Tree Mural

Last week I did this mural for a customer in Florida - a tree mural in soft neutrals and metallics - as a backdrop for their 3 sculptures.  I am very happy with how this turned out and how the tree creates an environment for the figures, suggesting a conversation.  They compliment each other.

www.julieriker.com

The Red Settee

14x18 oil

On Friday I joined a group of artists to paint from a live model.

I haven't painted the figure in a long time and it felt great, but I am looking forward to more practice.

Star Barn

16x12 oil

I did this painting on location at the Star Barn a few weeks ago.  Many artists have painted this local icon, but I wanted to try my own rendition.  The barn will soon be moved to a private location and I wanted to paint it in it's original home.  Perhaps I will attempt another painting here before the barn is dismantled. 

I am happy that this painting sold at the Saturday night Art Association Soiree.

www.julieriker.com

Soiree

I will be one of the featured artists in the August 8 "soiree", a garden party benefitting the Art Association of Harrisburg and held at the Huck residence, 86 Foxfire Lane, Lewisberry.  I'll be showing my newest paintings - many of which I've posted here.  Tickets are available in advance through the Art Association, or at the door.   www.artassocofhbg.com

Between The Buildings

10x8 oil

Enjoying this great weather!

On Thursday I painted in the little town of Boiling Springs.  I thought perhaps I'd do a street scene, or one of the charming houses - but sometimes I find the space in between the buildings more interesting than the buildings themselves.

www.julieriker.com

Little Pink Charmer

9x12 oil

I found this pink house in Liverpool.  I was attracted to the strong sunlight on the house and the variations in pinks - including the reflected glow under the porch roof.
The entire time I was painting I had that John Mellencamp song going through my head "Ain't that America...little pink houses for you and me".  With the sunflowers, the flag, this seemed like the quintessential small town charmer.

Crossroads

9x12

Painted from a familiar intersection in the Bowmansdale area of Mechanicsburg.

The old stone tavern is charming but I was particularly interested in the way the road dives under the bridge, and the deep shadow under it.

www.julieriker.com

8x10 oil

Found a train yard yesterday with some newly restored vintage train cars.

Fun color in this caboose!

www.julieriker.com

Wrightsville Bridge

11x14 oil

This has been a fantastic week for painting!  The weather's been great and I am in between jobs so I've had the luxury of painting every day - sometimes twice a day.

Here is another one from this week,  painted in Wrightsville after the heavy rain.
Clear sky - muddy river.

Hopper Moment

9x12 oil

I've been scoping out these houses in my neighborhood - just plain old row houses - but every evening there is this magical Edward Hopper moment.

www.julieriker.com

Puddles

10x8 oil

Yesterday's rain left us with a pleasant Sunday - cool and low humidity - and also a lot of water!  The birds enjoyed splashing around in these puddles as much as I enjoyed painting them.  They were putting on a show for me!

www.julieriker.com

Peachy

8x10 oil

Friday was an unexpectedly beautiful day.  I wanted to take advantage since we are expected to have a rainy weekend. 

Once again I visited the Boyers' lovely garden.  There are a few lilies blooming, and I chose to focus on these vibrant peach flowers.  By next week many more of the lilies will be blooming - if the rain doesn't damage them.

www.julieriker.com

The Artist's Studio

The Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse ended last weekend and was a great success.  This is the room I decorated, the Artist's Studio.  I painted the walls, floor, and most of the furnishings.  The idea was to create a venue to display my oil paintings, but to also decorate the room, not just hang paintings like a gallery.  I wanted it to feel like a true working space. Visitors loved the light feeling in the room and were especially delighted in the floor.  I sold 20 paintings, several objects, and picked up a few new clients.  Overall a great success, and a fun project!

Ladybells

10x8 oil

Finished a client job yesterday... so (as is becoming my treat to myself for a job well done) I took the day off to paint for myself.  

Some neighbors of a friend have extended an open invitation to artists to paint in their gardens and I took advantage of the opportunity.  I chose to focus on these flowers, which I thought were larkspur, but found out through some friends are called Campanula, or "Ladybells".

This garden is full of possibilities for painting - a plein air haven.  I plan to visit next week when, hopefully, the lilies will be blooming.

www.julieriker.com

Painting The Alley - Fredrick Quick Draw

8x10 oil

Today I participated in the Quick Draw competition in Fredrick, MD.

I was set up and all ready to paint the alley when artist Stephen Doherty set up in front of me, so I added him to my composition.

