Old New Orleans

24x12 oil on panel

Ask Tidewater Gallery about this painting.

On A Wintry Day - Cafe Scene

6x6 oil on panel - sold
$100 + s/h

Aside from a few commissions this week, I am painting some small works that are perfect for gift giving. I've been debating ways to sell - there are so many options from ETSY to the daily painter's websites/auctions, to a store on my own website. For now, ETSY seems the best bet since there is a whole community or artisans drawing people to the site.

Later in the week, I am heading to Georgia for the opening at dk Gallery Friday night. I am really looking forward to this little excursion. I always enjoy exploring and it will be very nice to meet some of my new collectors. If you live in the Atlanta area, come by on Friday night 6-9 pm. 

Trumpet Blast

7x5 water soluble graphite on watercolor paper
greeting card
$30 + $5 sh

TGIF! Finally have time to paint and create! I'm working on some small works for blog (daily painters galleries) for the upcoming holidays. And finalizing a couple of restaurant scenes to send to Castle Gallery. Have a beautiful weekend friends!

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Upcoming Events:

• November 29: Major's Fundraising Art Sale begins 
• December 6: Small Gems show dk Gallery, Marietta, GA
• December ?: Annual Holiday Show, Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN

First Chair

7x5 water soluble graphite original sketch

greeting card

$30 + $5 sh

Last night was our open studio event and it was a lovely evening. Better, I think, than if I had it at my home studio (which really is much too messy to allow people to safely enter!) With V.... there it was more relaxed and - well, just like our regular meetings but with more people!

It's so nice to meet new people and share my art with them. Thank you to all who came by!

So there are still some original sketch greeting cards available - and I love doing these so much that I will continue to create more and offer them either on ETSY or my own website (store is in the works maybe - more on that later. So many ideas and options!) ack!

Aw Shucks!

16x16 oil on panel

Ask DK Gallery about this painting

This began - and sort of ended - as a sketch. I just thought that I had said enough once I got the initial block in done. Its painted over a toned panel which allowed me to just be vague about the non-essential bits.

Friday opens the Farm to Table show at DK Gallery on the Historic Marietta Square. The show features all their gallery artists sharing works celebrating the growing focus on farm fresh foods. I am happy to contribute with some of my favorite subjects featuring foods being prepared or enjoyed. To see a preview of the variety of works you can click here. 

I'm still really excited to be part of DK Gallery. They have monthly show openings coinciding with their local First Friday Artwalk. The shows give artists and patrons an opportunity to explore all kinds of ideas and themes. I wish I was nearer and could attend. I'm hoping for a visit during their Holiday small gems show.

This scene is from my New Orleans trip earlier this summer. We walked for a long way to find that Cafe du Monde serves nothing but beignets. That wouldn't do for my family. We then found The Original French Market Restaurant nearby serving some excellent Cajun food and got to watch this man shucking fresh oysters for those so inclined.

Trumpeter Sketch

I saw this man playing and singing in different areas on different days and with different fellow street musicians. He was really talented! I bet he is well-known in New Orleans but I do not know his name. 

Pencil sketch from the pages of my sketchbook.  

Aw, Shucks

Sometimes its just all about the paint! I was lost in just putting in stokes - color and value being my only focus. Then I step back and see those marks make a scene. I love it. V....Vaughan told me to stop at this point too. Good thing. I have made a few more marks but may just leave it in this state. 

16x16 oil on panel

A scene from French Market Restaurant in New Orleans

The panel this is painted on was coated with a pinkish grey oil paint scraped on over an old start using thr "mud" from clearing my palette. It makes a nice surface to work on - and allows me to leave some areas alone - that background color being a subtle neutral for the negative spaces.  

Allegro

Allegro
8x6 oil on panel
$175 + s/h
PURCHASE

Yes, I am still here! I've been painting and now finalizing my work for Gardner Colby's "Slice of Life" show which opens March 14 in Naples. I also finished up the large commissioned painting for the Houston Symphony conductor. I really enjoyed painting scenes from that night. I have several smaller ones like above and larger ones which will be available in my galleries.

Sorry for my long absence. Its been hectic at home. My husband is still out of work, we had Girl Scout cookie season, show prep, sick dog, a trip for interviewing out of state, and the usual things like extra curricular activities and lots of laundry, etc. Just a whirlwind start to the new year. I make the time to paint, but not so much to post.

Mon - Fri

6x6 oil on panel
$125 + s/h - sold


As another thanks - and in the hopes of moving some of my smaller works out of my studio and making room for new - I am offering 15% off my ETSY site with the code THANKS12.

As an artist I think its hard to live with my past works sometimes. In a way, its hard to move on and keep creating and being inspired when I keep seeing these previous works sitting and staring at me. Some I love and hang onto but even those pale after awhile. We are ever evolving and growing and I think its important to look forward. My husband laughs at me and says I hate everything I do as soon as I finish it (not true) - but it is true that I am always looking ahead to the next piece. Not only is the creating of it what drives me, but I always feel that with beginning anew, there is nothing but potential to create something really beautiful.

