Perception
How things change…
read moreUnilome
Survival is its own creative act.
read moreAuthenticity
I love authentic people.
read moreGrace
Last week I was talking about a space feeling “right.” This week is about a painting feeling “right.”
read moreAn Unmade Bed
I have a confession to make… I like making my bed.
read moreThe Slap and Whisper
Happy New Year! I’m back!
read moreSushi and a Blanket Fort
Please tell me 2020 is almost over…
read moreThe Interview
Time to chat about composition with Patrick Lee.
read moreFocused as a Red Laser
A focal point in an image is key.
read moreComposition is King I tell Ya!
So the textures in Patrick Lee’s paintings are unsurpassed. Yet it is the composition that makes you look twice…
read moreBlue Butterflies
I love butterflies. How weird and wonderful that they taste flowers with their feet.
read moreRattled
Someone asked me recently what was the most difficult commission I have ever done. And without hesitation I thought of one of the very first ones I ever did.
read moreLighting Strikes
My daughter was struck by lightning.
read moreCat Prints
So apparently my cat walked into wet oil paint and walked across my taboret and floor…
read moreAlready Gone
“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains and we never even know we have the key.”
-Eagles song, “Already Gone”
Neutrality
Just as in this tumultuous political climate, in art, there is no such thing as neutral.
read moreSpilled Rice
In the past few weeks I have moved on to painting other things. And sometimes things get knocked around.
read moreBook It
A hardbound book is given to the client at the end of a commission.
read moreTo Make an Omelette
You know the saying “To make an omelette, you have to break a few eggs?” Well, to make a pastel painting you have to break a few sticks.
read moreThe Reveal
So I always get annoyed with taking photos of my finished work…
read moreStep by Step
Portraits are a treasure hunt… searching… searching…
read moreBlank Canvas
Once the client is satisfied with the overall design and I know what their goals are in the commission, it is time to get to work.
read moreStudy
I have worked with artists creating commissions thoroughout the years and one of the biggest pieces of advice I can give to them is to do your homework.
read moreMonster in the Making
I have a new commission…
read moreOpera
A painting is theater.
read moreAbstraction
So I am not an expert on abstract paintings. In fact, when I go to a museum or show, they don’t tend to capture my attention. The only clear exception for me has been Frances Kline.
read moreTeeth
I see portraits all the time with teeth… oh man, just don’t do it.
read moreBrushing Up
A brush is an artist’s friend, so we need to take care of our pals…
read moreThe Devil
“It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off…” – Florence and the Machine
read moreGetting The World to Tilt
The weather has been nice where I am lately so I recently found myself out on the grass looking up at white, fluffy clouds moving quickly past the trees.
read morePatches
I am a bionic woman.
read moreTouch
Pastel Is a tactile medium.
read moreCrabby
I am crabby. Crabby, crabby, crabby…
read moreGetting Curves
And just like an an awkward teenage girl, when a line grows up it can get curvy.
read moreWalking the Line
A line is the most powerful tool in art.
read moreThe Difference a Year Can Make
There is something inherently powerful about welding a brush…
read morePing Pang
You know you are an artist when…
read moreA Crit
So while in quarantine I have been doing critiques for artists…
read moreImpact
Sometimes a light shines in the darkness… or at least into your living room.
read moreFlowers
I am busier then ever… so why do I feel that I am not getting much done?
read moreGuest Blogger
Hi! this week I am taking you to a wonderful blog spot called How to Pastel.
read moreArrested Momentum
In the very beginning of designing this painting I asked myself- “What is most important?”
read moreLight and Air
Hang in there everyone! Glad you could join me again this week from containment. I sincerely hope that talking about painting will keep your mind off any worries for a few minutes and we can chat about beauty and art…
read morePurple People
“What color should I use for skin?” I get asked this question all of the time.
read morePINK and pink
“Pink” is just a name for a broad category of colors.
read moreThis Is Not A Pink Rose
I often see artists getting ready to paint something like this flower above and I watch them getting out all their pretty, pink pastel sticks or start to mix up pink paint… uh… nope.
