Exciting Things Going on in May!

May is slipping away, but before it's totally gone, I need to tell you a couple of exciting things! First I have been working very hard for my show up at the University of Utah's Pioneer Theater Company's Loge Gallery (whew! that's a mouthful). It's now in full swing and here are the details:

“Artful Miscellany”

"AffirMEtions"

Featuring the art from Irene Rampton and Catherine Darling Hostetter.

This collection will be on display during PTC’s production of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” May 6 through May 21, 2016. 

For full details click on this link

Please note that you do not have to attend the production, the theater is open during business hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The Loge Gallery is on the 2nd level. 

So, enough about me! I have another exciting thing to announce... Do you like night photography. What's that, you ask? 

On May 25th, Shayne Shaw, an award winning photographer will teach how to photograph the amazing night skies. Shooting almost any subject at night can add mystery, intrigue, and a special beauty that shooting the same subject during the daylight can’t match. In particular you will learn how to capture the beauty and majesty of the Milky Way along with light painting an interesting foreground landscape feature.

Topics covered include:

Best lenses and equipment for shooting at night

Proper camera settings

How to find and forecast the position of the Milky Way

How to compose and focus at night

How to properly light paint foreground landscape features 

Don't miss it!

Date: May 25th 6:30 pm

Location: Local Colors of Utah Gallery in Sugar House (1054 E. 2100 S., Salt Lake City)

Cost: $35

Register here

The Art of Dreaming Big

 Over a year ago I came to the conclusion that I needed to make some changes in my life. I am an artist, used to be full time until I started doing daycare for grandkids about 4 1/2 years ago. Although doing childcare full time, I could still get a little art time in here and there.

As my darling granddaughter turns 5 this year and kindergarten looms ahead, my thoughts turned to making better use of my art time. For several years, I told myself that this is the 'season' for grandkids and my art was put on the back burner, so to speak.

In order to get more organized with my art, I started reading books geared for success and self improvement. I soon realized that my life could be whatever I chose it to be! I begin to think about what I wanted to accomplish with my art, something that I hadn't thought about since pre-child care. Surprisingly I found my mind blank regarding art goals. As I studied more, goals began to emerge and I began to take control of my life, rather than life controlling me.

So, I started dreaming big, as big a dream as I could think of. I continued to study and as I focused on my art dream, ideas and opportunities started coming my way. It is all pretty exciting! 

This Friday, I am teaching a workshop for the Utah Watercolor Society (in case you missed my earlier posts!) and it is all about zero-ing in on becoming the artist that you want to be and branding your art with your unique flair.

There are still a few seats left, it's not too late to join the fun. Come on, take charge of your art life and dream big with me!

Catherine Darling Hostetter
February 19-20
Learn how to use your imagination to personalize and add the unexpected to your watercolor style. Catherine focuses on animals and people in her artwork and often combines them with a whimsical twist. You will learn how let go and use your imagination with fun exercises. Follow your inspiration; where even the most traditional artist can incorporate creative ideas into their style!

For more information click here

It's All About You and Your Imagination!

I have a workshop coming up for the Utah Watercolor Society! Follow Your Inspiration with Catherine Darling Hostetter When February 19-20th 9-4 PM each day Add to Calendar Where Sons of Pioneers Building 3301 East Louise Ave 3301 E 2920 S Salt Lake City, UT 84109 *With professional guidance, Catherine Hostetter will have you creating fun and exciting artworks during this 2 day workshop! *Tap into your imagination and be inspired to learn how to incorporate some unique creative ideas.  Even the most traditional artists will learn how to tap into their creative mind. *You won't want to miss this whimsical, fun filled workshop. *Let Catherine inspire you to let loose!  Come and  explore your options with fellow artists! Don't miss this creative opportunity! Register Today! Get more information Register On-line Now! It's Easy! If you have any questions, contact: Cynthia Powell artists4ever@gmail.com 801-674-9503

Utah Watercolor Society | PO Box 581005 | Salt Lake City | UT | 84158-1005

Retrospect: Two Weeks Gone By

I do intend to write in my blog more often, but before you know it a week has passed and then another. Tonight I am heading to Bountiful, Utah for the BDAC Statewide Show and Grand Opening of their new facility. I was fortunate to have a painting selected to be in the show. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of if before I took it in. I will get one tonight.

Mother's Day Gift by Catherine Darling Hostetter

Recently I finished a portrait for a girl in Canada. It is to be a gift for Mother's Day for her mom. Due to longer shipping times from the US to Canada, it will get there late. She ordered it a week and a couple of days before Mother's day and I shipped it the Wednesday before MD.

