Church Commission work and blog announcement

Church commission in progress - still a lot to do!

I have been busy painting away trying to produce some new larger paintings for some gallery exhibits and submissions. The above painting is an in progress commission for a collector and friend in New Jersey. I still have several hours to go and this image is of a church that got washed away in Hurricane Sandy. This is how the church appeared years ago before development along the beachfront.
The image was taken quickly on my phone so forgive the angle of the canvas, the church really is in proper perspective! I believe this painting will hang in the new church once completed. How cool is that? I love being able to do what I love and am glad when people see beauty in the work.

Also I have posting to this blogger blog for several years, and I am going to leave it up so people can see the archived work, but I will be mostly posting at my integrated blog on my website here. So vist my website at www.justinholdren.com to see my new posts!

Challenge Paintings - Provence Lavender, Lakes, Coastal Marshes

"Provence Lavender"

3" x 3" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

$20 Unframed

"Intracoastal Creek"

3" x 3" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

$20 unframed

"Afternoon on Lake Marion"

3" x 3" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

$20 Unframed

These miniatures are paintings 8, 9, and 10 in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. You can view the descriptions and purchase information HERE

Nocturne Scene - Painting number 7 of 30

"Early Evening on the Lake"

4" x 4" Acrylic on Canvas Panel

$25 Unframed

View and purchase HERE

This is painting number 7 of 30 in the 30 day painting challenge. It is a first for me as I have never painted a nocturne before. This is early evening on a local lake. This piece ships for FREE! These small miniatures are a great affordable way to get one of my original paintings, so contact me if you would like to see a miniature of a certain subject during this 30 day painting challenge!

French Lavender Field (Painting 6 of 30 in the painting challenge)

"French Lavender Field"

4" x 4" Acrylic on Canvas Panel

$25 Unframed, FREE SHIPPING

View and purchase HERE

Painting number #6 in the 30 day painting challenge. I did this from photos of France that a collector friend sent me that she allowed me to use. This unframed little piece ships for FREE! It would look great framed or on a small display easel. I will be catching up the remaining paintings in the 30 day challenge. Work and family obligations preventing me from doing paintings 7,8, and 9 but I will upload them all in the next day or so to stay on track!

Lake Painting Acrylic (Painting number 5 of 30 in the challenge)

"Summer Reflections"

8" x 10" Acrylic on Cradled Panel ( Ready to Hang)

$100 Unframed

View and purchase HERE

Painting number 5 of 30 in the 30 day painting challenge. This is a summer view of a small part of a North Carolina Lake. This piece is done on a primed cradled panel similar to a gallery wrap canvas. The sides are painted black and this piece can hang unframed. Shipping is FREE!

Lakeside Tree Painting (Painting number 4 of 30 in the painting challenge)

"Lakeside Tree"

8" x 10" Acrylic on Stretched Canvas

$100 Unframed

Painting number 4 of 30 in the 30 day painting challenge. A stately old tree on the edge of a local lake. This unframed painting ships for FREE!

Atlantic Surf (Painting number 3 of 30 in the Painting Challenge)

"Atlantic Surf"

6" x 6" Acrylic on Canvas Panel

$75 Unframed

View and purchase HERE

This is painting number 3 of 30 for the 30 day painting challenge. It's a spot out in the Atlantic done from sketches and memory. Shipping is FREE!

Jekyll Island Palm (Painting 2 of 30 in painting challenge)

"Jekyll Island Palm"

4" x 4" Acrylic on Canvas Panel

$25 Unframed

View and purchase at my website HERE

Painting number 2 of 30 for the 30 day painting challenge. This was done from some photos I took when I stopped in to Jekyll Island, Georgia on the way home from a Florida trip. The beaches and palm trees there are so beautiful. 

Farm Sunset (Painting Challenge painting 1 of 30)

"Farm Sunset"

4" x 4" Acrylic on Canvas Panel

$25 unframed

View and purchase at my website HERE

First painting of the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. Only 29 more to go!

New Year and a New Challenge!

