Sight Specific Display

My Sight Specific display window will be installed in downtown Champaign sometime next week! The location will be 10 East Main St. (across from Merry Ann's Diner) in Champaign. For those of you that know Champaign, this was the location of the Wind Water and Light art gallery before it moved to Urbana. I won't be able to post pictures until after the new year, but I think the display should run for at least six weeks. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Indi Go Gallery Holiday Show

Here are some pictures of my display at the Indi Go Gallery's holiday show. Follow this link for more photos from the show.
Check it out! Open hours: M-F 2-7:00pm, Sat-Sun 12-7:00pm.
Address: 9 E. University Ave., downtown Champaign, IL

Sight Specific Display

I was recently chosen to be a part of the Sight Specific project in downtown Champaign! The Sight Specific project puts on rotating storefront exhibits throughout the year in locations around downtown Champaign. I am super excited to get my own display! My exhibit will start next week, location TBA...

Gicleé Prints!

Sold my first giclee print on Sunday. I picked it up from the print shop today and it looks awesome! :-)

Prices for my prints range from $35-$45. The detail of these prints is fantastic and the image captures the texture of the original painting perfectly! Check out the prints I have for sale at my etsy shop. Prints make great Christmas gifts and are an affordable alternative to an original oil painting! Contact me if there is a painting you would like a print of and don't see it listed on etsy.

Holiday Art Show at Indi Go Gallery

I'll be selling some of my paintings at the Indi Go Gallery's holiday art show Dec. 7-21! This show includes eight artists who specialize in different mediums--painting, jewelery, photography, fiber, and graphic arts. The opening reception is Friday, December 10, from 6-8pm. Open hours will be 2-7pm M-F, and 12-7pm Sat-Sun. Come check it out!

Sunset over the Mountains (2010), 8 x 8"

I've been having real trouble lately finding a photo I am inspired to paint. Since I am only painting small canvases right now, I am finding that possible subjects are rather limited. I have so many photos I'd like to paint, but they would require larger canvases. Large paintings are hard to sell, therefore I am limiting myself to painting tiny things for the time being. Anyway, I already have a whole stack of larger sized paintings waiting to be sold. Such a dilemma. I am wanting to complete a few more small paintings before the end of November so they are dry and ready to sell for the holidays. I should mention that people love the bigger paintings, they just don't want to spend more than $100...

The painting below is based on a photo that inspired me because of the unique sky.
SOLD!

Hillside with Wildflowers II (2010), 5 x 7"

SOLD!

Based on a photo by Marlin Harms found on flickr.com.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/marlinharms/4479737002/
Used under a creative commons license.

Hillside with Wildflowers (2010), 5 x 7"

THIS PAINTING HAS BEEN STOLEN. Please contact me if you see it anywhere.

Based on a photo by "Athena's Pix" found on flickr.com. Original photo found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23045224@N04/3085724318/in/set-72157622267627156/
Used under a creative commons license.

Two Miniatures: Field of Poppies II, and Bluebell Forest III

I completed two 4 x 6 inch miniature paintings today. This super-small size is new for me and I find it charming!
Both paintings are SOLD!

Bluebell Forest III is based on a photo by Herry Lawford found on flickr.com. Original photo found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herry/3476179510/
Used under a creative commons license.

Salt Fork River Art Festival: Recap

I had a booth at the Salt Fork River Art Festival this past weekend. This time it was a two day event. Saturday turned out to be a perfect fall day--sunny and cool. I sold four paintings Saturday! Sunday was quite chilly and fewer people came out to see the art, however I sold one additional painting. I've still had no success selling my giclee prints, which is a bit disappointing. I think people really want to have something to take home with them instead of having to bother with placing an order. For future events I will probably just sell whatever prints I have instead of trying to take orders.
Olive came Sunday and we kept each other warm!

Commission: Bear, the yellow lab (2010), 16 x 20"

Yesterday I finished work on a commission--a portrait of a yellow Labrador. This painting was fun to work on since I don't frequently paint animals. I tackled this subject a little differently than I do my landscapes. I spent a large amount of time graphing and sketching this painting. Since this is a portrait and not just a painting of a random dog, it was important to get the proportions as close to the original photo as possible. I was especially careful to match the colors of the fur. The most tedious part of this painting turned out to be the bed of impatients behind the dog. It took a long time to place all the little flowers and leaves (and mix like ten different shades of green paint) in a way that looks natural.

Interested in commissioning a pet portrait of your own? Contact me with any ideas at audraziegel@gmail.com

Article Feature

One of my paintings is featured in an article about autumn on the blog www.indiesmiles.com.
The article can be found here:
http://www.indiesmiles.com/a-luscious-splash-of-autumns-rainbow/

Thanks to LindaGJ for including my painting!

Salt Fork River Art Festival at Sleepy Creek Vineyards

I'm getting ready for my next art festival! I have eight new paintings to show (they're all posted on the blog). It will take place at Sleepy Creek Vineyards in Fairmount, IL, about a half hour drive from Urbana. Here are the dates and times:

Sept. 25, Saturday
10am-7pm

Sept. 26, Sunday
11am-4pm

Address:
Sleepy Creek Vineyards
8254 E 1425 North Road
Fairmount, IL 61841
(here are some directions)

Hope to see you there!

