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    All images are Copyright Protected and the property of Jamie Williams Grossman. Paintings and photos displayed on this site may not be reprinted, copied, downloaded, displayed elsewhere, or used for any reason without her written permission.

    ------------------------------------- CUSTOMER REVIEWS

    "OMGGGGG, Jamie!!!! It's absolutely amazinggggggg!!!!!! I loveeeeee it!!!!!! This is sooo much more than I could have imagined!!! Thank you!!!!"

    "It's spectacular, Jamie!!! How talented you are! We absolutely love it! And you are right-the frame is just perfect for it! "

    "Happy" with it is an understatement! My sister's husband said, "Wow, it's beautiful!" That's a lot of emotion coming from him! haha. And my adult daughter said, "OMG MOM, ITS GORGEOUS!". You have added to your fan club!

    "Jamie, your painting arrived in perfect condition! And, as I expected, it looks even better ‘in person’ than on the computer screen. Thank you so much for your careful packing and wonderful painting."

    "...Today I finally surprised [my wife] with the actual painting! It is her birthday! And I just wanted to let you know the we both absolutely love it!! She was so so surprised, and just speechless.... Thank you again for being so flexible and good to work with! It was such a joy preparing for today and I appreciated your professionalism throughout the process!"

    "I love the new painting! It's actually a little more golden and fluid than it looks in the pic and I love the movement; everything in my house is a little on the warm and yellow and gold side so it could hang pretty much anywhere. It's going to the framer shortly and I look forward to having it up :-)"

    "Jamie, it's lovely!!! Thank you so much for all the time and love you've put into it! You have no idea how much joy your work is bringing to me. I'm very grateful!"

    "I just wanted to share that my father-in-law absolutely LOVES your painting. He loves the frame and said that he's never owned a real oil painting. ???? But most importantly, he loves the subject matter and he and my husband spent a lot of time reminiscing this morning about hikes they took there years ago. This part of the Hudson is, by far, their favorite! Thank you SO much for making this Christmas gift PERFECT."

    "Your paintings of my beloved Hudson Valley are stunning! I've always loved Hudson River paintings, and can't believe that I've found someone who is following in the great tradition of Cropsey and company! "

    "We received your painting yesterday and it's really very beautiful. Thank you again very much."

    "Your beautiful "Autumn at Rockwood" arrived in perfect condition two days ago. It is even more lovely in person than I ever could have imagined. Thank you so much for your artistry and your many kindnesses to me..... I will treasure both of my paintings very much ..."

    "I'm more than happy, I'm thrilled!"

    "I just wanted to let you know that I received [the painting] today! It is beautiful, thank you so much:)"

    "Your [miniature] Caillebotte arrived today. Wow, it's WAY better seeing it in person than viewing an image/photo of it. Spectacular..... Thank you so much!!"

    "It's beautiful. Thank you so much!"

    "Oh, Jamie! It is fabulous!!!!!!! I love it!"

    "Hi Jamie, I received painting yesterday. It's really beautiful! Thank you for sending so quickly. I'm sure it will give my friend hope and strengthen as she faces this battle with Parkinson's. Thank you!"

    "Jamie, My painting arrived Thursday and I love it. I will definitely order from you again."

    "[They] love the painting. They were so surprised. They really appreciate it and the thought and artistry behind it. They received many [wedding] gifts, and said this was one of their two favorites."

    "[My husband] loved loved loved the painting! It is hanging on the wall in my great room. It's just beautiful!"

    "Hi Jamie! The beautiful paintings arrived safe and sound this afternoon. I love them! (Boy you don't mess around with packing them ;) Thank you."

    "Hi Jamie –I thought you’d enjoy seeing “The Red Barge” framed. Until I give it to my husband on his birthday, I have it hanging in my office. I LOVE looking at it all day!"

    "I received the painting this morning. It is SO FANTASTIC!!!!!! I wish I would have had it done larger. Thank you! thank you!"

    "The East from Hunter Mountain painting arrived the other day. It made it through the snow and looks great. Thanks for everything."

    "Jamie, my wife and I love it. Thank you and great work. It was difficult trying to figure out a special gift for them......I'm very happy that I reached out to you. I know they will love the painting and the special touch you did with the card! "

    "Wow, it looks AMAZING! They are going to love it. I love the name too. Perfect. ... Thanks again!"

    "Your lovely painting of a sweet bird, framed beautifully, arrived last week.... I just adore it!!... I see it and injoy its beauty every day! Thank you so much!"

    "The painting is beautiful! I love it! "

    "Just a quick note to let you know your [miniature] Monet arrived in perfect condition. It looks fabulous!!! Thank you again so much."




