The Loft Shop

Morning Glories

2012-02-04T17:40:00.000-05:00

I have been doing watercolor sketches of morning glories. I play around with design and color. My plan had been that the blossums would be blue but when I did them in purple I changed my mind. I think this is going to be a purple morning glory painting. Kinda fun painting purple morning glories while the snow is coming down. Maybe I should do a couple more sketches, changing the colors. We'll see. . . .

This one was still damp when I photographed it. .. . you can see the wetness.

Preparation

2012-01-31T12:57:00.000-05:00

When I am getting ready to paint a "new" subject, part of the fun is the preparation. I go on line and look at photos of the subject. If I have photos (which I usually do) I look at them and then I start to draw.
I make several drawings of the subject matter and do some watercolor sketches. Eventually I put the drawing on the paper and get ready to paint.
Several years ago I did a painting of morning glories. I like it so much it hangs in our house. It is the only morning glory painting I have done. Last week I had the sudden desire to paint a vertical (30x10) floral painting. I did several of these a few years ago. Four or five of the verical florals hang in Garrett Memorial hospital (2 of them on the 3rd floor across from the elevator.) I am getting ready to paint a vertical painting of morning glories. These are 2 of the sketches I have done in preparation.

Hopefully I will have a painting to put on the blog.

New Gallery Hanging

2012-01-24T18:09:00.000-05:00

The Gallery Committee re hung the Gallery at the Garrett County Arts Council on Monday. It is always a very intimitating process. We walk into the Gallery to see all the walls empty and 50 + painting on the floor leaning against the walls. I usually come in early and sort out the work according to medium and color. The committee arrives and we start to hang. An hour and a half later all the art work is up and it looks wonderful. This time the "hangers" were Louise Lawrence, Debra McCombs and Madalyn Hoffeditz. It most rewarding to work with these women. This is the fun part of the Garrett County Arts Council for me.
These are the 2 pieces I put in the Gallery this time.

In Garrett County the robins return and then we have another snowfall. The locals call it "the robin snow".

Last spring I watched the poor things scrape the earth to find food and couldn't resist doing a "Robin Snow" painting.

Last winter I was in St Thomas, USVI doing a drawing of this scene when someone pointed out the house next to these had been owned by Pissaro. I came home and did this collage calling it

"Pissaro's Neighbors".

Winter Ice

2012-01-22T19:46:00.000-05:00

Driving to McHenry MD this morning to go to the gym (Community Aquatic Recreation Center) to work out, I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the area. There had been a freezing rain last night which coated the trees in higher elevations with ice. It was foggy and white and icey and beautiful . After working out I went home, grabbed my camera and took some photos. This is of the farm that neighbors ours where Sam and Ellen Housely live.

January in Bittinger

2012-01-15T13:04:00.000-05:00

It has been a strange winter in Bittinger MD. We have had less than 24 inches of snow, lots of rain and some really lovely "spring" like days. I have been managing to get to the studio almost every day, though I have to confess I haven't done any "significant" work. I just play around in the studio with paints and stuff and generally have fun. A few pieces have worked and many have been cut up into cards. I do like this one, tho. I don't often use purple, but this time it seemed to work pretty well.

Post Holidays

2012-01-06T11:45:00.000-05:00

The holidays are over and it is back to resuming "normal" life. We had a good snowfall in Garrett County Maryland on Tuesday which kept kids home from school and made the WISP ski resort happy. ( We got about 12 inches at our house. ) I love snow days because I can go to the studio and work uninterrupted.
I didn't do much painting over the holidays,
it is my goal was to loosen up and get used to putting pigment on paper. These pieces are so much fun to do.

Arizona

2011-12-29T11:52:00.000-05:00

One of the places I love to visit in the Scottsdale area is the Soleri bell shop. The work of Palo Soleri is beautiful and fascinating. It is a lovely setting with bells hanging everywhere. The large elaborate bells are really beautiful. I can never resist buying a small one to hang on the West side of our house. Those bells ring and tell us when there is a shift in the weather. They have sounded so pretty these past few days.

The Desert Botanical Garden is beautiful. I love the colors of this cactus

Winter is here, the holidays are ending and I am back in my studio on a daily basis. I am always curious to see what I will produce in these winter months. Frankly right now I don't have a clue, but I know I will be out there a lot and who knows what I will end up doing. Stay tuned. . . . .
Happy 2012!!!

Cactus in December

2011-12-17T17:11:00.000-05:00

Last week Alan and I were in Scottsdale Arizona. He attended a conference and I got to spend 3 days playing in the desert. I love that part of the country and am always fascinated by the cactus plants and the topography of the land. Coincidentally a friend had recently commissioned me reproduce a painting that I had done 7 or 8 years ago. She loves the cactus painting and is going to give it as a gift. Obviously I am "into" the cactus idea. This is the cactus painting I did for my friend. Not terribly Christmasy, but
it was lots of fun to paint it.

