Virtual Hike "How to"

This month our Virtual Hike Painting Group's destination is Kenya, Africa.

I was asked to explain my process for choosing a scene to paint and capturing the Google Map Link info - and then sending it all to the painting group.

My process may sound complicated, but it really isn't... 

First I create a document reference file that will contain all the Google Maps Links as I collect them.

Then I begin exploring the destination, saving the Google Map Links to scenes that interest me. I will keep collecting Google Map Links until I am ready to make my painting choice. This can take a few days before you think you have enough links to choose from.

How to save the Google Map Links - Now this part might seem complicated, but once you have used it you will find it a simple and very handy resource.

When I find a scene that interests me on Google Maps, I go to the black box on the upper left, click on the three dots, then click "Share or embed image". Then a  new box appears - click on "Copy link". Then click on "X" to exit.

This has now saved your link to the Clipboard that is part of your computer. At the end of each exploring session you then copy and move each saved link to the document reference file that you have already created. You must move these links over to this file at the end of every session as the Clipboard only holds them for a certain length of time.

You now have in your document reference file a list of links to possible painting subjects. I view each one (use control-click to open these files). Then I add a brief description to the link for my own info.

This preliminary work takes a day or so. By then I am thoroughly familiar with the destination and have a file of possible scenes to paint. I've enjoyed the exploration..... But now it's time to choose the scene and paint.

I choose my scene, crop it if necessary, and print it out on regular printer paper to have at my easel.

After the painting is complete, I photogragh it and file it in my computer (yes, I have a separate file for the Virtual Hike Paintings, too.) I then send the photo of my painting and its Google Map Link to Marla's email address. She will put it on the group's blog.

Note - Once you have created all the above files, they can be used over and over for each month's new destination. The preliminary work is done. Enjoy the adventure.

I hope you find this information useful. I enjoy the whole process and look forward to each month's new destination.

If you would like to join us in our monthly virtual painting adventures - check us out here on Marla's blog - The Virtual Hike Painting Group. We'd love to have you!

If you have any questions, please email me and I'll try to help. Email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com

Celene

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com
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Email me at - mail@CeleneFarris.com

My new website!

 I have finally finished updating my website. It was long over due.

After many long hours and numerous calls to our son, Mike, for assistance - I can finally call it finished. Now I can get back to painting!

I hope you will take a look at it. Thank you!

Celene

My eBay Store -  eBay Store Celene Farris

My Website -  CeleneFarris.com

My Facebook Page -  Facebook Celene Farris, Maine Artist

Email me - mail@CeleneFarris.com

July 2014 Newsletter

July Newsletter

I hope you are enjoying your summer.  Here in Maine the weather has been gorgeous with lots of sunshine, warm days, comfortable nights and only a few days of steamy summer heat.  Great weather to work outside and we have been very busy here!  My art classes are on hold for the summer and I am using this extra time to paint and study.

I have been reading a fascinating book by James Gurney, “ Color and Light”.  A very in-depth study by a talented illustrator and teacher.  I am especially intrigued by his chapter on “Gamut Masking”.  This concept uses the color wheel to chart a selection of harmonious colors to create mood and drama.  The gamut mask shows what colors, and their chroma (intensity), are included.  All other colors are excluded. The gamut mask can be moved around the color wheel to choose different combinations to create various moods and effects.

This was a difficult concept to grasp at first but the more I read and thought about it, the more intrigued I became.  I searched out his blog for more information and found a treasure trove of information on more than just gamut masking and color.  Definitely worth reading.  Here is the link – www.GurneyJourney.blogspot.com.

Then yesterday I received a note from Leslie Saeta saying that she was organizing another 30/30 painting challenge for September.  Perfect timing!  I can experiment with Gamut Masking for the challenge.  I will have enough time to study a bit more and to purchase a color wheel that shows the full range of color chroma from pure color on the outer edge to neutral gray in the center.  I will purchase both the standard wheel and the Munsell wheel for comparison.  The more I read about the Munsell color wheel the more interesting it becomes.  It differs from the standard color wheel by shifting the colors a bit more to the blue side and is supposedly a more accurate color wheel.

I hope you will consider joining Leslie’s “30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge”.  There are no rules except to have fun.  You can paint as many as you like and she lets you post them on her website.  Any subject, any size.  I enjoyed the January 30/30 challenge and painted 24 – 5x7 paintings.  I noticed a definite increase in energy in my studio and it was fun to join over 400 artists from all over the world in this adventure.  I met many nice artists along the way.  Here is the link - http://30paintingsin30days.weebly.com/. Leslie also has a great blog about her free radio talk show called “Artists Helping Artists” that you can access through your computer at - http://artistshelpingartistsblog.blogspot.com/.

