Just won an award from Watercolor Artist Magazine

One of my pieces was stolen

Ok - I was showing my work - 7 pieces - at a place that for privacy reasons I will not name. The show was over and I had planned to pick up the work on a agreed-upon day. The day before that however, I find out that one of my paintings had been stolen from the show. !!!

The work that was stolen is pictured above. It's called All In, and it's part of my Discarded series. All the works in that series are based on old photographs that I've found in junk shops and antique stores.

Of course I was upset and freaked out - but also a little excited. Have I reached a new level in my art career? Work so good it's worth stealing? Well - I don't know about all that, but I couldn't help but feel a little complimented by the act of larceny. Is that weird?

The story ends well, I am happy to report. I got the painting back through the heroic acts of one lovely man who deduced who had stolen the painting and demanded it back on threat of pressing police charges.

My friend, I am forever in your debt. 😀

And for anyone interested in buying a piece with a past - please give me a call!

Chicago Woods sold!

Thank you to Chris Martin for his recent purchase of "Chicago Woods". It fits beautifully in your room, Chris!

The work was inspired by the beautiful colors of late fall in the Chicago Forest Preserve near my home. Each time I drove by I'd literally gasp at it's beauty - especially on the sunny afternoon that gave me the impetus to create this painting.

This painting is a large scale water media work. I employed watercolor, watercolor crayons and watercolor pencils to create this painting. Framed, it measures 44" x 36" and is a great size for a large wall, as shown in the painting at left.

This painting is available as a giclee print in any size up to 15" x 22". I also have greeting cards featuring this image. Please contact me for details.

140# Arches watercolor paper / By Rochelle / Landscapes / Materials / Watercolor / watercolor crayon / watercolor pencils / Watercolors - 08/06/2013

Galleria refreshed

I have been renting a booth space at the Andersonville Galleria for a couple years now - it is a happy space for me. It was the first place I started showing my work, and not only have I made many sales, but I have also met some great people and been "found" by some people who have helped my career as a Chicago painter along on it's merry way.

A couple weeks ago I revamped my booth. I put up a fresh coat of paint, and put up all new art (save my portrait samples). I took down florals and put up abstracts. I took down my old landscapes and put up my Absurdity Birdity and Snow Day series. Now in addition to watercolors you'll also find encaustic paintings and oil/cold wax paintings. All new matted prints are available too.

It's a whole new booth. If you haven't visited recently I invite you to come take a new look. It's the Rochelle Weiner Fine Art booth, on the first floor, in the back.

TIP: If you let me know you're planning a visit, I can meet you there. And if you buy an original while I am there, I may extend you a courtesy discount!

[nggallery id=44]

Art show / By Rochelle / Collage paper / Encaustic paintings / Encaustic paints / encaustic wax / Gifts / Greeting Cards / Masa paper / Materials / Monoprints / OIl paint / Oil paintings / Paintings / prints / R&F Pigment Sticks / Salt / Snow Day Series / Watercolor / Watercolors / wood board - 07/03/2013

Workshop with Karlyn Holman

I've just returned from a week long workshop with Karlyn Holman in Washburn Wisconsin. This is the 4th year in a row I've attended a workshop with her. Karlyn is such an inspiring person - she's created a wonderful life for herself in the arts. She is a great artist, she teaches in her studio and in workshops all over the world, she has a thriving business in an idyllic small town - she really is a wonder.

The first class I took with Karlyn a few years ago opened my eyes. Her success has inspired me change my life and pursue fine art as a career - something I never really believed was a feasible goal until I met Karlyn. Thank you, Karlyn - you are my inspiration!

Each year, Karlyn has new techniques to teach and new directions to take us. Each year I come away with inspiration to feed my studio time, incorporating the new ideas I've learned into my own work.

Below are my finished pieces derived from the lessons we worked on last week.

[nggallery id=43]

acrylic paint / acrylic paintings / By Rochelle / Collage paper / Experimentation / Inspiration / Landscapes / Materials / Paintings / photography / Salt / Watercolor / Watercolors / Yupo paper - 06/13/2013

Encaustics and the discarded series

"Sordid" - encaustic on 10" x 10" cradled board, $250.00

As another branch of my "Discarded" series, I have been incorporating antique photography into encaustic works.

