This is Spring

Voting ends tonight at 11:59pm EST for the Morning Call Best of Blogs contest. Thanks to everyone who has voted! I have moved up from 7th to 3rd!
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I thought today I would share some pictures of Spring in my neighborhood just so you could see why I am still looking for pictures of Spring in other places.

Ten days ago Spring looked like this...

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

Buds were getting ready to burst open.

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

The early blooming flowers were spreading.The day was warm and sunny and the temperature hit a high of 70F. It was warm enough that I was able to ride around in the convertible with the top down and the heated seats off! I was loving it!

Three days later I woke up to this. It took me totally by surprise.

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

Two mornings after that I looked outside to find even more! Yikes!

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

At least snow in March is a temporary thing. And it is mostly all gone (again). Our temperatures are still hanging out about five to ten degrees below normal and are predicted to stay there for the next few days. Hopefully once we get through that Spring will be here to stay.

By the way, my mom says we should have expected this since March came in like a lamb, which means it will go out like a lion. That has me thinking - Bring on April! ......On the other hand, I'm a sunshine girl so I'm not real fond of April showers...

Spreading Sunshine - Tap Dance Series Watercolor

"Spreading Sunshine"

24" x 18" watercolor on paper

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Available

Finally I am sharing with you my first watercolor in my tap dance series! I am not sure why it took me so long, but I am glad I am doing it now.

My model for this painting was the creative and talented Germaine Salsberg. She was in town creating choreography for the Tap Ties company and agreed to allow me to come to several rehearsals and take pictures. I tried to act very suave and professional but truthfully I was a little star struck.

The first rehearsal I attended Ms. Salsberg was wearing these wonderful yellow shoes. I loved them and knew immediately that I had to paint them! What could possibly be more fun than tap dancing in yellow shoes? Well, maybe painting a tap dancer in yellow shoes, but not a whole lot else.

When it came to naming the piece, I wanted to reference the shoes because they were my inspiration. Since I view tap dancing as a dance of joy, "Spreading Sunshine" just seemed to fit.

This is the largest piece in my tap dance series and for now the only watercolor. (Although I have more planned!) It is currently on display at the William Ris Gallery in Stone Harbor, NJ. I hope you like it.

Spring in Wheeling, West Virginia

Photo of iris

©2011 Leslie Nutting

This beautiful flower photograph was sent to me by Leslie Nutting. According to Leslie this is an early type of iris which is very small and blooms when the snowdrops do. Who knew? Not me. So in addition to helping me hold on until Spring arrives and sticks around in my neighborhood, this project is also teaching me new things.

You probably won't be surprised to learn that I like to rush Spring. I want it to arrive as early as possible.

Of course, I actually have no influence on when Spring gets to town. Shocking, I know.

But I fool myself into thinking I do by planting early blooming flowers. First I planted daffodils. Then some crocuses. Last year a friend kindly gave me some snowdrops and winter aconites from her yard.

I'll give you three guesses to what flower I'll be looking to plant next. Oh yes, it will be the early iris. And I'll have Leslie to thank!

Leslie is an artist. She paints contemporary portraits, figures and landscapes. I especially love her figure paintings as they are full of emotion. If you'd like to check them out, her links are below.

Leslie Nutting Website
Leslie Nutting Facebook Fan Page

Spring in Vancouver, Canada

Photo of purple crocuses

©2011 Mary Jane Muir

Spring must have peeked in on Vancouver, Canada for a day or two because that is where my friend Mary Jane saw these beauties blooming. Have I ever mentioned that my favorite flower color is yellow? And purple is a close second. So you can bet I loved finding these pictures in my inbox.

Photo of yellow crocuses

©2011 Mary Jane Muir

I love how the yellow crocuses are all snuggled in among the daffodil leaves. They look so cozy.

Mary Jane is an illustrator and published author. She shares her colorful art and illustrations on her two blogs...
Painting Puppies
Maple Pancakes

If you have a moment, why don't you hop on over to check them out? I think you will like what you see.