Kitchen Show

2011-12-08T11:44:00.000-05:00

The Garrett County Arts Council has an interesting show in the Backroom Gallery. The show features kitchen gifts for the holiday season. There are all kinds of neat kitchen pieces available such as toast tongs, salad bowls, cutting boards, rolling pins, wine holders and more. On the walls of the Backroom Gallery are paintings with a kitchen theme. There are paintings of fruits, vegetables, kitchen tables and chairs, etc.
This is a really nice theme show that is a great place to shop for the person on your list who likes to cook.
The show will be up through the holiday season at The Gallery Shop at 206 E Alder Street in Oakland

Recent Painting

2011-12-01T18:15:00.000-05:00

I have not had a lot of opportunity to be in the studio these past weeks. I had knee surgery on Oct. 24 (repair a torn meniscus in my right knee). That laid me up a bit. Then we got into the Thanksgiving adventure of family. Just before the surgery I pulled out a photo that I got in Seattle in September.
It was fun to paint these tulips "loosely".

Family Fun

2011-11-25T16:43:00.000-05:00

I enjoy doing art projects with kids. My grandchildren, Erik (11) and Katie (8) from Gloucester Mass. have been visiting us for the whole week. Today we did the "Tee Shirt Project". They watercolored a design, then photographed it downloading it into the computer. I then printed their art work onto transfer paper and ironed the art onto white tee shirts. The shirts are really terrific looking and a great souvenir of a week at Gamma's.

Katie's painting

Erik's design.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

It is Thanksgiving week, the sun has come out in Garrett County and I am grateful that this is the place that we live. It has turned colder and we had a bit of snow Thursday night. Today is a beautiful, crisp, bluesky day. We look forward to this week with our family (all of the Waxdals) and sharing Thanksgiving week with them. We will have lots of laughs and fun. I hope that is the case for you. I am grateful that this blog has become a way to stay connected with you.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Another effort

2011-11-16T10:45:00.000-05:00

So after seeing Jean Barnes Downs give here watercolor monotype demonstration, I went to my studio to attempt to create one. For some reason, these are not easy for me and I go thru a lot of paper to come out with one that is even close to presentable. (not that this one is). However, please note that I am persisting and tenacious about this watercolor monotype thing.

Jean Barnes Downes

2011-11-11T09:35:00.000-05:00

Monday night was the regular meeting of the Western Maryland Watercolor Society in LaVale, Maryland.
After the business meeting, Jean Barnes Downes gave a demonstration of making watercolor monotypes.
Jean is a wonderful artist and teacher who produces lovely works of art.   That evening she creating several watercolor monotypes.   This is one of them.


I love her looseness and brilliant colors on this small piece. So now I have my project for the next few sessions in the studio.

                suealoft@aol.com
                http://www.theloftshop.com/

Late Fall

2011-11-06T16:24:00.000-05:00

The snow has melted in Bittinger, the sun came out, it is chilly and looks like late Fall. The leaves are down and the forests have taken on that grayish brownish color. I saw a flight of geese the other day and remembered this painting that I did recently.

Winter Art

2011-10-29T10:27:00.000-04:00

I was talking to my pal Steve Schlosnagle yesterday and he commented "Well you will really have something to post on the blog tomorrow". How right he was. We woke up to "winter art" in the form of about 8 inches of snow. It is really beautiful and so very quiet BUT a bit much for October. So much for Artist Studio Tours this weekend.

Watercolor class

2011-10-28T16:24:00.000-04:00

It has been a tough week for the Arnsons.   Last week Alan was hospitialized for a severe GI virus.   He was in Garrett Memorial Hospital for 3 1/2 days, returning home Saturday afternoon.   Needless to say he did not participate in Studio Tours last week.
I, on the other hand, had knee surgery on Monday to repair the torn meniscus that I experienced on Sept. 6th.   Happily my knee is pain free for the first time in 7 weeks and I will be able to be on Studio Tours this week.    However, the weather people are telling us that we are to get 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow (Sat. the 29th) So much for Studio Tours in Bittinger.
Back to art. . . . . . .
I recently spent a few hours working with Joan Lyons, teaching her some watercolor techniques.   We had a great time painting the Stanton Farm on Rt. 495 in Bittinger, MD from a photo I had taken years ago.
I think her piece is remarkable for a 3rd painting.

Stanton Farm by Sue Arnson

Stanton Farm by Joan Lyons

Mountain Maryland 2011 Art Sale and Tour

2011-10-17T18:14:00.000-04:00

This coming weekend is the Allegany County Arts Council's studio tours. There are 57 artists on the tour, 8 are in Garrett County. Alan and I will be our studios for the 2 weekend event.

The Mountain Maryland 2011 Art Sale and Tour is Oct. 22,23 and 29,30 11a.m.-5 p.m.

Heritage Craft Festival

2011-10-10T18:01:00.000-04:00

Our display

It is Autumn Glory week in Garrett County Maryland and the foliage is at its peak. The leaves are really gorgeous. I can't remember the last time that Autumn Glory and peak leaf season coincided.
We will take The Loft Shop to Broad Ford School to the Heritage Craft Festival. HCF will be open Sat. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be plenty of arts and crafts vendor, food and fun at Broad Ford and Southern Middle Schools. We look forward to seeing old friends and customers and meeting new people. See you there.
Have a great Autumn Glory weekend.

