Summer Lake, 14x11

"Summer Lake" 14x11, Oil

The summer greens in Oregon have folded into shades of orange, soft rust, and bright yellow.  Fall is present in the Northwest, but so is the rain.  That means it's time to put away the sandals and strap on those boots. Here is the last piece I painted just before the rainy season began and it was a very blustery day.  The wind swept my roll of paper towels and ran with it, creating a trail that wove it's way into the lake below, causing me to pack up my easel prematurely.  This location is a pedestrian park in development called Summer Lake.  I discovered it late this past summer and have found it to be a great painting spot for those days when I have a small window of time.

Oh yes, a news flash! 

A few days ago, I received an invitation by Steve Doherty of Plein Air Magazine to be one of the participating artists in the field at the Plein Air Convention held in Monterey, CA.  I'm thrilled and truly humbled to be given this opportunity to share my joy of painting with a larger audience. Last year's Convention was incredible and I will never forget the feeling of being surrounded by so much talent, inspiration and new friends. If you attend the convention in April of 2013, please be sure to stop by and say "Hi" because I'd love to meet my blogging friends. Thank you to Steve Doherty!

Pastel Punch! Workshop Registration is open.

I am now taking registrations for my February 2013 workshop. Attendance will be limited to 10 artists for close, individual attention. I don't offer this workshop very often, but when I do, I make sure we have fun. Make your artistic goals a reality with a workshop packed full of information and experimentation.  Perhaps it's time you consider a workshop for a Christmas or Hannukah gift.

Pastel Punch! Workshop
Sequoia Gallery
Hillsboro, OR
February 8-10, 2013
9:00-4:00 pm daily
$300
http://brendaboylan.com/workshops

Little Lava Lake, 9x12 & Studio Sale update

"Little Lava Lake" 9x12" Pastel on sanded paper

As I was preparing for my Studio Sale/Christmas show, I stumbled across a pile of artwork that was somehow squirreled away in a portfolio in my closet. Now, this either tells me that I'm losing my memory or I'm a pack rat! Maybe someday I will find a stash of exotic treasures hidden away next time I'm preparing for a show! After all, I have been clearing out all my "stuff" and it has proven to be a much needed cleansing.

This one (above) was painted last summer on my trip to the Central Oregon area and had somehow escaped me. Like finding a lost friend, I looked at it with fresh eyes and decided it was a nice piece after all! Always the critic within!

Anyway, I'm glad to announce that my Open Studio went very well! We figured around 5o or so visitors that found homes for 22 pieces of art! To market this event I used Facebook, email, and standard mailers. Interesting enough, the most successful method of promotion was primarily a combination of both email and Facebook. The traditional snail-mail had the least amount of return.

Michele, me and Christine at my Open Studio

I always seem to be "laughing' in every post! Gosh, maybe a shot of me with my mouth closed would be nice, huh? As a testament to my friends, they are a great support and am so glad to have such a great group who support me and my ambitions. And now the new work begins!

"Paulina Marsh" 5.5x4

"Paulina Marsh" 5.5x4

On the same trip to Central Oregon as the previous post below, I came upon a beautiful lake that was formed by volcanic activity. Paulina Lake has a lot more bluish-greens than most lakes because of the overgrowth of algae and offers interesting edges on the shoreline. I'm offering this little original pastel study framed in a simple, black metal frame with a spacer between the pastel and the Antique White matboard. Shipped the next day to your continental US location. Monitor colors may vary.


FRAMED: $75.00 + $8.00 shipping continental US only.