A Painter's Life

Traveling to France.....in Paint!

2012-01-23T17:15:00.000-08:00

"Provence Lavender"

10"x 8" Acrylic on Canvas

$150 unframed, $200 Framed

Email me at justin@justinholdren.com if interested

Here is the first small study of a new series I am working on. This view is from an elevated view with a field of lavender and brightly lit field and mountain in the distance.

A collector of my work and friend was kind enough to let me use some of her photos from France to do a series of paintings. She owns a lavender farm here in North Carolina where I go to paint during their annual Harvest Festival.
She had recently taken a trip to France and I was blown away by the pictures of Lavender in the Provence region and the beauty of the places they visited.
Now I am breaking my unwritten rule to paint a place that I have not been to, for this series anyway. I usually paint places that I have visited to absorb the view in person. I feel I can do the paintings more justice when I have observed a place firsthand.
I still create paintings from my imagination too, but they are usually based on a place that I have been to, although I couldn't resist doing some new paintings based on the reference photos that my collector friend let me use.
Be looking for some larger ones here soon that include some other "French" scenes!

Back from Florida

2012-01-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

The park at Marineland along the Florida coast

The coastline at Flagler Beach, Florida

The castle at Disney's Magic Kingdom

I just returned from a family trip to Disney World in Florida. We had a great time with the whole family, which included all of my wife's sisters and their families and her parents too. Normally on a family trip, to not take away from family time, I get up in the morning and do some plein air painting and sketching on location, but we were up early and back late every day on this trip, so I just had to get a bunch of photos. I also did some sketching of the views out the van window on the drive down.

We hit one Disney park a day the whole week and headed home yesterday via Highway A1A to take in the coastline scenery. I will be working on some paintings of the Flagler Beach area soon so look for them here!

Backyard Plein Air Study

2011-12-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

"Backyard Trees"

7" x 5" Oil on Stretched Canvas

Here a small plein air study from a winter or two ago. It was at the end of winter and just starting to warm up. I had to take advantage of the warmer temperatures and get outside to paint this little piece. I was going crazy after being inside all winter! Click HERE to view the auction. The starting bid is super affordable and this piece has FREE SHIPPING. Don't miss out!

New auctions

2011-12-16T10:48:00.000-08:00

Hello all! Hope everyone is having a great Christmas Season so far. I have some study paintings up on Ebay at the incredible starting bid of one penny! These are some studies and older pieces that would look great on your wall! Don't miss out! Keep checking back as I will have more small study paintings listed soon. Click HERE to go to my Ebay page where you can click on the various auctions. Have a Merry Christmas!

Mailing out the small ones

2011-12-10T20:23:00.000-08:00

"LowCountry Marsh"

ACEO ( Art card editions and originals) minature 2.5" x 3.5" Acrylic

SOLD

"Tropical Cove"

5" x 7" Acrylic on Canvas

SOLD

These are a couple small ones that were sold recently on Ebay. I've been mailing out quite a few of these small studies over the last few months. I view the paintings I sell on Ebay as "appetizers" to the main course, which are my larger paintings.

My small studies that I sell affordably on Ebay allow people to sample my work at a reasonable price point before they decide to spend more on my larger work. Since I had an abscence from Ebay, I had to start over again to build a following. The bids on these small ones are slowly starting to increase as people find my work again.

In this economy, selling the small studies keeps supply money coming in. Better than allowing them to collect dust in my studio!

Studies on Ebay make affordable gifts!

2011-12-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

If you have someone in your life who loves original art, check out my Ebay auctions for the month of December. I have small original paintings listed that were studies for larger gallery works at incredible opening bids! I will also be listing some Buy it now gallery pieces, some at regular price and others at a Christmas Sale price! I have 100% positive feedback from all my buyers, so you can buy with confidence. I guarantee my work to make sure you are satisfied with your purchase.

Just click HERE to visit my Ebay landing page where you can read about me and view my auctions. Merry Christmas!

Work in progress and baby news

2011-11-18T10:20:00.000-08:00

Acrylic painting of old farmhouse in progress

Well its been a whirlwind month so far, but I thought I would show you this work in progress piece to show that I have been working, although not at the pace I would like! The above is a painting that is on the easel right now. Hope to finish it in my next painting session.
I will have a few paintings at the "Christmas at Captain White's " exhibition at the Alamance County Arts Council's historic home during the Christmas season. Stop and see them in Graham, NC if you get the chance! Their website is http://www.artsalamance.com/ .

ALSO SOME BIG NEWS! We are expecting a baby in July 2012! Our 4 year old daughter is so excited to have a baby brother or sister. Will have some more work for you on the blog soon. It will be a busy year in 2012!

More fun with Ebay

2011-10-28T05:57:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to see some paintings I have up for auction on Ebay. I know many artists turn their nose up at Ebay, but I have always sold small studies there, not my larger work. These are not paintings that I usually frame up and put in a gallery. They are usually small studies for my larger work. I produce over 100 of these little paintings a year and have found Ebay a good way to get them into homes across the country.
I have had a buyer of a small study on Ebay come to me and buy a larger gallery work, so it is a good way to advertise my studio as well and I enjoy the direct contact with the collectors.
They tell me they enjoy buying the small studies because they can get something original for a good price and they don't want prints.

Click HERE to see what's up for auction. Don't forget to search "Holdren art" from the Ebay home page anytime to see my auctions.

3rd Friday artwalk and Chatham Camera Club exhibit

2011-10-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

At the 3rd Friday Artwalk in Siler City, I participated in a joint exhibition by the Chatham Camera Club and local gallery artists. The "Double Exposure" exhibit allowed painters to choose a photo from the photographers to interpret and then the painters interpretation and the photographers' work were hung together. It was a really cool exhibit and some photos were interpreted in paintings, and even sculpture and glass!

My painting was an odd custom size, and the frame I had to fit it was damaged so I went with the gallery wrap canvas with painted sides which was allowed for the show. It gives a sort of more contemporary look which the art community in Siler City seems to like.

Patrons starting to arrive at the gallery

A view from the front of the gallery

My painting next to the photo I interpreted in my work

Some patrons checking out my painting

A FREE FACEBOOK GIVEAWAY!

2011-10-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

I am havning a fun contest for this month. Anyone who joins or "likes" my Facebook Art business page before October 31, 2011 will be entered in a drawing for a FREE ORIGINAL PAINTING! Just click the link HERE or search "Justin Holdren Fine Art" when you are logged into Facebook and "like" my page.
My blog feeds to my Facebook page and you can sign up for my newsletter, shop prints from Fine Art America and do many other things right from my facebook page. I also post new work there and update eveyone on upcoming events.
I will draw a name from my fan list on November 1, 2011 and announce it here.

Blog changes and deadlines!

2011-09-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well, as you can see I did a bit of changing on the blog design here. I added a new pic to the header and changed to a simple clean format and I think this is my favorite of all the formats I have used. I might eventually add tabs at the top with links similar to my main website.

I haven't been posting regularly as I am working on multiple painting deadlines for group shows while trying to juggle family and my day job. That means the blog takes a back seat sometimes.
In addition to gallery shows, I have been selling my small study work from my sale bin in the studio on Ebay. Ebay is a great way to sell my small studies while advertising my studio and I have used it off and on for years. I have sold to buyers across the USA this way, and some have come back and purchased my larger work that I sell in my studio and galleries.
Hope to have some more things posted soon! Back to work!

New Marsh Painting

2011-09-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

"Afternoon on the Marsh"

16" x 20" Oil on Canvas

$350 Unframed, $400 Nicely Framed

This is one that is still wet I just finished from some photos and on location sketches done in the marshes near Calabash, NC. If you wish to purchase before it goes to a gallery, just email me at justin@justinholdren.com and I accept credit card payments through Paypal.

These coastal marshes are just beautiful and peaceful. This day was clear and sunny and you could hear the call of wild birds in the distance.

I have been busy packing sold Ebay paintings (I sell my small studies there sometimes) and getting pieces ready for some exhibits. I hope you enjoy viewing this piece, no back to work!

