"New Beginnings"

I began this sketch at Beaux Arts Gallery on Friday morning, our first "official" open day. We have plans to use the gallery as a studio/gallery, so, being me, I jumped right in using Bryant's easel, surrounded by Rob's wonderful sculptures, Mike's amazing photos and Bryant's fascinating oil paintings, and flanked by soulful works by Fr. Carlos Rojas. I ask you...WHAT could be more inspiring than being surrounded by artwork you love?!
I took this photo at one of the migrant worker camps; a child awaiting Baptism by Fr. Carlos. This, as a first painting at the gallery, is appropriate for a number of reasons: Fr. Carlos was a "Guest Artist" at our premier Thursday Nights LIVE! event, and will be through the month of August...baptism is this child's new beginning...we are experiencing our own "new beginning" at Beaux Arts Gallery; new friendships, new adventures, exciting new frontiers!
So, it seems, what goes around, comes around, and here we are sharing our love of art with Fr. Carlos once more. We three have enjoyed many experiences together in the last 5 years, and have fostered many new relationships, spawned from those experiences. I can't express how happy we are with his new assignment, nearer to us once more...truly a "new beginning"!

"MOVING FORWARD"

"Nude Rear View" (after Unknown artist) Oil 16X20
Donated to charity auction

We are moving ahead full steam, with renovations at Beaux Arts Gallery in Winthrop Town Centre. We have a telephone number now! Our opening is on July 28th, kicking off with Thursday Nights LIVE! at 7pm. We have planned this as a monthly event for a public "Meet and Greet"....sort of a neighborhood block party. This is the first piece hung in the newly renovated gallery. I have always thought this was an elegant piece for a bathroom, so that is where I hung her! The photo is a little pixilated, so I will have to take another, I see.
She is an oil reproduction of a late 1800's or early 1900 piece whose original artist I do not know. She is strikingly lovely and was the subject of a class project I demo'd for my adult portrait class awhile back. They learned a lot from the verdaccio underpainting, and realized how much work it actually cut out by painting her twice, instead of alla prima.
I coveted her for myself for some time, and now her time has come to shine....in the bathroom.....LOL
I will post other work once I actually get time to paint......should be in a couple of weeks, but meanwhile I will share teasers.....ummmm photos of our progress. Ha!