Playing Under the Tamarisk Tree

As mentioned in an earlier post, the Montessori Center School in Phoenix, AZ has commissioned me to do a series of paintings for them. The large property around their school includes this beautiful tamarisk tree which has been the center of the playground for scores of young children. The ramp and deck around the tree create all sorts of possibilities for play! Taking the photos for this painting was so much fun and painting the watercolor was even more so! This image is 9"x13".

August Special Art News

                                            "Bees Love It!" (image 10"x14")
Here is my newest lavender painting that I started as a demo when I was a guest presenter at the Red Rock Lavender Farms Festival in June. It is finally finished and will soon be available as a giclée - special priced early orders are being taken now.

                                                 
So much is happening with Flagstaff Open Studios this weekend, August 23rd and 24th. I hope if you are in the Northland, you will have it on your calendar and be planning to stop by Studio #10 - that's me! I will have a coupon for you at the door for 15% off 1 item over $30 (some exclusions apply). Hours are 10 am to 5 pm. More details @ www.Flagstaff-Arts.org.

"Hollys in Pink" is another new painting that can be seen at Brandy's Restaurant and Bakery during the Flagstaff Open Studios Preview exhibit and sale. www.BrandysRestaurant.com  The framed piece is 23"x11" - perfect for those narrow little spots in your home!





                                     "Sunspots" is another painting just finished. Framed image is 14"x14". This is sunflower season in the high country and you will see them blooming everywhere and in all sizes. I think the smaller Brown-eyed Susans are the ones that I see the most of. You should see them in the late afternoon sunshine!  

I will have a new series of watercolor classes in Flagstaff starting in late September - Friday, 9:30 to 12:30 for weeks. Contact me for details. Must preregister. 

Catherine@CatherineSickafoose.com  

August 27th is the special reception at the beautiful High Country Conference Center at NAU. Hope you can come out and meet the Z House artists! Admission is free.

Thanks again for all your support. Hugs, Catherine

Poppies a Plenty!

                                           "Poppies a Plenty" (image 15x23)

Oh my, it has been so long since I posted something here for you. I hope you are able to see my FB page, SnapShotsinWatercolor to keep up with my art news. I  painted this colorful watercolor for my centerpiece at Brandy's Restaurant this year.  This is my 11th year to be featured in a solo show at Brandy's! The show is up now and runs through July 28th. They are hosting my second "Meet the Artist" this Saturday from 12 noon to 2 pm. There will be free coffee and brownies (those are worth the trip alone)! www.BrandysRestaurant.com

I'm also teaching watercolor classes this month so thought I would share a couple of photos of this painting getting started. First, I took my photos, copied them in B&W and cut them up so I could plan my composition. Then I made a grid on my WC paper and did the drawing.

Finally, it was time to begin painting! I used a little resist around the flowers to save the edges, so I could paint, spatter and spray the background. Then I painted the flowers with many, many glazes. And voila! the poppies emerged...

There are some class openings July 23rd and 30th if you would like to join us. Just email me for details at Catherine@CatherineSickafoose.com. 

I'd love to hear from you with comments and ideas. Also if you are not receiving my newsletter through MailChimp, send me a note. The current newsletter has lots of art news and events through August. 

Open House and more

We had a wonderful day hosting our Phoenix Artists' Studio Open House and welcomed so many to see our work. Patricia Kidwell Lown, jewelry artist,  and I enjoyed sharing with friends, new and old, and loved having folks drop in after seeing our signs pointing them in our direction. Thank you all for making it a special day!

This is the other commissioned painting that I referred to in my last post. "The Sensory Garden" at the Montessori Center School, Phoenix, AZ is the first in a series that I am painting for the school. The garden not only has spheres representing the planets, but also living plants for the children to experience the 5 senses. It is a charming and wonderful garden created by Joe Vaz and his staff. I'm excited to continue with the series and will post more later.

In the meantime, I am preparing for my spring and summer shows - first the ACF Spring Marketplace in Flagstaff on April 12th at the Elks Lodge on North San Francisco Street. If you have a chance to be in the north country, I'd love to have you visit my booth. There will be 25 artists in a variety of mediums. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm.

Daffodils for spring!

 Spring? It feels like summer is quickly approaching here in the Valley of the Sun!  Yes, it has been a long time since I added something here. But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy, busy with my brushes and otherwise.  I've painted 2 commissions which I will post here, taught a series of watercolor classes in February,  and updated my computer and mailing system. I'm now using MailChimp for my newsletters, so if you are not receiving newsletters and would like to, please send me an email at Catherine@CatherineSickafoose.com.

