More Small Works

The C&O Canal , Potomac MD  6x8 oil on panel

     This is the time of year for the traditional small works shows in hopes that holiday shoppers will add gifts of original art to their shopping lists.  In my previous post I showed you the two pieces I have on exhibit at the Art League Gallery's Small Works show that will be up for the rest of the month.  It is a HUGE show!  Besides this show there is also "What to Wear", wearable art in the solo gallery and our monthly exhibit in the Bin Gallery.  There really is something for everyone here! 

      There were almost 900 entries for the small works and the poor juror had to review them all and make her selections in one afternoon.  After that our Hanging Committee comes in to hang the show.  I chair that committee.  I wish we had a better name for it.  Anyway, this year instead of combining the small works with a large works show we decided to devote the entire gallery space to the small pieces.  It is a large gallery.  My first thought when I walked in and saw everything lying on the floor and the non accepted works stored in more boxes than I wanted to count was WHAT WERE WE THINKING!  My amazing crew and I hung over 300 works of art.  Would you believe that by 7:00 we were all finished and sitting around enjoying Bugsy's wonderful pizza together?  Well, we were.  That is what comes of having a great group of people work together for 6 years and enjoy the process.  We have fun.  I hope those of you who are in the area will come in and see this.  I suggest you bring your checkbooks because there will be works and prices you will not be able to resist!  Oh, and if you have an inner Lady Ga Ga screaming to get out there is a pair of must have boots in the "What to Wear" show! http://www.theartleague.org/  http://www.theartleaguegallery.blogspot.com/  You can see some of the works and read more if you check those links.



Along the C&O Canal  8x6 oil on panel

       As you can see, I liked this view.  This was the first of the two paintings and inspired the second because the vertical format didn't let me paint the beautiful pinkish gold dappled light on the ground.  I loved the effect and the colors.  I also find I like doing these really tiny paintings.  Weird because I have always preferred working large. Usually I find getting pieces ready for the small works shows a real chore.  That is not the case this year.  I have friends who do a tiny painting a day as a learning experience and now I understand the benefits.  I want to get looser in my painting.  Working at this scale I need to put down the large forms and learn to edit to put in only the important information.  I can also experiment more easily with new surfaces because of the very much smaller financial investment.  I have been working smaller on my plein air paintings in preparation for the small works season but I think I will continue and perhaps do multiple paintings on each outing.  In the studio it is great fun to just pick up things from around the house to paint or tack up a couple of photos from my folders and approach them like a plein air piece. 

Rainy night on lower 5th, 10x8 oil on panel

    I used that approach with this small painting based on a photo I took on 5th Avenue in August.  Cityscapes are new and challenging for me.  I was trained as a landscape designer and spent a lot of time drafting blueprints.  When faced with architecture in a painting my instinct is to try to get very precise.  It is a challenge for me to stay loose, not use a straight edge or even a preliminary sketch.  I am happy with the sparkling, jewel like light coming from up the avenue in this painting.  That was the main inspiration for it.  With practice I hope I will develop more ease with the buildings and cars.  The more I paint the more I need to learn!
      I will be sending three paintings off to the Salmagundi Club for the Thumb Box show in December, this may be one of the ones I send as it may appeal to New Yorkers for obvious reasons.
      I will be updating my website in the upcoming week so be sure to check in there for more small paintings. http://www.jeanschwartzpaintings.com/