Commission Snow Hill

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.

Thoughts on Parenthood & Artmaking

***Here is the full text of the video. This is me doing my small part to normalize the idea that parenthood and artmaking can coexist.***

I was listening to an interview with an internationally well-known artist, and their advice to young artists was this: Don’t. Have. Kids.

Of all the gems in the world they could have shared, that’s what they picked? A person with no children telling others not to have children. Completely absurd.

Life will happen to you. You are going to have connections of love and obligation to other people. You may secretly dream of unlimited time alone with your art. But being in isolation is not healthy for you, and it does not feed your artwork. Human connection is necessary to life and to creativity.
Your heart will expand and contract, it will be broken and mend, regardless of whether you’re a parent. You do not control major life events, nor can you avoid them if you are living in this world.

Christa Donner of Cultural ReProducers (links at the bottom) wrote: “Parenthood can be profound and generative. It can also, let’s be honest, be incredibly complicated to pursue a creative career while raising a family. It is also difficult to maintain an artistic practice while coping with a serious health concern, caring for an aging parent, dealing with political oppression, or any of the other situations that intersect our lives as human beings who make art. Yet some of the most powerful art ever made has come from those living in the thick of challenging experiences.”

I would encourage you to please ignore the famous artist’s advice. You can have kids or not. But you can continue to make art either way.

* * * * * * *
I quoted from “Who Cares for Whom? Parenthood in the Creative Community” by Christa Donner, July 18, 2016, published on Cultural ReProducers.org. Her full essay can be found here, and it's excellent -- https://www.culturalreproducers.org/2016/07/who-cares-for-whom-parenthood-in.html

And let me know what you think!

Happy Dance at AMG

And when the painting is going well, I do a little dance. I was listening to Sylvan Esso's "Coffee".

February 2019 Newsletter

Artists in Action Residency
I have moved my art studio into the main gallery at Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center, in Dowell, MD, as part of the Artists in Action Program. I will be in residency there all day every day through Monday, February 11th. All week I will be using daytime source photos to create nighttime paintings. In cinema it’s a technique called “day for night.” Filmmakers often shoot at dawn or dusk and change the exposure or add a filter to simulate night because it’s much easier than filming in the dark. Come watch me paint, and I’ll tell you about American painter Frederic Remington and put you to work on a fun coloring challenge. (The above photo is by Joann Foltz.)

Winter Abstracts
I am honored to have 3 of my collage pieces in the Winter Abstracts show at Bishop’s Stock Fine Art, Craft & Wine in Snow Hill, MD. The show is already underway and continues through the end of February. The gallery also has several of my small flower paintings—all you have to do is ask.

30 Days of Dogs
In January made daily images using hand-painted papers, found papers, and magazines, and I focused on something near and dear to my heart: pet dogs. You can watch a short video of all of the collages here. My 30 Days of Dogs project was a way to observe and cherish my own elderly lab mix. Pets simply do not live long enough, especially considering how much space they occupy in our hearts. Working in collage for this series and using bits of ephemera for the images seemed appropriate. The work is neither precious nor archival. It can be loved and enjoyed for a time, and then it, too, will pass on. Thus, my lighthearted, playful artwork about dogs is also about love and mortality. Thank you for following along!  Several of the images are still available in my Etsy shop.

Coffee Mugs
I am the tiniest bit addicted (that’s such a harsh word) to coffee. If you, too, enjoy warm beverages, I designed a few mugs and put them in the shop. Available in 11 oz. and 15 oz. Personally, I always order a large.

P.S. -- Really, you should consider subscribing to my mailing list to guarantee that this news and info is delivered directly to you in a timely manner.

Video Roundup of 30 Days of Dogs

Hello, friends,
I finished my month of dog collages and set them to music.
Enjoy!
Barb

Synonyms for Nearby

Each day in September 2018 I took a square digital photo (no filters!) in my home or community, taking a close look at the things nearest to me. I called this project "Synonyms for Nearby" because that's what I typed into a Google search box & liked it better than any of the results.

I am an American landscape painter usually working in acrylics. My website is http://www.barbmowery.com

Music for this video is "Riding On" by Marin Rose.

Field Notes No. 2 - On Noticing

This year I've been repeating to myself: notice the things you notice, which is more difficult than you might think. There are a lot of voices in my head about the things that I should notice. "Should" in air quotes. And that's really not my business. Those are other people's subject matter. These are some of the things that I notice. It's what I liked to look at when I was a kid. And somewhere along the way, unconsciously, I decided to look at the things I should be looking at instead. Finally, now, I feel like I am mature enough to pay attention again to the things that excite me. My things. So I look at things like this with childlike wonder.

