Small Works just in time for the Holidays

These are four new oil paintings ranging in size from 5x7 to 8x11 that will be included in the Atlanta Fine Arts League Small Works Show & Sale. The exhibit runs from November 3rd - 30th at Binders Limelight Gallery located at 3330 Piedmont Ave, Atlanta, GA 30305. You're invited to the opening reception Saturday, November 7th, 4 - 6pm. There will be many tiny treasures to spruce up your home for the holidays or to give as gifts. I wanted to create some sunny beach paintings to warm up from the rainy days we've had here lately. Beach house anyone?

Portrait of Lynne

It's really strange painting my twin sister; I can't believe I've never drawn or painted her before. I really twisted her arm to go with me this week to Rome, GA to be my model for a portrait demonstration at my workshop there. It was a very quick demo - maybe about 1 hour 15 minutes. I got the best part of it done then I brought it home and worked on it about another 5 1/2 hours. I just had to make it look like her and more finished because I liked the way it was turning out, also, I'll be giving it to her. It was nice when her husband and twin sons saw it tonight and thought it looked just like her. There is nothing like painting from life. The colors and dimensions are very important, even if you finish with photographs when working on the likeness.

Gryffin sees his portrait

A client (& friend) just sent  this to me. I think it's so cute! It wasn't planned, they just walked in and saw him looking at his portrait. I really enjoyed doing the charcoal drawing; I should do more......Maybe around Christmas time.

Portrait I'm working on

This is a portrait I've been working on for a while. It's not finished but it is close. The mom wanted her son in a white shirt but I painted it pink because that's what he was wearing & I think it looks good with her white dress. What do you think? She might want it changed so next time you see it the shirt will most likely be white. This has been pretty difficult due to the many photos we had to work with. Notice how different their skin tones are. I hope she likes it!

Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville - 23rd Annual National Juried Exhibition

"Italian Still Life with Fruit" and "Amanda with Violin" were selected in the Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville's 23rd Annual National Juried Exhibition. The juror, Annette Cone-Skelton, is president/CEO for the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia. The opening reception and gallery talk led by Ms. Cone-Skelton will be Sunday, November 8th, 3 until 5 p.m. at the Cultural Arts Center, 8652 Cambellton Street, Douglasville, GA 30133.

Atlanta Fine Arts League Announces GPB Emmy for Art From the Heart Segment

It is with great honor we announce that Georgia Public Television's State of the Arts segment about Art From the Heart won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement: Television News and Program Specialty Excellence.

The segment aired in January 2008 and follows three of the Atlanta Fine Arts League's founders and artists, Lisa Gleim, Leah Hopkins Henry and Geri Zaki and the families of the soldiers they painted, Army Specialist Jamaal Addison, Army Specialist Justin W. Johnson and 1st Lieutenant Tyler Hall Brown. This project and the GPB segment honors Georgia's Fallen Heroes and their families.

To view the segment please visit Georgia Public Broadcasting.

To view the Gallery of Heroes visit Atlanta Fine Arts League.

Thank you to all of the Soldiers and their families for their sacrifice to this great nation.

Sincerely,

Atlanta Fine Arts League

Continuing on my art journey...

I'm very excited to have my painting "Her Secret Garden" accepted in the Virginia Avery Memorial Art Exhibition, sponsored by the National League of Pen Women and the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art. The opening reception will be January 9th and the show runs through March 16th, 2010. I'm happy to have my work hanging in such a beautiful venue.

Workshop for the Rome Art Coterie

Earlier this month I conducted a workshop for the Rome Art Coterie in Rome, Georgia. It was the first of a 2 part series. We tried something different by having the workshop 2 months apart during their regularly scheduled meeting. This only gave me less than 3 hours after the brief announcement at the beginning. I was asked to do a lecture/ demonstration for the first half and then the students were to apply what they learned in their own medium in the 2id half. It got a little crowded because their were 23 students using every medium possible. I was very pleased to see the watercolors, oils, acrylic, pastel, charcoal and colored pencils. I don't think I have had a workshop with so many different mediums. It was great because the principals I was teaching (composition, shadow shapes, value) apply to all of them. I had to set up a still life from 2 sides because of the shape of the room and the number of students. One of the photos below is a photo of my demonstration. I was actually looking down on the subject more than I like but it made it interesting and a little challenging to draw. I got the painting drawn, blocked in, and got the fruit, bowl and background painted in before I had to stop. I quickly added the leaves and finished the candlestick in my studio so I can take it back next time. You can see my painting on an easel in some of these photos. I thoroughly enjoyed all the people there and I look forward to October 13 when I demonstrate a portrait!