Flower sketches

2011-08-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

"Tulips"

5" x 7" Acrylic on Canvas

$50 unframed, FREE shipping

Click on the buy now button to pay through Paypal

SOLD

Been having some fun with done some simple flower studies and sketches. This is a study for a larger painting. I will probably work up a larger painting like this with more detail and contrast, but still keep it impressionistic in style.

New Outer Banks paintings

2011-08-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

I am working hard on some new pieces based on my photos and plein air paintings done in my travels near the southern coast of NC as well as the outer banks. Some of the paintings will be finished soon, but here are some photos I took that give a clue to the types of scenes I am working on. Stay tuned to see the paintings!

Summer Sunflowers on Ebay

2011-08-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

"Summer Sunflowers"

11" x 14" Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

1.5" thick sides are painted black so no frame is needed. This is wired and ready to hang!

Normal Retail Price: $250.00

Starting bid on Ebay: $34.99

I am still listing some older work on Ebay. This is an original oil from my studio. This is an older piece from a couple years ago, and I am clearing out some of the older work for low starting bids. This was an unusual sunflower as the face was a bit smaller and the leaves were longer. I was told what variety of sunflower it was but I don't remember. Click HERE to view the auction and get a great deal on a ready to hang original!

As always, email me at justin@justinholdren.com with any questions.

Annual Studio Sale

2011-08-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

I am having a studio sale of a lot of my older work, small sketches, and small studies on Ebay. I use to sell all of my small paintings on Ebay, but only sell the occasional pieces there now.
These will be sold at incredibly low starting bids to encourage bidding, and I am offering FREE SHIPPING on all pieces. Click the link below to see the items I have for sale. I will be adding more sale items as well as regular works at higher prices too. In the past, the pieces have been bid on early, so be sure to go ahead and bid the max that you are willing to pay! Click on "see sellers other items" when on the auction pages to see all pieces for sale.

Click HERE to see the sale items. More will be added through the end of this week.

Marsh Reflections

2011-07-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

"Marsh Reflections"

6" x 6" Acrylic on Archival Canvas Panel

$75 unframed, $150 Framed

Email me at justin@justinholdren.com to purchase. I accept Paypal if you prefer to pay with debit or credit card.

I really have been working, jut not posting like I should! This is a small painting I did recently to work out a composition for a larger work. This marsh near Calabash, NC was breathtaking when I was there and I snapped a photo and did a pencil sketch. It was too hot and mosquitos the size of small birds were all around, so I didn't paint it on site! The day was real hazy and you could hardly see the distant treeline in the background. The trees reflecting in the water were real dark and not getting much sunlight either.

I'm working on a bunch of coastal paintings and also playing around with some still life work as my wife seems to think those that I have done are good and I should do more. I have also had positive feedback on the still life work from buyers.

I am also currently trying to work out a place to sell my work near the coast, more about that later!

Sunshine Lavender Farm Harvest Celebration

2011-06-15T06:36:00.001-07:00

"Lavender Farm In June"

10" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas

$200 unframed, $250 Framed

Email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com if interested. This is one of the plein air pieces I painted on site during the festival.

Artist Thomas Heggie of Greensboro, NC. Great person and a fantastic artist!

Artist Brenda Behr from Goldsboro, NC paints a portrait of the musician on the front porch! You can see more of Brenda's work at http://www.brendabehr.com/ .

A beautiful sunflower in the garden behind the farmhouse. Annie has a great garden! Always beautiful things to paint....and eat!

People gather near the field to take a tour given by farm owner Annie Baggett, one of the nicest people you will ever meet! She is also so supportive of local and regional artists which I appreciate!

This past weekend I attended the annual Harvest celebration at Sunshine Lavender Farm in Hurdle Mills, NC. Annie, the owner of the farm always invites the artists to come and paint during the celebration. She also has some of the artists work in her art collection, which is great!

She gives tours of the farm throughout the day, and they also have lots of lavender items and great food by local vendors for sale at the event.

To see an entire album of photos from the event go to my Facebook art page HERE and click on photos.

Germanton Gallery & SCAC ART Auction

2011-06-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

My painting getting ready to make the viewing rounds as it is auctioned off

"Afternoon on Town Fork Creek "

7" x 5" Acrylic on Canvas

My finished painting done on site. It was auctioned off to a buyer to raise money for the Arts Council of Stokes County.

Well known Stokes County artist Frank Duncan blocking in his painting "Friendship Bridge"

Artists Addren Doss and Julie Hayes of the Piedmont Outdoor Painting Society get their paintings started

I returned late Saturday night after attending the Stokes County Arts Council's annual art auction held near Germanton Gallery on Town Fork Creek in Stokes County.

I was invited by artist Frank Duncan (http://www.artworkoffrankduncan.com/ ) to come and plein air paint during the auction. Frank, myself and a few other artists did plein air paintings on site that were then auctioned at the end of the day to benefit the arts council.

I had a blast and was able to see paintings from the gallery done by artists I have admired since art school. All in all it was a great day!

Staycation - Lazy 5, Bob Timberlake Gallery, Zoo

2011-06-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Feeding the Llamas at Lazy 5 Ranch

Shot of the waterway near the Asheboro NC Zoo

The huge Bob Timberlake Gallery in Lexington

Well, we took a short 4 day Staycation last week. My 4 year old daughter had to have outpatient surgery for some dental fillings, and she was pretty tired, so we did some things near home. We went to the Asheboro Zoo and she fed the giraffes and I took lots of pictures, some to paint from later in the studio.

On our last day, we headed to Lazy 5 Ranch in Mooresville, NC but stopped off in Lexington, NC and had some great barbecue, which was out of this world! I also stopped in the Bob Timberlake Gallery and it is an awesome display of a lifetime of his artwork and furniture designs. Find out more at http://www.bobtimberlake.com/ .

Tomorrow I head to King, NC for an event at Germanton Gallery that I will be painting on site for. I will have pictures of the event on the blog here in my next post.

Summer schedule is heating up!

2011-05-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I still hold a full time job with a local rescue mission in addition to my slowly growing job of painter. The Piedmont Rescue Mission held a craft and vendor fair this past weekend that I took part in. Since there were also yard sale items and food for sale, most craft or art items had slow sales. But having these vendors and taking part helped the rescue mission raise some much needed cash.

There is a quick pic at the bottom of this post of my setup. I just brought a simple display for originals and some bins with matted prints as well. I also met and networked with some other artists and might be taking part in a street festival thay told me about later in June.

Some upcoming events:

Saturday, June 4th - Stokes County Arts Council Wine, Bid, and Boogie festival and art auction. I will be painting on location behind Germanton Gallery in King, NC and paintings will be auctioned off later in the day. This is a great chance for me to see work at the gallery there by nationally known artists and I can't wait!

Double Exposure Exhibit - I will be taking part in this exhibit at the Chatham Camera Club Gallery later in the year. It is near the large Arts Incubator Gallery in Siler City. The photographers post photos and the artists have to choose a photo and create their interpretation of it. The art and the photographer's photo are then exhibited side by side. I will post dates when I have them.

My setup for the Craft, Vendor, and Community Yard Sale day

Vendor Fair this weekend

2011-05-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

I will be at Piedmont Rescue Mission in Burlington, NC this weekend for their Craft, Vendor, and Community Yard Sale. It is a fundraiser event for them and I work for them but will also have a booth there with items for sale. I will have larger originals for sale, but will also offer some smaller miniatures at an affordable price and I will have some matted prints/reproductions for sale.
The event is from 9-4 this Saturday, May 21. You can find out more at www.piedmontrescuemission.org - Hope to see you there!

Small Ocracoke Oil Study

2011-05-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

"Ocracoke Surf"

6" x 6" Oil on archival Raymar panel

Click HERE to view the auction

This is a small oil study of the water near the shoreline of Ocracoke Island in NC. I produce so many of these small paintings because they allow me to work out ideas for larger paintings before I commit to a larger canvas. This one shows a crashing wave and there was a bit of sunlight reflecting in the curves of the wave. Follow the link under the image ot go to Ebay and place your bid.

Some North Carolina Scenes up for auction

2011-04-19T09:24:00.000-07:00

Outer Banks Dunes - 6" x 6" Oil on Raymar Panel

Click Here to View Auction

Ocean Isle Marsh - 6" x 6" Oil on Raymar Panel
Click HERE to view auction

Here are a couple small paintings that I have up for auction on Ebay at an extremely affordable price. I have sold many small paintings over the years on Ebay and am going to start putting my smaller work and minatures and prints on Ebay and Etsy again. More about that to come in the next post!