Find me on Instagram and Facebook at Barb Mowery Art. Contact me through my website barbmowery.com.

A look at my painting process

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!

August 2017 Newsletter

News from Barb Mowery Fine Art

In which the show at Bishop’s Stock opens, I give you the inside scoop on my suburban landscape series, and I take you on a quick video tour. Read on…

Gobsmacked

I sat down to write this newsletter more than once this week, but all I got done was the sitting part. I am dazed and delighted by the reaction to the show.  Over 100 people came to Bishop’s Stock on First Friday to support Carole Peirson and me.  I had so many lovely conversations around the oyster shucking table. And as of this moment, several people bought paintings. Thank you!!!

About ‘Close to Home’

The scenes in this series are all within walking distance of my home. They are a snapshot of a time when my children are small and the orbit of my life is equally small. The result is a very personal project, which I intend to continue until I’ve made 50 paintings of my neighborhood.

However, the work is not all about the subject matter. Someone at the reception asked me if my neighbors would recognize their houses. Probably not--because I have been using this project to consider whether correct values (light & dark) are more important than accurate colors. And, if they are, how far can I push the color before a painting falls apart?

Video Tour



If you have not had a chance to stop by the gallery, here is a quick tour of the show.

The exhibition continues through August 30th at Bishop's Stock Fine Art, Craft & Wine in Snow Hill, MD. Please direct all purchase inquiries to the gallery (410-632-3555).

And if you would like my newsletter conveniently delivered right to your inbox each month, subscribe here.

April 2017 Newsletter

News from Barb Mowery Fine Art

I’m merrily packing my bags and brushes, but I made something for you to watch. Read on…

Paint Snow Hill 2017

Yes, the video is 3 minutes & 55 seconds long. But it’s my entire newsletter this month. (And there’s an Easter egg or two if you stay with me to the end.)

'Wet Paint' Show & Sale

Ticketed Preview Night

April 15th from 6-8pm

Admission is $30, which will be applied

to your purchase of artwork.

Show & Sale

April 16th from 12-4pm

No admission fee

The Old Firehouse on Green Street

Snow Hill, MD

Look for updates on the Paint Snow Hill FaceBook page. Contact Bishop's Stock Gallery for more information.

I would love to see you there!
Barb


P.S. -- If you would like to have my monthly newsletter delivered to you by email, you may subscribe here.

February 2017 Newsletter

News from Barb Mowery Fine Art

The new year is off to the races: my 30 little paintings are done, and I’ve been cleaning up my act. Read on….



30 Paintings in 30 Days

Another intense and productive 30 paintings in 30 days challenge is complete. Now I have a fresh sketchbook full of value studies to springboard into a new body of work! My full reflections on this month of daily painting are over on my blog.

Spring Cleaning

Punxsutawney Phil may be calling for 6 more weeks of winter, but I’ve been spring cleaning my studio. Many hours later, and I can see the surface of my work table again. I even hung up a white board for tracking events and deadlines. Most of the mess was on the other side of the room: books to shelve, kiddo art supplies to organize, and cardboard boxes to break down and recycle. It was totally out of hand. I feel much better now.

Website Update

Even my fine art website got some sprucing up. If you haven’t visited in a while, click on over and take a look around. I’ve added pages for my Youtube videos and upcoming events. I updated the artwork. And I completely rewrote the About page with a new bio, artist statement, and resume. Tell me what you think.

Save the Date

The "Wet Paint Show & Sale" for Paint Snow Hill 2017 is the evening of April 15th.

And if you would like to have my monthly newsletter delivered to you by email, you may subscribe here. Thanks!

30 Paintings in 30 Days Wrap Up

Yay, I made it through my month of daily painting! Here are some of the things I will take away from January.

1) PRACTICE is always necessary to establish new habits. This month of breaking down lights and darks every day has me in the habit of breaking down everything I see into value masses. Now I need to practice condensing these studies into 5 minute planning exercises rather than 1 hour completed thoughts. But hooray for teaching an old dog new tricks!

2) I find myself playing more with contrast as as tool for emphasis and consciously manipulating the focal points in paintings.

3) I finally cracked into the “world’s most boring photo album," which is what I call my collection of source photos. It’s a book full of blurry trees, empty fields, and falling down houses. I’m glad to test and evaluate them (rather than simply accumulate them) because not everything makes a good painting. Often the especially bad photos make great paintings. I took a stab at 30 with reasonably good results (and dumped many stinkers that simply did not work out no matter what I tried).

