A special delivery from my next door neighbor, age 11, that I give art dates to. The whale! The bird! The stumpy tree! What's not to like? So precious and so real - just the way I like people.
I know it's early, but you know how time flies! If you're in town, I would love to meet and greet at 1 Plymouth Circle, Asheville on Oct. 9 & 10. It's going to be an EVENT with original art, prints, food, drinks and the kind of people you'd like to know. Save The Date! & thanks. #kenilworthartists
A lovely, albeit hot adventure yesterday to the Blue Ridge Daylily Farm in Alexander along with the Asheville Plein Air Painters. More work to do, but such a fun group of painters in an overwhelmingly beautiful place. Oil, 16 X 20" on linen.
I've joined a wonderful group of people, Preserving A Picturesque America, whose goal is to revisit hundreds of sites across America that were documented in the like-titled book of 1857. An artist named Henry Finn set out to draw these noteworthy sites in order to help record and save them for future generations.
Recently the group has hiked to about eight sites, four paint-outs which I was able to make. What fantastic and joyful paint outs we had! This particular scene was right along the Appalachian Trail in Hot Spring, North Carolina. This site is Lover's Leap, and legend has it that there was a star-crossed Indian couple who were told each other had died, so they jumped off the ledge of this rock face. Myth? Who knows, but it makes for a great story.
This original plein air artwork is on archival board and is painted in Michael Harding oils. It is 11 X 14" and is unframed.
Try to imagine horse drawn carriages coming around the bend in that trail - because they did.
Always surprised when a work I did a couple of years ago appeals to someone and sells - just never know! This was painted in honor of the Space X launch; thank you to the buyer from Atlanta GA. 12 X 12" acrylic, gold, copper and silver.
16 X 20” oil on linen panel; available
I just tried to add this recently finished plein air painting to “Available” but the software has changed and won’t save it. If you’re interested, please contact me at 262-893-4126 (USA).
Over several late in the afternoon days, I met with a friend along the French Broad River in Asheville, North Carolina. Setting my easel up on the bank of this mighty river, I was able to focus intensively on the composition and light as the sun slowly receded behind my back. Kayakers, hikers and wildlife came by to say hello and wish me well.
I learned so much while I painted here! At first glance, the scene was overwhelming with great detail and multiple compositions to choose from. The distant mountains were affected by the atmosphere, so I knew I wanted to include them. The river is fast moving and it runs in the wrong direction, so I had to capture that. Squinting helped; as did not getting bogged down in detail and complexity. What a glorious way to spend several late afternoons and evenings.
Big THANKS to the adventurous folks from Preserving a Picturesque America (www.preservationthroughart.org) for the shout out! What good hearts they have: "The clouds parted and we started the day at the Reems Creek vantage point near Lake Louise in Weaverville. What a glorious morning after a rain. Artist Catherine Twomey joined us and started a wonderful piece. I can’t wait to see the finished product. Others came by to ask about the history and photographers from the local paper arrived. We also had a welcome visit from our adventure buddy Alicia. As nice as the scene was, we had to hit the road again so Mike and I did our sketches and headed out towards Marshall. The falls at the old Reems Creek Mill flows down to the French Broad River and we followed its route as it joined the French Broad River and headed north. This stretch of the hike is a little more scenic and certainly less traffic than 74A. Our destination for the evening was Walnut Island Park which had a historic display talking about the Drovers road that we are hiking. Our wives provided a welcome picnic as ended the day with a lovely sunset and welcome sleep." I wish every plein air friend I have could join us!
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
I'd like you to imagine the pounding of the water as it pours over the damn. It's early morning, with the sun glinting on the top of the falls. To the left is what remains of the old mill. What was important to me was the power of the water, the values expressed in different colors, each holding their own.
I painted along with the lovely folks from Preserving a Picturesque America (https://preservationthroughart.org/) this morning. The old red water wheel is what’s left of the oldest gristmill site in the valley. This was originally known as the Biffle gristmill, built in the early 1790s by Adam Biffle. There were several owners through the years. The mill was in operation until 1947 - about 156 years - and longer than any other mill in the area. A fire of unknown origin destroyed the original building not long after that.
This original oil painting is 12 X 12" on archival panel. It is unframed.
