fly all over our property and would turn our lawn and gardens into a forest if they were left alone. This time of year the snow is melting and I try to get these out of my gardens before they take over.

My husband calls these hearty survivors "little miracles". It IS pretty amazing to find them literally everywhere.. tucked in cracks and piled in corners with dead leaves... damp from the melting snow and already sending out shoots.

Live Portrait Demo and Talk About my Art

"Kensington"
12.5"x10"
Charcoal and chalk on Canson paper

©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

This evening I gave a talk about my art for Chris Kraisler's North Idaho College art appreciation class.

Chris had been teaching her students about artists' media, so I brought a variety of supplies and finished art to show to the class (oils, pastels, block printing, charcoal). Then I did a live portrait demo using charcoal and chalk on rust colored paper (at left).

Chris put my website and blog pages up on the projector for the class to see. It was interesting to see these so large!

Conversation and interaction with the students was interesting, also. It was fun sharing art ideas with these kids. ("Kids" are anyone under the age of forty.)

Ta-Da... Our March Challenge Paintings Unveiled!

Vicki Ross chose an eggplant for our Challenge subject this month. When she announced it to our Challenge Group, I struggled with what to do for an idea.

Should it be a simple still life painting or perhaps a play on words, like Vicki's painting below? Her idea was actually one of the inspirations discussed at our house. Another brain storm was eggs on a plant, sort of like those Easter egg trees you see this time of year. Somewhere along the line I toyed with the idea of adding the Legos to my composition.

(left)
"Attack on the Eggplant"
Oil 6"x8"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

My painting was born from some leftover thoughts from last month's Challenge with the Lego figures, combined with memories of one of our home videos where one of my sons played with a Lego knight who stabbed a carrot. So, that's how my surreal idea developed. It was fun and stretched my brain, which is one of the goals of doing these monthly challenges.

I love all the Challenge paintings this month; I hope you have as much fun seeing them as we did painting them!

(left) "At the Market"
Ink & Watercolor 9"x12"
©2009 Robin Cheers

(right) "Eggplants"
Oil 10"x8"
©2009 Silvina Day

(left)
"Eggplant"
Oil 6"x6"
©2009 Michael Naples

(right)
"Huddled Eggplants"
Oil 11"x14"
©2009 Marie Fox

(left)
"It's Just a Big Ol' Eggplant"
Oil 10"x14"
©2009 Dianne Mize

(right) "Eggplant?"
Oil 11"x14"
©2009 Vicki Ross

These are all a lot of fun, don't you think? Next month's Challenge promises to be a lot of fun too. The subject has been named and we're all working in secret on our paintings. Look for our group unveiling on April 15!

A Few Figure Studies

(left)
"Standing Wood Nymph" charcoal on grey paper
(right)
"Young Woman Sitting" charcoal and chalk on grey cotton charcoal paper

(below) "Woman on the Black Throw" charcoal and chalk on blue cotton charcoal paper

©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Our model this week at Open Studio is a young woman with long hair and long legs. She would be the perfect wood nymph skipping through the forest with flowers in her dark hair, ala Maxfield Parrish.