Small works Make a Great Present

 

Here are some small works that would make great presents.  Everyone has a place to put a small painting.  You don't have to hang it on the wall.  You can have it in a bookcase or on a small table easel.

The painting above  is Peonies No. 1 .  It's 5x5 with a beautiful gold ornate frame that makes this small painting look really special.  

The painting below on the right is Peonies No. 2.  It also is a 5x5 with a beautiful gold ornate frame. 

This is a way to give flowers to someone and the flowers never die.  They don't even wilt!  They last forever!

I also have a still life of a silver bowl full of red grapes.  The round table that the bowl sits on makes beautiful circular reflections in the silver bowl causing an interesting pattern on the bowl.  The painting is 6 x 8 inches with a lovely silver frame.  

If you are looking for a special gift let me know.  These are just a few of the small works I have.  I can even hand deliver it if you don't live too far.

All of these paintings are under $200. 

Snowy Evening
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

 I don't think we are going to have a white Christmas this year, but I want to wish everyone a merry Christmas and happy holidays.  It's been an interesting year, to say the least.  I think the year 2020 will be burned into our brains for the remainder of our lives.  It is the year that I painted the most in my entire career.  Staying home has some advantages.  

This painting became my Christmas card this year.  It was started as a demo for one of my online art classes.  In the fall, we focused on doing paintings with snow as the subject that would turn into our Christmas cards.  I continued to work on it after the hour demo, and this was the finished product.  

I'm hoping we get a little snow this year so that I can take more photographs to work from for next year's holiday card.  I have to be careful what I wish for; we could end up with the blizzard of the century, although I highly doubt it.  I'm pretty much in the house all the time anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter. 

In the meantime, I hope everyone enjoys the holidays as best they can.  Stay safe, wear a mask, and social distance so we can get out of this mess! I do miss traveling! And I also miss seeing my friends and my students.  Here's hoping that 2021 will bring better memories.

Free Demo on Rainy Day Scenes

 McLean Art Society has asked me to do an online demo this Friday, Dec 18 at 10 am. Eastern Standard Time.  It's open to the public, so anyone who would like to watch is welcome to no matter where you live in the country or the world, for that matter. I will be doing rainy day scenes.  There is a short business meeting at 10 am, and I will probably start around 10:45 or so.  It will go until noon.  Click on the link below on Friday morning between 10 and 10:45.  I will begin after the short business meeting.

Topic: McLean Art Society December

Time: Dec 18, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85823780459?pwd=S2ozc0dmRVpJZmd5NlR4cVVTUjRrdz09

"The Sound of Rushing Water " is a new oil painting that will be at the Ft. C.F. Smith Art show this weekend.  This year, the 2020 Artful Weekend will not have it's normal Friday night reception due to the pandemic.  But I hope that won't stop you from coming to the show.

Friday, Dec 4 we are open from 3 to 7 pm.

Saturday, Dec 5 we are open from 10 am to 5 pm

Sunday, Dec 6 we are open from 10 am to 3 pm

Ft. Smith is located in north Arlington at 2411 24th St. N.  

Hope to see you there.

 

Dramatic Sky Over Georgetown
oil painting
by Jane McElvany Coonce

In 2 weeks, the Arlington Artists Alliance art show, "Artful Weekend" will be at Ft. C.F. Smith, 2411 24th St. N. in Arlington, VA.  This is a great time to shop for Christmas presents.  You'll find unique gifts with original oil paintings, watercolors, note cards, holiday cards , calendars and pottery. 

The show runs Friday, Dec 4 from 3-7.  

                         Saturday, Dec 5 from 10 am - 5 pm

                        Sunday, Dec 6 from 10 am - 3 pm

Hope you will stop by.  We won't have our usual Friday night reception due to Covid, but we will still have great art work to view.  The above painting, "Dramatic Sky Over Georgetown" will be one of the paintings on display.  

I am working there on Friday from 3 pm to 5 pm, but will be in and out all weekend. 

                                   

 

Ft Smith - Holiday Show - Dec 4-6, 2020

 I want to invite everyone to a real live in person show the first weekend in December.  It's our annual Ft. Smith Artful weekend. Put the dates Dec 4, 5, and 6th on your calendar.  We won't have our usual Friday night reception due to the pandemic.  But we can social distance and look at beautiful art at the same time.  I will have a number of paintings, unframed works, cards and calendars there.  I hope you will stop by and see the show.  One of the paintings in the show is the painting above,  "Early Morning on the Potomac" that has the Potomac Boathouse, the Car Barn, and Georgetown towers in the background. 

