Star Barn Article

Here is an article in Outdoor Painter about my paintings from the Star Barn Raising Festival.

http://www.outdoorpainter.com/raising-the-roof/

The Star Barn Raising

I was honored to be commissioned as the onsite painter for last weekend's Star Barn Raising Festival.

  The Star Barn is a significantly historic barn, built in 1860, that sat along rt.283 between Harrisburg and Lancaster.  It has long been a favorite site for painters, photographers, and lovers of nostalgia.  The barn was purchased by a private owner last year and has been moved, along with it's outbuildings, piece by piece, to it's new location in Elizabethtown where it will be preserved as a venue for weddings and events.

I was asked to create 2 paintings, both 24x36, depicting certain actions in the reconstruction.  I kept thinking that the original barn raising may have had a few sketch artists, as not everyone had a camera back then.

The festival was well attended and I was able to talk to many people about my painting.  I was surprised that so many people relate to this barn in a personal way.  

At one point, an Amish teen boy (maybe 13) stood and watched me paint for about a half hour.  He asked a lot of questions about what I was doing and seemed very interested that I was painting just from observation - what I was seeing.  I thought that was a neat moment - art bringing together 2 very different people.

 painting #1 showing some of the outbuildings and the raising of the bents

painting #2 captured the lowering of the cupola into the structure by crane

Mountain Maryland

Last week I painted in Cumberland, MD for the Mountain Maryland plein air event. It was my first time visiting this area.  I loved the steep hilly town and the rural outlying areas.  Much of this rural area is economically depressed which is sad to see, but makes for great painting subjects.  I had the opportunity to paint in an abandoned silk mill in Lanaconing which closed in 1957 and was left intact.

 "Rose Hill"

14x18

"1937 McCormick Deering"

9x12

"Narrows Bridge"

14x18

"Lonaconing Silk Mill"

12x16

"Ottaviani's"

9x12

Finger Lakes Plein Air

I had a great time last week as a participant in the Finger Lakes Plein Air event in Canandaigua, NY. 

I really stretched myself by working a bit larger than I usually do in plein air, choosing unusual subject matter, and did some hiking into a gorge to find a secluded waterfall. 

I was delighted to receive an Honorable Mention Award for my painting of the campfire which I did for fun one night with no intention of entering into the competition.

 "Vintage Crop"

12x16

 "Gnarly"

9x12

 "Outdoor Seating"

9x12

Quick Draw

 "Unforgettable Fire"

14x18

Honorable Mention Award

 "Grimes Glen"

16x20

 "Bent Tree"

14x18

"Across The Lake"

12x16

To see more of my work visit www.julieriker.com

Texas Trip

Here are some paintings from a recent trip to Texas.  I went with 5 other artists and we stayed on a ranch an hour and a half West of Austin, near Llano.  It was beautiful landscape, much different from what I see and paint around Pennsylvania.  

Blue Bonnets and Prickly Pear

9x12 oil

Blue Bonnet Road

9x12

Backlit Prickly Pear

8x10

Down At The Creek

9x12

Misty Morning Mesquite

8x10

Home On The Range

6x12

Winter In Willow Park

9x12 oil

I was happy that we had a brief little snow storm last week.  It was just enough snowfall to make everything pretty - and it wouldn't be winter until I got to paint a snow scene :)

This was painted in Willow Park, Camp Hill.  

Gallery Grand

16x16 oil

On Saturday I did a 3 hour demonstration painting at Smith Custom Framing, where I have a featured exhibit through the month of February.  I chose to paint the piano in the gallery.  It was fun to observe all the reflections in the shiny black surface and translate them to paint.  That is the reflection of my drop cloth and legs in the front of the piano.

The exhibit will remain hanging in the gallery through the month of February.
http://www.smithcustomframing.com

Featured Show at Smith Custom Framing

I have a featured show for the month of February at Smith Custom Framing , New Cumberland, PA