read moreRaindrops
I got new glasses.... And in getting new glasses I discovered a few things. I am not that young anymore. Yes, I finally had to break down and get Progressives. Or those pesky "bifocals" as we used to call them. Ok, I am almost 52 years old, so I guess I did pretty...
read moreOil Painting – The Tavern Project Part 3
More on those panels!
read moreOil Painting – The Tavern Project Part 2
This week I will take you through the stages that the paintings went through for the restaurant project that was discussed last week.
read moreOil Painting – The Tavern Project Part 1
I recently found myself painting in oils for a new Restaurant…
read moreShooting Stars, a Deserted Island and Pirate Booty
Over the holidays I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks in the Caribbean with my daughters’s boyfriend's family who live in Antigua so I got to be surrounded by all three of my kids in 80 degree weather. On New Year's Day we heard about a meteor shower that would be...
read more2019
My easel broke…
read moreOut of Touch
Lately I have noticed a weird phenomenon…
read moreGetting a Grip
Tomorrow in the United States is Thanksgiving.
read morePsst…
One of my favorite books of all time is The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I know there is a movie coming out soon based on the the book, but I don't think I can go see the film. The entire reason that I love the book so much is in the writing. It is the one book that...
read moreColor of Light
All light sources have an inherent color. Photos tend to throw things off so we see things as “white light” yet did you ever paint something, say, a sunset, and when you added white to the sky it just looked plain “off” or even felt not very lit? Why do some paintings glow with light and some just seem chalky?
read moreSketchy Endeavors
While you are reading this I am in day 4 of Jury Duty. Yup, this week I am a servant of the State.
read moreThe Lies That Photos Tell
If you paint portraits from photos, you instantly have a battle on your hands because those pesky photo references tell lies. Here’s why.
read moreColor Color Color…
Controlling color is one of the most important things you can do as an artist… as well as the most difficult.
read moreBy A Nose…
My students often complain about painting a nose. I hear ya, they are tough… so let’s look at a few things to make painting the schnoz a little bit easier.
read moreRunning Around Like a …
Nope you didn’t miss anything … I have skipped a few blog posts. But a wise artist once told me that we have to bend “when life gets in the way” so here is what has been keeping me so busy.
read moreNew York
I’m packing!!!
read moreIllumination
I recently posted a little oil painting that I was working on last week and was pleasantly surprised when it received a lot of attention on Facebook. SO cool! So I thought I would show how this little image came to be.
read moreLearning Never Stops
I am always amazed when people tell me, “Oh! you are so talented!!” as though my work stems magically from fairies and pixie dust. Nope. Good art is created out of dedicated time and knowledge.
read moreControl is a Beautiful thing
In September I am teaching two weekly classes…
read moreFlashbacks
As of this morning I have two girls in college…
read moreLoss, a Kitten and a Blue Light Special
Sometimes losses come all at once. And when it rains it pours…
read moreThe Power of Pastel in Action
So last week was my first “Power of Pastel” Workshop at Sweetwater Center for the Arts…
read moreBrushes, Bugs and Bridges
Plein-air and me? Oh man… I thought I would share some pics and struggles from the last week.
read moreWalking in the Leaves
Recently someone asked me if I had a plan for my career now going forward. Goals for awards, shows etc… in other words, what does success look like to me now?
read moreChocolate Snob
Chocolate is my friend. Well, maybe we are a bit too close when I see photos of myself.
read moreALL the Colors
Last week I was in Iowa City. I took my daughter to college orientation for the University of Iowa. My days with her home all the time are numbered, and soon it will just be my son and I. On the flight this is what he packed…
read moreJoy
“Painting a landscape is illusionary… like trying to catch rainbows…”
– Phil Salvato
Alexander Soukas. Visiting Master
Last week I had the honor of inviting and studying with Alexander Soukas from Denver, Colorado as part of the Master Series of Workshops I am setting up here in Sewickley at Sweetwater Center for the Arts.
read moreWar
Sometimes a painting just keeps tapping me on the shoulder until I confront it, design it and then try to execute it. Sometimes this conversation with an image takes years.
read moreTips and Tricks: Microfiber Friends
I am always impressed by those artists that try so hard to keep their pastels squeaky clean.
read moreTips and Tricks
A quick tip for those working in pastels this week…
read moreThe Rest Is Just Noise
Do you hate the painting you are working on? Frustrated with it and just wanna get it “over with?” I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but anyone looking at the painting will know…
read moreFlying Buttresses
“It’s all in how you arrange the thing… the careful balance of the design is the motion.”