So please come and enjoy some art in these difficult times.  Art soothes the soul.

2020 Artful Weekend Fort C.F. Smith Park 2411 24th st. N Arlington VA 22207

Friday, Dec 4th 3pm-7pm Saturday, Dec 5th 10am -5pm Sunday, Dec 6th 10am - 3pm The Arlington Artist Alliance has a brand-new online show. Please visit our website to see a beautiful new array of art all available from the comfort of your home! Arlington Artists Alliance Store

2020 Artful Weekend Fort C.F. Smith Park 2411 24th st. N Arlington VA 22207

Autumn Glory

 Autumn Glory is a new oil painting I just finished.  It's hanging at Gallery Underground in Crystal City if you'd like to see it in person.  

I'm teaching online now, since I can't teach in person due to Covid.  Each week, I have a different theme that I teach to my classes.  A few weeks ago, it was autumn scenes. My students have done some amazing fall scenes, and I'm so glad that they are still painting even though we aren't going to class.  I start the demo in my online class and try to get it to a point that everything is covered.  Then I finished it up in my studio.    I'll start posting more of the things we've been doing.  

Christmas is coming up, so you might want to think of a unique gift of an oil painting.  Just let me know.

Pop-Up Walk By Outdoor Art Show and Sale

 

Pop-Up Walk By Outdoor Art Show and Sale
Two Arlington artists

Jane McElvany Coonce and Ingrid Matuszewski

Sunday, September 27 2-5 p.m. (weather permitting)    Jane: 4057 N. 27th Street  Ingrid: 2515 N. Quincy Street  Hi friends and neighbors.  I’m excited to announce that, weather permitting, I will be hosting my first Pop-Up Walk By Outdoor Art Show this Sunday, and I hope you will stop by.  My neighbor, Ingrid, will also be showing her work in her own yard a few blocks away from my home.  Our houses are within walking distance.   We have both been painting to our hearts’ delight during our enforced “Artist in Residences Programs” over the last 6 months, and we’ve got exciting new works to share. We decided to set up our own yard art galleries.

 

 

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Jane and I hope you will enjoy an artful afternoon in our Arlington neighborhood. We will observe social distancing rules so please wear a mask and stay 6 feet apart.  

 Please feel free to invite friends and neighbors and spread the word.

Outdoor Art Show This Sunday, Sept 27 from 2 to 5 in my driveway!

Georgetown and the Potomac Canoe Club
watercolor and ink 

Sunset on Georgetown
oil

There is going to be a neighborhood outdoor  art show in the Dover/Crystal neighborhood off of Nelly Custis Dr.  The show will be on Sunday from 2 to 5 pm.  

2 Arlington Artists will be showing their art.  Ingrid Matuszewski will have large and small acrylic paintings of landscapes and abstracts. 

I will be in my driveway, social distancing, and showing my work that I've done during Covid. I have 6 Key Bridge/Georgetown paintings as well as some seascapes and florals.  Come by and see me and my art at  4057 N. 27th St.   

Ingrid Matuszewski will be showing her work in her driveway at 2515 N. Quincy Street. 

 We live about 2 blocks apart, so you can drive or even walk and see both shows.  

Brass

Brass with Clementines (6x8)
original oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

Brass, Clementines and Peonies (8x10)
Original oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

Due to Covid-19, I'm teach 2 classes online, one Thursday afternoons and one Thursday evenings.  Last week, the subject was reflective metals.  Here are the two "brass demos" I did.  Can't wait to see what my students do. 

The class is an hour long.  I did the brass and the clementines for the demo.  Later on, after class, I added the orange slice to help balance the painting, and I added the flowers to the other one.  I've got 2 beautiful frames waiting for these two.

Rainy Days

Red Umbrella on a Rainy Day
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

I am teaching my 2nd session of online oil painting classes. I have 2 classes that are both on Thursdays.  One is at 2pm and the other at 7 pm.   The first week we worked on rainy day scenes.  I did a demo, explaining how to block in a painting and then proceed to finish it as best I can in an hour.  Afterwards, I send notes to my students so if they have forgotten the steps or what colors to mix, they can follow the notes.  My students have been doing great work and I'm proud them.

