All summer I've been busy experimenting and sketching out ideas in paint and looking at the work of master artists like Henri Matisse, Richard Diebenkorn, Lois Dodd, Diego Rivera, Frederic Remington, and Frida Kahlo. These "master studies" were very popular with my people last year, so I've decided to make several of the sketches available.
Here's what to expect. These are small, original paintings made with acrylic paint on Canson mixed media paper (unless otherwise noted). I have tried to leave a nice margin for matting and framing. As they are a pages torn from my sketchbook, my tape lines were not always straight, and sometimes when I peeled the tape off it took some chunks of paper along with it. These sins are easily concealed with a custom mat and/or professional framing, which I am *not* providing.
The purchase price includes the artwork and fully insured USPS Priority shipping within the United States. I ship on Fridays.
By the way, I shipped paintings today because the people on my email list found out about the Master Study Sale 5 days ago, back on Monday. Would you like to be among the first to know about new artwork? Easy-peasy! Subscribe to my newsletter.
Sadly, 2018 was the 15th and final Paint Snow Hill annual plein air (outdoor) painting event. It was my 12th year! I am not quite ready to kick the habit. So I will be traveling to paint in and around Snow Hill, Maryland, in late April.
There's no 'Wet Paint' Show & Sale at the end of the weekend, so I am going to take on a limited number of painting commissions for that trip. I'm calling it "Commission Snow Hill." When I say "limited number of painting commissions," I mean three (3). I will make a maximum of three (3) commissioned paintings in Snow Hill this year.
Here's how I will make them available: * First, I will offer the commissions by email to my collectors on Monday, April 1st. * Next, if any are left, I will offer them to all of my newsletter subscribers on Tuesday, April 2nd. * Finally, remaining commissions will be made available to the general public on Wednesday, April 3rd, in my Etsy shop.
THIS OFFER IS NOW CLOSED. I AM NO LONGER ACCEPTING COMMISSIONS. Available paintings are in my Etsy shop.
Q&A
* Why should I commission a painting?
Well, it's exciting and fun to commission a painting! You will get to see photos of the scene that inspired the painting, the preliminary sketches, and the painting-in-progress. It's a behind-the-scenes glimpse into my studio and the making of your artwork. It's being made just for you!
* What is the cost?
It's $350.00 US. That is my regular sales price for an 8 x 8 inches framed painting. (I hate when people bury the price waaaaaay at the bottom of the info sheet, like they are embarrassed to tell you.)
* What does that price include?
You will get an 8 x 8 inches acrylic landscape painting on a wood panel mounted in a custom black floater frame. The painting will be signed on the front and back, and titled, dated, and numbered on back. It will be wired and ready to hang. If you live in the US, then the purchase price also includes USPS Priority shipping.
* What do your frames look like?
Below are 2 examples of my paintings framed in custom floater frame with a black finish. This is my preferred frame style. Yours will look something like this.
* I am not interested in commissioning a Snow Hill painting, but I would like you to paint something else for me, like my grandma or my new house. Can you do that?
No. This opportunity is unusual because I do not regularly take commissions. If you would like a custom painting of your grandma or your new home or anything else you love, please let me know. I have a couple of friends who welcome commissions and do breathtakingly gorgeous work. And I am glad to refer you.
* When will the painting be made?
These paintings will sometime between April 25-27, 2019, in and around Snow Hill, Maryland. To be clear, they have not been painted yet.
* What exactly are you going to paint pictures of?
Well, I'm thinking that there are two possibilities for commissions:
1) You give me a general suggestion. Tell me what you love about Snow Hill. For example, your mom used to live on Morris Street, and this would make a great Mother's Day surprise. Or you have fond memories of hiking on Assateague Island as a child. Or you've always been fascinated with working boats. Or nothing says Delmarva like flat expanses of farmland. Or, oh, those Snow Hill church steeples!
2) You love my recent work and the paintings I've made at Paint Snow Hill in the past, so you trust me. And part of the fun is being completely surprised and delighted by what I come up with this time. Will I paint the canoe shop or the cannery? Will I venture over to Berlin or spend a morning visiting baby goats? In this scenario, you are basically buying a painting right off my easel. And I will need to know your selection by 11:59pm ET on Saturday, April 27, 2019.
