art by vinita

I had a great weekend at the UVAA Summer Arts Festival. Thanks to all you came by my booth and thanks for all the sales! I’d write more, but I’m off to paint…

Here is a recent painting that I painted at Mildred Kanipe Park outside of Oakland, OR.

Posted via email from vinitapappas’s posterous

After working to get ready for the opening in January, I wanted to take some time to experiment with a few ideas I’ve had for paintings. I’ve been using acrylics for a couple of weeks now and I’ve really enjoyed the process. It’s great to be able to layer and scrape away paint. I also love the texture I’ve been able to get.

My goal was to create some fairly abstract cityscapes. I’ve been working on Gessoboard using Daniel Smith acrylics and mediums. So far I’m happy with the pieces. I’m hoping to have enough of them complete for the Greatest of the Grape coming up in a couple of weeks. It’s a stretch from my usual watercolor paintings, so I’m looking forward to the reaction they receive!

Thanks to everyone that came to my opening reception Friday night at Fisher’s Flowers and Fine Art! There was an amazing turnout and it was great to see so many friends and to meet new people.

A big thank you to Holly and to all the people helping to make the night so special!

Another big thank you to my collectors. Five of the paintings have been purchased. How exciting! I really treasure your support.

If you weren’t able to make it on Friday, the show continues through April 13. So make sure to stop by when you’re in the area. Fisher’s hours are M-F 9-5.

FRIDAY NIGHT, Jan 23 is my opening reception at Fisher’s Flowers and Fine Art. The reception is from 5-7:30 pm. The paintings are watercolor cityscapes of Roseburg and Oakland, Oregon. I hope to see you there!

DIRECTIONS to Fisher’s:  From I-5 Exit 124, go West on Harvard Ave for two blocks. Turn left directly after the Shell Station onto Harrison. Fisher’s is the second building on your right and it has ivy growing on the outside walls. The address is 638 W Harrison St, Roseburg and the phone number is (541) 672-6621.

I decided today to work on my website and change things up a bit. I’ve been using Revolution Themes for awhile now and I love them!  The themes are nice, clean and easy to use. The theme I’m using right now is called “Streamline.” The theme has a lot to offer…much more than what I’m using it for.

I’m hoping to add more images of my paintings and have them available for purchase through this site in the next month or so. Meanwhile, time to pull myself away from the computer and get back to the studio. My show opens in two weeks!

I am looking forward to my show at Fisher’s Flowers and Fine Art in Roseburg, OR.  The show will be all watercolor cityscapes of my local towns.  If you are in the area, you are welcome to attend the opening reception on Friday, Jan 23 from 5-7:30 pm. The show will continue through April 13. The address is 638 W Harrison St, Roseburg. It’s just off of Harvard Ave. Hope to see you there!

This painting is of a scene in Oakland. I really enjoyed the use of dramatic shadows to highlight the figures enjoying their lunch.

I was chosen to create the painting for this year’s Greatest of the Grape Poster. The theme for this year is “Sip into Spring” so I went with a lighthearted piece. It is a step away from my normal painting style, but I had fun with it.

I will be one of 10 artists displaying artwork at the event. For those of you unfamiliar with the Greatest of the Grape event, it’s an evening filled with the best wines around and wonderful food.  Here is an excerpt about it…

Each March, the Umpqua Valley and Southern Oregon showcases the wine industry at Oregon’s oldest wine celebration, the Greatest of the Grape.

Again this year on March 21, we will again delight the senses with wine and food pairings from 28 of the best wineries and 14 regional restaurants in southern Oregon.

This annual event wil be held at Seven Feathers Hotel and Casino Resort in Canyonville on Saturday, March 21 from 7pm to 11pm.

Featured at the festive evening is a People’s Choice award for wine and wine/food pairings as well as announcements of the professional judging of the wine that will be held several week previous to the event. For more info click here.

Red Dress at Market (sold) won the Grand Prize Award from Mirror Pond Gallery 2008 National Watercolor and Pastel Exhibit in Bend, OR. The painting will be on the cover of the Cascade Arts and Entertainment November 2009 issue. Red Dress at Market is based on the fish market in Athens, Greece. While I was there in 2004 I took lots of reference photos. I used a couple of photos to compose this painting, but the lady in red was from my imagination. Red Dress at Market just won the Cascade Arts and Entertainment Cover Award from Mirror Pond Gallery in Bend. The painting will be on the cover of the November 2009 issue.