The day after

Yesterday I delivered eight paintings to the Center Point Penthouse as planned and everything was approved and accepted. As of 3 PM the paintings were happily enjoying their view from the 16th floor penthouse condo at Center Pointe on Elm Street overlooking the city of Greensboro and the Allegheny mountain range in the distance.  Sure wish I could have stayed with them….the view was gorgeous! They will remain on exhibit until January…unless of course they sell before then and that would be wonderful. 

A huge thank you to Jim Wolfe of Wolfe Homes and the designer as well as Meg Sternberg of Heart of Living Home Gallery, all of whom made this opportunity possible. The stamina and vision came as needed so I could complete this project. It was definitely a stretch for me but God supplied as He is so faithful to do.

My walls at home and in the studio are stripped bare. Guess I need to start painting again but maybe I’ll take a break until after Christmas….unless I really get the urge to address all the creative thoughts rushing through my brain.  

Another heartfelt thank you to all involved!

Mission completed

Well, I made the deadline! Finished two paintings in 24 hours….dry, sealed, and ready to hang….now to catch up on some much needed sleep. God definitely gave me the strength I needed.

Waiting for paint to dry

This is a first for me today…trying to finish two paintings in one day for the Penthouse at Center Point.  Whew!  The creativity seems to be flowing so far… if only the paint will dry fast enough. Hopefully I can somehow manage to get all the layers on that need to be applied. Only time will tell. Generally I have much time between layers to see where the painting is going to take me next, so this is a real challenge. I am thankful the texture was already applied to the canvases when the request came in or it would have surely been impossible. Not only do the layers of paint need to be applied, but once finished each one has to be sealed, photographed, named, hanging wires attached, title cards made, etc. I sure need some Divine strength and help today. The paintings need to be finished and submitted for acceptance by tonight.  If they are accepted, they will be hung tomorrow. It’s one of those days where I have to keep telling myself, “Nothing is impossible with God”.

New homes

Parting is such sweet sorrow. In the past month, four paintings have made their journey to new homes. Two of the paintings, PASSING THOUGHTS and MATTERS NOT, sold before I got them posted to the website. The other two, WINGS and TOUCHED BY LOVE sold this weekend and I delivered the last two today. 

I must admit that I become quite attached to my paintings after spending so many hours of pouring myself into them and sometimes it’s sentimental to let them go, but it always helps when I am able to meet and get to know the collectors. Seeing that the paintings are going to wonderful homes where they will be loved and appreciated means a great deal to me.

A special THANK YOU goes out to Leslie A. and Meg S., the two collectors of these four paintings. I sincerely hope they will bring each of you many years of enjoyment.

Wings

WINGS, 20 x 16

Acrylic/Mixed Media
Stretched Canvas
20 x 16 in.
SOLD

Wings is an original contemporary abstract of heavy textured taupe with a pewter metallic over-glaze. It was created on a day when I was pondering the loving protection we experience from a caring God while reading Psalm 91.

Private Collector:  Greensboro, NC

After the storm

The outer bands of tropical storm Ida raged through mid week bringing cloudy days and dumping buckets of rain….. But after the storm, the beauty of November at Hilton Head returned. 

Saturday brought a glorious 75 degree day spent on the beach with the warm sand beneath my feet as I listened to the calming sound of waves crashing on the shore and the songs of gulls drifting on the wind. The rays of sun dancing like diamonds on the ocean surface brought back memories of childhood summer days at Oak Island while the laughter of children jumping waves drifted across the sandy beach bringing a smile to the faces of on-lookers. Numerous beloved pets romped in the sand and waves enjoying the freedom of the sunny day, delightfully welcoming the attention of passers-by. Everyone was enjoying being outside after the storm. 

John and I rode bikes for awhile along the beach as a refreshing breeze gently kissed our backs. Trying to get a week’s worth of beach time and bike riding into one day drove us to the hot tub to soak our tired feet and legs before retiring for the evening. But it was worth it….It was a good way to end our week at Hilton Head before returning home.

The Coffee Break

My abstract paintings center to right, clockwise:  SISTERS, WINGS and DESERT SUNSET

Three of my paintings, SISTERS, WINGS and DESERT SUNSET, can be spotted at The Coffee Break in a group show with the Cosmic Cow Society. If you are in the neighborhood and get a chance, do stop by -- grab a cup of joe or a fruit smoothie and a delicious pastry while enjoying the art of local artists. The Coffee Break is a great little coffee shop located in Greensboro on Spring Garden Street near the intersection of Spring Garden and Chapman Streets. 

Journey's Dream

JOURNEY'S DREAM, 22 x 28 x 1.5

The inspiration for Journey’s Dream came during the 2009 Tour de France—a favorite sporting event of mine. That year the tour took the riders through the coastal region of Spain as they rode fearlessly toward their final destination on the cobbled Champs-Elysées in Paris. As I watched, I was inspired to abstractly capture the beautiful landscape and fleeting scenery of the Spanish coastline.

Journey's Dream took many weeks of layering and studying before reaching its final stopping point. It was constructed by applying acrylic modeling paste to create the relief texture, then painted with over 20+ layers of pigments in varying shades of blue, earthy browns, reds, deep purple, and coral with hints of orange which were painted, wiped away, reapplied and washed to achieve the "feel" I was in search of. Scumbled highlights of metallic gold and bold streaks of metallic copper were added to represent the brilliance of the sun on that spectacular day. 

Natural and/or proper lighting is recommended to capture the full effect of the copper streaks and metallic highlights. Edges of the 1.5" gallery wrap canvas are painted black. Journey's Dream is signed on the front with artist signature (sjh) and sealed with a satin archival UV protective finish coat. It comes with a Certificate of Authenticity, wired and ready to hang. Does not require a frame.

