First Painting for 2011

I am so excited today!!! Last night I finally broke through my "artist block". I had not painted in about three months.

I have been laid up for about six weeks with a knee injury, so I've used that time perusing the internet and looking at other artist's sites. Well, I came across an artist named Leslie Saete, and I was blown away. Her paintings made me "happy". I know that that is a simple word, but it's a very strong , all encompassing word.HAPPY... HAPPY... HAPPY! :-) Her work made me smile.

She is a contemporary impressionist palette knife painter. I had not picked up a palette knife to paint with in over 35 years. The more I looked at her paintings the more I wanted to go fine my knives.
So................ TA DA ! Here is my first palette knife painting since I was in high school. I'm very excited about it. I've had several compliments on it today. I've already taken it to the gallery and it is for sale there at 16 Main Gallery.

Stay tuned for more palette knife painting!!! Whooo Hoooo!

Christmas Open House

Please join us in Madison Alabama for Historic Downtown Madison's Christmas Open House. The Merchants of Madison is hosting an all day Open House from 10am until 5pm.

Santa is expected, so tell all the boys and girls. We will also get to enjoy carolers several times throughout the day.

Be sure to stop by 16 Main Gallery. Visit with our many artist's and enjoy our festive fare. Be one of the first 100 visitors and receive a festive treat.

An Early Merry Christmas to All!!!!!

Ladies Day Out

We had such fun!!!! This group of lovely ladies got together from their church woman's group. We spent the morning learning to paint, but most importantly --- having FUN!!!!! We were laughing so much, many of us had tears in our eyes.
After we finished, we joined a few other ladies from their group and had a wonderful lunch together across the street, at Main Street Cafe.

So get your friends/family together and come out to 16 Main Gallery & Artists for your own paint party. We call it "FEED YOUR PALETTE".. There are several artist to choose from - watercolor, acrylic, and oil painters. We will design a painting specific for your party. Just call 16 Main Gallery at 256-325-0161..
There are also many other types of classes available! We hope to see you soon!

The 12 Gifts of Christmas

This is my personal blog, but my business is inside of 16 Main Gallery, which is an Art Gallery and Art Studios located in historic downtown Madison, Alabama. We are promoting making your own gifts for Christmas and we are starting this Saturday morning with my class on painting your own Christmas Ornaments. We have a wide variety of options for all of your family. AND PARENTS --- Be sure to have your kids come on December 18th, for our Kids Day, so they can make gifts for you.

Gifts that are handmade are gifts from the Heart!!!! And Gifts from the Heart are always cherished more than we ever realize.

Be sure to register in advance, so the artist's teaching will have plenty of supplies available. ALL SUPPLIES ARE INCLUDED FOR EACH CLASS FOR THE NOMINAL CLASS FEE

Please check out our blog at 16 Main Gallery for all coming EVENTS

The Watering Hole

Hello Again

I want to share a painting that I designed this summer. This is my second design in recent years. I had a lot of fun with this one. I want this to be the first in a series.

I originally drew the elephant to show my brother, Jim. He was a BIG "University of Alabama" fan. I'm sorry to say , that he passed away before he got to see it.... but I continued with this project to help me through the grieving process. Needless to say... I'm very proud of this piece.

Some good news about it is......Ta Dah!!!! It sold this past week at an Art function at Huntsville's Museum of Art. I took it at the last minute...
Several of us from the gallery attended... we had many people looking, but no one really interested in actually purchasing...or so we thought...

A gentleman came by early on and admired my piece commenting on all the detail that had gone into it. He ask me many questions, then continued on to look at other art pieces. Just before closing, he came back and ask me if my price was firm...before I could answer he offered me more than what I priced it for. It was very exciting. He told me he was very honored to own it and that he already knew just where he was placing it in his dining room.

Thank you Bob B. ! ! ! ! I too am honored for you to own it. I hope you enjoy it for many years to come.

Dallas Painting Seminar

Neadeen and Me holding my paintings from the seminar

Hi All!
For all of you who missed me last weekend ( LOL ) I was in Dallas. One of the owners of the online art school " Art Apprentice Online " and also "The Traditions Online Art School" was in Dallas to conduct her very popular class titled "Creating the Independent Artist". Her name is Neadeen Masters!
It was such a GREAT experience ! ! ! ! She brought photos she had taken from her recent trip to Hawaii.... they were cropped in interesting ways. We each picked two to paint from and set us loose.... but not for long. The photos were a little intimidating at first...but as she explained "line", "value" and "shape"...we were better able to understand what we were looking for in preparing for our own painting. She also taught some concepts from art theory... one being - that the lightest dark, can NEVER be lighter than the darkest light. What a "light bulb moment"!!!!!

