Land Surrounding "Angel Oak "To Be Residential/Retail Development

The land surrounding one of Charleston's most beautiful and inspiring natural treasures "The Angel Oak" will be cleared for a development plan endorsed by Mayor Joe Riley and the Charleston City Council. Recently released plans call for the land immediately surrounding the small Angel Oak Park to be developed into "low end" housing and commercial/retail space.

A reader sent the following comment about The Angel Oak which I would like to pass on:

"... I am currently working to save The Angel Oak from being developed around. The City of Charleston and Mayor Riley have approved development on 3 sides of her to include "low end" housing and commercial/retail space. The construction, destruction of surrounding forest and high density population will be devastating for her. Can she survive it?
Please sign our petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-the-angel-oak-
on-johns-island-sc or click this link>
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/save-the-angel-oak-on-johns-island-sc
Thank you everyone!"

Although I realize the development plans for the land surrounding Angel Oak have already been approved by Charleston City Council, I have signed this petition in the hope of saving a few more "Grand Old Trees" at the location from being destroyed. I hope you will consider doing the same.

For a recent (June 23,09) update about the Angel Oak Village Development and a new painting, click here.

Studio Palette Color Choices for Landscape and Still Life Painting

Recently, I've been experimenting with different color choices on my studio palette for landscape and still life painting. Here's a photo of my studio palette "tube" colors (upper left corner) and mixtures. I especially like the bright, transparent red that results from mixing permanent rose and cadmium orange. French ultramarine blue and perm. rose make beautiful variations of purple and mauve.

The tube colors shown on the palette are: permanent sap green, cerulean blue, French ultramarine blue, permanent alizarin crimson, permanent rose, burnt sienna, cadmium orange, cadmium yellow pale, a mixture of cad. orange+cad. yellow, and titanium white. I also use warm and cool tinting whites mixed from these colors.

With so many rich colors, it's tempting to "use every crayon in the box", but using complements and well mixed grays will always make a stronger painting.

"Marsh Sky" A Monoprint Painting by Katherine M Schneider

The monoprint painting process provides a degree of spontaneity that often produces work with a loose, free flowing feel. The summer clouds in the sepia painting "Marsh Sky" are a good example of the loose handling of paint on the monoprint surface.
In this painting, the subject and artistic process combine to create an evocative impression of a traditional Lowcountry scene.
For more oil, plein air and woodcut marsh scenes click here.

"Marsh Sky"
Sepia Monoprint on Reeves BFK Paper
Image size: 17.5" x 24"
Matted size: 24" x 30"
Price: $250.00

American Flags on the Fourth of July

American flags flying in the summer breeze are a familiar sight on the Fourth of July in the Lowcountry.

Our family's back porch is a favorite place to celebrate the USA's birthday 232 years ago.

As we enjoy hot dogs, watermelon, and corn on the cob, we'll be thinking of the men and women who are serving in our country's armed forces to preserve the Founding Fathers ideals in the Declaration of Independence ."...We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness..."
Happy 4th of July.