RBG

 

i have no words..........

New Exhibit

I paint with a group of amazing women artists and occasionally we hang exhibits together. 

After waiting 2-3 years for a show at the Orinda Library Gallery BASA's name finally came up.

We were due to hang on March 31st and then the pandemic hit.

So with Covid-19 on everyone's mind we decided to take what we have been working so hard on and give you a virtual show. How creative is that!

Here is the link: Click Me!

During this stressful time I hope our video gives you a moment to relax.

Stay well......Jeanette

Happy Birthday

Song - Take Me Home, Country Roads by John Denver

Happy 100th Birthday...to our National Parks!

Hope you can join us on Monday at The Lafayette Library for the reception!

Julia Parker's painting will be there!

 BASA's collaborative piece "John Muir, Starry Range of Light" 

is a beautiful focal piece for our National Park series.

Suzun Almquist, Joanne Taeuffer, Marcy Wheeler, Sharon Tama, Jeanette Baird

Bay Area Studio Artists will be there to greet you!


"Going to the mountains is going home." - John Muir

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

Song - Changes by David Bowie

In 2013 I painted a rather large canvas (30 x 40) for a show I was having with a group a artist friends that I paint with - Bay Area Studio Artists or BASA. The show was titled "Shades of California" and I painted a beach scene from my beloved Lake Tahoe.

  However, I made the umbrella RED! I thought at the time that it added a snap of color!

......And it was used for the Marketing of our show.



I never liked the painting and I couldn't put my finger on why - other than the colors of the water were too intense and maybe everything was too saturated? It was not calming like I feel when I am on this beach.

 I changed the water and made the stripes of the umbrella more defined.  Still no.....

So I have had it stored in a back room but often wondered what I could do to improve this painting.

Move forward to 2016 - last week.  I was getting ready for an upcoming show in Danville at Chow and I thought about a painting for their large wall.

 I began to work with the photo of the painting in PhotoShop.  I changed that awful purple-blue of the shadows from the chairs, removed the flip-flops (because it always made me wonder where that person went to?), and I lowered the horizon.  Better.....but.......

 Then I decided the umbrella was too stiff and needed a slight breeze.....so I changed the shape. Mmmm.....still not working.

 I changed it to blue, then taupe and finally solid white.  Better but not feeling light and breezy!

Then yesterday morning I noticed our white canvas umbrellas on the back deck and snapped a photo.  I could see the colors coming through the under part of it as well as the changes in the fabric as it moved from post to post.  I also received a catalog the day before with a selection of umbrellas so I combined my backyard photo and the catalog stripes and here it is...............

 I added the hint of a turquoise line at the horizon and poof! So soothing....

 I feel so much better.  It was a tough challenge but I stuck with it and am very happy with how it turned out.  Time to give it a title.....

"Remember…. The entrance to the sanctuary is in you." - Rumi

New Art Show in Napa

My artist friends and I from BASA just hung a new show at the Napa Library.  We will be having a reception and Artists' Talk this Friday.  Check out the flyer for more information!  

I hope you can join us for a fun evening.

If you click on the above BASA link, you will be able to see some of the wonderful pieces of artwork.

Pairings Reception on Saturday

Hope you can join me in Healdsburg on Saturday evening!

Robin

Song - Elmer Fudd sings Bruce Springsteen by Robin Williams

Robin: A Spark in the Dark by Bay Area Studio Artists (BASA)

The collaborative painting Robin: A Spark in the Dark was created by the seven-member Bay Area Studio Artists as a signature piece for a show called Light <---> Dark. Our goal for the show was to present a meditation on the light and dark patterns and balances that make a painting intriguing, compelling and dramatic.

As we began to think about a group work to illustrate this idea, we realized there was another kind of light and dark in our emotional lives.  And as we discussed this we thought of Robin Williams, whose death had touched us all.  He seemed to embody the brightest of light moments as well as the darker side of reality.

The resulting portrait we created is painted on 24 - 10 x 10 inch canvases.  The seven artists were randomly assigned three or four pieces of the painting.  The canvases, painted in acrylic or oil, represent the BASA artists' eclectic mix of styles from realism to expressionism.  We like to think the resulting work reflects the mix of realities that were always part of Robin's personae.

