Gratitude

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

I'm grateful  for the love and sharing within my family, and have been enjoying time with everyone home during Thanksgiving break. As I've spent a few days away from the easel, and the house fills with music, and the smells of special meals and the woodstove, I'm very thankful for this center of home and family. This warmth in my heart carries over to art-making, a foundation for openess and expression. Many thanks , family!

Fall Colors and Light

"Fall Light at the Little Juniata River- Plein Air"

 

 

 

Here's a pastel which I painted recently outside, and feel that creating it out in the elements helped to capture the sense of light and color, and 'feel' of the place. As I paint outside, I see more and more, often  unexpected or subtle aspects of the place, and a sense of connection which I think comes through in the work. I like the poem-like quality of this plein air painting, capturing the essence of the day and place, and framed it without any further modifications in the studio. I'm sitting next to the painting right now, and smile looking at it, remembering the light on the far bank and the current of the river, and I'm glad that I was there!

Painting Outside at the Little Juniata River

Alice Kelsey painting at the Little Juniata River

Wow! Warmth AND sun yesterday! What a nice time to be out painting along the Little Juniata River! I really liked how the afternoon light, which is very horizontal at this time of year, streaked across the trees, and lit up the far bank. There were a few trees with bright leaves still left, reflecting in the water as well. I started two pastels, and will post them as they develop.

Workshop Wonderful!

I really enjoyed sharing my love of pastels while teaching a workshop last weekend sponsored by the Standing Stone Art League. Sixteen talented, enthusiastic artists gathered, and explored the wonders of the pastel medium during a full day workshop. I appreciated the well-lit, spacious facility, and advance planning by the art league, so that when we gathered together, everything fell in place, and we could enjoy the work. I loved seeing people connect with this medium, and hope that many will incorporate pastels in their artwork from here on!

I'd love to hear from participants about their completed paintings, and will post an image of the landscape which I started as a demo. as I develop it- stay tuned!

Teaching Pastel Workshop

I'm excited about teaching pastel techniques in a day-long workshop with the Standing Stone Art League this weekend! It sounds like there's a lot of enthusiasm for working with this medium (the workshop is full!), and I can't wait to share some of my experiences with the wonders of pastel, and the creativity and skills of others!

The Show is On!

Alice Kelsey with collectors Leslie Smith and Dwight Florence

The show is on! Twenty three of my recent oil and pastel paintings are exhibited and available for purchase in a solo show near Media, PA! I enjoyed sharing my work and discussing it with others at the opening reception, and seeing my paintings in the well-lit, inviting exhibit area. I appreciate the comments about my work from viewers seeing it for the first time, as well as those who have followed it over time. The above photo features two collectors of my work, whose insightful feedback, and support I greatly appreciate. We are standing in front of the large oil on linen which I recently completed, "In the Woods- Light" (see photos section of Facebook for image).

The show continues through Dec. 2, and is open to the public daily from 9 am - 6 pm. For details & directions, see http://www.pendlehill.org/events/690-paintings-by-alice-kelsey   Please share your impressions with me if you get a chance to see the show! 

Framing For Show (and Slight Cat Incident)!

Yeah! I've finished framing ALL the works which will be in my solo show which opens in three days in eastern PA, near Media! It's been a busy time, and I'm thankful that I started well ahead of time, since the matboard took two weeks to find in my favorite type of warm off-white, and ditto with two gold-leaf frames for oils. Aside from a cat jumping up on a finished mat (aargh!!!), the framing went well, and I'm VERY pleased with my new work and can't wait to show it as a group, and share it with others! Here's a link for more info. about the show http://pendlehill.org/events/690-paintings-by-alice-kelsey