And Today's the Day!

©Harris Studios Inc. 2010       And Today's the Day

Driving into my studio, I pass by beautiful fields, barns, rolling hills... all examples of the beauty that can be found all around us in the Finger Lakes!

For many years I have thought about stopping and introducing myself to this amazing woman who is out tending her sheep early in the morning. I always seem to have a project deadline, a meeting, a phonecall to make. Well a few weeks ago, I stopped!!! I got out of the car, explained to the woman that I have always thought of stopping and she said "AND TODAY'S THE DAY" Wow!
She allowed me to take some pictures of her and I have been working on this oil painting of her and her babies.  ... Some details.

©Harris Studios Inc. 2010       And Today's the Day

©Harris Studios Inc. 2010       And Today's the Day

What I am learning is that I need to do what my heart is telling me to do NOW... not put it off till someday when I have more time because that day may not come.  Whether it is making that phonecall to a dear friend, taking that class, or stopping to take that photo and meet someone I have always wanted to, TODAY'S THE DAY! 

When the teacher is ready, the students appear!

I know that I have always wanted to work with others to share some of the creative gifts I have been given. Also, I have been given the best teachers in my life - Dick Trick, Dick Kane, Pat Rini Rohrer, Stan Moeller who all appeared at just the right time in my life.

When I started out in college, I majored in painting and thought I would be an art teacher. But after taking some design classes which I really liked, I switched my major to Communication Design.  Through the years it has been so much fun integrating my love of painting and illustration with the computer graphics/ design. I work with such great clients on very creative and exciting projects every day.....

However..... was there a way to work with others introducing them to painting and technique while also allowing them to share thoughts and feelings about past experiences and letting go? This could be a combination mini creative retreat... Hmmmmmm....

I have found that when things are supposed to happen, they do and this past week, I was able to work with a husband and wife from Pittsburgh,

a group of mothers and daughters as part of a Girlfriends Getaway Package at Springdale Farm B&B

 

http://www.iloveny.com/Find-Deals/Wings-And-Watercolor---Workshop-for-Women/262.aspx 

and today, a friend. 

Each experience was filled with laughs and a few tears. The paintings and discussions were heartfelt and beautiful.

As part of this process, I am developing an art kit which had very positive feedback from the weekend participants. The bag alone is a work of art and is handmade by an textile artist friend...Mary Lane.

I will put these kits up on Etsy soon.... everything you need to get started in watercolor. They will make a great holiday gift for  someone ready to explore their creativity and learn about themselves while doing so.  They will be available in beautiful colors as well.

You never know where life will lead.... put it out there and it just may happen... sometimes not when I think it should or expect it. But always at just the right time.  The saying really is "when the student is ready, the teacher appears" I truly believe that if we are willing.... and get out of our own way, amazing things will happen. I hope you all can bring forth the artist within which can heal your mind, body and spirit.... Love and peace to you.
Cindy

Watercolor Still life

Setting up my painting area... my inspiration when working on flower paintings or still life...is part of the exciting process that gets me into a deep space of creativity. Often I pull things from around the house... vases, antique pitchers, doilys that my great grandmother made, fresh fruits and veggies, etc. and arrange them beautifully.

My watercolor palettes, paints and brushes fit right in.

I start out with small sketches or paintings studies and get intimate with the subject matter, exploring its color and shapes. I look deeply, quietly and feel what the subject matter is saying to me and try to capture that in a painting.

I just love this time of the year when I can walk out to my flower garden and pick gorgeous wildflowers, ferns and other natural objects to arrange into a still life.

Here is the finished 20" x 30" watercolor which I am really happy with. 

Shades of Pink            © C. Altmire Harris 2010

and an oil.... 

Romance           ©C. Altmire Harris 2010

It is just a beautiful day here in the Finger Lakes of New York State. The birds are singing, everything is alive and green. I am so grateful to be able to do what  I love, work with so many nice people, and be creative on a daily basis. All my best to you and thank you for reading my  blog today. I am going to try to be a little more regular at writing...  once a month is my goal. We shall see. 

