Figuratively Speaking - Spillway

6"x6" oil

I am going to a workshop next week which is facilitated by Mark Boedges.  He is an amazing landscape painter and I really hope I learn 4 really great things.  I figured out at some point that if I can take 4 things away from a workshop, then my work might improve.  If I try and take every good bit of information and latch onto it, well I default to overload.  Then, my painting suffers, my self esteem suffers, my husband suffers and....well you get the point.  All the good stuff just goes to my own spillway.  A few years ago hurricane Irene blew through Vermont wreaking havoc throughout the state.  Lefferts Pond took a hit and the spillway and bridge between the pond and the lake blew out. They have since rebuilt it and it is beautiful.  I am coming off a big show and numerous other wonderful things in my life, and I feel like I can barely hold on to the important things. My spillway is working, keeping the catchment of my life together for the important things, and letting go of the rest.  I guess that is the best we can hope for.  There is a balance in that.  I have been trying to find a balance and I think I am going to hold on to the spillway metaphor.  Go Figure!

Lefferts Pond

12"x16" acrylic Price $400

I do very few acrylic paintings; this is one of them.  It was such a beautiful day, and although the colors weren't at peak, it was still unbelievably glorious.

Sand Play

6"x6" oil Price $100

It is hard enough for adults to gracefully navigate deep sand, but for a little one whose balance is questionable to begin with, it is quite the exercise.  The cool thing about sand and going to the beach is that it truly is ageless entertainment.  Tiny people to really old people love to just be there and it requires very little to keep them entertained.

12"x12" oil SOLD

This is a painting of Carol and her cousin Heidi.  Today Carol and Heidi are undergoing surgery to remove one of Carol's kidneys to give to Heidi.  What a brave and generous act of love! This painting was commissioned in part to honor that event.   My main concern was to capture the posture and attitude of the ladies in an environment that suggests their family summer home.  Carol is a dynamic and very talented woman who is capable of enviable yoga poses!  I do not know Heidi, but I am sure she is as beautiful as she looks.  This painting is a compilation of many photo references.  It was probably my most challenging commission so far.
If you would like to commission a painting please email me at chrisholzsch@hotmail.com.

Deep Breath

12"x12" oil 

I have been busy painting...really I have, but I just haven't been good about posting.  This is something I promise myself I am going to be better at.  The above painting was done plein air with Peter Huntoon, who is an inspiring plein air painter.  He is equally adept in water colors and oils, and amazingly, approaches them with the same technique.  I am so grateful that he was generous enough to spend an afternoon at this lovely spot painting with me.  He gave me 2 tips, which aren't new but so good to relearn them.  I seldom paint plein air but love doing it.  It does overwhelm me though at first.  I actually had to come back the next day to finish it up.  The water was so calm and the light was so lovely.  Peter reminded me to block in the big shapes like I am cutting them out of paper (great tip) and upon finishing it he said to soften the bright colors I had put in on the trees to the left of the island (which I did) because they drew too much attention from my focal point.  It really helps to have a second pair of eyes looking at your work.  I am heading to Cape Cod this week to practice plein air painting with two good buddies, so I am glad I had this warm-up.  Please check out Peter's work by clicking on his name.  He is the quintessential Vermont landscape painter.  He has an auction for a painting once a week on his website/blog.  I love how professional he is with everything he does.

Golden Hour

It is that magic hour when everything slows and has that golden glow.  Time for cocktails and sitting in lawn chairs!

Happy As a Sailor, Just Me and My Dog

6"x6" oilClick to Bid

I know, the title is bigger than the painting!  It is from lyrics from a silly song about a dog. 

8"x10" oil

This is painted from a photo taken by my friend at Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT, on Lake Champlain, looking at the Adirondack mountains in NY.  It is a must visit place if you are ever in the Green Mountain State.  The bottom photo shows my first stage and the photo reference on the left.  I had fun painting this and it brought back lovely memories.

Day 6 - Killington Ski Resort

8"x8" acrylic on slate

This photo makes the slate look really dark and the subtle colors are lost.  It is an image of Killington Ski Resort with a happy full moon overlooking it.  The moon was inspired by the talking moon from the BBC comedy The Mighty Boosh which is a very bizarre show created by two very talented guys.

Wading In Gold

8"x8" Acrylic SOLD

This was a commission I did in acrylic so it would dry quickly and I could varnish it and frame it.  I did something different by painting in thin layers with a small paintbrush.  Mostly it was an experiment and I really like some of the affects that created.  This as well, was of necessity because I am somewhat home bound and have limited supplies available.  Most importantly the person who bought it was really happy with the results.

Leaf Showers

11"x14" oil

We had a spectacular fall in the NE and then had a huge wind storm.  One day I looked out the window and saw the leaves blowing across the back yard and wanted to capture what I saw from memory.  I spend a few moments studying the big pieces of composition and note the values and colors.  The blue of the sky and water are much less colorful in the painting...more of a whitish gray with a tint of blue.

Facing the Stage

7"x7" oil

Nature plays out her drama in vivid colors in this early fall foliage pageant.  I was going to call it "Dressed In Red" but really this is one of those perfectly staged scenes put together by naturally occurring elements plus a few chairs!

Washed Up

8"x10" oil 

First some complaining...I had a really hard time getting good photos today as everything has a glare.  I am re-doing, fixing up, or repainting some things I have previously done.  Although I don't necessarily solve all the problems, I am learning a ton from the exercise and am much happier with the results.  Some artists just stop when it isn't working and start a new painting, but I tend to prefer to work on it until I apply enough of what I know to make it work out satisfactorily, at least to my current standards.  Hopefully the bar will go up in my expectations over time.  This is from one of our gorgeous lakes in a state park and now I don't think it is all washed up! 

Taking a Break

5"x7" oil 

This painting was completed a while ago but I varnished it too soon and it smeared a thin layer of green over her body so I had to do some restoration.  I removed the varnish and did some touch-ups and revisions and it turned out better than I had hoped and I learned a new skill, so all is good!

Striking the Pose

4"x6" oil 

This pose she is holding must say something about her personality.  She froze for a moment, enticed by those picnickers across the park who were playing a lawn game, knowing she had reached her permissible boundary and she caught my attention and I am sure that I caught someone's attention wondering why I was photographing her...and it goes on and on.

Taking a Stroll

4"x6" oil

Boys and Girls

6"x6" oil

This does bring back memories of sunbathing with my girlfriends (we used baby oil and iodine back then) and the boys in the distance.  The pattern of their legs with fun shadows really caught my attention and I snapped a quick shot of this that was really terrible.  There were a lot more people in it and only part of their legs, but it was enough to create a painting I am happy with.

Almost

6"x6" oil

This little one was working so hard to catch balls that were just barely out of her reach.  That did not deter her though, as she stayed with the task.

Dragonfly

6"x6" oil

This little dragonfly is dancing in the shallows.  I love this summer subject because it gives me the chance to play with color.  Landscapes in VT in the summer are pretty green, so I am focusing on our beautiful parks and lakes and the lovely people that enjoy them.

Morning Coffee

6"x6" oil

Lovely place to enjoy morning coffee with their pouch.  It is actually from Brookfield, VT, and they are watching those fishing from the floating bridge, which should be a subject for another day.  If I owned that dock however, I would put some Adirondack chairs on it.