Art Faire and Live Portrait Sketches

This past weekend was our local Art Faire at Naples Gallery in north Idaho, a three-day event with art, music and food. I showed paintings, large and little, and did live portrait sketches.

 It's a challenge to prepare for a big exhibit. I rarely do outdoor shows. And to be on my feet talking to people all day long at a live event, especially since my ankle break last spring, is quite tiring. 

However, with some help from dear Suzanne who runs the gallery, and my husband and son loading and unloading all the stuff in the car, this event went smoothly for me. I'm thanking the Lord!I met a lot of nice folks who dropped by my booth and I saw a number of my faithful local collectors. It was enjoyable talking to other artists, musicians and food artists who participated, too. 

During a break, I even got to watch one of the artisans construct a hand-made glass and silver marble (which I bought for a very reasonable price). Perhaps you'll see it in a painting one of these days!This lovely young lady at left was a pleasure to sketch as she sat for me so calm and still. Drawing faces is one of my favorite activities. It's such a pleasant job! Maybe I'd feel different about a job like that if I was working somewhere like Disneyland... or maybe not. But I figure this is a lot easier than going to Anaheim to work!

“Vintage Estée Lauder” ACEO Daily Painting or Valentine

Original oil on canvas, 2.5"x3.5"
sent in protective ACEO sleeve
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Purchase here.

I'll be posting a few more little 'uns this week while I work on a portrait commission. This little bottle speaks of Valentines and sweet thoughts.

Oil Figure Studies Daily Paintings

I'm finishing up an article this week for Art Calendar magazine's December issue. It's about scams and how to avoid them.

I hope you'll watch for the piece in a couple of months when it's available on newsstands.

So, while I'm busy slamming words together, please enjoy some more figure studies from our live model at Open Studio. These are in oil.

(left above)"Lauren Reclining on Elbow"
Oil sketch on canvas, 9"x12"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

(left)"Reclining with Hand Shadow"
Oil sketch on canvas, 9"x12"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin




 
Please contact me to purchase any of these, or for more information.

Figure Studies and Time Constraints

Poses of 10 or 20 minutes at Open Studio give me a chance to develop the form a little more. Although this is not enough time to draw much detail, I usually try to at least give some clues where features are located.

(left above) "Lauren Resting on Knee"
Charcoal and chalk on Grey Paper 12"x18"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin 
(left)
"Reclining with Arms Across Chest"
Charcoal and chalk
on Blue Paper
12"x18"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

(below)
"Lauren Quotes Shakespeare"
Charcoal and chalk
on Grey Paper
12"x18"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin


Please contact me if you want more information about these studies or would like to purchase.

An Unmade Bed ... our August Painting Challenge!

My Challenge Group is smaller now; two participants had to drop out due to commitments that made it difficult to participate with project deadlines. So, there are six remaining members: Robin Cheers, Silvina Day, Marie Fox, Michael Naples, Vicki Ross and Yours Truly (Diana Moses Botkin).(left) "Expedition on an Unmade Bed"
Oil on panel, 8"x10"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

We have all been busy this month with Robin's choice of subject matter; "an unmade bed". Several ideas jiggeted about in my brain as I considered what to paint these past few weeks.

Those insistant lego helpers wanted to be the stars of the show again, so here are these fun little guys!
I love ALL the paintings for this month's challenge; such beauty and feeling in something so simple. I feel very honored to have each of these talented artists on my team for this Challenge project.

Every month, we each work on the same subject for the Challenge, but we don't know what each other is painting until we send them to each other just prior to posting them on our blogs on the 15th. I get so excited and blessed when all the paintings roll into my Inbox each month. It is always so interesting to see the similarities and differences in what we each come up with, painting the same subject.
(left)
"The Old Brass Bed"
Oil on Panel 10"x8"
©2009 Robin Cheers

(right)
"Unmade Bed"
Oil on Canvas 9"x12"
©2009 Silvina Day
(left) "Wine Night"
Oil on board 8"x8"
©2009 Michael Naples

(right)
"The Boys"
Oil on Canvas 9"x9"
©2009 Vicki Ross

(left)
"Asleep At The Window Seat"
Oil on Canvas
18"x24"
©2009 Marie Fox

"Ripe Tomato" ACEO Tiny Still Life Daily Painting

Original oil on canvas, 2.5"x3.5"
sent in protective ACEO sleeve
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Purchase here.

My small kitchen garden out my door is finally producing some ripe tomatoes. For those of you who live down south this probably seems ridiculous. It does to me too because I remember ripe tomatoes by the Fourth of July in the MidWest. But, believe me, I'm happy to get these now. Fresh salsa, anyone?

