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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 the 'Uncategorized' Category

Streaming Light at Sunset

Posted by Jamie on July 25th, 2017

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24×36″, acrylic on paper mounted to hardboard and varnished (to be framed without glass like an oil painting)
$2,800.00 plus $100 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.

At Olana, the estate of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church, there is a western view from a lesser-known path of the Hudson River and the Catskills. It’s the most dramatic vista from the property for me because of the fantastic skyline of the mountains, and the fact that it faces due west at sunset. On this particular visit, I was able to catch the sun rays streaming from the cloud forms as the colors changed. I did a quick painting on location, and captured some photos for additional paintings like this one. Below is an image you can click on for a larger, clearer view of the painting.

Click image below to enlarge:
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Autumn Sunset Candlewood Lake

Posted by Jamie on April 5th, 2017

170205 Autumn Sunset Candlewood Lake 6x8 435

6×8″, oil on Ampersand Gessoboard

SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

I did a series of small paintings from high above Candlewood Lake in Sherman CT, in order to select one scene for a large commission. There is so much drama from up there! Cannot wait to go back and do more. Below is an image you can click for a larger, clearer view of the painting.
170205 Autumn Sunset Candlewood Lake 6x8 600

Weathered Maple with mat and custom frame

Posted by Jamie on November 9th, 2016

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16×12″, drawing media on Rives BFK paper (archival rag paper), custom matted and framed (included in price)

Special Price — matted and framed

$280.00 plus $25 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 is one of the many stunning, old trees at Olana, home of Hudson River School painter Frederic Church. This tree is right near the site of Church’s old studio. I went on a drawing/painting spree with trees this year, and especially enjoyed working in these warm sepia colors on toned paper.

This drawing is one of a series of three trees, all done in the same sepia tones. The other two will be posted over the next two days. They can be purchased individually, or subtract 20% if you’d like to have all three to hang as a triptych. They are framed with identical ivory mats and gorgeous custom gold frames, and make a beautiful grouping in a classic style.

Golden Morning at Vanderbilt

Posted by Jamie on June 13th, 2016

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SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

6×12″, oil on canvas board, framed

This was painted on location in the fall at the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York. It’s one of my favorite places to paint, and I don’t get over there nearly often enough!

Over the Dam

Posted by Jamie on August 29th, 2015

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6×8″, acrylic on canvas board

$160.00 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 a few weeks ago — a charming spot on a beautiful day!

Hudson River Sunset from Cold Spring Miniature

Posted by Jamie on September 13th, 2014

3×6″, oil on stretched canvas, display easel included
$150.00 plus $12 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 panoramic sunset miniature painting of the Hudson Highlands, as seen from Cold Spring, was painted on location on a miniature stretched canvas. I painted the sides too, so it looks perfect set on a miniature easel on a desk or side table. The wooden display easel is included in the price of the painting. It’s a perfect gift item for somebody who loves the Hudson River! Storm King Mountain is on the left, with Little Stony Point jutting out into the river, and Breakneck Ridge on the right.

Here is an image you can click on for a slightly larger version of the painting:

Emerging Spring

Posted by Jamie on June 19th, 2014

5×7″, oil on Ampersand Gessoboard
$130.00 plus free 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 is a scene in my back yard. I painted it from life in early spring, while watching the wood ducks swimming, and enjoying that short time of spring color before the entire landscape goes green. I think the colors of early spring are my favorites. They have a subtle beauty that goes overboard in fall. In spring they feel balanced, natural, and calmingly subdued. Of course, that could just be the way I feel after the bleak starkness of winter!

Past the Barns and Up the Hill

Posted by Jamie on September 7th, 2013

8×10″, oil on canvas panel
$200.00 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 at a farm in upstate New York.

Below is an image you can click on for a larger, clearer view:

Pink and Purple Sunset from Olana

Posted by Jamie on September 3rd, 2013


8×10″, acrylic on archival artboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

There is so much to paint at Olana, and yet I never get tired of painting the big vista. Every sunset is different. This one was dramatic! I was there with my friend Patti. We were initially painting from another spot, but were afraid we’d have trouble getting back down the trail in the dark. So we stopped there well before sunset, and went on to this spot, where we remained until the sun fell below the horizon.