Yes I'm Still Alive

2011-04-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

I've been traveling with my smallest paintbox in the car to paint small studies when I have a few minutes - It's been really hectic lately!

Well, I can't believe it's been so long since my last post. Life has been crazy the past month! I had to finish paintings to submit to a juried show, we had to plan my daughter's 4th birthday bash, and I am working on a commission and new paintings for a interior designer's new shop in Southern Pines that will open in June or July.

I am also participating in the Local Color Gallery Paint out this Saturday, April 16th in Raleigh. We will be painting around town on location and we have to turn in two framed and completed pieces by the end of 6-8 hours. The paintings will then be exhibited in May at Local Color Gallery in Raleigh. You can visit their website here .

6 x 6 paintings submitted

2011-03-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

Well, I submitted my paintings to the 6"Squared juried exhibition at Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa, California. There were almost 1200 entries into this popular exhibition and they only select a few hundred, so I may not get accepted, but I'm OK with that. I am going up against nationally known artists who have been at this a lot longer than I have, but I can always use these in a local gallery if they don't get accepted. Any time spent painting is a learning experience, so it is not wasted time.

I will know by the end of this week. Fingers crossed!

"Ocean Isle Marsh"

6" x 6" Oil on Raymar Panel

"Outer Banks Dunes"
6" x 6" Oil on Raymar Panel

"Calabash Boats"

6" x 6" Acrylic on Raymar Panel

I'm thinking 6 x 6!

2011-03-02T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hello friends. Well I got my shipment of 6 x 6 inch museum quality canvas panels from raymar (www.raymarart.com ) today and I am sketching out ideas for 6 x 6 inch paintings.

Randy Higbee Gallery in Costa Mesa California is having its second show of paintings that are all 6 x 6 in size. The first one was hugely successful, so I thought I would submit a few for this show and see if they get juried into the show. There are hundreds of super talented nationally known artists submitting as well so the competition is fierce, but I thought I would at least try.

Randy Higbee is owner of King of Frame - www.kingofframe.com and sells awesome frames as well as being owner of Randy Higbee Gallery - www.randyhigbeegallery.com . Wish me luck and I will post some of the paintings soon.

Small Study and moving the Studio

2011-02-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

Tennessee Landscape Study

5" x 7" Acrylic on Canvas

$50 Unframed

email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com if interested

This is a small landscape study I did the other day from some pencil sketches and photos from a Tennessee trip. I have been doing a lot of these small studies lately and am working on some larger pieces, but just haven't completed anything lately. I do these small ones just to keep my brushes moving. Been fighting a cold since last week too which has made me feel like lying around instead of painting.

Also, I just recently moved my home studio from a large spare room downstairs to a smaller common area space upstairs. I am moving so we can make the spare room into a playroom for our daughter. The toys and everything keep growing even though we purge items when we can, so we thought giving her a playroom would help with that. I can paint in a smaller space, I am just having to store items like shipping supplies, frames, and canvas in the closet downstairs as I don't have room to keep a large work table set up anymore.

Anyway, I am all set up in the new space and you should be seeing more new work soon!

Quick post today

2011-01-29T14:45:00.001-08:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com
Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:29:40
To: <justinholdren.fineart@blogger.com>
Reply-To: paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com
Subject: Quick post today

Just a quick post from the Blackberry today. I am out sketching and looking for new ideas for paintings. Here is the spot I am at right now.
I'll have some new sketches posted by tomorrow.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Painting boats

2011-01-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

"Docked at Calabash"

16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas

*This one headed to Raleigh Street Gallery soon - email if you are interested*

This is a recently finished painting I did from some sketches and photos I had from a trip this past summer to the Calabash and Ocean Isle area of North Carolina. I have been working on a few different boat paintings and will post them when finished. Boats are challenging! I simplified the ropes and surface details quite a bit - it was all a bit distracting.

This is sort of an unusual composition, but I like the "in your face" aspect of the subject. Painting white boats is often harder than colored boats just because there are so few areas that are pure white because of the shadows and reflected light from the nearby objects. This boat was mostly in shadow on the side facing you, but a little sun was hitting the top front of the boat. I should have pushed the values even more to make the lighting more dramatic, but it's not varnished yet, so I may revisit this one and tweak it a bit.

On a side note, one of my gallery reps just emailed me today and told me they sold one of the new paintings I just took them before it was even hung. Wish that happened every day!

Merry Christmas and the beauty of NC

2010-12-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, I am still alive even though I have not done much blogging in the past month. The last few months have been crazy(broken well pump at home, then totaled my car, etc.), but mostly I have been studying in the studio and just trying to really work hard to produce better, more thought out work.

I had a productive meeting with well known artist William Mangum the first week in December. He gave me an honest critique of my work and showed me areas to work on, one of which I knew he was going to say. I often struggle with composition, and how to place the scene, not so much the drawing and such, but the placement of the elements and lines and values that draw people into the scene. He also suggested that I take more risks, which could lead to better structured paintings. To find out more about him visit http://www.williammangum.com/ .

So, I have been painting a lot, but not posting every little thing that comes off the easel since lately they are mostly studies. I will be posting more often in 2011 as I am working on some new projects that I am excited about. Today I will leave you with some photos I took while painting on a private NC property. North Carolina is an artist's dream to paint.

New paintings

2010-11-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

"Marsh Near Calabash"

6" x 6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Wired to hang unframed

"Table for Two"

6" x 6" Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Wired and ready to hang unframed

"Winter Pond"

8" x 10" oil on canvas

Framed in Hand carved metal leaf frame

These are some new ones I just finished for the Christmas Invitational Show at the Alamance Arts Council. The bottom one was painted last winter on location in freezing temps. I touched it up some before framing it, and I wanted to refine the frozen pond and grasses even more, but ran out of time. if you are interested in any of these contact the Alamance County Arts Council at 336-226-4495.

I paint water very often in my work, but this frozen pond was quite a challenge as the frozen ice didn't have much reflection like water normally does. I am at that stage lately in my work where I am more critical of every work I do and really have not been happy with the last few paintings, but seasoned professionals tell me this means I am learning more and growing as a painter. It just makes me want to press on even harder to learn more and keep improving my observation skills.

Stokes County Plein Air Piece

2010-11-15T09:33:00.001-08:00

"Stokes County View"

8" x 10" Oil on Linen Panel

Unframed

This is a piece I posted before that was done on location but just wanted to let Ebay buyers know that is available as a fixed price Ebay listing. you can view the auction by clicking here.

Back to my Ebay roots - Outer Banks NC Painting

2010-11-08T20:45:00.000-08:00

"Ocracoke Beach"

5" x 7" Acrylic on Raymar Canvas Panel

Click here to view on Ebay or place a bid

As many of you know, a few years back I used to sell my really small paintings on Ebay. I have sold to buyers across the country this way and I have many small ones lying around since I paint so many studies, so I am going to list some of them on Ebay again from time to time.

These will be mostly small paintings that I usually don't sell in galleries, so they will be a great way for someone to start collecting original art at an affordable price.

A whirlwind month

2010-11-08T09:36:00.000-08:00

So far November is turning out to be one hectic month! This past Saturday I attended well known NC artist William Mangum's Open house at his gallery in Greensboro, NC. Got to talk with him and received a signed complimentary print. You can find out more about him at www.williammangum.com .

Sunday afternoon I headed to the Art Link Gallery at the Historic Chinqua Penn Plantation in Reidsville, NC to switch out some paintings of mine. There are some shots of the gallery below.

Now I am finishing a deadline this week for the Alamance Arts Council's Christmas Invitational show amidst my full time job and other responsibilities. One busy month so far!

Be looking at the blog here to find out about a solo exhibition I am planning for 2011. Stay tuned!

Main Exhibition room at Art Link Gallery

Another shot of the gallery - can you see the still life painting on the right in the gold leafed frame? That is one of mine.

