My Wildflower Garden

I've started a new variation on a theme I've been working with for awhile. It's a technique using a palette knife with acrylics, working wildflowers in bright colors on a soft black background. I had been working the flowers in a bouquet radiating out from a center point. This new series is more of a stand of wildflowers, similar to my large abstracts. I'm titling this series "Wildflower Garden." This is No. 1 in the series. As mentioned in my blog before, I'll be demonstrating this technique in October for the Windcrest Art League in San Antonio.
Other highlights in my life as an artist:
...I've been painting a lot this last few weeks and feel good about the results! I'm now "on break" from the classes for 2 weeks and will spend some of the time preparing for my booth at "Celebrate Art in the Garden" at the Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio Sept. 9-10.
...Also, my solo show at the New Braunfels Starbucks Coffee has been extended into September!
...I'm chairing the Artoberfest show for the New Braunfels Art League. This is our really big, cash awards, juried/judged fine arts show. Let me know if you'd like more information.

New Wildflower Square paintings

Been busy painting over the last few weeks. Finished two more large wildflowers that I'll be posting to my "Recent Works Gallery" blog soon. Finished and framed several of the palette knife florals that I'll have in my booth at the Antique Rose Emporium in San Antonio on Sept. 9-10 for their "Celebrate Art in the Garden" event. And I've added several new paintings to my Wildflowers Squared series, which I'm posting here. I'm working more in groupings with this series now and have been playing with some monochromatic themes as you can see. These range in size from 4 inch by 4 inch to 12 inch by 12 inch. I have lots of fun with them as do my customers who like to mix and match the canvases. These are all available for sale in my studio in New Braunfels, Texas. I'm also posting a couple of close up shots to show the detail. Contact me if you'd like more information on this series. A good selection of my Squares are also on display at Gallery on the Square in Wimberley, Texas.
In other news:
-- Another of my large works, "Joyful Expressions of Wildflowers in Harmony" found a home in Austin this week. C.W. made the purchase as a 10th anniversary gift for his wife.
-- The Windcrest Art League (San Antonio) invited me to demo at their monthly meeting in October. I'll be sharing my floral palette knife technique.
-- I've agreed to chair the annual Artoberfest show for the New Braunfels Art League again this year. This is our largest show with $2300 in cash awards. It showcases some of the best in local and regional art. Show dates are Oct. 4-Nov.13. If you are an artist in the area, let me know if you'd like a prospectus.
-- Painting for Beginners: Last "summer" class will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 29. I'll take a break and start back on Thursday, Sept. 14. I'll be offering afterschool, evening and Saturday classes. Plus, I'm offering a kids' art camp for the Christmas holidays. Check my website for the current brochure or e-mail me.

August Happenings

What a busy month coming up! My work will be spread here and yonder locally during August. I'm the Canyon Lake Art Guild Artist of the Month for August, which means that I'm hanging in 4 locations at Canyon Lake (which I've group according to themes). You can see my work at: Wells Fargo (Comal County scenes), the Times Guardian newspaper office (sunset photos and paintings), Tye Preston Memorial Library (Wildflower Bouquets and Birdhouses), and First State Bank (wildflowers). The work is already up and on display at these locations. A little sidebar: if you click into the library website, make note of the colors and the logo design in the upper left corner...it's my work, too!
In addition to those Canyon Lake locations, I'm regularly featured at Vulture Gulch Stained Glass in Hancock (as are photos by my husband, David). Plus I'm still in Gallery on the Square in Wimberley.
Meanwhile, I'm excited to the featured artist for August at the New Braunfels Starbucks Coffee! I'll be hanging about 6 of my LARGE wildflower paintings next week. Also in New Braunfels: I'm still out at Grandmother Moon's in Gruene and at the NB Art League Gallery in downtown New Braunfels.
If you are in the area, be sure to mark Aug. 10 on your calendar. Downtown New Braunfels will host "2nd Thursday" shopping 5-8 p.m. but this month is special--it's also Hot Art After Hours. Drop by the NB Art League Gallery for a complimentary margarita then take the stairs or elevator upstairs to my studio where I'm having an open house. I'll have some of my latest works on display, including the 5 foot by 8 foot canvas that I painted specifically for the International Licensing Show in NYC in June (See the photo posted here...that's the painting behind me). Unfortunately, I had to cut it into 3 sections for transport, but I'll be hanging it as one unit in my studio. Hope to see you there!
Camps and Classes: I have one camp left, an Introduction to Landscape Painting for ages 7-12 the second week of August. Classes are going well with several students in the Tues eve, Thurs eve and Saturday classes. I'll be taking a break the end of Aug and first part of Sept. The fall schedule will start about mid-September, including after-school classes at my studio and a weekly class at the Fischer Store School Community Center, north of Canyon Lake.