    ------------------------------------------ If you haven't seen the two-DVD set, "The Impressionists", you don't know what you're missing!

    the-impressionists.jpg


    I rented it from Netflix and absolutely loved it. It is an enactment of the lives of Monet, Renoir, Manet, Cezanne, Degas, and other Impressionist painters living at that time around Paris. Fascinating and eye-opening!





Archive for November, 2007

A Surprise Gift

Posted by Jamie on November 30th, 2007

071126-thank-you-mom-600.jpg

Several weeks ago, I got a surprise package in the mail from my mom. I opened the brown, cardboard box, and inside was a beautiful red and gold silk box!

sumi-brush-box-closed-400.jpg

Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found this exquisite set of Sumi brushes:

sumi-brush-box-open-400v.jpg

I think I must be the biggest art materials junkie of all time, so of course I was more than thrilled with this new acquisition. I went to the internet and read up on Sumi brushes and how to care for them. I washed the starch out of them, and made a hanger for them to dry out of a clothes hanger and paper clips:

sumi-brush-hanger-400.jpg

I’ve been so busy getting ready for my solo show that I didn’t have much time to play with them yet, but I wanted to at least doodle a bit and say, “Thank you, Mom!”

Moored at Sunrise

Posted by Jamie on November 29th, 2007

071127-moored-at-sunrise-6×8-600.jpg

6×8″, Oils
$150.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Window Painting No. 1—Grey Day from the Studio

Posted by Jamie on November 26th, 2007

071126-window-painting-1-grey-day-from-studio-400.jpg

5×7″, Acrylic on Strathmore 500 smooth bristol (100% rag, archival)
$115.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

What a miserable, rainy day outside! I decided over the weekend that I’d like to start a series painted from windows, and what do you know—the very first day I go at it, it’s grey and raining. I really enjoyed capturing the remains of the fall colors from inside the warm, cozy space here. I’m amazed by how long the oak trees are hanging onto their leaves this year.

Palette:
Ultramarine Blue
Cadmium Red Light
Cadmium Yellow Medium
Burnt Sienna
Titanium White

New floor today!

Posted by Jamie on November 19th, 2007

Today was the big day when they finally came to install the new wood laminate floor in my studio! I spent yesterday moving out all my art supplies and furniture. This morning, my parrots Lulu, Lucy, and Cookie were brought upstairs. They were not happy about the move! Fortunately, nearly everything in there is on wheels. There’s one huge cabinet that is not on wheels, but my dear husband is going to put them on tonight, so it’ll be easy to move it back in.

I love having everything in the studio so mobile. If I’m working on a larger painting, or have a model in, or just want a change of scene, I can have a new studio setup in minutes. Now that I’ll have the wood floor instead of carpeting, it will be even easier to rearrange at the slightest whim.

Needless to say, my computer in there is disconnected (I’m on hubby’s now), my camera software is inaccessible, and most of my art supplies are packed away in cabinets and drawers up against one another…. But the floor is done, and it looks fabulous!

new-floors-1-450.jpg

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I guess I’ll be moving furniture most of tomorrow and reorganizing.

Path Through the Marshlands Conservancy, Rye NY

Posted by Jamie on November 16th, 2007

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5×7″, Oils on sealed, primed hardboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This little painting was done from a photo that I took at the Marshlands Conservancy in Rye. Sometimes there just isn’t time on location to paint all the beautiful scenes I see! Thank goodness for cameras at those times, so that I can paint them later. Photos never capture the brilliance of being on location, but I rely on my plein air paintings and my memories of the light and color to try and complete what the photos leave out.

Click for clearer image and to enlarge:

071115-vase-lulu-brass-bird-jug-600.jpg

The vase and carnations on the left is gouache, and the other sketches are watercolor. These sketches from the past few days have been done in a Hand Book Journal, sold by Dick Blick and other art stores. The paper is very thick and holds up to water media quite well.

Click image to enlarge:

071112-martini-and-flowerpot-600.jpg

From time to time, I really enjoy doing more sketchbook work while I shift gears. These are both watercolor sketches.

Now that plein air season is coming to a close, I’m exploring other possibilities for winter subject matter. I’m excited about diving back into portraiture and figure drawing. I’m also getting ready for my North Salem show. Today I pulled out a lot of my paintings from the area and started sifting through to decide what will go into the show and what I won’t have room for. I’ve got to start varnishing soon and selecting frames…like tomorrow!

Mannikin Fun

Posted by Jamie on November 13th, 2007

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One thing I learned as a result of doing these sketches is that if you’re going to paint mannikins, you should at least learn how to spell it. Now I know that it can be spelled mannikin, manikin, or mannequin. Leave it to me, with so many right ways of doing it, to get it wrong on my sketchbook page.

