My Critique Group Article

Recently I wrote an article about art critique groups. It is now out in this month's issue of Professional Artist Magazine.

I've enjoyed our local gathering for over a decade since I first heard about it and have found it beneficial. It's easy to be too close to our own work sometimes, so getting a fresh perspective is helpful.

If you've ever wanted to attend a critique group or start your own, the piece covers basic guidelines and suggests practical plans for making it successful.

Columbia Gorge Plein Air Paintings

(first painting)"Morning Sails” Oil 8"x10" ©2012 Diana Moses Botkin  SOLD 
(second painting) “Evening Garden View” Oil 8"x10" ©2012 Diana Moses Botkin SOLD

(third painting) “Evening Highlights” Oil 7.5"x13"
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin



SOLD

The town of Hood River, about an hour east of Portland, sits on the Columbia River in the gorge. The area is full of amazing views. Mt. Hood is always inspiring and this year at the paint out I was especially pleased to have an evening panorama of the mountain for my wide format painting "Evening Highlights" above. Another artist and I stayed at that particular location for the evening light (my favorite to try to capture). I'm willing to forgo supper and keep painting for a view like this, even after working hard all day. 

Last year was my first time participating in this plein air event and I enjoyed it so much I applied again for 2012. I was very encouraged to win the Best River award this year for my painting of "Morning Sails". Please contact me if you are interested in these paintings.

(left) “Glowing Hill” Oil 5"x7"
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin

"Childhood", our September Painting Challenge

 
(left)
"Summer Coolness"
Original unframed oil
on hardboard
10"x10" 
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin


Mark named our Challenge this month and it turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated, coming up with an idea to fit the theme. Other members were not able to participate this month, but Mark and I managed to meet the deadline. 

The Challenge continues to be fun for our group and challenge us to come up with something we might not normally think of painting.

It certainly got me to thinking about the idea of childhood. I wanted to portray something of the innocence and playfulness of that stage of life, plus some fascination that children have with the way things are in the world.


(left) 
"Willow - May Day Celebration"
Oil on panel
8" x 10"
©2012 Mark Adams

Paint Out in the Columbia Gorge

After the paint out for the Trail in Sandpoint, I drove down to the Columbia Gorge for the Pacific Northwest Plein Air in the Hood River area.

The Trail paintings were a perfect warm-up for the Gorge paint out. I think I felt more comfortable with the plein air experience and paintings seemed to be working better for me. Or maybe I was just working better.

The Gorge is such a beautiful place to paint and I was pleased that I was juried in again this year for the paint out and show.

I about froze the morning I was painting "Morning Sails" up above the Columbia River last week. That's the painting with the ribbon (Best River award) in this photo. The one above it is another one of my oil paintings from the plein air paint out. I'll post images of them, and others, soon.

Our monthly Challenge is coming up on Saturday, so that's what's on my plate (er, easel) right now.

Plein Air Paintings of The Trail

(left)
"Painting the Trail"
Oil 8"x6"
©2012
Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD

(right)
"Evening on the Trail"
Oil 8"x6"
©2012
Diana Moses Botkin
SOLD

These two small works are what I chose to submit for the Bay Trail Paint Out show in Sandpoint the end of August. Although I painted several other pieces, none of them seemed finished enough to put them in a frame and show them at the gallery.

These two were the last ones I did during the paint out. I had fun with these after struggling with all my other pieces. These felt a lot more playful, especially in those dappled shadows and the various colors of the water.

Painting Out

Last week I participated in a plein air event in Sandpoint for the new Bay Trail at the Lake. What a wonderful walking and biking path! I had a chance to paint with several friends. It's always nice at these paint outs to socialize with other artists. Most of us work in solitude much of the time, so events like these give us a chance for some company while we work.

And this week I am in Hood River, Oregon for another paint out. Oh so fun, and oh such hard work it all is!

Here's a link to the Hood River event. You can see photos of all the artists participating at each day's location. Sometimes I go to the arranged spot and sometimes I find a view on my own that I want to paint.

