Sublime to ridiculous

Well, perhaps not ridiculous, but oddly attractive and intriguing. I am referring to the Romanesco Broccoli, which is a popular crop here in Alaska. We grow cruciferous very nicely!

These two are from the South Anchorage Farmers' Market. The medium is silverpoint on a kind of sulphite paper called "Plike". It yields a darker line than traditionally prepared silverpoint ground.

Oddities of the Vegetable Family, silverpoint, 9 x 13.5

And here is the sublime, or at least the Rococo, that we find in Alaska during late summer. Fireweed in June is green, straight, and topped with magenta flowers. Fireweed in September is something else entirely.

September Fireweed, watercolor on paper, 20 x 16

For more information, and to find out about purchasing any of these pieces, please contact me through my website, at the following link: http://carollambertarts.com

New York Report 3

On one weekend in the city I attended a 3 day still life workshop at Grand Central Atelier.  Even though I have a lot of experience with still life, the instructor, Katie Whipple, caught my interest. In her mid-20's, she is already an accomplished painter and draftswoman. I like the intimacy and simplicity of her work. In the workshop I learned how organized and meticulous she is in the design and execution of those simple pieces.

When she showed us a selection of fruits and vegetables. I picked the Romanesco cauliflower. I have always wanted to paint one. Now that I have tried, I still want to paint one!

This was a preliminary effort. I hope this summer I can snag a nice one, with lots of pretty leaves, at the South Anchorage farmer's market, and give it the full treatment.

Thanks to Katie, I did a passable sketch. She helped me understand what I was looking at, since all the little fractals hypnotized me to the point of near blindness. With her help, I was able to see the essential forms. Then it was possible. Next one will be better!

An opportunity

Hi all,
This is a note to let you know that if you would like to buy a small piece at a reasonable price, this one is going to be available in October at International Gallery of Contemporary Art, as part of their 100x100 show. The show title refers to the fact that they get as many members as they can to enter a small piece priced at $100 (or less.)

This one is selling for $100. It's nicely framed, and would be an attractive, warm presence in a kitchen or dining area

The show opens on October 4, at the usual late afternoon First Friday hours. Otherwise, they are open Tuesday through Sunday noon to 4PM. The address is 427 D Street, Anchorage, AK. I hope you will make a visit and see what is on offer, a purchase will benefit a very unique gallery and all the artists associated with it.

Squash Study
Oil on linen panel
6" x 8"

Squash Study, and a class update

When I teach a class, as I did this past weekend, I grab a little panel and demonstrate the various steps of building a painting. I never know whether my demonstration will come to anything, because I am really focused on teaching, and that's where I spend most of my time. Sometimes I like my little panel, so I sign it.

I bought this squash in January and set it out as a potential model in every one of my classes, but no one chose it. It kept just fine in the refrigerator, and I grew fond of it. After I immortalized it in paint, I took it home, chopped it up, and made soup!

I have finished my series of oil painting classes. However, my students are collecting names of people who would be interested in taking classes in the autumn. When enough people have signed on, we will set some dates and get to work on more paintings. To get on the list, and to have a say as to class dates and times, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com.

To see photos and read about my most recent class, go to this post on the Upstairs Studio Blog.

6" x 8" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Pasta and Parmesan

This is the second of three commissioned paintings. This one is the companion to the Fruit and Jam painting I showed in the last post. Both will hang above the same door, so I tied them together compositionally, as you can see.

For those of you who like to see the process, below is a photo of the grisaille, or monochrome underpainting. Below that is a photo of my initial charcoal drawing on the panel.

Important Announcement: I am holding a pre-holiday sale of my inventory. It's time to make room for more art! So if you are in Anchorage on Friday, November 19 or Saturday November 20, I hope you will come by to look at the many paintings, drawings, watercolors, and prints I will have available. If you have seen something on the blog or website that interests you but you can't make it to my sale, please contact me at info@carollambertarts.com. I am happy to do sales at a distance.

The sale takes place at 4050 Lake Otis Parkway, Suite 201, Anchorage, AK 99508. Sale hours are Friday, Nov. 19, 10 AM - 7 PM and Saturday, Nov. 20. 2 PM - 5 PM. You can also read about it by following this link. Please come by and bring a friend!




SOLD

8" x 14" oil on linen panel

Roman Recipe

Gardening is a pleasure on so many levels. First, the fun of growing the stuff (and these things smell lovely!) Then, after harvest, I get to paint them. Then we eat them. The Roma tomatoes and rosemary are from my garden, and someday I will grow the garlic too. The dish is a very old piece of Dresden china.


6" x 8" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Finally, the Veg Van

Actually the van project was completed a while ago, but I was out of town for the last 3 weeks so today I saw it for the first time! Glad that it is out there glamorizing the world of vegetables. I hope people take it in, even if only with peripheral vision, and think about going to get some really good veggies.

More posts soon. Just now am still trying to unpack!

The Veg Van is almost ready

What you see above is the "before decoration" view of the truck, and the next 2 images are of course the designs as they will be applied to the truck. Recognize those paintings?





What do you think, are these eye-catching enough?

If you want to look at the paintings before they became part of the design, look at my posts on 4/5, 4/19, 5/4, and 5/25 of this year.