"Zach @ 10" Wins Award

 

I took my son, Zach, to the opening of the Portrait Society of Atlanta Fall Exhibition Opening last night. He really wasn't happy about going, but when my painting of him received an award he was very happy.
The show was juried by the distinguished artist, Michael Shane Neal. If you get a chance, you should definitely get by to see the exhibit - it is one of the best portrait exhibitions I have seen in a long time and the gallery is beautiful. The exhibit runs from September 17 through December 31 and is in the Hudgens Center for the Arts, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Bldg 300, Duluth, GA 30097.

Stokes @ 9

Well, I had to paint a portrait of Stokes now because I will move on to other things and never get around to it. I want to hang it Zach@10 so I tried to keep it close in color. Stokes is much more fair than Zach, which made it interesting. It's rare to see Stokes when he's not smiling but he does look at me like this quite a bit!

3 Paintings in Portrait Society Fall 2009 Juried Exhibition

"Maggie",  "Stokes", and "Zach@10" were accepted in the Portrait Society of Atlanta 2009 Juried Exhibition. The juror is the distinguished artist Michael Shane Neal. I again feel honored to be recognized in this way. It's really fun for me because I have never entered portraits of my children in these National Shows and Zach & Stokes are my boys. I have a painting of Stokes picking out a pumpkin in the South Cobb Arts Alliance National Show but it's not really a portrait of him. Zach @10 is also hanging in the Atlanta Artist Center show at the Limelight Gallery. I think I'll take them both to the opening so they can see their portraits in the exhibition. The exhibition is September 17th - December 31th at the Hudgens Center for the Arts, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Building 300, Duluth, GA 30097. Please join me for the opening reception on Thursday, September 17th from 7 - 9.

Reception photos

Photos with juror Ed Horlbeck & me discussing my painting at the Atlanta Fine Arts League National Exhibition reception, Friday, August 14th at the Roswell Visual Arts Center. Thomas Bateman, an artist friend, took these photos

2 Paintings in Atlanta Artists Center Show

"Zach @ 10" and "Orange Vase" accepted in Atlanta Artists Center Juried Show at the Binders Limelight Gallery in Buckhead on Peidmont Rd. The exhibition runs through August.

2 New Honors for My Paintings

My Painting, "Her Secret Garden" won First Exceptional Merit Award at Atlanta Fine Arts League National Juried Exhibition. The awards were given out at the opening reception Friday night at the Roswell Visual Arts Center. The juror, Ed Horlbeck , was very complimentary of the pieces included in the show. The turnout for the reception was great and the quality of the work is exceptional. You should try to get out & see the exhibit. 

Another painting, "Italian Still Life with Fruit" is a finalist in Art Kudos International Juried Art Competition & Exhibition.  It is a huge honor to be a finalist in this annual competition. This year 132 artists representing 15 countries (Australia, Canada, China, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Thailand, United Kingdom, and the United States) were accepted into the show. There were around 1200 entrants. To view the exhibition, go to http://www.artkudos.com

 

I had to make a change

OK, I loved the painting that I posted of Zach earlier but the more I looked at it something just didn't seem right. I did the painting pretty fast which is why it has such a fresh look but I had his right eye too far out. I brought his eye in, raised it slightly and narrowed the right side of his face. My husband & biggest critic (which is helpful) thinks this looks more like him.

Zach at 10

This painting was done in 4 hours. It's so much fun to just have an idea and paint exactly what I want. I forget sometimes to do this. I love painting portraits and so many of mine have lots of things going on; that makes this so refreshing. I'll paint my other son Stokes when he comes home from Papa's house. I have not painted them every year and I wish had, but now I can start recording them at these precious ages before they won't let me paint them any more.

"Her Secret Garden" accepted in Atlanta Fine Arts League 3rd Annual National Exhibition

This painting will be in Atlanta Fine Arts League's National Exhibition at the Roswell Visual Arts Center, inside Roswell Area Park, 10495 Woodstock Road. The juror is Ed Horlbeck, an award winning commercial and fine artist whose painting was recently featured on the cover of the March 2008 issue of The Artist's Magazine. The opening reception for "Observations" is August 14th, from 7 to 9 pm. It is open to the public & refreshments will be served. I hope you can come by! "Her Secret Garden" is one of my favorite paintings of mine and I'm happy it is being exhibited. The show runs through October 2nd.