I have a fascination with antique photography. It's sad and intriguing to find old family snaps and formal shots for sale at junk shops and antique stores. I can spend ages sifting through these crumbling old pages from someone else's life. I like the idea of giving them a new life by putting them into art pieces. I find these images so inspiring - precisely because I don't actually know the people in them. It affords each image the potential of infinite stories.

My newest iteration of this series is incorporating these images into encaustic works. Encaustic is painting with melted wax, and you can do image transfers, collage and carving into the wax to build your image. I used the image transfer method to create this series.

[nggallery id=42]

By Rochelle / Collage paper / Discarded series / Encaustic paintings / Encaustic paints / encaustic wax / Inspiration / Materials / photography - 05/28/2013

One way to monoprint

There are lots of ways to create monoprints. I learned a fun way to do it in a workshop with Karlyn Holman a couple years ago. I've used this process to create probably more than 100 paintings by now. I've done series of flowers, vegetables an fruits, portraits, birds, and most recently I have come up with a new series I'm calling "Absurdity Birdity".

I've found this process to be really versatile and fun, as well as freeing. You end up with smears and marks from the ink, and the collage paper ends up in places you don't expect. This gives you the opportunity to "make it work". I find it challenging and I feel some of my best work has come from this process.

I thought it would be fun to show how to do it.

[nggallery id=41]

By Rochelle / Collage paper / How to / Masa paper / Materials / Monoprints / Paintings / Watercolor / Watercolors - 05/28/2013

Opening on Friday May 10

I am one of 10 featured artists at the Deer Path Art League's show "Art is for the Birds" opening Friday May 10 in Lake Forest, IL.

Art is for the birds

May 10-June 14

Deer Path Art League & Gallery
400 E. Illinois Rd, (2nd Floor)
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Open Monday through Friday
10:00 am- 4:00 pm
Saturdays by appointment only

The elegant gallery space is in a beautiful spot on the edge of downtown Lake Forest, looking out over the treetops. Eighteen of my paintings are on display, encaustic works and monoprints, all featuring our feathered friends. The other artists will be displaying oils, hand made bird cages, mixed media works, jewelry, sculpture, acrylics, and etchings. I got a glimpse yesterday and it promises to be an amazing show!

I'm entirely disappointed I will not be able to attend opening night. However, if anyone else is interested in going that night, it promises to be a fun event. If anyone is interested in going any other time during the run of the show let me know and I'll do my best to meet you up there!

Following are my paintings that will be in the show:

[nggallery id=40]

Art show / By Rochelle / Encaustic paintings / Encaustic paints / encaustic wax / Masa paper / Materials / Monoprints / Paintings / Watercolor / Watercolors - 05/07/2013

Absurdity birdity

A new series of monoprints has been inspired by an upcoming show "Art is for the Birds" at the Deer Path Art Gallery in Lake Forest, Illinois.

I was looking at the bird paintings I've done in the past and at the many figurative paintings I've done in the past year and wanted to put the two ideas together.

I liked the absurdity of the presence of a bird on top of someone's head, as if it was an every day thing. The silliness of it makes me smile. Doing this series in monoprint/collage/watercolor allowed the dirtiness of the monoprint process plus the brightness of the watercolor and collage papers. All together I think the effect heightens out the absurdity of the image itself.

[nggallery id=39]

By Rochelle / Collage paper / Masa paper / Materials / Monoprints / Paintings - 04/22/2013

Art is for the Birds

I have been asked to show 12 works featuring birds in the "Art is for the Birds" group show at the Deer Path Art League and Gallery - yay!

I've focused on birds in many of my paintings and I will be showing a series of monoprints and encaustic works at this show. Very excited to be included! Thank you Deer Path Art League! 🙂

Details:

May 10 - June 14, 2013

Deer Path Art League and Gallery
2nd Floor, Gorton Community Center
400 East Illinois Road
Lake Forest, Illinois 60045

Art show / By Rochelle / Collage paper / Encaustic paintings / Encaustic paints / encaustic wax / Masa paper / Materials / Monoprints / Paintings / R&F Pigment Sticks / Watercolor / wood board - 04/04/2013

Accessibility