As I mentioned in my last blog entry, I am reading and studying a book called 'Success Principles'. My goal was to read a chapter a day and really try to change all my habits into positive ones. I am on Chapter 6 (obviously not a chapter a day), and I have come to realize if you really want to do something life changing, you can't restrict it to a chapter a day. So I decided I need to focus on a chapter until I feel like I really get it.

I am currently working on a painting titled "Walk With Me" it is about half way done and is acrylic on cradled panel. I plan on finishing it tomorrow, and making at least one print of it to frame and donate to a fundraiser. I should have a picture of it to post in the next few days.

In June our Gallery, Local Colors of Utah is having a group show of our artists and we are doing a 'Green' Theme. The art has to be made of recycled or re-purposed items to be in the show. After I finish the "Walk With Me" piece, I will start on my upcyled piece. Busy times ahead!

Wild Ride Horse and Gecko Prints

                               A Wild Ride


One Wednesday afternoon, sunny, not too hot, a horse was wildly galloping down the street. On his back was something green, small, but not too small. I would like to say it was an alien but it wasn't. It was your basic gecko. I think it was a jockey the way it rode that horse. But then I began to wonder when the gecko steered the horse straight at me. Needless to say I was a litte alarmed. Not sure how the gecko felt about it. All I can say is it was a wild ride and I lived to tell about it!


I am now offering prints of my original paintings on Etsy.

Click here for my etsy shop

Painting in Portland

I am in Portland to help take care of my grand-daughter Lily. A couple of weeks ago a dog bit her in the face. :(
I packed up the biggest suit case we had. Not just for my clothes, but for the inflatable mattress. My daughter had just moved to Portland the month before leaving her furniture behind. We were worried my suitcase would go over the 50lb. weight limit, but it weighed in at exactly that... 50lbs!

I came out on Jet Blue and they have a policy of no oil or water based paints, so I packed up my watercolor palette (dry) and brought along mini watercolor paper to paint art cards. An art card is 2 1/2" x 3 1/2" so I could pack a lot of them!
So far I have only painted 2 cards, they are in my whimsical style.

 This one (above) is titled "Breakfast at Tiffany's, 

Pupper's and Miss Pretty Kitty's. 

This art card is titled "Finding Spring". 

It is fun, experimental and a good exercise to paint this small. I will continue to paint while here in Portland. It rains a lot and often cancels my daily walk... I thought my waterproof windbreaker would be sufficient but I was wrong... so I will happily paint when it rains.

Dreaming

This is a more whimsical painting titled "Dreaming". It is number 3 in a series of women paintings I am doing.

 My purpose in doing a series is to explore the topic and paint wherever the inspiration leads me.
There are many virtues that are embodied in women and often they begin with a dream.

This painting is 10" x 8" on gallery wrapped canvas. $250 plus $5 shipping in the US and is available for purchase. Contact me!

She Can Do It!

Today I put the finishing touches on this painting. It's second in a series called "The Virtuous Woman".
When I was thinking (out loud) of what to paint next in this series, my daughter suggested that I do something like the poster of  "We Can Do It".  It is an American wartime propaganda poster produced by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric as an inspirational image to boost worker morale. (1)

One of the titles I considered for this painting was "Strong in so Many Ways", but my daughter vetoed it. That title does say in just a few words the idea behind this painting. But no go. My next thought was to just call it "She Can Do It". My daughter was asleep on the couch and couldn't gun it down, so there you have it.

"She Can Do It" is a tribute to the strength of today's woman.

This painting is 8" x10" x .75" on gallery wrapped canvas. $250 plus $5 shipping in US. To purchase it please contact me!

(1) Wikipedia

I Have a Show at Local Colors!

My art is featured this month at Local Colors of Utah Gallery. The theme for the show is "I Can Fly".
I recently moved and it took me a little bit to get in gear to paint for this show. I hadn't painted for a couple of months and when I finally got around to painting, I just couldn't get inspired.

*sigh*

 No matter what, I just couldn't think of anything I wanted to paint. The theme was really wide open for all kinds of ideas, but alas, none came my way. Finally some very good advice came to me...Stop thinking and start painting!

So I did and even though I wasn't thrilled with my first idea, I just kept painting. Pretty soon the ideas started coming. Unfortunately by that point, I only had a short amount of time to paint before the hanging of the show. The show is now up from October 18th thru November 13th.

This is one of my paintings in the show:

 "Flying a Hare Too Low"

  Come see what else I ended up with when I had to fly by the seat of my pants, or should I say 'paint' by the seat of my pants?

Summer Bunnies

Marketing art online has become quite a good venue. I have been selling on ebay since 2001. After much study and learning how to sell there, I finally started on Sept. 11th. However I had a free dial-up connection and a very slow computer and my first auction didn't go live until about 10 minutes after midnight on Sept. 12th. It took all evening to get everything loaded up and ready to go. I was also watching the horrific events on TV and I am sure that slowed me down a bit.

