August 15th 202

 Here is my art news! 

  I created a painting for the GAGA (Gentileschi  Aegis Gallery Association www.gagaart.org) exhibit, called My Story. This exhibit is going to be virtual because of present circumstances. My Story is the brainchild of Sylvia Benitez (GAGA's founder and president) in response to the centennial of the 19th Amendment which finally allowed women to vote in the US. 

My painting will be part of a triptych called My Roots. I wanted to explore women and diversity in my own background. My grandmother was of mixed Dutch and Javanese heritage. Like for many people who lived in the Dutch Indies when she did, the Dutch heritage and a European education were everything to her. They allowed her to be treated with more respect by Europeans and in the Netherlands and to have a better future.

It was an eye opener for me, when I learned in New Zealand how proud people were to have indigenous ancestors. I realized that that is the way it could be everywhere!

My grandmother, Adrienne; oil 24 x 24"

My latest commission is a double pet portrait of Peggy and Maya. The assignment was a whimsical portrait of the cats with Mission San Jose in the background. It sounded fairly easy. But as I was progressing, I found that whimsical cats and a likeness, especially of striped Maya, was something I could not do. So, I limited my playful patterns to Peggy and made the likeness my focus. Peggy and Maya's parents have been wonderfully supportive throughout!

Peggy and Maya, watercolor, 11 x 14"

Except for that, we have been busy picking, delivering and preserving figs in July as well as enjoying our kittens. 

Mama Leila in her box

Adopted daughter, Tochka, up high.

 It was easy to get up there, but she could not figure out how to get down.

Stay safe!

August 2019

This summer has gone by fast. First we had Gerald  staying with us. Then we had a wonderful family time in Connecticut and Quebec. We enjoyed being together with my cousin and Yolande and her family. I have a new favorite place: Quebec, where we saw beautiful landscapes and went whale watching.

Yolande's Canigou, oil, 16x20"

Yolande's Canigou in palettte knife is the result of re-examining the earlier version and making it more realistic. I knew the peach trees needed little alteration, the mountain was a different matter. The blossoms did need a gray blue in the hills to bring them out. A gray or white mist did not seem right, so I used the same color a little transparent. I played with different blues on the mountain and with texture, since there were a lot of previous layers.

Mondriaan Meditation, watercolor, 11x14"

Mondriaan Meditation is my first attempt to recreate my mini Mondriaan cats in a larger format. I wanted the cat to be a part of the geometric painting, not superimposed.

In September my art will be on display at La Tuna (Bar and Grill) in San Antonio. This time, I will show more oils than watercolors.

The Honoring Women exhibit will be at the School of Optometry/Rosenberg/Incarnate Word till its closing reception on Dec 8th. Thanks to all who came to see the show!

Thank you for your interest and support!

October 2018

Green Canigou, oil, 9x12"

Green Canigou is the painting I started working on just before the short television segment.  The foreground was the most difficult part of this painting.

Rosie, graphite, 8x10"

Rosie was a commission I was going to do just in graphite, but I could not bring myself not to include some color into it.

Blue Sky Canigou, oil, 9x12"

Mosaic Canigou, oil, 9x12"

Blue Sky Canigou and Mosaic Canigou were started in the SAAC Gallery at Stone Oak, where they looked tiny because of all the big canvases and the size of the room. They are color studies. I so liked the colors and glass or mineral quality of the first impasto brushstrokes of Mosaic Canigou,  that I decided to treat the rest of the mountain as grout. 

The following paintings date from my time as a student of Edwards Povey. I did not show them much. I am needing more room in my studio and so they are for sale. 

Portrait was done from a photograph taken by Edward of a dear friend who died of cancer. I thought she was beautiful and enjoyed working from a photo of such high quality. At the same time, I felt for her and her family because of her untimely passing. 

