Three Artists Paint Their County

Betty Bryden, Bob Smith and Rodrica Tilley paint and draw inspiration from Susquehanna County, PA July 24 - August 22 at the Butternut Gallery 42 Church St., Montrose, PA 570-278-4011

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This is my pastel painting; My Neighbor's Garden as it is featured on the invitation card. The image size is 18 x 18 inches, soft pastel on Wallis paper. Opening reception is Saturday July 24 6-8pm.

Happy Garden

This is the plein air demo that I started for a group of Hill Country Artists 2 weeks ago Thursday evening. I love painting for them. They are an interested group of painters with many questions. I did a little work on it later in the studio, framed and hung it on the wall.

I usually avoid yellow in the garden and in paintings, but other people like it and this is one of the rare garden exceptions. In July it is a hot, happy border with sort of a Chinese Restaurant style color scheme. It's 11 x 14 on Wallis paper mounted on thin gator foam.

Annual Summer Art Exhibit

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I have been having a rather exciting spring...painting, watching a den of red foxes on my property, traveling to Delaware for a few sublime beach painting days, looking for the kit red foxes, weeding the garden, smelling the roses, wandering through the woods with binoculars peering around trees to spy the adorable little foxes, finding a rafter of wild turkey poults and thinking what a good meal they will make for the foxes (my apologies, hunters), wondering who will eat our blueberries this year...turkeys or foxes.

Please come to my July 2 opening reception here from 6-8pm. The annual summer art exhibit continues through July 11th. Open every day 10-6 - except one - closing at 4pm on the 11th. I will be showing pastels and watercolors of landscapes, rivers, flowers, gardens, travel...and, you guessed it, foxes!

Artists are invited to set up easels and paint in the garden any day during the exhibit.

Birch Trees Dancing

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I was invited to a paint out yesterday by members of Hill Country Artists. At Christine Olson's home there were many wonderful trees and flowers to paint but these two caught my eye. In fact, it seemed like they were the only couple on the dance floor, gracefully swaying in the morning light. For such a simple subject they gave me a surprisingly difficult time. I'd love a chance to paint them again; I think I could use fewer strokes, a smaller amount of pastel and considerably less sweat and swearing the second time around. I'm not even sure this painting is finished now. Maybe tomorrow will bring even further clarity.

Rose and Pansy Bouquet

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A small watercolor done yesterday; I set up a tiny vase on my drawing table containing what I consider to be a wonderful bouquet of a single blossom of Winter Sunset Rose and some almost black, huge pansies.
It will be for sale during my upcoming Annual Summer Art Exhibit July2 through 11 here at the studio. The exhibit is open daily 10am-6pm with the following exceptions: July 2nd is an opening reception only from 6-8pm and July 11th the show closes at 4pm.

Dame's Rocket

I finally got out to paint today. Actually I just walked down the pathway from my home & studio and found this wonderful patch of Hesperis matronalis, commonly mistaken for phlox. It is not a phlox. It has 4 petals. Phlox has 5. It is all over the rural northeastern US right now and it is commonly called Dame's Rocket.

I amused my husband by loading my easel, pastels, sketching chair & a few dog biscuits in the wheelbarrow and disappearing into the green jungle at the bottom of the garden.

This 12 x 9 pastel was done on Belgian Mist Wallis paper with very soft pastels - Senneliers, mostly. The dog biscuits were used for holding Rosalita's interest while I asked her to "down-stay." She's a good little blue heeler, but she does love to chase other mammals; not conducive to concentrating on a painting.

I collected & scattered seed for these flowers decades ago. Now they are sprinkled cheerily around the borders of my woods. Every June I proudly enjoy the lovely shades of orchid-pink-white that I have encouraged. Imagine my surprise when my google search turned up a caution not to let this invasive species run rampant. !!! That's just what I want. The authority said no known ill effects, but nevertheless it is an invasive species. There are thugs and there are really bad criminals in the plant world, too. Garlic mustard & poison ivy being Charles Manson; Dame's Rocket being your teenager arrested for shoplifting. There will be no paintings of garlic mustard here...now that's an invasive species! And one I am waging war on here daily...and losing.

The Art of Rejection

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This painting is named for Pierre Bonnard & his wife Marta. The French Impressionist, Bonnard, inspired it. His paintings are rich and lively with color, patterns & pets. They often have a gauzy or whimsical bent. One of his favorite themes was a set table and the family life surrounding it. So I thought it a fine subject for one of my entries into FOCUS, a regional show. The juror thought otherwise, apparently. The Red Shirt is included in the show until June 5 at The Butternut Gallery in Montrose.
Pierre and Marta -18 x 24 image size- for sale this summer at the studio.