So here I am almost 12 years later still selling on ebay. Because of my gallery connections and other online venues I have decided to make collectible art cards (ACEOs) my main product for this venue- tiny paintings for tiny prices. I am also in the process of cleaning out my studio and offering art at clearance prices. They need to find a new home.

I have a set of auctions that will be ending this evening for Bunny art cards. They are in watercolor and are 3.5" x 2.5".

 Knitting Bunny

Little Miss Bunny

Bunny Love

Check them out before they are gone! 

Update on My Activities

I have been working hard on my art lately. The past two years I have been tending my baby grand-daughter who is just turning 2. My grandmotherly duties have been relieved a few days a week as little Lily Rain is going to pre-school to expand her social  skills.

That means I have more time to work on my art! I am working on my watercolor painting currently. 

I was recently juried into Xanadu Gallery of Scottsdale AZ as one of their online studio artists. 

You can purchase my work there at:

The Art of Catherine Darling Hostetter

I was also accepted into the Trodden Path Gallery; You can purchase my work at this link:

Cathy Darling Art

If you are live in Utah, you can find my art at Local Colors Gallery  1054 E. 2100 So. Salt Lake City, UT 84106 Or visit their website:

My Pure Art Gallery

Sold!

Also in Utah you can find my whimsical art at Paisley Pomegranate of Park City, and Salt Lake City.

Life is Just Beachy

A couple of days ago, I came across a fabulous watercolor artist by the name of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. He was an artist/architect from Scotland around the early part of the last century. His lovely work made me want to get my watercolors out and paint! I have been painting in acrylic for the past year, but there it is nothing like the delicacy of watercolor and it beckoned to me.

I am a bit rusty, but I did a little 7" x 5" painting titled "Life is Just Beachy". With summer coming on, and peaches not quite in season, I was imagining bare toes in warm sand and a feeling of how great life is. I really love painting in watercolor.

Art is in the Eye of the Beholder

Bird Dog 12" x12"

Art is in the eye of the beholder. In the case of visual art, it has to be. In your eye, I mean. So you can see it. Right? Now whether you like the art or not becomes the duty of the brain, interpreting what you are seeing and making a judgement call.

My show at Local Colors is this week, with the opening this coming Friday night. I am working hard to get my paintings ready. I am one of those artists that move a bit quicker when I have a deadline. The problem with that (can you say procrastination?) is you run out of time to do all that you really would like to do for the show. *sigh*.

Since I still have a few days yet, I am optimistic and plan on getting a lot done. I am excited about the drawing for the $600 painting to be given away that night. There's more details on my blog about it. If you haven't entered, you can right here:

 The drawing has ended. Congratulations to Susan Daniels.

16" x 20" painting valued at $600

Maybe this flying dog painting doesn't jingle your chimes, but think about it...it could be just the ticket for a kids room or a gift for someone who loves dogs. I am sure someone would like to give this painting a good home. After all, whatever your reason for entering may be, we all know that art is in the eye of the beholder.

Sorry, that is kind of a corny ending to my blog entry today.

Gardening a Painting

It's late, but I thought I would hurry and write here a bit about my day. I have been painting alot and it feels great! So I guess you could say I had a good day.

This painting is called Gardening for Mental Health. At least that is what it is titled until I come up with something better. It has a quote carved into the frame; "You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt". This painting will be available at my upcoming show.

Don't forget to enter in my painting drawing. For more info go to this link;
http://catherinedarling.blogspot.com/2012/03/enter-to-win-this-painting.html

Update on Experimental Auctions "Project Clean Out Studio"

Well it's been two weeks since I began listing auctions starting them at 1 cent. As a result, I listed 13 pieces of art, various sizes. All auctions sold for a total of $169.09. Only one actually sold for 1 cent. The highest price was $36. I thought that was pretty good for just cleaning out the studio! You have to look at the overall picture and total of sales, not just the selling price per item. However if you wanted to average out the cost per piece it would be 13 paintings at $13 each. I know, that doesn't seem like much. But just imagine going to your studio and opening a drawer full of paintings that you did for workshops, experiments etc. and finding $13  for each painting instead. Would you leave the money in the drawer? Heck no. So I figure why leave paintings sitting in a drawer?

I will continue to clean out my studio and put more paintings on auction for 1 cent. I am also finding what kind of painting is getting more bids. I have been offering a variety of styles from realism to whimsical. It has been interesting to see what gets more views and bids. Once my studio is cleaned out I will start paintings specific to what sells best for me. I will keep you posted on how this all turns out.

I entered the Utah Watercolor Society Fall show. I have yet to hear if my painting was juried in. It is a whimsical one called "Dogs Always Have Your Back". It is my observation about dogs and cats.