Catalina Island Summer 2008

Last year 2 artists from my painting group and I went over to Catalina Island for an overnight stay to paint. This year we decided to go again but make it 2 nights as we thought we were way to exhausted from the one night stay. We like to make it a summer trip to get away from the heat of the Inland Empire. Joan Coffey who also came last year & Judy Schroeder a new artist in the group and I left on Tuesday from Long Beach on the Cat Express to Catalina Island. Missing was Louise Smith who had knee replacement surgery and was unable to go and we really missed her company, although Judy was great fun and a good sport.

We arrived on the island around 1:30 p.m., went to our motel to check in and knew that lunch and margaritas were in order to get the trip going. Of course after Margaritas, it was siesta time back at the motel. Around 4:30 p.m. we decided to go to Descanso Beach, we had painted the beach the year before, but thought it might be fun to actually go to the beach itself and paint the casino from another view. Judy thought the trip might be too much for her as she was just getting over gout in her foot so she stayed downtown to paint. Joan and I made the trip, me pulling my art gear in my Artcomber and Joan carrying hers in a back pack. After arriving we were in luck, the bar/cafe was still open and Margaritas were again in order. We started painting, looking back at the world famous casino, the shadows and the sun lit places were really beautiful as the sun was going down. Unfortunately we took too much time and darkness came around way too fast. I got the casino in quickly on my paintings and realized that when I got to the foreground that it was all in shadow, so I decided to come back the next day and finish the painting so I could make sure and get the shadows on the trees correctly from the same time of day as when I started the painting.

We then packed it up and met Judy downtown and went out for a very late dinner. At dinner we noticed how beautiful the reflections from the lights were on the pier and decided to give a night time painting try. The town was alive with music coming from the bars (some people trying to sing karoke), lots of people out for night strolls along the beach, it was full of action. We set up our paints and realized, we could not see them on the palate and the lighting was very dim. I always set up my paints in a certain order and so does Joan so we were able to try painting. We laughed at how we wondered what the paintings would look like once we got them under light. This was the end result for me!

We loved our paintings and decided this would be something we would need to do again the second night. What a full day of excitement and we were exhausted and decided it was time to turn in.

The next morning we got up and asked how to get out to the Botanical Gardens. We had a couple friends (Mike and Michael) who came to my reception the previous Thursday at the Visitors Center and they told me they were going to Catalina on Sat. I told them it would be fun for them to leave us something there and see if we could find it on our trip. Mike painted a rock with his 2 dogs on it and a note to me and Joan, (it was very cute, as soon as I get the photos from Joan and Judy I will share that adventure with you) and sent us some clues via email. Early Wed. morning we were off to Botanical Gardens to find our prize. It was great fun, thanks Mike and Michael for being such good friends and playing along.

After the Botanical Gardens we went for lunch at one of the outdoor cafes. Artichoke melt and artichoke quesadillas were on the menu and boy was that tasty. We then headed over to the beach for some afternoon paintings.

We needed to be finished by 4 p.m. so we could make it back to Descanso Beach as we didn't want to miss out on finishing our paintings from the day before and of course have Margaritas. After finishing up at Descanso Beach we had a bite to eat and painted another night painting. I think I was getting very tired by this time and my painting showed that (not very good). After a long day we decided we would not rush to get up the next morning.

Unfortunately my time clock woke me up early so I took my shower and went down for coffee in the lobby. Later on Joan and Judy joined me and we went out for a nice leisurely breakfast, did a little shopping and packed up and checked out of the motel. They are such nice people at the motel, they held onto our luggage until 4:30 and Judy brought our luggage to the boat terminal so Joan and I could paint out on the other side of the beach and not have to walk back. This painting turned out very busy and I am not sure that I like it. I will wait for it to dry and see if I can do some studio work on it and make it better, if not it will go into the bad painting bin! I wanted to try and get all the houses on the mountain behind the town and the peir, with the boats in the water. (Now that is a lot to write, and I should have known way too much for a small 9 x 12 painting).

All in all, I got 3 really nice paintings so I am very happy with the outing. It was a really nice time and I am looking forward to my next painting experience on Catalina Island. Until next time, ENJOY THE ART! Terry

PS: On another note, I have been commissioned to do 5 ceramic murals for a new hotel that is being built in Redlands. More on this as the details unfold. Very exciting news.

A Trip to Laguna Beach and the Montage

Finally I was able to get out to the beach for a day of painting. Patricia Rose Ford picked me up around 7 a.m. and we kind of had a feeling the day was going to be overcast as we left Redlands. As we approached the beach it was very foggy so we decided to go have breakfast and see what the day would bring. Every year I love going to Laguna to the Art's Festival. So Pat and I figured we would paint in the morning, and attend the festival in the afternoon, have a late lunch early dinner and return home. Well, mother nature decided our plans for us and said no, you will attend the festival first, have your late lunch early dinner then you may paint! After breakfast we took a walk along the beach and then decided to go to the Laguna Art Supply. I love this store. They have lots of different supplies for every type of art. It's a hands on experience. I gave Pat wrong directions and we actually parked and started walking to find the store in downtown Laguna Beach. Happy Mistake!