Portrait, oil, 11x14"

Inspired by Mary was interesting. We first analyzed several paintings by Mary Cassatt including a mother in bed with her baby and a tea party. Then we were introduced to a scene set up in the studio consisting of a bed with a mannequin "asleep" under the covers, a doll, a black hat and coat, old photos on the wall, a coffee pot on the nightstand, clothes on the bed and a tea set. There were a lot of us around the bed painting the scene, only a few got to paint the head of the mannequin and the doll. From my angle they were unfortunately invisible, but I enjoyed painting the rest especially the tea set and the warm and cold light on the drapery on the headboard and the red blanket on the bed. 

  

Inspired by Mary, oil on canvas board, 12x16"

The Green Line, la Ligne Verte, is a copy of Matisse's painting, done from a photograph. We had just seen a Matisse exhibit, where I had been studying his fauve works.

Copy of Matisse's La Ligne Verte, oil, 12x16"

 

January 2018

I started taking lessons in oil painting using a palette knife with Jim McDonald. I have had two lessons so far and what is interesting to me is that Jim paints landscapes from memory. It is very relaxing to me to learn to create art in a very different way. Jim has a zen way of approaching painting. I look forward to my lesson each month as a treat.

My first attempt turned out a little dark. I consider that I painted it by myself. Jim did show me how he works on another canvas and he gave me advice along the way. I made the decisions, however, and did the painting. My favorite part is the green sky. (I remember that Edward Povey once advised me to paint a sky green and at the time, I just could not bring myself to do it. It is a few years later and I can see the benefit.) I believe, there is something more I can do on this and I will keep you posted...

Coming into View

The second attempt is a painting where we took turns painting, discussing what was happening along the way. It was fun!
Now, I am usually not comfortable with anybody working in my painting. Somehow this was a cooperative project from the beginning with each of us coming up with what we could to help bring this landscape into the world.

Morning Mist

June July 2016

On Aug 28th 2016, in the afternoon, I am having an Art Show  of recent paintings and drawings at my home. If you are in the San Antonio area, let me know if you can come.

 Blue Retama portrays the Palo Verde (or Retama tree) in our backyard. The landscape is part abstract, part imaginary, part West Texas.

 Roses and Morning Glories was painted in our garden. Sara's morning glories bloomed for months and were such a cheerful sight. They were bigger than I painted them. I didn't want to take away from the roses, which I had painted first and wanted to be the focal point.

Mother and Child is a graphite drawing done from a photograph which I took on a Saturday night at a very busy local restaurant, The Cove, where we were having dinner with good friends. Mothers and children is a subject dear to my heart.

Jan/Feb 2015

 It has been a busy beginning of the New Year. For a change from portraits, I was working on my Bald Cypress River Scene and hoped to have it finished by the end of January. It took a little longer. There is a magic about Texas rivers. Two elements that fascinate me about them are the surprising colors of the water (the most beautiful green blues) and the trees found on their banks. I wanted this to be an Impressionist style landscape, only the trees would not cooperate... I was also thinking about a river scene by my friend and fellow artist, Cindy Morawski, (cindymorawski.blogspot.com) who a while ago beautifully portrayed the bald cypress at Garner State Park. I will ask her, if I can show you that particular painting next month.

Bald Cypress River Scene in Boerne, TX, oil on canvas, 30x40"

Till this week, I thought I needed to work some more on this gestural abstract done in class. Looking at it carefully, I finally realized that the painting was finished. The gestural technique was explained by Edward Povey and I mean to paint some more abstracts in the same way. It is very different from my other work and I found it liberating. It can be rotated, since I rotated it again and again when I was working on it.

Gestural Abstract, oil on canvas, 30x40"

My goal for this year is to have a portrait (or other) commission every month. I am painting an icon on commission right now and then a young woman's portrait.
If you know someone who would enjoy a portrait, or other work by me, let me know.
For prints and cards of my work, visit the River Art gallery in San Antonio or online http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/vera-smith.html?tab=artworkgalleries

Have a Happy Valentine's Day!