Two hours is not much time to complete a painting - especially with figures - but I gave it a go.

www.julieriker.com

Side Yard With A View

8x8 oil

The collector who purchase one of my paintings from Plein Air Camp Hill told me of a property he owned on Front Street in Wormleysburg.  He suggested I stop by and take a look, perhaps do a painting, told me to park in the back and walk around the side of the building.  I was delighted to find this amazing view directly across the river rom the capital.

www.julieriker.com

Blushing Beauties

This was painted last weekend at Lindenwood, the Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse.  The roses and many other flowers are in bloom now and the gardens are lovely.  "Blushing Beauties" will be available in the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters gallery in the showhouse barn.

8x10 oil

This is the final week to visit the showhouse, open every day 10-4 and Thursday until 8 PM.  Directions and other information can be found at http://www.harrisburgsymphonyshowhouse.org

Dappled Alley

9x12 oil

Here's another Camp Hill alley that I painted as part of the plein air event this past week.  This painting was purchased during the Friday night preview party.

St. John's Alley

9x12 oil

It was a beautiful sunny morning for the Quick Draw event at Plein Air Camp Hill.

This view of St. John's Alley was painted in under 2 hours and sold in 2 minutes.

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

A Cool Corner by Julie Riker

8x10 oil

This was painted on Saturday at Lindenwood, site of the Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse, in the relaxing and colorful garden behind the outbuildings.  I was interested in the greenish/yellow glow on the white building, reflected off of the grass and plants.

This painting is available in the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters gallery which is located in the upper level of the barn.  There is no charge to visit the barn and explore the showhouse grounds.

Entrance to the house is $20.

http://www.harrisburgsymphonyshowhouse.org

Lindenwood - Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse opens!!

Lindenwood

16x20 oil

The Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse will open this Thursday night 5/21 with a special preview party and tour.  It officially opens to the public on Friday the 22nd and runs through June 14.

This has been a big but very rewarding project for me.  In addition to creating the painting above which is being used for promotional materials,  I've also taken a space on the third floor and created an artist's studio.  

If you are able to visit you will enjoy.  There is plenty to see - from the landscaped grounds, designer rooms, boutique, cafe -- Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters will be painting on the weekends and exhibiting work in the barn.  

For more information visit 

http://www.harrisburgsymphonyshowhouse.org

Fields, Late Afternoon

8x10 oil

Just getting around to posting this painting that I did last weekend as a demo during the Art Center benefit at Hershey Vineyards... a beautiful view from their deck looking out over the Pennsylvania fields.  I enjoyed chatting with patrons and sampling wine as I painted...fun time!

Pink Explosion

I've noticed the last few days that all the cherry trees are beginning to shed their petals.  This particular grouping of trees caught my eye in a neighborhood where I was doing some painting for a client.  The trees were growing on a mulched hill and the effect of the petals laying on the ground was amazing - like a carpet of pink.  Surreal.

I experimented a bit with this painting, using a palette knife to lay in some thicker patches of paint.  

Here is my painting.

Pink Explosion

8x8 oil

www.julieriker.com

Showhouse News in "The Burg"

Thanks to Lori Myers for this nice article in the May/June issue of The Burg which describes my room at the upcoming Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse.

https://theburgnews.com/culture/house-note-beauty-awaits-discerning-eye-lindenwood

Painting Chairs

These stripped down plank bottom chairs were a great find at $30 each.  I've restored the paint surface  by researching similar chairs for my design.

I'll be placing these chairs in my room at the Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse which opens to the public on May 22nd.  The showhouse is in an 1860's stone farmhouse and I feel these chairs are appropriate to the period of the house.

 I love creating old and worn finishes - so much character!

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

Spring Along The Susquehanna

9x12 oil

Another beautiful day to be out painting!

www.julieriker.com

Back Alley Forsythia

8x10 oil

It felt great to be out painting on this warm spring afternoon!

Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse: Progress Report

This it the room I am decorating for the Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse, which will be open to the public from May 22 - June 14.

I plan to turn it into an artist's studio and fill it with many of my paintings.

Work began a few weeks ago and so far I have painted the floor and started texturing the walls.

I am really loving this room.  The afternoon light is beautiful!  Perhaps once the easel comes in I will do some paintings in this room during showhouse hours.

For more information on the showhouse visit http://www.harrisburgsymphonyshowhouse.org

The Still Life

 I am eager for outdoor painting weather but still not ready to venture outside.  The past week I have dedicated some days to practicing the still life in my studio.  I am working directly from a live setup (no photo) and completing each painting in one sitting.  My subject matter all came from a trip to the grocery store.  The tulips were a delight to have in the house and made their way into several paintings before they wilted.  Here are two of them.