Here is an image you can click on for a larger, clearer view:

Path to the Cozy Cottage

Posted by Jamie on August 29th, 2013


8×10″, varnished acrylic on sealed, archival artboard (frame without glass like an oil painting)
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

This is a painting I did as a plein air demo during the three day workshop I taught at Olana a couple of weeks ago. I did it to show participants some indirect painting techniques. The path was actually paved, but I wanted to turn it into an inviting path through the trees that was more welcoming for a lazy afternoon walk than a drive along a paved road. The scene was overwhelmingly green, which is another reason why I wanted to have a warm-colored path.

We were using a three color palette of slow-drying Golden OPEN Acrylics, so I mixed the basic color for the path from the three primaries, then used OPEN Gloss medium to create a glaze. I laid down a thick layer of the orangy glaze over the whole panel, and sketched in my composition by drawing in the glaze with the wooden handle tip of a brush. I then pulled out lights and added darks, subtracting and adding paint until I was done.

Below is an image that you can click on for a larger, clearer view:

We’re into Labor Day weekend, so I’ll resume posting on Tuesday. Best wishes for a wonderful weekend to you all!

Hurricane Irene Photos from Palenville

Posted by Jamie on September 3rd, 2011

My husband has been on vacation this month, hence the reasons why you haven’t seen many paintings here. If you’ve been following my sketches on my other blog, you have seen a few of the places we’ve hiked to, and what I sketched while hanging out on the patio with my Sweetheart. This past week we’ve had Hurricane Irene to deal with, and that sure packed a whallop around here. We are fortunate that our property survived quite well and we had no flooding in the house. We also managed to retain power almost the entire time. Here are some of my personal photos that show just a tiny portion of what happened around me.

Here’s a photo along Kaaterskill Creek in Palenville, by the Woodstock Avenue bridge, which gives an indication of the general road conditions following Irene. The creek makes a sharp turn here, and the power of the water against the bank collapsed an entire section of the roadway. A woman’s house along the creek washed away during the storm.

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Our back yard started to fill up quickly when the storm hit:

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We were fortunate that the house and septic were on high enough ground, and with good enough drainage around the house, to not be affected. Things have pretty much returned to normal for us here at home. To show how much water there was, here’s a photo of one of our streams now, with a “moderate-to-heavy” amount of water flowing:

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Here’s the same stream just after the hurricane. The water had actually subsided a bit by the time I got out there to take this photo:

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One of our small waterfalls is also a dramatic tale of what the storm brought. Here’s a photo from before the storm. You can see that the water flows only to the left side of those rock ledges:

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Well, here it is just after the storm! There’s so much water here that you can’t even see the ledges at all! The stream couldn’t contain all the water, which is why it jumped the banks in the back of our property and flooded the yard.

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I’m so thankful that we fared better than most of the folks up here in the Catskills. So many have lost everything. It’s a real tragedy. With the sun shining and the dog playing in the pools by the waterfalls again, it’s almost hard to believe that so many are left with no homes and nowhere to go.

Psssst…..It’s a secret…….

Posted by Jamie on March 12th, 2011

Psssst…..Would you like to have a sneak peek at my new blog for my art journals, sketches, ideas, and experiments with materials? It’s over here! I’ll be making an official announcement in a few days. I still need to do a little housekeeping at the new site. Let me know how you like it if you pop over there! Comments and suggestions welcomed!

All of my paintings in progress and completed works for sale will continue to be posted here at the Hudson Valley Painter site. 🙂

Water Media and Life’s Tough Choices

Posted by Jamie on February 26th, 2011

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You can click the image above to enlarge it.

These days, there are so many fabulous options for painting with water, if one doesn’t wish to use solvents. A reader made a comment on my blog, asking a question about these choices which I thought would make an interesting blog post.