4) Architecture and water are not subjects I’m super comfortable handling, so I made a point of including them in the project with satisfactory results. If there’s subject matter I’m not painting, I want it to be because I choose not to paint it, not because I am unable to do so.


5) Not a lesson learned, but here's a little slideshow of the project set to music. Enjoy!

6) These paintings are preliminary drawings in which I have worked out the value and compositional problems and analyzed strengths and weaknesses. I will use them as stepping stones to new work. And although when I told my husband he responded with shock and horror, I am going to paint over many of them in color. Below is a demonstration I used with a student to show you what I mean:

See, I took the sketch from monochromatic to full color and left little bits of burnt sienna underpainting peeking through. Does that make sense?

7) I'm a bit apprehensive about diving back into color. I went out plein air painting early Sunday morning and, well, ...

...splat. It's all right, but I need to reevaluate my supplies. I simply was not getting the colors I wanted. I have been using more or less the same limited palette (the same 6 tubes of paint) for several years, and those choices need some adjustment as I move into spring, which is prime plein air season.

If my little project has piqued your interest in value studies, monochromatic painting, underpainting, or en grisaille painting, here are a few references to check out:

* Georgetown Atellier's monochromatic painting study

* David Kessler's article "Value Studies"

* Darren Rousar's article "Grisaille or Underpainting?"

* The Savvy Painter Podcast interview with John Hull (part 1 and part 2)

* Frederic Remington's Nocturnes

* Interview of Susan Abbott on Painting Perceptions blog

Information about the planning of this project is here. If you're a new visitor, I also have a fine art website and a Facebook page.

Thanks, again, for following along with my progress this month. And happy painting!

January 2017 Newsletter

News from Barb Mowery Fine Art

Happy New Year! I’m well into this year’s 30-in-30 project, the Studio Sweep Sale is still on at Bishop’s Stock, and I made a short behind the scenes video. Read on…

30 Paintings in 30 Days
Every day in January I will make a small painting. Each one will be a value study (lights and darks) using only white and either brown or blue. The scenes come from the stack of inspiration photos that’s been piling up on my work table. Follow my daily progress on the blog.

The Studio Sweep Sale
Several of my small paintings, along with the work of many fantastic Delmarva artists, are being offered at a discount at the annual Studio Sweep Sale at Bishop’s Stock Gallery in Snow Hill, MD. The sale runs through the end of January.


Field Notes No. 1
The scariest thing I did in 2016 was make a video of my face…and my recent visit to the Matisse & Diebenkorn show at the Baltimore Museum of Art, a peek into my messy studio, and my plans for the 30-in-30 project, which is underway now. Watch me sweat!

Save the Date
Paint Snow Hill 2017 is April 15th

And if you would like to have my monthly newsletter delivered to you by email, you may subscribe here. Thanks!

Fields Notes No. 1

The scariest thing I did in 2016 was make this video featuring my face.  Seriously. I'm starting a series called "field notes" in which I show and talk about my studio practice. In this one I visit the Baltimore Museum of Art to see the Matisse & Diebenkorn exhibition (you should, too!), give you a peek into my messy studio, and introduce my upcoming 30 Paintings in 30 Days project. Tell me what you think. And Happy New Year!

December 2016 Newsletter

News from Barb Mowery Fine Art

I hope you had a very nice Thanksgiving! I have been raking leaves, but I also started planning my upcoming 30 paintings in 30 days project, shipped some paintings to my gallery, and made a Youtube slideshow. Read on…

"No Rustling" - 6 x 6 inches, acrylic on canvas panel, 2016.

30 Paintings in 30 Days Again

Last January I made 30 paintings of trees in 30 days. It gave me such a fantastic creative kick start, that I've decided to do it again in January 2017. This month I will gather all my supplies and put together some self-imposed rules for the project. And by the time you receive my January Newsletter, I will be up to my elbows in paint. And that sounds like a very Happy New Year to me.

Studio Sweep Sale

Last week I shipped 6 small paintings to Bishop’s Stock Gallery in Snow Hill, MD, for the annual Studio Sweep Sale. My artwork, along with the work of many fantastic Delmarva artists, will be offered at deep discounts just in time for the holidays. This is an affordable way to build your collection. The Opening Reception is this Friday, December 2nd, from 5-8pm. The sale runs through the end of January, but the sooner you go, the better the selection.



Into the Way Back Machine

I thought it would be fun to toss all of the artwork from last year's 30 Paintings in 30 Days project into a musical slideshow, and look at them in the order that I painted them. So I did. Enjoy!

Gift Certificates

Is someone on your holiday gift list a fan of my artwork? Your loved can one bring home their favorite with a Gift Certificate.

