Saturday, December 8, 2012

Artist of The Month

Sondra Cromwell is exhibiting her work at the Noblesville Visitor Center, thru December 31st. Stop by and view or purchase some fine works of art for that special someone. Her work is also being exhibited at the Hamilton County Art Center/Birdie Gallery, and the Hoosier Salon in Indianapolis, IN.

Artist of The Month Sondra Cromwell

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Autumn Light

 
Autumn Light
 
This painting is a plein air painting that I did just off of Levee Road. I started it just right after I had painted the one titled "Fog on Levee Road". The reason I wanted to paint this piece was the sunlight hitting the house. It was just glowing a bright white, which  made all the fall colors just pop. I was racing time to finish the painting. It was just a little after 10:00am, and I new I wanted to be at the Franklin County Library around 11:00am or 11:30am to get a good spot to set my easels to sell my artwork.  I had one artist come by looking for a spot to paint, and he liked the start of my painting. This one was my favorite painting that I did that whole weekend. I really enjoyed painting this one.
 
 
Autumn Light
 
Oil 6 x 6 Plein Air
 
 
 

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Sleepy Little Windfall

 
Sleepy Little Windfall
 
This was another fun painting that I did on October 25Th. I happen to have the day off from work, and decided to drive up to Windfall, Indiana to do some plein air painting.This was just a wonderful day.  I had so many people coming out of this brick building, and from other directions to see what I was doing. One gentleman came up to me and was telling me the history of the town. He told me at one time this build had opera singers upstairs performing. He said there was a train depot that the singers would take to Windfall. Then another time this building upstairs was the Masonic Lodge. There is so much I could tell about this sleepy little town, but I don't want to go on and on.
 
Oil 8 x 10 Plein Air
 
 

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Fog on Levee Road

 
Fog On Levee Road
 
This was on the last day of my paint out in Franklin County, Indiana. The morning was still early and I had to complete at least one painting before 11:00am. I knew I wanted to paint along the Whitewater River. When I arrived there the fog was so beautiful on the distant hills. I had to hurry to capture the fog, because the sun was burning it off fast. I have never done fog on wet-on-wet before. I have glazed it on after the painting was dry, what a challenge! I think it only took me one hour to complete.
 
This painting is oil on Masonite, 6 x 8 plein air. The painting location is in Brookville, Indiana on Levee road. You can find a great painting anywhere along this road. This is one of my favorite place to paint.
 
 

Monday, October 29, 2012

Farm On McGuire Ridge

 
Farm On McGuire Ridge
 
On October 20Th I was in Franklin County, Indiana. I meet a couple of my artist friends in Metamora, Indiana were I throw all my artist gear in the back of one of their vehicles, and off we went to this paint site.
 
The sun only came out for a short time, but that was long enough for me to block in the shadows. It worked out well for me, and I didn't have to worry about chasing the light. When we were all done we all had a different version on the same subject matter. It is so much fun painting with other artist.
 
 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Shoals News

 
Shoals News
 
Back in 2009 I went to Shoals Indiana on a paint out with the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association. I had so much fun there painting the small town of Shoals. It was raining early that day, then the sun came out later when we displayed our work to the public.
 
This painting is not plein air, I sold my plein air piece. I wanted to paint this one from a different angle that I did before.
 
Shoals News
Oil 6" x 6"
 
 
 

Friday, October 5, 2012

On The Farm

 
 

On The Farm

 
I just found this barn on Highway 66 in Derby, Indiana, and pulled off the road to capture what I was seeing. The evening sun was at the right level to make long shadows on the ground.
 
A gentleman came up to me to see what I was doing. I asked to make sure it was okay for me to paint on his property. He liked what I was doing, and asked for me to come back and paint his home that he was building, when it is finished. I gave him my card and we had a nice short talk. Then he went on his way, and I finished the painting.
 
When I do a painting there is always something I am try to improve on. This is a goal I have every time I paint.
 
 
On The Farm
Oil 8" x 10"
$200.00

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Country Charm

 
Country Charm
 
I traveled down to Derby, Indiana on a trip with my husband. I brought my easel and paints, and he road his Harley. When I travel to new places I prefer to paint a picture of my travels rather than just taking photos. This little town sits on the border of the Ohio River in Southern Indiana. It has all the charm that a small country town should have. The fall colors are just starting to peak, and brings out the beauty that this town has to offer. 
 
Country Charm
Oil 8" x 10"
$200.00
 

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Canal Ride

 
The Canal Ride
 
 
Metamora is a quaint little town in Southern Indiana near Richmond, Indiana. It is full of adventure, with its cute little shops, corn maze, train rides, and the famous canal rides down the Whitewater Canal.
 
I could not pass up the chance to paint one of Indiana's famous towns and what it offers. This was a exciting painting that I enjoyed painting. I can't wait to paint there again.
 
 
 
"The Canal Ride"
Oil 11" x 14"
$250.00

Monday, September 10, 2012

Late Summer Morning

 
 
 
Late Summer Morning
 
I found this location on my way to T.C. Steele to check in for their paint out. I discover that the spot I found is the parking lot of the old sky lodge in Nashville, Indiana. The parking lot is over grown with weeds and grasses, that made a perfect place to paint.
 
It allowed me to be out of the way of traffic to concentrate more on what I was doing. I think I will go back again. There are some many views from this location that would make a good painting.
 
I received an Honorable Mention from the T.C. Steele "Great Outdoors" Paint-Out, for this painting. What a great honor to receive such award. I was up against Indiana's finest artist, that the state has.
 