From Dennis (Edited a bit for brevity. You can see his full comment in my February 25 post.):
….I am curious as to which paint you prefer to work with-artist grade water mixable oil colors or the Open acrylics by Golden? They both seem to be able to allow you the time needed to blend color. ….although I enjoy using Golden Heavy Body,{one of several brands in my paint box} for now when I need an acrylic with more open time I choose Atelier. What brand of water mixable oil do you prefer? Several years ago I tried the Artisan by W&N for plein air, and after two painting sessions, I went back to acrylics. At this time for plein air I am using pencil and/or colored pencil and those wonderful Pitt brush pens This year in addition I may choose to also use oil pastel and watercolor.

Thank you for the thought-provoking post, Dennis. My favorite medium is actually traditional oils, and I don’t mind using odor free solvents in and out of the studio. That being said, there are times when it is either wiser, or more convenient, or both to avoid solvents completely. There are also times we need other advantages of faster drying, easier to transport, quicker to work with, able to paint in a sketchbook, etc. One of the things I love about being an artist is the seemingly endless exploration of mediums, materials and possibilities. Let’s examine some of these other options.

Water mixable oils, even those labled “Artist Grade,” are never as pigment-loaded as traditional oils. They also do not handle exactly the same way. I feel I am already giving something up when I sacrifice pigment load. This is why I don’t use them all the time; I need to get something in return for what I give up — that is, the ability to paint in a place or situation where I would not be able to use traditional oils. The highest grade H2O oil paints I’ve found so far, that are of a consistency I like right out of the tubes, are Holbein Duo and Cobra. I have tried a few other brands, but these are the ones I try to keep stocked in my 5×7″ painting box, which travels with me all the time. I know I can use them anywhere, and can use my drinking water instead of a solvent.

Fishing at North South Lake
Water Mixable Oils, 5×7″

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Golden Open Acrylics are also excellent for these situations where you need longer blending time and workability, and cannot use solvents. Again, I have to sacrifice significant pigment load compared with my traditional oils, but the acrylics have the advantage of drying faster, and being able to get varnished and out to buyers sooner. Disadvantage: the larger tubes and jars that acrylics come in don’t fit in my 5×7″ paintbox! Also, I need to use about three times the amount of paint compared with my oils. The small palette in my 5×7 box just isn’t big enough for the amount of paint I need to mix, even for a tiny painting. For these reasons, my little box is stocked with the water mixable oil paints.

Golden OPENs still have a place in my life. They’re wonderful in the portrait/figure studio (especially short pose sessions which generally do not allow solvents). I love painting on sized matboard, which I cannot do with oils. Golden OPENs perform very well for plein air work on hot sunny days when I want to use acrylics. I can mix my colors, and they remain workable throughout a painting session. They don’t skin over on the palette, yet thicken to the point where when I reach the end of an outdoor session and it’s time to lay on the highlights, I have nice thick paint to do so!

Old Truck at the Farm
8×10″, Golden OPEN Acrylics
Painted on a blazing hot day in the sun, these acrylics performed miraculously!

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If it’s not too hot outside, or if I’m in the studio, I can use my all-time favorite acrylic paints —- Golden FLUID Acrylics. When you dilute heavy body acrylics to a more fluid consistency, it dilutes the pigment and the paint goes streaky. Golden FLUID Acrylics are made with a much higher pigment load than a diluted heavy body paint. I find them to be the perfect consistency, and combined with the use of Golden’s Acrylic Glazing Liquid, the drying time is extended so that they are perfectly blendable, yet tack up fast enough to overpaint. The 1 oz. bottles are a perfect size to take out in the field with me, and I refill them from large bottles that I leave in the studio. For plein air work, I get to travel home with a dry painting, so I don’t have to bring a wet panel carrier out into the field. They dry and cure so quickly that I can have them varnished and out the door in a week. They are also wonderful for underpainting, then using Golden OPENs over the top, and the underpainting stays perfectly in place. Disadvantages: They will dry out on your palette and on your brushes if you’re not careful. You need to be able to work quickly and mix on the fly, and spray the palette frequently to keep the paint wet.

