Western Ohio Watercolor Show at Springfield Museum of Art

‘Winter Foraging’ won Third Prize!

EXCITING NEWS! 

Visit the Springfield Museum of Art to see the Western Ohio Watercolor Juried Show

46th Annual Members Show Our juror for the show is Patrick Mauk,  Carolyn Edsall -1st Place "Summer's End"   Shirlee Bauer -2nd Place  "The Maine Line" Libby Rudolf -3rd Place  "Winter Foraging" 😊 Honorable Mentions   Diana Hoke "Swiss Living" Yuki Hall "Charleston Rain"  Rhonda Sloan "Killing Time"  Title: “The Art of Watercolor” Western Ohio Watercolor Society 46 Annual Members Show Springfield Museum of Art Show runs December 19, 2020 through April 11, 2021

Painting Keeps me Happy!

This time of social distancing has been a true challenge for artists...we create because it is in our blood, something we must do to stay sane and happy but...we also hope to sell a painting occasionally to somehow justify the enormous amount of time and energy we devote to our craft.  I have numerous other responsibilities and jobs, of course.  

The Airbnbs that I run bring in somewhat steady money and require attention.  But - I’ve made time every day to paint, to read about painting, to listen to podcasts about art, even to attend an online painting session with an artist whose work I admire - Vladislav Yeliseyev...so fun.  

I am truly happy to have sold 2 pieced during COVID-19 and a huge batch of custom greeting cards.  I’ve had a friend ask to take watercolor lessons - we’ll figure out how to do that if it ever stops raining and we can do it outside!  I’ve been asked to donate a piece of art to the Yellow Springs Community Foundation - a wonderful organization that organizes many funds that help people, etc here in our town.  I’m happy to give a painting to them...

Please, world,  don’t ask me to donate all the time....sometimes, I feel like the ‘Crane Maiden’, a children’s story about a crane that gives back to the farmer who rescued her from a trap by turning into a woman, then pulling the feathers from her back to weave into cloth..for him to sell : ).

 

‘Primrose’ Watercolor - 24x18 $750 
This painting is in a show ‘Art to Uplift’ at the Winds Cafe thru 9/6/20

Birdies Dining - SOLD, watercolor

‘Island Vibe’  Watercolor  16x12 (20x16 framed) $350

Painting: A way of connecting with 'the Potency of Life'

I'm reading The Library Book by Susan Orlean...a wonderful book about the huge fire at the Los Angeles Public Library in 1987 that devastated the collection, the back story, reflection of books, etc.

Here's a quote from her chapter of how difficult it is to set about to light a book on fire.  She wanted to see how it would feel to do so since the fire was believed to be arson.  Susan can't throw a book away because 'books have souls ... feels like a thing alive in this moment, alive on a continuum, from the moment the thoughts about it first percolated in the writer's mind to the moment it sprang off the printing press - a lifeline tha continues as someone sits with it and marvels over it...'

Susan continues 'Once words and thoughts are poured into them, books are no longer just paper and ink and glue: They take on a kind of human vitality.  She quotes Milton regarding this quality: books take on the 'the potency of life'.

Actually - sometimes, I feel like that about a painting....sometimes I feel I come close to making a painting that has this quality - the potency of life - that speaks to more than a good likeness or a good rendition of light coming through a woodland.  I hope that I can do this more - impart life into works of art...spark a delight or bring a memory of place or thing or person to life in art.

YS Open Studio Tours Oct 15,16

Traverse City-LRudolf

 Yellow Springs Open Studio Tour  Oct 15 and 16, 11-5pm

Knitting - LRudolf

  Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15 & 16, I will have my home/studio open to all as part of the Yellow Springs Open Studio Tour!  I am ecstatic to be able to host this in my home once again.  Our artist community is truly fortunate to have the support of YS Arts Council and YS Chamber for the organization and co=ordination of this tour.                                     Many thanks to Nancy Mellon, Sara Gray, YS Arts Council and Karen and Alex at Chamber for getting this together----

  There are 34 artists represented in 24 studio tour stops.  I will have at least 50 paintings on display on the walls throughout the house and garden room as well as matted work for sale.  I'll have a demo area in the garden room - cactus area.  My 'studio' with all my supplies, matt cutter/framing area and sewing area is upstairs in the loft.  All are welcome to visit - I'll tell you about what drives me to create, my materials, my workflow, etc.

  My studio is #19 on the tour = at 3590 Grinnell Rd - down the hill next to the Grinnell Mill.  Please come visit - we'll have yummy snacks and will be serving wine after 3pm : )!

Hummer with Trumpets LRudolf

Well - tonight is the big night!   Wish me well....I've been feeling a bit pulled in all directions Mostly because of our puppy!  This is going to be a wonderful event though - talking with all the sweet people who come out to see an artist's work, share their opinions, etc.  This show has many pieces that are landscapes, a few people.  I've arranged it by the Season...to honor the restaurant where they are hanging.  I do love setting up a show in a restaurant because then I have to go visit it for a meal...at least every couple of weeks!
   Next on the docket is an oil workshop with the Ohio Plein Air Society with Ken DeWard.  I'm looking forward to playing with a new medium, just for fun, exploring with art friends in upstate Ohio.  Perhaps I'll be showing oil and watercolor some day?

ttfn, I hope you get outside to enjoy these gorgeous autumn days...
Libby

Art show at the Winds Cafe - Thoughts onTeaching

May and June, I will host a show at the Winds Cafe in Yellow Springs for the months of May and June with friend and artist Pam Geisel.  We're working on a title...Color and Light - Brush and Needle.  Pam creates art quilts and I mainly work in watercolor.  I am musing, dreaming up my next paintings to include, exploring themes....

    I've been painting my whole life but concentrating on it for about 15 years.  Yesterday, I taught a private lesson and thoroughly enjoyed working with an artist to help her realize her vision.  So often, watercolor is difficult for artists because they fear to make a mistake.  They often use tiny amounts of paint and great quantities of water.
 
   There are certain skills that will help along the path to a successful painting such as wet-into-wet painting but paying attention to the timing and wetness of the paper....  If you don't have sufficient pigment on your brush, the color will simply disappear as it dries.  Of course you can continue to glaze or add layers.  I think I helped her paint more freely and wield the brush more assertively.

   I truly love to help inspire confidence, freeing people from inhibition of the creative process.  Here is a photo from a mini-workshop I taught last winter - helping people go wild w/color!  Joy  Joy Joy

Dayton City Paper - 'There's something in the Watercolor'

Dayton City Paper's writer Lisa Bennet wrote up a splendid article on me and my life/work.
I hope it inspires you to stop by the Y S Brewery or Village Artisans in Yellow Springs to see my work.

Golden Harvest (Honey Biz II)

Click here to see the article...   Dayton City Paper article