I'm having a Mother's Day Sale at my Etsy shop - thanks for your interest! Here is the link: https://www.etsy.com/shop/catherinetwomeyart?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
Another day, another group of dogwoods - and how fun is that? Getting down to the nitty gritty on this commission just as the dogwoods are really blooming. Have an excellent day!
11 X 14” oil on linen over aluminum; Work In Progress
Hope everyone who celebrates Easter has a good one! Here is Dogwood Herd #1, WIP but almost finished. Headed to Biltmore today to see the blooming azaleas!
This oil painting commission is moving along. This is the second layer of oil paintings, so adding more detail and adjusting colors and values.
Work In Progress! This is the first layer.
It has been delightful to work on these four paintings (at once) of the spring blossoms of the flowering dogwood. They will grace the wall of a historic home in Charlottesville, VA once finished. I am so grateful to the commissioner - what a wonderful way to enter into spring. May you all be safe.
High chroma vs. low chroma - I've deviated from my standard, higher chroma palette to introduce earth colors. A revelation! The top painting was a struggle to knock back the bright colors and took twice as long to do. The lower painting was eye-opening: I discovered colors I never would have otherwise found in half the time. I LOVE Terra Rosa! Anyway, so much excitement for one session; so little time.
“Cosmos & Company” oil on linen panel, 16 X 20”
These are cosmos, zinnias, black eyed susans and more; home grown in my garden. The focus is on the glorious, translucent color that saturates every bloom. The canvas was started with a beautiful two-tone layering of burnt sienna and then a cooling green/blue. Gradually the layers were built up, thinking first about how one color would interact with another before seeking out the shapes.
This series will continue the abstract nature of this interest in color. It's about understanding what makes an exciting, complex and interesting painting above all else. The emotional component, of course, is the work that went into not just the painting, but my first attempt at planting seeds from scratch. The cosmos were so incredible - they grew to over six feet tall and lasted well into the fall. This is homage to them and to their magnificent colors that brought joy to all who knew them.
Just finished. Obsessively thinking I'm not finished. Please, rip the brush out of my hand, thanks. 20 X 24", Lily Soliloquy, oil on linen over aluminum. Heading slowly, painfully, towards greater abstraction. Today, spring is in the air, and I can't wait to paint this live again. Have you noticed - this has been a long, cold winter? I will be making this available soon on my website.
Recently completed and now available: https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/blue-ridge-cloud-creatures
Infusing dream-like qualities into landscapes is a favorite new thing. I guess it's because once I've actually hiked to views like this, it really is like I'm dream-scaping. There's this sense of wanting to jump! (I guess that's an actual "thing" called "The call of the void (in French, l’appel du vide).") And if I did I wouldn't die; but fly!
If you live in the mountains and the climate is lush and somewhat tropical in the summer, it's difficult to get 360 views from the mountain tops. Last weekend I hiked up to the top of Max Patch on a beautiful albeit transitional day. There, on what's called the "bald" I could see forever; I could touch the clouds. You can spin yourself around and take in the rapidly evolving views - I could even see into other states.
Enjoying gobs of water lilies this afternoon; looking to balance abstraction and reality in the same moment. Done at the Biltmore Estate waterlily pond; a gorgeous summer afternoon work in progress.
Painted this on Inauguration Day, so I'm naming it: "Victory Sunset" - inspired by what it took to get here; all the people undeterred by the previous administration who are ready to move up and onward. The original is for sale as are prints. Oil, 12 X 12" on archival board. Have an excellent, safe day.
Here is the link to the original oil:
https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/g6fsj3zi3839v8okmmc1hg3edx6c6a
and here is the link to prints in my Etsy store:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/catherinetwomeyart?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
Thank you SO MUCH for your interest.
There was this distinctive light cutting through the water across the diagonal that I couldn't stop looking at. Everything beyond that light was shadowed and cool and my eye focused on the contrasts between warm and cool, light and dark. Picture summer on this cold winter day - but the days are getting longer. How about that incredible reflection of the one magenta/orange/whatever lily? I was so struck by this single lily, glorious in its simplicity and contrasted by the brilliant greens of the surrounding pads.
For reasons I can't explain, the more I see water, the more I want to paint it. It can be so hugely abstract, which is much of the joy of painting it.
I visit these lily pads about once a week. Every time I pass by I have to stop and wish them well.
To purchase, please click here: https://www.catherinetwomey.com/available/74b6k82655yl97nkx7dsqtc8mm6gmj