Bus-Stop Art

My suburban city (Santa Clarita, CA) held a contest for artists to get their art publicly displayed for a month, and I won!

Well, I won 2 of 10 spots, anyway. We were only allowed to submit 2 pieces, but they picked both of mine. They will reproduce my art on large posters displayed prominently in the city’s bus stop shelters. These things are like small billboards, highly visible to passing traffic as well as the people waiting for the bus. So, my art will be on very public display for a month. Cool, eh?

Even better, there’s a cash prize, which I got double since they chose both of my pieces. And, I get a free booth space at the city’s October 2-3, 2010 art festival, which the bus-stop art will publicize. (You can see my complete show schedule here.)

If you’re in the area, you’ll be able to see my artwork thusly displayed for the entire month of September. Of course I’ll take photos of the bus stops with my art in them; I definitely want to document this! How often does a chance like this come along?

Here are the 2 pieces that will be on display:

"Pacheco Tree" painting by Barbara J Carter

"Satwiwa" painting by Barbara J Carter

Painting dots… lots of dots

It’s been pretty quiet around here lately, I know.

Here’s what I’m up to these days:

Due to the popularity of paintings like this one, I’m focusing on painting more like it.

People often ask how I paint all those little perfectly-round dots on my abstract paintings. This is how: by hand, one dot at a time, using a small round brush dipped into fluid acrylic paint. The painting lies flat so the drops of paint don’t run. It’s a slow, contemplative process.

And yes, I do need to be very careful not to let my hand or sleeve smudge the wet dots. Fortunately I’m good at being careful. I haven’t smudged one yet! (Let’s hope I didn’t just jinx myself by saying that.)

Art Show in Beverly Hills

This weekend is the art show in Beverly Hills, somewhat pompously called “Affaire in the Gardens.” May 15-16, 2010, 10am to 6pm.

I’m in the show! Booth 159, near the corner of Rodeo Drive and Santa Monica Boulevard. See you there!

(As always, all my upcoming shows are listed on my website here.)

New Painting: “Sun in Trees 1”

This is the first in a new series of paintings I’m planning. I’m calling the series Sun in Trees. It’s similar to my November Sun series I ended a while ago, only now the paintings will be a little more realistic. They’ll all be based on photos rather than coming entirely from my imagination. But they’ll still have that “swirling sun” effect that so many people enjoyed in the old series.

"Sun in Trees 1" by Barbara J Carter, 10x8", acrylic on canvas

It’s a whole new challenge to create these paintings from photographs. But I think this first painting shows promise.

Here it is framed:

You can purchase this painting online here.

Art show in Sierra Madre May 1-2, 2010

I’m showing my art in Sierra Madre this weekend!

I’ll be in Booth 79. The weather should be spectacular: warm and sunny but not too hot. I’m really looking forward to it.

Oh, and I’ll have a few new paintings that you haven’t seen before. You don’t want to miss that, do you?

Or if not there, how about Beverly Hills two weeks later?

By the way, after Beverly Hills (May 15-16) I won’t have any more public shows this year until this fall. So you should definitely come to one of these shows!

Beverly Hills art show: it’s no joke!

To me, Beverly Hills has always been something of a joke. I mean, it’s a real place: there are stores and houses and stuff, just like other parts of Los Angeles. But the people are pretty unbelievable. Nose- and boob-jobs outnumber normal, unaltered people. The ridiculous cars, the conspicuous consumption, the extreme self-absorption, the worship of fame and money: it’s all right there. A parade of farce.

But then there’s the art show. Held twice a year by the City of Beverly Hills, in May and October, it’s a showcase of genuinely good art. Held right there in the capital of shallow and crass. In, I might add, one of the nicest city parks you’ll ever see.

I’ve been trying to get accepted into this art show for a few years now. All I got was rejected, over and over, until this year. Now, finally I’ve been accepted into the May 2010 show.

Or, I thought I’d been accepted. The only problem? All I got was an email saying I’d been accepted… sent on April Fools Day. I was a little concerned.

Two weeks went by before I got another email, this time listing all the accepted artists and their booth assignments. There was my name, clear as day. I’m really in the show! Booth 159, right by Rodeo Drive (ha!) and Santa Monica Boulevard.

I’ve admired a lot of the art at this show in prior years. Many artists who normally only exhibit in galleries do this one outdoor show. It’s pretty prestigious to be included. (Rumor has it that the May show is even harder to get into than the October show, and yet somehow I got in!)