"S Curve" Charcoal and Chalk Figure Study

Original charcoal and chalk drawing on paper
Approximately 18"x12"
©2011 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

To Be or Not to Be... a Daily Painter

One of my blogging friends, Mark Adams, who also happens to be a member of my monthly Challenge group, wrote recently about daily painting and the thorny issues that accompany the goal of painting a new one every day.

I left a comment that I totally identify. I confessed that my dailies have fallen off too, and I've come to realize that I can't keep trying to come up with little masterpieces almost every day.

I have never reached my goal of 365 paintings in a year since I've been attempting this. It is an admirable goal, though, still.

2004 was the first year I tried daily painting. I managed to paint 104 pieces that year, most of which were a lot smaller than what I'd been doing previously. The number of completed pieces rose during the next few years, peaking in 2010 at 236. Last year and this year, I've worked more slowly and with more deliberation. I've purposely painted some larger oils, and commissions. There is simply no way I can do work like that in one day.

Be that as it may, rest assured I'll still continue to do the little 'uns and show them here at my blog for several reasons, along with some larger pieces with more thought and effort behind them. If my labors do not produce something new (and complete) every single day, then so be it.

My New Shipping Article Now Published

Many of you know I write for Professional Artist Magazine (formerly Art Calendar). You can read my piece "Getting It There: Packing and Shipping Art in Mailing Tubes" in this month's issue.

The article is an expansion of a previous piece on packing and shipping flat art, such as framed paintings. I won an award for that article, which was a first for me. I hope this new piece is also helpful and well-received.

Moses Botkin August Painting Challenge: Statue

"Tale of Woe"
Original oil sketch on hardboard
6"x6" 
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin

Vicki chose our subject for this month's Challenge. When she named a statue to paint, I thought of several ideas and settled on this one, based on a sculpture I saw of Cain outdoors at the Louvre.

At the time I had jet-lag and had been scolded at Musee d'Orsay for putting my feet up. I had actually been reprimanded a couple of times by the guards at d'Orsay (in French which I don't speak well but I pretty much read their gestures). And I had been chewed out (in French) by the maid earlier that morning at our cheap little hotel in Paris for having food in our room. This sculpture spoke of how I felt when I saw this piece. I hope this makes you smile, as it does for me now.

Here are this month's paintings from the rest of the group, which I like very much. This was a good Challenge and got me to thinking, which is one of our goals for the monthly exercise.

It gets us out of our comfort zone a little, motivates us to paint something we might not normally think of, and is "fun" in a punishing stressful sort of way. Month after month, we accept the difficulties and yes, the dare, to paint our Challenge.

(below left) "Nymphs and Satyr" Oil on Canvas, 22" x 28" ©2012 Mark Adams
(below right) "Love" Oil on Panel, 16"x12" ©2012 Vicki N. Ross

Painting Headed to Richard Schmid Auction

(left) "Red Slip"
Original oil on board 12"x6"
framed in dark decorative frame
©2010 Diana Moses Botkin

I'm delighted to announce that this painting has been accepted to the Richard Schmid Fine Art Auction at the 17th Annual Rist Canyon Mountain Festival.

The event will be held Sunday, September 2. If you are unable to attend the live art auction, online bids for my painting can registered through September 1. I am looking forward to seeing who falls in love with this!

"Giant" Plein Air Oil Study Daily Painting

Original oil 9"x5"
©2012 Diana Moses Botkin

SOLD

Every summer my husband and I host a plein air paint out and pot luck in July for our local art group. This year marks our sixth annual event. Last year I painted this same tree on a 10"x8" panel. I see this tall noble fir almost every day and especially like to watch the light on it in the late afternoon. In the winter when it snows it looks like a beautiful Christmas tree.

For this year's paint out, I grabbed a smallish, longish piece of textured mat board that I'd primed for oil sketching and painted this before the light ran out. I think this sketch makes the fifth painting I've done of this graceful tree. It may be my favorite so far.