Day In The Country

I am not a photographer. I am a painter.  Regardless, I take an abundance of photos when I travel, from which I gain a lot of my inspiration as an artist.   I also sometimes ask others if they would allow me to paint their photographs.  More often than not, my friends and family say that I have permission to use them.  Some even say they would be honored, which always thrills me!  I image other artists feel quite the same.

'Day In The Country' 

8x10" Oil on Canvas

My wonderful cousin, Michelle Knight, is a excellent photographer in North Carolina.  Her photographic eye always captures spectacular landscape vistas outdoors.  She has allowed me access to her photos from time to time. This oil painting was inspired by one of her photos taken along a peaceful mountain road.  I truly appreciate your support, Michelle!

For pricing on this painting.

Observation

I love visiting Denver, Colorado.  My best friend’s daughter, Whitney, her husband, Alex, and their precious babies live there.  The couple loves to travel the World, and stay quite active in everyday life.  Alex also enjoys extreme snow skiing, mountain biking, and more.  

A photograph of Alex, as he rested on a mountain cliff, inspired the feeling behind this painting.   

‘Observation’ 

8x10 

Oil on Canvas Board 

I’m not trained as a portrait artist, so it looks nothing like Alex.  

Nevertheless, this landscape piece of art would look amazing framed in a simple black or rustic wood frame, for someone who enjoys the great outdoors.  

To purchase this original oil painting, or any of my oil paintings, visit my virtual gallery website at http://www.dianekhewitt.com. 

A BUSY PAINTER’s HIATUS

I really have trouble believing it has been 3 years since I have wet a paint brush!   

'English Garden'

18" x 24"

Oil on Canvas 

My husband and I have lived a beautiful, if complicated, life together for 39 years.  At this chapter in our journey, we decided to simplify our lives by downsizing.  I'm sure many of you that are my age can identify with our experience.

Having sold our homes easily in the past, I got busy packing away my messy art studio.  After all, it was clearly the biggest eye sore to any non-painting, potential home buyers. I packed away hundreds of paintings, many unfinished, along with all of my art essentials.  I felt such sadness when we had movers transport it all to a nice storage unit even though I knew it was only temporary. I just couldn't risk the chance that my oil paintings would have been sold for very little, or donated after an estate sale. .

 I then spent my days organizing, inventorying, packing, selling, donating, and throwing away items accumulated during our then 36 years of marriage.  We had 2 large garage sales, where I sold a lot of art equipment, like unused or outgrown easels, art backpacks, paints, brushes and the like, along with home furnishings, gifts never used, clothing never worn...well, you get the picture.  Our basement had been full to the ceiling, and it was almost 2,000 square feet!  It took nearly a year of cleaning our basement area up and out, before we felt even close to listing our home for sale.  We still had quite a bit around the walls, but felt  any potential buyers would expect to see things in one’s basement.

Our realtor gave us a price at which to list our home, and we laughed.  The recession is over, we thought.  We should get so much more than that for our custom, beautifully decorated home.  So we priced it higher, based on the comparable homes that had sold near us, with room to negotiate. We lowered our listing price several times, to no avail.  We staged our home twice to appeal to young modern buyers.  Each time, having to separate items to keep from items to sell, and hire movers to deliver more things to storage.  We eventually changed agents, and while it sold in the months to come, we looked back over the whole experience, and realized we had practically put our “normal” professional and social lives on hold for 3 long years!  Nevertheless, the entire time we had been extremely busy.  

Every day during the time our house was being shown seemed frantic, tidying up for a showing every couple of days, taking my Yorkshire Terrier off in the car while agents came through my home, searching out places to move after our home sold, deciding what favorite furnishing would fit into a new small space, cleaning out and selling our mountain cabin in Blue Ridge, GA, and finally, planning a remodel of our beach condo at Amelia Island Plantation, where we planned to eventually land, gazing out at the water and painting, for the final chapter of our retirement. So you see, there was not enough time in the day to create an oil painting.

We located an auction company to hold an Estate Sale following our move, to sell the items in our home that were no longer of use to us, only to find that “brown furniture” , antiques, and upholstered furniture do not sell.  First things to go were painted & farmhouse furniture, wall art, and costume jewelry.  Now, we had to figure out what to do with those leftover items!

My New Art Studio

I had thought the stress of moving from our beloved home and yard into a small condo would be tough, but I found that deciding what to keep from a home full of items, some for which we had scrimped and saved, gifts we loved dearly, things from our travels to other countries, and stuff passed on from generations past, proved to be the most stressful of our recent endeavors.

With all of that finally behind me, I can finally breathe.  It feels like I am completely starting over as an oil painter.  I plan to explore some new ways to express my passion of art.  I may attempt a painting a day, or paint some contemporary abstracts.  Whatever I try, I know I will find peace in getting my brush wet again!

'Painting From Photos'

I’ll be the first to admit that I am no photographer.  That said, I take tons of photos when I travel locally or abroad, and have painted, and continue to paint, from many of them. Nonetheless, I often ask others if they would allow me to paint one of their photos that catches

 

my eye.  More often than not, they say it is fine.  Some even say they would be honored, which absolutely thrills me!  I image that other artists feel the quite the same.

