Monday, May 31, 2010

I STILL REMEMBER. IT STILL HURTS. By Cecelia Lyden


Last night the History channel ran videos captured by those in and around the collapse of the Twin Towers. I was watching it with my 19 year old granddaughter and her college friend. Caroline and Lindsey were 10 years old at the time the Towers were struck and collapsed. Both of them have visited New York and the site often since then. Both were intently interested and horrified by what the videos showed. I decided to show them and explain my painting, which mirrored the scenes they were seeing on TV. The photo of this famous scene was in all the newspapers the day after 9/11.
I was struck by the fear and dazed looks on faces--the papers everywhere--people helping each other. Mostly I was struck by how the ash and dust coated everyone's clothes and faces, camouflaging all ethnic, racial, and religious differences--the figures looked like sculptures to me. I wanted to paint them, but I was too distressed by the horrific event to pick up a brush . So I put the newspaper away and found it 7 years later. I contacted the photographer, Gulnara Samoilova http://gulnarasamoilova.com/ and got her permission to paint her amazing [ and courageous] photograph. I am so honored to have sold this painting to the mother of an Iraq War soldier who had returned from his 2nd tour in Iraq. He was feeling that his service was not understood or appreciated. She gave it to him as a thank you and as a reminder of the reason for his mission.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

RIBBON CUTTING OPENING FOR THE THIRD STREET GALLERY


Elaine Wilson http://elainewilson.yolasite.com/ and Barbara Warfel http://passeri-warfel.com/ in front of one of Barbara's paintings



Laura Basso has renovated and reopened the Third Street Gallery in New Cumberland, PA. Her gallery is sparkling clean, freshly painted, inside and out and the paintings, ceramics, and sculpture are artfully displayed.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception was well-attended. I mingled and chatted with several artist aquaintances and friends that I had not seen in a while.
Several of my paintings, large, medium and small were on display.














































Sunday, May 23, 2010

RECENT EXHIBITS




THE BURG SHOW
608 Second Street
Harrisburg, PA

The ArtHouse Lounge Gallery Exhibit
Second Street
Harrisburg, PA

Both of these exhibits are currently running for a couple of months. My husband and I went to the opening of Gallery@Second. It was extremely crowded. The Burg Show included paintings by local artists of scenes, etc. of Harrisburg. My entry is of a hostess awaiting customers for the restaurant, SPICE, on Second Street. I took a picture of her while dining there early one summer evening. I liked the contrast between the dark interior and the bright sun-lit street.
The owner of ArtHouse Lounge, Jason Piper, wanted "summer-like" themed paintings for June and July. He claims that customers are often relieved when they see representational paintings like mine because they easily understand and relate to them. He likes a variety of styles and subject matter in his gallery.








Saturday, May 22, 2010

CAROLINE'S ABANDON





Orange is my least favorite color. But for some reason I purchased orange/rust and pink outdoor cushions for our porch. I decorate with paintings on the outdoor walls. I found this painting that my granddaughter did when she was 3 or 4 years old. We painted together then. I loved this painting, because she 1.] kept her colors clean-most children overlap too many colors and they become muddy 2.] such a great composition- can be viewed in any way--accidental of course 3.] what great movement and abandon--inherent in a young inhibition-free child. Her painting is sitting on a small easel right next to my pink and rust cushions outdoors--looks great.

She is nearly 20 years old now. Sadly she doesn't paint any more--full of inhibitions--a by-product of aging and an uninspired, underfunded art program in the Catholic school she attended. Other interests develop and take over-she plays women's lacrosse for the University of Florida now--pretty exciting, too.

Monday, May 17, 2010

A DAY EN PLEINE AIRE By Cecelia Lyden

My Pleine Aire Painting

I hadn’t painted outdoors for almost 50 years. I never found the time outside very productive. I was always fighting the wind, bugs and shifting light. Still I recognized the value of observing real depth and true colors. So, when I saw a one day workshop, Painting Alla Prima, offered, I said why not? In truth it really was only from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Perfect. I called and registered.