2 Paintings in 22nd National Juried Art Exhibition of the South Cobb Arts Alliance

"Isabella & Edward" and "This One's Mine" were accepted into the 22nd Annual National Juried Art Exhibition by the South Cobb Arts Alliance. The juror for the exhibition is Tommy Mew. It's an honor to have these paintings in an exhibition with outstanding artists from all over the country. The opening reception is August 22nd , 7:00 - 9:00PM at the Mable House Arts Center, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton, GA 30126.  The show runs through September 28th. "Isabella & Edward"  is a portrait of the children of a really good friend & her husband. I had so much fun creating it. There are many elements in the painting that are special & meaningful to their parents. "This One's Mine" is an alla prima (painted in one session) painting of my son, Stokes, as he was picking out his pumpkin for Halloween.

Painting accepted in Juried Art Competition

"Amanda with Violin" was accepted for the Artist Guild of Northwest Georgia's 1st Annual Fine Art Juried Competition. The opening reception is Saturday, July 18, from 5 - 7 pm at the Booth Art Academy. The show runs from July 18 - August 14 at 1 North Gilmer Street, Cartersville, GA 30120.

Walker

I just finished this portrait of Walker. I will be delivering it tomorrow to his grandparents in Braselton. I was commissioned to paint this by Walker's grandfather's company out of Texas. The company surprised him with this gift. I photographed Walker in mid November and I had to move some things around to get the elements that the client wanted in the portrait. It's really been a pleasure working with this family and his company. I hope they'll enjoy this youthful reminder for many years to come.

"Maggie" wins award

My painting of Maggie won an Honorable Mention at the Portrait Society of America Summer exhibit jurored by Michael Del Priore. I was very pleased. There are a lot of really good paintings in the exhibit. If you get a chance you should get by to see the show. It's at the Mable House in Mableton, GA.

Three Paintings in Portrait Society of Atlanta Summer Juried Exhibition

"Maggie" (shown), "Maddalena", & "Nicholas" are accepted into the Portrait Society of Atlanta Juried Summer Exhibition. The opening reception is Saturday, June 6th, 7 PM at the Mable House, 5239 Floyd Rd., Mableton, GA. The juror for the show was Michael Del Priore, a nationally recognized artist. It's an honor just to be selected but I was very happy that all 3 of my pieces got in. The show runs through July 6th and is sponsored by the South Cobb Arts Alliance. The images of the other 2 portraits are in earlier posts on this blog.

Art From the Heart - You must watch for Memorial Day.

I just realized that my husband posted this video on my blog. We were going to put a link to this video which I have posted before but the earlier link doesn't work any more. I wanted to keep the memory of our fallen soldiers alive on this Memorial Day. Since it's already up, Let me explain what it is. GPB did a feature story on Art From the Heart, a project of the Atlanta Fine Arts league, which I co founded. Art From the Heart artists have put in hundreds of hours to paint the portraits of Georgia's fallen and donate them to their surviving family members. It is not a political statement on our part. As a matter of fact our artists have many different ideas about the war. No matter how you feel about the war we hope you will always honor and respect the soldiers and their families who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country. This video follows 3 of the families and the artists they worked with to create a memory that will last a lifetime. The artists featured in this special are Lisa Gleim, Geri Zaki and myself. We honored the families with a reception at the National Museum of Patriotism in September 2007. This aired in January 2008. There are 2 parts so be sure to watch both parts - it's very touching.

Still Life Wins Third Place

Italian Still Life with Fruit won Third Place in the Olde Town Gallery Juried Exhibition in Conyers, GA. My family went to the reception. My sons Zach, 10 & Stokes, 8 made the most of being dragged to another art event. I was very impressed with the gallery and the studio space there.

Maggie

This is my latest portrait, Maggie. I painted her sister, Caroline, a couple of years ago so I had to make it the same size - they may hang in the same room. Caroline's portrait had a Spring setting and this one is Fall. I took this picture and, as always, I will post the better photo when I get it.

