Plein Air Charcoal Drawing at the Irvin House Vineyard Festival 2009

It was a beautiful day under the majestic oaks of the Irvin House Vinyard for the annual "Blessing of the Vines" Festival.

The Reverend Gregg Snyder from St. Johns Episcopal Church led a progressive blessing of the winery buildings, the grape vines, the Irvin family and gathered guests.
It was a spirited event with participants following Father Snyder around the vineyard adding rousing acclamations to each of the blessings.
After the blessing ceremony, all returned to picnic under the trees, enjoying the beautiful weather, live music, food, wine and craftsman displays.

A "plein air" (drawn on location) charcoal and pastel drawing of the Irvin House "Blessing of the Vines" Festival 2009.

Plein Air Paint Out at Charleston Vineyard 11.14.09

Grab your paint brushes, drawing materials, or camera and head out to Charleston's only domestic winery the Irvine - House Winery and Vineyard this Sat (11.14.09) to join local artists who will be attending at the 7th annual Blessing of the Vines Festival. In addition to providing a great opportunity to paint en plein air "in the fresh air", the festival will include blessing of the vines, live music, wine, and a BBQ cook off.

Here's a link to the Irvin - House Vineyard website for directions and more information about the day's activities.
PS: The paint out is not a sponsored activity of the festival, just a great opportunity for artists to do what we love to do - Paint Out! Check this link to the Charleston Outdoor Painters (COPA) site for more information.

A Visit to the Coastal Carolina Fair Youth Art Show 2009

It's Fall and time for the 53ed Annual Coastal Carolina Fair!

For information about the 2009 Coastal Carolina Fair including a map, scheduled events and entertainment visit http://www.coastalcarolinafair.org.

My family and I always enjoy the fair food, entertainment, and exhibits. This year the evening fireworks display over the lake was spectacular!

One of the most popular exhibits at the fair is the Youth Art Show which displays artwork in a wide range of styles by students 6 to 18yrs old from Charleston, Dorchester, and Berkeley counties.


The fair presents numerous ribbons and awards which are highly prized by their young recipients. For the past 14 yrs. my husband and I have had the pleasure of sponsoring an award at this Youth Art Show "to recognize outstanding talent as well as to encourage the further growth and development of promising young artists".

Congratulations to the winners of the 2009 SCHNEIDER ART AWARDS:
Haley Ewers: Cane Bay High School,
Ellori McPherson: Wando High School,
Gabriello Wolfe: School of the Arts.

If you're going to the Coastal Carolina Fair this year be sure to go by and see all the exciting, creative artwork at this year's 2009 Youth Art Show in the Fine Arts Building.

Oil Painters of America 5th Annual "Great Paint Out" 2009 at Poplar Grove Plantation, Charleston, SC

Members of the Oil Painters of America (OPA) gathered at Poplar Grove Plantation near Charleston, SC for a weekend of plein air painting in celebration of OPA's 5th Annual "Great Paint Out".

The event provided participating artists from SC (and Ga.) the opportunity to paint in a setting of beautiful SC Lowcountry vistas at the site of one of the oldest former rice plantations in SC.

Artists Kay Schneider, Bill Davidson, Sara Jane Reynolds, Caroline Francis, Mary Edna Fraser, June Seel, Christopher Sherry,and art enthusiasts Sparky Howard and Robin Heutess gathered in the afternoon on the dock at Rantowles Creek to paint and visit.

Pictured at left-Sparky Howard "helps" Chris Sherry with his painting.




Event organizer Sara Jane "Sally" Reynolds, June Seel, and Robin Huetess enjoying the creek views.


This year's paint out included music by visual and performing artist Mary Edna Fraser and Anne Goold.

Mary Edna and Anne entertained the artists with spirituals and folk songs, with the painters joining in for a chorus or two.

As the afternoon light faded from the creek, everyone agreed that the beautiful music added greatly to the creative experience of the day.




"Evening Light on the Marsh" a plein air oil painting from the Paint Out by OPA member Katherine M. Schneider.

