Lavender Festival Week 3

This weekend we moved our set up to the grass area where all the entertainment is going on. We had painted the fields the past 2 weekends and thought some different scenes of the festival were in order. I focused in on the musicians. What talent these young men and women have. Most of them have a long list of accolades and boy do they show a lot of promise. Most of them only played for about 15 minutes, so I didn't have a lot of painting time. The first one I did was of the trumpet player and the guitar player. They each did solo's then came back and played together. You might remember at Redland's Art in the Park I told the story of the young man who played his guitar in the Christian booth across from me. Well this is the same young man. It was such a pleasure to hear him again. "The Musicians" 5 x 7 on canvas board $125.00. The next day I painted the scene of the piano and the lavender fields in the morning. I had my friend take some photos of the piano players throughout the day and I actually painted the pianist in the painting in my studio this past week. With everything going on and only a small amount of time to capture the musician I wanted to make sure I had it right. People are not my usual subjects, so they take me a bit longer. Now put a dog or cat in the painting and I am there. "Talent" 9 x 12 oil on canvas board $400.00. Painting in Plein Air sometimes draws from your memory. The light is moving quickly, the shadows change and people and animals just don't sit still. I want to really work on people and animals in my Plein Air paintings so stay tuned for future paintings with these subjects. These paintings and others from my blog are available in note cards and Giclee prints. Contact me for details. I accept Visa/Mastercard, checks and Paypal. For now ENJOY THE ART! Terry d. Chacon

Do Not Disturb

"Do Not Disturb" is a new kitty painting, 11 x 14 on wrap around canvas, that I just completed last week. My son Matthew lives in Monterey, Ca. where he works as an assistant golf pro for the First T Foundation while completing his internship for the PGA, and "Jasper the kitty" lives next door to him. Matthew has always been allergic to cats, but for some reason Jasper does not bother him. Jasper visits Matthew often and he even finds him sleeping in his bed. He comes to the back door and meows until Matthew lets him in. Then Matthew says he runs around the house purring and playing and when he tires he finds him fast asleep in the strangest places. Yesterday he found him sleeping in the kitchen cabinet, he had torn open a package of napkins and made a mess of them then used them for his bed. The photo reference for this painting was taken by Matthew with his cell phone. It was so beautiful when he sent it to me that I had to paint a painting. Matthew and his girlfriend Taylor were here this past week visiting. We went to an Angel game, had a barbecue with friends and had some time to visit. It was so nice to have him home, even for just a few days. I will have this painting and many more at my upcoming solo exhibition show at the Riverside Visitors Center. Here is the info.

“Impressions” - Paintings by Terry d. Chacon
SOLO EXHIBITION
This exhibit will include recent Plein Air paintings of Riverside & Pet Portraits by a National Award Winning Artist.
July 1, 2008 through Aug. 31, 2008
Riverside Visitors Center (across from UCR Photography Museum)
3750 University Ave. Suite 175, Riverside, Ca. 92501
(8am – 5pm Mon. –Fri, 9 a.m. – 6pm Sat-Sun)
Reception: July 3, 2008 from 6-9pm
Exhibit is organized by the RCAA.
(909) 798-0567 visit my website at: http://www.terrydchacon.com/

I hope you can come to my opening reception, July 3 from 6-9. Until next time, enjoy the art! Terry

Lavender Festival Weekend 2

Each day at the festival has been fun, funny and funnier! Friday Luz Perez and I arrived around noon. Sharon Suhovy and Rudy Estanque were set up and painting away. We quickly set up our booth and began painting. I found some shade nearby the tent that holds my artwork so I could help any customers who might come out our way. Another landscape view of the old oak tree was calling me. I wanted to try and make this a very peaceful painting and not as much going on as the one I had done the week before. The weather was hot but the air quality was very grey expecially in the distance making the mountains very subdued in the painting. I had put the fence in originally on the right hand side and when I went out the next day I realized the fence was actually going across in front of the old oak tree. I added that later. The resort has brought in some sheep that make their home down by the old oak tree, but since they told me about the rattle snakes that make their home around the old oak tree also, I have not been down their to see the sheep. On Sunday I was told by a couple ladies that I should go down there as they said the tree is so huge that it kind of puts you in a trance when you stand near by. Also, another man said at one time someone must have tried to pull the tree up with a huge chain. He said the chain is actually embedded in the trunk. So I am learning lots about this tree, but I will probably never go down to see for myself.

