HOG

So, my "daily painting" last night was a little different than usual. Every year, Hands on Greenville has a piggy bank auction to raise money for their organization. The banks, decorated by local artists, are paired with packages of great items. This is my submission for this year. I still have to name it, so if you have any suggestions, let me know.

"Across Their Path"

10"x 14"
Oil on Masonite
$150

I submitted this piece for a juried show in North Carolina. Hopefully it will make it. I am very happy with how the stone steps turned out, and I love the brightness of the children against the neutral ground.

"A Bath Anywhere"

9 1/2"x 13 1/2"
Oil on Mat board
$150

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

This is a wonderful, classic picture of my dad taking a bath in a bowl...

"Stranded, but This Time Prepared"

14"x 18"
Oil on Mat board
$220

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

I decided to revisit the boats on a larger scale. I think this one has a bit more contrast and attention to detail. I don't often do larger versions of smaller studies, so it was interesting to repeat a subject, remebering what worked the last time, and what needed improvement.

Need a Fix?

For a great cup of coffee, and a chance to check out some art, go to one of Greenville's newest coffee shops, FIX. It is located at 101 Wade Hampton, near the Handlebar. You can also see a collection of my small daily paintings there through September!

Building the Future on the Past

I am very pleased to announce the opening of my newest show, Building the Future on the Past, at the Art & Light gallery on Friday, September 5.

During my senior year as an art major at Furman, I created a set of paintings which were a definitive statement about who I was at that time. In the years between then and now, my work, and my life has changed dramatically.

This show is a celebration of the work I did then and the work I am doing now. Come see what happens when my new paintings are literally and figuratively built on the foundation of the older work.

Opening Reception: Friday, September 5, 2008, 6:00-9:00pm
The gallery will also be open Saturday, September 6, 2008, 10:00am-3:00pm

Art & Light
Flatiron Studios
1211 Pendleton StreetGreenville, SC 29611

Also come out that night for the official expansion of Lilly Pottery and Knack, and the grand opening of Kyle Buttram's studio! Don't miss it!

"Life Occurring With No One Watching"

14"x 18"
Oil on Canvas panel
$220

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

As promised, here is last night's completed piece.

I may have to start calling my blog "a painting every two days", because that is about how long these larger pieces are taking me. This is my latest piece in progress. I will post the completed painting tomorrow.

"Keeping a Step Behind"

12"x 14"
Oil on Mat board
SOLD

I was happy with this painting when I finished it last night, but I think I like it even more now. I was most worried about painting the striped blankets around the women's shoulders, but they turned out to be one of the easiest elements to paint. I also love the texture of the braids on the woman on the left.

An Abundance of Frames

I am in the final stages of preparing for my next show, as evidenced by the large number of frames around the studio. For a peek at the show, visit artandlightgallery.blogspot.com.

"Peeking Into the Complexity of Their Lives"

10"x 14"
Oil on Masonite
$150

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

"Traces of Things Not Seen"

10"x 14"
Oil on Masonite
SOLD

This piece took a little longer than expected, but I am very happy with the results. As you may have guessed, it is from another one of Kathryn's photos from Peru. Thanks for all the inspiration!

18"x 24"
Oil on Canvas

I have had so much fun creating paintings from family photographs that I decided to do this portrait of my grandparents. I love the challenge of painting in the sepia tones, plus my grandmother had fantastic hair! If you would like to commission me to do a painting from your family photographs, just email me and I will be happy to discuss size and price options.

"The Balcony Overlooks"

10"x 14"
Oil on Masonite
SOLD

The challenge with this piece was mixing a vibrant enough green to capture the intensity of the photograph. This is another of Kathryn's photos from Peru. I also love the strong diagonal of the power lines across the top.

"Stranded, but Not Alone"

10"x 12"
Oil on Masonite
SOLD

My sister's friend, Kathryn Bowen, took the photo this painting is based on during their recent trip to Peru. I love the texture in this piece. You can expect to see more of Kathryn's photos from that trip soon!

Studio Tour

Click here, or go to the Bio page on my website to get a tour of my studio. You can also get a glimpse of my current work in progress.

"Standing With Pride"

4"x8"
Graphite on Mat board
$80

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

I love this picture. It just seems so classically American.

"Gather Out Front"

4"x6"
Graphite on Mat Board
$80

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

I have been doing several of these drawings recently, and they are quite a fun challenge. I mostly enjoyed capturing the interactions between the children in this one.

"Made By Hand"

6"x6"
Oil on Masonite
$80

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

My dad is a very talented wood turner. You can see some of his work here. I did this piece from a photo of him working on one of his bowls.

"With Age Comes Wisdom"

12"x14"
Oil on Masonite
SOLD

I am really happy with this piece. I have done so many pieces of my grandmother recently, whether just her hands or her whole figure, but they have all been from pictures of her when she was younger. This piece, on the other hand, was from a later picture of her, the way that I remember her. It was so much fun to paint these older hands, as well as the details of her dress and sweater.

"With Loving Care"

6"x6"
Oil on Masonite
$80

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

This is another close crop of one of my family photographs. I painted the "zoomed out" version of this photo several months ago. See it here.

"Resting in Her Lap"

12"x14"
Oil on Masonite
$150

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

For this piece, I decided to combine the hand studies I have been doing with the family portraits I did in my last series. This is a very tight crop of a picture of my grandmother sitting on a hill. I tried to replicate the scratched and faded look of the photograph in the background. I may be exploring this idea further.

New Website!

I am very excited to announce the launch of my new website, www.EmilyClarkeStudio.com! On the site, you can see collections of my larger work, get updates on upcoming shows, and get more information about myself and my work. You can even get directions to the studio. And, don't worry, I will still be posting (almost) daily paintings here on my blog, which can also be easily accessed through the new site. Thanks everyone for your continued support!

"With Open Hands"

12"x14"
Graphite on Masonite

I am not sure this one is finished yet. I like the drawing, but would like to add some color to it as well.

"Standing in My Own Shoes"

6"x6"
Oil on Masonite
SOLD

A while back, I did a painting of my sister's tennis shoes. This time, I decided to paint my own. There seemed to be something patriotic about painting a pair of blue Converse shoes. Happy 4th of July!

"Palms Up"

6"x6"
Oil on Masonite
$80

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

It was interesting on this piece to focus on the flat area of the palm, and the small details, rather than focusing on odd angles or intertwining fingers.

"A Tangle of Fingers"

6"x6"
Oil on Masonite
$80

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

This piece was fairly complicated. Trying to make the fingers look like they were coming off of the correct hand was more difficult than you might think!

"Looking Away"

12"x12"
Oil and Graphite on Wood
$220

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