Neadeen - teaching - explaining concepts of observation in developing line, shape and value

The most important thing I learned was that I need to re-take her observation online class on the AAO website. There is so much that the brain takes for granted about what the eye sees. We all need to STOP and really pay attention to detail... There are things that occur naturally in nature that we see but do not really notice and when you want to capture that on canvas (wood, metal, etc...).. we can see something is not quite right,, but fail to know why. If you train yourself to really SEE what is in front of you and study your values. you may(maybe) have as much knowledge as Neadeen has in her little fingernail. LOL
Thanks again Neadeen!

Barbara - sweetest and best hostess in Dallas

Also a BIG BIG THANKS to Barbara for putting it all together! And WOW = she makes some wonderful soups and salads. We ate like royalty.And what a sweetheart she is.
I'm going to share some photos and also a little video of our salute to Neadeen.
Enjoy!!!

Martha

Doris

Nancy

Sharon

Susie

Paula

Ellen and Neadeen

New Beginning for 16 Main Gallery

Hello Everyone.
I know it's been awhile again.... but as usual life gets in the way...
I'd like to share with you some pictures of 16 Main Gallery - A community of Artists.
Recently, there have been some changes to the Gallery. I've become the co-director with another artist (Michele Lee)... It all happened rather suddenly, but we rose to the task.

We purchased an open sign. You won't believe how many people came in after being open since June...that had never noticed until the "open" sign was put up.

We also hung a new sign that says "Gallery and Artists". We were told that many just thought 16 Main was the address... well... it is the address as well as the name....but potential customers didn't realize that. One of our potters (Greg)made the sign, Michelle - Put on the letters and I drew and painted the pics.
I'll share more pictures soon!
Come back and see me!!!
Dianne

Artist Quote

Hans Hofmann quotes

+ A work of art is a world in itself reflecting senses and emotions of the artist's world.

ART QUOTE

Those who look for the laws of Nature as a support for their new works collaborate with the creator. ~~~~~

Antoni Gaudí

Garden Harvest - Tomato

My Tomato :-)

I have to be truthful!!!

This little baby is not from my garden.

I found this luscious "fruit"

at our farmer's market.

What a GREAT place to find mouth watering morsels

and support the local economy at the same time.

I know the lady at the stand thought I was crazy. .

picking up different ones and holding them up and

turning them this way and that.

She was staring at me with a funny expression! LOL

I finally told her why I was examining them so thoroughly

and she rushed right over to help me find

this PERFECT "model"

Don't you just want to pick it up

and take a nice, juicy, BIG BITE!?!?!?!

Well.... I did! Yep!!! I ate it!!!

It was part of the most wonderful BLT sandwich

I've eaten in a long time. . . :-) Yummy!

This canvas is 8" x 8" and

is for sale at:

16 MAIN Art Gallery and Art Studios

16 Main Street

Madison, Alabama 35758

www.16mainart.com

www.16main.blogspot.com

or contact me at:

artbyhart@knology.net

A New Beginning!

Hello Everyone!!!
It's been a long time since my last post....but things have been happening. My new art studio at home is up and running. The sunroom is wonderful ( I was spending many hours talking to my feathered friends and catching up on some reading)Now, I have NEW news! ! ! ! !

Our fair city of Madison ,Al is opening an art gallery. It is calle "16 Main" - the actual address. It's an art gallery and community of working artists. I have been chosen to be the "resident Acrylic artist". I am so very excited! ! ! Now I have two studios..my one at home and this new one at the gallery

So far we have 8 artist's in all, each of us specializing in a different media. There is room for 10, so we will see :-) Each of us has a room of our own and patrons will be able to come into our rooms and watch us work. The art gallery will host an "artist of the month" and the main area of the gallery will show all the resident artist's work and offer for sale.

"16 Main" also will have a meeting room for civic organizations as well as individuals who wish to rent the room. We are planning "Dollar Movie Nights on the Lawn" through out the summer, wine tastings, art strolls, dinner theater, and various artistic events for the community. We've got big plans! So wish us luck!!!

I'll post more about the gallery with pictures soon and also hope to share a little about each artist in residence.

