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

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Day Eight

Carter Mountain Trail

4x4, oil

This little piece captures the best of all worlds: 

Beautiful expanse, blue mountains, distinct shadows, a bit of architecture and the fall foliage.

15 Paintings in 15 Days (Round 2) - Day Three

"Gingergold"

4x4, oil on board

Hey Virginians, any guesses on the location of this scene based on the title of the painting?

This one was completed quickly near the end of the day yesterday. (Getting ahead is allowed, ok? I have commissions I need to be working on too.) I chose a small board, very small -- 4x4". I think it was my first 4x4 size ever and I really enjoyed it.

One of my goals with this 15 in 15 Challenge is to explore possible compositions and subject matter for larger works. This one may "grow up" into a larger painting... but tell me, what do you think? Can you envision this one as a medium/larger size painting?

The Long Way, 11x14

 

The Long Way

11x14, oil
sold


Based off of this little piece, which sold during the Pathways show at For Art's Sake Gallery during the month of May:

 

Winding road

6x8, oil 

sold

Tools of the Trade: Palette Knife & "Dusk" 8x6

Dusk

8x6, oil

sold

A bit about the tools of the trade.

Everyone knows about paint brushes. Yes, I use them to apply paint. Just as important are the tools to remove paint and push it around on the canvas.

The palette knife is not only useful for mixing paint, but for controlling the amount of paint on the canvas. In the photo below I scraped a "spot" for the spindly tree on the left as well as removing some of the too-wet-and-too-thick paint in the foreground.

The more I paint the more I find there is no formula to making a painting. What worked yesterday won't work today. The each landscape brings another discovery in my journey as a painter.

Art Works All Media Juried Show Oct/Nov

I can't believe it's been a month since the September opening at Art Works! Time flies.

Last night was the October 4th Friday opening (and 100th Art Show Celebration) at Art Works.

My two pieces received 3rd place!

(Yes, the juror chose both for 3rd.)

These are the pieces selected:

Roseland, oil, 24x12"

Evening Over Morris Street, oil, 11x14"

sold

Roseland

"Beauty in art is the delicious notes of color one against the other. It is just as fine as music and it is just the same thing, one tone in relation to another tone." - Charles W. Hawthorne in Hawthorne on Painting

Roseland

12x24, oil on canvas

progress

(Missed photographing step 1. Basically, wash of burnt umber+oms with forms blocked in with burnt umber)

Step 2 (excuse the mess in the background)

Step 3

Step 4

and more to come.

Giant Update (long overdue) Part 2

And here are some of my personal drawings and paintings from the past several months:

Carter Mountain
16x20, oil on canvas
(SOLD)

Three Birches
10.5x13.75, oil on canvas
(SOLD)

Golden Tree
16x20, oil on canvas

My wonderful husband took me on a hot air balloon ride for my birthday. This was painted from one of the photos I took.

Woolridge Lake
8x10, oil on canvas
(SOLD)

Notice the two little ducks swimming in to shore.

Erin's Pumpkin Patch
sold

Autumn Blaze
16x20, acrylic on canvas

I had this one hanging up in my house during the fall.

Summer Archway
sold

Taken at Maymont Park. The stone fence is part of the Italian Gardens.

details:

Granddad at Great Point

My grandfather passed away this past September. I began this drawing of him preparing his fishing lures for an evening at Great Point, Nantucket back in 2007. After driving up to PA to say goodbye before he passed I began the "mad dash" to finish this drawing in time for the funeral. We'll miss him.