Thursday, December 29, 2011

It Starts. . .

I have started receiving applications for 2012 shows. There are a few decisions to be made: try again for the ones that haven't done so well recently hoping that things will pick up, or go in a new direction? Known versus unknown?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Room for One More

So the art fair season is long over, and I'm filling in some gaps in the bird painting inventory. The Eastern Bluebird is a big favorite, so I'm hoping it sells next year. I had an idea that I would paint it perching on a sumac branch, but though I wasn't sure if bluebirds were ever seen on this tree, I thought the color combination would look good. After some internet research, I learned that bluebirds have an affinity for sumac. So do I.

"Eastern Bluebird & Sumac", Original watercolor by Anne Gilna

Thursday, September 29, 2011

And now, it's over (temporarily).

Last weekend was the last art fair of 2011 on my schedule. It went out with a thud, I have to say. But no more of that. I'll try to create a fall-themed painting before the trees go bare, and then during the long off-season I hope to come up with some more new works. Overall, I'm pleased to have sold some paintings that had hung around longer than they should have. I was proud of them, but for one reason or another, they took a long time to find the right home. I only sold one original botanical painting this season, so I'll probably hold off on producing another botanical work until more are sold. That could change, though, if I am inspired by the beauty of a botanical subject in the near future.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

All Birds, All the Time


I have just finished two new paintings in time for the show this weekend at Art in the Barn: "American Kestrel", Watercolor by Anne Gilna, and "Black-capped Chickadees on a Vine".

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Whew!

The Lake Forest Art Fair on the Square is done- and it was a success! It was an exhausting weekend, but fortunately the weather was fall-like and conducive to shopping. I said goodbye to some of my best paintings, but they're going to a good home. There are now some major gaps in the display, and the next show is coming later this month. I'm working on ideas as I write this.  The printing press is rolling tonight.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Latest Work

I've painted many hummingbirds, but usually they're seen in flight. This time I felt it deserved a little rest on a hosta stem.


Ruby-throated Hummingbird & Hosta,
Original Watercolor by Anne Gilna

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Hot Times at Glenview

I don't think I've ever been more uncomfortably hot at an art fair that I was last weekend. If I stayed out of the booth, I could find shade, but wouldn't you know it, sometimes people actually wanted to buy something, so I had to go in. It could have been worse, at least 1) There wasn't a drop of rain, and 2) Sales were good. So, though it was exhausting, it's still exhilarating to sell art!

Monday, July 18, 2011

High Maintenance

As long as it gets a good soaking every day, this hydrangea looks gorgeous. Without the daily dosage, which these days comes from the garden hose, it's a sorry sight.
After a good soaking

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Perfect for the Re-Purposed Frame

Though the May warbler wave is long over, I began this painting 2 months ago when they were sweeping through. The oak leaf hydrangea, pictured here, holds on to its dried blooms from the previous year as it's growing new leaves, producing a multi-season effect. The redstart is one of the first warblers I ever observed many years ago and is much easier to identify than most other warblers.

"American Redstart & Oak Leaf Hydrangea", Original Watercolor by Anne Gilna

Friday, July 1, 2011

It Happened!

In the last post, I presumed that the customer wouldn't bother to return the frame from the painting bought at Racine, and I told him I didn't expect him to return it. Even when I looked at the carton on my front step addressed to Art by Anne Gilna, even when I looked at the sender's address, from a company in Racine, it still didn't occur to me that it was the frame until I opened it. It was an unexpected pleasant surprise, and much appreciated. I plan to reuse it on my next painting.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Thoughts on last weekend

Yes, it was chilly. Especially Saturday, during which I wore the gloves that permanently reside in my jacket pocket. The tent-like structure over the show area I was in was leak free but I was concerned that some of the mist blowing in overnight would reach the art I left up. That didn't happen. If I show there again, I wouldn't come up Friday night. It's too much driving to make 3 round trips, but I needed to see the place the day before to know what I was working with. I like that it ends at 4 on Sunday, to give the artists time to break down and load the display and get home at a reasonable time.
I was wondering if I would ever sell the Ruby-throated Hummingbird painting done at least 5 years ago, and it finally happened. The buyer didn't like the frame I had put on it, which was its third frame- I liked it, but that's the trouble with framing, someone may not care for what could have been an expensive framing job. He told me he would return it to me in the mail, but I don't think that will happen. Time to paint another Hummer.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Loading Up

I'm traveling to the Land of Cheese this weekend to the Monument Square Art Fair in Racine, Wisconsin. Chilly temperatures are predicted, though that's not a surprise, it is Wisconsin, after all.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

These Are the Garden Photos.