"Salt Shaker" ACEO Still Life Daily Painting

Original oil on canvas, 2.5"x3.5"
sent in protective ACEO sleeve
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Purchase here.

Reds in paintings are often difficult to accurately represent in a digital image online. As with most original art, it's always much better seen in person. But this little picture of my ACEO is pretty close, so I hope you can get an idea.

A Couple of Recent Figure Studies

Quick studies on 18"x12" grey paper from our last nude model session.
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin
 
The drawing on the left is charcoal and chalk and the one on the right is a two minute warm-up in graphite.

You can easily purchase these and other figurative works. Simply contact me and I'll get you a price and shipping cost.

Figure Studies

I've been busy finalizing my show that opens this Friday for Sandpoint's ArtWalk. My tasks this week include varnishing and framing paintings, and that least favorite but necessary chore... paperwork.

So, while I'm away from my paints and brushes for a few days, I thought I'd share some recent figure drawings from Open Studio.

You can contact me if you're interested in either of these, framed or unframed.

(left) "Torso Study, Arms Up" 18"x12"
Charcoal and Chalk on Grey Paper
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

(below) "Hand Shadows" 18"x12" Charcoal and Chalk on Grey Paper
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin 

Our Artists' Salon Open Studio is still meeting most Monday evenings to sketch from a live model. These are a couple of the quick studies from our last session. Our model was a petite and muscular young woman who seemed very comfortable in her skin.

I find that a big piece of soft willow charcoal and white chalk applied on grey or colored paper is the perfect medium for these somewhat Impressionistic figure studies. If you'd like to see how this technique works, take a look at my charcoal demo on YouTube.

"Afternoon Greens" Daily Painting and a PaintOut!

Original miniature oil painting
3.5"x2.5"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin


At left is a small color study I did Saturday at a yearly PaintOut I sponsor at my place.

We've had storms trying to move in for several days. Interesting clouds and wind were a big feature on Saturday!



(left)
Bonners Ferry artist Dorothy Smith.

(right)
Bob Bissett
painted our old bunkhouse.

Bob's wife, Loi, enjoyed the evening light (left).

(right)
Newcomer Kelly painted her very first plein air landscape.

For several years I've invited the local artist group for a PaintOut and potluck in July at our little farm out here.

I did this again two days ago on Saturday. We all had a lot of fun painting together and then sharing a meal.
Dalas Klein (left) put on quite a show as he painted one of his lovely oils.

His audience enjoyed the demo, I think! Several from our art group showed up at this mini event, along with the young painters, including Dalas' 10-year-old granddaughter who painted a whimsical piece at Grandpa's side.

"Cherry on Granite" Miniature Daily Painting

Original miniature oil painting, 3"x3"
Unframed with free mini display easel
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin

Fresh cherries are a treat I really enjoy in July. Doing these little studies is my way of remembering the delight of their luscious taste. That way I (and you!) can enjoy them again and again, even when they're not in season in my yard or at the market.

I'm experimenting more with using thicker paint. This tiny piece was painted first with a palette knife, with some added detail using a brush.

Challenge for July; Self-Portraits...Mine is with Legos!

For this month's subject, member Michael Naples chose for us to all paint a self-portrait.

Since I've done a number of these works through the years, I wanted to challenge myself to create something a little different.

A couple of ideas suggested themselves to my mind, but my "little friends" insisted on helping again this month. They've appeared in all my Challenge paintings so far and wanted to make this one fun too. I hope you enjoy this whimsical piece!

(left)
"Make Me Beautiful, Rembrandt!"
Original unframed Oil on board, 6"x8"
©2009 Diana Moses Botkin



The rest of my Challenge Group participants painted their self-portraits without any legos, but maybe they aren't as attached to them as we are at my house! I love all these paintings, don't you?

(far left)
"Self Portrait"
Oil on board 6"x6"
©2009 Michael Naples

(left)
"Self Portrait Loathing"
Oil on board 12"x12"
©2009 Robin Cheers


(left)
"Self-Portrait with Steve's Shirt"
Oil on canvas
14"x11"
©2009 Silvina Day

(right)
"Self Portrait"
Pastel
10"x8"
©2009 Mike Beeman



(bottom row, left) "Making Up Her Own Story" Oil on canvas 24"x20" ©2009 Marie Fox
(bottom row, right) "ME ala Schmid" Oil on canvas 10"x8" 2009 Vicki Ross