PineShoreStudio/Paintings by Helen Harris

I have to laugh as I write this blog. I skipped last Sunday's check in because of a technical glitch. Today, this is my second version of this blog because my computer ate my first draft... and ooo I thought I had a good one too! The universe is clearly trying to tell me something... bringing me to this question posed by a follower. Q: What do you do with older/failed paintings? Do you throw them out ? A: When a painting has stayed in my hands too long, I know it is only a matter of time before it will be returned to my easel. I never think of a painting as a failure, only as a  work that needs time and more skill to resolve. I am not opposed to reworking a painting. As my skills have grown, my vision for my work has changed. Influenced by other artists that  I study and simply by showing up each day in my studio to paint.   That being said, it is not easy for an artist to rework a finished painting. There is a period of denial, of angst, frustration of time invested and ...

So where have I been? Long story,short answer...here is where I am!    Five years away from blogging but miles along my journey as an artist. I've studied, painted and exhibited watercolor, mixed media,acrylic and now oils. Many art shows later,cross country trips, 2 different homes ...5 grandchildren! I've landed in a place that has brought me full circle...wanting to share my work ,my techniques, my studio and experiences as a dailypainter.  I hope you will continue to seek me out . I'll be right here. Please take time to scroll through my older posts to get to know my work of my past to see where I now have come.The life of an artist is "Take Me There..." oil on panel 5"x7"   helenharrispaintings.com a wondrous journey if you choose to take the first step...walk with me ...again.

How do I express the many sights and  awestruck moments that I enjoyed on my trip West ? I attempted to keep a journal on my trip but quickly discovered that there were only so many ways that I could say "wow!' . Words simply failed to express the wonder of such immense, open land.  I tried some photographs and was more successful, but still felt that the 360 degree vision of clouds in a crisp morning air was lost in the flatness of the shot. I recorded the facts and now as I paint each day I am trying to convey the feelings that were present.  Little by little the images are beginning to appear as I sift through all that I absorbed from walking in this wonderland of mountains, plains and coast, through pines and sage and drought dried riverbeds.  As I prepare to paint larger canvases than I've ever tackled before, I decided to work out the images not only in my sketches but as small paintings.   My Etsy  shop  features  these "small wo...

Laying out a new palette of colors...the West is so different from what I'm used to in the East. Did I mention the colors in between of the Mid West?   The last 15 days of my life have been driving through out this beautiful country, 7000 miles to and from. Until now most of my life has been along the Eastern Atlantic seacoast. Blues and varied greens, deep tones of purples have been the hues of my life. I reached the Pacific coast. Drought has dried the mighty rivers and turned the green tinged, rocky wilderness to tones of yellowed brown suedes. Silvery /violet sage brush withstand the harsh, unrelenting sun. Smoke from over 200 fires blanketed the ridges. Astonished by the vast grazing pastures and ever-present cornfields interrupted by farms of wind turbines, the images are starting to take form in my first sketches in pen & watercolor...paintings sure to follow. Will this be my theme for my upcoming Spring show in 2016? Time will tell. Can I connect the dots of my life l...

SplitRock Falls has been a learning experience in painting as well as marketing.  Repainted, framed, almost purchased, unframed, repainted and now...finished! Such is the life of some paintings.They get placed against a wall for months even turned toward the wall in rejection only to be revisited from time to time because it nags the soul of a painter.The bare bones of the idea has always remained along with the vision and intent, but the painting took many revisions.  I've learned to hashtag my "works in progress" ( #wip) so that my customers realize that changes may yet occur while posting on social media. I must give credit to  the outspoken yet gentle critique from one of my collectors for pointing me in the right direction on this one. An early version of this painting attracted her interest. After visiting my studio, not realizing that the work was still undergoing changes, she passed on its purchase, respecting my need to pursue my approach to the work and not ...