Anyway, moving on to the sketch itself, I’ve had this little mannikin for quite some time. She finally emerged from her box to pose for me. The two left ones are in gouache. The two on the right are done in Prismacolor pencil, then blended with turpenoid and a Q tip.

I can see lots of potential for her to make an appearance in still life paintings, posing with all sorts of props. Unfortunately, this one does not come off the stand. I’ll have to find one that can be positioned in sitting poses, and which has more versatility.

I only have 66 pages left in my sketchbook now! I’m aiming to finish it by the end of 2007. That means a little more than a two page spread every day in addition to whatever paintings I do. I am determined to dig into a new sketchbook at the start of the new year.

Spring Sunset

Posted by Jamie on November 12th, 2007

Click image to enlarge:

071112-north-salem-sunset-9×12-800.jpg

9×12″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on Arches hot press watercolor paper (100% rag, archival)
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

This was painted from a photo taken during the “Night of the Amazing Sunset”, which I will always remember. A huge double rainbow over the lake followed a late summer shower a couple of months ago. The sky glowed everywhere. The rainbow was to the east, and this amazing sunset was the south view that evening. It’s times like this when I consider myself so fortunate to live by the lake. I can run out at a moment’s notice to capture spectacular conditions when they appear!

I couldn’t resist “pushing” the color in this painting. It was so vividly colorful in my memory. Sometimes I just need to let loose and allow the color junkie in me to emerge. Sunsets present the perfect opportunity for that! I’d like to paint this scene again soon with a little more restraint too. 🙂

My palette for this painting was:
Hansa Yellow Opaque
Napthol Red Light
Ultramarine Blue
Phthalo Blue
Titanium White

Old Yellow Jug and Hickory Nuts

Posted by Jamie on November 11th, 2007

5×7″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on sealed, primed hardboard
$125.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Every fall, I start putting together ideas for what I’d like to paint in the winter. That way, when fall draws to an end, I’m enthusiastic about starting my new winter life in the studio. This little, old yellow jug was purchased at a flea market recently. It’s worn, warm, ochre finish and subtle variations in color led me to pair it with these hickory nuts that I collected on one of my plein air outings. Rather than putting them against a cool-colored background for contrast, I decided to go with a warm background and play with the subtle color shifts for a highly unified color scheme in the painting. The whole thing feels like fall to me. This is the little jug’s painting debut, though the hickory nuts did make it into a recent watercolor in my sketchbook!

My palette for this painting was:
Raw Umber
Yellow Ochre
Hansa Yellow Opaque
Napthol Red Light
Ultramarine Blue
Titanium White

Looking on as I painted were two of my studio mascots, basking in the warm sunlight streaming in through the window. Their names are Lulu and Lucy, though I affectionately refer to them collectively as “Double Trouble”. They are Jenday Conures. I leave their cage door open when I’m in the studio, and they go in and out as they please. Lulu (the closer of the two in the photo) likes to say “kiss” and “up”. She expects any visitors to pick her up and tell her what a good bird she is (even when she’s not!)

To receive my painting post cards via surface mail….

Posted by Jamie on November 10th, 2007

Whenever I have a big show, I send out a post card with an image of one of the paintings for the show on the front, and information on the location of the show on the back. Some of my customers and blog-watchers enjoy collecting the painting images this way and attending my opening receptions. I am in the process of mailing out the cards for my next show, which is a solo show at North Salem Library. If you’d like to receive it, please email me with your full name and surface mail address, and I’ll send you one. It’s a beautiful winter snow scene overlooking Peach Lake.

I do not share these addresses with anybody; they are for my own mailing list only. If you’re on my mailing list, you’ll have received a couple of these within the past couple of months. If you didn’t get them, then you’re not on the list!

Second Saturday…..That’s Tonight!

Posted by Jamie on November 10th, 2007

Come explore Second Saturday in Beacon! All the shops are open late, and the galleries have their openings tonight of all the new shows. You can see six of my paintings at the wonderful Riverwinds Gallery, and then walk a block west to 150 Main Street, to see 19 more of them at the Bannerman Gallery! I’ll be around to say hi between 4 and 7pm.

Fall Morning at the Open Land Foundation

Posted by Jamie on November 9th, 2007

6×6″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on sealed, primed hardboard
$125.00 plus $10 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

Here is yet another beautiful view from the Open Land Foundation property on Baxter Road in North Salem, New York.

8×10, Golden OPEN Acrylics on Multimedia Artboard
Email me at JamieWG@aol.com if interested in this painting.