– Andrew Wyeth
Yup… composition is king.
read moreBe Not Afraid
“I don’t think that there is anything that is really magical unless it has a terrifying quality.”
-Andrew Wyeth
The Value of Design Part 2
“The way I feel about things is so much better than the way I’ve been able to paint them. The image I had in my head before I started is not quite – never quite – completely conveyed in paint.”
– Andrew Wyeth
The Value of Design
One of the most prized possessions I have in my studio space is an old book I bought for $6.99 from a second-hand book store.
read moreBrown is Not a Color Either…
So when is a color not a color???
read moreGrey is Not a Color Part 2
Some artists are challenging me about the concept of grey not being a color.
read moreBlue and Yellow Don’t Make Green
Yes, there is a watercolor book that has this very title, and yes, it is worth reading cover to cover. To understand color, for me there was no better way then studying it in the watercolor medium. I worked in watercolor for years and it had a great side effect- I...
read morePower of Pastel with Christine Swann
Christine is included in this Master Series learning event at Sweetwater Center for the Arts. Learn directly from local artists in these workshops …
read moreChiller Theater
Warning- if you have an aversion to horror films or are a very tidy artist, you may want to look away…
read moreCrazy Quilt
“It is not our job to remain whole.
We came to lose our leaves
Like the trees, and be born again,
Drawing up from the great roots.”
~ Robert Bly
I found myself complaining recently that I was feeling quite scattered. Starting projects, stopping projects. Throwing myself into events and paintings only to table them soon after…
read moreOn Guard!
Last Sunday I went to the Butler Museum of Art in Youngstown, Ohio. I almost got thrown out…
read moreInertia
Some years ago I heard the amazing portrait painter, Howard Sanden, talk about his work. He said the most difficult thing for an artist to overcome is inertia…
read moreArtist Guild
Monday night was the second meeting of the new Artist Guild here in Pittsburgh. How do I know? I am running it.
read moreMaking Lemonade Part 3
Oh the happiness of a well-struck red... So continuing my talk about this painting, I was very tickled when I started adding in the light catching on the ends of her hair that came forward in space and caught the light... just a few scribbles really, made while I...
read moreMaking Lemonade Part 2
I have to say the painting I posted last week has been a different kind of painting for me. I was less interested in "perfect" color or even in a perfect rendering than I was in making a statement. It was rather liberating... Sure, I labored over the face- who doesn't...
read moreMaking Lemonade
So the painting I posted last week went thought a bunch of stages. Here is the beginning of the painting... Unlike most pastellists, I like working on a white surface. Since I used to work in watercolor, I find a white surface a wonderful way to push the pastels to be...
read moreLemons
Welcome to the first blog of the New Year and to the first painting of my New Life…
read moreAnother Old Lang Syne
I love music. There are songs that for some reason or another go right through me. They can bring me right back to a certain age and what was going on in my life right then... I am not a musician, I was a very suck-y flute player in high school at best. But there is...
read moreTraveling
Nope, I am not talking about going anywhere... I am talking about how shapes can be put to use through design to travel around an image. A master? Norman Rockwell. Last week I came across this image on Facebook. It stopped me in my tracks and not for the reasons you...
read moreArtist Guild
5 months ago I moved to an amazing little town 15 minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. My location was deliberate. There are artists here. And as I have walked around town going to pilates, the grocery store and even while snacking at the wonderful eateries here, I kept...
read moreFerrari Red
“You can only paint the smell of damp pine needles by being there: a photograph is a poor substitute for working from the real thing when painting a landscape.” -David Bellamy
read moreThree of a Kind
I have 2 daughters and when we get together like this week, when my oldest daughter comes home from college for the holiday, we are like 3 peas in a pod... Last May I wrote about turning 50 and how in order to celebrate I ran way with my best friends and got a tattoo...
read moreFollow Christine on social media!