THE BLOG
George Handel’s Messiah
I love sketching at concerts. Somehow the intensity of the music gets into your sketches and it adds something to the visuals. Your hands and pen get into the rhythm of notes and singing. There are also some great black and white visuals and shapes caused by black bowties and tuxedos. You can start several sketches and move back to them as people move back into the same poses. These sketches were made at the Sunday night performance of the Oratorio Society of Utah at the Libby Gardner Hall. It was fun to watch the soloists as they listened to the music. There was some slight head bobbing and some glistening of eyes.
Tulips at the Gate
I am pleased to announce that “Tulips at the Gate” has been juried into the 39th Western Federation Watercolor Society Exhibition. The exhibit will open on April 1, 2014 in Scottsdale, Arizona. This is the fourth time I have been juried into Western Fed which will make me eligible as a signature artist.
Delivery of the commissioned piece
You take the idea that the person has in their head, try to get as much information as possible about what is their vision and then you run with it. You add your touch to the watercolor. You make it your own. You sketch and study and work out color schemes. You get to know the subject until you feel comfortable with it. The painting slowly comes together in front of you and it’s done. Well almost done. There is that last dob of magenta that tucks nicely under the deep green of the distant trees. Nice, it ties together with the other splashes of magenta. Now your done.
So you take this painting that you’ve sweated over and present it to the owner. You’ve painted the painting so that it pleases you, now you worry if it will please them. Annnnnnd it does. The smile and the hug tell you that they love it.
Quotes from the Clipper
Some words need to be spelled another way like the word shepherd. You would think that if you are talking about an ancient shepherd, it should be spelled shephard. It just has a nice biblical feel. But I have been informed by my in house proof reader, that it is indeed shepherd.
Jenniffer Wardell, the Associate Editor for the Davis County Clipper, had some nice things to say about the “New Art Center Exhibit Offers Dose of Holiday Cheer” Here are a couple of quotes about my art from her Wednesday Nov. 27, 2013 article. “The most traditionally heartwarming pieces feature Santa Claus getting friendly with the animal kingdom. Robert McKay’s warm cheerful Santa says hello to man’s best friend in “A Creature Was Stirring.” In Sherry Meidell’s adorable “Christmas Bears,” santa sneaks a teddy bear to two cubs that are far less drowsy than their hibernating mother.” And here is another comment about a little oil I have in the show: “Meidell portrays a different portion of the Biblical tale with “As Shepherds Watched,” a small, wonderfully human oil painting. Meidell captures both the shepherd and his sheep in what must be that first moment of curiosity, not yet fully aware of what that sudden light would mean.” Now my in house proof reader mentioned that I had misspelled shepherd on the title of my little oil and Jenniffer Wardell because she is the Associate Editor of the Davis County Clipper has spelled it right in the paper. If you would like to see the holiday show it will be at the Bountiful/Davis Art Center in Farmington until December 21st. And if you go you will see my creative spelling of shepherds – “As Shephards Watched”
Sometimes a Frame Begs for a Bit of Paint
Christmas Bears is the featured art of the Bountiful Davis Art Center 2013 Holiday Show. The opening reception was great and I met some wonderful artists. The art work is priced for holiday gift buying and the show runs from November 15th to December 21. The art center is temporarily located up in Farmington in the old court house on the second floor. That is also where the classes are held. My watercolor class will start up in January for anyone who wants to take it. Christmas Bears is available as a giclee print at the show.
I found the perfect frame for this giclee’ print. It’s a heavy wooden frame that seemed to fit the watercolor painting. It needed just a touch of something, so I used a little Rub n Buff Spanish Copper and painted some little red berries and green leaves on the frame. It gives it a real old fashion Christmas touch. This giclee along with three of my oils and other art by Catherine Hostetter, Greg Newbold, Simon Winegar, Rebecca Hartvigsen and Diane Turner to name a few, are available for purchase. It is a great show. Be sure to check it out at the art center.
City of Rocks
The sketch in the sketch books seems to capture the spirit of the place better than the photo. City of Rocks is filled with amazing shapes and rocks of all sizes. It is a fun place to sketch.