Facebook page!

Become a fan of Audra's Oil Paintings on Facebook! Click the "like" button on the right hand side of this page, or visit my facebook page.

http://www.facebook.com/audrasoilpaintings

Pink Rose II (2010), 9 x 12"

Based on how popular my other pink rose painting was at the Downtown Festival of the Arts, I decided to paint another smaller (i.e. more affordable) pink rose. Seems as though roses are becoming somewhat of a specialty for me. They are not my favorite subject to paint, but I love how 3-dimensional they look on the canvas. My rose paintings are some of my best, I think.

I also think it is interesting to compare this recent painting with my very first rose painting. My technique has developed quite a bit; the petals are now more distinct--the whole image is more "in focus"-- and the brush strokes better convey depth in the painting.

SOLD.

This painting is based on a photo found on flickr.com and used under a Creative Commons Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/). The photographer audreyjm529 has an entire album of amazing rose photos here.

Bluebell Forest II (2010), 6 x 12"

SOLD!

Available as a gicleé print--visit my etsy page.

This painting is based on a photo by Hardo Muller found on flickr.com. The original photo can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hardo/3484789416/
Used under a creative commons license.

Mountainside in Autumn (2010), 8 x 10"

SOLD!

Commission: Yellow Roses (2010), 16 x 20"

This is a commissioned painting I completed back in March. The painting was an anniversary gift and the couple wanted it to feature yellow roses which were their wedding flower. I found the subject of yellow roses to be exceedingly difficult to paint! Yellow is such tricky color to work with, because the shadows so easily turn into a muddy brown color. Several times I had to scrape off a section of this painting because I felt it was turning into a brown rose painting. I'm convinced in the end they look like yellow roses. I also like the perspective of this painting--peering down at a bouquet. It captures all the intricate layering and depth of these beautiful flowers.

In action:

Field of Grass (2010), 8 x 10"

SOLD!

Available as a gicleé print--visit my etsy page.

Partially based on a photo found on flickr.com by Miss Baker. Original photo found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11984793@N05/2621398477/in/set-72157604787740668/
Used under a creative commons license.

Apple Orchard (2010), 8 x 10"

I'm really in to apple trees right now. I love their form and I love the color of both the blossoms and the fruit. SOLD! Partially based on a photo by Liz West found on flickr.com. Photo used under a creative commons license. Original photo found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/54070471/in/set-72057594125801300/ Liz West's photostream can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/

Apple Tree I and II (2010), 9 x 12" and Fall Foliage (2010), 8 x 10"

Three paintings in two days! I completed another pair of paintings, this time two apple trees (really the same apple tree in two color schemes).
I thought I needed a good fall foliage painting for the next show in September. I had been wanting to paint this particular photo for about a year. I found the original photo on flickr.com.I love this photographer's fall foliage pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/indykethdy/Photo used under a creative commons license. Original photo found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/indykethdy/2507986335/in/set-72157605419719934/

All three paintings are SOLD!

Apple Trees I and II are based on a photo by Bobosh_t found on flickr.com. Original photo can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frted/4520154660/
Used under a creative commons license.

Champaign Downtown Festival of the Arts: Recap

The art festival was last Saturday and I am feeling much less stressed now. Despite some concerns about the weather and the set-up going smoothly, everything turned out great. The weather was perfect--by some miracle the forecast changed from 60% chance of thunderstorms to partly sunny all day! My booth set-up turned out pretty much exactly as I had planned and had a very cool look about it and I am glad to have not spent more money on a fancier set-up. The wire mesh I purchased to hang the paintings on created a very airy space and the paintings looked a little like they were floating in mid-air. The only piece of furniture in the booth was a small folding table which I placed in the middle of the tent. This created a very open, inviting space. I was pleased with this set-up and I think I will keep it the same for the next show. Check out the pictures of my booth below:The most pleasant surprise of the day was that my booth won an honorable mention award! Of the 56 artists at the festival, I was one of eight who was recognized! And, I sold five paintings...can't forget to mention that! All in all it was a huge success. I am now more aware of what sells and what people like, so next time I can be better prepared with more small paintings for sale. I did find, however, that it is the big brightly colored paintings that draw people in to the booth. The giant pink rose and the field of poppies definitely received the most compliments so I will include them in future shows for sure.

NEXT SHOW: Salt Fork River Art Festival at Sleepy Creek Vineyards in Fairmount, IL. Sept 25 and 26.
Address:
Sleepy Creek Vineyards
8254 E 1425 North Road
Fairmount, IL 61841
http://www.sleepycreekvineyards.com/

Champaign Downtown Festival of the Arts

Come visit my booth at the Champaign Downtown Festival of the Arts next Saturday Aug. 21 from 10am-7pm. I am one of 56 participating artists and my booth will be located on the east side of Neil St. south of Main St. There will also be live music and artist demonstrations! See map below (I'm highlighted in yellow):

Poppy (2010), 5 x 7"

This tiny painting is just the cutest. It is painted on a canvas board and will be sold in a beautiful ornate frame (since there is no way to hang it unless it is framed). It will make its debut at the Champaign Downtown Festival of the Arts on Aug. 21.

