PA Garden Show of York

FLOWERS, FLOWERS, FLOWERS!

Several members of the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters are demonstrating "plein air" painting at the garden show.  Well, it is not really plein air as we are painting inside the expo center, but there are beautifully landscaped gardens that make you feel as if you stepped into an April day.  We also have some member paintings on display in the Art in the Garden booth.  

It is not just gardens though.  There are lots of booths displaying plants, floral arrangements, garden tools, and neat architectural garden treasures. 

  I was especially attracted to this set up at the booth for Circa Antiques....full of interesting shapes and textures.  This is where I set up my easel and got busy.

Circa

8x8 oil

The show runs through Sunday and there will be painters at various times throughout the weekend, so if you have a chance check it out.

Floating Ice on the Susquehanna

8x10 plein air oil

Painted last week as the ice was starting to melt.

Spring is on the way!

www.julieriker.com

Receding Ice by Julie Riker

60 degrees today!! A few artist friends met at Fort Hunter to paint the receding ice.  It was a spectacular sight on the river.  The ice had broken into interesting abstract shapes that were contrasted by the surrounding dark water.  You could hear the massive sheets of ice sliding and crunching against each other as they were pushed downstream.

I painted this 6x8 study of the ice.

It was refreshing to be out painting again after months of cold grayness, and we all felt our spirits renewed.

Quick and Delicious - 10 Minute Challenge

 oil on canvas

2 panels - 8x8 each

     This is my version of the 10 minute challenge for the Daily Paintworks Blog.  The challenge was to select a simple subject and paint for only 10 minutes in each small square section.  I took this challenge one step further by limiting my palette to just 3 colors plus white, and wiping my palette clean after each section so that I was mixing fresh color and not dipping into the mixtures I made for the previous section. I was strict with myself and put the brush down when the timer went off - resisting the urge to make any adjustments beyond the 10 minutes. 

     I highly recommend this as a fun challenge to all painters.  I think even doing 2 or 3 sections would be a great warm up exercise before tackling larger studio work.  It was a great practice in pacing, loosening up, and letting go of the need to refine everything.  I have taken many classes to try to loosen my style...but all I really had to do was to set a timer.
Visit www.dailypaintworks.com to see the challenge results.

Alpacas

8x10 oil

     My electric went out in the storm last night.  I woke to a freezing house and when I finally forced myself to get out of the warm bed I quickly grabbed my favorite alpaca sweater...the warmest sweater I own.  Alpaca is an amazing fiber.  It is softer, warmer, and lighter weight than sheep's wool.  All cozy in my alpaca sweater, I thought of this painting.  It is not a new painting, but I don't think I have posted it on any blogs before.

     I painted this at the Bent Pine Alpaca Farm in Mechanicsburg where I joined Ralph Hocker's class in a painting session.  This was painted entirely on location and is more of a gesture study of the animals who would not stand still for me, no matter that I asked nicely.  They are funny animals.  "Tuxedo"  is the black one who stood tall watching the rest of the group.  I remember it was a hot June day and the alpacas must have been miserable under all that warm fleece.  I watched them roll around on the ground as the farmer sprayed them with a garden hose to cool them off.  I am sure they were happy when shearing time came along!   

     I am happy for the gift of their wool...

                                                 ...and so happy that my electric is on again!

Pink Primrose

8x10 oil

Tired of winter? 

Here's a primrose to brighten your day.

This painting is currently available at Gallery @Second in Harrisburg.

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

http://www.julieriker.com/

Monarch

5x7 oil

This was painted from a photograph for Lela's paint and draw together blog http://paintanddrawtogether.blogspot.com/



Winter Plein Air Painting

Well, I finally did it!  I have been telling everyone that I was going to get out there and do some winter plein air painting, but always something comes up or I chicken out with the cold weather.  This morning I woke up to bright sunshine and long purple cast shadows and I knew I had to go out.  After reading Keith Bond's article about "disconnecting" http://canvoo.com/blog/26854/recharge-by-disconnecting I grabbed what I needed and went out on what was maybe the coldest day so far this year.  I have been reading Stapleton Kearn's blog http://stapletonkearns.blogspot.com/ and his witty discussions about what to wear when painting in the snow so I had some idea of how to dress.  I wasn't about to sink $200 into the super insulated boots he recommended, but I did have the chemical heat packs which help quite a bit.  I had many many layers and was quite comfortable painting...the only thing that got really cold were my right hand fingertips, even with my warmest gloves.  I ended up switching hands several times and painting left handed to warm up the right hand in my pocket.  I was only able to spend an hour on the 6x8 plein air sketch.

 6x8

plein air oil sketch

Home, a hot shower, and a cup of tea...I was still thinking about the scene I had painted, so I went to work on a larger version in the comfort of my studio.  I spent about 2 hours on the larger one.