Austin Art Show

This morning, S.G., a fellow artist and New Braunfels Art League member kindly e-mailed this photo of me in my booth that she took at a fine art show in Austin this past Spring (the FACET show). I feel like I'm sitting in the middle of a surreal flower garden! Thanks S.G.!

Paintings at Blood Bank

I was invited to take some of my work over to the new South Texas Blood and Tissue Bank branch location in New Braunfels (at Marketplace) this week. However, they wanted something "calming" to set folks at ease when they come in to donate blood. As an artist friend of mine says, my wildflowers SCREAM. But I do also paint more traditional works, such as the one posted here: "Another Spring on Bear Creek Road." It, along with "Texas Hill Country Spring" and "Honey Creek" are on display at the New Braunfels Blood Bank through the end of July. Bear Creek Road is what the old timers call FM 2722, which connects from FM 46 (just west of New Braunfels) to FM 2673 (South of Canyon Lake). I have painted this specific scene twice (hence "another spring..."). The first painting was sold a couple of years back to a Canyon Lake resident.

Nature's Heart and Soul has a new home

One of greatest pleasures for an artist is to see her work find a home where it will be enjoy and bring joy to others. This past week--on July 4th--a lovely couple from San Antonio saw one my latest paintings, "Nature's Heart and Soul" on display in the Contemporary Art exhibit at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery. I was not in my studio that day so they left a name and number and I called them on Thursday. We met in my studio an hour later where they looked over my other paintings and finally took a break for lunch. When they returned, they had decided on their first choice, "Nature's Heart and Soul." I know it has a good home and I couldn't be happier!
Camps start back up tomorrow with seven kids ages 5-8 in the morning and four, ages 10 and up in the afternoon. Teaching is almost as invigorating as painting...and I love to do both. Life is good! To all who read this: Have a great week and Be Happy!

Happy July 4th!

Just want to send best wishes for a safe 4th of July to everyone out in cyberspace today! I'm still catching up on work from being gone for a week to NYC, but here's the latest news...
CAMPS AND CLASSES:
Summer camps start back next week and I'll be ready! I've added an additional evening class (Thursday) for my Painting for Beginners adult students (Tuesday night is full). Plus I've added two more camps in August, Introduction to Landscape Painting for ages 7 to 12. Contact me if you are interested (artclasses@casadelinda.com).
ART ON EXHIBIT:
• Three of my wildflower paintings (including Nature's Heart and Soul, my latest painting) are part of the Contemporary Art Show this month at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery. The gallery just opened its newly rennovated "Side Gallery" and it is wonderful! Come see it for yourself!
• Coming up: I'll be the featured artist at the local Starbucks Coffee in August! Very exciting as thousands will see my work during the month. The New Braunfels Starbucks is located at the corner of I-35 and Walnut.

More NYC photos

Thought I'd post a few more photos. The photo showing the words "New Yorker" at the top of the building is a view David shot from the front door of the Javits Convention Center toward Manhattan. We stayed at the New Yorker. The tall spire behind it to the right is the Empire State Building. We went up the Empire on Wednesday night and David got some great sunset and night shots, as you can see here. On Friday morning, we went to the NBC plaza and got to see and hear Phil Collins in concert. I'm posting of photo of him and Matt Lauer. New York was wonderful and we can't wait to return and explore more of it!

