Refreshing

Another not quite finished piece, but I love how the girl turned out, especially how bright she is compared to the brown paper. I am not sure what to do with the soldier yet

I started this piece at the end of last week. It doesn't quite feel finished, but I love the direction it is heading. It is interesting how the neutral ground of the paper really makes the colors stand out. I also love thinking about what these gals are saying at this moment!

If you will be in the Seneca area this weekend, I will be participating in Arts on the Alley, an outdoor art festival on Ram Cat Alley in downtown Seneca, SC. The festival runs all day Friday and Saturday. Hope to see you there!

"One Final Adjustment"

I realized that it has been several weeks since I have actually done a "daily painting." But I have been so excited by the larger pieces I have been working on, and the commissions are starting to pile up. This is the last of the pieces in my "Modern Conveniences" series (at least for the moment). I know it isn't an appliance ad, but pantyhose are somewhat of a modern convenience, right? I have been debating whether or not the background of this one is done. I wanted to leave it a little sketchy and ambiguous, but I also don't want the guy in the mirror to look like he is just lurking in the background, watching her dress. I love the figure of the woman, though.

I just started planning a new series of paintings. It is going to be a fairly long term project. I will still be doing the vintage 40's and 50's look, but I want to create my own photos to paint from, rather than relying on existing images. The whole thing will take a lot of planning on my part, but it will involve several vintage dealers in the Greenville area. Plus, if you have ever wanted to be a model, or feel that you were born to be a 50's housewife, this is your chance! More details will come later.

This is a commission piece that I did last week for a 1 year anniversary. I waited until now to post it so that I wouldn't ruin the suprise. Congratulations Cristin and Allen!

Open House Tonight!

Open house tonight at Emily Clarke Studio's new location at Art Crossing on the Riverfront. 6-9pm. Hope to see you there!

"Multi-Tasking"

24"x 24"
Oil on Canvas
$500

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

Another piece from my new set, Modern Conveniences. I do these pieces in layers. I start with the colored background, which I lay on very thin and texturize it with a rag or even my hand. Once that layer dries, I sketch the entire painting out in one color- in this case, brown. Once I am happy with the layout, I let that layer dry and then add a layer of color and detail. In some pieces, the original drawing is almost totally covered. In others, like this one, much of the original sketch remains. Someday soon if I remember, I will photograph the various layers as they are completed.

"Yes, I'll Take One"

24"x24"
Oil on Canvas
$500

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

I love the newest pieces from my "Modern Conveniences" series so much that I had to post one here! All the current pieces in this series are posted in my website's gallery.

Flat Out Under Pressure

I spent the day today participating in a contest called "Flat Out Under Pressure", a 24-hour art-making juried event where the winning artworks will be recreated on 10 new recycling bins in downtown Greenville as a type of outdoor gallery. Other prizes include cash and a trip to Italy! I had to report in this morning with my blank canvas, and we were given 24 hours to complete a piece. I got started around 9:30am, and around 11:00am it looked like this...



And, a mere 11 hours after I started, after much debate and experimentation, it ended up looking like this...



I am pretty pleased with the outcome. I love the bright colors in contrast with the brown paper. I created this image out of several different images. I wanted to create a "night out on the town in Greenville" scene set in the 1950's. In order to get it, I combined an actual photo of the Westin Poinsett Hotel here in Greenville with figures from a couple different 50's ads. I think the combination ended up being pretty seamless. I am excited about the show and awards ceremony tomorrow night. It will be fun to see what everyone else came up with. Thanks to all you who stopped by to cheer me on!

"At the Counter"

16"x 20"
Oil and paper on Canvas
$450

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

I realized today that I posted the first step of this piece, but didn't post the completed piece, even though it has been hanging finished in the studio for a couple of weeks. I am really happy with the contrast between the brown of the paper, the drawing, and the painted areas.

"Sure, I'd Love Too"

12"x 12"
Oil on Canvas

I did this piece for the Open Studios Retrospective show opening in a couple of weeks, but I like it so much I wanted to go ahead and post it.

Door Sign!

It really feels official now! I got my door sign up and am in full swing at the new studio!

"Out to Dry"

8"x 8"
Oil on wood panel
SOLD

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

I started this piece before the move to the new studio, and finally got it finished today. This is from a photo a friend gave me a while ago. It makes me wish I had a place to hang my clothes out to dry.

I have finally gotten everything into the new studio, have organized the chaos, and gotten to work. It is great being down by the river, listening to the breeze and the birds through the open door (when if is not suddenly 40 degrees that is!) I have also been enjoying watching people stroll past and even stopping to talk to me about my work. I am still working out the Internet situation, so my posts may be a little spotty for a week or so, but I couldn't resist posting a few more shots of the new digs. I really like the reflection of the Peace Center in the window of the first pic.

Contratulations Kathy and Pepper!

While I am packing up the studio and everything is in disarray, I thought I would post this piece I did for my cousin's wedding this weekend. I wish I could be there, but California is a long way away. Hope you guys have a blast!

I'm moving!!