Almost There

The excitement is getting more intense! Whoooo Hooo! Here are the most updated pictures of my 2/3rds art studio and 1/3rd Sunroom.
I haven't taken any pictures of the painted walls yet.
My husband got the first coat of paint-primer on the walls! Yeah!
Now we only need the last coat of paint. I have the window trim to paint today, The the guys will come back and put it up on Monday.
Next the vinyl flooring, and last the electrician to install the light fixtures and run the wires to the power box.
Can you tell I'm excited??????
:-)
Dianne

Palette Knife Evening

Here is another of my early attempts! LOL This was an assignment from a highschool art class. The entire painting had to be painted with only a palette knife. I had fun, but over the years I was able to tell just how crude this painting was.
It too still graces my Mom's family room wall. You can always count on a mother's love :-)

Copper Pot Floral

Good evening everyone!
Can you believe it is already a week into November. Days just seem to fly by.
Right now I'm not painting as I've got my supplies all boxed up. My husband is building me an art studio/sunroom, which should be ready mid-December. I'm sooooooo excited!!! I just can't wait. In the meantime, I'm sifting through boxes and bins trying to sort or get rid of things I don't need.
This painting is one I did back when I was in highschool. I took a class at the local art store taught by it's owner ( I don't remember her name).... so even though it shows my age, that was over 30 years ago. As you can see...it still needs work, but at the time, I thought it was wonderful. :-)
My Mom has had it displayed on her den wall all these years!
Have a wonderful week. Ta ta for now

DRIFTED FOG

Not much to say tonight. I'm not painting at the moment as we are in the process of enclosing our screened-in porch so I can have my own artist studio. I'm packing up my art supplies for the move from the dining room LOL
I'm very excited about this WoooHooo!!!

Anyway, here is a painting that I painted back in the early 1980's for my father. It is acrylic. I did not design it, but I enjoyed doing it and learning more about this media.
Write me what you think!

Smithsonian Renwick Gallery

The Society of Decorative Painters(SDP) and the Smithsonian teamed up and requested members of SDP to paint Christmas ornaments to decorate the trees on display at the Renwick Gallery. To particiapate each member was given an index card sized wooden plaque to paint. To get your inspiration, you were to go to the gallery's website and study 73 paintings. From these paintings, you were to pick one that inspired you in some way. It could be the whole painting or just an element in the painting.

The paintings are from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. They all seemed rather dark to me. I know they are wonderful paintings, but I'm glad they are in a museum and not on my walls. I feel they would depress me. Be that as it may, I know many who would find them very inspiring...very interesting.

I did find one that hit a "spark" in me. When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of being a ballerina. I took dance classes - ballet, jazz, and tap. I took music lessons - piano. I took baton lessons... and played the flute in the band at school... But ballet was my dream.
So in studying these paintings, in the bottom left-hand corner of the painting "Dressing for the Rehersal" by Seymour Joseph Guy (1890) I found a pair of worn ballet slippers. It touched my heart. So here is my painting, "Ribbons of Dance" that is inspired by those slippers.

Only 500 will be chosen to decorate the trees and the remainder will be sent to the headquarter of the Society of Decorative Painters in Wichita, Kansas. Either locations will be an honor. So stay tuned for an update as soon as it is known. At least I hope they will tell us. I may have to go to Washington D.C. to find out.

See ya soon!

Blood, Barks and Tears...

Hi guys!!!
It finally feels like fall here in northern Alabama. The only problem is that I don't get to hear the gentle rustling of leaves...instead I have the pounding of hammer and nails on the roof. We've had roofers here for three days (ugh!) We are getting our roof replaced finally after the early summer hail storms we had.

Nothering ART-wise today, but I've got to tell you about my dog SADIE. She got into a little scuffle last week with our other dog MISSY...or I should say, she started to get into a scuffle.....Tom could see it coming so he put his foot up between them and I guess Sadie thought his white sock moving up was Missy's white chest moving toward her because she sprang forward to bite Missy and bit Tom's foot instead.
Five (5) puncture wounds. OUCHIE!!!!

He finally got hold of Sadie and then MIssy grabbed her back leg...I'm running in trying to help and grab Sadie's collar just as
Tom pulls Missy off Sadie's leg. Well pulling Missy from Sadie's leg ripped a big gash in her leg.
While Tom holds his foot (that is bleeding) I'm pushing Sadie into the bathroom and Missy into the laundry room. I then cleaned and bandaged Tom's foot. When I went back to check on Sadie's leg, I opened the bathroom door and it looked like a masacre. The bathroom was covered in blood. It was everywhere...even up the walls. I couldn't imagine where it was coming from...since it was her leg that was bit. Finally I spotted her ear...she had had a growth on her ear about the size of a walnut and it had broken open and was bleeding. Everytime Sadie shook her head ( you know the way dogs do when they are wet). Everytime she shook her head , blood sprayed everywhere. (That was no fun to clean up...I'd hate to have CSI or NCIS come and bring in their luminol)
We took Sadie to the vet to suture up her leg. They kept her over night to mositen up the wound and was to have surgury on her leg the next morning and to take off the growth. Well Tuesday morning started off with the ringing of the telephone a little before 8am. It was the vet telling us that they had lost Sadie. She had gotten away from them (without her ID tags) when they took her out to potty before surgury. We spent the whole day looking for her. It was pouring down rain.
Around 230p she was spotted in some underbrush next to the interstate fence. We got almost to her, when she got spooked and took off under the underbrush again. So we continued to search another two hours in the general area until I was exhausted and getting hysterical. I stayed on one side of the underbrush and Tom went to the other side of the underbrush and called her one last time. Just as he was giving up and heading toward his car Sadie came bounding from behind him to the car and turned and looked at him wagging her tail like "well come on!!! let's go home"
So we have a happy ending afterall. I never would have thought it...she must be part cat and have nine lives LOL