And if you would like to have my monthly newsletter delivered to you by email, you may subscribe here. Thanks!

Q&A for Lost in the Woods

Robb also taped the questions and answers at the end of my Artist's Talk. I added photos to this video as well, so you can see which paintings and techniques the guests and I are talking about. Again, if you have any questions for me, please post them in the comments, and I'm happy to post answers.

Artist's Talk for Lost in the Woods

I had Robb video my Artist's Talk at the opening because I thought it would be fun to share with everyone who couldn't make it. I added some photos, too. Please excuse all the "um"s--it's been a long time since I last spoke publicly. And below is the full text. Feel free to post any questions you have in the comments. Enjoy!

* * * * *

I’m Barb Mowery. I live in Lusby, Maryland. I paint in acrylics. And I am a little bit obsessed with trees, which is the theme of this exhibition, “Lost in the Woods.”

So I want to talk about why trees keep appearing in my artwork, and then I will talk about the artwork that is hanging here at the library. And then if you all have any questions, you can ask me at the end.
My projects usually begin by testing a hypothesis. And this time it was a really simple one:

If I practice painting trees, then I will get better at painting trees.

My plan was to spend a few months looking closely at trees, and once I had mastered that, then I would go on to do some other landscape elements like clouds or creeks. But that’s not really how it worked out. That was four or five years ago.

While I was practicing painting trees, I started noticing more. And that caused me to start asking questions. And those questions led to more questions and different ways of looking at the forest. Some of the things I ask myself when I’m painting are:

* What are the shape and color of shadows?
* How does it feel looking out from an area of deep shade?
* What does a particular place look all year round?
* What happens when you paint the same thing every day for an entire month?

My interest in trees is really not as clinical as I’m probably making it sound. Trees are a matter of the heart for me. I grew up in the house my great grandparents built 100 years ago, surrounded by the woods. I spent countless hours playing in those woods, and being there brings me a feeling of deep peacefulness.

But the woods are actually quite loud and in constant motion. Even on a still day the leaves are shifting and turning. Everything is following the sunlight. So I try to incorporate that movement into my work. I try—sometimes it works.

So the paintings that you are seeing here at the library are all inspired by my childhood memories and the natural beauty of Maryland.

The paintings in this room are all focused on the woods around a single farm field near Middleham Chapel. I go there at different times of day, different weather conditions, and different seasons. And I look, make sketches, and take pictures. Sometimes I paint on site. And then I take all of that information home, and I work in my studio.

There is one painting in this group that I made on site [“Study for Birdsong and Cicadas”]. And then I used that one to create “Birdsong and Cicadas,” the large painting back here. And so you will see that in some ways they are the same, but there are quite a few differences.

I think by working this way I’m trying to capture how that particular place looks and feels, by gathering lots of information at all different times during the year.

There are also a dozen paintings in the quiet study rooms, along the far wall behind the stacks. The paintings that are in the center study room I made in 2013 and 14. Those are my oldest trees that are here. And you can get a good feeling for where my head was at the beginning of the project, and then you can compare them to the paintings in the other two study rooms which were done in 2015 and 16.

I think it’s really interesting to see them up together because the earlier ones definitely feel a lot more detailed to me, and there’s a lot less movement. And then I think the later trees are a lot more expressive. There’s different things going on because I was interested in answering different questions as a project moved on.

And then back in the meeting room there are 8 paintings from a project I did back in January. I made 30 paintings in 30 days. It was a fun thing (*laughing*). I think a couple thousand people around the world signed up to do it. So every day for that month I painted the same exact scene. And it was a group of trees that I caught as I was driving by.

I had a memory of the sun hitting them at a particular day and time. I thought that with each passing day I would get closer to some essential truth about this place. And as it went on I would really nail it.

But instead my memory started changing, and the whole project became about the way that human memory functions. Because the more you call upon a single memory and the harder you try to hold onto it, the more slippery it becomes. It becomes totally uncertain. So by the end of the month my trees were just dissolving into abstraction. And I just let it happen.

You can follow that progression of the small paintings back there. And then there are also a couple of larger paintings as well that were made just after that and are related to that series.

Ultimately, my hypothesis was not wrong. Practice did lead to improvement. But practice also led me to a deeper engagement in my subject and my materials. I had the luxury to taking my time and becoming lost in the woods.

So I hope you enjoy the fruits of my really stubborn curiosity. And again I thank all of you for coming out tonight.

Slideshow of Lost in the Woods

I'm getting really excited about the Opening Reception tomorrow night. I made a simple slideshow on Youtube to give you a tour of the show. All of the paintings in the show are available for purchase in my Etsy shop. Enjoy!