Friday, May 21, 2010

Best in Show

My painting "Rainbow Run Winter" was awarded Best in Show at the Hillsborough Cultural Arts Commission's 6th Annual Art Exhibition last night.

"Rainbow Run Winter"
12x24" oil on canvas

Same as last year, the show was divided into adult and student categories, and just like last year, some the student work was really impressive. But the star of this year's show was last year’s grand prize winner from the student category, Gabrielle Fiorillo - she was commissioned by the Cultural Arts Commission to paint a portrait for the township's Public Art Collection. When the portrait was unveiled last night, it was hard to believe that this was the work of the 17 year old student standing next to it, it was that well done.  It was a beautifully painted portrait of Hillsborough resident Anna Case, daughter of a South Branch blacksmith, who in the early 1900's, rose to become a star at the Metropolitan Opera, a best-selling Edison recording artist, an in-demand concert performer, and a pioneer in both radio and motion pictures. (I plagiarized that bit from Arts Commission chairman Greg Gillette who hosted the event last night).

The Hillsborough Art Show gets better every year, and when some of these students start entering in the adult category, I could be in trouble!

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

6th Annual Hillsborough Art Exhibition

"Rainbow Run Winter"
12x24" oil on canvas

My painting "Rainbow Run Winter" will be in the Hillsborough Cultural and Arts Commission's 6th Annual Art Exhibition.  That confuses me a bit because last year's show was billed as the 4th Annual - I wonder what happened to the 5th?   Hillsborough is the Township that I live in and I selected this painting because it's a Hillsborough Township scene.    The farm is named Rainbow Run Farm after the little creek you see in the foreground, it's on Rainbow Hill Road near Clover Hill, NJ.   I keep looking for rainbows there and someday I'll see one!

The show takes place at:

Hillsborough Twp Municipal Complex
379 South Branch Road
Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Unfortunately it's a very short event and the only time for the general public to see the show is at a reception this Thursday, May 20, from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Springtime Travels

I had a springtime cold or virus recently, or maybe it was an allergy since the pollen is so bad this spring. I was feeling pretty miserable for about 2 weeks and didn't have the energy to drive anywhere to paint.  And I didn't want to be far from my medicine cabinet!   So one day I wasn't feeling too bad, I took my paintbox across the street and painted "Amwell Valley Clouds", the view from my mailbox:

"Amwell Valley Clouds"
11x14" oil on canvas on board

Once I was feeling a little better, I took the long 2 mile drive to the bottom of the hill I live on, to a nice peaceful spot on the Neshanic River and I painted this one:

"Springtime on the Neshanic"
7x14" oil on board

I'm feeling much better now, but I'm kind of grateful that my illness forced me to have a better look at some of the things right under my nose.   Sometimes it's so easy to overlook the obvious!