It's a Steal This weekend, Aug 27-29

This weekend is a show where once a year, i have a sale. If you've wanted to own a McElvany-Coonce original and couldn't afford it, here is your chance. All painting are $125 or less. I have framed and unframed. Oil and watercolor. There's lots to choose from. I have 100 paintings in the show. So I hope you'll come. Stock up for presents to give at Christmas or wedding gifts. Now is the time to take advantage of the sale. The show runs: Friday Aug 27 from 5 to 8 pm ( I will be there pouring wine from 6:30 to 8 pm) Saturday, Aug 28 from 11 am - 5 pm Sunday Aug 29 from 11 am - 2 pm Address: St Andrews Episcopal Church 4000 Lorcom Lane ( corner of Lorcom and Military) Aralington, VA.

Locked and Forgotten

Falls Church Arts is opening a new show this weekend. It's show title is "A Year Apart: Art Created in Isolation" I did lots of paintings, more than I ever have in one year. But I entered "Locked and Forgotten" because that's how it felt during the lockdown of the pandemic. The painting depicts an old peeling paint door with a rusted lock on it. I think we all felt locked away, but hopefully, not forgotten. The show will hang for July 31 until Sept 12. I will be working in the gallery on Sunday, Aug 8, from 11 - 2pm so stop by and say hi. Falls Church Arts is located at 700 West Broad St. in Falls Church, VA. Hours are Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm and Sunday, 11-4pm.

Magic of the Ordinary

This week, Gallery Underground unveils its national juried show, Magic of the Ordinary. I was lucky enough to get a piece in called "Remnants of Summer." It's a trompe l'oeil piece. Trompe l'oeil is french for "fool the eye." A painting is painted hyper realistically and the objects in the painting have to be life size. I painted this to look like an old shutter with peeling paint. Hanging by a nail is a pair of flip flops. Also there are some sunglasses, a postcard of Dolles, the iconic sign on the boardwalk of Rehoboth, and a miniature American flag. I only paint in the trompe l'oeil style about once a year. They are very labor intensive, and they take a long time to complete. I always say, this will be my last trompe l'oeil, and then after a while, I forget how much work they are, and end up planning a new one. But for now, this is my latest trompe l'oeil. It will be at Gallery Underground in Crystal City for the month of August. There will be an opening reception this Friday, from 5 - 7 pm. Hope you'll stop by and see the show. I have other paintings there, too, that are in the members show. I'll be there Friday night. Maybe our paths will cross. Bring friends. Gallery Underground is located at 2100 Crystal Drive. There is free parking in the garage at 20th St. Week day hours are Monday - Friday from 10am to 6 pm. They are closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Best Watercolor in the Rehoboth Art League 83rd Annual Members Show

I just received exciting news yesterday. I won "Best Watercolor" in Rehoboth Art League's 83rd Annual Members Show. The award was sponsored by the Delaware Watercolor Society. I was so thrilled as the competiton is very stiff!

I taught my online class today. We are painting storefronts. This is the painting I did as the demo. I really liked how it turned out. It's 8x 10 inches and is an oil painting. I now am being more observant wherever I go and am taking pictures of storefronts. Didn't realize it could be so much fun.

I've been teaching an online art class for the last year. We do different themes to push people to try something new. Last week, we did nocturn paintings. The first week, we painted the sky, moon and clouds. The next week, I told people to put in something of their choosing. I decided to paint Key Bridge and Georgetown at night. It's weird because there is not as much detail in a night painting. It's more of silhouette shapes. But the Georgetown towers have a distint shape as does Key Bridge. I hope my students had as much fun as I did.

Dolly's on the Boardwalk

I just got back from a week at the beach! My brother has a house in Dewey Beach, Delaware, which is a small beach town next to Rehoboth Beach. It's my happy place. It's so relaxing to go and enjoy the beach as well as the restaurants and the boardwalk. This painting is of a very famous candy shop called Dolly's. Anyone who has been to Rehoboth has seen it because of its enormous signage. This was a watercolor I did of Dolly's because I've heard that Dolly's is closing. I'm not sure if the pandemic caused this closure or if the people who owned Dolly's were just ready to retire. I heard the town was trying to get them to leave the sign up even though they won't be operating it anymore. When people see that iconic "Dolly's" sign, they know it's Rehoboth. Wouldn't be the same without those big red letters on the boardwalk.