 
Oil: 8" x 10"
 
Price: $350.00
 
 

Saturday, August 25, 2012

The Carousel

 
 
The Carousel was full of energy plein air painting at Forest Park in Noblesville, Indiana. I just had so much fun just being outside painting in the fresh air. The morning couldn't have been any better.
 
 
Medium: Oils 8" x 10"
 
Price: $200.00

The Old Court House

 
The Old Court House
 
I painted a bigger painting of this court house a couple of years ago. The bigger painting is 16" x 20", and this painting is 11" x 14". I have a friend who just fell in love with the bigger painting, but could not afford the painting, so I thought this is a great opportunity to paint the painting smaller, which would be cheaper. I changed my prospective from the original one to make the two different. What a wonderful day to paint.

Friday, August 17, 2012

The Fisherman



The Fisherman was inspired from a photo that I took of a fisherman in Brookville, Indiana. I painted this for an art show theme "Celebrate the Colors". I had fun playing around with the reds and blues that you see most in this painting.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Autumn Along Whitewater River


Autumn Along Whitewater River

This painting is from a photo I took along the Whitewater river in Brookville, Indiana. My husband and I went to Brookville to scan the area for possible paint sites, with IPAPA (Indiana Plein Air Painters Association).

Brookville, Indiana is one of Indiana's prettiest place to see in the fall. It is surrounded with rolling hills, old barns, and the prettiest river that is crystal clear.


Medium: Oil 18" x 24"

Price: $350.00



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Things In Mom's Kitchen

The painting "Things In Mom's Kitchen" was painted last year in April 2011. I came to her to visit and like most of the times my paints travel with me. I found these items in her kitchen. Her home is just filled with all kinds of antiques. I set these items up to take a try at a still life. I don't do many still life's, I would rather paint landscapes. My mother is the proud owner of this painting. She has it sitting on a small table in her dinning room.

The Shack


I was is Kentucky in April 2012 at my niece's home. I always bring my paints with me when I travel. It was my second day there when I decided I wanted to paint. My niece lives on top of a big hill. The view from her home is just amazing. Over looking the road from below there was this shack. The sun was hitting the building nicely, and the field of wild flowers were in full bloom. The distance of the hills in the back ground helps put some depth in this painting.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Spring Time Trail


 The day was perfect, the sun was shinning, and warm. There was so much to focus on I settled for this nice little spot along the trail.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Story Indiana

Story Indiana is such a cute little blink of an eye community with it's old historic Inn and gas station. I found the light gleaming through the trees would make a nice painting. The spring flowers add a nice color of pinks to go with all the green from the fresh greens of  spring.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Three Pears

I thought I would try something new for me, a still life! It's been a little cold for me to get out to do some plein air painting, so I went to the store and bought these pears. I know this is a good practice to do a still life. It is so much different and I find it challenging, but exciting to paint. Hope you enjoy this one.


Monday, January 23, 2012

Up Coming Art

I just finished 4 paintings, I will show my new paintings soon. I am waiting on the weather to calm down a bit to take the photos.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Shores of Whitewater River




The Whitewater River is one of Indiana's most beautiful rivers in the state. This was painted from Brookville, Indiana along Levee Road. If you ever get a change to visit Brookville, you have to take a drive down Levee Road. Part of the road had been washed away it made it a little tricky, but it was well worth it.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Holiday Show



The nest with red ornaments,were for the Holiday Show in December at the Hoosier Salon. I came up with this, thinking of what would a small animal take and put in a nest. This is one out of 7 nest that I have painted. I thought instead of putting eggs in a nest lets give it a little twist.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Change of Season




This was a fun time out in Brookville, Indiana. I was out on a paint out, but didn't have time to paint this plein air, so I drove around and took some photos. This was a painting I did right before Christmas from that photo.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Another Nest!



I painted this nest for the Hamilton County Artists' Association's Miniature Show in December. I could not think what to paint, so I thought do another nest. My husband told me "You are doing another nest"?  The theme for our December show was, "Good Things Come In Small Packages". The title is, "Early Surprise".

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Snowy Tracks

This was taken from a photo of mine along the tracks at Forest Park in Noblesville, Indiana. I took it a couple of years ago and finally dug it out. I just love snow paintings, the brightness of the snow, and the coolness of the shadows is why I painted the snow scene.

The New Easel

My Family and I were camping at Summit Lake in Indiana. I brought my easel and paints, so I could find the right subject to paint. My husband went with me on our little hike around the lake. He was carrying my easel which was filled with all my paints. The easel was pretty heavy. We would get to an opening and my husband would ask me if this spot was good. I would always respond with not hear. What I wanted, was him to carry that heavy easel half way around the lake, so he could see how heavy that easel was. This way I could talk him into a new tripod easel that I really wanted. Well I found the right spot. I finally allowed him to rest, and he told me that I needed to get a lighter easel. My plan for a new easel worked. I just had to think a little bit and make it his decision, then I could have what I wanted a new easel.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

The Camping Trip


My husband and two of his friends were heading out to the Hoosier National Forest, on their Harley's. I was close behind them in the car. We went to Deam Wilderness in the Hoosier National Forest, on Tower Ridge Road. It took a while to get to the place where they wanted to camp. They set up the camp, and I got out my paints. Then they decided they needed ice, so they left me there all by myself, it was very peaceful. I painted there campsite, and when they returned the painting was done. The best part of the trip was I got to climb the fire tower with my husband and his two friends, who are much younger than myself were afraid of heights. It turn out to be a great day.