Commission completed!

48x48

oil on stretched canvas

I am happy that I finally completed this client project and it is now at the framer's.

This was a new challenge for me and I enjoyed every minute of it.  It is good to step outside your comfort zone sometimes.

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

Wildwood Lake

Last Friday I painted with Mary Beth Brath and Patricia Griffin of the Daily Painters Blog.  Patricia travelled to Harrisburg so that we could spend the day painting together and we had a great day.  We painted at Wildwood Lake which is a nature preserve and marsh area on the edge of the city.   I  painted there a few days earlier and loved seeing all the lotus blossoms and loosestrife  blooming.

8x8 oil

 8x10 oil

Yesterday I went to paint at Wildwood again with some members of the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters and was shocked to see that the weekend's heavy rain had knocked off all the flowers and the rising water level had left brown mud over everything.   All the color was gone.  It reminds me how fleeting natural beauty can be.  I am really glad that I took the time to capture it when I did.

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

www.julieriker.com

Turning a problem area into a focal point

Pretty ugly right?  This concrete pad was found under 4 layers of floor during a kitchen restoration project.  There are no clues as to why this was here - maybe remnants of an old hearth or porch?  My guess is that the flooring was used in part to cover up the ugliness, but the customer removed the flooring down to the original hardwood and now needed to deal with this concrete mess.

First order of business was to clean the old concrete, removing the residual glue, and then skim coat the entire area with a cement mix, filling all the pitted areas.  After that was dry I applied Loxon to prepare the surface for painting.

 I sketched out my design to show the client.  I was originally planning to do a portrait of their bulldog in the center medallion, but the client requested a monkey in fancy clothes....OK, I can do that....thought it was a bit odd at first, but now I like it.

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

July Garden

8x10 oil on canvas

Happy that I found some time to take advantage of the cooler weather and do this little plein air piece.

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

Easton Plein Air 2011

109 Goldsborough

8x10 oil

On Saturday I participated in the Quick Draw event at the Easton Plein Air Festival.  It was the first time I had been to this area and only my second plein air competition experience.  I loved the charm of the town full of well restored homes.  There were plenty of opportunities for paintings, but my main criteria was to find a spot in the shade to escape the oppressive heat.  

The Quick Draw was 10-12:00.  At 12:30  more than 130 artists who braved the heat set up their easels and framed paintings along the street and spectators crowded around to view the finished work.  It was extremely exciting!  There was a huge range in artist's skill levels, but I was impressed and inspired by the quality of many of the paintings.  Many of the painters, some big names in the world of plein air painting, traveled from as far as California for the event and it was worth the trip for me just to see their work up close.

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

Commissioned work in progress...

 I am working on this painting of a pair of leopards for a client.  At first I was intimidated by the project and had a slow start.  I thought maybe it was the 48" x 48" size which was holding me back -  but then, I do paint wall sized murals for a living so I don't think that was the problem.  Maybe it was that leopards, or even animals are not my usual subject matter.  But really what I am most inhibited by is painting for the client and wondering whether he will like the results.
I have made some good progress on the work so far.  The rear leopard is almost finished.  I still have some issues to work out on the front leopard.  It is tricky when you don't have an actual leopard to model for you.

One of the best things I will take from this commission is all the research I have done to learn about this magnificent animal which is now a rare and endangered species.

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

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.

Garden on South Seventeenth

11x14 oil

I have been wanting to do this painting ever since these irises started blooming.  Last week it rained constantly and I was afraid the flowers would be washed away before I had a chance to paint them, but fortunately Saturday was a beautiful sunny day and I was able to capture these irises before they were gone.

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

 I got a nice mention on Plein Air Magazine's site.  Click on this link to see it.
 http://www.outdoorpainter.com/editorial/plein-air-artists-going-to-extremes.html

A Day at Codorus State Park

 Tree by the Lake

8x10 oil

Yesterday was one of those gorgeous spring days that are best spent hanging out in a park by a lake.   I have kayaked on Lake Marburg many times and always wanted to paint there, so I was happy to join the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters on their paint out.  I arrived late, so I only spent about an hour on this first painting before stopping for lunch.  I was going to work into it a little, but I am thinking I may leave it alone as a quick sketch.

In the afternoon we moved to another location to get a better view of the lake.  As I was walking around deciding what to paint I spotted this couple relaxing and reading.  They seemed to be enjoying the day as much as I was.  I knew they would not move for quite awhile and that it was the perfect opportunity to paint people en plein air.  I know it seems funny to drive and hour to visit a lake and then not paint the lake...but inspiration hit me and that is even better.

Reading in the Park

8x10 oil

Lenten Rose

8x8 oil

I have been busy lately working on a large architectural project so there has not been too much time for studio painting and blogging, but happily I found some time today to pick these lovely Heliobores from my garden, bring them in from the rain, and do a small painting of them.  Heliobores, also called Lenten Rose, are one of my favorite early spring flowers.

Hazy Skyline

6x12 oil

I am pleased to announce that this painting was recently awarded 2nd place in the Mechanicsburg Art Center's spring juried show.  This was painted at the West Fairview boat launch directly across the Susquehanna from Harrisburg and the capitol.  It is a view I have attempted to paint several times and have always had difficulty with pushing the buildings back in space, but on this particular day the hazy atmosphere reduced everything to shades of gray.  It was one of those rare moments when I finished a painting in just a few hours and did not feel it needed any more work.

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

The Curved Porch at Allenberry by Julie Riker

6x8 oil

This was painted late last summer during one of the outings with the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters.

It is currently on display at Art & Soul Gallery in Lemoyne.

Also from the garden show...

The following day at the Garden Show I started out painting this lovely fountain surrounded by blue hydrangeas in a garden designed by John's Landscapes.

In the afternoon I went back to the Circa booth and focused in on this interesting arrangement of antique garden tools and soft peony blossoms.  It really was a nice booth and my favorite at the show.

Completing a finished painting was difficult with all the traffic at the show, so I just approached my paintings as studies and practiced working quickly.  It was interesting working in public and talking with the many visitors to the show.  

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