AFAL at Quinlan

Atlanta Fine Art League has it's members exhibition, Contemplations, at The Quinlan Visual Arts Center in Gainesville now through June 7th. This is a beautiful exhibit with works from 31 artists. You should definitely get by to see it before it ends. I have 5 pieces in the exhibit. The Gainesville Times reviewed the show. Click the link below to read the article.

http://www.GainesvilleTimes.com/news/article/17212/

Atlanta Fine Arts League
"Contemplations" 2009 Members Exhibition
April 2 - June 7, 2009
Quinlan Visual Arts Center
514 Green Street NE, Gainesville GA 30501
770-536-2575 -- http://www.quinlanartscenter.org/

Rome Art Coterie National Exhibition

"Italian Still Life with Fruit" is accepted in the 7th Annual Rome Art Coterie National Exhibition. The exhibit will run March 31 through May 1 at the RACA gallery, 248 Broad Street in Rome. The opening reception will be Friday, April 3, at 6 p.m. at the Rome Area Council for the Arts Gallery.Admission to the exhibit and the reception is open to the public and is free. If your in the neighborhood Friday evening please come to the opening. I'm planning to be there.

Her Secret Garden

I don't know why my pictures look faded when I post them on my blog, but they do. Anyway, this is my latest painting and I think I'm finished with it now. A friend of mine, Fran, came up with the title; sort of Alice in Wonderland-ish.

Something I'm working on

This is a painting I've been working on while I'm working on 2 portraits. It's unusual for me to have 3 paintings going at one time. So far it's working out great. It keeps each painting fresh. Hopefully I will finish the portraits in 2 or 3 weeks and then start on another one. This painting is very wet so I'm putting it aside to let it dry and then I'll add some color glazes and correct some things things I noticed when I posted this. I could be working on this one for a while. I love the composition.

A Special Gift

The special lady in this portrait, Mrs. John Portman,  just turned 80. Her children commissioned me to paint this portrait from a photo from about 20 years ago. It was very important for me to make it a perfect gift for them to give her. She was very touched and very happy. That makes me happy. I will get a better photograph - but you get the idea.

I'm featured in Atlanta Style & Design Magazine

Check out the Winter 2009 issue of this magazine. Here's the link http://atlantastyleanddesign.epubxpress.com/link/asdm/2009/win/40?s=0

2 hr. drawing from life today

I went to my life painting group today and wasn't in the mood to paint so I drew this charcoal of our model. Her name is Ann. I'm really enjoying drawing more these days. I do so many paintings, but with charcoal it's fun to start and finish something so quickly.

A New Day

I just completed this charcoal drawing of President Obama as he was being sworn in. I was asked to do this by a client in Washington. The nation is very hopeful and I wish our new president the strength and ability to carry out this new responsibility with success.

The Last One/ Herschell

I finished Herschell this morning at 4 am. I'm just a little tired. Anyway, this is my final creation before the new year. I figured out that I have done about 40 paintings/ drawings this year. I've been very busy. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Maddalena

This is my last oil portrait before 2009. This beautiful little girl was very fair with the most beautiful blue eyes and impish kind of smile. I thought the red dress may be too much for such a delicate child but I think it works well with her complexion. I will deliver it tomorrow so they will have it for Christmas. I still have 1 more drawing to do before Christmas; it's a charcoal of a Basset Hound named Herschel.

Red & White drawings

These are 2 of the red chalk drawings that I am doing for Christmas. I think these are a great way to have a child portrayed in a unique piece of original art.

HOLIDAY SPECIAL

This offer is to my friends  who want something extra special for the holidays. It's only for December and it's first come, first served.

Thanksgiving weekend

My family, my sister's family and my cousin's family always go to the mountains just after Thanksgiving dinner and stay through the weekend. My boy's look forward to it every year. The photos above are of my boys and my nephews (the big boys that are actually juniors in college) and my cousin's girls, Ginny and Allie. We were in Brevard, North Carolina this year. It really doesn't matter where we go it is just a special time to be with all of them. When I get a group picture I will post it too. This time, I spent some time drawing while the other girls went shopping. I did a very fast charcoal sketch of Ginny and Allie and a drawing of my son Stokes in red pencil. As always, it was a wonderful trip and we can't wait til next year.

This is Nora

Presentation to the family of Spc. Ryen King

I took a beautiful drive to Royston, GA yesterday to give the portrait I painted of Spc. Ryen King to his family. I talked to and emailed back and forth with Carmen Jordan, Ryen's mother, but I had never met her. Her husband, Harold Jordan, had sent photographs of Ryen for me to work from. I was a little surprised at first that Carmen wanted me to paint Ryen's portrait with him looking down. I told her that the eyes are the window to the soul and that she might want to select another photo. She really loved the photo of Ryen with his catcher's vest and his long hair. There really is something telling in the photo. As I painted his portrait I began to really feel his presence. I'm so happy that his mother chose the photo that she did. The painting has a special feeling and I love the way it turned out.