Under the Bridge at Devil’s Kitchen
16×20″, Golden FLUID Acrylics

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You mentioned the Atelier Interactive Acrylics in your comment, and as you can see from the photo, I have a set of my regular colors in that brand as well. I think they are very nice paints —- high pigment load and reasonably priced. As the Chroma company explains, these paints “interact” with the artist through a series of mediums that you can also see in the photo. These mediums can increase or decrease drying time of the paints, or even unlock dried paint to a workable consistency. What I’ve found is that without the mediums, the paints behave just like traditional, heavy body acrylics. I need to thin them to the consistency I want, and they skin over on my palette and dry quickly. No amount of spraying with water revives the dried paint, just like regular acrylics. Even though I could alter that with the Interactive mediums, I’d rather use paints that have the characteristics I need right out of the tubes. When painting out on location, the less I need to cart around with me, the better off I am. Those of you who work in the studio may find it’s no problem to deal with the adjustments of the paint.

The Phantom Tollbooth — Fall at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation
7×5″, Atelier Interactive Acrylics

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This brings us to another option…..Gouache! Using just a watercolor palette, sketchbook, and a few small tubes of paint, gouache enables me to paint with all the opacity of oils and all the transparency of watercolor, in a fast-drying, water-based medium that illustrators have used for generations. Companies like Holbein and Winsor Newton have been making more lightfast, archival, artist grade versions of these paints, and they have gone from the illustrator’s desk to a fine art medium in a very short time. Disadvantages: Artist grade gouache is very expensive. When working in an opaque manner, it’s possible to go through quite a bit of paint in a short time. Although it shares the same binders as watercolor, gouache does not rewet easily. When the paint dries out on the palette, it cannot be revived to the juicy, creamy consistency necessary to work the same way as with paint just out of the tube. Some of the new palettes with seals around the edges do a pretty good job of keeping the paint moist and workable. A damp sponge left inside the palette helps to maintain the moisture.

Garrison Castle and the Hudson River
5×7″,Winsor Newton and Holbein Gouache on Fabriano Artistico watercolor paper

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Watercolor remains the ultimate sketching medium for the artist on the go. Although most of us prefer fresh paint from tubes out on the palette, watercolors revive quite well if not left sitting too long. A small pan set can go anywhere, and tucks inside a purse or shirt pocket with a small sketchbook or watercolor block.

Leaning Toward Breakneck Ridge
11×15″, Winsor Newton and Holbein Watercolor

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In Dennis’ post, he brings up colored pencils and Pitt pens as ideal plein air mediums. I agree with him! In addition, there are water soluble colored pencils that can bridge the gap between watercolors and colored pencils, Cretacolor color sticks in sepia, white and black for sketching on mid-tone paper, charcoal, inks in many colors, and marker sets. It seems that every time I turn around, there is something new and exciting to try in my sketchbook!

The Hickory Tree
Sepia and White Cretacolor leads in a 10×10 kraft paper sketchbook

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I hope this post has left my viewers inspired to try something new, or to pick up an old favorite you’ve left by the wayside for awhile. There are so many fabulous choices out there, and each has unique benefits and possibilities.

Now, go paint! 😀

Catskill Serenade

Posted by Jamie on August 22nd, 2010

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Catskill Serenade
16×20″, Golden Fluid Acrylics on archival board
$695.00 plus $25 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 a clickable image, if you’d like to see a larger version of the painting:

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This painting features a view of the famous of Kaaterskill High Peak and Round Top mountains as seen from the Hudson Valley, where one enters Kaaterskill Clove. I did a small, 6×8″ version of this scene a few weeks ago and liked it so much that I returned to do a larger version.

Fire in the Sky — Sunset over Olana

Posted by Jamie on December 20th, 2009

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6×8″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$160.00 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 began as a plein air painting this past October. Just as the sun sank below the horizon, the sky lit up like a fireball. As often happens (especially with sunsets), color and light are just too fleeting to finish on location. I’m so busy painting outdoors at that time of year, trying to catch the last bit of fall color, that many of these don’t receive their finishing touches until winter sets in and I’m working in the studio.

I was so happy to pull this one out today and finally get to finish it up. I never get tired of painting these Olana sunsets. Every night there is so different; I can understand why Hudson River School painter Frederic Church chose this location for his exquisite Moorish castle on the hilltop. One of my favorite Frederic Church paintings is a winter view from Olana that he painted en plein air. I’ve never painted from there in winter, but I am determined to brave the cold and do it this winter!