Life's little problems

2010-11-03T18:49:00.000-07:00

Well I am posting from the Blackberry tonight so this will be brief.
I have new paintings to show you soon but life has thrown some problems my way this week that have kept me from posting.
We live in the country and have well water and came home Monday to a broken well pump. After manually pulling 350 feet of line we replaced the pump only to discover after lowering it that the wire has a short also.
So out comes the pump again. Hope to have the wire replaced tomorrow and have water again. I hope so because I have show deadlines next week and I need to get back in our house!

Coastal Landscape

2010-09-28T13:04:00.001-07:00

"Intracoastal Backyard"

16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas

$350 Unframed or $400 Framed

contact me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com if interested(Sorry for the picture quality, will try to reshoot it in better light and repost it)

This is a piece I did recently in the studio from some sketches and photographs made near Calabash, NC from a recent trip. This was the scene behind one of those houses that sit on the intracoastal waterway. The sun was at sort of high and at a back angle to these trees making these great patterns of light and shadow.

More coastal paintings are on the way, just been extremely busy between work, painting, and family time. I have many in progress around the studio that need to be finished up. I have also been playing with some still life paintings, which I usually don't do very many of, so check back to see those as well.

Labor Day Plein Air Study

2010-09-10T09:15:00.001-07:00

"Afternoon Reflections"

7" x 5" Oil on Stretched Canvas

$50 unframed or $100 Framed

$5.00 Shipping

Email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com if interested. I can email you a paypal invoice to pay with credit card if you wish.

Went out to my inlaws' rural property in Siler City, NC on Labor Day, but only had time to do this small study down by the pond. I like the compostion, so I may develop this into a larger piece that is a bit more refined.

The bushes and trees along the shoreline were lit in certain areas by the sun as it went down, and I liked the reflection patterns in the water. I love trying to capture all of the nuances of color in water, which changes all the time depending on what's around the water.

I also started an 8 x 10 study and got it blocked in, but didn't finish it. Will post the start of that one tomorrow.

Back with a new look!

2010-08-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted! Any of you out there that have kids in school will understand.
I have been working and painting like crazy and did a recent weekend exhibit, but haven't posted due to our hectic schedule in the past month. Our daughter started K-3 preschool, and we have been getting her ready for her move into big girl school, so I promise I will be posting some new work soon once I get it photographed.
I gave the blog here a little facelift with a new look because I thought it was about time. I was tired of the old design. I will still be playing around with images and sizes for the header, but it is mostly done. I have some exciting upcoming projects to share with you, so stay tuned!

Intracoastal Acrylic work in Progress

2010-07-19T13:12:00.001-07:00

Acrylic Painting in progess on the easel (Sorry for the quick photo -will post again when it's finished)

Here one of many paintings I am working on. I am painting this from a color sketch and photo from my trip to Ocean Isle beach back in June. I was out doing my "painting crawl" one morning(looking for subjects to paint), and I saw this scene. It was a back property line on the Intracoastal Waterway, and I could see it from the road, but it was behind a home and on private property, so I had to do a quick color sketch from the car and take a quick photo.

I still have quite a few more layers to add to this piece. The sun was at a back angle, just grazing the side of the trunks of these palm trees, and casting shadows on the grass. This person's yard ended right at the grasses along the Intracoastal. It was an awesome scene, and I just knew that I had to paint it. I will post the finished piece in a few days.

Back to blogging

2010-07-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

"Calabash Marsh"

8" x 10" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

$200 Framed in Solid Wood Gold Metal Leafed Frame

Will be available at Raleigh Street Gallery

"Summer at Ocracoke"
16" x 20" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas
$400 Framed in Antiqued Brown and Gold Leafed trim frame
Will be available at Raleigh Street Gallery

These are two recent paintings done in the studio from sketches I did on location in Ocracoke and in Calabash, NC. I will have a whole series of coastal paintings available soon.

The top painting I actually started on location but couldn't finish it in time because the light had changed so dramatically. I complete many of my paintings in the studio from sketches made on location and photos that I take for detail, but there is nothing like standing in front of nature and painting and observing. I remember starting this piece from the docks at Calabash in early morning, with the shrimp boats getting ready to depart. It was a great day to be painting.

The Start of a Painting

2010-07-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

Charcoal study sketch for a painting

I have been painting, just not posting very much. I am trying to wrap up a few pieces that are sitting in the studio in various stages of completion.

Some of you have asked how I start painting. When I am painting on location or in the studio, I usually just start with a sketchy drawing in thin paint to lay out the composition, then start blocking in the painting. I first plan out what I want to do before that step with sketches or color studies, but usually don't do an actual detailed "drawing" on the canvas unless I am painting things like people, buildings, or still life objects.

The sketch above was done as a study for a painting because I am including the boat, which I feel needs to be well drawn, even if I stay loose with the painting itself. For that reason I drew this study to get a feel for the composition.

I will post the paintings I am working on when finished.

Calabash and Ocean Isle Sketches

2010-06-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

These are a few studies I did on location in Ocean Isle and Calabash. I also did some pencil sketches and watercolor sketches that are not for sale, but I will post them here soon. I will use these images and all the photos I took to create a series of coastal paintings. Be on the lookout for them! These acrylic studies are small and super affordable! Follow the links to purchase or email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com .

"Intracoastal Marsh"

4" x 6" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel

Purchase at my website here

"Docked at Calabash"
4" x 6"
Acrylic on Canvas on Panel
Purchase at my website here

"Ocean Isle Beach"
4" x 6" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel
Purchase at my website here

New paintings and Beach trip

2010-06-08T13:48:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a week at Ocean Isle, Nc with the family and inlaws. I did paint some small studies that I will post soon after I tweak them a little. I also took tons of photos of the marshes, docks at Calabash, and many other places. I will be doing some larger paintings in the studio from the sketches and photos, so keep checking back here and at my website at www.justinholdren.com .

The working boat docks at Calabash, NC - Seafood capital of the coast

Couldn't resist a close up of this shrimp boat

The pier at Ocean Isle Beach

Painting the Carolina Coast

2010-06-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

I am painting on location on the soiuthern coast of North Carolina. I will return to the blog soon with pictures of the sketches and studies from the trip.

Plein Air Painting at the De St. Aubin home

2010-05-22T20:30:00.000-07:00

Painted last weekend with our plein air group at the De St. Aubin home in Siler City , NC. It is a large beautiful property with pasture land and a large pond and beautiful gardens. I will be doing more paintings in the studio from the sketches and photos I took.

Well known North Carolina artist Rebecca Patman Chandler painted with us too. I have always loved her work. Sorry for the grainy scans here. I scan small pieces and lately my scanner isn't filtering out the texture of the panel.

"Pond Reflections"

8" x 6" Arylic on Panel

Purchase at my website here

"Summer Haybales"

6" x 8" Acrylic on Panel

Purchase at my website here

Quick Rural plein air study

2010-05-22T20:20:00.001-07:00

"Reidsville Farm"

6" x 8" Acrylic on Panel

Purchase at my website here

Did this quick study by the side of the road the other week when I was in Reidsville delivering paintings to a gallery. I didn't have much time because they were mowing along the side of the road. Sorry for the quality of the scan. I will shoot a pic with my camera and repost later. The scanner seems to be picking up on the texture of the panel.

Painting at Chinqua Penn

2010-05-18T11:06:00.000-07:00

Had to deliver some paintings to the Art Link Gallery at the Chinqua Penn Plantation in Reidsville, NC a couple weeks ago. I painted some small studies on the property and also did a sketch or two of some farms around the area. I will post the other studies when I get a better picture of them.

"Shady Spot at Chinqua Penn"

5" x 7" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel

Purchase unframed at my website here

This is my smallest paintbox that I use when I need to travel light and won't be doing large pieces. It's a modified cigar box that mounts to a tripod. I strap a larger palette to it because the palette on the box is a bit small.

Traveling and Painting

2010-05-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Hello all! I have been absent from the blog here for a few days, but I AM PAINTING. I promise! The small sketches below I did in Bear Creek, NC with our plein air group. The property we painted on was huge and beautiful, complete with gardens pasture land and a huge Southern style plantation home at the end of a long driveway.
Our hosts were so gracious and I will be going back soon I hope!

The next post will have some plein air studies and photos from my trip to Reidsville last week.

