A very busy month.

I have lots of photos to share but I usually have problems uploading more than one.  I'll try at the end.

My series "Bear Hill Road" is coming along with two large paintings in process: one is a dyptic of two panels 24x30 and the other is 24x36.  North Shore Art Association opened for the season with a wonderful show, as usual.  Karen Berger, Lynn Murray and I had a nice museum day at Addison in North Andover. I started teaching a private art lesson--another milestone, and had a birthday, yet another milestone.

Cox 2012

Mary's Birthday

Karen Berger at Addison

Lynn Murray at Addison

 

Best in Show!

Spring Members Open Show... Best in Show award goes to.....

  Spring Members Open Show.  Bear Hill Road by Mary Pyche, Congratulations!

What a surprise, it feels good!

Here it is.....

Bear Hill Road tryptic 18x18"x3 oil on canvas

at Newburyport Art Association.

3 galleries at once

I've been busy preparing many paintings for delivery, etc. to the current show at Newburyport Art Association, Rockport Art Association and the Sage Gallery in Haverhill.  They are all paintings in the Bear Hill Road series of paintings that I'm working on for a solo show in November.  I made all the frames as well.  One is 12x36", one is a triptych of three 18x18" canvases, and the rest is 9 small ones, 6x6", 8x8" and 5x7".

I went out yesterday to paint plein air at the Greenbelt's Cox Reservation with David P. Curtis who thankfully carries on the tradition of helping artists like the original great painters of Cape Ann.  I'll post the photo of the finished painting when it's done.  In the meantime, here is picture of my motif (spelled motive in the old art books).

Today's art delight was a trip to MFA Boston to see a film on Gerhard Richter, the world-famous painter.  I just realized that I posted my painting info on my activities blog and vice-versa.  Opps.  See my other blog for more info on Gerhard.  My artwork blog.

Ed LeMay performs

Ed LeMay performs this weekend (March 24 & 25) with the Boston Gay Men's Chorus at the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall presenting Love's Voice, The Splendor and Triumph of Love.  It was a very enjoyable and impressive performance that was part chorus along with some acting, dancing and instrumentals. 
Although this isn't a report about painting, it fits into the artistic category don't you think?  A good friend, Peter Stott, and I had a nice slow dinner beforehand and some always interesting conversation.  It was a perfect evening AND I also got a free parking spot right there on the corner of Huntington and St. Betolph Street.--a good omen to be sure.

The play "VINCENT"

The full length play by Leonard Nimoy, performed by Doug Brendel at the Newburyport Art Association last night was very well done and perfect for that venue.  VINCENT was produced in partnership with Time & Tide Fine Art in Ipswich,MA.  Kristina Brendel and her husband Doug, both very talented people, would be interested in bringing this performance to your venue as I believe that the proceeds go to a good cause.  Contact them on Facebook or  by email.

Art and Design Show

This weekend at the Cyclorama in Boston MA See the Art & Design Show.

I went yesterday with my friend Ed.  There were a lot of art galleries as well as design studios and I met and talked with some very interesting people, in particular Robert Llewellyn, a very well-known photographer, and Jacob Kulin who does interior design wooden and other objects, tables, wall hangings, etc.  And, like the International Art Show, I was able to get dozens of wonderful magazines, and even a free subscription to a Boston design magazine called Boston Home. We attended a lecture with interior designer Vicente Wolf, who won the AD20/21 Lifetime Achievement Award and has a few books in print of his work.  He was a joy to hear as he is a very nice unpretentious man with 35 years of experience who unselfishly shared ideas and design methods.  The photos at the talk are also in his books and I loved the photography.  Read an article on him in the 3/16/12 G section of the Boston Globe by Christopher Muther.

Starry Starry Night--Vincent at Newburyport Art Assoc.

Fri March 16  SOLD OUT

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR

 Sat, March 17 - Sun, March 18

All performances begin at 8:00 p.m., in the Hartson Gallery

Doors open at 7:30pm

 Ticket prices: $12.00 for NAA Members and $15 for Non-Members

Vincent (the play) at NAA To purchase tickets, call  or drop by the NAA

Wakefield MA Exhibit at CPA

 

 

 

Here are some photos of the display.  Last night's performance at Wakefield's new Center for the Performing Arts with Jay Psaros was very entertaining.  The crowd was happy and pleased with the music, songs, and stories of Jay who is an up-and-coming musician.  I met and spoke with many Wakefield residents and became aware of how nice that city is.  It's nice to talk and get feedback from people about one's art.  I'm honored that I was able to participate as a solo exhibit in their first event where they paired performance art with visual art.

Wakefield Exhibit, Performing Arts Center

 

 

 

I'm at 2 places at once this Saturday.

One is at the Wakefield Center for the Performing Arts Center and the other is at Sage Gallery in Haverhill.

Sorry to say, I'll miss the opening reception at Haverhill as I am exhibiting work at the Performing Arts Center.

In Wakefield, on March 10th at 7:30pm. Jay Psaros, a singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist will be performing as well as an opening act by a talented local student, Natalie Joly.