Happy New Year to all my friends out there! I am excited about as new year and new opportunities. Although I did do commission work and a few group exhibitions in 2014, new responsibilities at my day job and promoting and marketing for my job took most of my time and I had to put my freelance art career on the back burner for awhile which meant I was mostly painting for shows and commissions only and not putting new work on the blogs or website very often.
However, I am back to regular routine in the studio starting today, and I have joined a new 30 day painting challenge put out by California artist Leslie Saeta on her blog. Almost 1000 artist across the globe are participating in the challenge.
 I am painting 30 small paintings in the next 30 days and they will be posted here on the blog with a link to my website where you can purchase them or contact me about purchasing.
These will mostly be small paintings and will be a fun challenge. I may paint ahead a few days just to keep on schedule. I will post the first painting tonight! Hope everyone has a great new year and I will be posting here on on my website blog more regularly!

A brief update

Well I have been quiet on the blog most of the summer, but have been painting and working a lot on my day job, so not much online posting lately.
 I currently have two paintings in a show with Craig Richards and Triad outdoor Painters in Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The exhibit will end then first week of October so if you are in the area check it out! Below is the invite from the opening but it also has the address and contact information of the gallery. Be sure to check out my website at www.justinholdren.com and search " Justin Holdren Fine Art" on Facebook and "like" my page to get more frequent updates.

40 under 40 exhibit in North Carolina

"Abandoned" 16" x 20" Acrylic on Canvas

 I just found out that my acrylic painting "Abandoned" was juried into the Alamance County Arts Council's "40 under 40" exhibit. The exhibition includes paintings from across the country and will run from April 24 - June 13, 2014 at The Sister galleries of the Captain White House in Graham, NC. Opening reception will be April 24 from 6:30-8:30pm. Hope to see you there!

To find out more about the show visit www.artsalamance.com .

I'm Still Alive

Sorry for the lack of posting here lately. It is easier to update my facebook art page on the go, and I do that way more often and have been neglecting my blog here and on my website.

That being said, sometimes spending time with my wife and kids is more important. I had greatly reduced productivity in the studio last year, mainly due to so many irons in the fire. I had show obligations which I had to paint for and a few commisssions as well. Add to that refurbishing an investment property that we own for the next tenants, handling more things at home, a day job and our second child being way more active and into things than our first was, and I have just been burned out a little with not much energy for late studio hours! Guess it means that I am getting older since I can't stay up until 3am to paint any more without dragging the next day!

I am still working, just not posting much because I have been doing more studies for larger paintings than a lot of finished gallery work. I am learning to adjust my work schedule to get more done when the kids are sleeping! I am off to Disney in Florida with the family next week and will have some new things to show you when I return!

Apple Gallery Show

I drove to Danbury, NC in Stokes County today to deliver 3 paintings for the Triad Outdoor Painters show. We will have a show at the Apple Gallery from January 3 - January 28, 2013. The reception will be on Friday, January 10 at 5:30. To get directions to the gallery, visit www.stokesarts.org.

  If you are in the area, stop by and see the show!

Studio Sale extended though January 2!

I have decided to extend my studio sale until January 2. I am working on large commissions and need to clear out some older originals and studies at a great price! Just go to www.justinholdren.com and click on the "paintings" link to see the sale portfolio. You can purchase direct through the website with FREE SHIPPING or by calling me at 336-684-3875 to pay over the phone. I will be adding some new items weekly, including some rare drawings and watercolors of mine that I usually don't show. Don't miss out!

Christmas Studio Sale, Limted Time!

 "West Jefferson in November" 8 x 10 Oil on SALE

Hello friends! I haven't posted here in awhile, because I am mostly posting to Facebook, but here is some new about a sale I am having at www.justinholdren.com .

I am having a Christmas Studio sale from now until December 10. This will include older original gallery works, miniature originals, original studies and sketches, as well as a few prints. Just click on the "Paintings" link to see the sale album. I will be updating the sale portfolio often so keep checking back! You can use the paypal buttons or the "contact the artist" link under each image's description. You can also email me or text me your phone number at 336-684-3875 and I will call you if you wish to pay with your credit card over the phone or mail a check.
Most items are one of a kind, so when they are sold, they are gone! If you purchase an item that has just sold and it is not marked yet, I will gladly refund your money or apply it to another item that is available. Please remember that items on your screen may differ slightly in color to due your monitor settings.
Don't forget to keep checking back as I will be adding more items daily. Have fun!