"Country Road"

6" x 4" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel

Purchase info at my website here

Painted on the back road behind the house.

"Spring Blooms"
7" x 5" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel
Purchase info at my website here

The property had all of these great flowers in bloom beside the woods. I simplified and captured them quickly before the light changed. I will probably alter the composition and do a larger studio piece of both of these studies.

More paintings

2010-04-26T07:16:00.001-07:00

Here is a couple plein air pieces and a painting done in the studio. The plein air pieces are available in the Plein Air Gallery at Courtyard Coffee in Siler City, NC. You can slo contact Chana Meeks at Raleigh Street Gallery with questions. Her contact info. is at http://www.raleighstreetgallery.com/ .

"Down by the Pond"

16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas

Painted on location in Siler City, NC

"Down by the Depot"
14" x 11" Oil on Canvas on Panel

Painted on location a while back during an event in Alamance County. I actually forgot I had this piece since it was stored with many paintings... so it is not a brand new piece, but new to the market!

" Summer at Ocracoke"
16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas

This one is going to Raleigh Street Gallery soon.

This was painted in the studio from sketches and photos I had from a trip to Ocracoke Island, NC. It is such a beautiful place and not overdeveloped like so many beaches today.

Plein Air painting on the Haw river

2010-04-19T12:27:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Our plein our group will be painting on the Haw River in Pittsboro, NC on Sunday afternoon, so I will have some work to show you from that trip soon.
To find out more about our group, or to join us for a day of painting if you paint, visit www.ncpaintout.blogspot.com .

Plein air painting - Celebrity Dairy Farm

2010-04-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Barn at Celebrity Dairy Farm

9 x12 Oil on Linen Panel

Available through Raleigh Street Gallery's plein air gallery at Courtyard Coffee Shop, Siler City, NC

Email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com for details

Here's the plein air piece I did last week at Celebrity Dairy farm. I know that the typical barn has been done a thousand times, but the light hitting the front of the shed and the cast shadows on the ground from the high overhead trees made me want to paint the scene. This was painted completely on location except for an additional 30 minutes of tweaking in the studio.

I could have refined it more and added more detail, but decided to leave it as a quick impression of the scene. Often I will refine a piece more in the studio, but this works as a study I can use in the future.

New Art Gallery!

2010-04-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

Me and Sophia outside the Chinqua Penn Art Gallery

Starting in May, I will have paintings available at the art gallery at Chinqua Penn Plantation in Reidsville, NC. The plantation is a huge and beautiful property and it also has a vineyard. The house is open for tours and it is a grand mansion that is as beautiful inside as it is outside.
I am fortunate to show my work there. Please visit my other galleries as well and my website to see new work. I am fortunate to be in galleries that charge a low commission, so my prices are extremely reasonable at this point in my career because I am just trying to get my work out there for people to see as I continue to learn and improve.
To find out more about Chinqua Penn Plantation, visit http://www.chinquapenn.com

Painting at Celebrity Dairy Farm & Inn

2010-04-13T10:08:00.001-07:00

Painted on location Sunday afternoon with 4 other painters at Celebrity Dairy Farm and Inn in Siler City, NC. I got a 9 x12 piece about 80% done because I had to leave after a few hours. I will post the finished painting here this week. Our group will be painting on location around North Carolina and we have a permanent plein air gallery at Courtyard Coffee and Soda Shop in Siler City. Any plein air pieces of mine not there will be at Raleigh Street Gallery down the street from the Coffee Shop.
To find out more about our group and to see more pictures, visit www.ncpaintout.blogspot.com .

My painting about 80% done. Have to tweak the values and colors a little bit because I was in full sun and I keyed some colors too dark.

The back field behind the inn

A great painting subject

The front of the inn

Sorry for the abscence, trip to Chinqua Penn

2010-03-31T07:21:00.000-07:00

The front of the Chinqua Penn Plantation House

Lucinda and Sophia

Me and Sophia in front of the art gallery

Lucinda and Sophia in front of the clock tower, or as Sophia calls it "The Princess Castle"

Sorry for the abscence from the blog lately, but life has been a bit busy. My wife's aunt that was battling cancer passed away and we have been visiting with her sister who took care of her as much as we can. Also, we had a big 3rd birthday party for my daughter this past weekend, and now I have some sort of flu bug/stomach acid reflux thing that has kept me from eating anything substantial for the past 3 days. So anyway, haven't had much painting time to say the least!

I am working on some larger studio pieces that I will show soon, and I hope to get out there to do some plein air painting this weekend.

My wife, daughter, and I visited a cool place this past week. We went to Chinqua Penn Plantation in Reidsville, NC. It is an amazing historical property that was once a private residence. You can tour the house, and enjoy the hundreds of acres of land around it. There are gardens, and many things to look at, and an art gallery among other things. The pics are at the top of this post

A time for family

2010-03-17T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hello all my blogger friends. I will post some new things I have been working on soon. I have sort of stepped back from my painting for a while to spend more time with my family. My wife's aunt that has been battling cancer for the last couple years is getting weaker and the all of the family has been by her side between the visits from the Hospice nurse. Please keep our family in your prayer during this difficult time.

New paintings for exhibit

2010-03-09T09:12:00.001-08:00

These are the finished paintings for the "Double Exposure" exhibit in Siler City, NC. The exhibit features photographs by fine art photographers and painters' representation of their chosen photograph hanging with the photographers work. Go to www.ncartsincubator.org and click on "upcoming events" to find out more.

I chose a photo of this Native American Indian in full dress with a small child next to him. I am normally a landscape painter and feel more comfortable drawing people than painting them, so I did a small scratchboard drawing of just the face. The second piece was also going to be a scratchboard, but I ran out of time, so I did it in a loose style in acrylic.

This is only the second scratchboard piece (the one in b&w) that I have ever done. You can also add color using colored inks. So many people have responded favorably to the scratchboard drawing, that I might do many more.
Scratchboard is done on a clay coated panel that is covered in india ink. You use a tool to "scratch" out the image in reverse, revealing the white underneath. More lines scratched means more white revealed. This method is time consuming and once you make a line you can't erase it, but I like the challenge. I think I will do many more!

Here is both pieces framed and ready to go!

"Solemn Warrior"
8 x 10 inches Scratchboard on Panel

"Warrior Heritage"

16 x 12 inches Acrylic on Canvas

New paintings tomorrow

2010-03-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

Taking my wife for a doctor visit today, but I will post my paintings from the Double Exposure exhibit tomorrow. I am ready for warm weather so I can get back to working on location.

Library exhibits - something different

2010-03-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Drove in the snow over to Asheboro, NC to hang my paintings at the Asheboro Public Library. It will hang for 2 months. Sales may or may not come from this type of exhibit, but I did it for another reason. This library, and many others, have programs like this with changing art exhibits so people can be exposed to original art. I think this is great because we live in a society where practically everything sold is mass produced, and few people appreciate anything handmade or original anymore. They would rather get something cheap than get something original that will last long enough to be passed down to their family.
Since I am still early in my art career and still learning, my original work is extremely affordable, but many cannot afford original art, and these types of shows let people see and learn more about original work.

While hanging the show, everyone in the whole library kept staring at me because I was making so much noise hammering nails in the display area. Guess I should have been more quiet.
It is a library after all! Below are some pictures of the display.

They use these heavy cork boards to display the work. I had to hammer the nails down and hard to reach the hard surface underneath to make sure they wouldn't fall on someone!

3rd Friday Art Walk - Siler City, NC

2010-02-19T07:09:00.000-08:00

Don't miss the 3rd Friday artwalk in downtown Siler City, NC tonight from 6-9pm. All of the downtown galleries will be open late and there will be live music at Raleigh Street Gallery where you can see some of my work. To find out more about Raleigh Street Gallery where I will have work available, please visit www.raleighstreetgallery.com.

I have 2 exhibits coming up next month, and I will give you the dates in my next blog post!

Weekend Snow and Ice, and a little bit of painting

2010-02-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Well, we had about 5 inches of snow and ice this weekend in central North Carolina. That is not at all typical for us, so many of our secondary roads are still iced over. We spent the weekend at my inlaws rural property with the rest of the family and enjoyed the snow with the kids.

