Each It's Season, 18x24, oil

Save the Date! Sept 2nd - Opening Night for "City Streets and Country Roads"

Save the Date!

Opening Night for
"City Streets and Country Roads"

 Views of Lexington and Rural Virginia

Friday, September 2, 2016 5:00 - 7:30

Art exhibition of original oils by Amy H. R. Donahue, featuring paintings of Lexington and rural Virginia.

Exhibit dates:
Sept. 1-30, 2016

Cabell Gallery

5 W Washington St, Lexington, VA 24450
View Map

Gallery website  |  Make it a weekend getaway

I am excited to share my recent paintings of the beautiful Virginia countryside, as well as many paintings of the quaint town of Lexington, Virginia. Landscapes both large and small, plenty of summer greens and autumn foliage included in the show! More details to come. I hope you put it on the calendar and can come.

Feel free to spread the news.

Here's a sneak peek. Now back to work for me...

 

Pastures at Tuckahoe, 6x6, oil

 

Roseland, 26x60, oil

 

Millinery De Rousselot, 8x10, oil

Contrary to appearances

Contrary to appearances I have not dropped off the face of the earth. I got pregnant and quickly learned that growing a baby required an incredible amount of energy. Then we had our baby. Blogging happens to be low on the priority list of running an art business.

She's amazing. Such an incredible gift.

Maybe I'll be back to the blog, maybe I won't. I have plenty of ideas for blog posts, if I happen to have some spare time between baby snuggles, changing diapers and keeping up with the painting.

In the meantime, click on over to my Facebook page to see what's happening.

Available paintings: Cabell Gallery  |  Gallery Flux  |  Williamsburg Gallery

Happy Fall, Y'all

Yellow Medley, 12x12, oil

The Fan, Richmond, VA

A little bit of all my favorite things.

1. House portrait

2. Tree portrait

2. Long Shadows

3. Light through the trees

4. Yellow galore

(Indian Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Medium, Lemon Yellow. I used 'em all.)

4. Fall foliage

Happy fall! 

Follow me on instagram (@amyhrdonahue) to see almost daily autumn paintings.

Oxygen

 

 

To paint a landscape is to engage in something greater than myself. It is a marvelous recognition of how small and powerless I am – when faced with the shifting light, the weather, the movement of the earth, the changing of the seasons. There is something so refreshing to feeling small on a big planet, in a great universe, held together by an even greater God. 

It is oxygen to the soul.

Painting in Ashland, VA

These paintings will be part of a 4-man/woman show at Gallery Flux opening May 7th, 5:30-8.

The show is up May 7-June 27, 2015.

More info here: Close to Home

Would love to see you at the opening!

Ashland Station in the Snow

9x12, oil

Feed and Seed

6x8, oil

 

DeJarnette Park Study

6x8, oil

 

Frozen Over at DeJarnette Park

16x20, oil

Who Can Resist a Blue Sky

30x40, oil

Backdrop of Blue

8x8, oil

 

Ashland Presbyterian Church

6x8, oil

 

Byrd Mill

6x8, oil

Crossing

6x6, oil

(Needs a Title)

10x11, oil

Two things

If you are only reading my blog it looks like I've stopped painting. Well, it's not true. I'm still going strong, which is one of the reasons there's been such little activity over here.

Two things for you.
(Painting dump is on it's way.)

1. Next month is the start of my (our) 4-man/woman show at Gallery Flux in Ashland, VA.

I'm really looking forward to what Kathleen, Dan and Fonda have been cooking up. (I've seen a few in person)

The opening night is May 7th. We will be talking a little about our artwork around 6:30. Would love to see you there.


2. Enjoy a demo entitled "How to paint an 8x8 in under two minutes". If you follow me in facebook you've probably already seen this.



Make sure you wait for the little lady to walk by. It's my favorite part.

Golden Hour, 12x16, oil

"Golden Hour"

 12x16, oil

This painting was based on photos I took on the banks of the James River, Richmond, VA, after our first big snow in February. The evening light through the trees and the twilight shadows on the fresh snow... it was just remarkable. Nothing I can paint could do justice to the beauty of that moment. Oh, but I try. And it's all I can do to try, and point your eyes back to the creation and Creator who makes such beauty all around us.

How to Paint a Painting in 46 Seconds

How Do You Paint a Painting in 46 Seconds?

I have no idea.

But, please, enjoy the video...

"Snow Fall at Woolridge Lake"

9x12, oil

Inquire: amyhrdonahue@gmail.com

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4 Tips for Painting in Cold Weather

 I've been doing a bit of cold weather plein air painting recently. There's something about the winter light that I love more than other times of the year -- when the weather is more reasonable.  

Not to say that I had a choice between reasonable and cold, just as the poor daffodils started to emerge the East got hit with some record lows and snow. While I enjoy studio painting, there is that "certain slant of light" moves me, it excites me... poor Emily never saw it that way. I may be the only one who wouldn't mind another snow or two, even though it's March.