Josh Brown's display.

Pacific Northwest

2011-10-05T22:26:00.000-04:00

I love the Pacific Northwest. I lived there for 26 years, receiving a fine education in Bellevue WA and at the University of Washington (the" Dub") and teaching in Renton Public Schools for a few years. As a kid I learned to swim (at an early age) in beautiful Lake Washington, waterski, snow ski, fish, hunt, sail and enjoy the great outdoors. On this past trip we spent day exploring an area north of Seattle in the foothills of the Cascades where my parents had owned a cabin. I was thrilled to be back in that part of the state where I had such great memories of my family and our cabin. I thought I would share a couple of photos with you because it is so beautiful.

                                                              suealoft@aol.com
                                                         http://www.theloftshop.com/

Seattle

2011-09-29T10:03:00.000-04:00

Alan and I spent a week in Seattle WA visiting family and friends. . .. .while we were there I took a painting class with Joan Archer in Edmonds. Her subject matter was of a market and what a perfect subject since we were staying in an apartment across from the Pike Street Market. This is not a comfortable subject for me, but I had a great time painting and rather like my piece. Here is it.

Flowers. . . . for Beginners

2011-09-16T21:19:00.000-04:00

It will be fun to teach "Flowers. . . for Beginners". It certainly will not be a thorough coverage of the subject matter, that could take weeks, but it will be a start. Hopefully the class will get enough information to be able to begin working on florals. I am a gardner and a lover of flowers so I really enjoy painting them.

Watercolor class

2011-09-09T11:38:00.000-04:00

After the class "Watercolor for Real Beginners" the students requested a follow up. As a result I will be teaching 2 classes on September 28 and 29. The first day will feature "Water. . .for beginners", the second day will be "Flowers. . .for beginners". I find that I like preparing for these classes because if forces me to remember what it was like painting when I first started. It is my goal to make it possible for the students to learn some basics and successfully execute paintings.

These are samples that I will demonstrate for them on "water".

Tree to Bowl

2011-09-02T14:53:00.000-04:00

There is a large hickory tree that has fallen in our woods. We were able to wrestle a few large pieces out of the woods and into Alan's workshop. He has made a couple of hickory bowls from that tree. Because of the light and dark colors of hickory, they make interesting bowls, especially if there is a knot in the wood. We'll take the them to the Art and Wine Festival at the Garrett County Fairgrounds in McHenry Maryland next Saturday, September 10th.

Art and Wine

2011-08-29T17:03:00.000-04:00

With Labor Day weekend approaching our thoughts turn to the Art and Wine Festival on Sept. 10th. This is a benefit for the American Red Cross. Last year it raised $50,000 for the ARC.
This is probably the most fun festival we go to, mainly because the people are all having such a great time tasting, shopping, and listening to good music. It has to be good for us to haul our inventory to the Garrett County Fairgrounds for a 6 hour event. Here are a couple of (not so great) photos from last year.
Come see us if you are at the event.

Who are these two goofs??

Original paintings on cards

2011-08-21T14:25:00.001-04:00

I have been taking miniture paintings and mounting them on cards. Each painting is about 3" x 4". I sell the cards for $8 each (and people buy them). Each painting is an original watercolor , not a reproduction.
Actually it is a pretty good deal.. . .$8 for a painting.
Here are a few of the pieces/cards.

The Loft Shop

Morning Glories

Preparation

New Gallery Hanging

Winter Ice

January in Bittinger

Post Holidays

Arizona

Cactus in December

Kitchen Show

Recent Painting

Family Fun

Thanksgiving

Another effort

Jean Barnes Downes

Late Fall

Winter Art

Watercolor class

Mountain Maryland 2011 Art Sale and Tour

Heritage Craft Festival

Pacific Northwest

Seattle

Flowers. . . . for Beginners

Watercolor class

Tree to Bowl

Art and Wine

Original paintings on cards

Lake Paintings

Pottery by Lynn Lais

Collage

Studio Tours

How to Collage

A Summer's Day In Garrett County Maryland

Art in the Park

Loft Shop's 25th Season

Jim Lawrence Memorial Photography Show

More Show Time

Watercolor For REAL Beginners

Show Time

Painting again

Mountain Maryland Plein Air

Aonther Photo

Travels Photos

Back In Bittinger MD

Italy

Amsterdam

Photographs

The Woodworker

watercolor monotypes

Crocus

April in Garrett County

Robin Snow

Black and White

Oil Monoprint

I Just Felt Like It

New Studio

Sue's Studio

February in the Studio

Garrett County Arts Council Student Show

Ink and Watercolor

Dreaming of the Tropics

Tortola, BVI

Student Show at Garrett County Arts Council

New Hanging at Garrett County Arts Council

watercolor monoprints

drawing

'tis the season. . . .

End of Year New Stuff

Early winter

Winter Scenes and Wooden Things

Yonke Workshop Student Work

Show Time

Bob Yonke's Watercolor Workshop

Week # 2 of Artists Studio Tours

The Studio

Artist Studio Tours

Creative Days

Fall Show at Garrett County Arts Council

Autumn Glory

Niagra Falls