I took my paints along and did some quick acrylic sketches on acid free matboard while inside. I did start an 8 x 10 plein air oil, but only got about 80% done before the sleet started up again. I will post the finished work here soon. I will also be doing a few snow scenes in the studio from reference material I gathered this weekend. Stay tuned here to the blog!

Was sunny on the second day of snow, of course not on the day I painted outside - it was gray and nasty that day

Here is some runoff from the pond out at my inlaws house

2 days after the snow and the secondary roads near my house still look like this!

Here's the sketches I did this weekend. The two on matboard are from memory, and the snow scene I got about 80% done outside before it started sleeting. I will refine it a bit more in the water area and where the dead pond grasses are. Stay tuned for the finished result!

Painting and photographing Beautiful North Carolina

2010-01-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

We have no shortage of beautiful scenery in North Carolina, but some people think that you can only find beautiful scenes in the mountains or the coast of NC. I live in central NC in the piedmont region and enjoy being in a rural area that affords me plenty of beautiful landscapes. I am only about 25 minutes from larger urban areas too, which is nice when I need a change of pace.

These photos were taken at Cedarock park, a huge park located on a historical farm that is run by the Parks and Recreation Dept. of the county. There are old historical buildings as well as miles of hiking trails and scenic streams and a lake. I painted there Saturday and will post the piece when finished. I also hiked and did some sketching and photographing for future paintings.

On the start of a hiking trail

The original cabin on the farm that was used before the large farmhouse was built. This was my painting subject for the day...

Some of the "wildlife" on the farm.

The barn area

Another view of the original homestead.

Hard at work

2010-01-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Working hard on my piece for the "Double Exposure" exhibit. The artists have to complete a painting from a reference photo submitted by photographers from the Chatham Camera Club.My choice was an image of Indians in full dress. Not my usual subject matter, but I like a challenge. Will post pics soon.

Cherries Still life and a landscape

2009-12-30T19:14:00.000-08:00

"Summer Cherries"

8" x 10" Acrylic on Canvas

Available at Picasso's Gallery & Gift Shop(Alamance Arts Council)

Visit their website at http://www.artsalamance.com/

"Mountain Road"

4" x 6" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel
Available at Raleigh Street Gallery

http://www.raleighstreetgallery.com/

These are some recent small ones. I have been playing with still life paintings recently because my schedule hasn't allowed me to do any outdoor landscape studies before it gets dark. Don't know why the scans here look grainy. I sized these down from a high-res scan, so it must be the canvas texture catching the light. I will try to filter them and replace them with a smoother picture later.

Merry Christmas, Upcoming Events

2009-12-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

Just want to say a quick Merry Christmas to all my friends and a big "Thank You" to all who have supported my growth as a painter. It is because of you that I am able to move forward and to keep growing and learning. Merry Christmas!

Also a reminder - I have an upcoming exhibit a the Asheboro Library in Asheboro, NC during the months of March & April 2010. I will post the exact dates when I have them.

Also, I will be participating in an exhibit titled, "Double Exposure" in February 2010. This exhibit was the result of the Chatham Camera Club issuing a challenge to artists to use one of their photos as inspiration for a painting. The resulting paintings will be shown next to the photographers' work that was used as reference. It should be fun to see how the painters interpret the photographers' work in paint. I will post the dates for that show soon. It will be at a gallery in Siler City, NC.

Sketching, back to basics

2009-12-17T21:42:00.000-08:00

I used to have a daily sketching habit, and due to painting for some recent exhibits and the busy pace of balancing my painting, full time job, and family, I have not been sketching like I used to. I have started again this week and just try to work in charcoal or conte crayon for just a few minutes a day. When I do this, it makes my painting time much more productive because the daily sketching helps to improve your skills... in the drawing area, anyway.

This unfinished conte crayon sketch pictured above was done by a stream on my inlaws' rural property in Siler City. I had my paint box out ready to paint, and ended up just sketching instead. It was a nice change of pace. I sketched enough to use it as reference for a future painting, but quit when my fingers went numb from the cold!

Country club show - one day only!

2009-12-01T14:13:00.000-08:00

These are some small pieces that I sent to Raleigh Street Gallery in Siler City, NC. The owner is taking these and some of the gallery's other inventory to a one day exhibit and sale at Starmount Forest Country Club in Greensboro, NC. This event is a ticketed luncheon and sale, so I hope I some of these pieces will move. The gallery suggested sending these smaller pieces because even the country club set have seen their share of financial downturn this year.

If these go unsold, they will be available at Raleigh Street Gallery. You can get their contact info on their website at http://www.raleighstreetgallery.com/ .

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-25T13:59:00.000-08:00

No paintings today, I am set to enjoy Thanksgiving with family tomorrow. Off Friday to take new work to a gallery for a one day sale/exhibit at a country club. Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. Thanks to all of those who have purchased paintings and supported my work. I am grateful. I will post some new work on Friday.

Alamance Arts Council Christmas Show

2009-11-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick shot of the paintings I sent to the Arts Council Invitational "Christmas at Captain White's" show. I sent small pieces to have some affordable offerings for this show. They have everything at this yearly show from paintings to pottery to anything handmade. Sorry about the sunlight and shadows on this pic, I will post pictures of each piece when I have time. If you're interested in any of these, just call the Alamance Arts Council at 336-229-6995 visit their website at http://www.artsalamance.com/ to get their email address.

Trees Plein Air Study on Ebay

2009-11-10T10:20:00.001-08:00

"Backyard Trees"

5 x 7 inches oil on stretched canvas, unframed

Click Here to Bid

A small plein air study done in late fall in my backyard. Enjoy!

FREE PAINTING WINNER

2009-11-09T06:50:00.000-08:00

This months drawing was won by Elaine Rothbauer. I hope you enjoy your painting. Keep checking the blog here for more chances to win FREE original art next month. Also, sign up for my e-newsletter by going to www.justinholdren.com and click on "Email Newsletter" to receive my monthly letter by email. I include special offers for my subscribers, so be sure to sign up!

Late night painting in the studio

2009-11-08T20:15:00.000-08:00

The main easel area

My acrylic palette during the middle of painting

Up late tonight finishing up a few paintings in the studio. I always finish the small studies in one go, but the larger studio pieces I usually leave and look at awhile and see if there are any adjustments I want to make. The pics above are of my main easel area. Artist Mike Rooney inspired the idea of using pegboard on my studio easel. His is the same way. It is easy to switch out paintings quickly with the hardware, and I can have multiple small paintings on the easel at one time. The pegboard is reinforced on the back with wooden boards so it will hold the weight of the paintings and stand up straight without bending. I works great for me. The idea came from seeing Mike's easel. I can't take credit!

To view Mike's blog, visit http://www.mikerooneystudios.blogspot.com/ . His impressionistic style work is awesome!

Antique Teapot Still Life Painting

2009-11-03T08:35:00.000-08:00

"Antique Teapot"

5 x 7 inches

Oil on Stretched Canvas, Unframed

Click Here to bid

I have sold many small studies in past years on Ebay, and list a small painting every now and then to advertise my studio. I generally do not put these smaller ones out in my galleries, and small past sales on Ebay have led to customers buying larger pieces from my website...so I thought it time to list some again.

Monthly FREE PAINTING GIVEAWAY

2009-11-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

"Nassau Palms"

5 x 7 inches acrylic on slim gallery wrap canvas

Wired and ready to hang

The image continues around the sides to give you the option of hanging this unframed

Pictured above is the painting in this month's free giveaway. To enter for a chance to win, just email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com with the words "FREE PAINTING" in the body of the email with your name. I will leave it open for entries until midnight on Friday, November 6th. After that, a name will be randomly drawn for the FREE painting. That person will be notified by email and I will mention it here on the blog.

I do these at different times, so to find out when, go to http://www.justinholdren.com/ and click on the "email newsletter" link to sign up for my monthly email newsletter. I also inlcude special deals for my newsletter subscribers. Good Luck!

Upcoming events, fighting a cold

2009-10-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Well, I have been busy painting, but slack about posting to the blog here. We had a major fundraising banquet at work last week, and there were months of preparation before that. I am participating in 2 Christmas exhibitions and have been working on those, so I promise you will see some of those in upcoming posts.