Facebook and Twitter

Posted by Jamie on December 5th, 2009

I’d like to remind my viewers that I am also on Facebook and Twitter. I post things there about my day-to-day life as an artist, tips and thoughts about the artistic process, and things not posted on my blog. It also gives me a chance to communicate in a more direct way with my friends, clients, family, and fellow artists and art-lovers. You can find me on Facebook here . Just click to add me as a friend.

For those who have Twitter and would like to follow me as I tweet away (which is maybe once a day), you can find me here and click to follow me on Twitter .

A new studio…sort of!

Posted by Jamie on July 13th, 2009

When I walk into my future studio in Palenville, I get discouraged by how much renovation work there is to do, and how long it’s going to take before I can get this space up and running. It’s got great potential, with 14 windows and two exterior doors, and about 600 square feet of working space.

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But what’s an artist to do on these rainy days without a working studio? My dear husband suggested I temporarily take a room in the basement, and set it up to use in the meantime. He took me out to buy a rug, and it has all these great built in shelves for my supplies.

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It even has South Mountain as one wall of the room! 😀

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It may not be an ideal working space, but I am so happy to have a place upstate where I can work indoors now, in addition to my plein air painting. I have a great studio in Brewster; now I have no excuse not to paint when I go upstate either!

Buttons Are Back!

Posted by Jamie on July 13th, 2009

Yay! I got my PayPal buttons back up. Finally you’ll again have the convenience of not having to ask for pricing information unless it is not listed for a particular painting, and can just click to pay. I do offer a combined shipping discount for more than one painting, so if you’re purchasing in multiples, you can expect the second painting to add half or less of the shipping cost. Please email me for an invoice in that case, so that I can give you an adjusted total. Following a terrible experience many years ago, when five paintings were destroyed in a single box, I generally do not ship more than two in a box.

As always, feel free to email me with any questions; I always love to hear from all you art-lovers out there. 🙂

Jamie

What does an artist do when she is not painting?

Posted by Jamie on May 6th, 2009

Usually I don’t post if I don’t have a completed painting to show, but I’ve been thinking lately about how many fascinating things artists are involved in on the days when they don’t paint. Perhaps I should post about that sometimes, like right now!

Each spring, the U.S. House of Representatives has a high school art competition. The winners from each district are then hung together in the United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Today I was one of five artists hanging the show for Congressman John Hall’s 19th Congressional District. We hung over 90 paintings by area high school students at the Putnam Arts Council gallery space at Tilly Foster Farm, in Brewster, NY. Congressman Hall will be presenting the awards on Monday, May 11. You can read more about it at the Putnam Arts Council site and also on Congressman Hall’s website. Congratulations to all the students who are in this show! Be sure to stop in to see it if you’re in the area. It’s always worth a trip to Tilly Foster Farm to see the newest arrivals in historical animal species, antique farm equipment, shows at Putnam Arts Council, and the change of seasons!

Other artistic ventures today included cutting a huge bouquet of lilacs from my yard. If it pours tomorrow as it’s supposed to, and I don’t feel like working from a photo, I’ll have these beautiful flowers to paint and smell in my studio.

Last but not least, I took a walk outside this evening, where I was hoping to get some photo references from which to paint the yellow sky I saw over the lake just before sunset. In the process, I inadvertently scared off a Pileated Woodpecker exploring a rotting tree stump, saw a Green Heron flying overhead, and enjoyed a cute muskrat swimming in the brook. I almost didn’t notice the deer on the other side of the brook. He was so well camoflaged that he was nearly invisible. He stood there staring at me for a long time, before turning around and trotting off. I took a picture of him, though I’m sorry it’s not a sharper image. Can you spot him?

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Here’s a closer crop to show you where he was “hiding”:

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Tomorrow I’ll be doing a frame inventory and ordering frames for some upcoming shows (more on that soon…), but hopefully there will be some time to paint too!

