Room for Improvement

I've been working with my friend and mentor Ron Pekar again for the last few months, and I am always enriched by his knowledge. I brought in several paintings I thought were 'done', but knew he could provide insight for improvements. Of course, he did. I was pretty happy with my painting of El Matador State Beach done en plein air last summer, but Ron felt it needed more color. Of course, he was right. Now I am REALLY happy with the painting!

Merced Mirror in online gallery

Just got a nice note from Shelley Macdonald letting me know she has featured my "Merced Mirror" in her online gallery titled The Sierras on My Mind. Thanks Shelley! It's nice to get feedback. The Sierras are on my mind too... :)

Featured on ImageKind today!

I just found out I am one of the featured member artists today on the ImageKind home page! Check it out!

Plein Air Painting

This summer I have been enjoying a class I'm taking at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art--not in figurative art, but in Plein Air Landscape Painting. We have been meeting at various paintable spots around the Los Angeles area, such as Malibu, Pasadena, etc. Our instructor is Rob Sherrill, whose work I like very much. He's a great teacher, too. Completing a painting in one 4-hour sitting is not easy, and it has been a great learning experience. You really have to go for it and not get bogged down in minute details, which can be a challenge for me.

Here's my morning's work at El Matador State Beach in Malibu:

DeniseBrownArt.com

I'm happy to announce my new website, which I created just for my traditional fine art (i.e., no photography or prints available). I was lucky enough to be able to secure the domain denisebrownart.com. Surprisingly, it was still available! It was hard work, as I had to figure it all out myself, but I like the finished product, as I hope you do. Please comment with any suggestions.

My feeling is that artist's websites are replacing traditional galleries in many instances, so this will serve as my virtual gallery.

SCAA Art Classic

I'm happy to be participating in the Santa Clarita Artists' Association Art Classic again this year. Here are the details:

What: The Art Classic is our annual Gala fundraiser and professionally judged art exhibit

When: Sunday, November 9th from 2-6pm with a free public viewing on Saturday, November 8th from 10am-4pm

Where: Hart Hall in Hart Park – 24151 San Fernando Rd. (Newhall Avenue), Newhall

Why: Discover the joy of art – celebrate the talents of local artists – enjoy an afternoon of fine art, refreshment and entertainment

Advance ticket price is only $30 ($25 for multiples and $40 at the door).

Tickets are now available for purchase online at www.santaclaritaartists.org.

A Taste of Art 2

I'm honored to have been invited to the second annual 'A Taste of Art' fundraiser for the AIDS Service Center, at Gale's Restaurant in Pasadena on June 2. Last year was a blast, and I'm looking forward to this year's party! It's great when such a good cause benefits as well.

Hope to see you there!