   

"Sailing with Michele" (image 15x11) was painted for my niece, Michele Bennett, who is bravely battling breast cancer. Hopefully, this painting will remind her of their beautiful sailboat and sunny days ahead when she will be back on board with husband, Neil.

I'm delivering the other commissioned painting tomorrow so I will wait and post it later.

Meanwhile, mark your calendars for this Saturday, March 29th. I will be hosting my first Open Studio in Phoenix. (Details in Calendar at www.CatherineSickafoose.com) Hours are 10 am to 4 pm. And Patricia Kidwell Lown, jewelry artist, will also be showing her new jewelry designs in precious metals and gemstones.

Summer in the Northland

Visiting Bearizona with Simon and Rachel.

Oh my goodness! I can't believe that once again,  I haven't "blogged" in such a long time! It has been a busy summer indeed with teaching classes in Flagstaff at the Z House Gallery, guest speaker (and painter) at the Red Rock Lavender Farm in Concho, and wonderful family visits with the kids and grandkids.

Making chocolate truffles with Alex and AJ - delicious!

Red Rock Lavender - some personal time after my demo.

Oh yes, and I now have a beautiful poster, with a detail of the Flagstaff train station from one of my paintings, available in Flagstaff at the Visitor Center, the Artists' Coalition Gallery on E. Aspen and the Z House Gallery on Route 66. www.ZHouseGallery.com

Brandy's 20th Anniversary Celebration was so much fun! I was thrilled to be included in a 2 month group show with 7 other artists who  have shown their work at Brandy's Restaurant Gallery, in Flagstaff, over the years. That event culminated in a Big Outdoor Bash on July 27th with so many family events in the parking lot. I was part of the Artists Outdoor Market selling my "wares" at the back of my Honda!

That brings me to August, as I paint and prepare for Flagstaff Open Studios on August 24th and 25th, 10 am to 5 pm at my home studio. There are 65 artists participating this year at 35 different studios. You can download your map and brochure at 

www.flagstaff-arts.org. I am Studio #20 on the map. This year my sister, Janis, will be here, all the way from Toronto, Canada, to help us out with the event! My husband, John, will be hanging the paintings, putting out the signs and balloons,  and fixing the tasty treats in the kitchen. Yes, we'll have the recipes again for you this year!

I'll sign off now, so I can get back to my brushes; but promise to add a note soon about my solo show at Brandy's Restaurant www.BrandysRestaurant.com coming up on September 4th!

ps: If you are a new follower and would like to receive my newsletter with advance notice of shows and venues, send your email contact to me at Catherine@CatherineSickafoose.com. Thank you for your support and inspiration!

Spring - From the Desert to the Mountains!

So much has happened this Spring, that I just haven't taken the time to "blog" to you. Now I will add a little synopsis with some photos...

"Springtime at Cabeza Prieta" in a gallery wrapped canvas giclée was chosen by my friend, Dorothy,  for her newly decorated guest room. When she saw my post about "green is in!", she wholeheartedly agreed and painted the walls a beautiful shade of green that compliments this painting so well. 
Thank you, Dorothy!

The Artists' Spring Marketplace took me back to Flagstaff where I had a chance to share my new work with my Northland friends. I especially enjoyed sharing another mini painting in my "Slice of Arizona" series. This time it is the San Francisco Peaks. Framed at 5"x11", isn't it cute?  I plan to do some larger paintings in this series, but these minis are only available as originals.

Then we were off to Albuquerque for a special week with my son and family - more on that later. But I was also able to visit with a former co-worker from Scottsdale Healthcare and see how she had framed and hung her Limited Edition Giclée of  "Heidi's Peaches". Ann's kitchen walls are painted a soft yellow and this watercolor looked beautiful also!

Thank you, Ann for choosing one of my paintings!

Then, our special family time in ABQ was planned so we could attend Heidi's graduation from the College of Pharmacy, UNM! Our son, Shane and their 2 boys, Ian and Cade show how proud we all are of Heidi!

I'll close now with a reminder about my Etsy Shop. It is growing and getting lots of attention from other Etsy fans. I hope you will follow me on this new endeavor at www.Etsy.com/Shop/CatherineSickafoose Thanks for all your support!