Here are some upcoming events that I am preparing for:

Christmas at Captain White's
This is the annual Christmas exhibition at the Alamance County Arts Council and Picasso' s Gallery(Their gallery and gift shop). The beautiful Victorian mansion is decked out for Christmas and there are paintings, pottery, hand blown glass, and many other things to look at. For more info, visit the arts council's website at http://www.artsalamance.com/ - they should have the info up soon.

Sherry's Shopping spree at Starmount Forest Country Club - Greensboro, NC
The gallery that represents me in Siler city will be taking a huge amount of inventory to the Starmount Forest Country Club in Greensboro, NC on December 2 from 1-5pm. This is a ticketed ladies luncheon, and I will be there with the gallery owner to sell my work and she will have work by many others as well.

All of this to do, and I am fighting a bad cold. Hope I feel better soon. Need to get in the studio and get cracking on some new work!
Stay tuned for some new paintings!

Painting at Cedar Cliff Farm

2009-10-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

I was invited, along with other artists, to paint at Cedar Cliff Farm in Graham, NC today. Every year, the owners always have the artists there to paint all day and then they have a large group of friends over to celebrate their anniversary in the evening. They congregate outside at the original homestead cabin and eat and listen to live music. I couldn't stay for the celebration this year, but I did get some small paintings done and took lots of photos. I will post the paintings tomorrow when I can get a better picture of them.

Back view of the house

Front of the house

The original homestead cabin

The barn

Working away and some excitement

2009-09-30T07:20:00.000-07:00

Sorry not to be posting lately, but I have been working I assure you. I haven't been posting many small works to the blog here because I have been getting ready for two invitational Christmas exhibits and a solo exhibition for March and April of 2010. Add to all of that the fun of a huge tree coming down in our yard from a storm and one of our cars running over it, and this week gets even better. I just thank God that no one was hurt. So after dealing with the insurance company and getting the car fixed, I will be back with more paintings.

Smoky Mountain Farm land

2009-09-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

"Farm Near Pigeon Forge"

12 x 12 inches, oil on birch panel

Work in progress

Email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com if interested in this one.

Sorry for the glare on this pic. I will re-shoot and repost when I have more time. This is a spot I saw when traveling near Pigeon Forge, TN. I have not decided if I am calling this one done. I wanted a loose, impressionistic approach, but I'm not sure the foreground doesn't need some changes. The foreground had cast shadows across it from a nearby grove of trees, but i'm not sure it reads as shadow. Maybe I''l tweak the color in the shadows.

This was a beautiful place, and I only had time to capture some photos from a moving car. This farm land was all lit up with afternoon sun, with patches of treeline here and there. I will have to visit the area again when I have more time to complete some studies of the area.

White Lake Sunrise Study and an Adventure

2009-09-16T07:57:00.001-07:00

White Lake Sunrise, 7 x 5 inches, Acrylic on canvas on panel

If you are interested in this study, it will be $50 unframed, but I have to touch it up first because of the adventure I had with this one. Just email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com if you want it.

I painted this study early one morning at white lake during sunrise. I was working quickly to capture the light and the acrylics fought me a little more than my oils - They dry fast, so little time to blend, etc. I finished this up and had lost the sunrise, so I took it back out the next day to add more passages of paint.

Well, I was walking down the boat dock and the winds were intense because of a coming storm and this little painting blew out of my hand right into the water! Without thinking I just jumped down the dock steps into the freezing water to save this one! It's not that it's a masterpiece of mine, but I wanted to use it for reference for a larger painting.....so I rescued it, and it only got a scratch. These Raymar, museum quality canvas panels are tough! I will post some more studies tomorrow, and then hopefully the larger gallery works I did from them.

Off on another trip, paintings to follow

2009-09-04T07:10:00.001-07:00

My trusty travel companion for small paintings

Well, I am off again with Lucinda and Sophia. This time we are headed to White Lake with her family for a relaxing weekend. Since we have limited space (we are bringing food to cook), I am bringing along my smallest paintbox and hope to get small studies done. I doubt I will have time to get any finished pieces done, but I hope to at least get some studies done to use for reference as I work on paintings for my upcoming show in Asheboro.

The great thing about painting when I travel is that I really get to observe a place and soak it in while I paint, rather than just quickly snapping photos. I do use my photos, but feel I produce a better painting when I have time to also make sketches on site.
This has been a whirlwind year, and I hope it will slow down before Christmas. It can be really difficult at times to juggle family, a full time job, church involvement, and my art business at the same time, but the Lord has blessed me with a fulfilling life and a wonderful wife and family who support me.

I won't have access to Wi Fi while there, so I will resume my blog posts next week and will post pictures when I return.

Last day for FREE PAINTING

2009-09-02T08:28:00.000-07:00

Tonight at midnight is the deadline to enter for the "FREE PAINTING." Just shoot me an email at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com with the word "FREE PAINTING" in it and your name. This was mentioned a week ago in my email newsletter. To sign up for future info on the FREE paintings, go to www.justinholdren.com and click on the email newsletter link. Good Luck!

Ocracoke Beach & Painting at 2 AM

2009-08-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

"Ocracoke Beach"

5 x 7 inches, Acrylic on Archival Canvas Panel

$50 Unframed

To purchase, send me an email at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com and I will invoice you through Paypal.

Painted this at 2am this morning from memory of a trip to Ocracoke Island. The color in the pic is a little off, but I didn't feel like Photoshopping it anymore at 3 am. Why painting such crazy hours? Well sometimes, when I can't sleep, I just get inspired to do a quick study like this. Hope you like it!

2009 Studio Sale & August Newsletter

2009-08-26T19:09:00.000-07:00

Justin Holdren Fine Art Studio
Studio Newsletter August 2009
www.justinholdren.com - Justin’s website
www.justinholdren.blogspot.com - Justin’s blog

2009 Studio Sale!
I am working on a large body of new work, so I really need space in the studio. This means a great deal for you! I have put up a STUDIO SALE portfolio on my website at www.justinholdren.com . These are small plein air studies or larger, older work that has not sold after making the rounds. I am willing to let people “steal” them to get them out of the studio. Be sure to check them out! All of them have FREE SHIPPING, and if you live in Alamance County, NC I will deliver them.
PLEASE NOTE: As a general rule, I usually sell all of my work at the same price it is sold for in galleries. I do not undercut my galleries. The only difference in price is if a work is not sold with a frame as it is in a gallery. The only exception is a studio sale of this sort where the inventory is older or it is non-gallery ready work.

Monthly Free painting
My monthly painting giveaway starts tomorrow. The painting being given away is shown below. To enter, just shoot me an email with your name and the words “FREE PAINTING” in the email. I will leave the entry time open until Wednesday, Sept. 3 at midnight. Then a name from the entries will be randomly drawn. Good luck!

Visit my blog
Many of you visit my website, but be sure to check out my blog too. I post paintings there that sometimes aren’t put on the website. I also post pictures from my travels, and things about the life I lead as an artist. Check it out at www.justinholdren.blogspot.com .

Thanks to all who have supported my work as an artist by purchasing. I do not take it for granted!

Justin

Cleaning out studio - Items for sale!

2009-08-19T08:16:00.000-07:00

I am doing the "not so fun" task of cleaning out my studio. I have some art books that I have gotten my use out of and want to sell. The books I have right now to sell are:

The Big book of painting nature in oil (Allen Schaeffer) - Excellent book on painting landscapes step by step - Paid 29.95, will sell for 15.00
Fill your oil paintings with light and color ( Kevin Macpherson) - Wonderful book on painting with a limited palette and tons of helpful techniques - Paid 19.95, will sell for 10.00
Helen Van Wyks Favorite Color Recipes (Helen Van Wyk) - Great book on color recipes and palette strategies on all subjects . Packed full of info! - Paid 19.95 on sale, will sell for $10.00
The big book of Art materials - A great guide to art materials and techniques for every medium, Full of great info. - Paid 24.95, will sell for 12.00

All of these books will ship free! I just want my studio cleaned out. I might have more for sale soon! Keep checking!

These items go to the first person to email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com

Hectic week!

2009-08-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hello all. No new paintings to post today, although I do have some completed I just haven't photographed yet. It has been a hectic couple of weeks! My daughter was in summer playschool, I have been getting new work done and sent to galleries, working on marketing and my web site, the list goes on and on.... New work coming tomorrow, hopefully!

