The Thinking Woman's Almanac
 
In this issue


PLEIN AIR PAINTING A T PLANTING FIELDS, ARBORETUM, OYSTER BAY, LONG ISLAND  

Rose Allee, Planting Fields, oil, 6" x 12"

Saturday, June 10th
Plein Air Through the Seasons - The Rose Garden 
 
10:00am - 3:00pm /FREE with $8 Parking Fee

Meet at the end of the West Parking lot by the Welcome Pavillion.
Suggested list of materials:  Some form of drop cloth, any oil, watercolor, acrylic, oil or dry pastels.  Bring a bag lunch or purchase snacks at COFFEED's garden café inside the hay barn. 

Contact Jennifer Lavella (516) 922-8678 or
jlavella@plantingfields.org for more information.


THE ART OF THE GARDEN EXHIBITION

June 11 - September 13, 2017

The Lazarus Gallery  
United Hebrew of New Rochelle, New York  
 
Gravel Path: Salvia and Peggy Martin Roses,
watercolor, 6 3/4" x 14," 2015


Striped Wallpaper and Bouquet of Blooms, fabric collage, 11" x 14," 2017


Garden View - Planting Fields II, watercolor, 15" x 10 1/2," 2014


The Lazarus Gallery
United Hebrew of New Rochelle
391 Pelham Road
New Rochelle, NY  10805




Please come to see my work at the exhibition

'Art of the Garden' Exhibition in the Lazarus Gallery
 
The exhibition opens with a special reception with the artists, Sunday, June 11, from 3 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. in The Lazarus Gallery at 391 Pelham Road. The reception is free and open to the public.

Opening on June 11, "The Art of the Garden," a juried show, organized by United Hebrew of New Rochelle, will feature 50 beautiful and evocative paintings, photographs, sculptures and mixed media by 33 emerging and established artists from across the New York metropolitan region and beyond, depicting nature in all its glory.

The exhibition was organized by Robin Zane, Curator, and Jodi Moise, Gallery Advisor for United Hebrew.  

What can you expect from The Art of the Garden? A riot of colorful flowers fronting a beach town shop, an endless path snaking through the woods, and a sun-dappled rose garden in a New England village are in three of the selected works. 

The Art of the Garden will be free and open to the public daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. at United Hebrew's Lazarus Gallery. A portion of the sale of artwork will support United Hebrew's expert services and enriching programs. For more information contact Linda Forman, Senior Advisor to the President, United Hebrew, 914.632.2804 x1224 or lforman@uhgc.org.

 

From Annie Shaver-Crandell's Studio 
JUNE 2017 

 
 
COVERUPS AND NEW WORK
 
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS: VISUAL ART DIVISION

The length of art and the shortness of life are once again at the top of my mind, in part because of the past two months' availability of flowers that I don't see or paint except in season. Readers may remember last August's essay on essentially the same theme, Carpe peonies and its sequel in the October issue (see archived newsletters for August 2016 and October 2016 at the end of this newsletter).

Here are the first plein air paintings from this season: Cherry Tree. All four are watercolor on 6" x 6" Aquabord. The tree is in the Liz Christy Bowery-Houston community garden a few blocks from home, and was in full cry in April.    
Cherry Tree 2
Cherry Tree 1
 













What really set me off this spring,
t
hough, were parrot tulips
, varieg ated and floppy, demanding a medium that I could work with both hands. Since I don't usually use dry pastels indoors, I pulled out the oil sticks I hadn't touched for several years.  These are like big Crayolas for grownups, compounded of pure pigment, linseed oil and wax, and completely messy to work with.  Here's a little video of me using them. Please click here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDVPXEn3diw

Cherry Tree 4
Cherry Tree 3













As I have a number of canvases covered with failed oil paintings, I've continued burying some of the larger ones under oil stick impasto depicting tulips and, next, lilacs.

