Progress Made

If you came in to Open Studios this weekend (many thanks to you), you saw the bit of progress I made on my green piece. Here is another glimpse of the progress I have made so far. I love that through the additional layers of color you can still see hints of the green underneath. Still a bit of work to do, but I like the way it is headed!

The Same, but Different

11"x 14"
Oil on Masonite
$245

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

Some of you may recognize the subject matter of this piece. I used the same photo of my grandmother and her sister for a painting a little over a year ago. That piece is currently at The Little Art Gallery in Raleigh, NC. I came across the photo again yesterday and wanted to revisit it. In many ways, I like this version better than the original. I also just love the subject matter. I want to know where they were going in their beautiful contrasting coats, and my grandmother in her quirky, fabulous hat. The photo looks like a beautiful, sunny day up in the mountains, and I imagine it is a little cold. My grandmother looks like she was saying something as the shutter was clicked, and I love the way my great aunt has her head tilted towards her sister as she squints in the bright sunlight. I have to say this is one of my favorite photos, as well as one of my favorite paintings!

Starting with green

This piece is very much in progress, but I thought I would post the first step so that you can see how much it changes. I have mentioned over on my vintage blog that for some reason, I love laundromats. So, for some of my newest paintings, I am combining some of my vintage ladies with laundromat scenes. This piece is not going to stay all green like this. I typically paint a solid layer of color on the canvas before I start so that I do not have to deal with a totally white canvas. This time, though, I decided to under paint the entire scene in various shades of green. Some of the green will remain, but in most areas it will just peek through, creating (I hope) a very cool layered feel. Want to see it in person and to check out the progress I have made? Stop by Open Studios this weekend and I will have it on the easel!

A Day Out

16"x 16"
Oil and Paper on Canvas
$250

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I've been busy getting ready for Open Studios, but still finding time to paint. This piece is from a photo of my Grandmother, my dad, and my aunt. My favorite part is that he was flapping his arms in the picture, so his right hand is just a blur. I tried to capture that in this piece!

Open Studios 2009 at Emily Clarke Studio!

For more information about Open Studios, and to see a list of other participating artists and their locations, please visit http://www.greenvillearts.com.

A free, family fun alternative to Halloween

Starry Night on the Reedy

Music from Paris
Food from Giverny
Children’s Attractions
and
Art from Vincent and
the artists of Art Crossing

Saturday - 10/31/09 - 7 to 10 pm
RiverPlace in The West End
Greenville, SC
864.650.6041

Re-arrange

Hello friends! If you haven't been over to my vintage blog to see photos from Oil and Rouge, click over there now to see all the amazing fun we had!

So, after a brief rest over the weekend, it was back to work this week. I spent much of Monday and Tuesday rearranging the studio, making room for some of the Oil and Rouge pieces on the big wall of art. Plus, I am in the process of redoing my website. Be on the lookout for the launch of the new EmilyClarkeStudio.com in the coming week!

Plus, this Saturday the artists of Art Crossing are hosing Starry Night, a family friendly alternative to Halloween, featuring art, music, food and drinks. Check out our Facebook page for more details. And, to top it all off, next weekend is the anual Open Studios!

But, I have managed to get a little painting in among all this work. This piece is from a great photograph of my grandparents and my mom standing by their front porch. I hope to do many more of these little paintings, all framed in various old frames, to create a huge wall of old family photos.

8"x 10"
Oil on Matboard

Oil and Rouge: A Vintage Affair Tonight!

Emily Clarke Studio and Shantel Lowe the Make Up Artist invite you to a night of vintage fun! Don your zoot suit and wiggle skirts, break out your wingtip shoes and red lipstick and join us cats for a fun filled evening from days gone by!

Original oil paintings by Emily Clarke
Hair and Make up by Shantel Lowe
Photography by Keith J. Carson
Clothes by Threads in Time Vintage Clothing
Jewelry by Blue Moss
Music by Upstate Swing Dance
Food by Brick Street Cafe
Raffles for great prizes and more!

Oil and Rouge: A Vintage Affair
Friday, October 23, 2009
6-9pm
Art & Light Gallery
1211 Pendleton St.
Greenville, SC 29611

Want more information or need some vintage inspiration, check out the Oil and Rouge blog, http://oilandrouge.wordpress.com, or become our fan on Facebook.

Want a sneak peek?

Want a sneak peek of tomorrow's vintage affair? Click over to my vintage blog, oilandrouge.wordpress.com, and check out the photos!