These are the two paintings I did for the first class. Rainy day scenes are fun because the wet pavement has all kinds of reflections in it.

Strolling on a Rainy Day
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

Baltimore Watercolor Society Annual Show 2020

Koi Pond
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

Once a year, Baltimore Watercolor Society has an annual juried show.  It's a very prestigious show, and it is hard to get in to it.  I know you are all tired of seeing my Koi Pond painting, but it was selected to be in the annual show of Baltimore. The juror was Linda Daly Baker, a highly acclaimed watercolorist. So to be selected by her is quite an honor.

Due to Covid19, this show will also be online. 
www.baltimorewatercolorsociety.org.
The show will be on line from July 1 - Aug 31, 2020.

Potomac Valley Watercolorists : Featured Artist for July

Koi Pond
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

I am honored to be a member of Potomac Valley Watercolorists, a juried membership for area watercolorists.  This month I am the featured artist.  If you click on the site, www.potomacvalleywatercolorists.org , you can see what quality of art there is in this group. 

As the featured artist, there is a little write up about me as well as 12 paintings that I have done recently in watercolor.

The Potomac Valley Watercolorists were supposed to have a show at Green Springs Park, but due to Covid19, we had to turn it into an online show.  You can also see that show if you go to PVW's website that I listed above.  This is a hard time for artists.  Although I'm producing a lot of art because I'm staying inside, there is not many places open to show art.  My basement is filling up!!!!

So I hope you will go to PVW's website and enjoy an art show and view members' art works. 

The Removal of Appomattox

Appomattox: The Defeated Confederate
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

I was surprised last week when the city of Alexandria suddenly removed the statue called "Appomattox" from the middle of Washington St. and Prince St.
This was a controversial statue for several reasons, one being that it was of a confederate soldier and the other that lots of cars hitting it caused many traffic accidents.  It was in the middle of an intersection and Washington St. is the main thoroughfare through Old Town Alexandria.

I happened to be stuck in traffic one day and was the first one at the stoplight at Prince and Washington.  I took out my cell phone and took photos because I thought this would make a great painting.  I didn't really think about it as a political controversy.  As an artist, I judge statues as how the artist rendered it.  James Muir, the sculptor that produced Appomattox, captured the forlorned look: the body is slumped, the head down, the hat in hand all tell the story of the anguish of defeat.

I never thought of this sculpture as a political one. I just loved how the artist captured the mood.  As my artist friend, Sybil Bedner-Ostrowski said, "I loved that statue.  It wasn't about glorifying one side of that particular war or the other.  It was pure art.  A most beautiful rendering of sadness, hopelessness and fatigue.  Human suffering transcends politics."  I know a lot of people won't see it the same way artists do.  I understand why it was controversial, but it still is a beautiful piece of art. 

Sculpture by James Muir

Corona Virus Painting # 7: Georgetown in the Distance

Georgetown from a Distance
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce
24x24

If you haven't noticed by now, I love painting the Key Bridge and Georgetown University in the background.  I LOVE that view.  I don't know why.  Here's the latest painting I have done since this Corona virus has trapped me in my studio.  To be honest, I'm enjoying being in my studio more than normal.  I am painting so much more than when I have to teach my classes and go to meetings.  I've made a list of all the things I want to paint and checking them off as I do them.

This painting, "Georgetown from a Distance" was done from a photo I took as I stood on the little bridge that goes over to Roosevelt Island.  Can't go there now, the park service has it closed off, but I have so many photos I've taken over the years that I have an endless supply. 

I've done 7 painting in a month and a half.  Not bad!

Flower Paintings

Here's the latest painting I've done since we've been in "shelter in place" for the Corona virus.

Since I'm not teaching my 5 art classes, I have a lot of time to to paint.  The painting is 16 x 20, and I painted it to go in a frame I had sitting in my closet.  I'm trying to access what frames I have in what sizes before I start a painting.  I have closets full of frames.  I need to start using them.

Pink Roses
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce
(16x20 inches)

Here's another painting I finished.  I actually did this last year, but it only had one flower in it.  I thought it looked boring, so I pulled it out and add the white flower, the bud and some rose hips.
When this pandemic is over, I am going to have a houseful of paintings, and hopefully, fewer frames in the closets.