After driving past their house twice, I pulled into their driveway where I was greeted by Ryen's step father, Harold. As I took the portrait out of car he had tears in his eyes. I turned the painting around so Carmen couldn't see it as I was walking in the house. Ryen's grandmother, his sister Kaitlin and his baby sister were also in the room. When I turned the painting around they all started to cry. Kaitlin was especially emotional, she had to leave the room. She was very close to her brother and wants to make him proud. She's a star catcher on her fast pitch softball team. I visited with them a while and looked at lots of photos of Ryen. I could tell he was a very special brother and son and is truly missed. I'm from a small town in Georgia and being in their home felt very comfortable. Before I left I got to meet his sister, Lauren, who his a senior and a  cheerleader for Franklin County High School. Meeting families like this makes me feel so honored to paint portraits of Georgia's fallen and hope that the portrait can bring them much comfort in years to come.

The portrait was done as part of Art from the Heart, which I have posted about several times. To see a detailed image of Ryen's portrait, go back in this blog where I posted a good photo.

Atlanta Fine Arts League

Small Works Exhibition  Sale

DATE: November 14-December 15, 2008
DAILY HOURS: Mon-Fri 9-9pm/Sat 10-9pm/Sun 11-6pm
LOCATION: Limelight Gallery at Binders Art Supply  Frame

3330 Piedmont Ave., Atlanta 30305

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, November 15th 3-6pm

This is a wonderful opportunity for you to add to your collection or give the 
gift of fine art this Holiday Season.
There is something for every budget with works priced between $45 - $1500

I just found out that I got 2 Honorable Mention Awards last night at the Portrait Society of Atlanta Fall Exhibit opening reception. I wasn't able to attend but I'm very happy with the awards. 

Newest, Nicholas R.

This is Nicholas. It was a real challenge to get a good photograph of him. He had such a sweet disposition and was very content playing with his trains. He wasn't at all interested in having his pictures taken. The toy trains in the portrait seemed to be his favorites. We settled on this photo but his body was in an awkward position so I put the body from another photo with this face and used a different background. His mother said it captured him perfectly. I wanted to capture him the way he is now for years to come - and I think I have done so.

Any difference?

I am finished now. I darkened the lower corner areas to draw the eye higher. I also pushed the orchid back a bit. I din't want to eliminate the table legs completely since it is her grandmother's. I also worked on the hands and shadows a bit and softened some lines in her skirt. These are small changes but I think it helps. Now that I look at the photo, I might take back the flower a bit more. I used a glaze so it might just be a reflection that makes it look lighter.

Two more in Portrait Society of Atlanta Juried Fall Exhibition

Both of these paintings, "Amanda with Violin" and "Syah", have won previous awards. They have just been chosen as finalists in the Portrait Society of Atlanta Juried Fall Exhibition. The juror for the show is Edward Jonas, an internationally known artist and sculptor. I will post more on this later - I'm tired.

Blairsville Plein Air Paintings

Here are the plein air paintings that I did last week in Blairsville. Anita Louise West did a workshop for Atlanta Fine Arts League in the beautiful North Georgia mountains. West is a wonderful landscape painter who lives in Sante Fe with her husband, Albert Handell, another well respected artist. It was a wonderful and beautiful week to spend with a fun group of artists. I paint a lot of portraits and I absolutely love plein air painting. It's so nice to go out with my easel and come home with a painting. These paintings were done at Meeks Park and Vogel State Park and one was painted on a rainy day at a Crane Creek Vineyard.

Almost there

This is a portrait I have been working on for  while. I signed it today but now I see some things I will change. I will post it again when I make the changes so you can see the difference. These are the children of a dear friend of mine, Alexis Vear, a gifted singer/ songwriter. Many things in the portrait signify things that are important to her and her family. Her mother grows beautiful orchids, the piano represents her music, the picture in the background was her grandmother's, as well as the table. I added the box and the shell on the table for composition - the shell represents renewal. BTW, if you would like to know more about Alexis' music visit www.AlexisVear.com.