Origami Crane

Sketch of origami paper crane - Day 141

sepia ink in Moleskine pocket cahier sketchbook

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

This sketch is from my sketching project last year, although this is the first I am sharing it. I sketched it on Day 141, by which time I had fallen out of the habit of regularly posting my daily sketches. Now seemed like as good a time as any for posting it.

Every day this week, many times throughout the day, my thoughts have turned to Japan and the tragedy that has occurred and is still occurring there. If I had 1,000 origami cranes my wish would be for the situation with the nuclear reactors to be brought under control, for the rescue and clean up efforts to be able to procede without disruption from aftershocks, and for the people of Japan to be able to find some peace and start recovering from this crisis and the sadness and fear they must be feeling.

Maybe I would need more that 1,000 cranes for those wishes.

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(Edited to add this)
If you don't have 1,000 origami cranes to wish on either, but would still like to help Japan (and you love art) click here. Thank you.

Spring in Rome

Spring near Rome, Italy

photo ©2011 Kelly Medford

Kelly Medford was the first to send me a photo which showed evidence of the approaching Spring season. Thank you Kelly!

Kelly lives in Rome, Italy and carries her easel wherever she goes. Painting in plein air allows her to combine her love of being outdoors with her love of creating art. Her photo is from a recent hiking trip. Look carefully and you can see the green buds of leaves starting to unfurl and white blossoms.

When you get a chance, please check out the links below. Kelly's beautiful landscapes will brighten your day even if Spring hasn't showed up in your neighborhood yet.

Kelly Medford -
Website
Blog - Adventures in Painting
Facebook Page

Also if you have photographic evidence of Spring arriving near you, email me your photo and I'll share it here on my blog. Check out this post for details.

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On a separate topic, I have entered my blog into a "Best of Blogs" contest being run by the local newspaper. If you enjoy reading my blog, please consider voting for me here. You do not need to live in my area to vote, but you will need to register for the site. Voters may vote once a day in each of the categories. Voting ends at 11:59pm on March 27th.

Wish me luck! And thank you for voting!

Comparing Watercolor Papers

(untitled - any suggestions?)

8" x 10" watercolor on Arches paper

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Ever since I first started painting with watercolors, I have used Arches 140lb Cold Press watercolor paper. I think I chose this paper because the instructor of the first watercolor class I took recommended it. And it has never given me any reason to switch.

But I kept hearing other artists talk about different papers that they adored. I tried to ignore their enticing stories, after all I was in a committed relationship with a paper I loved, but curiosity is a temptress.

One of the papers I've often heard lovely things about is Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper. So I did the unthinkable and bought myself a sheet. I stored the paper away in my flat file and there it sat. And sat, and sat, and sat.

The problem was that I didn't know how paint would handle on the Fabriano paper, and I was afraid to use it for any painting for fear that I my inexperience with the paper would lead me to mess up the painting.

I kept waiting for a painting that I wouldn't mind sacrificing in the name of learning and that painting never came. It was like contemplating sacrificing one of my children. Not gonna happen.

But I really wanted to try the new paper.

Then it came to me... the idea to paint two simultaneous paintings - one on Arches and one on Fabriano. So that's what I did. You can see the results in this post.

Sweet Dreams

8" x 10" watercolor on Fabriano Artistico paper

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Visually I think the paintings are very similar except for a few minor changes in color choice. (I found that I wanted to make some changes along the way and have them not be completely identical. I just couldn't help myself.)

I enjoyed trying out the Fabriano Artistico. It did handle paint differently than the Arches. The biggest difference was the ability to lift dry paint. It is much easier to lift the paint on the Fabriano than on the Arches.

In some cases this is a benefit, like when I wanted to soften edges but was a little slow at getting back to them. At other times it was a little frustrating, like when adding a wash to an already painted area. Occasionally the dry paint would lift causing the two washes to physically mix. I found that water control is very important when painting over a dry area.

