Lots going on.

I just finished this 36 x 48 oil on canvas studio work. It will hang at the Holzer Clinic lobby show starting April 1st. Last Saturday OPAS held its 7th annual business meeting with 75 members and guests attending. Three excellent demos were given by Carl Dalio, Karen La Valley, and Joe Lombardo. It was a very good meeting. The annual workshop and OPAS competition is coming in September. The April paintout in Athens is April 10th. Lots going on.

New Web Site coming

I have a new website called http://www.risnerart.com/ and its under construction. It will have a gallery of my work and other items for attracting art buyers to my art. I recently sold a commission work, as yet untitled, and its turned out well. I did it on December 1st. A studio but

alla prima. I like the earth tones in the foreground and the violet browns and grays of the tree in the background. I like doing knife work and give the sky some texture and energy that is really there but hard to describe with a brush.

Teaching Plein Air

I started teaching a small plein air class at the Dairy Barn Art center in Athens last Saturday and ever Saturday till November 7. Just 3 students so far and all are artists who want to get more pratice in plein air. Teaching is the best way for me to learn new things. I lectured about equipment, surfaces, paints and brushes, and we than went we and painted outside for an hour in the beautiful weather.

Time to Solo

Last Friday I had the opening and reception for my solo exhibition at Studio 4 in Nelsonville, Ohio. From 6 PM to 9:30PM about 60 people came through and 2 painting sold. I am pleased. I have 24 works: oil on canvas in frames and oil on water color paper in mats. Prices range from $1000 to $100.

The title of the show is Red Sun Blue Snow after the title of the largest painting, a 30 x 40, which is visible on the right side of the picture above. It sold as did a painting of a Italian stone cottage door at night. Everyone seemed to have a good time and the wine and cheese was consumed rapidly. A few of my friends came to offer there moral support which was very welcomed. The show goes on to October 24 so please come.

Paintouts and things

The Ohio Plein Air Society has 2 paintouts this month and it looks like I will miss the one on the 8th since I have something like flu in my lungs. I was working on a studio painting of water lilies on a small pond near yesterday and began feeling bad with cold symptoms which lead to chest congestion and so on. Its time for the doctor and a wonderful health care "system". The lilies are, of course, inspired by Monet but its been an idea that has been nagging me for a while. I want to do some still life foliage works of pitcher plants. Since the pitcher is not a flower you can't call them "floral". They are growing in my bog garden so why not take advantage of them. Robert Mapplethorpe took pictures of pitcher plants but labeled them incorrectly as "jack in the pulpits". I should contact the Mapplethorpe foundation about this some day. Pitcher plants are phallic looking, especially Sarracenia purperia and Sarracenia alata, and carnivorous as well and very beautiful. As you can see in this photo the plants are kept in by an electric fence to protect the local dogs and cats.

Presidental duties and other things

I have been wearing my OPAS president hat alot lately since so many OPAS events are coming up in September. The Annual plein air competition at Lakeside/Marblehead, Ohio this year, the High Road Gallery exhibition and the Columbus Museum of Art Russell Page Gardent exhibition are all in mid September and lots of little details to work on. Emails flying and phone calls to get clear communication between organizers and artists established. And trying to paint. I was in painting at the Inniswood Metro park on the 19th of July and did two small works while a large annual tour was taking place. I was part of the park and the show. A live artist painting in the part was my exhibit, I was the art and making art.

This is a bed of flowers at Inniswood

I did a another of roses Crimson Bouquet

I am trying to use what I learned in Italy. Darks, grays, a feeling of distance.

The Trail to the Mountain

I pushed the darks to almost pure UM blue and grayed greens to push the trail back in to the forest. It worked.

Two in one day and other things

Well i did two 9 x12's today of the same subject from the same vantage point. It a crabapple tree that is leafing out with small red flowers. I did the first one at 10 am and the second at 4:40 pm and what a difference the light made on the leaves. I will post a picture later. Experiments in brush strokes and colors.

The big one Red Sun: Blue Snow is will hang in the gift shop at Acenet in Athens, Ohio till June. It is also for sale on the Art of Ohio web site http://www.artofohio.com/home.php?cat=310 along with two others: Jeff's World (shown here) and New Philli Sunrise.

Prepairing for the Italian adventure. Packing and stuffing and reducing weight.

Trip to Italy

I am planning to attend a couple of workshops in Italy run by Maddine Insalaco and Joe Vinson of Etruscan Places. Its in Tuscany near Siena: Buonconvento and Montalcino. They are a week each but I will be there a month. I want to visit Florence and paint around and bring back some good work. I will be there from May 7 to June 8, 2009. I may Internet and blog from an Internet cafe or coffee house. My computer is staying home. Traveling light and I will disposes of whatever is unnecessary to bring home to save space and weight for paintings clothing included. More info at www.landscapepaintings.com

The Dairy Barn Show: Athens Voices 2009

The show opened on Friday the 9th at 5 pm and by 6 pm about 150 people had arrived to see about 70 works of which 3 were mine. Many of my friends came and I received many favorable comments and some amazment from those who did not know I painted. The local newspaper, the Saturday Athens Messenger, Jan, 10, 2009, had a front page story with art photo (not mine) and my name was mentioned. It was fun .

A New Year:2009

Its a new year. A new year to paint much and paint well. A new year to experiment and learn and too apply what I learn on canvas. 200 new paints of all sizes is one of my goals, to sell is another, to attend workshops as often as possible with at least one in Italy. To make art my life for the rest of my life however long t

hat may be. To have a passion that does not burn out but continues to feed on oil, canvas, and work. A new year to live.

My Elysium Fields, oil on canvas, 9 x 12, 2008

I have 3 paintings in a show this January, the Athens Voices, 2009 art exhibition at the Dairy Barn in Athens, Ohio, Jan 9 - Feb 22, 2009.

The Road to the Old Barn, oil on canvas, 9 x 12, 2008

The Crabapple Tree, oil on canvas, 8 x 10, 2008

My Painting in Exhibition

Three of my oil plein air painting have been accepted for the Dairy Barn Arts Center Athens Voices, 2009 Exhibition, Jan. 9 - Feb. 22, 2009 in Athens, Ohio. This is a judged exhibition as well.

The Crabapple Tree