But... 3) Please not, a portrait of your cat Fluffy sunning herself on the front porch next to a pot of pink flowers, but make the porch yellow and Fluffy's eyes open but looking off to one side not straight out at the viewer. Also not, this is my address for you to come paint a house portrait but with the trees in full bloom and in afternoon light, even if it's raining when you're here, and make the shutters more blue than green. These requests are quite different (in my mind) from general subject suggestions. If your commission request is too specific, too art-directed, I will issue you a full refund and direct you to one of my commission-loving friends, who will make you much happier, I promise.
* How can I see what you're painting in Snow Hill?
I will have limited internet connectivity during the trip. I plan to post images to Instagram and Facebook (follow Barb Mowery Art on either platform) throughout the trip. If you have a particular aversion to social media, I could probably email images to you. But bear in mind that I will be doing all of my posting and messaging from my phone, which is less comfortable and comprehensive than working from my desktop at home. I believe that means I am old.
* I have a coupon code--may I use it for this?
Yes, you may!
* How do I join your email list?
Just follow THIS LINK, and I will send you a 10% off coupon for your next purchase.
* How do I know if I'm a collector?
I consider a collector someone who owns a piece of my artwork, either because you've purchased it or received it as a gift. Also if you have purchased my artwork to give to someone as a gift, or if you are another artist with whom I've traded paintings, I would consider you a collector. That said, I do not know the names of every collector, especially if you purchased my artwork at a gallery or event. If you are a collector who is interested in "Commission Snow Hill," please send me an email to barb [at] barbmowery [dot] com (or leave a comment on this blog post) to make sure I have you on the correct list. And if you are a collector who is not already subscribed to my mailing list, you will need to do so HERE or expressly give me permission to add you.
* When will the painting be delivered to me?
If you're on the Eastern Shore, I can make arrangements to hand-deliver the artwork to you on Sunday, April 28, 2019. Otherwise, I will ship it to you by Friday, May 10, 2019. I use USPS Priority Mail, so all artwork is fully insured and has a tracking number. If you live outside of the US, we can talk about shipping options and costs.
* What if I don't like anything you paint in Snow Hill this year?
Yeesh, a grim possibility. When I get home from my painting trip, I plan to spend May working in my studio using my source photos and sketches from the trip. As a back-up, I could offer you "dibs" on one of these Snow Hill studio pieces. But this can't go on forever. You would need to make a selection by May 31, 2019. Sound fair?
* Where is Snow Hill?
It's right in the heart of the Delmarva Peninsula. Check it out.
* What was the annual Paint Snow Hill event?
This is a flimsy excuse for me to link to my video-love-letter to Paint Snow Hill that I made in 2017. Please pardon the fact that I know nothing about sound mixing.
* I would like to commission a Snow Hill painting.
Great! Follow THIS LINK to my shop.
* I have more questions.
Please ask away in the comments or send me an email -- barb [at] barbmowery [dot] com.
Welcome to the Shutdown Sale
I’m not going to sugar-coat it: Robb has been furloughed, and there is no end to the government shutdown in sight. So I’m having a Shutdown Sale, which means that I stuck a price tag on everything except my great aunt Dodie.
Studio Sweep
Eastern Shore friends, the Studio Sweep Sale at Bishop’s Stock in Snow Hill, Maryland, is up through Saturday, January 26th. The Gallery has very generously waived their commission on these paintings, so the full purchase price will help my little family stay afloat. (Thank you, Ann!) The small floral paintings are from my 30 Days project last year and are $45 each.
Etsy Shop
For everyone not near to Snow Hill, I have an online shop stocked with more than 120 artworks right now, including framed paintings, unframed paintings, works on paper, collages, and lots of paintings on clearance (75% off!). I am continuously adding more art to the shop as I find it in the back of my closet. UPSP Priority shipping is included within the US.
Tote Bags
I now have several cute tote bag designs to choose from. But you do have to pay to ship those.