Plein Air Painting ~ Monhegan Island Maine!

Enjoying the beautiful spring and early summer sunshine in the Finger Lakes, taking many trips to the Adirondacks, design and painting as well as joyous family events have kept me busy and away from my blog.... but I am still here... fuller as a person and artist. A recent workshop on Monhegan Island with Stan Moeller, whose work reminds me of Sorolla, was an experience that has changed me.  His guidance to "paint what you see - not what you know" , encouragement to explore new colors and  high contrast, slowing down to feel what the landscape or model has to say.... gave my sketches new drama and life. Stan's website is Stan Moeller and I encourage you to check out his beautiful paintings.

The list of artists that have painted on Monhegan Island is extensive... and I can see why they kept going back. It is such and inspiration to be there... focused and full of this creative energy and the light is amazing...  Here are just a few... Andrew Wyeth, NC Wyeth, George Bellows, Robert Henri, Windslow Homer, Rockwell Kent and Edward Hopper.

Well, we did lots of sketches around the island and here are a few of mine. ... I am hoping to create some better paintings while using them as reference. I grew so much as an artist there!

April Snow in the Finger Lakes

I love Spring in the Finger Lakes of New York State! We have an old fashioned lilac bush behind our home which is beginning to bloom. I am so excited to paint some watercolors of the gorgeous flowers. This morning, we awoke to big flakes of snow coming down and I grabbed my camera to take some photos... Aren't they so pretty with the pure snow lying upon the leaves and blooms?  

This was one of those times when nature gives us only a few moments to respond... following our intuition can be learned... listening to that little voice inside that says "this is important - do this now!" 


I am so glad I listened and took these photos. By this afternoon, the sun was shining and the snow was gone. (really glad about that!) but I loved the photos! 


Enjoy the moments in your day and listen to your intuition!

Wings and Watercolor Workshops for Women in the Finger Lakes

When I allow myself to experience the gifts that I am given each day, I meet people and new ideas are generated! At "Grandma Hatties Tea Party" I met the most creative and kind woman... Eileen Cash who is the Innkeeper/Owner of Springdale Farm Bed and Breakfast.  We met for an afternoon and she showed me around her beautiful B&B which happens to be only minutes from my art studio!

The thought came to us to develop a "Women's Creative Getaway in the FingerLakes!" There happens to be a 40 acre Blue Bird Nature Preserve just across the street and so the name....was born.

When women come together to discover or rediscover creativity, amazing things happen!!!


This package is designed for Mothers and Daughters, Sisters, Women friends, and Groups of Women to play and experience painting in watercolor in a beautiful country setting.  No previous art experience is necessary!!!! We start with the basics and just have FUN!

Your package will include a 2 hour class by artist Cindy Altmire Harris who will encourage you to "let go" and be free of past thoughts about art and have fun creating... together. All materials and supplies will be provided and each participant will go home with a framed watercolor to remember and celebrate the experience.

Package Includes:

• A night stay or more at 1820 Springdale Farm Bed & Breakfast
• Gourmet breakfast each morning
• 2 hour class by artist Cindy Altmire Harris 

Starting at $175.00 per guest per night.
Group rates are available for 4 or more guests.
Available: Monday, February 15, 2010 - Saturday, January 01, 2011
For more information call us at 585-924-5952 or e-mail us!


I really hope you pass this along to anyone that could benefit from it. We are all living in a world where stress and fear are around us and by choosing peace and serenity, we grow stronger and happier... together. 

Grandma Hattie's Tea Party Inspired

A few weeks ago I was excited to attend a Tea Party at the Historic Ichabod Town Homestead only a few miles from my studio on the grounds of the Valentown Museum in Victor, NY. Kathleen Houser was our hostess and we were treated like royalty!!! It was so much fun to dress up in antique hats and jewelry and be served a luncheon of homemade soup, scones, finger sandwiches and deliciously decadent desserts. The tea was the best I had ever experienced.  If you are looking for a unique experience in the Finger Lakes area, I would recommend it. Take a few of your friends and have some fun! I did!