First Post in a Long Time!

 I can't believe it has been since July that I posted to the blog here. I have been painting, just not posting much due to the demands of our family schedules! It has settled down some, so I hope to be posting more often now. Remember you can view my Facebook posts at www.facebook.com/justinholdrenfineart .
Here is a rough sketch for a commission that I am working on. This is for a buyer in New Jersey. This historic church was destroyed in Hurricane Sandy, so I count it an honor to be able to do this commission to remember this beautiful church. Be back soon with some in progress shots and information on a possible new dealer where you can purchase my small works!

Rough Sketch for Church Commission Painting

Some Ebay fun

Well,

As I prepare some paintings for an upcoming exhibit, I look around my studio and see many little"studies" I have completed over the past year. I often do paintings in a small format to work out the composition before I tackle a larger canvas. Some of these get framed up to sell in a gallery or on the website, but I often auction my small works on Ebay at an affordable opening bid.

I know some artists frown on Ebay, but these small studies have found their way into private collections across the country, and they are a great way for people to "sample" my work. My Ebay studies are the appetizer, not the main course like my larger paintings.

Some of my small Ebay sales have also resulted in a relationship with a few collectors that have since bought several commissions, making it worthwhile for me to list there. I will be listing small studies at affordable opening bids regularly, so click the link below to visit my Ebay profile page, then click on my auctions to see what's currently available, then check back regularly. Happy bidding!

Got to http://myworld.ebay.com/justih to see my page.

Some Marsh, Palm trees, and Coastal paintings and sketches...more to come!

 "Storm over the Marsh" 6" x 6" Acrylic on Canvas on Panel

$75 unframed, $ 150 Framed

Email me at justin@justinholdren.com  to purchase. I can invoice you via Paypal and you can pay with your credit or debit card.

 

"Ocean Isle Palm" 5" x 6" Acrylic on Primed/ Sealed Acid Free Matboard

$35 Unframed

Email me at justin@justinholdren.com to purchase. I can invoice via Paypal.

 

 

I just returned from a trip to the Ocean Isle and Calabash area of North Carolina. I was traveling with my wife and daughters so I only had time to paint in the morning. I did a few on site studies and took a lot of photos, but mostly sketched in my sketchbook in pencil, pen, and watercolor. I will share some of those sketches here on the blog in my next post.

Traveling light for Ocean Isle trip

I thought I would share some photos of my really light painting setup that I use when I can't lug a bunch of painting gear.

I am headed to the coast of NC in a few days, but because I am traveling with my wife and daughters I don't have room to carry my larger oil and acrylic setup. I also would have to worry about transporting wet paintings with the oils, so I am just taking a small acrylic setup and a watercolor/sketching kit. I am also going to complete mostly small paintings and studies on this trip since I will be painting for a short time each morning before family time. These studies will give me the color information to use on larger paintings, and I will use my photos for the details.

For the acrylics I use this small cigar box (pictured below) that has been converted to a mini paint box to hold my canvas and palette. I can do paintings up to 8" x 10" in size on this box. It has a tripod mount that I use to mount a lightweight tripod or if I am in a tight spot I just rest the box on my lap or on a flat surface. This allows me to do small paintings quickly and is convenient for travel.

 

My smallest paint box that I use for oils and acrylics when traveling light

 

 

The other cigar box (pictured below) that will be in my backpack will contain materials for quick sketches in pen, pencil, and watercolor. It contains a small watercolor set, pencils, and a small pocket watercolor sketchbook. I don't use watercolor that often, but found out that I can keep a minimal amount of materials that almost fit in my pocket with a small watercolor field box with brush and a few pencils. I will probably be doing many sketches in my sketchbook with this setup when I am not painting in acrylics on canvas and board. I will post the sketches and paintings from my trip when I return and will try to post some from the road.

 

 

My watercolor and pen/pencil compact sketching kit