HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

                         A Scattering of Hearts for Valentine's Day!

I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with New York City.  I find it both captivating and frustrating.  But New Yorker’s never disappoint.  

The other day I was walking along West 60^th Street going to the Time Warner Building for my afternoon cup of joe when I stumbled upon these hearts made from ice (something there is no shortage in NYC at the moment).  Many people stopped to take photos and to be amazed.  So, Happy Valentine’s my dear friends – may you find wonder and enjoyment today on Valentine’s Day and throughout the year! 

SNOW DAY - CELEBRATING THE BEAUTY OF SNOW

Blizzard Hercules hit the East Coast last night and today with howling winds and bitter cold. 

I have to admit that I love snow, at least while it is falling and covering everything in a blanket of white.  It muffles the traffic and transforms the city into a beautiful and romantic wonderland.

To celebrate the first snow storm of 2014, here are snow inspired paintings, from Peter Brueghel to Camille Pissarro. Do you have a favorite?  

As 2014 unfolds, follow along. Join my mailing list for the latest artwork, projects and special promotions (enter your email in the space to the right of this column). Cheers!

"The Hunters in the Snow", Peter Brueghel the Elder, 1565 Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

"Winter Cardinals" Andrée Ruellan (1905-2006)

        "Road to Versailles at Louveciennes" (Snow Effect) Camille Pissarro,1869

"Night Snow at Kamara", Utagawa Hiroshige, 1833

HAPPY NEW YEAR to YOU

Hello and Happy New Year!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

2013 has been rich with creativity and community, it has been an enjoyable and rewarding year. I want to thank you all for reading my studio blog. 2014 will be even better.

Thank you for your support.  Wishing you the best in the coming year!

Cheers,
Barbara

National Association of Women Artists ... Empowering Women Artists Since 1889

I AM THRILLED to tell you about the induction ceremony to the National Association of Women Artists (NAWA). A few months ago I submitted my paintings to be juried and soon received a letter congratulating me on becoming a member to NAWA. Last Thursday was the new members induction ceremony held at The Rubin Museum of Art in Chelsea in New York City.

The ceremony was inspiring. It was the Emmy's.  It was the Academy Awards.  I want to thank the Academy....

Well, OK, maybe I'm exaggerating, but I felt recognized and accomplished, a professional standing among other successful women artists. 

 

WILD FLOWERS IN FIELD, 12"x 9", oil on canvas

 As each artist name was called, two of her works were displayed on a large screen. She approached the stage to receive a certificate and was encouraged to say something about her work or herself.  Gasps! No one expected that we would have to say something about ourselves - ugh - artists talking about their art to a crowd of strangers. Run for the hills! 
 

LONE TREE, 24" x 24", oil/mixed media on canvas

But by the end of the day we felt a part of each others successes.  It was inspiring to hear every one's story, to get a glimpse of individual journeys. Strength, encouragement, joy and beauty was exchanged. 


It was a love fest, the mother load.  It just doesn't get better than that.

Membership into this organization for professional women artists was founded in 1889 by five innovative women, Anita C. Ashley, Adele Fracis Bedell, Elizabeth S. Cheever, Edith Mitchel Prellwitz and Grace Fitz-Randolph.  Early annual exhibitions included the notable Rosa Bonheur, Mary Cassatt, Suzanne Valadon and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. As the organization grew, Louis Nevelson, Judy Chicago, Janet Fish, Marisol, Audrey Flack and Faith Ringgold and many other illustrious artists have been added to the roster of supporters.

NAWA has a permanent collection at the Jane Voorhees Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers University, New Jersey and offers educational opportunities to its members and the general public. 

Drawing is about Seeing

I love to draw. Drawing is about seeing, making marks, erasing, making more marks and seeing some more ..... I love the process!

Drawing in Pencil of Tree Branch by Barbara J Hart 28"x20"

Drawing is a discipline used to gather information. It's my way of converting an idea into a simple line, a way of making marks on paper. When I draw, the subject takes on a life of it’s own, and  it brings an awareness of the value of every day objects.

Close up of Tree Branch- pencil on paper by Barbara J Hart-28"x20"

"Learning to draw is really a matter of learning to see - to see correctly - and that means a good deal more than merely looking with the eye" - Kimon Nicolaides, The Natural Way to Draw. 

Work in process -tree drawing - pencil on paper by Barbara J Hart - 28" x20"

Here's my latest drawing on the easel and the second drawing in my tree and branch series.

WILD FLOWERS IN FIELD

Landscape Painting - Wild Flowers in Field - Barbara J Hart - 12" x 9" - oil on canvas

Close up of Wild Flowers in  Field - Barbara J Hart

Longing for open spaces, broad horizons and colorful wild flowers.  For now I am content to be in my studio and to paint the serene vistas from my photographs.