Though I don't like a cool (cold) rainy spring, it appeals to the plants. They wake up a little bit later, but when they do, it's dramatic.








Monday, May 30, 2011

Squish

Still waiting for the right opportunity to take garden photos. Yesterday's heavy rain made the ground too soggy, and the typical blooms for this time of year haven't happened yet. Until then, here's a picture of a giant amaryllis that I have that's incongruously blooming now:

Monday, May 23, 2011

Finished!

Just finished: Charcoal portrait of "Grizzly".

Sunday, May 22, 2011

It's In!

The garden is in! Pots are full, though after over buying last year, I came in a little bit under this year. It's hard to find deer-resistant annuals for the pots. I'm tired of the all-night deer banquet around here. Most of my annuals are not imaginative species. I love the wave petunia! I know, they're big at the big box garden centers, but I like them! Pictures to come. . .

Monday, May 16, 2011

Well.......

People came to the sale, they really did. The weather was cold, windy, raw, rainy, damp, gloomy, chilly, and any other descriptive words. We sold, but for the most part the sales were for small items, and I don't want to be negative so I'll stop. It was good to see what the other members of the Reed-Turner Artists' Circle were up to. I got some nice plants from the garden club sale, which is an event that I look forward to every year.
Almost finished with the portrait of Grizzly.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

I'm looking forward to this event - There will be a great selection of plants provided by the Long Grove/Kildeer Garden Club and an equally great selection of botanical art prints, note cards, and other media created by the Reed-Turner Artists' Circle, of which I'm a member. The Nature Center is located in the beautiful Reed-Turner Woodland in Long Grove. Now I know it's spring.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Show Recap

I'd have to say that attendance and resulting sales at the NSUC show last weekend were less than stellar. The weather was better than it has been lately, which probably keeps people from going to the indoor show. And of course, it's the economy, (I'll try, but fail, to not say "stupid" here). But, I did sell one of my unframed original bird paintings. This was the first time I have shown originals without a frame, just matted and sealed in a clear envelope. So, this could be a trend, or just a random event. We'll see.


I found out from a knowledgeable source that the pumpkin pictured here is called a "Lumina" pumpkin. It is also a chance to add a sample of one of my unframed originals for sale.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

It's Almost Showtime

I'm putting the finishing touches on my preparation for Art2011- the first art fair of the year. It's nice to be in a spring (indoor) show to get started on the season. I think I have enough prints and cards ready. I've prepared some new print images, but the old favorites are back, too.
"Chickadees & Red Twig Dogwood", an all -time favorite.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Pseudo Winter

Snow Saturday, snow coming tonight. I did put away the down coat, that's what caused it.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Pseudo Summer


Windy, humid today, a drastic change from previous days. Instant summer. Time to wash the down coat and file it away. Keep the gloves nearby, though, for the end of the week. 
Next up, warblers.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Playing Around with the Blog

So, now I have added some new pages, listed on the left column. I can squeeze so much information into this blog, do I really need a paid website?

Sunday, March 20, 2011

A World of Artists

Through Facebook, I have been in contact with many wonderfully talented artists. The world is full of them! Some of the botanic art is achingly beautiful. It brings joy, and that is good.

On another note, I have been trying to get the slideshow to show all my art in the Photobucket album, but it refuses to do that, and seems to run out of energy on the last page. At that point, the random slideshow begins again. It's not really random, though. The difference is that the shuffled order repeats exactly the same after one loop. Do I need to mess with this or just give up and move on to some other issue? I think I have already answered that question.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Slideshow!

Somehow I figured out, with a little help from other blogspot users, how to show a slideshow of my bird images on this site. I can't figure out, though, how to show other albums, such as botanical art and portraits in one continuous loop. But since the name of the blog is A Bird's Eye View, I'll just have to settle for the birds.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Another Downy?

Yes! Just finished, a downy, again. I think the pose is so typical of a downy. It has a kind of tension in its posture. It's not a "relaxed" species. The branch was one of many pieces of oak tree that have been shed on my lawn this winter.




"Downy Woodpecker", Original Watercolor by Anne Gilna, 2011.

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Messing With My Mind

While shoveling heart-attack snow from the driveway this morning, I heard a robin singing.