Finally this painting is done. Here is the painting demo, as promised. My palette consisted of:
Hansa Yellow Opaque
Hansa Yellow Light (fluid acrylics)
Napthol Red Light
Transparent Red Oxide (fluid acrylics)
Ultramarine Blue
Phthalo Blue
Titanium White

I started with the Transparent Red Oxide, using Golden Fluid Acrylics. After a few placement lines, I blocked in my midtones and darks:

Next, I added Ultramarine Blue for the coolest darks, and Hansa Yellow Light for the lightest areas.

Then I laid in my sky, using Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White, and a touch of Phthalo Blue to bring the sky back to a mid-blue and give it a little chroma boost. (I apologize for the glare in this image.)

Once the sky is in, I start working local color, allowing my underpainting to show through in places. This is where I left off the other day, when I posted the image:

From there, I added more variations to my colors, filled out the textures of the trees, and pushed the lights and darks to create more contrast. Then the finishing touches went in, like the tree trunks and the stone wall in the background. Voila…done!

I hope you enjoyed following along with me in the painting process!

Pet Hamster, pastel

Posted by Jamie on November 4th, 2007

Click image to enlarge:

Pastel on Canson pastel paper, unframed
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This adorable pet hamster, painted in pastel, is the perfect piece of art for the young pet-lover’s room!

Castle of Dreams on the Hudson River

Posted by Jamie on November 2nd, 2007

2×2.75″, Golden OPEN Acrylics on gallery wrapped canvas, easel included
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This tiny gem of a painting features Bannerman Island Castle glowing in the afternoon light. It towers above the Hudson River and is one of the most awesome sights in the Hudson Higlands. Access to the island is restricted to public tours, so I consider myself very lucky to have been able to go out there to paint for Bannerman Island Gallery, and take photos to paint from too.

This painting will be available exclusively through the Bannerman Island Gallery beginning on Saturday, November 10. Part of the proceeds from the sale of this painting go to the upkeep and restoration of Bannerman Island Castle, structures, and grounds.
Bannerman Island Gallery
150 Main Street
Beacon, NY
For gallery hours, sales and information, contact gallery owner Neil Caplan at 845-234-3204, or email Neil at NeilCaplan@aol.com.

Moon Setting Over Crow’s Nest Mountain, painting and demo

Posted by Jamie on November 1st, 2007

Click image to enlarge:

8×10, acrylic on Multimedia Artboard
$260.00 plus $15 shipping and insurance within the Continental United States. For local sales, shipping charge will be allocated to NYS Sales Tax. Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com for International purchases or with any questions.

This was painted on location from Cold Spring, New York, along the shore of the Hudson River. Crow’s Nest Mountain is actually 42 feet higher than neighboring Storm King, but doesn’t get as much of the publicity. The moon was setting over the cliffs, presenting an irresistible scene. I thought I’d show a demo of my process, so I took some photos along the way.

I started by mixed up a painting “medium” of Golden Acrylic Flow Release in a ratio of 1:10 with water, poured some of that into a little palette cup, and added about 25% Golden Acrylic Glazing Liquid (Gloss). I used that to dilute paint for my underpainting, so as not to underbind the paint, and to help the flow of the color.

I began drawing in a couple of lines with heavily diluted Transparent Red Oxide. Once the placement lines were in, I started blocking in darks with thicker paint, and used thinner washes on the midtones. Then I used Transparent Yellow Oxide over the light areas (except for the sky). Areas of this photo appear blue due to sky reflection; those areas are actually white.

Next, I pulled out some Ultramarine blue, and used that combined with the transparent yellow and red oxides to block in cool darks and start a green wash on the foreground. Adding Titanium white and just a dash of phthalo blue to the ultramarine, I blocked in the sky and some sky holes in the tree.

Below is a photo of the painting on my easel, with the scene in the background, so you can see what I was working on. Compositionally, I’d have needed a wider canvas to fit in these elements if I wanted to keep everything to scale. Instead, I compressed the scene, shortening the width of the mountain, and bringing the moon over and down toward the peak. (You can just barely see the moon in the photo of the scene, in the upper right corner.)

I added Hansa Yellow Opaque and Napthol Red to my palette, and started working on the local color. I wanted to bring out the warm tones in the cliffs, so started putting in the pinks and violets early on. The red underpainting helped with that, as well as giving that orangy fall atmosphere. Here it is at the “almost done” point:

Lastly, I added cooler colors to the cliff face and did a once-over throughout the painting, adding finishing touches and making adjustments.

I hope you enjoyed the demo and plein air painting with me!