I saw Sting in concert with The Royal Philharmonic. I love Sting and was anxious to see him, but also anxious to see the conductor. His name is Steven Mercurio and he is really of the "opera world". I first became aquainted with him when I saw Andrea Bocelli. What a duo, Mercurio and Bocelli. Both tall and handsome, Bocelli is rather still,strong and intense when he is performing. Mercurio on the other hand is dynamic ,a graceful moving target, and at times airbourne. I love movement and at 54, I still am taking gesture classes. I love to work quick and taking the classes always helped me work fast as a courtroom sketch artist. At the Sting concert before it got too dark, I pulled out my sketchbook and did some scribbles of the conductor. Later at home, I worked from memory and the sketches and put toghether this page. I sent it to Mr. Mercurio and her loved it!!
Last week I made a trip into New York to spend the day with my daughter. She spent 8 weeks working at a very exciting internship in the city. We talked all summer about planning a day, we both wanted to see a great fashion exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of art that covered about 40 years of fashion. My daughter, now 20, has no affinity for art and has never accompanied me to a Museum, so needless to say I was thrilled when she suggested it. I also had planned to arrive very early and paint Washington Square Park, as I has promised it as a wedding gift to a special niece. All went well, up at 4:30 AM, a 5:30 local train into Philadelphia to connect with a 6:30 bus to New York. I arrived at Washington Square at 9:00 painted for two hours until my lovely daughter met me there and we walked around the village. She was growing by leaps and bounds, enjoying her independence in the city, and discovering her strengths from her working experience. It was a sweltering hot day, so after lunch we headed up to the Met to see the exhibit, and get inside away from the heat. I stowed the wet painting away in a small box I brought for this purpose. I was bogged down with easel and paint supplies, it was a bit uncomfortable, and I was looking forward to checking the stuff at the museum. After a cool subway ride, we hiked the steps to The Met and waited for our bags to be searched. "What is in The Box" the guard asked, and he made me open the box. I was thinking he would admire my work, when he informed me instead that I couldn't bring the painting into the museum because they would not be responsible for it. I begged, cajoled and pleaded telling him I did not care and would not hold the museum responsible. I then asked to speak to a supervisor, only to hear the same words, no artwork allowed at The Met! My daughter was all ready past the guard came back, and adolescence had reared its ugly head and she was having a tantrum. "I told you you either come to New York and paint or spend the day with me!" She was on the phone with her father tattling on me as well. Walking back out into the sweltering heat, exhausted and defeated we were almost in tears. The guards in The museum suggested that I leave it with a vendor. No. We walked past the vendors, my daughter still lecturing me, when we spied a stone wall with a tree growing behind it. My daughter said," just leave it behind the wall." I figured that I waited 20 years to have a museum experience with her and the painting was not as important. I could always come into the city and repaint the scene. So I placed the box on the cool dirt behind the stone wall, and with trepidation walked beck into The Met. We saw the magnificent fashion exhibit and looked at many other works of art. I found her an engaging museum partner, and was elated at the thought of having more great experiences with her other than shopping. Exhausted and saturated we walked back to the stone wall, and I found the painting waiting for me intact. We kissed and hugged goodbye. The next day, she texted me saying she had a great day and that she was sorry for getting ornery. Growth.
This was a fun day at The Devon Horse Show. Women all ages and sizes participated in a hat parade. Many of the hats were homemade decorated with flowers ,birds, fruits, vegetables, plumes, chiffon lace etc. It was a painters delight. This is a quick sketch that I did on site with the background of the Devon Horse Show grounds. The most gorgeous hat was not homeade, but made by professional hat designer Jill Henning. The model, in the orange ( middle of the painting) is wearing the Jill henning hat and won 2nd place. The 1st place winner went to the woman on the far right with the white doubledecker affair. It looked a little less professional but it was interesting. I love fashion, I started my artistic life as a fashion illustrator. This was a good way to combine fashion and art.
This year I painted at the Devon Horse Show everyday. I love the pagentry and the frenetic activity around the grounds, and behind the events. It is extremely hard to paint the horses. The anatomy is complicated and of course they are forever in motion. But, the horses are so regal, as well as the riders. I know nothing about the horse world, but I am learning. I am attracted to it all; the rich colors of the horses, the riding costumes,boots, gloves, saddles and helmuts, I am facinated by it all. I am going to study horse anatomy so next year I can go out there and plug in the horses from imagination. An artist friend of mine grew up in the horse world, she rode and now she paints the horse world. You can tell from her paintings that she is familiar with the subject matter , like an old friend. I have to work at this new friendship, hopefully I can find my niche.
I painted this plein air, yesterday April 6th and today Apr 7th between 8 and 12 in the AM. It was pure joy. I have painted this barn so many times, but I keep coming back to it fresh. Sometimes I athink I am crazy for painting the same stretch of land( about 2 miles) on Darby Paoli Rd in Radnor, but it keeps calling to me. Every year when the seasons change I am just as thrilled to get out there as I always have been. I feel like it is my terrirtory, and do not like other painters working there! I can feel such growth now from when I first set out to paint the Ardrossan Land. When I think I should move on to another location, I am reminded of how many musicians have played scores of Mozart and Beethoven probably very differently in each stage of their careers. Today all the black Angus were on the hill with their spring arrivals. The black against the vivid Spring green was stunning.... it is endless. Another day, another painting.
Every year I participate in a local art sale that benefits a private girls school. I have had to think hard for ways to make my art work for me in this tough economy. Many people buy art because it has a special emmotional attachment. Whether it is a painting of their childhood home, their favorite vista or their most precious children, the buyer is attracted to what is near and dear to the heart. I have been doing sketches of these teens for years, but this year I got wise. The school sent out a blast e-mail for me asking the parents if they would want an informal sketch of their children in the beautiful school setting. I met them at the school, took photos and found I actually enjoyed working from photo. I tried to capture their natural gestures whether just chatting or braiding their hair. Some showed up with friends and I painted a few figures in one painting. The parents set them aside and will give the paintings to graduating seniors. Every commission sold, I love adding something special to people's lives! If you want to capture a fleeting moment in your child's life , send me a photo and I will give it a go!www.dorispector.comdcspector@aol.com
was a fun day at The Devon Horse Show. Women all ages and sizes participated in a hat parade. Many of the hats were homemade decorated with flowers ,birds, fruits, vegetables, plumes, chiffon lace etc. It was a painters delight. This is a quick sketch that I did on site with the background of the Devon Horse Show grounds. The most gorgeous hat was not homeade, but made by professional hat designer Jill Henning. The model, in the orange ( middle of the painting) is wearing the Jill henning hat and won 2nd place. The 1st place winner went to the woman on the far right with the white doubledecker affair. It looked a little less professional but it was interesting. I love fashion, I started my artistic life as a fashion illustrator. This was a good way to combine fashion and art.
www.dorispector.com dcspector@aol.com
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com
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