FREE Painting Winner

2009-07-24T06:56:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kathleen Gosman! She is the Free Painting winner for this month. Remember, I will be doing these monthly for at least the rest of the year, so keep watching for my monthly email newsletter to find out when to enter for the next one!
To sign up for my newsletter, just go to www.justinholdren.com and click on the "email newsletter" link.

Free painting contest extended

2009-07-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I've extended the time to enter for the free painting until Wednesday at midnight. I will announce the winner by email on Thursday. Quite a few have entered, but there's still time to get your entry in.
Just email me with the word "free painting" and your name in the body of the email. Good luck!

Email at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com

Free Painting drawing now open!

2009-07-15T06:24:00.000-07:00

"Bahama Breezes" 5 x 7 inches

Acrylic on Canvas

Click on the image to see a more detailed view

This piece is on gallery wrap canvas with 3/4 inch sides. The picture continues around the edges and it is already wired in the back for hanging so you have the option of displaying it unframed.

This is the painting I am giving away this month for free! To enter your name for the drawing just send me a blank email with the word "free painting" in it and your name. The contest will be open until Friday, July 17th at midnight. The next day, the names will be compiled and someone other than myself will draw a name at random. That person wins this free painting!

Remember, I am doing this monthly, but the time each month will vary, so sign up for my email newsletter by going to www.justinholdren.com and clicking on the "email newsletter" link - the time I will do the giveaway each month will be revealed in the newsletter. Good luck!

To enter, email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com with the word "free painting" and your name in the email.

Asheboro Library exhibit 2010

2009-07-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hello all! Just got off of the phone with the Asheboro Public Library. I will have an exhibit there for the months of March & April 2010. They don't have a large amount of space for the show, so I will probably be exhibiting smaller framed pieces. I will update you more with times and pictures of the exhibit as the date draws closer. It seems far off, but it will be here before I know it! I can't believe 2009 is over half gone.

Ocracoke Coastal Painting

2009-07-01T07:58:00.000-07:00

"Ocracoke Surf"

8 x 10 inches, Acrylic on Canvas

$150 unframed, $200 Framed

Available by paypal at http://www.justinholdren.com/ or by emailing me

This is a small painting I did in the studio the other night. Ocracoke Island is a place of great beauty. I could paint 1000 paintings there and never run out of material. Be on the lookout for my email newsletter this week about the free painting giveaway. You can sign up for my email newsletter by going to http://www.justinholdren.com/ and clicking on the "email newsletter" link.

My own Stimulus package

2009-06-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! As a way to uplift people's spirits in this down economy, I have will be starting a free monthly painting giveaway. I can afford to do this because I accumulate a lot of small studies that are small versions of larger, more detailed works I want to do. So Starting in July, I will be giving away one small 5 x 7 painting a month until I decide to end this promotion.
To find out when I will post these paintings and how to enter, sign up for my monthly email newsletter by going to www.justinholdren.com and click on the "email newsletter" link. Good luck!

New painting, Tennessee Farmland

2009-06-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

"Tennessee Farmland"

8 x 10 inches, Acrylic on Canvas

$200 Framed in Gold metal leaf Frame with carved corners

This is a new one I did recently from some sketches and photos of a farm in Tennessee. The landscape was beautiful with the Great Smoky Mountains in the background. This painting is available at Raleigh Street Gallery in Siler City, NC. If you want it, contact the gallery owner Chana Meeks through the gallery's website at http://www.raleighstreetgallery.com/ .

Forgive my abscence!

2009-06-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have not posted any new paintings folks. I have been traveling about every weekend and am getting ready to head out today to Ocean Isle, NC to the beach! I have new work photographed, I just have not had the time to upload it to the blog or website. More to come next week - I promise!!!!

By the way, I am starting a new project in July that will enable some people to win a free 5 x 7 painting. Stay tuned here and I will tell you how!

Santee Cooper Fishing trip

2009-05-26T10:08:00.001-07:00

Here I am half asleep in front of our catch

I wasn't ready for the camera and have a stupid grin on my face!

Beautiful Lake Marion - Part of the Santee Cooper Lakes in South Carolina

My father in law with a big catfish!

Had a great weekend fishing trip with my father in law and brother in laws. We fished on beautiful Lake Marion in SC. We caught catfish from the teens up to about 25 pounds. Sunday night we battered and fried some and it was great!

Our guide was Lee Jackson and he was fantastic! His website is www.santeecooperfatcats.com

I didn't have time to paint, it was a whirlwind trip, but I did get some photos and sketches from memory done. I will have new paintings soon!

Myrtle Beach Trip

2009-05-21T13:38:00.001-07:00

My daughter Sophia ready to roll to the beach!

Our hotel - Did some paintings from the oceanfront balcony

Daylight starting to fade in Myrtle Beach, SC.

My family and I went to Myrtle Beach last weekend and had a blast. I did do some small plein air studies while I was there. I will post them as soon as I unpack and photograph them. I am off again this weekend to Santee Cooper, SC to do some fishing with my father -in-law and some others. I probably won't have time to paint as this will be a quick trip, but I will get some photos to work from later and can maybe get some pen or pencil sketching done.

Eastern NC Plein Air Study

2009-05-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

"Goldsboro Farmland"

Acrylic on archival canvas panel

$50 unframed

To purchase by paypal, send me an email.

This is a quick plein air study I did on location in Goldsboro, NC on Saturday. I was in town dropping paintings off at the Wayne County Arts Council. I thought that before driving 2 hours home, I would paint. I did this quickly from the Wal-Mart parking lot, which was across the street from this farm field. The field had some sort of plantings that had already been harvested. The light was kind of hazy and flat that day.

Plein air painting and a day trip

2009-05-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

Well, I drove 2 hours to Goldsboro, NC on Saturday to deliver paintings to the Wayne County Arts Council for a juried exhibition. I did a small plein air painting of a farm field, but I haven't taken a picture of it yet, so I will upload it tomorrow. I am gearing up for some painting at the beach this weekend, so my posts will be sporadic over the next week. Stay tuned!

Plein air study and some news

2009-05-08T07:37:00.001-07:00

"Backyard Trees"

7 x 5 inches, Oil on canvas

$50 Unframed

You can purchase by sending me an email or you can purchase through paypal at my website HERE

I have been getting ready for my upcoming trips. I will be in Myrtle Beach next weekend, Santee Cooper Lake in SC the next weekend, and two weeks after that I will be in Georgia for a few days. I have my smallest travel paintbox and supplies ready to go. These are family trips, but I will get some paintings done, usually before anyone gets out of bed! We always sleep in a bit on vacation.

Some news - My show at Tatum Optical Shoppe in Burlington, NC has been cancelled. Due to the economy, the place will be closing before the date my show was scheduled. I wish them luck and am thankful they wanted to show my work.

Show preparations and upcoming trips

2009-05-04T11:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in awhile, but I will have some new work to show you this week.
I have been working in the studio like crazy lately. I am submitting two pieces to a juried show in Goldsboro this week for the Wayne County Arts Council. I have also been preparing for an exhibit at Tatum Optical Shoppe in Burlington, NC. That exhibit will be in July and August.
Next weekend I will be heading to Myrtle Beach, SC with the family and to do some plein air painting. Then, the following weekend, I am supposed to be on a fishing trip with my father in law and brother in laws. We will be heading to Santee Cooper Lake in South Carolina. Hope to get in some painting time there as well. Hope to have some new work for you later this week!

Playing with tonalist painting

2009-04-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

"Reflections at Dusk"

14" x 11" Oil on Canvas

Sorry for the glare on this photo. The paint was still wet. I will try to get a better shot of it later.

Well, this doesn't necessarily meet the criteria for a tonalist painting as far as the color, maybe, but I was interested in playing with this technique of using darker tones and trying something new. This is just a scene from my head of a small water inlet that empties into this creek running through this marsh or field. This was so much fun just to play with a different approach than I normally use. I need much practice with tonalist painting if I want to do some more of these. To see work by a real tonalist master, go to http://www.deborahparis.com/ - her work is awesome! If you're interested in this, just email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com .