In the book Art & Fear the authors talk about the idea that each brush stroke diminishes the painting's potential. As in, the more you work on a piece, the more it can only become ONE piece. But in the beginning, the possibilities are endless. 

Anyway - its an awesome book. And please help me by clearing out my studio.  :-)

A Hard Day's Night

 

6x6 oil on panel

$125 + s/h - sold

Coffee Break

6x6 oil on panel


I actually broke out some small panels last week in the hopes of getting a few paintings to send to the "6 inch Squared" exhibition and sale at the Randy Higbee Gallery. The one above is shipping today and the opening reception is December 8th.

Sunny Cafe

10x12 oil on panel
Available at Tidewater Gallery

Student of the Arts

10x12 oil on panel

SOLD

This is it! I'm packing my bags and heading to coastal NC early Friday morning. The opening reception will be fun I think and it will be really nice to see all 25 paintings hung together. It was a big undertaking, doing a solo show! Its going to be nice to celebrate now after all my hard work. If you are in the area - please stop by and say hi!

You can purchase a show catalog for $15 and see all the paintings as well as a couple of pages where I show work in progress and talk about my techniques. This painting is one of those demonstrations. And its one of my favorites for this upcoming show. 

"Vignettes"

An exhibition of small works by Robin Cheers

Tidewater Gallery

107 N. Front Street

Swansboro, NC

910-325-0660

Opening reception Friday, June 15, 5-8 pm

City Beat 12

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h

I've actually painted this guy before in a larger canvas, and no matter how careful I am, the arm looks awkward. Its the perspective and his angle.
I am currently struggling to get my calendar all figured out and get my business stuff organized. Its amazing how busy one gets when school starts. There are like 5 school events in the next week, registration forms due, etc. etc. And then I am trying to make contact with all my galleries and update work for them and paint new ones. And I always seem to have side projects and ideas that want attention. It sometimes makes me want to run and hide. With a nice hot chocolate.
But, as my mom would tell me, time to pull up my big girl panties and get to work!

City Beat 11

7x5 oil on panel
$100 + s/h

Its been a long time since I've done some of my bird's-eye-view paintings but I felt the desire to play with this perspective again. Its fun to experiment with the simple design and flat ground of an aerial view - and the shadows almost tell more of a story than the figure - in some cases.

What I am learning about these small paintings in general, as I begin doing them again regularly, is to paint something simple, and to allow my brush to just touch the panel in places and not blend or scrub too much. I practice just laying on the color, sometimes almost blocky. It carries into my larger pieces too and I like the effect. In the larger works, I use this technique to put in those final highlights, the "money shots" as Skip Whitcomb described them!

Everday People IV

10x8 oil on carton board
$150 + s/h

This might be the guy at the bus stop... different days though. He was walking across a crosswalk tuned into his headphones.

Carton board is something I found at Judson's Art Outfitters. Its a tan card stock similar to the cardboard some of the impressionist masters painted on - but its updated and archival. I like the effect the oils create - almost a pastel quality. And the background color is a nice neutral tone.

Everday People III

8x10 oil on carton board
$150 + s/h

Realllly love this one. I am not sure I want to let him go. But, an artist's gotta eat! (Or buy more supplies.)
Enjoy your weekend!

Everyday People II

10x8 oil on carton board
$150 + s/h

Another random portrait. I sketched this homeless man who was sitting on a curb during an arts festival downtown. Below is the sketch. Today I felt like painting his face... though it tells a bit less of his story.


a page from my sketchbook - nfs

Sketcher

10x10 oil on panel

This painting will be available at Tidewater Gallery next week.

This feels somehow "different" from my usual work. But I like the muted palette and the almost silhouetted man sketching the statue before him. It feels very quiet. I could use some quiet. You have no idea.

Night Rider

6x6 oil on panel

Available at Loretta Goodwin Gallery.

So I am still interested in studying the lighting and atmosphere of the subways. The people are pretty fascinating too. I love the idea of mass transit and I would def. use it if we had it here in Austin. Traffic is just frustrating, but on a train you can kick back and relax, read, listen to music, and people watch. My favorite pastime!

Mass Transit


18x24 oil on linen

Check back for availability!

City Beat VIII

6x6 oil on panel
$100 + $12 s/h

Its a good thing I did several of these last week. My daughter is home sick again. This time its pink eye. I'm pretty frustrated lately to be honest. I'm missing deadlines (show entries, ad placements, etc.) and just unable to get into the regular routine of painting. When that gets off, then so does everything else because then I am trying to squeeze the art work into the rest of my day and evening. Its very hard to balance it all and this morning I am feeling particularly overwhelmed. It was a rough weekend. BUT... this is temporary and one thing I meant to do this year was not feel pressure about the art. Let go and Let God, right?