I actually found that painting on the Fabriano was similar to painting on Aquabord. If I hadn't had experience with Aquabord I might have been more frustrated working on the Fabriano paper the first time.

My verdict - I will definitely use the Fabriano paper again. Although, given my comfort level with Arches paper and the fact that the stuff is nearly indestructible, I will probably still reach for the Arches more frequently. For me Arches is like that old pair of shoes that fit so comfortably. And since I've never had any problems with it or been dissatisfied, I don't feel that I need to make a change.

That being said, I do think it is good to have more than one option when it comes to supplies. So I am happy to now have two papers which work well for me.

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Links
Arches Watercolor
Fabriano Artistico

Note: I was not compensated for this review in any way.

Spring is on the Way... sort of

Photo - winter aconite

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

This is my first year growing these early bloomers.

Seeing flowers growing in March makes me very happy!

Last week our snow finally melted. We've had a handful of days where the high temperatures were in the 40s. A few days it might have touched 50. And rumor has it that one day there was a record high of 67 degrees! I happened to be away on vacation that day though so I can't confirm the rumor.

Once the temperatures start becoming bearable I love to take a tour of my yard and look for green leaves poking their way through the dirt.

Photo - Leaves of mini daffodils

©Stacy L. Rowan

The monotone colors of winter are not very inspiring to me, but the new growth of Spring always gets the creative juices growing.

Of course where I live Spring is a fickle character. The day after the record high of 67, the temperatures dropped back to the mid 30s. Two days later it snowed.

Some years Spring can tease us for two months or more before arriving in all her glory. All the teasing is rather frustrating to me.

Photo - Snowdrops

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

Also my first year growing these.

A kind friend gave me snowdrops and aconite from her garden last year.

I've been hearing stories of Spring arriving to stay in other locations and I had an idea of how you could help me bear my end of winter frustrations.

Email me* pictures of what Spring is doing in your corner of the world. I will share the pictures here for all of my readers to enjoy. I will also choose the picture that inspires me the most, do a small sketch of it and mail the sketch to the person who provided the photo.

That way I will have Spring on my blog, even if I don't have it in my neighborhood.

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* The fine details:
Email pictures to my email address located on the right hand side of the blog. Please make sure you own the copyright to the photo you are sending. Also please resize the photo to be web ready before sending (72ppi, max dimension 500pixels).

Please provide a link to your blog or website, if you have one, so I can post it along with your photo. A blog or website is not required to participate. But if you have one I'd like to share some link love. :)

I realize that only half of the world is heading into Spring. Those of you living in the southern hemisphere can play along by sending photos of what Autumn is doing. I don't discriminate against any of the colorful seasons.

My current plan is to post photos once or twice a week. Thanks for playing along!

Majors at Daylesford Abbey Art Show

This is the last weekend for the Daylesford Abbey Art Show in Paoli, PA. It is open today and tomorrow from 1pm until 4pm.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am showing artwork in both the miniatures and the majors categories. So as not to be accused of playing favorites, I thought I would show you some of the major works as well.

Each artists is allowed to bring up to 5 major pieces. You have already seen 3 of the ones I am showing - Icebreaker and Keep on Your Toes from my tap dance series, and Peter's Missing Snack which is the carrot painting in my blog header.

Here are the other two pieces.

"Sacrifice"

18" x 8" watercolor on paper

©2007 Stacy L. Rowan

"Ten Minutes Peace"

28" x 22" charcoal on paper

©2008 Stacy L. Rowan

Miniatures at Daylesford Abbey Art Show

"Sweet Dreams"

8" x 10" watercolor on paper

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

Since the Daylesford Abbey Art Show in Paoli, PA continues through this weekend, I thought I would show you a couple of other paintings which I have in the show.

One of the things I love about this show is that they allow you to bring work in several different categories. I entered framed original artwork into both the "Majors" category and the "Miniatures" category. Their definition of miniatures is anything with framed dimensions of 8" x 10" or less. Conversely, the major category includes anything over 8" x 10".