30 Days of Dogs
For my 30 Days project this January, I’ve been making paper collages of dogs. The artwork is securely glued onto Canson mixed media paper. The page measures 9 x 12 inches, and the artwork is about 8 x 8 inches, with a nice margin for matting and framing. Each ships in a clear acetate sleeve, but I *strongly* recommend professional framing, as they have bits and bumps and flaggy things that need protecting. I’m making them available on Etsy as I get them photographed and uploaded.
Upcoming Residency
From February 7th-11th, I will move my art studio to the main gallery at Annmarie Garden, in Dowell, MD, as part of the Artists in Action Program. I'll be there each day from 10am-5pm. Come watch me paint, and I’ll put you to work on a fun nocturne challenge!
Thank You!
My head is spinning from the huge outpouring of support for my little family in the past week. We are sooooo grateful. I am shipping artwork and replying to messages just as fast as I can. But please know that you have kept us afloat through the next 2 weeks. Here’s hoping the shutdown is over soon! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, to each and every one of you!!!
Love,
Barb
P.S. -- If you would like my newsletter conveniently delivered right to your inbox each month AND if you enjoy coloring, thensubscribe here. I will send you a free, printable coloring page as a little thank you.
I had a rare, kid-free day today. So I made a little video introduction (1 minute) for my Etsy shop. In it I share my painting process, from inspiration photo through finished artwork. The painting "Short-timers" is a recent painting from my "Close to Home" series of suburban landscapes. And the title refers to our favorite neighbors who are retiring to Texas next year. Enjoy!
There is an Opening Reception at Bishop's Stock Fine Art on Friday, August 4th, 5-8pm, to kick off my two-woman show there during the month of August. I am showing all new work.
Plus, the annual Blessing of the Combines is the following day in Snow Hill, MD. Should be a really fun weekend!
For the past 11 years in a row I have spent the 3rd week in April at the plein air (outdoor) painting event in Snow Hill, Maryland. The stars aligned so that my kindergartner's Spring Break matched up with my painting trip, so once again we also had a family vacation during the paint-out. My little video was the talk of the town and even got me recognized on the street by a stranger. By Saturday I had 7 finished paintings to show for my efforts. 1 of my paintings sold, 1 traded for another artist's work, and 1 stayed in Snow Hill for the upcoming plein air exhibition at Bishop’s Stock Gallery in May 2017.
Paint Snow Hill 2017, the long version:
Work in progress - "Morning on Church Street," acrylic on wood, 8 x 8 inches, sold.
On Thursday I set my alarm for 5am, so I could get fully caffeinated and out the door before sunrise. But I must have needed more sleep because it was 7:30am before I was set up near the corner of Federal and Church to paint the lovely play of light and tree shadows on the side of this home. An hour later I realized it was Ann and Randy Coates' house when Randy came out walking Sarge and Moe (their sweet dogs) to work. They bought the finished painting--THANK YOU!--and it's hanging in their kitchen now. Paint Snow Hill started in 2004, so it is amazing that this year was the first time anyone (me and Alison Menke) chose the organizer's home as their subject.
Work in progress - "Recycle Day on Federal #1" and "Recycle Day on Federal #2," each acrylic on canvas panel, 6 x 6 inches.
I headed further down Federal, parked in front of the Flag Man's house (an actual place), facing southwest. Not only do I paint sitting in my car most of the time, but, yes, what you see here are my sketches and panels taped to the steering wheel. That is how I worked. And then, a lady named Beth out for a walk on her lunch break leaned in my passenger side window and said, "You're just colorin'!" because she recognized me from my Youtube video. Which was both awesome and sobering at the same time. That evening I said to Robb, "I broke the internet."
Work in progress - "Gone Fishin'," acrylic on canvas panel, 6 x 12 inches, available at Bishop's Stock Fine Art.