I’m showing at Beverly Hills this year. No joke.

Affaire in the Gardens
Saturday & Sunday May 15-16, 2010
10am – 6pm
9450 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, California 90210

See all my upcoming art shows here.

Some spring wildflowers

Here are some wildflowers I’ve encountered while hiking here in southern California. These photos were all taken in Aliso Canyon in Santa Barbara.

The season for any given wildflower is brief, but there’s almost always something in bloom, so it’s always worthwhile to get out and take a look. Of course, the spring is especially spectacular with many different flowers blooming at the same time. This spring was particularly good because of the extra rain we got last winter.

Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon hendersonii)

The Shooting Stars look like something out of a fairy tale. The larger drifts are utter magic.

California Peony (Paeonia californica)

We didn’t see many of these lovely deep red, downward-facing flowers on the trail, but the few we did see were striking. They remind me a little of Hellebores, but the plant is much taller and the flower a deeper color, the petals shading from dark red to almost-black. Leave a comment if you know what this mystery flower is! With help from friends on Twitter, we successfully identified this plant as the California Peony. Isn’t it a beauty?

California Poppies (gold), Lupines (blue), and Blue Dicks (purple)

One of the biggest treats when out hiking is seeing flowers growing in combinations you might never have thought of. Mixing Lupines and Blue Dicks? Why not? Throw in some California Poppies for contrast and you’ve got a winning combination!

New Painting: “Satwiwa 2”

Satwiwa 2, by Barbara J Carter, 24x36", acrylic on canvas

The complex undulations of the hills and meadows at Satwiwa caught my eye. (I’ve blogged about Satwiwa before, here.) It seemed the intriguing shape of the land was just begging to be captured in a painting. So I did, and this painting, Satwiwa 2, is the result.

I was so pleased with this painting that I chose it for my second postcard mailing of the year. This is the first year I’m sending out multiple postcards. Previously my habit was at most a single postcard mailing in any given year. But that’s just not enough. So this is The Year of Many Postcards! (Well, 3 or 4 anyway.)

You can receive my postcards too! Just sign up for my mailing list here.

Oh, and of course the painting itself is available for sale. Click here for that information.

New Painting: “Cheseboro,” or is it Chesebro, or maybe Cheeseboro?

There seems to be some variation in the way the name is spelled, but in any case it’s a mighty fine place to take a hike. And maybe even snap a photo that you eventually turn into a painting.

Or anyway, that’s what I did.

"Cheseboro" by Barbara J Carter, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 14x11"

When I say I “eventually” turned the photo into a painting, I do mean eventually. Like a lot later. I hiked this canyon in December of 2008, snapping several photos as I usually do. I stored them on my computer. After a while I printed some out, and started a painting. That was sometime in 2009.

About 3/4 of the way through the painting, I got stuck. So I did what I always do when I’m stymied by a painting. I propped it up in a corner of my studio and left it alone. For a long time.

It turned into a verrrry long time.

Finally, about a month ago, I decided it was time to finish it. And it wasn’t that hard, either. It just came to me, and I put on the finishing touches with surprising ease. Sometimes I need to let things stew in the back of my mind for a while before I can finish them. I think this one’s the winner for longest “stewing” time. But that’s OK with me. I’m happy with how it came out, however long it took.

This painting is for sale. Click here for purchasing information.

New Painting: “NM Museum of Art”

My dream trip to Santa Fe last fall yielded a whole new direction for my art: I started painting buildings. You can see the other paintings I’ve completed so far of Santa Fe buildings here and here.

This painting depicts the New Mexico Museum of Art, located right in Santa Fe. The museum is housed in a graceful and traditional New Mexico adobe-style building. I took lots of photos both of the exterior and the courtyards. We had a little spot of luck that day: some genuine sunlight. Most of the trip had been cloudy, but that day we had some sun. Everything looks better in the sunlight!

"NM Museum of Art" by Barbara J Carter, 2010, acrylic on canvas, 14x11"

This view is from the museum’s main courtyard, looking up at the museum’s second story. I loved the play of shadows and sunlight across the walls. The pink glow of the adobe in the sun contrasting with the deep shadows of the heavy wooden beams really struck my fancy.

This painting is for sale. You can find purchasing information here.

If you go to Santa Fe, I highly recommend visiting the New Mexico Museum of Art. It’s not too overwhelmingly huge like some museums can be. You can ramble around and enjoy the beautiful building, the grounds, and the art on display at a leisurely pace.