"Isabelle" is finalist in National Juried Competition

This portrait of Isabelle was just selected as a finalist in the Art Guild 2008 1st Annual Portrait Juried Competition and Exhibition. The Art Guild is a nonprofit organization providing encouragement, education and a forum for the appreciation of the visual arts. The Guild is located in Manhasset, New York. The exhibition will run October 13 - November 28 with the opening reception October 16 from 6 - 8 pm at the Gallery at Elderfields, Manhasset, NY. The juror for the show is award winning portrait artist and faculty member at the Portrait Society of America's 10th National Conference in 2008, Ying-He Liu.

3 paintings in AGNWG Online Art Exhibition

These 3 paintings were chosen for an online painting exhibition, Still Life with Fruit, Veronika and Joe's Boys. This is the 1st Annual Online Art Exhibition held by the Artist Guild of Northwest Georgia. 

Atlanta Fine Arts League's "Simpy Drawn" reception was a very nice event. The exhibit looks beautiful; it's refreshing to see just drawings for a change. The calibre of all the drawings was very high. The exhibit goes until September 25th, at the Art Station Big Shanty in Kennesaw. In the photo I'm standing with juror John de la Vega next to my drawing "Joe's Boys". -Thanks to Carmen & Joe Kissack for allowing me to borrow it for the exhibit.

Check out my updated website

I have added a few new paintings to my website. It has been a while since it was last updated, which is why this blog was created.  My website is http://www.leahhenry.com or you can just click on me at the top right corner of this page. Make sure you check back here from time to time to find out what's new. Thanks!

This is Cole

This is a charcoal that I just finished yesterday. Cole's grandmother commissioned me to do this portrait for her daughter in law. Another artist drew her granddaughter and she found me 2 years later. She loved it and said that I really caught his likeness and personality. Hey, what more can I ask for? It's nice to be able to create charcoal portraits while having an oil painting on my easel. Changing mediums keeps portrait painting more interesting.

You Must See This /Art From the Heart Video

I have written several posts about Art From the Heart. Georgia Public Broadcasting ran a feature story about this project. It tells the story from the artists and families point of view. Please follow the link and click on watch to view this touching story. 

 http://www.gpb.org/stateofthearts/term/art-heart

I'M NOT LYNNE

My twin sister, Lynne, and I celebrated a BIG birthday in August. Our husbands threw a huge party and lots of our friends came. My husband's band, Uncle Mike, played and had everyone on their feet. Lynne & I wore tops that said "I am not Lynne" and "I am not Leah". Before the party was over, we switched shirts and caught a few people off guard. It was a great celebration! BTW, the black & white picture was set up at the party. We were 25 years old. It's hard to look at.

My Latest Portrait

I'm not sure if I am completely finished with this portrait but I know I am close. This is the 3rd portrait for a family in Washington. I posted the other 2 siblings, Domink and Veronika, in previous posts.  This is Nicholas.

Yuqi Wang Demonstrations

Yuqi Wang, a contemporary master artist, came to Atlanta to hold a workshop for Atlanta fine Arts League. He did two demonstrations during this time. The first was a portrait of the model, Eden, that he did along side of the workshop participants over 4 days. The next demonstration was about 3.5 hours on a 36 x 48 canvas and was open to the public. They are very different but are both beautiful.

"Joe's Boys" in Simply Drawn Exhibit

"Joe's Boys" is accepted in a juried drawings only exhibit hosted by the Atlanta Fine Arts League. The show is at the Art Station Big Shanty and runs September 3rd through 25th. The opening reception is September 6th at 7pm. The juror for this show is John de la Vega.

John de la Vega Workshop

My artist friend, John de la Vega, held a small advanced portrait workshop at my studio. You can see some of John's beautiful work on portraitartist.com. We had 2 models and 7 students. My home studio was the perfect space for the workshop. - I'm also represented on portrait artist.com  (A Stroke of Genius)

Finalists in Portrait Society of Atlanta 2008 Summer Exhibition

Emily and Veronica were both chosen as finalist in the Portrait Society of Atlanta 2008 Summer Exhibition. Ann Manry Kenyon was the juror; She is a highly respected artist and resides in Florida. The show is running through September 20th at the Marietta Museum of Art. The high caliber paintings from across the country make this a beautiful exhibition. You should visit.

Serenbe Plein Air Painting - July

This is a great group of ladies that went to Serenbe, just south of Atlanta for some plein air painting. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this trip. The landscapes were absolutely beautiful and this was a really fun group. If you like to paint en plein aire then I highly recommend this place. We got there around lunch time and we we took a little tour to find our painting spots. We all got a painting that afternoon. A few of us decided to do a little night painting after dinner and a couple glasses of wine. There was a courtyard just outside of the house where we stayed and it had a string of lights and that is what we painted by. Mine turned out very blue because I couldn't see my palette. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw in the light. I did "Crossroads" Friday morning before we left to go back to Atlanta.

