Figuratively Speaking - Grandma

8"x10"

This was painted from a photo taken 42 years ago.  I can easily pull up that number because it was an important year for me.  The baby is my oldest son, my first born.  It was taken at Thanksgiving so he was 6 weeks old.  He was a big baby, well over 9 pounds.  We make them big in our family.  The lady in the photo is his grandmother.  What a beautiful lady she was.  She loved kids and nature and was truly kind.  I am writing this about her in past tense because she just passed.  Painting this was good therapy, but hard to do.  I really wanted to capture her likeness and her personality.  That Thanksgiving was both unusual and special.  We were hippies.  My son was born at home.  We hosted my husband's family and many of them came, including his Uncle Chuck and his 3 boys, and his sisters.  We were not shy about our hippy ways including being vegetarian and smoking pot.  The family was amazingly cool about the whole thing.  We had a wonderful time and I really remember the closeness I felt with his family and all our hippy friends who came to celebrate with us.  We will miss you Joan.  Thank you for loving my children, your grandchildren and your great grandchildren.

Figuratively Speaking - Tumbling

8"x10" oil  $200   http://www.dailypaintworks.com/fineart/christine-holzschuh/untitled/474792

Letting out a big sigh of relief right about now.  I just delivered well over 100 figurative paintings (including the one featured here)  to the Castleton Downtown Gallery for a show which opens the first of July.  Like so many things in life, getting ready for this show, aptly titled Go Figure, was fraught with many potential stumbling blocks. Rather than describing the mundane frustrations I have encountered, I will just say that it was a bit like the little tufted titmouse who repeatedly is flying into my window convinced that the image of a threatening competitor is real! Nothing too interesting or life altering in any of that, but it has brought to mind more important events that have changed the course of my life.  One of those was the arrival of my youngest son, Harry.  He arrived with that first name and a heartbreaking back story.  He was an abandoned baby, teeny weeny and clearly scared.  My memory of holding him for the first time was of him gripping my skin with his fingers and toes and holding himself on to me for dear life.  This is not normal behavior for a 6 month old who should be all soft and floppy.  This unprecedented early physical development, although the result of survival skills, has served him well.  He is a natural athlete and incredibly strong.  It took almost 12 years for the adoption to go through, but that day stands as one of the happiest in my life. I could, and probably should, write a book about all we have been through, but the happy ending to the story is that he is a handsome and successful adult who has a sweet and loving personality. Aside from my parents, he has done more to form the better parts of my character than anyone else.  It is easy for others to view our story and react by saying what a wonderful thing I have done for him.  But, truth be told, it really is the other way around....Go Figure! 

The Drummer

6"x6" oil

This is day 3 of the 30 in 30 Challenge by Leslie Saeta.  I am painting on birch panels coated with a clear gesso.  I am trying to use slightly less saturated colors than my normal palette, leave some of the birch showing, and although it is not evident in this one, I am trying to also leave some of the original drawing.  I am learning a lot and tweaking this method with the hopes that I find a technique that really works for me combining realism and abstraction in a pleasing way.

I Can Fly

6"x6" oil SOLD

I love the expression on this cutie's face.  It was a really fun painting to do and I loved the abstract aspects of it, especially the rhythms and patterns, the dashes and drops of color.  I have been attempting to paint with less saturated colors and this one fits that bill.  It is not that I don't love the beautiful strong colors, it is just that I think I need to explore other options including those that don't come easy for me.

Day 22 Slate- Mother and Child

14"x11" acrylic on slate SOLD

This piece is shown with the ribbon and bow hanger for the stylized Mother and Child.

A New World

6"x6" oil

I reworked an old painting.  I liked the figure of the woman and baby but didn't like the environment she was in so I decided on a soft ethereal world.  Of course everything is new for a baby, but I think that a new mother also experiences the world in a new and different way, as the surrounding take less precedent over the world of love and responsibility you feel for this vulnerable and fresh creature.

Naia

6"x6" oil

I couldn't help but smile the whole time I was painting beautiful Naia.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

6"x6"  oil

I love the pose on this one.  Babies and old folks (like me) know nature's way of amplifying the audio mysteries of the world...just scoop your ear into a better sound catcher!

Picking Flowers

12x12 oil

The most fun in painting this was the folds of the tunic, but how can anyone resist the excitement she expresses in picking her first flower.  Someday someone will tell her that dandelions are weeds, but until then, what magic there is in crawling in a field of flowers!