Classical

I haven't painted a nude in a number of years, but a patron recently requested one, so I returned to the subject. I have been experimenting with underpainting, and I love the way the orange of the background plays off of the skin tones, and peeks through the areas of white. Overall, I think it is a very successful painting!

Wispering Love

12"x 12"
Oil on Canvas
SOLD

I know it looks like it, but this is not a piece for Friday's Oil and Rouge show. Instead, it is for the Open Studios show at the Metropolitan Arts Council. All the artists involved in Open Studios on November 7 & 8 contribute a 12"x 12" piece to be displayed at MAC. It is a great way to check out all 124 Open Studios artists in one location.

Apologies!

Hello friends! Sorry about the complete lack of posts recently! I spent the past week in Texas visiting my baby sister, and all the rest of my time has been split between commissions and preparations for next week's Oil and Rouge show. But, I have lots of exciting things in the works that I can't wait to share. Thanks for sticking around!

Trillium Fair

Thanks to everyone who came out this weekend! Plus, it didn't rain!

Malie and Macie

This is a commission I did recently for a friend of my sister. It is of her two daughters, and I heard that she really loved it. I think it turned out so cute!

Vintage complete

I posted a photo of these pieces in progress a couple of weeks ago. Here is the set completed. I love the pieces individually, but as a collection I love them even more! To see these pieces in person (and buy one for yourself!) don't miss my vintage show on October 23.

To the Art Cave

Hello friends! As promised, here are a couple of picks from this past weekend's West Greenville Arts Festival. The first one is my tent setup, which by the end of the weekend became known as the Art Cave. This was also the only brief period of time when you could see blue sky and it wasn't raining.



Sadly, most of the weekend looked more like this:


For those of you who wimped out and didn't brave the storms, no worries! I will be participating in the Trillium Arts Fair in Travelers Rest on October 3, plus a bunch of other events between now and Christmas that I will tell you about later. Stay tuned!

Lady in Red

Hello friends! Thanks to all who braved the rain to come out to the West Greenville Arts Festival this weekend. I will post a few photos of the fun, but rain soaked affair as soon as I find where I stashed my camera. In the meantime, here are a couple more pieces for the upcoming Oil and Rouge Show. I am almost done with the art, and I have almost exactly a month until showtime! Plus, a couple of other events happening before that show. It's going to be a busy holiday season!

I'm to tired to think up a title or anything to say, but I love this one...

Multitude of Mugs!

I did quite a lot of painting today, but the thing I was most excited about was the arrival of my mugs from my CafePress shop! I ordered them to display at the West Greenville Art Festival this coming weekend, and I just love them! If you want to own one of these mugs with images from my Modern Conveniences series, just visit my CafePress shop, or stop by my tent this weekend.


And, here they are on the beautiful mug tree my dad made for me!

West Greenville Arts Festival this weekend!

I hope you will come out this weekend to the first ever West Greenville Arts Festival, hosted by Upstate Visual Arts in partnership with the Pendleton Street Arts District. I will be among the over 75 artists working in a variety of two- and three-dimensional media.

The event, devoted to the visual arts, will be the first of its kind in the historic, newly renovated Pendleton Street Arts District. The street festival will not only feature booth artists, food vendors, live music, and children’s activities, but will also encourage interaction with the existing galleries and businesses located in West Greenville through a walking tour of the area.

The event runs Saturday, September 19th from 10am until 7pm, and Sunday, September 20th from 11am until 5pm. Come check it out!

Noises Off! at Greenville Little Theater

Hey friends! Opening tonight at the Greenville Little Theater is Noises Off, hailed as one of the funniest plays ever written! And while you are there, check out my Modern Conveniences series of paintings on display in the lobby. The play runs through September 27, so be sure to check it out!

Sweet Nothings

12"x 12"
Oil on masonite

Admiration

12"x 12"
Oil on masonite

I wasn't sure how this piece would look, with the close-up and no features. But, once I finished, I really love it! I especially like the ruffle on the edge of the dress, and the beautiful necklace by Blue Moss!

Oil and Rouge in G Magazine!

OK, if you read my other blog (or you are my friend on Facebook or Twitter) you have already seen this, but I am so excited that I feel the need to post it everywhere! I was really excited to see the new issue of G Magazine come out last week with the ad for Oil and Rouge: A Vintage Affair! G Magazine has graciously agreed to be a sponsor for the show, and printed a beautiful, eye catching ad. The final details are starting to fall in to place, and I am super excited about the show! Mark your calendars for October 23, and be sure to be there!

A lot of vintage!