I will be talking more about these topics in my future blog posts. You can sign up to automatically receive my new posts in your email mailbox here or in the special box located in the right hand column. There are over 70 previous posts that I hope you will enjoy.

So enough for now.  Lots to think about.  Enjoy!

Celene

May

I didn't have much time to blog in May. It was an eventful month. We lost two of our dear friends and they will be sadly missed.

And spring means lots of yardwork, cleaning up the debris of winter, working in the gardens and trying to stay ahead of the weeds. Our dog was spayed and that required keeping her on a leash for 10 days and going for long walks. No running through the fields and climbing over stone walls chasing chipmunks and squirrels. She patiently put up with the leash and now is free to run and play again.

There wasn't much time to paint outside so I have been working in my studio, experimenting with limited palettes and color harmony. I have worked with several combinations of the three primaries, with and without an earth color. Even though all the colors can be mixed from these primaries (and they will vary slightly depending on the primaries chosen), I found that the mixing time broke the rhythm of my painting.

After much experimentation, I am now working with the six basic colors of the color wheel in their brightest, cleanest hue. I may add an earth color or two, but only if necessary.

Below are two paintings that were done with my earlier primary palettes. As I continue to work with my new six color palette, I will share the results with you.

Summer Hay 8x10, oil.
Available on my Ebay page.  Click here to view.

Your Breakfast is Ready 9x12, oil.
Available on my Ebay page.  Click here to view.

Thanks for visiting.

Celene

April Newsletter

In my March newsletter, I mentioned that our physical gallery, The Working Art Gallery, Belfast, Maine, is now a virtual gallery. The move is complete and I have been sorting through my paintings and prints. Some paintings will go to other galleries, some, along with my matted prints, will be listed on my ebay page and the remainder will be stored and listed later on.

I'm also breaking in a new computer. Since Microsoft recently stopped supporting Windows XP, I upgraded to a Windows 8.1. This past week was spent moving and sorting files and pictures and learning this new system.

The weather is finally warming and the snow is gone except for shady areas and the deep woods. This is a good time to finish all this sorting, organizing and updating of both my website and the gallery website. Next week's weather forecast is for sun and temps in the 50s. Time to start painting outside again.

I hope you've had a chance to read my recent blogs. I showed a simple pattern for an easel shelf that works great on my outdoor easel. My husband made it from a piece of leftover birch plywood. It is easy to attach, just slip it on. Cutouts hold extra brushes, my medium jar and turps container. 

I still enjoy writing in my blog and have over 60 posts. You can sign up to receive my new posts automatically in your email mailbox. Look for the sign-up form in the right hand column on my blog page. You may opt-out at any time but I hope you will enjoy these visits to my studio.

Thanks for reading. I hope you will visit my links below. Happy Easter to you and your family.

Celene

http://CeleneFarris.blogspot.com 
www.CeleneFarris.com 
www.TheWorkingArtGallery.com 
My Ebay Page

March 2014 Newsletter. To Everything There Is A Season........

“To everything there is a season …..….” so goes the well-known song. Finally, spring has arrived and brought not only a change in the weather, but also a change for our gallery as well. My partner and his wife have relocated from South Carolina to Belfast, Maine, and will live on the second and third floors of our gallery building. The first floor will continue to be the home of Raven’s Nest Gallery operated by Maine artist and antique collector, Jude Nickerson. Our gallery’s physical presence will be replaced by its virtual presence.

My partner, Louis Masciovecchio, and I have owned and operated an art gallery in Belfast, Maine, since 1999 and now it is time to slow down and paint. Now that we are both retired and he is back in Maine, we hope to be able to paint together again without the responsibilities of the business getting in the way.

I would like to share the history of our gallery, taken directly from our website.

Three Maine artists, Louis Masciovecchio, Celene Farris and Dianne Horton, established The Working Art Gallery in January 1999 on Front Street at the Belfast waterfront. The name was chosen because the three artists maintained their studios at the gallery. Visitors were encouraged to watch and ask questions. Celene also offered art classes at the gallery. The three artists helped to establish The Belfast Arts Association, working closely with the other galleries to create a vibrant art community in Belfast.

In September of 2003, the gallery moved to its own building at 65 Main Street in historic downtown Belfast. (The William Crosby Building, 1857). The gallery expanded to two floors and added a visiting artists’ gallery giving new, up and coming artists the opportunity to display their work in a gallery setting. A classroom on the second floor was now used for Celene's expanded oil painting classes. Louis and his wife used the third floor apartment when they visited Maine.

The gallery continued to grow, representing over 30 local artists. In November 2006, Maine artist, Sheryl Tripp, became the gallery’s new manager and added The Aina Moja Shop, a project of Expanding Opportunities, a non-profit organization supporting native African artists in Kenya and other Kenyan charities.