(Above content written by participating artist Joanne Taeuffer)

Artists participating in BASA include - Suzun Almquist, Marcy Wheeler, Jeanette Baird, Joanne Taeuffer, Susan Bonebakker, Sharon Tama and Ellen Reintjes.

Yesterday, August 11th marked the one year anniversary of Robin Williams passing.

Robin: A Spark in the Dark will be in an exhibit  "Pairings" at the Healdsburg Center for the Arts
from August 19 - October 4, 2015.  And at the Marilyn Citron O'Rourke Art Gallery in Benicia from Oct. 12 - Nov. 20th. 


"Not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his (Robin's) absence.  We'll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again." --Zelda Williams

Orinda Books Show and Reception

I paint with a small group of talented women "Bay Area Studio Artists" and we will be having a show for the month of August at Orinda Books.  The reception will be this Sunday, Aug. 2 from 1-3.  

Hope you can join us!

If the link above does not work for BASA, click below.

bayareastudioartists.com

Plein Air Painting in Napa

Song - Autumn Leaves by The Carlos Herrera Band

Woke up early on Saturday morning to head up to Napa to paint with some friends at Chimney Rock Winery.

Bay Area Studio Artists actually did paint outside!  Well, most of us did......

It was a lovely clear day and the winery was having a new release celebration.  They had a the Carlos Herrera Band playing in the courtyard and we painted while members ate, drank and enjoyed the music, art and sunshine.

This is the outside of the barrel room....

....and inside......

I took most of these photos before the crowds arrived.

Sharon Tama and Susan Bonebakker discussing their painting plan of action!

Sharon painted a lovely little courtyard painting of the trees and flowers while Sue painted the iron gate and flowers.

Marcy Wheeler hamming it up after selling her painting of the band.

Ellen Reintjes chose to do some creative iPad paintings!

Suzun Almquist had a beautiful little painting of the interior of the courtyard. Suzun, myself and Joanne all painted from behind the low courtyard wall looking in at the activity.

Here is Joanne Taeuffer packing up a little early as she had finished her "schmoozing" for the day!!!
Actually, Joanne is an incredible artist and lot's of fun to paint with but she just wasn't "feeling it" on Saturday.

And here I am getting my easel set up to paint.  I did paint the interior of the courtyard as well.  It was great to be surrounded by the vineyard, listen to the Cuban/Spanish music and paint.

 Some of the food servers found these little birds that had fallen from their nest.  They look about ready to fly!

"Beautiful day, good friends, great music and happy to be painting!" - Jeanette Crawford Baird

What's on My Easel?

30 Paintings in 30 Days - After Edward Hopper


So last night was our Bay Area Studio Artists reception at Chimney Rock Winery.  We had a great turnout and the winery poured some fabulous wine as well as having some great appetizers!

Unfortunately,  I was so busy greeting guests that I forgot to take some photos of the even!

Here are a few.....

It was a beautiful evening and we were able to enjoy the courtyard where Sue and Marcy presented several large pieces of work.  And inside we were able to set several smaller pieces around the tasting room!  So if you were not able to make it to the reception, the show will be up until the end of April!

Also, they will be having another reception for us in mid-April as well!

Before the doors opened Mr. B and I strolled around the beautiful grounds. This is their barrel tasting room.

And here is the inside of the barrel room - I just wish I had an option to do "scratch & sniff" on my blog because the scent in this room was heavenly!

 Looking out of the barrel room, along the trough fountain and courtyard and back to the wine tasting room.

Inside they were pouring their white wines and outside were their lovely reds.

After our reception we drove to downtown Napa for dinner at Oenotri and to our hotel across the street.

Oenotri is an amazing Italian restaurant run by a good friend Tyler Rodde.  We had a crab appetizer, and platter of house cured salumi (they were so good we ate them before I remembered to take a photo)!


For our salads, Mr. B ordered the Chioggia Beets with Avacado & Meyer lemon, Mascarpone and Arugula. 