Snowy Creek

11x14 oil

I am very happy with the day's work.  I have been missing that connection with nature that you can only get from direct observation, not from photographs.   Winter painting is not that bad.  You just have to be prepared and maybe paint in shorter sessions.

..and maybe I'll think again about those boots. 

The PA Governor's Residence

11x14 oil

     This painting has been purchased by the staff of the Governor's Residence and presented as a gift from them to Governor Rendell and the First Lady.  I am honored that my painting will be owned by such an important couple and  hope that it becomes a cherished reminder of the eight years they spent living in this beautiful place.

     I painted this during an open house tour where I joined a few other artists in demonstrating plein air painting in the gardens.  It was a steamy July afternoon but I resisted the urge to quit.  Even through 2 passing thunderstorms I just sat under my umbrella and kept painting.  I am glad I did.

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

Rockville Morning

8x16 oil on canvas

Several years ago, I met Ralph Hocker at the Mechanicsburg Art Center and he invited me to join his plein air painting group.  It was a small informal group of a handful of artists who met weekly to share their love of painting and the outdoors.  We painted at a boat launch in Marysville and I remember it was a gray cloudy morning, but the sun started peeking around the mountain as we were working.  That day I met several other talented artists...Mary Beth Brath, Jim Henry, Pat Koscienski...this group eventually became the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters.

This little painting will be showing at the Landis House in Newport as part of the Perry County Council of the Art's "Waterways of Central PA" show of plein air work.  The show opens on January 14 and runs through March 4.

"Irises" by Julie Riker

24"x24"

oil on canvas



I have hundreds of irises in my yard and started this painting when they were blooming in the spring.   Originally I just had painted the pitcher with the flowers in it but always felt it was off balance, so last week I added the flower on the table which really helped to complete the piece.

This painting, along with 4 other paintings of mine,  will be hanging in Gallerie 13 for the month of January as part of the Featured New Artists show.

Season's Greetings!

"Christmas Morning"

6x8 oil

on wood panel

Wishing all my client's and friends a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  Thanks to everyone who helped to support and encourage me through this economicallly challenging, yet artistically inspiring year.  Here's hoping for a great 2011 for all!

Coral Rose by Julie Riker

5x7 oil

This was my first attempt at a challenge painting for Lela Stankovic's blog http://paintanddrawtogether.blogspot.com/.  This was good practice in working from a photo reference and I enjoyed seeing how other artists interpreted the same image.

A Stately Entrance by Julie Riker

12x12

oil



I made arrangements for the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters to paint out in the well tended gardens of the  PA Governor's Residence last week.   Even though most of the flowers had gone for the season, there was still a lot of beautiful color to see.  I particularly loved this shrub in the foreground with the firey red foliage.

It was a cold day to paint outside, but Tammy and the staff made us feel welcomed, even offering warm beverages and freshly baked cookies to warm us up.  I think everyone had a good time.

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

Hunter's Valley View by Julie Riker

5x7

plein air oil

I painted this tiny oil last week at the Hunter's Valley Winery.  The colors were glorious that day.  The grapevines were beginning to turn shades of burgundy and ochre, and the valley and distant mountains showed the full fall display.



View from Samuel Lewis State Park

11x14 plein air oil

So, once again I have changed the background of my blog.  I am using a section of this painting that I did on the hilltop at Samuel Lewis State Park in Lewisberry.  It was a chilly, windy day and my painting session  only lasted a couple of hours. 

I like this as a background image...how the clouds travel behind the title and the soft colors and brushstrokes feel textural and painterly.

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

River Rapids by Julie Riker

8x10

plein air oil

This is a little study I painted of water rushing over the rocks.  Being in that spot and listening to the rapids as I painted was very peaceful.  I enjoyed following the movement of the water with my brush markings.

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







Erica's Mural

Erica shared some photos that she took while I was working on her kitchen mural this summer.
She contacted me about painting a Tuscan scene on this large white wall....


She wanted it to include some grapes and she LOVED purple...

The finished wall

and a detail...

She also showed me a scrapbook that she made for herself to document the entire kitchen remodel, which included 4 beautifully decorated pages of the mural project - showing her intial inspirations, my sketches, and photos of the process. I was quite impressed with her creativity in making such a lovely souvenier for herself.

It is great when customers are so happy with the work I have done for them. It is one of the things that makes my job so rewarding.

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

Last Bit of Green by Julie Riker

6x8

plein air oil

This was painted on a trail at Pine Grove State Park. I was attracted to the way the light filtered through the trees illuminating the trail. The colors were gorgeous that day - a great play of warms and cools. Fall is such a beautiful time of year. I am just a bit sad to see the lush foliage go.

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