New work up on Red Bubble.

PAINT MORE, DANG IT!

Started a new painting today! I think it's time I did a small lighthouse painting.

Pix to come.

Wow, forgotten blog, HELLO!

Happy 4th of July!

Old State House bell ringing 13 times (once for each Colony) and the reading of the Declaration of Independence.  

Write About ART

My #artstudio today. Time to write about ART. 

I have been rearranging paints and art supplies in my studio just a little every day. I built a new very small watercolor kit today. I will show it to you tomorrow. 

This little piece was a drop the color wet on wet thing I did the other day with my new M Graham watercolors. And today I filled my new Goulet Noodler's pen with Lexington Grey ink and wrote on top of my tiny sample - the topic for today's post and doing as it said to do, well, here we are!

Also in the picture is a small stegosaurus from Photojojo.com that came free with an order last year. And my pack of Robert Crumb's "Les AS du Musette" trading cards. These are some little treasures that I leave laying around to inspire!

What's your art desk like?

Art + Words

You have to ask yourself loads if questions all the time when you're a professional artist. Like, "Why do people buy art?" 

I think there has to be a significance in more than the visual. That is why I enjoy explaining why a scene was painted. 

It is a lot like reading other people's blogs or following their Pinterest- you've found a connection with them and they are likely to provide you with more content that you already liked before. 

Like this small painting. This is a pretty good little watercolor I've made if the Old State House here in Dover, Delaware. There's more to it than a being fairly representative of the building. It is a small painting just 3-1/2 x 5 inches. But it is painted on only 2 colors, burnt sienna & ultramarine blue. At the time, I was rebelling against reality. It was painted in mid-March 2013, I am/was grieving for my spouse, who passed away  January 14, 3 months before. I've since begun to paint with yellows & reds (spring happened) but I just had to be painting. It is what Kelly would want & it felt better to paint. 

So, besides the fact that this beautifully restored Georgian style building that was built in 1791 and was in continuous use by the First State's government until 1933- now, you know more & may feel something of a connection. 

This is why artists need blogs. 

Plein Air Competition Sunday, May 5, 2013 Quick Draw

·        If you are participating in the Quick Draw component, the competition hours are from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
·        All canvases must be stamped prior to the Quick Draw competition.  Each artist may only have two (2) canvases stamped.  Only one (1) canvas may be submitted to be judged.
·        Canvases may be stamped during the hours listed above and also from 10 am – 11 am on Sunday, May 5 on The Green.
·        All registered artists are requested to check-in at registration tent on The Green on Sunday, May 5 so that we know you are participating.
·        All artists must bring their completed and framed art work and easel to The Green at 2 pm to be judged.  Judging will take place from 2– 3 pm.*Each painting must be framed prior to exhibit and judging for ease of handling.
·        Prizes will be awarded at 3 p.m. on The Green on Sunday, May 5, 2013.
·        We ask that all artists who participate in the Quick Draw provide us with their completed work to be on display on Friday, June 7, 2013 from 5 – 7 pm during First Friday event in downtown Dover.

Painting Friends

Don Parks & Taylor Collins are out here on the Green painting with me on the front stoop of the Century Club.

Rain, RAIN - GO AWAY!

Taylor and I were NOT deterred by the rain, we went out and found a spot on the Green that was dry enough to shelter us from the slight southerly breeze, that was the Century Club. From there, we had a great view across the western Green of Nos. 10 & 8. The day was dreadfully dark and dank, watercolors could not dry to do any glazing, so, only one layer across my 8x10 officially stamped canvas for the Old Dover Days Plein Air competition. I am just now looking at this canvas, 3-1/2 hours later and it is still too damp to work on.

We'll start tomorrow morning EARLY. The sad thing is, that I have every intention of getting a good portrait of the Old Superior Court going, too. I have the sketch done, just need to transfer it to the canvas and start painting. That's really the one I want to enter. It is going to be BOLD. This one of the Nos. 10 & 8 will just be in my The Green collection for next year's show.

I look so beautiful in Kelly's cap, too, 100 Years of Fenway, it was my Christmas present to him. He'd say I was cute.



Here's Taylor painting!

Good Morning! Let's go paint on the GREEN!

The painting contest starts today!



The Contest:
·        Your canvases must be stamped prior to painting in this event. 
·        You may bring your canvases to the Kent County Tourism office located at 435 N. DuPont Hwy in Dover to be stamped.  Our office hours are Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 p.m.  Also, I will be on The Green in downtown Dover on Saturday, April 27 from 9 am – 11 am (weather permitting) and can also stamp your canvases at that time.
·        Our registration form states two (2) canvases are to be stamped for this event.  If you would like to have more than two (2) canvases stamped, you may do so.  However, only one (1) completed and framed art work (on a stamped canvas) may be submitted for judging and exhibit at the Biggs Museum of American Art.
·        Bring your completed framed art work to the Biggs Museum of American Art (located at 406 Federal Street, Dover) on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 between the hours of 4 – 7 pm.
·        Attached is a form from the Biggs Museum.  The Biggs Museum staff has asked artists to complete this form and bring it with their completed and framed art work in order to expedite the check in process on May 1, 2013.
·        We (Kent County Tourism) will also host an informal “Meet & Greet” reception for the artists from  6 p.m. – 7 p.m. on May 1, 2013.  You may drop off your completed work earlier in the day and then return for the “Meet & Greet” or you may attend the “Meet & Greet” and drop off your artwork at the same time.
·        At the “Meet & Greet”, we will have American Historical Theatre re-enactor Gilbert Stuart in attendance to meet the artists.  Gilbert Stuart was a colonial portrait painter most famous for his Lansdowne portrait of George Washington.
·        A public performance of “A Visit with Gilbert Stuart” will follow from 7 – 8 p.m. if you want to attend
·        On Thursday, May 2, 2013 from 6 – 8 p.m. is the public opening reception for the exhibit.   Prizes will be awarded at this time.  The exhibit is on display through Sunday, May 5, 2013.

This is a NEW BLOG

There's not too many entries here, yet, but the other pages here on my Jancolors website have a few years going back. Please browse those, I do specialize, you see.

I've had quite a fun day today, overcoming some web design hurdles. It is quite geeky and I won't bore you with it, but basically, because I was having a hard time blogging from mobile devices, the updates & posts just weren't happening regularly. I don't seem to have the luxury of sitting at my desk in the studio as much as I used to do. Yet, I still have lots of things to say and show you.

Also, there was this SEO thing, you know, search engines LOVE BLOGS. But my crazy way to work around it wasn't doing anything for this website. Today that got fixed.

I really thought I'd have to dump Rapidweaver for WordPress, but I think I'll keep this site on Rapidweaver because I found a helper plugin that gives me what I need! Loghound has a plugin called Rapidblog for Rapidweaver and I am very pleased.

There, that was only a moderately geeky explanation!

I still plan to set up some new WordPress sites, it really is the best. You just have to stay on top of the updates!