'Not Far Afield' Exhibit Ending - The Vault at Gallery Mortgage, Bloomington, Indiana

© Robin Edmundson, 'Leonard's Barn', watercolor, 10 x 14 inches.  NFS

On December 3, I'll be taking down the exhibit that is currently hanging at the Vault at Gallery Mortgage in Bloomington, Indiana.   [121 E. 6th St.]  I have been so grateful for the wonderful people who manage the space and invited me to show there.  John La Bella is a kind and gracious host.

It's a beautiful space, intimate enough not to get lost, but large enough to get some distance as you look at each piece.  I hope you get a chance to see the show one last time before it comes down.

Impression - Fall Day

©Robin Edmundson, 'Impression - Fall Day', watercolor, 12 x 16 inches. 
Unframed $300

In 1873, Claude Monet painted a sunrise scene that he titled, 'Impression-Sunrise'.  The critics hated it.  It was the painting that gave the Impressionist movement its name.

His painting has always been a favorite of mine.  I love its subtleties.  He didn't try to say it all.  He simplified.  He made mood more important than accuracy. 

I pull up photos of the painting every so often to study his choices.  What he left out.  What he put in.  The colors he didn't use.  The colors he did use.  Where his focal point is.  Where the lines are.  How he communicated space and atmosphere. 

And then I close my eyes and let my mind's eye take me to a scene I've observed recently around here.  I focus on the feeling, the space, the atmosphere.  I exaggerate the colors.  I play with texture. I use a brush in a new way.  I practice the all-powerful Value.

The piece above is the latest one I've been working on.   I painted the initial washes, then let it sit for a few days, then decided how to emphasize the focal points and how to bridge them.  I added texture, then more, then more. 

And I stopped before it was an overworked mess.   I'm still practicing that. 

I could crop it into a square - and it would be beautiful - but it hasn't decided if it wants to be cropped or not and I'm kind of loving the greens on the far right.

I love that I managed to communicate [and then preserve] the impression of the day.  The bright colors, the clear air, the leaves falling.  This is the kind of creative practice that I love.

A Clue! A Clue!

Tomorrow evening [Friday, Sept 1, 2017] is the Bloomington Gallery Walk.

If you didn't get a chance to come to the opening party of my exhibit at the Vault, then here's your chance to come party with us one more time!

The Vault at Gallery Mortgage

121 E 6th St. Bloomington, IN

Regular Hours:  Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm

Sept. 1st Gallery Walk:  5 pm - 8 pm 

Here's some of what we have planned during the Gallery Walk:

• Treats:  Light refreshments and drinks of all types. 
• Great Art:  Almost as good as the treats.  I have some brand new art on the walls, too!
• Demonstration:  I'll be painting up some simple greeting cards.  Feel free to watch, ask questions, etc.
• A giveaway!  I'll have a matted original watercolor in an autumn scene for a lucky recipient!  Make sure you register when you come into the gallery.
• There are prints of 17 different pieces to purchase [$35 each], plus some notecards of my favorite Tree Studies [$4 each].  

As I mentioned above, I have some brand new art to unveil on Friday.   One piece I finished just yesterday.   The pic above and the one below are two small details about 2" x 2" each -ish [The entire piece is 18 x 24 inches.]   

Yes, they are in the same painting.  Feel free to guess what you think the subject is.   

I'll give you a hint:  It's a rural scene.

A Kettle of Vultures

© Robin Edmundson, 'A Kettle of Vultures - Study', watercolor, 10 x 14 inches. 

This was a quick study of the way the light went through the bottoms of some trees in the fields the other day - and a study of a kettle of vultures flying around.   We see these often out here and it's mesmerizing to watch them fly the updrafts.   It's one of our favorite things about living in deep country.  

There are some things I want to correct in the next draft of this piece, but there's something I really love about this study.   I keep coming back to it.  

Is it the light?   The motion of the birds in the sky?   Everyone in the family has had that reaction...there's something compelling in this one.

I'll be working on this idea again.