I have shared a few of these smaller pieces I am working on for my vintage show, but today I laid them all out to get an overall impression of the work so far, and I am absolutely in love with them! I am obviously not finished, but I think they already have a pretty big impact as a group. For the show, I am planning on arranging them in a grid similar to this. Hope you like them as much as I do!

Mad Men, anyone?

12"x 12"
Oil on Masonite

OK, I admit it...I have never seen Mad Men, although people keep telling me I should check it out. I have seen a lot of photos of the fashion, and it is absolutely right up my alley. But, I just thought this piece had that whole Mad Men vibe, with the sexy gal lounging across a chair and the mysterious guy suavely leaning in the background. If you haven't guessed, this is another piece for my vintage show, Oil and Rouge: A Vintage Affair, coming up on October 23.

Wade in the Water

6"x 6"
Oil on Masonite
$80

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I did this piece last week. It was such a beautiful and simple scene that I felt it needed a very simple painting.

Luca

I keep saying that I don't draw often, but the number of drawings I have been doing recently belies that fact! This is a drawing I did recently of a friend's adorable little boy.

Out the Window

12"x 18"
Oil on Canvas
$275

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

This is another piece from a photo off of Square America. I love the light filtering in the car window. A friend figured out that she has a drive through tray hooked over the door. Just waiting for a burger and shake, I guess!

Pausing to Reapply

16"x 20"
Oil on Canvas
$350

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

I found this photo on Square America (which, if you haven't checked it out, do it now!) and I just love it. It is such a lovely private moment, with her turning away from the camera to touch up her make-up. It took me a while to mix this rosy/ maroon shade, but I really felt this image needed a soft, feminine color.

I was really excited about the painting I did today. It ended up being really simple and beautiful. But, I ended up at the studio without my camera. So, instead, here is a really sweet commission I did recently for a couple of my sister's friends. Congratulations Leah and Aaron! Hope you enjoy it!

All Aboard!

I recently signed up for a project with The Art House Gallery in Atlanta, called the Sketchbook Project. Basically, they send you a blank sketchbook and a randomly assigned theme. You fill it up, send it back, and it becomes a part of their sketchbook exhibit. Visitors can search through the books by theme, artist location, or name. A couple of days ago, I received my blank book and the theme "The other side of the tracks."

In keeping with my recent vintage work, I decided to base the book around vintage train and travel photos. I don't draw often, not that I don't like to, but the lazy side of me usually thinks how much easier and better the piece would be in paint. So, I am not sure what possessed me to decide to fill my book with sepia toned drawings. I am really happy with this first one, but let's see how I feel once I am near the back of the book!

Perfection, Reflected

12"x 12"
Oil on Masonite

This is the piece I intended to post yesterday. I wasn't happy with it at the end of the day yesterday, but a few extra touches this morning really changed it. Hope you enjoy!

Sitting and Waiting

24"x 36"
Oil on Masonite

This is not the piece I intended to post today, but I was so happy with how it turned out, and the one I was planning to post was not finished. So, here you go!

"Easy as Riding a Bike"

6"x6"
Oil on Masonite
$80

To purchase, email me with the title in the subject line.

This piece is from a photo I have had in the studio for a while. I don't even remember where I got it. My favorite part of it is the car way in the background and the light streaming down on it.

Home Sweet Home and my TV debut

This is a new house commission I finished recently, and am pretty proud of. In some ways, houses are easier than portraits, but in other ways they are more technical and time consuming.

And, for those of you not on Facebook, here is the interview I did on WYFF 4 this past Sunday. I was pretty excited that they asked me to be a part of the show, and despite the fact that it was really early in the morning, I had a great time!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ615g44SL0&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7w7lJ-w9Uw&feature=player_embedded

A bit of vintage

Besides the large panels I am working on, I also have a stack of smaller panels for October's vintage show. So far, they are a little looser than the larger ones, with more full length figures and anonymous faces. They are going to be especially fun once they are all hung up in a group.

I also spent part of the weekend at my friends Laura and Anderson's wedding. I did a portrait for them, but totally forgot to take a picture of it. So, once you guys get back from your honeymoon and get through your move to Florida, do me a favor and take a picture of it! Congrats guys!

I was hoping to post the video from my interview on WYFF channel 4 yesterday, but they haven't put it up on their site yet. As soon as I have it I will share.

A Wall of Art

I spent much of today hanging more paintings, from floor to ceiling, for Friday's Name Your Own Price Sale. There is so much work to choose from! Have you had your eye on a piece for a while? This is your chance to get it for the price you want. Plus, have I mentioned there will be ice cream?