Accepted to Sage's Spring Show

I have been selected for the Spring Art Exhibit at the Sage Art Gallery!  
My art will hang in the gallery form March 10th to March 31st.  
The opening reception will be March 10th for 7 to 9 pm.  The Sage Art Gallery

Sage Art Gallery

136 Washington Street
Haverhill, MA 01832

Trip to Wakefield

Jay Psaros performance, March 10th
I went to Wakefield High School today to see the area where I will be able to display artwork at a Center for Performing Arts event scheduled for the evening of Saturday, March 10th.  School was in session and it's been 100 years since I walked through halls of high school kids milling around.  They have a very nice auditorium where various performances are held.  The link above will show you the venue.  I think that the hallway leading to the entrance to the hall will be where I would show my work.  Now that I've organized my paintings, it's much easier to select paintings for events like this.  More later on the performance itself and details of my involvement.

The Sage Art Gallery Juried Exhibition is March 10 through March 31, 2012.

Stevens Coolidge, North Andover 9x12" oil

The Sage Art Gallery Juried Exhibition is March 10 through March 31, 2012 and I will submit 2 paintings, one is representational and the other abstract/contemporary.  

The representational oil painting is 9x12" and is called Stevens Coolidge, North Andover.  It is a view from the back with dramatic lighting on the finely groomed hedges and the roofs of the building.  It has a gold plein air frame.

The abstract/contemporary mixed media piece is 20x24" and is called The Eagle.  It has a mostly black and white abstracted motif suggestive of nesting material and an orange sun with a scruffy bald eagle on a branch.  It has a custom made black floating frame.


Both are priced low at $350 each.

Sunset on Bear Hill Rd 12x36"

Sunset on Bear Hill Road 12x36" Oil

I've started a series of paintings of Bear Hill Road in Merrimac MA.  This is a large horizontal painting that was completed after doing a drawing from some photos and after doing a color study approximately the same size.  I always had in mind to do a triptych of this scene as well.  The triptych is also finished as of today.  If you scroll down a couple of postings, you will see this painting before I changed the road.  Let me know what you think.

Central Street Gallery Winter Show

Central Street Gallery, Manchester by the Sea, Winter Show, through April.  Valentine Theme Reception.



Dale Greene and I attended Lynn Murray's reception last night for the opening of their Winter Show.  Lynn has recently done a series of paintings that involve water and/or dogs.  She kiddingly calls it her bow-wow series. Lynn is pictured here with her paintings.

Another artist friend, Barbara Levine, has some very nice new paintings on display as well.  Barbara is pictured on the right with Dale behind to the left.  This is a co-op gallery of 13 artists, most of whom I am acquainted with because of my association with David Curtis's Saturday plein air classes at Greenbelt's Cox Reservation.  David P. Curtis is one of Cape Ann's premier artists and a third generation artist as well.

NAA's current show is excellent!

The current show is for pastel, acrylic, photography, mixed media, and more.  Not oil.  Anyway, I was totally impressed at the large number of wonderful things in this show.  Be sure to see it if you can.  Congrats to everyone at Newburyport Art Association, Newburyport, MA.

Tomorrow will be my last class with Lully and I'm almost finished with my 4 paintings that start the Bear Hill Road series of paintings.  Tomorrow I'm also attending a lecture at Salem State on marketing art.

I subscribed yesterday to a new on-line magazine that looks so beautiful I couldn't resist.  The pictures that accompany the articles are gorgeous.  Best of luck to the producers of this new mag. Artists on Art

Current Project - Bear Hill Series

12x36" Oil, Bear Hill Rd at Sunset

This is the first painting of the series which is being followed by a tryptic of the same scene.  

RED again in Boston Globe

This article is RIGHT ON...........

Making art, humanizing an artist, in "Red"

Also excellent photos by Craig Bailey

Rothko RED in Boston Globe

Read all about it..........
Boston Globe, Sunday, January 8, 2012

NAA Reception....a good time.

What a good time I had tonight at the reception of the new show at the Newburyport Art Association.  I ran into about 10 old friends and met some new ones.  The show is very good so be sure to see it.  One friend, Robin Thornhill, won two awards (for two paintings) while the Best in Show went to a sculpture that was totally awesome and it won two awards, I don't remember one art work winning two awards before now.  Another friend, Margaret Bernier, sold a painting at the reception!  I've been trying to meet Bob Marcellino, a friend of a friend of mine, for about two years and finally met him tonight and he is now a fellow member of NAA.  Bob introduced me to Jane Russell who won an award for a wonderful watercolor at this show.  I couldn't find a website for Jane for obvious reasons--I wish I could show you her work.

RED the play about Rothko

I saw the new play, RED, on opening night last night in Boston.  It's about Mark Rothko and was wonderfully done.  It's a two-man cast, Rothko and his assistant, and moves along quickly, keeping your interest to the end.  I enjoyed the audience as well, it's a thought provoking work.

