Friday, August 25, 2017

Last month of show at North Gate Vineyard

Tulips
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce
This is the last month to get out to Northgate Vineyard to see my show.  I hung the show in July and it comes down September 25.  I have 44 paintings in the show.  It is a good way to see the wide range of paintings I do.  Some are oils and some are watercolors.  I have still lifes, landscapes, seascapes, country scenes, cherry blossom scenes, night scenes, animals and even Italy scenes.

Northgate is a beautiful facility.  It's a great place for a weekend outing.  Do a wine tasting and get some cheese with a fresh baguette. If the weather is nice, you can sit on their outdoor patio.  It's about an hour from Washington, DC, so it's not a bad drive.

Northgate is open Thursday through Monday from 11 am to 6 pm.  The are closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Remains of the Day
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Plein Air Painting in Ohio

Flowers at the Jamison Farm
 Last week, I was invited to my friend's farmhouse in Ohio.  We painted outdoors on site which in the art world is called "plein air" painting.  You have to paint fast because the light changes very quickly.  As the sun moves, the shadows change. In the morning, the left side of a barn might be in shadow, but by afternoon, that same side is in full sunshine. So all paintings have to be done in about a 2 hour time period.
Big Skies of Ohio

We also visited the Toledo Art Museum which has a fabulous collection.  The curators there try to get one great painting from each of the masters of their time. I highly recommend going there if you are out that way.

The house we stayed is called the Jamison Farm. There are rumors that there is a ghost in the house. I didn't see one!  Might have made an interesting painting if the ghost had posed for me!

All in all, it was a great trip! The weather was perfect: high 70's to low 80's and no humidity.  I feel fortunate to have been invited with such a great group of artists!
Porch at the Jamison Farm