Arts d-Vine Fall Event

Photo of my gallery space at the Arts d’Vine fall event on October 16 in Kernersville, NC. It was a damp, cold night with football games competing for the crowd but we still had a fairly good turn out. The word on the street was that the wine and music were a big hit…not a lot of art sales…perhaps the art lovers enjoy the warmer nights of June. Looking forward to Arts d’Vine June 2010.

October 1st

September ended with the smell of Fall permeating the air as fire blazed in the back pasture consuming a pile of discarded debris from recently cleared land.  A single wisp of blue smoke can still be seen spiraling upward from the remaining embers of yesterday’s bonfire.  As the sun peeps over a bank of clouds on the eastern horizon, it catches a glimpse of its reflection in the silvery lake nestled at the foot of the hill.  Meanwhile, the warmth of the first rays of sunlight gently nudge nature awake heralding a new day. Welcome, October! 

Featured Artist

If you are in the area this Friday, October 2nd, come enjoy the First Friday Downtown Arts Tour in Greensboro and stop by to say hi. I am the Featured Artist for the Heart of Living Gallery exhibiting at the Chamber of Commerce. Other artists are also showing at the Chamber which is is located at 342 North Elm Street across from the Marriott Hotel parking garage. Hope to see you there!

Hours: 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Numerous galleries downtown participate in First Friday “Art Hop” representing local artists…so come mingle, enjoy some fine art and refreshments, and make an evening of it.  

All paintings at the Chamber are for sale through Heart of Living and will remain on exhibit at for the following 2-3 weeks in October. If you can’t make it Friday, feel free to stop by one day during the week between 9 AM and 5 PM and walk through. Paintings are located on the first and second floor hallways. 

Ponderings

I’m in the studio today adding texture upon texture to three canvases as I attempt to achieve the look and feel I’m going for. Once each canvas reaches its pause point, I will attach the two smaller canvases to the larger canvas and the three will become one -- a Triptych. Then I will start on the final layers of color. I’m feeling some anticipation and excitement as I experiment and see where this painting is taking me….. 

Uncharted Waters

Acrylic/Mixed Media
Stretched Canvas
18 x 36 in.
SOLD

The inspiration for “Uncharted Waters” came from the beautiful blues and greens of the Caribbean waters shrouded by rolling fog on a misty morning. Texture and paper in shades of blue and green and white with a light pewter metallic over-glaze on stretched canvas.

Private Collector:  Chicago, IL

 

September Morning

As the sun peeps over the distant eastern hill and nature begins to awaken, the warmth of the sun kisses the cool morning dew on the rolling hills and creates a low dense fog hugging the ground like a fuzzy comfortable blanket.  The cows begin to stir and the birds begin to sing….ahhhh….the beginning of yet another beautiful September morning.

About Painting - Jackson Pollock

“When I am in my painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing.  It is only after a sort of get-acquainted period that I see what I have been about.  I have no fears of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own.  I try to let it come through.  It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess.  Otherwise, there is pure harmony, and easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.”  Artist Jackson Pollock

Self-expression

“Chekhov advises, ‘If you want to work on your art, work on your life.’  That’s another way of saying that in order to have self-expression, we must first have a self to express.”  (“The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron)

Life as you see it

“Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music—-the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people.  Forget yourself.”  Henry Miller

Arts d'Vine June Event

VINEYARD'S SONG, 60 X 48

I’m just getting used to this new blogging thingy… here’s a photo of me with Vineyard's Song at The Factory during the Arts d’Vine event in downtown Kernersville back on June 5th. It was the first “one night” event I have participated in and it was so much fun. Met lots of great and interesting people and sold 4 paintings. 

 

There will be another Arts d’Vine event coming up in October so check back for more details and come see me! 

Streams / Streams in L.A.

STREAMS, 60 x 48

Acrylic/Mixed Media
Stretched Canvas
60 x 48 in.
SOLD (Commission)

Streams was a commissioned original contemporary abstract for a collector in California. It consists of layers of acrylic paste medium, paper and acrylic paints on canvas. It was intended to be symbolic of our journey in life. As we travel life’s journey, we go through desert times when life seems dry and without purpose. Streams is a reminder that even during the desert times of life when the going gets rough, there are streams of encouragement that continue to flow bringing us hope.

Private Collector:  Los Angeles, CA

STREAMS IN L.A.
Commissioned artwork, Streams, has taken up residence in Los Angeles, CA. Thank you, Elizabeth R. for choosing SJH Fine Art to produce artwork for your client, Sheila S. It was a pure pleasure working with you. Your design work is exquisite! Streams appears to be a beautiful addition to the room. It is my sincere hope that it will bring many, many years of enjoyment to Sheila. Also, thanks for sending photos of the installation!

Streams installation.

Another room view of Streams installation.

Testimonial --
"Dearest Susan, I am so excited to have your exquisite art grace my bedroom. Sheila"

 

It's Time

IT'S TIME

I see the sun rising
I hear the sound of the wind
A new day is dawning
I'm drawing closer to Him

Without His love
There is nothing at all
Except hope and a promise
To again hear His call

He hears the cry of my heart
And says, “Do not fear,
I give you eyes to see
And ears to hear"

He takes my nothingness
In His loving hands
He assures me He's close
Enabling me to stand

In the stillness of silence
His presence is there
His still, small voice
As soft as the air

He is tender and gentle
Like a cool spring day
He beckons for me
To come and play

Let’s laugh and let's sing
Forsaking the tears
Let’s twirl and dance  
Releasing all fears

It’s time to move on
And embrace what’s at hand
It’s time to let go
And rejoice in the land


 © 2007 Susan J. Harris