We came upon this wonderful gallery full of these remarkable sculptures. Yep, none other than Richard MacDonald. You can view his website at http://www.richardmacdonald.com/. We went in and started chatting with the Gallery Director who was Richard's son. What a wonderful person he is and a great asset to this particular gallery. He explained his dad's methods, his career and of course I bought the video that was playing on this large screen in the gallery. Richard sculpts using live models for his work and sculpts as they dance and do beautiful poses. I was so inspired by him that I cannot wait to start my next bronze.

Rich told us how to get to the Art Supply store from his gallery. Pat and I found the store and were delighted with our finds. I bought an armature so I can start my next bronze and some other things that I needed in my studio. We then went on to the Festival. I was wonderful seeing all the artwork and chatting with some of the artist who were there. We ended up having our late lunch/early dinner at the Festival of Arts. Pat and I were so enthralled with our lunch and chatting that we soon realized, the restaurant was closed and they were setting up for a wedding. We laughed as we looked around and the tables were all moved but ours and chairs were set up all around us. We asked the waiter why she didn't tell us to move and she smiled and said there was no hurry and we looked like we were having a good time!

Off to the beach. I wanted to go back to a place the PAAR group had painted a while back which is at the Montage Resort. The painting I did was from another bluff looking down at the Keyhole Rock which sits directly behind the hotel. Here is a link to the Montage, if your ever in the area it is a must see and a luxury place to stay.
Laguna Beach California Luxury Beach Resorts Montage Resort & Spa Orange County Luxury Spa Resort

On a very sad note, 67 afghan hounds were confiscated this past week and the AHCA is taking responsibility to re-home these afghan hounds. If you can find it in your heart to make a donation to this cause please go to this website for details. http://mosso.net/rescue I will be donating an 11 x 14 oil painting ($600.00 value) of your dog, painted by me from your photograph, and all proceeds will go to this rescue effort. It will become available soon on the site above for you to either bid on or buy tickets, however, the group wants to set it up to bring in the most money. I am also sending Barb Hastings (AHCA rescue chair) $200.00 worth of note cards so that she can thank people who have opened up their hearts to this cause. I am sure once you see the details on the website and look into these wonderful Afghans eyes you will want to help too.

UNTIL NEXT TIME, ENJOY THE ART and give your animals an extra hug! Terry d. Chacon

HARMONY

Number one of a limited edition of 15, of my new bronze sculpture "Harmony" is complete. She made her debut at my recent solo art exhibit at the Riverside Visitors Center (photos at the bottom of this post). The foundry was having trouble getting in the base they had designed for the piece and I got an email on Thursday morning that it had arrived and they would be delivering the sculpture by 5 p.m. to the Visitors Center. Eddie and I had worked all day finishing up last minute details for the reception. We had friends (Abbe and Gary Shaw) coming in from Santa Barbara and my brother Bob and his wife Betty from Lake Havasu City, Az. for the Art Exhibit and to enjoy the 4th of July holiday weekend together. Eddie and I started out to the visitors center around 4:45 already 15 minutes late of schedule and remembered we needed ice. We pulled into a mini mart which had to be the busiest place off the freeway. We hurried and put the ice in the cooler and off to the Visitors Center. We were fortunate there was very little traffic and we buzzed right over and even found a space to park right up front. Luckily Sherrie had called from the foundry and said they were also running late. We were met at the Visitors Center by the caretaker "Nacho" and he was very helpful in helping us unload and had the place looking just perfect for the event. As luck would have it, Bob and Sherrie arrived at 5:45, the event started at 6 p.m. "Harmony" stole the show. Everyone was so impressed with her and I cannot say how excited I was. My dream of sculpting a lady running with an Afghan Hound has now come to life. I have had this dream for a long time and every time I look at this piece I get chill bumps and have to pinch myself that it is really true.


(you can see more photos of "Harmony" on my website under the Bronze page. The button is on the left side of the home page, www.terrydchacon.com )







Below are a few more photos of the reception for the Art Exhibit.

The first photo is my husband Eddie (thank you Eddie for all your support, none of this would be possible without you) and Bill Perez setting up the wine and the finger food table for the guests.



















The second photo is of Chuck Alarcon and Victor Barajas who purchased the painting "Mirror Image" that is behind us on the wall. Thank you Chuck and Victor for your continued support of my artwork. Enjoy your new painting!














This photo is a shot of Abbe Shaw my best friend from Santa Barbara, Pat Ford, Priscilla Wright and Pat's sister-n-law Barbara from Sacramento.















The following photos are random shots of the event. I tried to pick photos of the exhibit behind the guests.

I want to thank Joan Coffey for taking all of these great photos and for helping with my solo exhibition. I also want to thank everyone who came by to see the show and thank all of my friends and family for their support. If you missed this reception, there is another reception on Aug. 7, 2008 from 6 to 9 p.m. The bronzes will also be on display at this time.






Here is the info on the exhibit. I hope to see you there. Until next time, ENJOY THE ART! Terry d. Chacon

IMPRESSIONS-Paintings by Terry d. Chacon
SOLO EXHIBITION
July 3-August 31, 2008 This exhibit will include recent Plein Air paintings of Riverside and surrounding
areas & Afghan Hound Bronze Sculptures & Pet Portraits by a National Award Winning Artist. Riverside Visitors Center3750 University Ave. Suite 175, Riverside, Ca. 92501

(Across from the UCR Photography Museum)

RECEPTION: Aug. 7, 2008 from 6 to 9, Come by and meet the artist, refreshments will be served!

Exhibit is organized by the Riverside Community Art Association.

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...