Purple House

I painted last week in historic Lewisburg with some friends.  This purple house caught my eye.

I am in print!

During the Gettysburg Plein Air Festival a photographer from the Evening Sun caught me painting the train station.  Check it out HERE

Sherfy House

This is another painting from Gettysburg of the Sherfy House.  The Sherfys were the owners of the Peach Orchard which was the site of a bloody battle.  

The house has been restored and is maintained in pristine condition...so pristine that it looks a bit surreal, like a dollhouse plopped in the middle of the battlefield.

Sherfy House

9x12 oil

Gettysburg Festival Plein Air Paint Out

I am participating in the Gettysburg Festival Plein Air event all this week.

This is a painting I did yesterday of the historic train station in town.  The station is the location for the art exhibit where all the artists will be hanging their paintings fresh off the easel.  The exhibit grows daily and there is a reception to meet the artists on Friday the 14th from 4-6 pm.

 

Lincoln Station

12x9 oil

www.julieriker.com

Glass Jar Study

8x10

Thursday was the final night of my oil painting challenge class.  One of the students had requested that we practice painting glass, so I set up a few jars for the students to paint from.

This is the painting I did along with the class.  It was an interesting study in how the background color changes as it is viewed through the lightly tinted jar.  It was also good practice in reserving white - resisting that urge to add too much -  to make the highlights glisten.

This has been a fun class to teach.  Every week we did a "challenge" and each challenge was designed to teach the students about value, color, light, etc.  I think it was good for everyone to work on a fresh small painting each week rather than spending several weeks on one large intimidating canvas.  It got them painting - and painting a lot -- from life -- which is the only way to really learn.  I enjoyed being able to paint along and think they learned from watching me.  I will miss it.