    

Tulips and Tapestry

11x14

Pink Tulips and Grapefruit

16x20

Empty House

10x8

oil on panel

I painted both Saturday and Sunday at the Empty House Tour for the Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse.  On Saturday I did the winter scene looking out the window, but for Sunday I decided to turn my easel around and paint the interior of the living room looking in to the hallway and library.  I don't usually paint interior scenes and I enjoyed it.

There were over 300 visitors to the house over the weekend - people anxious to get a sneak peek before the designers starting working.  I had set some of my paintings around on window sills and mantles to make the house not look so "empty" and was thrilled that 6 paintings sold over the 2 days...including this little one wet off the easel!

Winter Shadows

Winter Shadows

8x10

Last weekend I had the opportunity to paint at the future Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse for their Empty House Tour.  The house was open for the public to see before the designers worked their magic.  I painted in the light filled sunroom surrounded by windows and view of snow covered fields...much warmer than painting outside.

The Harrisburg Symphony Showhouse will run from May 22 through June 14.  More information is on their website http://www.harrisburgsymphonyshowhouse.org

Good Day PA

I did a live painting on TV!!

I was on Good Day PA with Amy Kehm helping to promote this year's Camp Hill Plein Air event and did a painting during the hour long show.

The producers showed several teasers with stages of my painting throughout the show.

There was a short interview discussing the plein air event.

You can view it here 

http://abc27.com/2015/03/06/plein-air-camp-hill/

Red Barn In Winter

8x10 

I painted along McCormick Road on Sunday morning.

It was great to be out but I realized I had not done this kind of painting from observation in a long time and was feeling like I couldn't concentrate due to the cold.  The forecast was 40 degrees...they were wrong...I was unprepared and my feet were frozen.

Perhaps the gloves, cold conditions, and stiff paint consistency led to the looseness of this painting.

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

Florida #2

8x10 oil

Here's another plein air painting that I did during my stay in Florida as a break from painting walls.  This is a corner of my client's/host's pool looking out over the canal.  I left this with them as a thank you for giving me the business and making my stay so nice.

www.julieriker.com

Cloudscape

8x10 oil

This is one of three paintings that are included in a multi-artist "Skyscape" exhibit at Harrisburg's Whitaker Center.  The exhibit will hang through January 9, 2015.  If you happen to be there over the holidays to see a performance or the IMAX be sure to check out the art.

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

Florida

8x10

I have been away for the last month doing a large decorative painting commission in Florida.

Contrary to what many of you may think, it was not a vacation, but a lot of long hard working days.

I had taken my plein air equipment with the idea I would go out several times a week painting, but after most work days I only had the energy to jump in my client's pool. I did find time to do a few plein airs as a break from painting walls.  This was one that I painted from the homeowner's dock looking across the canal at a neighbor's fishing boat.

Sky Blue MG A

10x8

I painted this today at Carlisle's Harvest of the Arts where several of us from Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters were displaying our work to promote an upcoming show.

Part of the festival was the Meeting of the Marques, a great lineup of vintage English cars.

What fun!

It was hard to decide which to paint!

I was draw to the beautiful blue color on this one and the reflections of the trees and sky on the trunk.

The owner has restored the car himself over 8 years and was so happy that I chose to paint it.

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

Retired

 8x10 oil

Another painting from my weekend at the Chincoteague Island Plein Air Event.  I love images of abandonment - of nature taking over what was once new.
There is no shortage of scenes like this on Chincoteague Island.  I could have created 5 compositions from this one property but chose to crop in on mostly the rusty truck with a bit of the old cottage.
This painting sold quickly at the show and was very popular.  I could have sold it again 20 times!  Maybe next year I should just paint rusty trucks!

www.julieriker.com

Summer's End

Where did the last month go?  It's been so long since I posted here and now the summer is over.

 

 

8x24 oil

This past weekend I participated in the Chincoteague Plein Air event for the fourth consecutive year.

Summer's End was one of 7 paintings that I did during the 3 day event which ended in a Saturday evening sale.  I brought this unusual size canvas with the intent of painting a beach scene but decided to use it for the sunset on the Wildlife Refuge.  I had to work quickly to capture the changing colors in the sky.  It did not take long before it was too dark and I could no longer see my work.  As soon as the sun went down the mosquitoes came out and chased me away.  I finished the painting that evening in my hotel room.

If you would like to see more of my work please visit my website

www.julieriker.com