Late in the afternoon, Rudy was painting and all of a sudden the leg gave out on his easel. All of his equipment including his painting, umbrella, brushes, paints, palate went into the pond. I quickly ran over the help him retrieve his gear. What a mess, but all was salvageable. I think someone got some photos of the scene, so when I get them I will add them to this post. It actually was pretty funny after. Then Sharon went to get in her car and we think that the same 6 foot snake that scared the daylights out of me the week before decided to guard her car. It would not let her in for some reason, went under the car and kept coming out after her if she tried to get close. She called for some help and a group of helpers from the festival came to help her. She said they finally figured out that she had parked very close to the snakes hole and it was just trying to get there and not really hurt anyone. Ya right, they still scare me to death!

Saturday is an early day to arrive at the Festival. When I arrived I noticed immediately that the red canoe had been banked and the morning light was terrific. I took artist liberty and took out the back of the cafe, and put in a couple of the unkept palms in the area to make a better design as I want the main focus to be the red canoe. The sharp shadow under the boat really captures the scene. A funny note on this day was a man came and set beside me. Now you have to realize there is so many tables and chairs and most of them were empty all around, but no he sits right next to me. I thought he wanted to watch me paint. He set there very quietly and before you know it he is snoring up a storm. I could not believe it. Finally it got so annoying that I started making noise and he woke up as if to say "Hey, you woke me up!" He got up and left. Boy the wonders of painting outdoors.

Sunday Sharon joined us again. My son Matthew and his girlfriend Taylor came in late Sat. night. They came out to see the festival along with my husband Eddie. We had a nice time, but I had talked so much about snakes that my son said "if I see one snake I am outta here." Luckily I have not seen any snakes since the first day, but I am on the watch and stepping lightly everywhere I go. Sunday I decided to paint a vertical painting of the oak tree. It is amazing what a difference a day makes. Today was bright and sunny and the paintings even though they are of the same subject are so different in color.

Next week we will be moving our booth up to the front on the lawn area. So stay tuned for some different looking paintings from the Lavender Festival. Until next time, ENJOY THE ART! Terry d. Chacon

Lavender Festival

The Lavender Festival kicked off it's first weekend. The festival is always a beautiful place to be. The entertainment of beautiful soothing music is echoed throughout the area, which is a huge area not including the lavender fields. The views are enchanting, the aroma is soothing. What more can I say except to show you a few paintings I did on location June 6 & 7. And invite you to come out one of the next 3 weekends in June.

The first 2 images are actually one painting, but I am drawn to the simplistic approach of the 1100 year old oak tree. To me the first one has too much going on. Although the scene is telling a story, with the tables, umbrellas and people having lunch down by the lake in view of the large oak tree next to the lavender fields.

The next painting I want to talk about is the painting with the mama duck and her little ducklings. Now this is a sight to see. I have had so much enjoyment out of watching this mama duck teach her babies a thing or two. Next time you see me ask for the info, I don't think I can express them as well by writing about them, as I can talking and gesturing their movements in person. It has been an amazing experience. I of course had to paint a little 5 x 7 of the experience. The murky green pond that they live in has an island in the middle. That will make for another days painting in one of the upcoming weekends that I will be on location painting. Some other members from my painting group were out to paint on Sat. They too loved the view of the old oak tree in the distance and were getting some very nice paintings. It was fun to visit with them during the day.

The last painting is a very quick impression of the Oak Tree. It is colorful and will take forever to dry with so much paint on the canvas. I look forward to my next outing which will be Fri, Sat. & Sun starting June 13. Until next time,

Enjoy the ART! Terry

PS: There was a nice write up about me in the Press Enterprise this morning. Here is a link to the Internet site of the paper.

Artist Spotlight: Terry d. Chacon 6/9/2008 Arts & Theater PE.com Southern California News News for Inland Southern Ca...