When the local newspaper began its “Best of the Best” People’s Choice Awards Competition in 2007, the gallery was voted the top art gallery in Waldo County. The gallery continued to receive recognition each subsequent year.

At the close of 2011, after thirteen busy years, Celene and Louis decided it was time to downsize the gallery and give themselves more free time to paint. They moved their gallery to the second floor and featured the work of Louis Masciovecchio, Sheryl Tripp and Celene Farris.

On the first floor, noted Maine artist and antique collector, Jude Nickerson, opened her new signature gallery, Raven’s Nest Gallery, featuring an exciting mix of Maine art and Maine antiques. And she agreed to oversee the smaller gallery on the second floor.”

It has been great fun and lots of work operating an art gallery. I won’t miss the paperwork and the long hours, but I will miss all the wonderful people I have met along the way. We have worked with so many talented artists, both local and from away. It has been a privilege to be part of their art community and I have devoted two pages on our website showing their work and contact information. I will continue to update our gallery’s website presence. I will also miss all our wonderful customers. We have had so much fun and enjoyed ourselves immensely, but it has taken a great deal of the time that we will now be able to use for painting – both plein air and in our studios.

Lou and Mary’s furniture has arrived and all the artwork on the second floor will be removed so they can use the wonderful space as their home. They have an awesome view from their living room and new back deck overlooking the water and the new boatyard. From their front windows, they can look out across the bay. Belfast is a charming community and they are pleased to be back. You can visit The Working Art Gallery here.

I will be shipping some of my paintings to my new gallery in McKinney, Texas. Some I will add to my Ebay page. I have had good luck with Ebay. It’s an easy way to sell and I am developing a customer base with repeat sales. I also have a few local venues that will accept more work, such as our local hospital and The Fireside Inn’s Ocean Edge Gallery on Route One in Belfast. I will continue to teach at my home studio. I have two small classes that I really enjoy. And, of course, there is my new venture into social media. I do enjoy writing my blog and newsletters and have met many new friends. Our new puppy has kept me busy, but she is growing up and requires less supervision. She is currently sleeping across my feet as I work at the computer.

Happy spring, everyone.

Celene

PS. I'd like to invite you all to visit my Blog. I have written more than 50 blog posts and will continue to add more on a regular basis. I hope you will enjoy reading my thoughts as an artist and teacher.

If you wish to automatically receive my new blog posts through your email, there is a sign up link on the right hand column of my blog page. You can opt out at any time, but I hope you will enjoy these visits to my studio. And I would enjoy hearing from you. Thank you.

My February Newsletter

It seems that winters get longer the older I get.  I think that  we have had a decent winter this year - so far.  A short spell of very cold temperatures, a few minor snowstorms, an ice storm that disrupted power for a few days, but nothing compared to some of the other states.  After all, this is winter in Maine.

Today is a beautiful day, clear and crisp, temps in the 20s, with a cobalt blue sky and a bright sun shining on newly fallen snow.  I wish I was hardy enough to paint outside on a day like this, but I don’t like the cold and would rather paint in my nice warm studio. Looking forward to spring on this sunny day, I cleaned out my plein air gear, repacked my supplies and I’m ready to go as soon as winter is gone.

The January Challenge of 30 Paintings in 30 Days was very interesting.  I completed 22 paintings.  The last week of January was just too busy to allow any painting time except for my Tuesday class.  We had errands to run, appointments to keep and we picked up our new puppy on January 25 – an eight week old Golden Retriever named Ginger.

The 30/30 Challenge was interesting because I could definitely see a day by day improvement in my Alla Prima technique and in my energy and concentration.  I had made the commitment and was determined to see it through.  Knowing that I had to complete a painting each day, photograph it and post it over the Internet that evening was a driving force.  I’m glad that I participated and would like to do it again – but I would only commit to 4-5 paintings per week.  It was almost impossible to continue that pace for the whole month, as I had other chores that needed my attention – like housework.

I did find that all the postings increased the traffic to my sites and a good number of the little paintings sold through my Ebay page. Over 400 artists participated and it was fun to be a part of this larger artist community.  I met many nice people along the way.  A big thank you to artist, Leslie Saeta, for giving us this opportunity and sharing her knowledge with us.

Thank you for visiting my Blog. I currently have 46 posts and will continue to add more on a regular basis.  All my 30/30 Challenge paintings are shown.  I explained my goal for each painting, my thoughts and my painting steps.

Some of my other paintings are also featured with my thoughts and pictures of the step-by-step procedures and I share our classroom discussions on different aspects of painting theory.

If you wish to automatically receive my new posts through your email, there is a sign up link on my Blog in the right hand column. You can opt out at any time, but I hope you will enjoy these visits to my studio.

If there are specific art questions that I can help with, please let me know.  Your comments and questions are always welcome.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for visiting.  Stay warm and happy painting!

Celene