August 2015 Wrap Up Post

1. End of Season
12" x 16" acrylic and painted paper on wc paper

2. Riparian Rights
12" x 16"-acrylic and painted paper on wc paper

3. Hope and The North Fork
12" x 16" acrylic and painted papers on wc paper

4. Light Over Alpine
11" x 14" acrylic on wc paper

5. Summer Light
11" x 14" acrylic and paper on wc paper

6. Beyond The Rocks
12" x 16" acrylic on wc paper

Work continues in my studio as August marches on! Make way for September, one of my favorite months. It has been a productive and fun painting month for me. I'd like to share a little bit about the pieces above:

1. End of Season: This summer I have spent a lot of time at Lake Alpine. I can say unequivocally that I really love it there and have gotten a lot of inspiration for my paintings. This particular piece was inspired by a recent trip where I took note of some buildings that I hadn't noticed before. A house among the pines. How great would that be?

2. Riparian Rights: Over the past 7-8 months much of my work has involved the idea of water. Specifically, I am interested in the history of how water as a resource has shaped our Western development and identity. One of the things that caught my attention while doing some research is the term"riparian rights".  The term refers to a person's right to access the water source that adjoins or is on their property and frankly, it's a very complex concept. For my piece I pictured the simplicity of a group of people living in a rural setting, mutually sharing a common water source.

3. Hope and The North Fork: It doesn't happen too often that an image for a piece forms in its entirety in my mind's eye. For this piece I was driving when the idea and image and title came to me all at once! The North fork of the Calaveras River is bone dry as far as I know. Not unusual for this time of year but scary anyway. That river feeds to our reservoir which is our water source.  Watching the water come and go in our state is a constant concern.

4. Light Over Alpine: This piece is taken from one of the colored paper "sketches" that I have been doing. This series of sketches focused on some of the land forms at Lake Alpine. In particular, the rocks fascinate me. They seem to flow over each other, like they are intertwined.

5. Summer Light: On one of my drives up highway 4 to the high country, I really took note of how clear the light seems. It almost has a "whitish" quality to it. For this piece I pictured the white light, some strong "sun rays", and the deep blue of the water.

6. Beyond The Rocks: Working again with the idea of "white light" and my paper sketches, I pictured looking at the far shore of the lake from the vantage point of behind the rocks and trees. The piece was inspired by my recent memories while hiking along the Lakeside Trail at Lake Alpine.

Is there anything else besides Lake Alpine?

Ha ha! Maybe not! Actually, I do have other news to share. I have had two pieces accepted into a show down in Madera. This is a juried show with a theme of agriculture and you guessed it, water! It's being presented September 30th through November 21st at the Circle Gallery. I am especially excited because the pieces are part of the work that I have created this year in my new style. That's a nice feeling.

September 26th and 27th are the dates for the Calaveras Art Studio Tour. I'll be over at Cate Culver's studio in Mountain Ranch along with 5 other artists. We have a healthy turnout of participating artists so if anyone reading can swing a trip up our way, you are likely to have a good time. Consider coming to wine taste, explore Big Trees State Park or any of our other hiking trails. Bear Valley is close by and there is plenty of walking and hiking to be done there too along with lots of other outdoor activities. We really have a beautiful county with lots of things to do. And don't forget about the raffle opportunity at the Arts Council. All artists participating will be donating artwork for the event.

Work For Sale- Oldies But Goodies:
I have some older pieces that could really use a good home. The link to the images is here on my blog. They are all paintings of scenes and ideas that are local to my area. Some are site specific, such as the painting of the San Andreas Town Hall, and others depict a more generalized rural setting. I hope you will take a moment to look at them. 

What Else?

Have you read anything of note this summer? I'll share what I have read.

Run, River, Run by Ann Zwinger. This is a naturalist's poetic recounting of her time spent canoeing the Green River. She has a way with words and description, making the river both a thing of beauty and a fearsome force of nature.

The Wild Muir: Twenty Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures forward by Lee Stetson. John Muir has a joyous voice, even now, after all of this time. This book is a great introduction to both his writing style and love of adventure! His view of nature is both practical and spiritual, combining everyday observations about the world around him with his deeply held belief in a higher power. It's a religious experience without being religious!

Beyond The Hundredth Meridian by Wallace Stegner. Talk about an eye opener! I knew nothing about John Wesley Powell, a man who helped to open up our Western states and who tried to give our country an understanding of its topography, it's offerings and its limitations. Specifically (and of course) this book has to do with water and the opening of the West. 

If you have read anything that you want to share just send me an email or post a comment. My work is always for sale here and again, just email me. Questions or comments? Know of a show, a venue or even a place I can teach some basic color classes? You guessed it! Email me! libbyfife@ymail.com

Thanks as always for reading, commenting, and supporting me and my art making. It's appreciated!
Libby