Stopping to smell the roses, Part II

Posted by Jamie on January 29th, 2009

Yesterday I related the story about Joshua Bell playing in the Washington DC Metro. Only one comment was left on my blog, but I did receive some emails on the subject. Some relate to the perspective of that comment left yesterday (which you can see on the original post in the Comment section), and others related to the story itself. I found all of them to be interesting points of view, well worth sharing. Here are a few of them, which I’m posting anonymously.

“I took the story to mean that context is everything. Our presentations, lessons, dress, demeanor can make a very big statement. True, quality is great, but it has to work in context.”

“The Joshua Bell piece is great. Disturbing, but great…..Interesting that children could see and hear something they wanted to stop for and would have because they are not so imbued with a “schedule”. Yes we could and should smell the roses more and encourage our grown children to do likewise.
Golf helps too, but not very artistic.”

“I’m moved every time I hear the story about Joshua Bell playing in the subway for several reasons. The first is because I’m thrilled to be part of a music movement that teaches people to stop and appreciate beauty. All those awful pop music stations on the radio exist for the same reason bad potato chips and trans-fat frozen dinners do! Bad taste and no time to improve it! The second reason is that all those kids stopping and staring just puts more weight behind Suzuki’s comment “Baby catches everything.” When I was four years old I saw Itzhak Perlman playing his violin on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood as he toured a luthier’s shop with Fred Rogers. I was awestruck by the sound!!! The next year I started Suzuki Violin Lessons.”

“Here is my two cents on this issue. I, too saw the video of Bell playing in the station. My first thought was: Wow! It’s incredible how people are ignoring him! Almost immediately afterwards I thought: if I were a serious busker, I’d be playing on the platform where people actually have to WAIT to catch the trains. That’s a captive audience and more likely to notice me.”

A few commented on the comment left on my blog post at the bottom:
“Wow that’s a slap of cold reality about life in the big city – make’s me glad I live in a relatively small city with plans to eventually move to a smaller town! A good lesson for us as educators to question whether there are other sides to the story. ”

“I live in the DC area and I know the stop where this took place. I read this story when it came out in the Washington Post. Anyway, it’s not a location where you’d be concerned about getting pick-pocketed if you stopped and listened. It’s an office area stop, and the event took place in the morning as I recall, so people were mostly coming out of the station, not going in, so missing your train was not an issue. Plus, the trains come every five or six minutes during rush hour, so it’s not a concern regardless. The poster’s comments were pretty slick in the abstract, but in this situation they were off the mark.”

“I saw this story last year and I can relate totally to it. When you are coming off the train you are usually in a hurry to get to where you are going. I don’t think the poster’s comments are off the mark. Trains may come in every 5-6 minutes, but they don’t come from everywhere that often. I take the train to doctor’s appointments in Philadelphia. I can either get into Philly 40 min. before my appt. or 10 min. before my appt. It is about a 10 min. walk to the doctor’s office, so that is the best choice, but I don’t have time to dally. Also, since I only do this every 3 months, I sometimes have trouble remembering how to find the right exit from the train station, so I am concentrating on which way to go and trying to not get mixed up in the crowd of people. I don’t pay attention to what is going on in the station. On the trip home, I sometimes have extra time and might stop to listen to a musician, but that will depend on what time I get done with my appointment. Trains going back home only run every hour, so if I don’t have time to kill, I am in a hurry to catch a train. If I do stop and listen to someone playing music in the station, I am going to be careful- “

Thank you all for your points of view. They bring up many factors at work on the scene, and issues I’d not considered.

Time for a few chuckles….

Posted by Jamie on November 19th, 2008

I’m working on finishing up a commissioned painting today, and don’t know if it will be done in time to post it here for today’s painting. So, I thought instead, I’d provide this link for you to click on for your entertainment. Now you’ll all know what plein air painters really face when we head out on location! Be sure you have your computer speakers turned on to experience the full effect!

Poll results are in!

Posted by Jamie on November 2nd, 2008

What is your least favorite color? This is the question my viewers were asked to vote on this past week, and here are the results:
Yellow (18%)
Orange (23%)
Red/Pink (9%)
Violet/Purple/Lavender (5%)
Blue (5%)
Green (14%)
Black (27%)

Isn’t it interesting that during Halloween month, Black and Orange led the pack? I’ll be putting up a new poll this evening. Many thanks to all the participants!