      I'm about to drive across the country. Half excited, half dreading the long journey, I'm making decisions of what art supplies to pack. Really, you'd think this would be a simple task...just bring everything! Of course, I envision stopping roadside to capture every new plant life, river & mountain. I will be resting along the highways & byways to picnic in a bucolic setting watching the sunsets as I go west, painting en plain air..... ahhhhno . Recently I returned from one trip to New Hampshire & Maine and another from the Adirondacks of New York. I am more fully aware and at ease with the methods and habits of my day as an artist that have worked for me over the years. Always changing as I've added new skills, I've also learned to be kind to myself and not beat myself up when that gorgeous sunrise was not captured, brush in hand at that moment right there on the spot or sketched in newly purchased journals.        You see, I was p...

This past week I enjoyed a trip away from my studio. I revisited my home in upstate New York, near Albany.  I had a wonderful time revisiting the fields I ran in as a child, the hills I flew down on my bike and the lakes where I  learned to swim. While  catching up with a childhood friend, a suggestion to go see a Van Gogh exhibit at The Clark Museum in Williamstown, MA became an exciting unexpected side trip. As we drove up Rt.43 from NY state to MA, I recalled the source of  my paintings! I had absorbed that land as a child and never left it behind.  More gently rolling mountains than the soaring ones I saw last month in New Hampshire and Maine, expanses of pastures broken by the now green swath of ski runs, with glittering lakes tucked into every turn. My head was on swivel as my hands painted the air.    I entered The Clark and walked the Van Gogh exhibit. Painting after painting I saw work of this artist that I had never seen before. Sketches w...

On January 1, 2015 I wrote and posted the following: "So each of us start out with that same clean canvas or paper. We attack it with all our gusto. Paint and brush fly to the rhythm of our music and ......blah. Does your canvas get relegated to a dark corner of your studio?  Do you actually convince yourself that it is an ok painting ....even frame it? Do I hear a mumbled  "Yes!" I know that I've sat staring at an unsold work on my living room wall debating ..leave it and just go from here, throw it out, hide it and pretend it was from your first year of painting....or learn from it. Unframe it, rework it, draw on it, wipe out whole areas. Use this effort to move forward and rejoice that you have come a long way ....at least far enough to be your own critic! This is YOUR painting until it is sold. " (Click on this link to see the the unsold original painting which I reworked and then ...it sold! Crystal Lake Falls ) Well it has happened ...again ... ...

With summer 2014 officially over, it's time to get back to my blogging. The vacation was great! I may have been away from my blog but it was an art filled summer! Returning to the outdoor art shows was a real treat and an eye opener to the fact that I am older ( lugging equipment was harder!) and that I had to discover new venues to attend. Many of my old shows simply blew away with hurricane Sandy here in 2012 and the up and down economy simply ended many. Another surprising fact, returning to my full time painting brought a more adventurous outlook on my work. I made a deliberate decision to work in acrylics on canvas rather than the watercolor on paper for which I am known. I created many pieces landscapes, seascapes, florals and abstract in acrylic  with and without my signature textured papers. The results, I feel, were well worth the time and effort spent in the struggle of learning a new medium . The sales were encouraging also! Here are two  examples of my study....

Today's blog was originally written in 2009. Reentering my studio in October of 2013 for the first time as a full time artist after life's ups & downs I found  that rereading some of my own advice was more timely and helpful than I thought or  would ever need. Our past blogs remind us where we have been and help keep us focused on our journey. Risky Business 2009 My natural palette is blue/brown . My usual expression relies on applied textures. Vermilion Skies was painted to challenge these habits. Surprised by the outcome,encouraged by its quick sale,I continue to grow and learn as an artist when willing to set aside that which I already know and take a risk. I've been teaching more and more lately. I find my biggest challenge is not in teaching art principles but confidence...specifically brush confidence. I first heard reference to such a concept from Barry John Raybould . Struck by the phrase, I wondered if it applied to watercolors . It was obvious in oils and ...

There are days when my palette just sings clear & loudly with pure color. How often an artist adds just one last brush stroke and it muddies the piece. Not here! " On a Clear Day" presents bright blues, clear purples,rich orange and reds and a touch of green to create a rainbow that carries you into this miniature landscape. An original watercolor ACEO ( Artist Collection and Edition Original), this painting is signed and dated on the back and mounted on a coordinating colored mat board format of 2.5"H x 3.5" W, enclosed in acetate envelope it is available for purchase from my Etsy Shop

T'is the season......... If you click on over to my web site , you'll view many of the original watercolor/collage paintings that are available as gifts for this holiday season. Experience a random act of culture: buy a painting! Remember many of these works can be purchased as prints on paper, canvas or as a greeting card by visiting my FineArtAmerica site and customizing your selection.

Yesterday as the rain came down & the winds blew cold I treated myself to a visual appetizer by painting this little scene. I view Spring as my appetizer, Summer my entree and the Autumn is my dessert....hmmm Winter ..I just snack! I've posted this in my Etsy shop , matted but unframed . I'll be giving a mixed media demo this Sunday @ the EarthDay 2009 Festival @ Bayonet Farms, 41 Middletown Rd.,Holmdel NJ..My demo will concentrate on the recycling of materials in art.

Standing on the shore, rocky,splashed,grasses whipped by the salty breeze,.....clarity and thoughts of summer not far away. Mixed media on paper: image size 4.25"H x 12"W acrylic inks, gouache, watercolor raffia, watercolor paper, unryu ,papyrus blended fiber gel, matte medium

Another painting in progress, continuing to learning from what came before. I'll be discussing this piece, how it started, changes as I developed it and the final work on my PaintersBrew blog. I reached a point where I ran off to my framer to set it inside a frame and see where I needed to adjust colors,shapes etc. Always is a good idea to step back and evaluate a work by isolating it in a mat or frame before finishing. Back to the drawing board.....

This is the newest mixed media work that I have completed. It is also the one that I am currently featuring in " how to" discussions on my instructional site PaintersBrew . Canyon River is 18"H x 24" W and is on watercolor canvas. It features my signature texturing of papyrus, unryu papers and textured gels. It is currently available by clicking on the Fine Art America link in my left hand column. A nice feature on this site is the ability to zoom in on segments of an image for closer views. Please take a moment and click on over...and welcome!

This original,mixed media painting featured on the right is my newest painting. Sirocco is a departure from my usual painting in that it is a work on canvas. Highly textured,this 12"H x 12"W watermedia work is currently available through ArtFire and Fine Art America . This piece was conceived as an example for my participants in my last mixed media workshop. I wanted to show the multiple techniques that can be applied in mixed media. I am currently beginning a new painting by resurrecting an old painting. My new blog, PaintersBrew is establishing itself as an instructional ,exploratory site in mixed media. Please join me, as we explore this painting style. sold

Much like stretching before exercising, pull out an old "failed" painting and just "have at it". I stated this in my last blog. Robin Maria Pedrero commented "...PS recently learned a "failed" piece can be labeled a study, where we learned something." I can't tell you how many times I've told my workshop students or demonstrated that these amazingly poor paintings can emerge as accomplished work. How often have you given up on a piece too soon?After that question ,please ask yourself ,"Why?" Now switch that thinking to "Why not?"and simply pick up a new color, tear some rice paper,dip into acrylics,slash a broad pastel stroke across that muddled tone. Rebuild, reshape that composition and have at it ! " The amateur is afraid of boldness,the professional is afraid of timidity."-Ed Whitney

I'm truly enjoying this ACEO format ( 2.5" x 3.5"). I've found it valuable to work out ideas in small scale or simply working on a quick daily idea. My shop http://pineshorestudio.etsy.com/ is getting a following of collectors of my work. Nice...maybe these are a good lead into collecting larger work. Here are 2 that just sold. Please visit my shop to see new work.

I just finished this piece and framed it today. As yet untitled, I've already received some nice feedback from customers watching me put it together. Three days a week,I work at a framing/ gallery. The access to so many styles of framing ,mat colors and techniques is an advantage that has made the presentation of my work a higher quality than many artists can make available to their customers. I think this is one of the reasons my work is well received. My customers know that when they purchase a framed painting ,it's a well thought out package, professionally crafted. I have a pet peeve about artists that simply slap on any old frame, especially when I know they have invested time and effort in their images. A fine framing job can make a difference.