Mini Art Show

I enjoy entering the annual miniature art show in Cannon Beach, Oregon. For one, it is a fabulous place to visit and many people visit the gallery. Two, because the art is small, they can be boxed and sent by mail.

When I first learned of this annual show, I talked two of my artist friends into the challenge of doing miniature art and entering the show. At that time we added the adventure of traveling down to Cannon Beach and spending the day. One time we even spent the night at the youth hostel in Seaside. I have many fond memories!

For two dimensional art the size limit for the miniature art show is 6" X 6," not framed. Because I was on a roll with painting images of Peru, I continued with the subject matter on two 3" X 5" stretched canvases.

This year there was no entry fee and you could submit eight pieces of art. I did, and that is when I got really creative. As I was looking at the stack of Sunday Sketches, I thought there were sections of the paintings that would really make great mini paintings. Out came the scissors!

These are the mini paintings that were submitted:

Aspen
watercolor & ink
5" X 5"
Stargazer
watercolor & ink
5" X 5"
Foxglove
watercolor & ink
5" X 5"

Even though these paintings look the same size, they are smaller.

Hellebore
watercolor & ink
3" X 3"
Lupines
watercolor & ink
3" X 3"

The oil paintings on canvas did not photograph well and I forgot to photograph the pastel of the fall hillside in New England. Thus, eight paintings were sent to the 25th Annual Miniature Art Show in Cannon Beach.

I found out today that ONE of the eight paintings was accepted.

Which one???

I will delay my gratification until later this month when I visit the area to view the art show.

Stay tuned.......

Cannon Beach Gallery 2009 Miniature Show

The Cannon Beach Gallery's annual All Juried Miniatures Show begins this weekend and runs until the end of November.

The Cannon Beach Gallery, a program of the non-profit Cannon Beach Arts Association, is located at 1064 S. Hemlock Street and open Thursdays through Mondays from 10-4PM.

One of my New England encaustic painting was juried into the show. I used hot wax, craypas, and colored tissure paper and have several in the series.

Here is their selection:



New England Fall Colors #1

To Crop or Not To Crop

Cropping is one way to transform an image for emphasis.

When I first began to create watercolor collage paintings, I chose the areas of previous watercolor paintings that I liked. In other words, I cropped a portion of the painting. Having done several paintings of the same subject, I had several paintings and areas to choose from. Then, I recreated a painting using my favorite croppings. Thus, the birth of watercolor collage painting!

Recently, I have cropped the encaustic paintings I created while at a painting & yoga workshop in the Berkshires into miniatures, and entered them in the Miniature Art Show in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Now, I am toying with how to crop another pastel painting done in the Berkshires. I am not happy with painting as a whole, but I do like aspects of the pastel painting which might make smaller individual paintings.
Let me explain.......

Here is the original pastel painting:



The cropping I like with the three trees as the subject.



Then, I am intrigued by the cropping of the light on the hillside....



Are they "keepers"? What are your feelings?