I found out last week that I was able to get a space in the Art Crossing area on the riverfront! So, this week I am packing up the studio and preparing to move down the street. Art Crossing is a collection of artist studios right along the Reedy River downtown. My new space, which I will be sharing with my friend Ashley, is the one furthest to the right in this picture.


And this is the view from my door!

Once I get moved in, feel free to drop by!

Painting in the Park

I don't typically paint en plein aire, or outside. I actually think the last time I painted a landscape outside was in college. But, this spring weather we have been having made me dread being cooped up in the studio all day, so on Tuesday, I packed up my paints, my desk easel, and a lunch, and ventured out to Falls Park to this spot:

And set to work. There are several sets of stone steps in this remote corner of the park that lead up to the Governor's school for the arts. I only discovered this spot recently, and have wanted to paint it ever since.


"Leading to Where"
16"x 20"
Oil on Canvas
$220

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

Painting outside is so totally different from painting in the studio. In the studio, I have pretty much total control over my environment, and can work relatively undisturbed. Outside is a different story. You have to deal with changes in weather and light, wind, picking leaves out of the paint, and bugs landing on the canvas, not to mention the people wandering by to see what you are doing. Throughout the day, I was beset by many questions and curious looks: the little boy who politely asked if he could "help" me, the group of high school students on their lunch break who suddenly surrounded me, the two older ladies who just sat down behind me and watched for a while, the little girl who, after asking her mom if I was a painter, stated that I "wasn't very good" (everyone is a critic). All in all, it was a fun experience which I will likely repeat again soon. If you are out and about on a nice day in Greenville, come look for me!

"Dashing Away"

4 1/4"x 5 1/2"
Oil on Mat board
$65

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

I did a larger version of this painting a while back, but the other pieces I have been doing lately made me want to revisit it on a smaller scale. This is one of my absolute favorite photographs, picturing my grandparents dashing out of the church on their wedding day.

"Smile for the Camera"

4 1/4"x 5 1/2"
Oil on Mat board
$65

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

Another "snapshot" piece from my family. My mom is the little girl on the left. I had fun playing around with color on this one, using the brown for the darks instead of all shades of blue.

"Family Resemblance"

4 1/4"x 5 1/2"
Oil on Mat board
$65

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

I'm back! I now have my camera back, and am able to post all the fun new pieces I have been working on. I really like painting these old "snapshot" looking photos. Something about making them look recognizable, and yet still a little ambiguous intrigues me. Several more of these pieces are to come, plus I intend to get outside to paint in this beautiful spring weather this week.

Sadly, I am without my camera for a few days. But, fear not friends! I am working very hard in the studio at the moment, and will have many new pieces to share as soon as I get my camera back! Thanks for staying with me!

"There If You Look For It"

5 1/4"x 8 1/2"
Oil on Mat board
$80

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

This piece is another product of my recent photo shoot around Greenville. This old sign is a bit hidden, and trying to shoot it and not get hit by a car was a challenge. I think my favorite part is the bottom edge of the stoplight in the top left corner.

"Mere Shadows"

5 1/2"x 8 1/2"
Oil on Paper
$80

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

I went to hear a friend of mine play at O-Cha tea bar last week, and while I was listening to her, of course started sketching. This vase of flowers was sitting on the table next to me. The flowers were pretty, but what really drew my attention was the shadow created by the bright light directly overhead. In this piece, I wanted to give you just a glimpse of the actual object, but then force you to figure out what the rest of the object looks like just through its shadow.

I was also able to film this piece as I worked on it, so if I can edit it a bit, I hope to post it in a few days.

"A Little Sweeter"

4 1/4"x 5 1/2"
Oil on Mat board
$65

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

For several days, I have wanted to paint something with reflections, and this morning, my sugar dispenser made for the perfect subject. Not only did I get to paint the changing morning light on the silver top, I also had the challenge of painting the glass, and making it look like there is sugar inside. I also experimented with filming a piece in progress. I didn't get a whole video of this one, but I was able to work out a few kinks in the process, so I hope to have a few videos to post soon.

In the Park

With the weather being such a contrast to what it was on Monday (snow), I couldn't help but walk down to the park with my Moleskine to draw for a while. I keep these notebooks in my pocket or purse all the time, and they are perfect for moments like these!

In Progress

This is only step one of a new piece, but I like the drawing so much that I wanted to go ahead and share it. I drew the scene on a sheet of brown paper, which I have now mounted on a canvas and sealed. (That being the reason for the wrinkles and the slight sheen.) Next I am going to add layers of paint to the figures, leaving some areas of the paper and the graphite as is.

"At the Counter"

8 1/4"x 5 1/2"
Oil on Paper
$95

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

I intended to post this piece yesterday, but somehow had the camera but not the computer cord. So here it is, a day late. While researching images for another project, I came across a few photos that were described as Furman students in the 50's relaxing at "The Canteen". While I am not familiar with The Canteen, being a former Furman student myself, I couldn't resist them. Not to mention the iconic image of young people hanging out at the soda fountain.