In preparation, I purchased a WalkStool and a couple of small canvases. The day before the workshop, I called to check on the teacher’s name and where we were to meet. I left my name and number for him to call. He called. He sounded young. Very young. Younger than my youngest son. Oh well, I like young people-had worked with them before retiring from my teaching days.

It was then that I learned that I was the only one who signed up for this workshop and would I mind if he brought his fiancee along. Hmmm, not what I expected, but it was a beautiful day and I really wanted to paint outdoors. OK. We arranged to meet at a local coffeehouse at 8:45.

At 9:20, after I had approached at least 2 young couples, asking if they were my teacher and his finacee, they arrived. They both were very young, about 22 or so. Of course, they needed to get coffee and something to eat. [I had had my breakfast at 6:00 a.m.].

He informed me that we were going to Wildwood Preserve in Harrisburg. I had never been there, so I was excited to see a new place. We discussed the route and agreed that going over the Harvey Taylor Bridge would be the best way to go from Market St. in Camp Hill. I was to follow them. Naturally, I thought that since they agreed to cross over the Harvey Taylor Bridge to Harrisburg from Camp Hill, that they actually knew how to get to the Harvey Taylor Bridge from Camp Hill. Foolish me.

Instead of going straight on 21st from the light on Market and 21st, which leads you directly to the Harvey Taylor Bridge, they turned right on to Market, went through Camp Hill, through Lemoyne, wound down toward the Market Street Bridge, along the river in Wormslyburg, then left, then right to an entrance on to the Harvey Taylor Bridge.

Around 10: a.m., we arrived at Wildwood Preserve. After a search for a visually interesting spot to paint, unloading the cars, carrying the supplies to the spot, setting up our easels and other supplies, we were ready to paint. I surveyed the area, plotted out my composition and loosely swooshed on my shapes, light, middle and dark areas. It was about this time [10:30ish] that the instructor discovered that he had left his paints at home. His fiancee and I offered the use of our acrylics, but he wanted his oils. He left to go home to get them.

About 11:30, he returned. He came over to see how I was progressing. I had my large areas blocked in with lights and darks. He liked that I had not used a pencil to draw in the shapes. Still at my side, I was about to block in the trees and some of the foreground when he, hesitantly, began to offer his approach to a painting. I was beginning to sense that he was not that thrilled with my beginnings. Okay, fine, I’m interested in his process and approach to a painting. Alla Prima I, belatedly learned, was a method whereby paint is applied quickly, in a direct, expressive manner. The painting would be completed on site in one session

Using his oils, he demonstrated applying a unifying color, red in this case, all over his canvas, thick and quick. Then he applied the colors of large areas over the red, letting some of the red show. Next he plopped in the some trees, etc. His brushstrokes were loose, the paint thick and the exposed red paint unified the composition . Very nice.

He then suggested I do the same-cover my existing painting with red paint and begin again. Naturally I was skeptical, explaining that, although he was familiar with his process and knew where to go once the red paint was applied, I did not know where to go. He persisted and said he wanted me to get out of my “comfort zone”. I said that at 69 years of age, I deserved to be in a “comfort zone”. He smiled [ he was very sweet]. I think he knew I was not annoyed just enjoying a fun moment with him.

I got out of my comfort zone and applied the red paint to my canvas and attempted to paint the rest of the scene, leaving some of the red showing--very Fauve-like. Now it was 12:00, lunchtime. I unpacked mine. They had none. I looked at them and said, “ The signup sheet said PACK A LUNCH” More smiles.
I resumed painting , but by this time, I had just about had it with the wind buffeting my canvas and tipping over my easel, the passers-by weaving around our easels and paints . The strong winds had turned cold and we[ the fiancee and I] were losing feeling in our hands.

Around 1:30, 3 hours after we had started painting, we packed up, walked back and loaded up the cars. We said our goodbyes and nice to have met yous. I went home, put my “out of the comfort zone” painting on my sturdy, studio easel, printed up the photos I took of the Wildwood scene for reference and resumed painting “alla prima” indoors.