Here's a detail... its really a step back in time with the embroidered tablecloths, antique teapots and cups and a chance to slow down for a few moments and enjoy. It was an inspiration for a new oil painting I just finished. I love living each day not really knowing what I will see that may be an inspiration for a painting.... There were many nooks and crannies for my creative mind to explore in this historic homestead. Stopping for an instant to see them was a gift!

Here's the website for information on times, reservations and details... 

GrandmaHattiesTeaParty.com

San Gimignano, Italy and Ribollita Inspired

It's a beautiful sunny day in the Finger Lakes... and the perfect day to make soup and paint! I  bought all of the ingredients yesterday at Wegmans to make Ribollita... a tuscan soup that Emily and Julia loved while they were in Florence a few years ago and I have to say it is yummy!!!  Sitting outdoors, listening to the chickadees and aware of the snow melting... I am so grateful. My life is so good. Travel has brought into my life new artists that I admire, new foods and flavors to try, and a thirst to live each day to the fullest.

Italy has been my inspiration for the past couple of weeks in my painting too. I just finished this painting of walking down a street in San Gimignano which is a small Medieval Town in Tuscany.  The colors are rich, just like the colors in the Ribollita!

And here is an a window detail... it is just so pretty there... I will go back again someday. 

La Vie en Rose - Venice, Florida Inspired

Colors - Sun - Retreating with Women Friends - Time - My spirit was craving these in the middle of winter here in the Finger Lakes... I put a "walk on the beach" picture on my vision board and voila! I had the opportunity to visit this gorgeous area and get inspired, soak up some rays of sun, spend time absorbing all the colors and smells... and just be.

 

I embraced the moments... and was asked to paint a mural on my dear friend's wall in her home... and a sign on her front door... La Vie en Rose...  I learned so much from this painting about myself... that I need to take risks to grow, move out of my comfort zone and "Let Go." Really, anything can happen if you let it. 

Grace

The rose came to life with wisps of ocean air

Bloomed on a Saturday, the Sixth of February, Twenty Ten

After working herself out through

The hands of a painter

Struggling

Hurting

Burst forth in color and dimension

Dancing to songs of Italy and France

And images of mermaids and angels

Her serene softness speaks as to me as I enter

With a whimsical spell that casts

Passion

Desire

Healing

Stopping me for a moment and giving permission to 

Just Let Go

Oliver Phelps B&B, Canandaigua, NY Inspired

Walking down Main Street in Canandaigua on a sunny day last fall, I noticed the most beautiful doorway... full of color and splendid details. It is the front door of The Oliver Phelps Bed and Breakfast OliverPhelps.com. I have been working a few weeks to get the color and lighting of my painting to capture that moment and feeling that I had that day. Enjoy! I am so grateful to be living in the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of New York State...  To me, its all in the details.... and taking the time to notice them is something that I am striving to do more of in 2010... Be present and listen to that inner voice that says... stop for a moment, breathe and really see...

Arbor Hill Grapery Inspired

One of the kindest and dearest families that I have met in the Finger Lakes area is John, Katie and Sherry Brahm. They own Arbor Hill Grapery in Bristol Springs - South Bristol. Through the past few years I have had the opportunity to develop some new packaging and colateral with the Brahms. It is such a pleasure to experience the love and personal touch that goes into each product that Arbor Hill produces. This painting of John with his cherished Ford Model A that I painted from a photo taken on a gorgeous autumn day at Arbor Hill.

Healthy Purple Jelly and Preserves are DELICIOUS!!!!! Enjoy Black Currant, Blueberry or Black Raspberry on an english muffin...heavenly.

Sparkling Raspberry, Grape and Peach are make every occasion a special celebration.

Check out all of the products that Arbor Hill sells at www.thegrapery.com