Art of the State

Last Saturday was the opening reception for Art of the State.  My "Irises" painting which I have posted here before was accepted into the show.  The exhibit is on display at the William Penn Museum in Harrisburg  through September 11.  It is a great show with a large variety of incredible work, including some amazing paintings.  If you have a chance to go see it you will find it worth the trip, but if you are not able to make it to Harrisburg here is a link to view photos of all the artwork.


 http://www.flickr.com/photos/patrailsofhistory/sets/72157626789810336/

Gettysburg Festival Artist's Colony

     I spent the past week in Gettysburg as part of the Gettysburg Festival's Artist Colony.  The colony was a juried group of just 10 painters who lived together and painted in the Gettysburg area for 5 days.  It was a wonderful, intense sharing which reminded me of my art school days.  The focus of the experience was not so much on producing paintings to sell, but rather to learn and grow as artists.  One of the highlights for me were the two days of workshop with Bill Schmidt.  Bill was an excellent instructor.  He had us paint on 16x20 canvases, which is much larger than I am used to for plein air work, and I also tried a lot of things that I was not necessarily comfortable with because I really wanted to get the most from the learning experience.  From the 5 days of painting I have 7 good pieces started that I can hopefully finish in my studio and post at a later time.  This painting I am posting is the only one which I felt was completed.  It was painted in a short hour long session and depicts the famous Lincoln Square in Gettysburg.  I have donated this painting to the Gettysburg Festival.  It will be auctioned in an event this fall to raise money to help continue this wonderful colony experience.

 Lincoln Square

11x14 plein air oil

Hollyhock House

16x12

oil on canvas

     I don't seem to be able to grow hollyhocks in my garden.  I try, but they always turn brown and bumpy with rust before they bloom.  So when I spotted this charming house in Mechanicsburg I had to paint it. 

Camp Hill Colors

8x10 oil on canvas panel

I painted this on the last day of the Camp Hill Plein Air event.  Most of the festivities were winding down and the mood was much more relaxed,  but there were still some artists taking advantage of the great sunlight that afternoon.  I noticed this house along Willow Park earlier in the weekend and was waiting for an opportunity to paint it later in the day when the light was hitting the front porch.  I don't paint in primary colors too often, so I thought it would be a good self-challenge.

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my website www.julieriker.com

My first "Quick Draw" painting event....

Saturday was the "Quick Draw" competition of Camp Hill's plein air event.  It was my first experience with a timed painting competition (2 hours from blank canvas to framed painting) and I loved the intensity and excitement of it all. Seeing all the finished works presented side by side was also a thrill.  There were many great paintings and I was very surprised when the judge picked mine.

I am glad I thought to take this picture.  The painting sold a half hour later.

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my website www.julieriker.com

Walnut and 24th Street

8x10 oil on canvas panel

I painted this yesterday in the neighborhood near Willow Park, Camp Hill.  It was a perfect day, cool and sunny - such a welcome change from the extreme rain and heat we have had.  Looks like great weather for Camp Hill's Plein Air Festival  this weekend.