Little Pumpkin

5"x7" acrylic SOLD

Coming out of the fog of 4 days without electricity, internet or telephones.  It is really beautiful here..kind of like a magical winter wonderland, but there is a harsh side to the reality.  One that requires preparation...a generator, woodstove, lanterns and down comforters.  Once those things are taken care of, our attitudes can switch from "what we don't have" to "what an amazing place this is!"

In Good Hands

7"x7" graphite drawing SOLD

Here is something different!  I haven't done a serious drawing for a long time...years in fact.  I do love to draw but most of the time I am just doing sketches without shading and modeling.  I was asked to do this image and decided pencil was the way to go.  I had much fun doing it and it makes me want to do more.

Naia

10"x10"  oil

Is she beautiful or what?  She is not my biological grandchild, but she is the daughter of my "almost daughter" so that makes Naia my "almost granddaughter."  Lucky me!  I also feel lucky to get to paint her.  I did the drawing below first because I have been really enjoying the process of drawing lately and it helps to get to know the subject a little better.  I then did the painting.  Since the reference photo was black and white, I had to make up the colors.  Rather than studying a bunch of other photos of her, I decided to just let the painting tell me what colors to use.  It looked rather bland to me (except the startling yellow jumper) until I mixed a little batch of paint with Rembrandt transparent red oxide and some cad yellow and white and got the punch I needed.  I love that color!  I also added purple to her hair which I think worked well.  It is hard to tell in this photo, but the purple just kind of works with the brown.  Anyway, I have been working so hard to get ready for an upcoming show (mostly framing, etc.) that it is so fun to do a painting I am pleased with.  I really hope her mom loves it too!

Give Away

8"x8" oil

I am giving away this painting.  I really like it because it has all those ingredients that make it a lovely story with true romance!  A picnic in a meadow...a young couple....a kiss.....a baby in daddy's arms...what more can you ask for?  I got the idea from watching a production on Netflix.  It is a period piece with episodes and I am sure it is on TV as well although I don't have TV so I can't say for sure.  It is a popular show.  To win this painting, guess the name of the series.  If I get more than one correct guess, I will randomly choose a winner.  I have been thinking about doing this painting for a while and am so glad I finally got around to doing it.  I did it with a very limited palette (green, red, yellow, blue and white and kept it very loose so that I didn't overwork it.  You can register your guess by making a comment here, or on my facebook page. The value of this painting unframed is $180.  I will choose a winner on Friday.

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Mother and Child

6"x6" oil

I just keep working on this one...it is getting better, but who knows...I may continue to mess with it....sometimes there is one I should have wiped....but instead I never let it go. Does this happen to you?

Snack Time

7"x9" oil

I wanted to see if I could do a figurative piece that had the same kind of color "pop" as the floral pieces done at Dreama Tolle Perry's workshop.  This is more subdued but I still think it has some of the pizazz I like.  It is a method I think I will continue to explore as I am more drawn to painting people and children than I am floral scenes.  Although, I do love flowers and gardening and certainly beautiful paintings of idyllic scenes...but I will leave it to others to do those subjects, at least for now.  Does this piece have appeal to you?  I am not related to this child, but she is a bit universal I think...round and sweet and curious.

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Nicky and Liam

6"x6" oil

SOLD

I have just returned from a workshop with Dreama Tolle Perry and as always, it was fabulous.  Today and tomorrow I am at "Art In the Park" in Rutland, VT.  So, if you are in the area, come on out and see what is happening.  It is a very fun event and it looks like we are going to have sparkling weather.

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Cloe oil 4"x4" #339

This is the newest member of our family, Cloe. She is my niece's first child and she is a beauty. We will have 2 more by Christmas....such a joy!
SOLD

Big Hat Big Waves oil 6"x6" #336

What do you do when you are 2 years old and mom says the water is too cold because you are turning blue? Rather than get the blues, you sit on the edge and excitedly anticipate the waves taking over your seat. This is my grandson wearing his grandpa's sizable hat. I don't think I have ever seen him so excited as he was at the beach in June. The waves were big and they were really cold!
SOLD

Alistair #301 acrylic 4"x4"

The idea was to do these small portraits of my family from photos where they aren't smiling...problem is that Alistair is always smiling!
SOLD

Happy Feet 4"x4" oil

sweet little feet and graphic abstract lines of the stroller....nice combo I think #90