Peonies
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce
5x5 inches

A Funny Sculpture Story

Reclining Nude
Terra Cotta

When I do a sculpture, I can't just do it in one day.  It takes weeks to finish a piece.
So at the start of a class,  we had a beautiful model with a lovely figure.  I was so excited and enjoyed the whole day that I worked on her.  But at the end of the session, she said she wasn't coming back.  She lived in Dale City and the traffic was just too much for her.  I was very disappointed that she wasn't coming back.  The teacher said she would get another model for the next week.  I asked her if she could get another female model, and she said yes.  She knew the perfect model.

Sara
terra cotta by Jane McElvany Coonce

The next week Sara walked in.  She took off her robe and sat on a stool and took her pose.  Sara was about 5 '2'' and extremely overweight.  She was in marked contrast than the model we had the previous week.  I looked at my friend next to me and whispered, "This is gonna take a lot of clay."

But as I got into this sculpture, I enjoyed the movement of her rolls and the angles of her body.  In the end, this is probably one of my favorite sculptures that I've done.  I've never wanted to sell her.  She sits in my bedroom.

When the boys were little, they used to have a friend over for a play date, and the first thing they would do is to take the kid back to my bedroom and show off Sara.  I would hear some giggling and knew that they were "admiring" my sculpture.  Over the years, she has been used as a hat rack for my husband's collection of baseball caps.  But lately, with this shelter in place due to the corona virus, I've been doing some cleaning and straightening up.  Sara is now free of hats and is sitting there in all her glory showing the world the attributes that God gave her.

Sculpture

 I don't know if many of you know this, but I also do sculpture (although I haven't done one in a while.). After I had my 2nd son, Kevin, I wanted to do something different.  I hired a babysitter once a week to come in while I went to a sculpture class.  It was a great escape, and I found that I really loved getting my hands in the clay.

Here are two sculptures that I did.  You can't really work from a photograph because you need to see the person from every angle.  You really need to have a model.   I had two great sculpture teachers.  One was Gretta Bader (who was also the real life mother of "Jethro" on the Beverly Hillbillies) and the other was Jay Hall Carpenter (who did many of the gargoyles at the National Cathedral.) I feel very lucky that I got to study with them.  They were both fabulous teachers as well as fabulous artists.

Breakfast Time

Luisa's Breakfast- Croissants
watercolor

 These are two recent watercolors that I've done.  Friends have suggested that I do a breakfast series.  Does that mean I have to make fancy pancakes and photograph them and then make waffles and do the same? 

Who knows, maybe I will.  I have to say, if you haven't eaten Duck Donuts, you don't know what you are missing.  The closest one to me is at the Lee Harrison Street shopping center. My son brought these home with an iced coffee.  I really wasn't planning on painting it, but the photo turned out pretty cool.  If you go to Duck Donuts, order the Maple and Bacon Donut.  They cook the donut while you wait.  It's pretty damn delicious.

Brian's Breakfast - Duck Donuts
watercolor

The Boathouse on the Potomac

The Potomac Boat Club in Georgetown
Original oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce
16x20

Here's the latest painting I've been working on this week.  It's a scene of the Potomac Boat Club that sits on the edge of the Potomac River.  In the background is Georgetown University's towers. 

I have to give thanks to Allen Pierce who invited me to go out in the early morning with his crew team.  I had to be down in Georgetown  at 5 am. I sat in the motorized boat and snapped photos as we motored along.  I've done quite a few paintings from this early morning adventure.  It is so quiet on the river at 5 am.  There are very few cars out, and the river is very peaceful.  I can see how people get addicted to rowing.  It's a very special time. 

Cafe Scenes

Evening Under the White Umbrella
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

Sunday in the Outdoor Cafe
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

Another theme I like to paint are cafe scenes.  I am especially attracted to cafes with umbrellas.  People are fascinating; we are all probably people watchers.  We like to see what people are wearing.  Or maybe there is something unusual about them that attracts your attention.  I've done lots of cafe scenes with people sitting under at the table under the umbrella.  I'll post more later.

New York Scenes

New York Fruit Stand
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

Approaching the Equinox
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

I love doing New York street scenes.  I go to there with my son, Kevin, to see Broadway plays.  I always take pictures in hopes of finding a perfect scene to paint.  I especially like it if it is rainy.  Rainy days give you puddles and reflections in the wet streets.
I guess I won't be going to New York for a while.  My heart goes out to all the people who are sick. New York really got hit hard with the Corona virus. I love painting your city.