Late Thursday I stopped by Porter's Crossing to paint. There was a very chatty group of fishermen, who weren't catching much. I was chatty right back, so I wasn't catching much either. But I returned Friday morning, determined to take another stab at this peaceful spot. Apparently all I needed was a night to sleep on my ideas. I saw the river outfitters drop off a family of canoers. An old farmer from Westminster checked on my progress several times. He liked to draw as a boy but was not able to continue. He showed me his trembling hands and said, "It runs in the family." I told him that painting and fishing are a lot alike: even a bad day painting is better than a good day at work.
Obligatory selfie looking down Green Street after checking in at Bishop's Stock Fine Art. My "Follow Your HeART" t-shirt is courtesy of Savvy Painter. Thank you, Antrese!
"Gone Fishin'," acrylic on canvas panel, 6 x 12 inches, sold.
Speaking of selfies, the Bayside Gazette must have my headshot on file from last year's interview (p. 18) about Paint Snow Hill because they reused it for this year's event coverage. People are really getting sick of seeing me.
"Instigator," acrylic on canvas panel, 6 x 6 inches, traded away to Jess Cross.
Peer pressure led me astray. Again. I saw on FaceBook that Kirk McBride had been painting over at Ocean City Harbor. I haven't painted there during Paint Snow Hill before. Because the harbor is not in Snow Hill. Or near it. Not even close.
But my thought process went like this: "That's less than a mile from my hotel....if Kirk's doing it, it must be fine..."
"Tiki XIV," acrylic on canvas panel, 5 x 7 inches, available.
Nope, completely out of bounds. I completed 2 naughty paintings while there.
The Instigator docks across from The Shark bar & restaurant and Atlantic Tackle (used to be Ake Marine), and I had a particularly calm morning to paint her. The Tiki XIV docks further up, along the municipal lot. I painted her under a streetlight in complete pre-dawn darkness. Sunrise sneaks up fast, so this painting took 2 sittings to complete, starting at 5:30am on Friday and Saturday.
Our hotel room was on the second floor, and I decided not to lug all of my gear up and down the stairs. That meant painting, signing, varnishing, and framing all happened in my car this time. Definitely a first.
Of course the Easter Bunny found us at our hotel. Also, we had lots of
disregarded bedtimes and a trip the zoo and ice cream for lunch and sightings of wild ponies and movies and an egg hunt on the beach and putt putt.
"Morning on Church Street," acrylic on wood panel, 8 x 8 inches, sold.
Back before we had kids and a mortgage, Robb and I lived in Ocean City while he finished his degree. A little known fact about Old Pro Golf: if you've ever worked there, you get to play miniature golf for free for life (as long as someone recognizes you). And this is how we continue to reap the benefits of part time jobs of yesteryear. The kiddos made it through 9 holes of dino-golf before we retreated to the arcade. That little one can really fling a skeeball--guard your head!
"Recycle Day on Federal #1," acrylic on canvas panel, 6 x 6 inches.
I had a wonderful dinner and visit with my dear friends Jessie and Cindy Lingebach. My daughters decided that the Lingebach sisters are twins now, so when the Mowery sisters grow up they can be twins, too. Thanks for making the trek to the shore for me!
Also, the Jess Cross display at my house grew once again. I traded "Instigator" for one of her enchanting alcohol ink on Yupo paper creations. More on this in another post.
"Recycle Day on Federal #2," acrylic on canvas panel, 6 x 6 inches.
My painting “Gone Fishin'” stayed behind to be included in the Plein Air Paintings exhibition at Bishop’s Stock Gallery, in Snow Hill, MD. The opening reception for the show is Friday, May 5th, from 5-8pm. I hope you can come!
Even with the holiday season beginning, I was able to squeeze in painting time last month. Here are a couple of small (6 x 6 inches) paintings I made recently. Above is "Runoff" and below is "Time to Make the Donuts" (sold).
In my November Newsletter I wrote about filtering my painting waste water. For any acrylic painters who want more information about this process, I followed the instructions on the Golden Artist Colors website. The most cumbersome part of the process is gathering your materials. But I was able to find everything I needed at my local hardware store and on Amazon. Let me know if you're having trouble sourcing something, and I will gladly tell you where I got it. Happy--and responsible--painting!