I had the Red Oak Lettuce with Mandarin, Grapefruit and Meyer lemon, walnuts and Watermelon Radishes. Yummmm.......

Next we were treated to a Fegato pizza cooked in a pizza oven brought over from Italy.  On top of the pizza was cream, parmigiano-regianno, balsamico, shaved Foi Gras torchon and chives.  The California ban on foi gras had just been lifted 2 days ago!

This pizza had a light delicious crust and the topping was like eating something from another world - rich, heavenly, rich, delicious, rich, incredible, better than butter rich! 

Then our main courses came.  Mr. B ordered swordfish with fried potatoes, clams, mussels, garlic, onions and parsley and I had a comfort food pasta dish, bucatini alla carbonara, farm egg, pancetta, red onion and parmigiano!  Yum all over again.........

And in case that wasn't quite enough, we finished the night off with a Mandarin sorbetto - Prosecco Zabaglione and vanilla meringues.

We then limped our tired selves over to our hotel across the street!

Meanwhile back at home our little darlin' stayed with my parents.  She charmed them so much that my mom took several photos of her getting comfy on the couch!

I think she is pretty comfortable at their home, don't you?

Sweet dreams.....

White Balance

Song - Nights in White Satin by The Moody Blues


The group of women painters that I paint and show with are named - BASA - Bay Area Studio Artists.  We are applying for a new show in Benicia entitled "White Balance". This is a technical camera term meaning basically - "whites change under different lighting situations so you need to adjust your camera to compensate."  You can read more about it here.

I personally love white.  There is so much color reflected in it.  I have white furniture, white dogs, white flowers, a white kitchen, etc.  I love to go to the nursery and get a flat of white Impatiens or white Petunia's. A white Hydrangea just knocks my socks off! 

I find a white garden very soothing.....

I immediately came home from our meeting and made a list of all of my favorite white's....

ballerina, owl, country church, dogwood, snow, boats, umbrella, tablecloth, chef, waiter, old car, coit tower, hollyhocks, surf, shells, lighthouse, SF Giant's in their home uniforms, Westie, bandstand, flowers, clouds, sheep, cows, cottage, waterfall, barns, milk truck, chickens, Iceland poppies, glacier,  wedding dress, horses, tennis shoes, apple blossoms, .......

A painting I just finished entitled "Summer"

Now some, well one, of the other painters just doesn't understand the joy and beauty of white.  She is a painter of color and there is nothing subtle about her beautiful work or her beautiful soul!  I will find it interesting to see what she comes up with for this venue.



"Women think of all colors except the absence of color.  I have said that black has it all.  White too.  Their beauty is absolute.  It is the perfect harmony."  --Coco Chanel

A Night in Napa

Song - Freddie Freeloader by Miles Davis


Thursday evening Mr. B and I mixed it up a little....... 

You know how you get in those ruts where you come home from work - well, Mr. B comes home from work, I am already home from work because that's where I paint. 
 

He does a crossword puzzle to decompress and I walk around the garden to see what has happened since my morning walk.

We sometimes have a glass of wine, talk about our day, prepare dinner and watch some TV. 
 

Pretty routine.

But Thursday night a group that I paint and show with - Bay Area Studio Artists - had an opportunity to attend an event up in Napa at Chimney Rock Winery.  We have been talking with the manager about doing an event there ourselves and he invited us on up to have a look.

The current artist showing there is fairly famous - Clifford Bailey.  He does a lot of musicians, waiters, chef's and diva's.  Mostly with a flavor of the 1920's

.

Clifford was there doing a painting demo while yummy appetizers (duck salad, wild boar in polenta, cheese stuffed eggplant, etc.) and great wine were passed around. 

 Mr. B treated me to a little painting entitled "Travis" but he just doesn't look like a Travis to me so I have renamed him "Clive"! 

As we were leaving I noticed how beautiful the vineyards and mountains were in the evening light.

The grapevines are just starting to send out shoots.

Afterward, we headed over to a friend's restaurant in downtown Napa - Oenotri for dinner and it just topped our evening!

It felt like we had taken a mini-vacation.

Now why don't we do it more often????

"Respond to every call that excites your spirit." --Rumi