Bright Lights of New York
watercolor by Jane McElvany Coonce

Adding the Flag

Version 1
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce
6 x 8 inches

Version 2
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

As I told you, I'm doing a lot of painting. I have worked on some new ones, but this is another older one that I pulled out and decided to add something.  I always liked the original.  It's Sandi Parker's mom's house.  We painted there and I played up the flowers a little bit. But I've shown this painting, and it hasn't sold.  I decided to add something, so just like I added the American flag to "Remnants of Summer (last post), I decided to add an American flag to this painting.

I like it even more.  What do you think?

Remnants of Summer - Add on

Version 1

Version 2

One of the things I'm doing in this time of sequester is to take old paintings and add to them.  Sometimes I do it because I have had them a while and they haven't sold.  Other times, I do it because I feel the painting needs something more.

In "Remnants of Summer," I did Version 1 in 2005.  I've put it in art shows for 14 years.  I always liked it because I love trompe l'oeil.  I loved painting the old shutter. 

I decided to add more to it.  I added an American flag and a postcard of Rehoboth Beach.  It tells a little more of a story.

The camera has made the color brighter in version 2, but that just the way it printed.

Which one do you like better?  In the other paintings that I've added something to an older painting, people seem to like the original one better.  Art is always in the eye of the beholder.

Pet Portraits

oil painting
by Jane McElvany Coonce

oil painting
by Jane McElvany Coonce

oil painting
by Jane McElvany Coonce

Someone asked me if I do pet portraits.  The answer is I do.  We all love our pets.  I did one commission where the pet had recently died.  When the man came to pick up the painting, he started crying uncontrollably.  I thought he didn't like the painting, but he could finally speak, he said it looked just like his dog.  Pets love us unconditionally.  We can have a bad hair day, and they still love us.  We can be in a bad mood, and they still love us.  We owe it to our pets to be worthy of such devotion.

watercolor
by Jane McElvany Coonce

Playing on the Beach: A Pastel

Kevin and Nicholas - Playing on the Beach
pastel by Jane McElvany Coonce

Most of my posts are either oil or watercolor.  I thought I would post a pastel today.  Pastel is the same pigments that you find in other paint (oil and watercolor.) It's the binder that is different.
Some people call pastel chalk.  Actually, it's the dry pigment binded together with gum arabic. Pastels are considered paintings since the artist is using color, blending colors and using the same technique of layering colors that oil painters do.  A pastel artist puts the darker colors down first and then adds lighter colors as he builds up.  So in the hair, for example, the dark brown above the ears would be put down , then a darker ochre yellow.  Later on, the artist would work up towards the highlights of the light yellow in the hair, adding this on top of a darker layer. 

This is a painting of two of my sons when they were small.  We were in Lewes, Delaware, and they were playing on the beach.  I did a number of paintings of them from these photos.  This painting hangs over my fireplace in my bedroom.  There are some paintings I just don't part with. As a museum might say, "In the collection of the artist."

Adding something to an Old Painting- Vases of Flowers

Vases of Flowers
1st attempt

Here's a still life that I call "Vases of Flowers."
When I thought I was finished, I let it sit a while.  I felt it was missing something. So I went back and added some more flowers.  I put a rose of Sharon in the pink vase, and I put some hydrangeas in the green vase. I like it a lot better.

To try out a new idea on an old painting, I put a piece of transparency over my painting. Then I paint on the transparency and see if I like my idea.  I can move the transparency around and see where I want to put the flowers. Once I believe I like how it looks, I remove the transparency and paint the flowers on the canvas.

Do you like the 2nd one better?

Vases of Flowers
Final Version
oil painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

Trophy Chase

Trophy Case
painting by Jane McElvany Coonce

When you do a painting for your first 2 sons, then of course, you have to do a painting for the third one.  My youngest son, Brian, has been a diver all of his life.  He started when he was in elementary school at the Donaldson Run pool, dove in high school at Yorktown, and dove for the Division 1 team at the University of Delaware in college.

What do you do with all these trophies and ribbons?  Eventually, you throw them out, but I decided to memorize them in a trompe l'oeil painting.  This painting was done in 2009 when he graduated from high school, so he has many more ribbons and trophies then what's shown.

Brian went on to become head diving coach at the University of Delaware and won Coach of the Year for the Mid Atlantic states for both men and women.  Quite an honor. He now teaches 3rd grade for Arlington County Schools, and he has his own dive club, Capital Dive Club.  He also owns a trompe l'oeil painting by his mom.