NAA Reception Tonight

Both paintings I submitted were juried in and the reception is tonight, Saturday, Jan 7, at 7 p.m. at Newburyport Art Association.  I will bring my little marketing kit along to try to spread the word about the classes I am teaching starting mid-March.  If you have questions, please call me 978-273-3496.

Submitted 2 paintings to NAA's next show

I picked up two paintings Monday from Newburyport Art Association and brought two for the next show.  It is a juried show, so let's see what gets in!  I had one of those last-minute frame problems.  I couldn't get one on-line quick enough because of the holiday and didn't have enough molding left to make one.  The size I wanted, 9x12", isn't a popular size at any of the usual frame shops, but I found only one at Michael's and it was dark, so I painted the interior border to match the painting, and it came out really nice.  I saw this done recently at the Rockport Show.  I didn't take photos of either painting before delivering them, boy am I slipping.

One was a landscape, 8x10", of the pump on the common at West Newbury, MA.  It is actually the second of a series of three pump paintings I've been working on.  The other painting, 9x12" was done on a rainy day at Cox Reservation in Ipswich, MA.  It is completely en plein air, no touchup.

Pam's beautiful painting

I got a painting from my husband for Christmas!  It was a beautiful lily pad painting by Pam Giarattana--I love it! I'm trying to figure out how to light it as the place where I want to put it is where I now have a sconce light and this spot needs light.

Art at Sage Gallery

It was nice to see a painting of mine in the front window when I stopped by today at the Sage Art Gallery in Haverhill, MA.

What a weekend!

Friday night was the holiday reception at Rockport Art Association where they were offering small paintings by well-known artists for sale, and I chose to purchase a wave oil painting by Paul George. 

Saturday was a double-header.  I was in Boston all day at Cyclorama's 15th Annual International Fine Art Show where I had a great time perusing the art and attending a lecture by two leading art magazine editors.  They give out free samples of art magazines and I got 6.  Then I was off to the Walsingham Gallery in Newburport for their Women of Walsingham show, where Judy Pumfrey's painting was auctioned off to benefit the hospital fund. Earlier in the morning there was a high-healed race that men could enter but they had to wear high-healed shoes, and some did enter! sorry I missed it.  I met some new artists who show there. 

Sage Art Gallery, Haverhill, MA

It was a busy day but I got 9 paintings ready 

and delivered to the Sage Gallery where 

they will be available for viewing until mid-February.

The Grand Opening Reception of the gallery 

will be this Friday at 6 p.m. 

and all are welcome to attend.  

It is a very nice gallery in the downtown arts district of Haverhill 

almost just under the train bridge underpass 

and public parking is very conveniently located, 

drive down the street immediately beside the gallery and it's right there!

Joining Sage Art Gallery, Haverhill, MA

This is a new gallery in downtown Haverhill right next to the train underpass and it is open Tuesday through Saturday noon until 5 p.m.  There will be an opening reception this coming Friday, November 18th, I don't know the time yet.

136 Washington Street, Haverhill, MA.

Link to Sage Art Gallery

I will have two columns of space just inside the door to the left, please come see this new gallery as there is a lot of very good artists' work presented.

I will deliver my work later today or Monday as I need to finish framing and compiling information.  Let me know what you think about the gallery and try to attend the reception Friday.

Judy Pumfrey's Demo

 

I went to Haverhill's new Sage Art Gallery for a demo sponsored by the Haverhill Art Association.  The gallery has been open only 5 days and looks very nice.  There are already about 20 artists showing their work there for $100 for 100 days!  In 2 hours time, Judy did a gorgeous painting of her famous Kids at the Beach subject.  It's not finished, but in that short time, she was able to give lots of information regarding the planning stages, underpainting, colors, brushes, reference materials, etc. and actually do some great painting.  

Mural Completed

About 5 days or 30 hours. Customer left design, etc. up to me.  Decided to leave the dog fence unpainted and we incorporated a snow fence in the design (behind the dog fence) to tie it into the design.  Then she wanted chickadees (birds) so I put a bird house on the snow fence with a bird on it and one in flight headed towards it.  If you wish to see more photos, go to www.marypychedaily.blogspot.com.

Wall Mural

I'm working on a wall mural commission and it's going very well.  I arrived, did the drawing, put up some paint for values, tone, etc. and now I have to prepare some paint for tomorrow's effort.  I downloaded Picasa this morning so maybe I'll be able to post photos soon.  Photoshop has been giving me problems when posting something that was automatically rotated when it loaded, then it posts in it's original format in Blogger.

After MoCA

I loved it.  I had seen many photos in magazines, etc. but being there is person and realizing the volume of the space makes it a great experience.  I love big spaces.  I had a lot of fun taking photos but I have to admit that viewing them just isn't anything like being there.

A Western Mass Adventure

I'm excited to be leaving for a great weekend of driving through gorgeous autumn scenery and checking out museums I have been waiting to see for a long time.  Also the electrician has finally shown up and added lots of "juice" to my studio, of course, I spent a big chunk of time moving stuff so he could access the walls and now I'll have to "clean" and I rearrange everything.  It's a good thing.