Fran Durner, gardening writer for ADN, has just posted on her blog Talk Dirt to Me about the upcoming veg van makeover. Please click on the link and read her excellent article!

Many thanks to Alison Arians of Glacier Valley Farms CSA, and all the folks at Graphicworks and Norstar Color for their work on the scans. And a big thank-you to Fran Durner, who has been following our progress for months.

Keep an eye out for that Veg Van and please email me at info@carollambertarts.com and tell me what you think!

And while I have your attention, please come see me this weekend if you are anywhere near Fireweed Gallery in Homer. I will be doing a painting demo all day Saturday, July 18!

Veg Van Painting #2, Completed

Here is the second painting for the Glacier Valley Farm Community Supported Agriculture van. The first painting has already been scanned and is ready for the next phase. This one needs to dry a bit more, then a coat of varnish, then to the scanner. With any luck, the paintings will be on the van by the end of June, if not before. I will post photos of the van once they are in place!

This has been a fun and challenging project, and kept me happily occupied in the studio through the unlovely dust and mud phase of our Anchorage springtime. Now the weather is fine and my outdoor painting kit is all packed. Look for some landscapes soon!

Oil on linen, 12' x 24"

This one is not for sale yet. After we get the image onto the van, I will price it. If you are interested in a purchase, please contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Bok choi start to finish

Here is the beginning of Veg Van painting #2 (see earlier posts for #1). Below are in-progress photos of the bok choi detail. I have been working on the bok choi for about a week, while also bringing other parts along more slowly. This first view is the toned linen, the sketch of my design in india ink, with the bok choi and some zucchinis roughly blocked in. Please forgive the uneven lighting, the left side is not really so dark.


I have added some shadow, and more surrounding detail.


Loosely sketching in the white veins on the leaves gives me some landmarks, and establishes the rhythm of the of the form.

Here I have started to refine the shapes and lines, and the zucchinis are also coming along.


Those green beans on the left have morphed into scallions! And the napkin under the blue jar is gone. The stalks of the bok choi are looking good now. especially against the background red. Further refinements to the leaves, finishing some detail on the lower leaves.


Many hours later, the bok choi is nearly complete. There may be a few touches when the rest of the painting is brought up to a similar state of completion. One of the zucchinis will get a little highlight. The sprig of mint will also be completed later. I'm happy with how this is going, I think it will look good on the veg van.

Veg Van painting completed

Here is the final result of the painting for the vegetable van. I will do one more, I think. After all, the van has 2 sides! I thought about taking more pictures along the way but kept telling myself I was almost finished, so I might as well wait. Then, of course, it was another week before it was really finished. That's how it always is with me, I think I'm almost done, then I'm not. My apologies to those who wanted more "in progress" photos.

I hope if you see this painting driving around town this summer, you will let me know. And please visit the farmer's market too, the vegetables there are beautiful, fresh, and delicious!

Oil on linen, 12' x 24"

This one is not for sale yet. After we get the image onto the van, I will price it. If you are interested in a purchase, please contact me at info@carollambertarts.com

Veg Van painting in progress

I hope you are still interested in seeing "in progress" posts. Here is 1.5 day's worth of progress on what I have now dubbed "Veg Van painting #1". This is a project I am doing in collaboration with my friend Alison, for Glacier Valley Farm Community Supported Agriculture. The farm van will display a blow-up of this painting on the side. With luck, I will be able to do a #2 so there will be different paintings on each side of the van. This is all to support and promote consumption of our wonderful Alaska grown produce!

I started by making a charcoal sketch directly on the linen. I skipped the underpainting stage as I needed to work fast with the perishables. As you can see, I made some compositional changes as I worked. It is such a challenge to work with vegetable greens that wilt! They are now completely flat, so from here I will be using the reference photos I took when I initially arranged my models. As I work, I try to envision what this will look like at approximately 6 x 12 feet in size!

At some point this painting will be for sale, but there is quite a bit more work to do on it, so I will now get myself back into the studio for the rest of the day!

Alaskan Onion

Finally back to painting after reorganizing my studio. I have also been getting my website revised and ready for relaunch (soon!) Here is the result of my First Friday demonstration at Charlie's Club 25. A beautiful Alaskan onion, which came in my most recent Glacier Valley Farms produce box. I love it when vegetables look like they just came from the farm, as this one does. (And I loved it yesterday when it became part of a delicious butternut squash soup.) Thanks to everyone who came by to say hello while I was painting!


6" x 8" oil on linen panel

To purchase, contact Fireweed Gallery in Homer, AK.
907 235 3411

Squash Blossom and Nasturtiums

Even though they look exotic, they were grown in Alaska. I saw the squash blossom at the farmer's market and couldn't resist! The nasturtiums are from my garden.
6" x 8" oil on linen panel

SOLD

White Turnip and Carrot

They call the white turnips "snow apples" at our local farmer's market, and they are mild enough to eat like apples! After a very cool summer, we are just now seeing the sweet, fresh carrots from our farmers.

6" x 8" oil on linen panel
SOLD

Broccoli Sprouts

If you don't like broccoli, maybe you have never tasted it fresh, right out of the field. Our farmer's market is one of the things I like best about summer!

8" x 6" oil on linen panel


To purchase, contact 2 Friends Gallery
907 868 4648

Radishes

Farmer's market bounty.

6" x 8" oil on linen panel
SOLD