Amanda in Atlanta Fine Arts League 2nd Annual National Show

Amanda was chosen to be exhibited in AFAL's 2nd annual National Juried Show 2008. The juror for the show was Yuqi Wang. Mr. Wang is origianally from China and now lives in New York. He is internationally known and is considered to be a modern day master. I was very happy to be a part of this show.

I wrote about Warrior's Walk in an earlier post. At that time I didn't have an image of the presentation at Fort Stewart. I just got this photo from my friend, Patrick Shado, who is the person responsible for my painting Warrior's Walk. This photo shows Major Lynch presenting me with a clock from the Army 3ID.

Pearl

Pearl and George Lucas with the portrait of their son, Victor Langarica who was killed in June 2007. Victor was Pearl's only child and they were extremely close. Pearl was totally devastated when she learned of Victor's death. She has become much stronger since I have known her. I was overwhelmed when Pearl told me that it felt like I had given her son back when she saw Victor's portrait. Pearl and George will always be very special to me.

Ryen King, 19

This is Ryen King. He was 19 years old when he lost his life in Iraq on April 23, 2007. I painted this portrait for his mother Carmen Jordan. The portrait was completed just before the Art From the Heart Exhibit 2008 at the Art Station Stone Mountain. I still have not met Ryen's parents personally but I feel like I know Carmen and Ryen through her emails to me. Carmen wanted Ryen's portrait to remind her of a very happy time in his life; He was the catcher for Franklin County High School's baseball team. The photo that I was given was very small and didn't have the full left side of Ryen's body or his full hand. It also only showed the top part of his catcher's vest. I "made up" those parts of the portrait - I hope they like it.

Memorial Day Service/Art From the Heart

Governor Perdue held a Memorial Day service At Mount Paran Church of God in Atlanta. Atlanta Fine Arts League was asked to exhibit some of the portraits that were created through Art From the Heart. The fallen hero's families were invited to attend; three of the families that I painted for were there. The top photo is Dana Hubbell standing next to the portrait of her husband Darren. He was killed shortly after they married. Dana is now reaching out to other gold star families. The next photo is of Pearl & George Lucas with their pastor and many friends who support them. I had previously met most of their friends at a previous memorial service for Pearl's son, Victor Langarica who died in Blackhawk helicopter crash in 2007.

Atlanta Artist Center Awards

I have been posting pretty irregularly and haven't updated my website lately so I will try to put a few recent news items on this blog. These 2 paintings won 1st (Emily) and 2nd place (Amanda with Violin) in Atlanta Artists Center 2008 Winner's Circle show. The entrants were all winners in previous shows with AAC within a year.

Jan & Joe Johnson

I posted earlier about Art From the Heart. The first soldier I painted was Justin Johnson from Rome, GA. I grew up in that part of Georgia so I felt very drawn to this family. Justin was the first soldier killed in Iraq from Floyd County, he was 21 years old. The first photo here is of the original presentation of the portrait to Jan & Joe Johnson at a memorial service in Rome last year. The next photo is Justin's portrait hanging at the 2008 Art From the Heart exhibit in Stone Mountain this summer.  This family is very special to me and I consider them part of my family. They have reached out and touched many gold star families. Jan & Joe are also the Georgia Patriot Guard Rider family.

Last completed portrait

This is my latest completed portrait. Dominik is the brother of Veronika whose portrait I posted earlier. I just shipped his portrait to Washington D.C. and the family shipped Veronika's portrait back to be in a national portrait show. I am working on the other brother's, Nicholas, portrait and hope to post it soon. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with this family.