Some progress shots of another river painting in the works. While I was working on it last night, I showed it to Robb for feedback. He said, "It needs something....why don't you add a duck?" He was being (at least half) serious, but I giggled so hard that I'm afraid, "Add a duck!" might become his standard response to all future painting questions. I will post the finished painting in the next few days. Probably without a duck.
I have been toning canvas panels to get ready for painting season. Toning is the practice of using color to deaden the white of a canvas. It adds depth and complexity to paintings by peeking through the finished scene. It also forces the artist to create a wide range of values within your painting. And when working outdoors it cuts down on the reflected glare off the canvas from the sun.
Most people who tone their canvases choose a light or medium color and apply it lightly, as a wash. I go for full saturation. The Rose Madder color on all of the panels to the left is my number one favorite color to tone with. My paintings often feature a lot of greenery (like fields, trees, grass, etc.), and the reddish underpainting is a nice contrast. But I also like working on Prussian Blue (the navy blue ones). And I prepared a few with Burnt Sienna and Light Ultramarine to experiment with.
"View from The Shark" - 5"x7", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel, 2015.
One of my high school teachers asked me if I had any beach or boat paintings. When I told him that I'm mainly into farms and trees, he said I needed to expand my repertoire. Thanks for the challenge, Fred Husman! Using a picture he took of Ocean City Harbor looking toward Assateague Island for inspiration, I made a series of sketches. The painting above is my first stab at it. And I'm working on a looser, larger version as well.
"Dave's House" - 11" x 14", acrylic and china marker on Gessobord, 2015 -- SOLD.
Dave lives along the highway in Snow Hill, Maryland. I was a little nervous when he marched toward my car. But he wanted me to pull my car into the driveway, so I would not get clobbered by a chicken truck. He was pretty proud of the fact that the old house frequently attracts artists.
A friend said to me, "Such a nice story," and I told her, "Oh, that's not the story of this painting."
Dave is a tall, thin man with his long hair tied in a low, uncombed ponytail. He walked up shirtless in his Levis and work boots to give me fair warning that he was about to do some target shooting out behind the house. He didn't want me to hear gunfire and freak out. I remain grateful to him for having the forethought to leave his rifle on the porch before coming to talk to me. If I'd seen an armed property owner coming at me while plein air painting...then this would be the story of how I soiled myself and drove like a bat outta hell.
"Going Wander-Ways" - 7x5, acrylic and china marker on canvas panel.
The title is from something Keats wrote in a letter to a friend before embarking on a walking tour of Great Britain. Shame he didn't pack a scarf... This painting is of the Pocomoke River as it meanders through Snow Hill, Maryland. I painted it from memory and imagine this to be a misty morning in early spring. There is a fresh, wet, green smell in the air.
"How Good to Rise in Sunlight" - 5" x 7", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel -- SOLD. (The title is from a poem by Rita Dove called "Dawn Revisited.")
"Emerald Isle" - 7" x 5", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel -- SOLD.
"Hazy Days" - 5" x 7", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel.
"Midsummer Meadow" - 5" x 7", acrylic on canvas panel.
"Out of One Nothingness into Another" - 7" x 5", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel. (The title comes from a poem by Steve Kowit called "Some Clouds.") -- NFS.
"Ruth's Farm Study" - 7" x 5", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel.
"At Ruth's Farm" - 11"x14", acrylic and china marker on masonite. (Really I don't know the owner of this horse farm's name. Why not Ruth? I just love this farm and drive by it every chance I get.)
"Shall I Find Comfort?" - 5" x 7", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel -- NFS. (The title comes from a poem by Christina Rossetti titled "Up-Hill.")
"Shame About the Highway" - 7" x 5", acrylic and china marker on canvas panel -- SOLD.
"Wakes the Green" - 14" x 11", acrylic and china marker on masonite. (The title comes from a poem by W.S. Merwin called "September Plowing.")
"Will You Stay With Me?" - 6" x 12", acrylic and china marker on canvas. (The title comes from the 1993 Sting song "Fields of Gold.")
I've been a busy girl this summer. Most of these are in the shop now.
