WASH DAY ON GEARY AVENUE By Cecelia Lyden

acrylic

11x14

www.cecelialyden.com

lyden1819@comcast.net

It's so rare that you see wash hanging on a line to dry. For me this scene brought back memories of my childhood. We had a washing machine, but no dryer. There were four families, all related, living in the apartment house my grandfather built. Each family had a window facing one telephone pole with four clotheslines hooked up-two for the ist floor apartments, two for the top floor apartments. The lines were on pulleys attached out of each of the windows to the pole. Hanging out the wash in the wintertime was a challenge-wet clothes, cold hands. Pulling it back in was hysterical. Every article of clothing --stiff as boards.
I will be exhibiting this in the New Cumberland Art exhibit at the Third Street Gallery in November.

YESTERDAY'S NEWS and DESPAIR By Cecelia Lyden

Lithographs

on Arches Cold Press Paper

I was rummaging around in some portfolios and found several of these lithograph prints I did over 25 years ago. At that time, I was attending classes at Millersville University working for my art instructor certification for grades k-12. I am amazed at how fresh and clean these prints still are. The black ink on white paper really help convey the mood I was inthen--frustrated, tired travelling to classes, homework, housework, three children, up late and early, reading old news.

The tree in Despair, I drew from a huge, dying, old mulberry tree in our back yard with a gaping hole in its side. It was limb heavy to one side and we had the limbs wired in a way to support each other, but a huge thunderstorm with heavy winds began to topple it. It was so close to the house, we had to have it removed. My final drawing left out its leaves and branches, forshadowing its final demise.

The art professor, Dr. Nelson[if I remember correctly] had us printing the "old fashioned way". We inked our drawings on massive, flat Bavarian stones, lifted them on to the bed, laid the paper on them and pushed these thick slabs through the press . Of course, at 42 or so, I was the oldest in the class. Never had any advanced art classes--so I was happy to get an A in Lithography--the only one I received for the art classes.

UNFINISHED FRONT STREET [BOO HOO]

The weather was a beautiful this morning in Liverpool, PA--not too warm, with a slight breeze blowing. I set up my easel on the side of the road and proceeded to paint the view in front of me. The morning sun was shining, creating nice shadows on the road. It took me a while to construct the scene on my canvas. I took pictures from the same spot, as I always do, for future reference. I seem not to finish a painting, before my legs and back start to bother me. I laid in some lights and darks and perspective lines, etc. In about 2 hours I packed up and left.
I was happy with my color palette and was anxious to work on the painting when I got home. I loaded the photos on to my computer and began to study them, looking for the best one with the details I needed to complete the painting. I was about to print a couple of them and decided to delete one I did not need at all. Then disaster!
Somehow I deleted the whole folder. All my reference photos--Gone. Nowhere. Not in the trash bin or any other folder, AND I also had deleted them from my camera.
I looked at my poor unfinished painting and tried to recall more details, but to no avail. Liverpool is almost an hour away--don't have the time to go back--I'm really disgusted with myself. I put the pathetic little painting aside, but if I'm still mourning over it's sad state, I may make the trip back up next week--or not.

LILIES AT ITALIAN LAKE

9X12

Another morning painting en plein aire. A small group showed up at Italian Lake in Harrisburg. Not the most impressive or scenic lake I have ever seen, but the lilies were blooming in the warm morning sun. So I chose to paint them up close.

TheBurg Newspaer Cover

Recently I received an email from Linda and Ted Walke mailto:Walkgallery@galleryatsecond.com
Gallery at Second
608 North Second Street Harrisburg

which said that through judging by both the gallery and TheBurg newspaper, my artwork above, Spice Awaits, had been selected for a future front cover of the newspaper.
They congratulated me for this selection and honor of becoming a featured artist whose work will be seen by tens of thousands fellow Pennsylvanians.

PLEIN AIRE IN WILLOW PARK

A group of friendly, talented artists met in Willow Park in Camp Hill yesterday to enjoy the great weather and to paint. There were plenty of interesting and beautiful subjects around us. I set up shop in the gazebo--no bugs there. A passerby suggested that I was not really painting en plein aire, because I was cozy and comfortable in this enclosed area. In spite of his humorous observation, I pressed on. My view was cropped by the parameters of the gazebo. Just fine with me. It kept me focused on the one area.
This was only the second time I have painted outside in the last 30 years or so. It was very enjoyable.

RICKY'S ARTWORK

Ricky came to visit our son, Chris, from Davie, Fla, close to Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. Ricky is our grandson through marriage. Ricky has just finished 7th grade. He brought some of his school artwork for us to see.

The first is a drawing of a sneaker, very well drawn with lots of details. The second was a project that involved drawing something creative, using a specfic word. He manipulated the word, water, to look like it was flowing from a jug held by hands of 2 races--nuturing a plant or seeds. Very creative and well drawn.