Back in Texas!

We are back from New York. It was a fantastic trip. Got some solid leads that I will be following up on and feel really good about the future of my wildflowers for licensing. Now it’s all about the follow-up, which will take high priority over the weeks and months to come.

Above all, this was an amazing and invaluable learning experience for me and David. Just being in the thick of the International Licensing show and being in the thick of Manhattan (our first time to NYC)...Wow. I made the commitment for a booth in mid-April. That gave me about 9 weeks to pull it off, By “it” I mean everything from booking air and hotel, to designing and producing sales literature to planning the booth layout to shipping the artwork ahead so it would be waiting for us. For the most part, everything came together better than I could have hoped.

I'm posting a few photos of the booth and of David and I at the entrance to the show.

Ready for New York...Almost!

So it's almost noon on Sunday and I'm still checking items off my to-do list for the trip to New York for the International License Show June 20-22. I'll be at booth No. 1278 in the Art and Design Gallery displaying my wildflowers.
Mentally, emotionally...I'm ready!
In other news:
Art on Exhibit. A good selection of my work is out and around the area now: Gallery on the Square in Wimberley, Grandmother Moon's in Gruene, Vulture Gulch in Hancock, New Braunfels Cadiology (through the end of July) and, of course, at the New Braunfels Art League Gallery.
July Art Camps. One camp is full, but I have room in the other 3 camps for July. My Tuesday night adult painting class filled up so I've added a Thursday night class. Still have openings in Saturday classes at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. It's been a good summer for teaching and I've had a great time meeting new students and sharing my love of art with them. My summer brochure is available for download at my website, www.casadelinda.com.
Hope to have great news to report when I return from New York...or at least some great stories to tell!

Giant Art Steins on Parade!

I had mentioned in a previous post that I painted a 4-foot-tall stein and here it is. The New Braunfels Art League, of which I am proud to be a member, is sponsoring its own version of a "cow parade" this summer. But instead of bovines, the art league choose a giant German stein to honor the German heritage of the New Braunfels community. Local artists designed and painted 41 of the steins which are being sponsored by New Braunfels' businesses. The steins are now "on parade" for public viewing (including my contribution located in the lobby of Chase Bank in downtown New Braunfels). You can pick up a free map of stein locations at the NBAL gallery or at the NB Chamber of Commerce. To see all photos of the other 40 steins, go to the NBAL website and click on the virtual tour.
Odds and ends:
Finished up my first Summer 2006 camp and had a blast! Start another week-long camp on Monday. Been busy getting ready for New York...leave a week from Monday!
My art can now be seen at two new locations: Grandmother Moon's in Gruene (located near Adobe Verde) and Vulture Gulch in Hancock (Canyon Lake North). I'm also showing through the end of July at the New Braunfels Cardiology office in New Braunfels (on Common Street). Let me know if you need more information on any of these.

Webpage Woes

Thought I knew about all the broken links on my website but just yesterday found out I had many, many more. So I've replaced my extensive, multi-page site with a one-page, simplified version for the time being. If you have been to www.casadelinda.com before today, you might need to refresh or reload when you click in next time. If you see my logo floating on a cloud on a blue background at the top, you are on the right page. If you ever find any broken links (those little boxes with xes in them), please let me know!
Got my business card and one-sheet order in today. If you do go to my website, scroll down and you'll see the "one-sheet" that I'm talking about. It's a 8.5X11 flyer and I'm having them printed up full color on 100 lb gloss to hand out at the International Licensing Show. And speaking of the show...we fly up in 18 days!! Mucho work to do between now and then. Still packing and shipping my art out so it'll be waiting for me when I get there.
Camps and classes start next week. Can't wait to see all those smiling and eager-to-create little folks! I was able to add a link from my webpage for the 2006 Camps brochure (a pdf file). Another thing I can check off my to-do list!