First Pics of 2009 PWFW

Hi Everyone!!!
Sorry, I haven't written in awhile... Don't know where the time has gone. I guess life is like a roll of toilet tissue...the closer you get to the end the faster it goes! LOL
Not sure who wrote that...but there is truth in it ! ( smile )


So, what have all of you been doing? I just got back from a weekend of painting...or at least.. last weekend..not this weekend ...anyway I'd like to share some pictures from it. Jan (left), from Birmingham, and I shared a room at the Gunter Hollow Lodge in Fayetteville, TN. The room was great and the shower was to die for.. I should have taken a picture. Even the water pressure was fantastic!!! Here is a morning view from the balcony.


Back to painting... here is a picture of the little babies Donna Harcourt and I learned to paint at the SDP in Peoria back in June. Donna had finished hers and won first place in the county fair (it may have been state fair..) She told me to bring mine along and we'd finish mine up...so I did! And here she is...mine is on the left, Donna's is on the right.


This is Sherri - she taught us how to make clay pansies with Sculpty Clay. This was great fun!

Next is Judi - she and I partnered in a painting game of getting to know one another. Here she is with her "Fall Floor cloth" that she taught us all to do with OneStroke.

Wowzer! look at all the floor cloths ...as you can see, we've got a lot of talent!

_______________________________________


Sowmya, made her debut of teaching us her Prisilla Hauser Rose.


And Robin, showed us how to make ATC's (Artish Trading Cards) to share with our fellow artists.

Look for upcoming pictures of other wonderful classes at 2009 PWFW TN.
See you soon!
Dianne

Peoria and SDP

Hi Everyone!
I got back from Peoria, Il last week, but it took me a week of sleeping to get over all the excitement.. LOL... It was fabulous! I got to meet all the Art Apprentice Online ladies!!! They annouced their new program and I believe it will be fantastic! I'll tell more about it in another post soon.

One of the reasons I went to Peoria was that I submitted my "special board" to try for my Certified Decorative Artist Certification (CDA)... To the everyday guy or gal, this may not mean anything to them...but to an artist, especially a decorative artist..it is an honor to have these three letters after their name. It is sort of like a "feather" in your cap.

FYI - I used DecoArt Traditions Paint of course!!!

Here was my submission.. It did not pass, but I did get an actual score...which isn't bad for a first timer. I'll try to insert the certification critique.... but no promises... I'm not real computer savvy...
I hope you are enjoying my blog and please, please feel free to leave comments...just click on the "comment" line below.

Thank you Neadeen!!!!!

Today I am sooooooo excited! ! ! ! Neadeen Masters, a well known and talented artist found my blog online and commented on an online list that I belong to... This is what she said:

Hi Everyone, I was searching the web tonight and came across Dianne Hart's blog. Dianne what a lovely job you have done on your latest paintings. I especially love your latest little design of the lemon and cherries. Very nicely done. I can see that Sue's blending class was taken very seriously!! LOL!!
Excellent job on your blending and detail. If you had to name only one thing that you found that helped you the most in Sue's blending class, what would it be?

AND I was so excited to see all the promotion you are doing for the AAO. Thank you so much for your support and the extra advertising you are doing for us. We cannot thank you enough for taking the time.
Folks if you can stop by to see the lovely paintings Dianne is doing and designing on her own now!! Wooooo Hoooooo!! Way to go girl. How about some mini e-packets?? LOVE the lemon!!>

http://artbyhart-dianne.blogspot.com/

Cheers!!

Neadeen Masters, CDA, AAO
Group Moderator

That just really made my day! I am so in awe of the 5 wonderful ladies of the AAO and to have Neadeen comment online where so many other wonderful artist can read it and then look at my blog....well...I'm speechless!
I might just have to think more seriously about some mini e-packets! First though, I'll have to find out how to do that :-)

Thanks Neadeen!!!!!!!

Hugs to everyone!! and don't forget to leave your comments throughout my blog.