Schoharie Creek

Posted by Jamie on October 30th, 2008

Click to enlarge:

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16×20″, oils on sealed, primed hardboard
SOLD! Please email me at JamieWG@aol.com to inquire about a similar painting.

From this spot nestled in the Catskill Mountains, there are gorgeous views from every angle. I can’t wait to go back in different seasons to experience the changes. This was painted from a photo I took while vacationing there with my husband, though I have painted here en plein air as well.

Poll results are in!

Posted by Jamie on October 26th, 2008

There’s a new poll posted on the right sidebar of my blog ——–>
Results will be posted next Sunday.

I was curious to know who visits my site, so the last poll asked you if you are an art lover/collector, amateur artist, or professional artist. The results were:
Art Lover/Collector: 25%
Amateur Artist: 38%
Professional Artist: 38%

Many thanks to those of you who voted. I’m not surprised by the results, as I also love looking at other artists’ sites! Poll results will remain on the right sidebar, and as more accumulate, I may move them below the gallery listings.

Jamie

Two Block-ins

Posted by Jamie on October 20th, 2008

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I’m up in the Catskill Mountains of New York State taking a wonderful week-long workshop with fabulous plein air painter Kenn Backhaus. Today he discussed block-ins. He did a color mixing demo and a painting demo in the morning, and then we did a couple of block-ins in the afternoon. Although these are not meant to be finished paintings, I might finish them up from photos once I get home.

Here’s my other block-in from this afternoon:

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These are both just 8×6″, and were done with my little Guerrilla Painter “thumbox” in oils, on sealed, primed hardboard panels.

Morning at the Trout Stream

Posted by Jamie on May 21st, 2008

080521-morning-at-the-trout-stream-12×16-done-600.jpg

12×16″, Oils on canvas covered hardboard
$440.00 plus $20 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.

I was down at the beautiful trout stream at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation this morning. The sun was behind cloud cover a lot of the time, and I tried to catch the light as it emerged occasionally, dotting the trees and foliage with glimmering greens. There was still some beautiful spring color on this foreground tree.

Here’s a photo of my setup and painting, with the sun behind the clouds.

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When I turned around and faced upstream, there was another gorgeous view! I’ll have to go back soon to catch that one.

If you like my website design…..

Posted by Jamie on December 5th, 2007

The designer of my website/blog is now offering this software via his company, Digital Sublimity! I’ve been so happy with the way it works, so I hope some of you who appreciate the functions that I have here will go check it out.

One of the pitfalls to a blog is that it doesn’t allow for static pages to view large groups of work as thumbnail images, like a webpage does. However, this site was designed to give me that capability of a website, while maintaining the easy functionality and updating potential of a blog. Paintings come and go automatically on the “Available” page as I paint, post and sell works.

In addition, the “ArtPal” feature of the blog enables artists to easily put Paypal buttons into their posts wherever they wish. On those posts, the button is automatically converted to “Sold!” when somebody pays for a painting, so you never have to worry about double-selling a piece. It then removes the painting from the list of Available works, and places it in the “Sold” category.

I’d encourage those who have been considering a blog/website, or who have been unhappy with the features they currently have available, to get in touch with Digital Sublimity, and see what they can work out for you. As they say there, they do “more than you think for less than you think”!

Winter Break

Posted by Jamie on February 19th, 2007

I’m off for several days of family activities. Schools are closed all week, and I’ve been having some fun doing things with my daughter and hubby. I’ll be back with more artwork on Monday, February 26, if not before.

I deserve a day off!

Posted by Jamie on January 27th, 2007

So, I’m taking one. I went shopping this morning for office furniture for hubby. Once back home, I brought Mango down to my studio to keep me company, but I just ended up playing with him as he chirped and climbed all over the outside of his cage, while I talked on the phone and looked at travel brushes online. This must mean that I need a day off. I’ll be heading down to New York City later for my daughter’s gymnastics competition. Maybe I’ll do some sketches down there. Maybe not!