A CORNER OF THE STUDIO

Here's a corner of my studio with my paints and brushes and artwork from artists friends.  

The album is Sam and Dave's Greatest Hits. Why is it hanging on the wall you ask?  Because it is warped and because it is one of my favorite records (ahem, or should I say vinyl) and I couldn't throw it away. So, there it hangs together with two assemblages. The one on the left is created by Susan Olds, called Resumes and Revisions.  The piece on the right is done by my dear friend Carol Fiedler-Kawaguchi. It is a shrine to the things I love - my sweet Golden Retriever Sandy, painting, boats and color.....

A corner of my studio with my paints & brushes & a few favorite works by artist friends 

TA-DA -- FINALLY - DIGITIAL PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE!

Boat Painting-Two Boats-Barbara J Hart-Acrylic, copper plate on board-24"x36"

Dear Friends, 

After many months of computer problems, I am pleased to announce that a few of my paintings are now available on Fine Art America

More images will be added so check back often!  

Enjoy!
Barbara

 

My Love of Clouds

I've always been inspired by clouds. On hot summer days my sister and I would pass the time looking up - to see how many animals and shapes we could find in those big clouds gliding above us. 

I've taken so many photos of clouds ... but never attempted a painting. Until now.  In this small painting I wanted to try to paint something monumental (the sky) on a small surface (10" x 8" canvas). It was a real challenge....

Landscape Painting-Clouds-Barbara J Hart-Oil on canvas-10" x 8"

Winter Light - A Portrait of Tree Branches. First Drawing of 2013 by Barbara J. Hart

Happy New Year – Here is the first drawing of 2013!

WINTER LIGHT, Barbara J. Hart, Pencil/pen on board, 8.5" x 13"

I love tress in winter, stark and beautiful without attire.  Here is Winter Light a portrait of long branches without memory of leaves dancing on a cold breeze and anticipating the return of fresh green finery. 

What's on the Easel?

"Lone Tree" by Barbara J. Hart, 24" x 24"

oil/collage on canvas

Here’s the painting on my easel this week.  A walk through a Pennsylvania meadow inspired this painting/collage.  I love to study trees, don’t you?  I’m inspired by how they exist in the landscape.  The power in the form of a tree with branches reaching out in various directions encloses you and at the same time is open.  I’m investigating landscape and how it implies a distant space and at the same time restricting the tree to a square or rectangle.  In my attempt to observe trees I also investigate painting as a process and my relationship to the landscape.    

RELAX ALONG SIDE A NYC WATER TOWER

Pillow made from my painting of NYC water tower

I recently found an on-line source for designing and printing fabric.  I thought it would be a fun to see what one of my paintings looked like as a pillow. What do you think?

Three Cups

                              Three Cup, oil on board, 24" x 30" - Barbara J. Hart

I'm back in the studio and it feels good!  I've been attempting to grab more time in the studio whether it is at 6:00 AM or at 10:30 PM.  I'm finding that even a half hour here and there is better than nothing.  I work a full-time job that takes a whole lot of energy, and many times by the end of the week I'm not really sure what Art is anymore! I'm exhausted and feel disconnected from my creative self. And, I'm not alone, so many of my artist friends struggle with the same issues. 

This past year I've been working to create schedules for myself.  I have a schedule for studio time, a schedule for marketing my work and last but not least (although the toughest for me), a schedule to post to my blog. In addition to my little snippets of time during the week I save the serious time (4-5 hours) for Saturday and Sunday.  Let's see how it works!

Bits and Pieces - mixed media with beeswax

Barbara J. Hart, Bits & Pieces #3, 10" x 6" ... Mixed media brushed with beeswax


Collage #3 - another mixed media finished with a layer of beeswax.

Bits and Pieces - Mixed Media - 10" x 6"

Here's the Latest!
Mixed media on board with a layer of beeswax. 10" x 6"

Bits and Pieces - Constructing a Collage Mixed Media with Beeswax 10" x 6.5"

Bits and Pieces – Constructing a Collage

Over the years I’ve accumulated a collection of old ticket stubs, boxes of maps, beads and shells among many other trinkets. I am drawn to things worn and the mystery of a previous life. I so appreciate smokey patinas and aged surfaces.

Here is one of four collages recently created in the studio. Using torn papers, tattered letters and architectural images, I create a relationship among the various elements. Incorporating fragments rather than whole pieces of found materials provide a sense of intent and accident. Adding a postage stamp places the work in a specific place and time in the world while functioning as an element to balance the picture. Each collage is on wood and finished with a translucent layer of melted beeswax to give it a vintage feel.