Warrior's Walk

I wanted to write about this as soon as I came back from the painting presentation on June 12th but I kept waiting to get photos from the ceremony to post. I never got them so I will now tell you about it. Recently, I had the honor of being asked to create an oil painting of Warrior's Walk in Fort Stewart, Georgia. I got an email from a man named Patrick Shado who had gotten my name from a friend of his with the Patriot Gaurd Riders. I got to know the PGR through another project that I am involved with called Art from the Heart. You can read more about Art From the Heart in a previous post. Anyway, I spoke with Patrick, who is an Army veteran and a Marne Rider down in south Georgia, and he told me all about Warrior's Walk and what it means to the families and soldiers affiliated with that unit. He would get choked up many times when he would talk about the monthly ceremonies at Fort Stewart to dedicate trees to the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice from that unit. The number of trees that are there is a somber reminder of the one's that were lost. In order to get a better idea of what Patrick was talking about, I drove down to Fort Stewart and attended one of the dedication ceremonies in October. I actually rode to the event on the back of a motorcycle along with other PGR and Marne riders. It was very touching and the families of the fallen heroes were clearly distraught but appreciative and were handled with the utmost care. I took many photos from many different areas of the Walk. I then went home and over the next few months decided on the angle and composition of the painting and completed the painting. I presented the painting, along with Patrick, at a special ceremony honoring the fallen soldiers to General Lynch. Lynch had just come back from Iraq with his troops and was truly an honorable man whose love and respect for his guys was so plain to see. I was very humbled and honored to be able to use my talent to give something back to this unit.

Jim Schell

Where do I begin to talk about Jim Schell? It's hard to explain what an amazing person he is. On February 14th he celebrated his 90th birthday. Jim is an exceptional portrait painter and enjoys painting other things as well. I am fortunate enough to be a student of his. He teaches 3 classes a week at Abernathy Art Center in Sandy Springs and still goes to an art class on another day. Jim Schell is certainly a person I greatly admire. Our model in class didn't show up one Friday in March so Jim sat for us. I'm so happy I was there that day!

Italy

These are 2 paintings from Italy that I created for my solo show in March this year. Thanks to my cousin Sherron for the beautiful images!

ART FROM THE HEART

Art from the heart is the most rewarding project I have ever been involved in. Atlanta Fine Arts League created this project to honor the Georgia soldiers who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. We wanted to put a face with the names and numbers we hear on the news and also wanted the families to know their loved ones will not be forgotten. So far over 45 artist have painted over 70 portraits. The artists are happy to donate their time and talents to this project. There is a real bond that is formed between artist and family. I feel that the families I have painted for are now part of my family. Through them I have come to know and care for the soldiers I have painted. These images are 4 of the portraits I have painted; I am currently working on another one right now.
The soldiers pictured here are: Army Specialist Justin W. Johnson, 22, KIA April 10th, 2004; Army Sergeant Kevin Akins, 29, KIA March 12th, 2006; Army Corporal Victor M. Langarica, 29, KIA January 20th, 2007; Army Staff Sergeant Darren Patrick Hubbell, 29, KIA June 20, 2007. For more information on this project please visit http://www.atlantafineartsleague.org

Painting for cookbook cover

I painted "Italian Still Life with Fruit" for a solo show earlier this year. The painting is being used for the cover of a cookbook titled "As Good as Gold" - Celebrating 50 Years of Food and Family. The cookbook is being published by the Holy Innocents' Episcopal School Fine Arts Alliance in Atlanta. The proceeds will go back to the Fine Arts Department and to help their sister school in Haiti. The book will be a historical account of the school in photos and timelines, not to mention the WONDERFUL RECIPES. When the book is published I will post a copy on this blog and share information on how to buy it.

My Boys and Brownie

These are my sons with our lab, Brownie. Last summer they sat for a painting class for three hours (with breaks) for three days. Of course they got paid - that was the only way to get them to be still for more than a minute. I took a 24x36 canvas, thinking that we could have one of the boys pose lying on the floor. I was outvoted so I had extra space at the end of the canvas. I went home and took a picture of my dog and painted her in. I am very happy with the way it turned out. I used the image for my Christmas cards last year. Redeasel.com is currently featuring it on their website and it was in a juried show earlier this year.

"Isabelle" in Rome Art Coterie National Show

This portrait has just come back from the 2008 Rome Art Coterie National Show at the Rome Area Council for the Arts in Rome, GA. "Isabelle" also won Best in Show in the 2007 Atlanta Artists Center's Dogwood Show. The Rome Art Coterie named me the 2008 Southern Featured Artist and honored me with a solo show.

All New to Me

I have been thinking about creating a blog for a while; If I had known it would be this easy I would have done it a long time ago. I will be using this blog to post photos of recent paintings (portraits, landscapes and still life paintings) and to share any news about my art. Since this is my first blog, I will post some of the paintings that I have completed within the last six months or so.

Portrait to Washington

This is Veronika. She is one of three children I am painting for a family in the D.C. area. I had a lot of fun painting this portrait, especially the dress. I am also painting portraits of her two brothers which I will post soon.