I already shared two of my miniatures with you in my post about the opening reception. The painting "Sweet Dreams" above is another new painting in this category. I completed it during the last week of 2010 and matted and framed it for this show.

The subject matter may look familiar to you. These adorable mini cupcakes were made by my friend and served at my Open Studio. Before anyone arrived I quickly snapped at least a dozen photos. Then I took even more after everyone left the first day. There are definitely more cupcake paintings in my future!

"Hand Picked at Hausman's"

8" x 10" watercolor on paper

©2009 Stacy L. Rowan

This painting of an apple is another miniature I have in the show. Hausman's is one of the vendors at our local farmers' market. When summer turns to fall they offer a wide variety of apples. As the weather cools they also sell hot apple cider which they warm up on this old metal (cast iron perhaps) stove. I can't figure out how they load the hot stove back up to take home. I'll have to ask them sometime.

If you would like to see either of these pieces in person, head over to the Daylesford Abbey. The show closes on Sunday, February 27th at 4pm. It is open daily from 1pm until 4pm today through Sunday.

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Additional Links
Daylesford Abbey Art Show - Paoli, PA
Emmaus Farmers' Market
Hausman's Fruit Farm

Tap Drawings at the Daylesford Abbey Show

I thought I would post some of the art I have on display at the Daylesford Abbey Art Show for those of you who either can't make the show, or who want to see what I am displaying before you make up your mind.

I decided to start by sharing the three drawings from my tap dance series which are in the show.

"Dancing Feet"

8" x 10" graphite on paper

©2010 Stacy L. Rowan

This is the first time I am showing "Dancing Feet" on the blog. The drawing was created from one of my reference photos of the lovely and very talented Germaine Salsberg. I did this drawing as a preliminary piece to a much larger watercolor (which I promise to share here soon).

"Icebreaker"

14" x 18" graphite on paper

©2009 Stacy L. Rowan

My "models" for the other two drawings are both Tap Ties company members - Melody Kline (above) and Amy Smith (below). The Tap Ties ladies have been wonderfully supportive of this series of drawings and paintings and have allowed me to photograph a number of their rehearsals, for which I am forever grateful.

"Keep on Your Toes"

18" x 14" charcoal on paper

©2009 Stacy L. Rowan

Daylesford Abbey Art Show Opening

Persephone's Downfall

8" x 10" watercolor on paper

©2011 Stacy L. Rowan

Available through Feb. 27th at Daylesford Abbey Art Show, Paoli, PA

Yesterday my husband and I went to the opening reception for the Daylesford Abbey Art show.

This is my first time doing this show so I was excited to attend the opening. And I have to say my husband and I were both impressed.

The Ladies Chapter has done a wonderful job. The opening was lovely, complete with live music and an impressive assortment of appetizers and wines.

But of course the most important part any opening is the artwork. This is a large show and features a beautiful collection of artwork in a variety of mediums including sculptures, etchings, pottery, stained glass and jewelry as well as pastels, watercolors, acrylics, oils and mixed media works.

The available works come in a wide range of sizes from miniatures smaller than 8" x 10" to master works upwards of 28" x 22". 

Over 85 artists are taking part in the show and many of them have impressive bios detailing membership in major art societies, publication in respected magazines, receipt of prestigious awards and more. I am honored to be showing work with this talented group.

As icing on a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon I was happy to spot that one of my paintings in the miniature category, "Queen of the Winter Garden", was sporting a jaunty red dot indicating that it is going to a new home.

Queen of the Winter Garden

8" x 10" watercolor on paper

©2008 Stacy L. Rowan

sold

Overall I am more than pleased to be part of this event and will gladly participate again if I am invited back.

If you are interested in more specifics such as the show hours or address, please either check out my "Now Showing" page or follow the link for the Daylesford Abbey given below.

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Related Links
Now Showing
Daylesford Abbey, Paoli, PA