Hanging the 25th "People's Choice Art Exhibit" 2009

The theme for this year's 25th annual People's Choice Art Exhibit sponsored by First Federal and The Center for Women is "Art and Soul of a Woman, Celebrating the Female Spirit".

Along with the other members of the exhibitions committee, I spent the afternoon organizing and hanging over 100 show entries.

The works by the exhibiting members of the Charleston Art Guild represent or symbolize women in deed, spirit, or appearance in a broad range of styles and media.

I will be on hand for the opening of the exhibit tomorrow Oct. 2, 2009 at First Federal, 34 Broad St. Charleston, SC from 9am to 5 pm. The Exhibit is also part of the Charleston Art Walk tomorrow evening (Oct. 2, 09) from 6 - 8 pm. Light refreshments and libations will be served.

The 25th People's Choice Art Exhibit will be on display at First Federal 34 Broad St. Oct. 2 - 14 2009 during weekday business hours 9am to 5pm.

Pictured at left: "The Dolphin Watchers" by Katherine Schneider.

Marsh Plein Air Drawing

It's important to keep all the tools in my "artistic toolbox" sharp so I'm drawing and sketching today to study shapes and forms from nature.

Besides, it's relaxing and enjoyable.


















"Reaching for the Marsh"
Charcoal and white pastel on paper
Drawing : 10.5" x 14"
Matted and Framed : 19 x 23.5"
Price: $150.00

"Mossy Marsh Oak" A Plein Air Painting Using a Toned Surface

In my plein air painting "Mossy Marsh Oak", I used a warm color on the painting surface to enrich my oil paint. The warm tone of the canvas adds contrast to the cool blues and greens in the landscape. It also gives impact to the highlights in the Live Oak, Spanish moss, and marsh.

The painting panel was prepared several days earlier and allowed to dry.
Once on location, I lightly sketched the scene in charcoal on my painting surface.
Next, I worked over the sketch with thinned oil paint to establish the composition.

I then painted the horizon line, marsh and sky. The form of oak tree in the foreground was painted last, to build on the values of the sky and middle ground marsh.

As the afternoon sun began to set, I was able to see the last rays of the sun highlighting the marsh, creek and live oak. These highlights were added quickly by "etching" into the layer of oil paint revealing the warm tone of the panel.

I hope you like the result of "planned spontaneity" by using a pretoned canvas in this plein air painting of sunlight on a Mossy Marsh Oak.

"Late Summer In the Marsh" Plein Air Drawing and Painting by a Lowcountry Creek

There's a hint of fall in the Lowcountry this week. The weather is perfect for plein air painting in the marsh with a slight breeze and no bugs.

I started with a preliminary charcoal drawing of the marsh scene before painting. I often bring my sketch book to work out design issues in a composition. Drawing is a useful tool - it sharpens artistic observation and is a good "creative warm up" for painting.

Here's the final plein air painting of the marsh scene in oil. I've adjusted the composition to include the bend in the creek. This change leads the viewer's eye from the foreground around the bend of the creek into the marsh rather than off the page as in the earlier charcoal drawing. I've also lowered the horizon line to include more sky.

Painting is a "process" as well as a "product". Hope you like the result.

"Late Summer in the Marsh"
11"x 14"
Oil on cradled panel

"Shrimp Trawler on the Creek" Use of Color and Value Contrast

The painting "Shrimp Trawler on the Creek" is an alla prima oil painting I'm working on for an upcoming show.
In it, I've used value and color contrast to portray sunlight breaking through storm clouds over a Lowcountry creek. The yellow of the afternoon sun contrasts with the dark blue of the storm clouds adding a sense of drama and visual interest to this otherwise peaceful scene.
The painting is is one of several new pieces in progress to be included in a show I'm having this fall in Charleston.

A visitor to the studio says it reminds him of one of his grandmother's nursery ditties "Shrimp Boats Is A-Coming". It's a charming old southern folk song with these lyrics:
"Shrimp boats is a-coming there's dancing tonight. Shrimp boats is a-coming there's dancing tonight. Won't you hurry, hurry, hurry home. Won't you hurry, hurry, hurry home. Shrimp boats is a-coming there's dancing tonight".