"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!

I recently finished this commission for my cousin. It is such a pretty picture, and I was so happy with how it turned out that I had to go ahead and post it. It is also the first horse painting I have ever done. Enjoy Kristi!

"Sitting and Waiting"

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

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

I haven't done one of my daily paintings in a while, but I finished everything I needed to get done today before lunch. I was looking around for something to work on, and saw this photo of dad on top of a pile on my desk. He looked so sweet that I just had to paint it!

"Climb On Board"

20"x 24"
Oil on Canvas
$475

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

A big thanks to the friends, and strangers, who stopped by my demonstration on Saturday. This is the piece that I was working on. I feel like I say this a lot, but this was done from one of my favorite photos of my family. My grandmother is turning towards the camera, her dress blowing a bit in the wind, with my dad and aunt in front of her. She just looks so glamorous. In my own wardrobe, this is the look that I have been trying to replicate. This piece was fun because I painted the canvas a dark blue first and then painted in the entire thing in white. I finished by adding in a few very dark details, which I hope show up in the photograph.

The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife: Give Away! Give Away!#links

The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife: Give Away! Give Away!#links

In my constant search for inspiration for my paintings, not to mention inspiration for my wardrobe, I read a number of vintage sytle blogs. These ladies are so fun and stylish, and I find myself wishing we were friends so that I could raid their closets!

Currently The Mysterious Life of the Metropolitan Housewife is having a fantastic give away. Click on the link above, enter the give away, and check out her amazing style!

Preparations

Yes, I know this is just a big canvas painted blue, but it is in preparation for my painting demonstration this Saturday, from 11am-noon at my studio at Art Crossing on the riverfront, Suite 111. Come watch me start to fill it up with a beautiful vintage image of my Grandmother, father and aunt. Let me know if you are planning to come so I know how many to prepare for. Hope to see you there!

Congratulations Joy and Jeff!

Joy commissioned this piece for Jeff for their one year anniversary. It was a surprise for him, and his reaction was great when she brought him to pick it up. Congrats guys!

Congratulations Amy and Josh!

I got through my crazy week last week, and spent much of this weekend celebrating my cousin's wedding in Asheville. Congrats Amy and Josh!

Preparations are well under way for my vintage photo shoot. The models are lined up, all the clothes are being provided by Threads in Time Vintage on Stone Avenue, jewelry by Blue Moss, and make-up by the amazing Shantel Lowe. I will post some behind the scenes photos after the shoot in a few weeks.

And, if you have ever wondered about the process I go through to create my paintings, you will get a chance to see it firsthand this Saturday from 11am-noon at my studio at Art Crossing on the river front. Come see some of my newest work and see the steps I go through to create my vintage oil paintings.

Swamped

I am sitting in the studio looking around at all the work to be done, and feeling a bit overwhelmed. I have a list of commissions to be finished, none of which I can post at the moment for fear of ruining the surprises. I also have a stack of blank canvases just begging for some vintage ladies to grace their surfaces. And, preparations are coming together for my vintage photo shoot at the end of the month. On top of all that, I am a spotlight operator for the Greenville Little Theater's production of Carousel, opening on Friday. All that to say, painting posts may be a little slim this week! Thanks for continuing to come back to the blog!

Progress

I spent some time today adding some color to the soldier, and I have to say, I really like it. Something about how he is just a shade lighter than the background, and how he fades out a bit around the edges makes him interesting, and yet she is still the focus. And, how could she not be with that dress on!

Congratulations Dion and Chelsea!

Arts on the Alley

I had a great time at Arts on the Alley in Seneca this weekend. The weather was actually pretty good, and it only rained a bit on Saturday. I was also pretty excited to be named Best in Show for one of my new vintage ad pieces, "Yes, I'll Take One" (the red piece in the corner of the top photograph). You can read about it in this article in the Anderson Independent News. Thanks to all who came out, and to all the wonderful people I met!

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!