Partially based on a photo by Jenny Downing found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenny-pics/
This photo used under a creative commons license. Original photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenny-pics/468040317/sizes/l/in/set-72157604120407690/

SOLD!

Beach Grass (2010), 8 x 10"

Close-ups:Based on a photo my dad took while at Catalina Island, FL.

SOLD!

Gicleé prints available!

Gicleé prints of select paintings are now available! Gicleé printing is a state-of-the-art reproduction technique featuring archival ink, archival quality watercolor paper, and ultra high-resolution ink jet printing using variable sized droplets. The detail of these prints is fantastic and the image captures the texture of the original painting perfectly! See my etsy site at www.AudrasOilPaintings.etsy.com for listings.

Stargazer Lily (2010), 9 x 12"

Sold!

Bluebell Forest (2010), 8 x 10"

A fairytale-like scene--a forest carpeted in bluebells. I was desperately searching for a photo to paint when I unexpectedly came upon this scene. It was another one of those occasions when I began painting immediately after finding the perfect photo!

SOLD!

View my other two bluebell paintings here:
Bluebell forest II
Bluebell forest III

Indi go Gallery and the Champaign Downtown Festival of the Arts

My show at the Indi go gallery is over now and I am pleased to report that I had three sales! Showing at the gallery was a wonderful experience and I got lots of positive comments and feedback from people who visited the gallery. I definitely feel very encouraged about continuing to pursue my painting career. Here's a picture of me from the artists reception July 8th.

Here's a picture of me painting during one of the closed events. Kelly's (one of the other artists) super awesome self-portrait is behind me.An album of photos from the show can be found here.

I am very excited to be participating in this year's Downtown Festival of the Arts in Champaign. I will have an outdoor booth all to myself! The festival is August 21 from 10am to 7pm. Come check out my booth--will hopefully have several new paintings to show!

Tulip Magnolias (2010), 9 x 12"

Magnolias are another subject I have wanted to paint for a long time. I finally found just the right photo.

SOLD!

Partially based on a photo by Filipe Fortes found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortes/
Photo used under a creative commons license. Original photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fortes/3528464208/
http://fortes.com/

Tulips (2010), 10 x 20"

For sale at my Etsy site.

Indi-go Art Gallery Show--"The Three Graces"

Some of my paintings will be on display June 29-July 15 at the Indi-go art gallery in downtown Champaign! I will be sharing the space with two other artists (aka "The Three Graces"). The gallery will be open most days from 4-8pm with several special events planned. The official openhouse is July 8 from 6-9pm. Come check it out!

9 East University, Champaign, IL

For more information, see the Indi-go gallery's Facebook page. My poppies painting is the profile picture! Our artist statements are displayed here.

Champaign-Urbana flute lessons

Check out my new flute lessons website. Here you will find information about me as a performer, music samples, and information about joining my private flute studio.

http://flutelessons.blogspot.com

Sunset (2010), 9 x 12"

This is a wild sunset! Not so sure I love the color scheme, but the original photo really does look like this!

SOLD! Available as a gicleé print--visit my etsy shop.

Prairie Grass (2010), 8 x 10"

Having lived in Illinois for several years, I have come to love visiting the local prairie reserve. The tall grass that sways in the breeze and the unusual wildflowers are quite beautiful. Prairie grass is a subject that I had wanted to paint for several months before I finally found the right photo. I spent a great deal of time searching the internet for a copyright-free photo that was both inspirational and compositionally fascinating. One especially important aspect is that I need to be able to visualize the finished painting when I look at the photo. I find many photos that are inspiring and have great composition, but feel are beyond my technical facility or would not translate well in my style. When I finally found the perfect photo, I painted it immediately.

I consider this painting to be one of my "spontaneous" type paintings in that there was no planning--no sketching and no photo editing--involved, and the painting was completed in one sitting. The paint was applied thickly directly onto the canvas using two small brushed and a palette knife. The finished painting turned out exactly as I had envisioned it...I love when it works that way.

SOLD!

Irises II (2010), 12 x 16"

THIS PAINTING HAS BEEN STOLEN. Please contact me if you see it anywhere.One of those tedious subjects I mentioned... :-) Based on a photo taken by my sister. This painting is currently hanging in my apartment. At times it looks so real--practically like looking out a window .

Field of Ranunculus (2010), 8 x 10"

I have a folder of "painting ideas" on my computer, and this painting comes from one of those photos. This was a really spontaneous painting, and finished rather quickly. I often do these small, quick-type paintings between really tedious, complicated subjects. I love how this one turned out.

SOLD!

Partially based on a photo by Erin Pettigrew found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/superfem/
Photo used under a creative commons license. Original photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/superfem/545345047/

Early Spring at the Arboretum (2010), 11 x 14"

This original oil painting painting is based on a photo I took at the arboretum on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The photo was taken in the evening as the sun was setting and the light was reflecting off the white-barked sycamore trees in a fascinating way.

SOLD!