Red Parrot Tulips
oil stick on canvas, 15 3/4" x 19 15/16"

 
Cantilevered Tulips: Yellow Vase, 
oil stick on canvas, 18" x 18"
 
 
Lilacs in the Southworth Vase, 
oil stick on canvas, 18" x 18"
 
 
 
Lilacs in Two-Tone Earthenware Pitcher, 
 oil stick on canvas, 24" x 18"
 
 
In the August 2016 essay, I noted the absence of bachelor's buttons from the Greenmarket.  Now they're back, and I have been incorporating them into as many still life paintings as possible.  This is my favorite thus far:
 
Bachelors Buttons and Peonies,
wa   tercolor, 13 1/2" x 21 1/2"
 
 
Another perishable commodity that has just been in season here is asparagus.  I managed three recent monotypes before consuming the models (steamed and plain, as I prefer them).

Asparagus on a Date,
monotype, 1/1, 8" x 8"

Asparagus Served, 1/2 and 2/2, both 5 3/4" x 7 7/8;" the second impression (the "ghost") is corrected and embellished with Inktense pens and watercolor.

 
 







 
 
 
LA VIDA ES CORTA: TANGO DIVISION
 
My life continues to be enriched by participation in social tango.  With lots of great support, I resumed milongas at the Salmagundi Club on May 18. These wonderful photographs by Anthony Almeida say it all (or at least, most of it....). 





 
 
We gather next on Thursday, June 22, 6:15-9:45. www.salmagundi.org for details.
 
A current favorite tango is La vida es corta.  A translation of part of the lyric:
 
Life is short and you must live it, 
and just set reality aside.
You must forget about sacrifice -- 
what it costs to live, and to win your bread--
and on these nights of partying and laughter
dress your soul in a new disguise.
 
 
(Composer: Ricardo Tanturi; Singer: Alberto Castillo; Author: Francisco Gorrindo)



UPCOMING ART-MAKING EVENTS MAY-JUNE
 

June 10   plein air day at Planting Fields

June 11 - September 13     The Art of the Garden Exhibition   
 


UPCOMING EVENTS
 
 
 GHOST PARTY  
AT SALMAGUNDI CLUB

Ghost Party 
to work on embellishing or correcting second impressions
 
Tuesday, July 18, 2017, 6:30-9:30 pm
$10 for SCNY members, $15 for non-members.


Salmagundi Club,  
47 Fifth Avenue @ 12th St, 
New York 10003 
 
212-255-7740 or info@salmagundi.org to reserve.
The club's bar is open at 5:00.   
 
If you're new to these events, I'll suggest you bring old clothes, apron, vinyl or nitrile glove, Q-tips, soft paper toweling (Viva is very good), source photos or drawings to work off (remember that these will be flipped left to right in the monotype printing, so you may want to print your sources backward first). The club will supply: printing plates, ink (oil-based), paper and lots of shared expertise.   

Salmagundi Club, 47 Fifth Avenue @12th Street; New York, NY 10003; 212-255-7740 or info@salmagundi.org to reserve. 
.  
VIGNETTES FROM THE STUDIO


Desi Rodriguez

Shash Blount













 
End of class painting water (the day's KoolAid) 




FEARLESS WATERCOLOR CLASSES
   

Space is currently available in my group painting classes, offered in my Bond Street studio. Class is in session three times a week, on a drop-in basis. All experience levels welcome. Email me for details about these and private lessons.

Classes have begun. A few spaces remain.

Current schedule:
Monday 2:30pm - 5:30pm
Wednesday 3:00pm - 6:00pm
Thursday 10:00am - 1:00pm


A typical workstation


  ANNIE'S STORE
Annie Shaver-Crandell: A Collection of Views Landscapes, Cityscapes and Interiors
36 page book, 8 3/8" x 10 7/8"
Carousel Mug
Please visit the online store to purchase my book and collectible mug.


PRIVATE VIEWINGS  
Please visit my studio for a private viewing. Call me at 212-464-7519 to schedule. I am also available to discuss commissions.

 


 

FEEDBACK

I love hearing from all of you with all your questions and comments. Please feel free to write me at annieshavercrandell@gmail.com and I promise to reply. Your comments help me build my studio.

Annie's work may be seen at

 www.annieshavercrandell.com  

 www.sichelsea.com  

 

Stay connected with Annie

Please contact me for more information at
annieshavercrandell@gmail.com and 212-464-7519

© 2017 Annie Shaver-Crandell