A few months back, as I was perusing photos on the internet,  I ran across a talented professional landscape photographer from the Washington, D.C. area, Navin Sarma, that was very impressive. He was kind to allow me to paint one of his beautiful photographs from a trip to Olympia National Park in Washington State.  My painting from his photo of “Shi-Shi Beach Life” now graces the front page of my website. 

The painting below was inspired by a photo taken by a friend of a friend, Lynette Aldridge from the Atlanta, GA  area.  Her husband is originally from Brazil, South America, where they travel from time to time to visit family.  After seeing some of the photos that Lynette posted on Facebook, I asked if she would allow me to paint this particular beach scene.  She said it would be fine. 

'Bazilian Beach'

11x14" Oil on Canvas Board

Photo by: Lynette Aldridge

 



Just yesterday another friend posted a beautiful waterfall in Blue Ridge, GA that I would also love to paint in oils.  Asked and agreed.  So stay tuned, and I will post that one soon.  Translated, that means as soon as I can focus on it.  I have a long list of friend’s photos that I also love, and look forward to laying out on canvas.

Please keep in mind, if you ever plan to paint from a photograph, you should never do so without express permission.  There are very strong copyright laws that protect photographic works of individuals from being copied, painted, or otherwise reproduced.

Have a great day…and keep your brush wet and moving!

"Don't Buy Into The Lie" by Diane K. Hewitt

 

“Don't buy into the Lie”
by Diane K. Hewitt

It's about time!  I am finally settling into what I would consider a somewhat "normal" routine for 2013. Christmas decorations are put away, my house is put back to normal, and my mind is refocused on my art career. Yes, there, I have said it….’career’.  It has taken me over 5 years to admit that my art is my ‘career’ not just a hobby, as many would think.  Just yesterday my nail technician asked about my recent first group exhibition.  When I told her it was a great success for the hospital, but I did not sell any paintings.  She replied, “Your art is just a hobby, so why be concerned about selling anything?” 

Nevertheless, starting off 2013 with my first showing was extremely exciting!  It was a group Art Exhibition at Emory Eastside Hospital in the Greater Atlanta Area. The five paintings I delivered remained  on the walls of their new Patients Tower throughout the month of January. Around 800 people were in attendance for the Grand Opening of the Hospital’s state-of-the-art Patients Tower, despite threats of sleet and snow.  Unfortunately, I was not well, and was unable to attend the Opening.  However, I was very grateful for the opportunity, and for my friend and mentor, Duck Ae Karasek, who believed in me enough to recommend my art to the show’s organizers.

With the new year also comes a new sense of 'self' for this painter. Better choices on my part WILL result in more time in the studio, and better art. Of that, I am certain!  The other day I had an absolute "ah ha" moment , after reading a devotion posted on a friend's Facebook page. There is absolutely no reason for one to "buy into the lie" that this is all there is in life. One’s choices formulate their reality.  And, reality can change with different choices.  So, this year I will choose to accept nothing less than who I am authentically meant to be....a painter!

Wikipedia defines 'authenticity' as "...the truthfulness of origins, attributions, commitments, sincerity, devotion, and intentions" and " the degree to which one is true to one's own personality, spirit, or character, despite external pressures."Merriam-Webster defines it as being: "true to one's own personality, spirit, or character."

I realize that the word ‘authenticity’ means different things to different people. I suppose it depends on where they are in their life's path. Some may see it as not being 'fake' to their friends and acquaintances, allowing them to see their true personality 'flaws and all'. Not putting on a smile for others while hurting deeply on the inside. For me, at this time in my life, ‘authenticity’ means being the real artist that I know I can become with daily study and intense practice.  I can not allow external forces, such as critical self-talk, excessive social media, petty household duties, needy spoiled pets, and plain old procrastination, to get in the way of what I am authentically meant to do in growing my career.  Doing so would only result in my own "lack of authenticity."

In summary, my wish for all of you in 2013 is the gift of ‘authenticity’, however it may apply.

Diane K. Hewitt

P.S. I feel sure that Oprah would be proud that I finally got it!

 

The Art Of Healing Event

I am excited to have my art as a part of this incredible event:

"Christmas Cabin" by Diane K. Hewitt

“Christmas Cabin” by Diane K. Hewitt

16x20” Oil on Canvas 

There’s something about Christmas that always brings the heart “Home for the Holidays”, as Kenny Loggins once sang.   This painting of a log cabin in the snow at sunset  warms my heart, but the Christmas tree lights and the wreath boasting it’s message:  “Merry Christmas Y’all” brings the real spirit to the painting.  The light in the cabin’s window stirs the imagination.  Could it be a quiet evening inside spent by the fireplace reading a book?  Or perhaps it’s a celebration of the season with friends and family? Whatever is imagined for the inhabitants of this home, this painting is sure to warm the heart. Merry Christmas Y’all!

Art makes a lovely gift for a loved one!  I provide "Gift Vouchers" toward a piece of the Gift Recipient's choice.  Just contact me to get a Size/Price List at:  CLICK HERE .  Greeting cards are available at:  Fine Art America .

"CHRISTMAS CABIN" *Price $500.00

*Price reflected includes professional framing, and shipping within the contiguous U.S.A.