My Paint Box: April 2011

Friday, April 22, 2011

Top Prize at the 6" Squared April Show

My painting "Fast Asleep" was awarded a top prize at the 6" Squared Show this week.
The show is currently at the Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, CA.
I was totally surprised to get this honor out of so many great paintings in this show. Did not expect this at all and real excited about it.

"Fast Asleep" 6x6" oil/board. Frank Gardner © 2011
SOLD - Shown in Plein Air #2 Float mount frame.

"Fast Asleep" 6x6" oil/board. Frank Gardner © 2011
SOLD

The judges were Jean Stern, Director of the Irvine Museum, Jeff Horn, artist, and gallery owner and art connoisseur, Randy Higbee.

There were three artists that all three judges gave the maximum points and I was one of them.

They had 297 artists enter this show. 1174 paintings entered and they accepted 523. There were 500 pieces hung for Opening Night.

New oil paintings for M Gallery in Charleston

These 3 new paintings have just arrived at the M Gallery in Charleston.
"Storybook" is a painting of our daughter and is for an invitational group show called "Private Spaces". The show opens with a reception on Friday May 6th.
Each invited artist was asked to paint something that represented a private space for them. I decided that a little girl, hidden away on a canopy bed, reading a big storybook was a good choice.
We were each asked to write a short description of our painting to hang next to it in the show.
Below the painting is what I wrote to accompany it.

"Storybook" 14x18" oil/linen. Frank Gardner © 2011
$1,500. Framed. Available at M Gallery of Fine Art. Charleston, SC

"Story Book" is about a little girl's private time with a story book and her imagination. A private space on a soft bed with a canopy pulled. Separating her from the outside world and allowing her to escape into her inner space. This is a painting of our daughter, but I think everyone can relate to a little child and that special age. The time when the printed word becomes real, if just for a moment, and a world of endless possibilities and promise expands a child's world.

I also sent them a 6x8" that I painted when I was working out the design for "Storybook". This one is from a slightly different angle and Erin is reading a larger book. This one is called "Big Stories".

"Big Stories" 6x8" oil/linen. Frank Gardner © 2011
$550. Framed. Available at M Gallery of Fine Art. Charleston, SC

A third new painting that I sent to M is a landscape with a full moon coming up over the hills here in Mexico. The serene feel to this view and the colors really inspired me to paint it. This one is not for the "Private Spaces" show, but it will be hanging at the gallery.

"Rising Moon" 16x20" oil/linen. Frank Gardner © 2011
$1,800. Framed. Available at M Gallery of Fine Art. Charleston, SC

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Plein Air Oil Painting workshop on Cape Cod- June 6-10

I am excited to announce that I'll be teaching a 5 day plein air oil painting workshop on Cape Cod. The dates are June 6th through June 10th, 2011.

A Typical Provincetown Street in June. Frank Gardner © 2010

Cape Cod is a favorite destination for outdoor painters and June is one of the best months for painting there. The light is perfect and the weather is pleasant and not too humid yet. It's my favorite time of year to paint on the Cape.
The cost of the workshop is $500 for five full days of painting (Individuals are responsible for accommodations, food, supplies, etc.) I am offering a discounted rate of $450. for anyone that signs up and sends their deposit by April 30. Reserve your spot today by sending me an email. frank@frankgardner.com

The painting locations will be on the Outer Cape. Let's plan on painting from Chatham on out to Provincetown. Transportation is a must, but we can work out carpooling to the daily painting spots. The Eastham to Wellfleet area is the best and most central place to look for accommodations. I can give you a list of lodging suggestions when you sign up for the class. There are lots of great cottages for rent too if there is a small group coming together. Please email me for more information, the materials list or to set aside your spot. The class size will be limited. I require a $200. deposit and the balance paid at the beginning of the class.

Email me to reserve your spot and I'll give you my mailing address to send your deposit.

Commercial Street in PTown. Frank Gardner © 2010

This workshop is for oil painters. All levels are welcome. However, whining is frowned upon and you must be able to carry and set up your own gear.

In the workshop my emphasis is on helping everyone advance to their next level.

Some of the topics we will concentrate on are:

Values: A strong and simple value pattern is key to a successful painting, we will work on getting values correct from the start and keeping them clear throughout the painting process.

Color: We will work on seeing color and value then mixing color using a limited palette.
Premixing colors on your palette, and choosing the best design for your composition are a few of the things that we will focus on in this workshop.

Strong Starts/ Block In: An emphasis will be on getting a strong start to your painting so you don't need to waste time reworking the design later. Accurate color mixing is key to capturing the mood of a location. I feel that a strong start is the key a successful plein air painting and we will focus a lot on "starts" as well as how to bring a good start to the desired finish.

Demos: I will do several demos, but there will be plenty of the time will be for painting and I will walk around and give individual guidance. There will be some quick painting exercises as well as some longer painting sessions.