I've learned a few cold weather painting survival strategies. Thought they might be worth sharing.

Top tips for painting in the cold weather:

1. Snow pants. Back in my snowboarding days I received some fantastic snow pants. Now they're christened with paint.

2. Hot Hands hand warmers (stuffed into the palm of my gloves). The best.

3. Stand on a car mat instead of the snow.
It's the difference between leaving the spot after 2-3 hours of painting with toes almost-too-painful-to-walk and toes feeling okay. I could buy better boots. That would be too easy.

4. Get the paint good and warm before setting out to paint.
During the rest of the year I throw my easel loaded with paint in the trunk of my car when driving to location. In these temps the easel/paint are placed next to the passenger side floor vents and heat blasted while driving to location. When the paint gets too cold it becomes "stiff". It won't freeze, but it becomes difficult to move around/mix/paint with.

There you are. Dare to join?

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Sunset

Some things (most things) are too beautiful, too momentary to record with paint... or camera.
And I am satisfied to witness the event.

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"Waterways" Exhibition Opening Tomorrow - Dec. 12 @ 5-8pm

 I hope you'll join us at For Art's Sake Gallery tomorrow for the opening reception of "Waterways".

The exhibit will include vibrant and expressive representational landscapes of the James River through the seasons, as well as various vistas around Virginia and the surrounding states. 

The exhibit runs December 1, 2014 – February 2, 2015. For Art’s Sake Gallery is located at 9770 Gayton Rd, Henrico, VA 23238. For more information call (804) 740-1400 or visit www.forartssakegallery.com. 

Artist Statement: "Everywhere I travel scenes beg to be painted. Light and vivid color captivates me. Of course God creates the most vibrant and dynamic colors and patterns-even so, I enjoy paying homage to His designs by rendering 2D versions of what I see. I love to paint the details of what I see: the contrasts in the lights and darks and the vibrancy of the world. The heavens truly tell the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) much more effectually than my paint. They are a marvelous mystery, but still I am constantly compelled to capture them on canvas." 

Amy studied at VCU's School of the Arts, receiving her BA in Communication Arts. Now she lives in Midlothian with her husband, Mark, and dog, Theo. She paints full-time both on location and in her home studio. While subject matter can vary, she is drawn to paint the light as it interacts with the land. Her artwork often includes a hint of man-made structures settled among the natural world - a house, a figure, a pathway. Amy's paintings attempt to depict both man and land as equally subject to the effects of the sun's light and earth's atmosphere.

James River Rocks

18x24, oil

Rushing Waters

11x14, oil

Sun Drenched

6x8, oil

"Winter Hues" 16x20, oil

Winter Hues

16x20, oil

sold

I created a smaller painting of this scene earlier in the year with the thought to do a larger work. The smaller painting was titled "Old Friend" because it was a recreation of the view you see as you drive across the Powhite Parkway Bridge over the James River.

This was one of the first to sell in my "Waterways" show.

“Waterways”
December 1, 2014 – February 2, 2015 For Art’s Sake Gallery
9770 Gayton Rd, Henrico, VA 23238
Opening reception: December 12, 5:00-8:00 pm

The Making Of: "Echoes of Mercy" 24x48, oil, Painting of the Nickel Bridge on the James River

While working on paintings for my show, I knew I wanted a few bigger ones, along with a good selection of small pieces.

See all 46 paintings in person:

  "Waterways"

Exhibit dates: Dec. 1, 2014 - Feb. 2, 2015

For Art's Sake Gallery 

9770 Gayton Rd, Henrico, VA 23238

 

I started with this study:

 

"High Point" 

10x20, oil on canvas

 View of the Nickel Bridge over the James River from Riverside Drive

Richmond, Virginia

I really enjoyed the process of painting the small one, especially the sky and the foreground trees. Getting the bridge at the right angle and in a straight line was tricky. As the last bits of the smaller painting were coming together I got an itch to turn it into a larger painting.

Enter the 4 foot canvas:

 

Above is the under-painting in alizarin and burnt umber.

I need to invest in a "big girl" easel, instead of spending so much time playing with wing nuts and levels on these tripod easels.

 

First step: the sky

 

Next: middle-ground

Not pictured: The step when I added the foreground trees and the 3-4 times I repainted them and the middle ground/river/Nickel Bridge.

"Echoes of Mercy"

24x48, oil on canvas

  View of Richmond's Nickel Bridge over the James River from Riverside Drive.

Richmond, Virginia

It was a challenge to get this painting properly exposed in a photograph. I might tweak the levels a bit more and repost later... Really, you gotta go see it in person. ;) It will be available at For Art's Sake Gallery during December 2014-January 2015.

Detail image:

Detail image: