Uncategorized

Oils vs. Acrylics

/ lipkingallery

I just spent 2 very happy Saturdays at the Scottsdale Artists’ School Portrait Open Studio. It’s been 7 years since I was a regular there, every Saturday morning, and it was fantastic to be back again. And…I learned a new technique. New to me, anyway.

I hadn’t brought any paints with me, only drawing materials, but I noticed that most of the others were doing “value paintings” using an oil palette of white, burnt sienna, and viridian. I’ve done plenty of value paintings, but never with viridian, so I couldn’t wait to get back to my own studio, break out the oil paints, and try it for myself. Today was the day!

I haven’t used oils in a while, but using them again today reminded me of why I love them and used them for so many years. They are so easy to play with, and they stay workable for hours, so there’s no rush. I can relax, take my time and enjoy the process. For my first effort at the new technique, I decided to copy one of the drawings I’d done at the Open Studio. I’m pretty happy with it, though still not sure if I like the viridian or not. I’ll work on it some more tomorrow, but here’s the ‘first draft.’

Monica, 12 x 9, oil and Monica, charcoal on paper, 14 x 11

Featured

Just Released!

/ lipkingallery

The Butterfly Carpet Murders, the latest addition to my Bella Sarver Mystery series, is now available on Amazon.com.

It’s been a long two years and the pandemic isn’t over yet, but it’s finally under control, thanks to vaccines, masks, and treatment options. Bella Sarver and her husband, Art Halperin, are thrilled to be able to travel once more. They’ve been so looking forward to visiting the UK, particularly, the Scottish Highlands, home to so much beauty and fascinating history. True to expectations, the Highlands are indeed beautiful, but they’re also filled with ghosts from the past, ghosts that insist on intruding into the present.  When one of their fellow tourists meets with an accident, Bella wonders – was it an accident? Or something more sinister? Could it really be the curse of the butterfly carpet?

Though Art is leery of his wife getting involved with the case, Bella can’t help herself. She just has to figure out ‘who dunnit?’ Doesn’t she?

Available in paperback and Kindle editions.

Coming Soon

/ lipkingallery

The Butterfly Carpet Murders

a new Bella Sarver Mystery

Bella Sarver is back! My husband and I visited Scotland last year and were fascinated by its beauty and especially, its long and complex history. Wouldn’t this make a wonderful setting for a new Bella Sarver mystery, I asked myself. The answer was ‘Yes, absolutely, ‘ so I got to work, and the result is The Butterfly Carpet Murders, to be released on December 14th, when it will be available on Amazon.com. Watch for the announcement!

It’s been a long two years and the pandemic isn’t over yet, but it’s finally under control, thanks to vaccines, masks, and treatment options. Bella Sarver and her husband, Art Halperin, are thrilled to be able to travel once more. They’ve been so looking forward to visiting the UK, particularly, the Scottish Highlands, home to so much beauty and fascinating history. True to expectations, the Highlands are indeed beautiful, but they’re also filled with ghosts from the past, ghosts that insist on intruding into the present.  When one of their fellow tourists meets with an accident, Bella wonders – was it an accident? Or something more sinister? Could it really be the curse of the butterfly carpet?

Though Art is leery of his wife getting involved with the case, Bella can’t help herself. She just has to figure out ‘who dunnit?’ Doesn’t she?

Featured

Paradise Re-Found

/ lipkingallery

The pandemic affected all of us–young, old and in-between–in various ways, but I don’t think anyone was left unharmed. The most painful effect I experienced (besides contracting Covid. Twice.) was being deprived of my accustomed, almost daily, contact with fellow artists and writers. I always knew I valued those relationships, but I hadn’t realized how important they were to me until I wasn’t free to experience them anymore. One of the things that kept me sane (?) was watching episodes of Death in Paradise, not so much for the characters and plots but for the gorgeous, inspiring scenery. The beautiful, if fictional, Caribbean island of Ste. Marie reminded me that there was still life out there, and I’d get to see it again someday. So what better title for my recently completed paintings than “Paradise Found” and “Paradise Afternoon?” I hope you enjoy them.

Paradise Found, acrylic, 30 x 30, $1800

Paradise Afternoon, acrylic, 30 x 30, $1800

In A Mirror

/ lipkingallery / 5 Comments

As you know, our grandson, Dillon Jennings, passed away last November. He left behind a legacy of photos and poetry, which I have compiled into a nice hard-cover book and published for him, in his memory. If you’d like a copy, it’s available now on Amazon.com. Any proceeds from sales will go towards a memorial bench for Dillon in his favorite forest preserve, where he spent a lot of time and composed his work.

Click here to preview or purchase.

Dillon Jennings 1994-2022

/ lipkingallery

My beloved grandson, Dillon, died almost three weeks ago. He was only 28 years old and should have had a long and happy life ahead of him. Instead, he somehow lost his way and couldn’t find his path back. Unbeknown to anyone, he seems to have spent much of the last year of his life roaming through the forest preserve near his home, taking wonderful pictures, and writing brief poems about them. To be honest, many of those poems don’t make a lot of sense to me, yet I can see a certain beauty in them, in his choice of words and images, in his rhythms and rhymes. Many of the others, though, are quite moving. Dillon thought a lot about the nature of the universe, about time, about God.

The photos, too, are well-composed and artistic. They aren’t merely snapshots, but carefully designed images. Dillon posted all his photos and poems on Instagram, where they were apparently seen by almost nobody. Not until after he was gone.

I have spent a lot of the time since he left us downloading all of the images and poems, and I am compiling them into a book, which I will publish when it’s ready. I’ve given it a title, based on one of the poems. In a Mirror—Reflections in Pictures and Poems. It’s all we have left of Dillon now. And our memories, of course. We—his family who loved him so much—will always keep his memory alive in our hearts.

So How Do You Name Your Pieces?

/ lipkingallery
Gothic Bazaar, Mixed Media, 11 x 14, $175.00

Sometimes people ask me how I come up with my titles. Well, I enjoy naming my pieces almost as much as I do creating them in the first place. I try to invent names that give the viewer a hint of what I was thinking while I was painting, but at the same time, something that leaves a bit of mystery, a little question in their minds. I’m calling this piece Gothic Bazaar. Why? Well, the pointed arch is a bit of Gothic architecture, isn’t it? And the colors remind me of the time I visited the bazaar in Istanbul, full of golds and secret passageways and hidden corners. Touristy? Sure, but all the same exotic and fun. Everything about this–the design, the colors, and yes – even the title, says Whimsy. A bit of whimsy to brighten up a cold winter day.

Let It Flow, Let It Flow, Let It Flow

/ lipkingallery

Allegro, Mixed Media, 16 x 20

Paint on canvas-what could be more peaceful and calming than the simple act of applying paint to canvas? Letting the paint flow while music supplies the mood and and directs the action. Enjoying the colors, savoring the process of letting the design happen. Nothing better on a January day.

Here are two of my latest efforts.

Melody, Mixed Media, 14 x 11

Feel free to contact me for prices and delivery information.

Xanadu Gallery

/ lipkingallery

In Xanadu, did Kubla Khan

A stately pleasure-dome decree

So begins Samuel Coleridge’s famous poem. Xanadu Gallery in the heart of downtown Scottsdale, Arizona, might not exactly rival the ancient city of Shangdu, China, but it’s an inspiring place, nonetheless, featuring a variety of beautiful and innovative artworks created by artists all over the country. So I consider it an honor to have some of the paintings in my Red Mountain series included in their latest catalog, which will be going out to all their clients shortly.  You can check out an advance copy here. (My pieces are on page 25.)

Xanadu Catalog 2022

Xanadu Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona

A Hidden Gem

/ lipkingallery

My Naperville readers may not realize that we have a hidden gem in the Main Street Promenade. The second and third floors, accessible from both Main and Webster Streets, host a variety of businesses in a light, cheery environment that provides an ideal setting for the ongoing art exhibits sponsored by the Naperville Art League. Walk the halls and you’ll be astonished by the beautiful variety of paintings and drawings on display there, including four of my large pieces. You’ll be glad you made the trip.

Individual works of art may be purchased through the Naperville Art League.

Falling Water, acrylic, 30 x 30