Appalachian Spring-- vintage campers hit the road

The Happy Camper Mobile Art Gallery has inspired a new little series as part of Appalachian Spring collection. (The opening is coming up on March 22, 2013...have you made your reservations for our Art & Dine evening?)




Here's a sneak peek at a couple of my new vintage camper pieces--hitting the road in the Smoky Mountains and the highlands of western Maine.

on the road in the Smokies, 30x30 inches, oil on canvas. ©2013 Kristina Wentzell

on the road in western Maine, 30x40 inches, oil on canvas, ©2013 Kristina Wentzell

These paintings are part of my upcoming show:

Appalachian Spring

paintings inspired by the landscape, flora & fauna of the Appalachian corridor

March 22nd- April 20, 2013

Opening Reception

March 22nd, 2013

5-8pm

Jaffrey Civic Center

40 Main Street

Jaffrey NH

More details HERE

 

Art & Dine

The opening for my upcoming Appalachian Spring show is fast approaching. When I discovered it was coinciding with another art opening at the Jaffrey Civic Center and the start of spring I decided to put together a little something special to mark the occasions.
Join me for an evening of fine art and fine dining in Jaffrey, NH. All the details can be found here.

Art & Dine

March 22nd, 2013

5-8pm

Jaffrey NH

Appalachian Spring-- a painting collection

About a year ago, I painted a little series of paintings called walking with spring.

Kristina on the AT

I was inspired by a journey I had taken long ago with my new sweetheart (now husband) to hike the Appalachian Trail. It was sort a love story, adventure, and marvels at the wonders of nature all rolled into one.

walking with spring, oil on canvas, 8x8 inches.  (c)2011 Kristina Wentzell

Since those first paintings, I find myself returning on canvas to those mountains again and again. To the southern section of the Appalachian Trail where the spring beauties transformed the forest floor to a carpet of snow.  To the northern parts of the Appalachians in the western mountains of Maine-- our family home and a place where I have spent every summer.

spring beauties, North Carolina  ©1992 Kristina Wentzell

I have lived most of my life along the Appalachian Corridor--hiking its mountains, berry picking, bird watching and later hiking the Appalachian Trail.  It has been a constant muse for my artwork.  What better way to pay tribute to the grand mountain chain than to bring together an entire collection of paintings inspired by this landscape?

The Appalachian Mountains are a series of ranges that stretch from Georgia in the south all the way into Maine in the northern US. It actually continues north from there into the Canadian Maritimes and ends in Newfoundland. They are home to the Great Smoky Mountains in the south, the Shenandoahs in Virginia, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. So many diverse places of beauty all rolled into one.

Gros Morne Mountain, Newfoundland  ©2011 Kristina Wentzell

My collection entitled Appalachian Spring: paintings inspired by the landscape, flora & fauna of the Appalachian Corridor will be on display at the Auditorium Gallery in the Jaffrey Civic Center. March 22nd- April 20th, 2013. There will be an opening reception on March 22nd, 5-8pm.

  

A Year of Paintings

It is very wintery outside, and for those of us in my neck of the woods--we're hunkering down for a coming Nor'easter. Inside my studio--things are very different--I am launching a new project to remind us all of the coming spring and summer: A Year of Paintings

A Year of Paintings is a unique subscription club for art lovers.  Participants will receive six original oil paintings throughout the year all at an incredible value.

A Year of Paintings: florals  ©2012 Kristina Wentzell

 

 

 

How it works

Choose a floral or landscape theme, pay a one-time subscription fee, and receive 6 vibrant original oil paintings over the course of the year. A Year of Paintings represents a substantial value for collectors (over 50% savings).  Your first painting will arrive in March and every other month thereafter. Paintings may be picked up at my studio or shipped right to your door. There is a limited number of subscriptions available. Paintings are 10x10 inches in size on gallery wrapped canvas and are wired and ready for hanging.  The price for a subscription is $600. 

A Year of Paintings: landscapes  ©2012 Kristina Wentzell

 

 

Available in two themes

A Year of Flowers:  Your subscription will include 6 original oil paintings, each a vibrant, colorful depiction of a different seasonal flower.

A Year of Landscapes: Your subscription will include 6 original landscape paintings depicting a variety of seasonal scenes of woods, meadows, and mountains.

Benefits for Collectors

Collectors will receive multiple original works from a limited series at a fantastic value (over 50% savings).  At the end of the year, you will have a substantial collection of fine art that can be arranged as a group, singly, or given as gifts. A Year of Paintings subscription makes a great wedding or new home owner gift.



Go here to purchase a subscription or for more information.

Grand Harbor Light seascape--progression

My painting progression posts seem to be a hit with folks so I am going to post more of them this year. I've created a "progression" label--see the sidebar on the right--so you can look up past paintings I have posted about.

I recently finished a commission for a seascape of Grand Harbor lighthouse in Michigan. The painting presented a compositional challenge in that the the canvas was very long and narrow (20 x 60 inches) and I had to figure out how to incorporate the buildings in a visually compelling manner.

step 1: base coat of cadmium orange and basic composition sketched in with charcoal

step 2: underpainting (a mixture of ultramarine blue and cadmium orange) of basic shapes and darkest values

step 3: laying in the sky--I added a lot of drama and diagonal lines to add visual interest

step 4: adding more color to sky

step 5: I opted for a choppy surf for more visual interest

step 6: I must have gotten lost in right brain mode because I forgot to photograph a few steps ;-)  The sky is mostly completed with a slightly setting sun and lots of dramatic clouds, choppy surf and architectural features laid down.

final piece ready to send off to clients!

Happy Camper in the news

Happy Camper Mobile Art Gallery: Happy Camper in the news: The Happy Camper Mobile Art Gallery is making the news!  She (as I like to call my little trailer) was featured in the NH Arts & Enter...