Brothers and another peek!

The main reason for my lack of posts last week is these two little guys:

This is my nephew Diego and his new little brother, Mateo. They are my absolute favorite two little guys in the world! But, now I am back in the studio, again working away on several commissions and pieces for my vintage show, Oil and Rouge: A Vintage Affair. I can't help but give you another look at one of the pieces for the show!


And, in case you haven't heard, this Friday, August 7 from 6-9pm, I am having an August Ice Cream Social and Name Your Own Price Sale at my studio in Falls Park in Greenville, SC! That's right- forget the price on the tags! Offer me any reasonable price on all original paintings, and the piece is yours for that price. You may be surprised what I will consider a reasonable price. (although, naturally, I reserve the right to refuse anything too low. $5 for a $400 piece? No sale) Plus, all prints are 15% off. Plus, you will get a peek at even more of the pieces for October's vintage show!

Come on out and enjoy some ice cream on me and buy art for a great price. Hope to see you there! Emily Clarke Studio is located at 300 River St., in the middle of Falls Park in downtown Greenville, SC.

Showing a little leg

This is a peek at a portion of one of my new vintage pieces. I am still debating how many of the full pieces I am going to reveal before the show, but I wanted to give you this view because I am so excited about how it is progressing!

Making Progress

None of these pieces is finished yet, but I did want to show off the fact that I am making quite a bit of progress. Just have about 15 more to do...

Making Preparations

This weekend, my dad helped me cut down some masonite panels for my new vintage pieces. I spent a lot of yesterday painting in the background colors on several of them so that I won't have to spend so much time waiting for paint to dry. This was the sight that greeted me when I got in to the studio this morning- all these brightly colored panels just begging to be painted on.

You can find out more information about my vintage show, Oil and Rouge: A Vintage Affair, as well as information about vintage art and style in Greenville and beyond, on our new blog, http://OilandRouge.wordpress.com. Check it out!

Growing Up

I spent much of the weekend painting my nephew's new room. His new baby brother will be here soon, so in preparation we fixed up his new "big boy" room. I decided to paint vintage automobiles, and found these by searching vintage posters and toy ads. It ended up being a really fun and colorful room!

Celebrating one year

Ali commissioned this piece for her husband for their one year anniversary. This is the spot where he proposed. Congrats guys!

I Can Be Anything

I created this piece for the "I Can Be Anything" exhibit at the new Children's Museum of the Upstate. The exhibit features portraits by local artists of famous South Carolinians. I got to paint musician Edwin McCain. This piece came together a lot easier than I expected, and I think the likeness is pretty good. So, Edwin if you are seeing this, I hope you are satisfied.

Precious

This piece is from one of my favorite photos I took after my nephew was born just over 4 years ago. I have always wanted to paint it. Now that we are expecting my second nephew to arrive, it seemed like a good time!

CafePress shop!

I am very excited to announce that you can now purchase mugs, aprons, and tile coasters featuring images from my Modern Conveniences series in my CafePress Shop! Sip your morning coffee from a mug printed with one of my vintage housewives. Look stylish while you are baking wearing one of my custom aprons. Or, set your drinks on a coaster featuring a festive 1940's house party. Just click on the link above, or visit www.cafepress.com/EmilyClarke, and you too can start living the vintage lifestyle!

A behind the scenes look

As promised, a few behind the scenes shots from last Saturday's vintage photo shoot. From top to bottom: Our first set-up in a corner of the Art & Light Gallery; the talented Shantel Lowe working her make-up magic on model Caroline Davis,;the fabulous Keith Carson- lighting and photography wizard; and Shantel's husband Jody reluctantly letting me turn him into a 40's Navy man.

Congratulations Jameson and Brian!

Part of my marathon weekend was spent celebrating Jameson and Brian's wedding. Even though I had to duck out of the reception early, I am sure they saw this on the gift table, not wrapped and with no card. Hopefully they figured out who it was from. Congrats guys!

I will post a couple behind the scenes pictures from my vintage photo shoot tomorrow!

"Number Please"

24"x 36"
Oil on cardboard

I keep mentioning my vintage photo shoot, which is happening this Saturday. I have been busy gathering up props, finalizing clothing, hair, talking with models, and even interviewing with G Magazine. A friend lent me this 50's rotary phone, and I couldn't resist painting it. It is just like one that was at my grandparents' house when I was little. I love the sound of the dial going around. If these phones would still work, I would so have one at my house!