Off on another trip, paintings to follow

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

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

"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

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!

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!

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

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

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!

"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

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

"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

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

"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!

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

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

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

"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

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

"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

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

"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 .

New Plein Air Painting and small studio study

"Pond Grasses"

10" x 10" Oil on canvas

$200 unframed

This one above is a plein air study I did a couple weeks ago down by the pond on my inlaws property. The grasses where I was standing were still rust and ochre colors, but the pond grasses had already started to turn green. If you want this before it goes to a gallery, email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com - If you wish to pay by credit/debit card, go to my website at http://www.justinholdren.com/ and this piece will be in the "paintings" section with a "buy now" button by the end of today.

"Coastal Marsh"

6" x 8"

Acrylic on Panel

$100 unframed

This is a small study I did in the studio last night from some photos I took of the marshes near Oak Island and Bald Head Island. I did this to work out an idea for a possible larger piece. Email me if you want it, and if you wish to pay with Paypal, go to http://www.justinholdren.com/ and this piece will be in the "paintings" section by the end of today.

Plein air in the country

I went plein air painting on my inlaws rural 50 acre property last weekend. Everyone was gone so I had the whole property to myself. I did a 10" x 10" oil of some grasses near the pond and I got a 16" x 20" acrylic started, but had to retreat due to intense wind blowing my canvas like a sail! I will post the oil tomorrow. It needs a few color tweaks to add a bit more contrast.

Down by the pond

Here's my setup with the first marks of a 16" x 20" acrylic painting. I usually use a smaller paintbox mounted to a tripod when I am in the field, but I wanted the option of doing some larger canvases, so I hauled out the old french easel for this day. Due to the wind, I didn't get to work on any larger canvases except for this one, which I didn't finish!
If you have some acreage or land, I might be interested in painting it, just send me an email to paintinlandscapes@yahoo.com .
I will call to set up a time and will clean up my mess and leave the place cleaner than I found it!

Plein Air Painting- 6 x 8 - $100

"Cedarock Tree Study"

6 x 8 inches Acrylic on panel

$100 Unframed

Purchase by emailing me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com and you can pay by check or by credit card through Paypal.

This is a plein air study I did awhile back at Cedarock Park Historical Farm. I changed the lighting a bit, because the scene was really backlit and hard to make believable in the short time of remaining sunlight I had. I will use this to create a larger studio painting and try to make the lighting more dramatic.

More paintings tonight!

Hello all. I am in a rush today, but will post some new paintings and a work in progress tonight. Did some plein air painting on a 50 acre rural property in Siler City this weekend and had a great time. I will post those hopefully tonight once I get a picture of the paintings.

Hectic Schedule, no sleep, and a special project

Taken in the Smoky Mountians of Tennessee. I will have some large paintings of this trip soon.

Hello friends! Well, as we make our way into spring, my schedule is starting to fill up for the rest of the year. I will be talking with the owner of an optical shop next week about a 2 month exhibit of my work. They are exhibting the work of local artists, which I think is great. These alternative venues can sometimes yield great results and can get your name out to new collectors. I will still have work available at the Alamance Arts Council, Raleigh Street Gallery, and the Roasted Coffee Depot Coffee Shop as usual. Visit http://www.justinholdren.com/ for more information on those venues. I also have a paint out coming up this summer that I attend every year, so I need to get promo materials ready for that.

Next, we are preparing for a birthday party this weekend - my little girl Sophia will be 2 years old! I can hardly believe it! All of this going on, and my body decides to stay awake at night lately. I am running on empty lately.

Also, I have a large special project that I have been working on, that I will soon reveal here. There will also be a press release about it if all goes as planned! Let's just say it will be a fantastic opportunity in this poor economic climate to get my original paintings for a steal, and there will be a lot of them available.
For now, I leave you with a picture taken this summer in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Plein Air Painting at Cedarock Park

Here a shot of me painting away at Cedarock park
This is my smallest paintbox. It is a converted cigar box and is great for doing small paintings on location at home and when traveling. It was also much cheaper than my commercially made paintboxes! This shot shows the painting after about 15 minutes of painting. I will post the finished painting soon.

Well, the weather finally cooperated over the weekend and Friday afternoon I stopped off at Cedarock Park and Historical farm on my way home. The pictures are above. I had my small cigar box painting kit with me and did a small 6 x 8 inch acrylic study which I think will work well as a larger piece. I will post the finished painting when I get a picture of it.

Wishing for warm painting weather

Hello friends.

Well, we had about 4-6 inches of snow Monday night, which is a lot more than we normally get. I have been fighting a constant cold/flu that keeps coming back, hence the reason for posting no new paintings lately. I have been too sick and tired to post even when I have new work to show. I will have some new things for you soon. I promise!

Anyway, I am ready for some warm weather so I can get back to some plein air painting. I have been sketching on location, but usually from the car because of the cold weather and the way I have been feeling. I'll leave you with an image from Ocraocoke Island, a nice warm place to take my mind off of the cold weather.

I have some exciting things to tell you, so stay tuned!

Siler City Art Walk - COLD!!!

Well, the 3rd Firiday art walk in Siler City was pretty well attended considering it was FREEZING COLD. I, of course was in a hurry to get to the gallery there that carries my work and ran out the door without my coat. So, I toured the artwalk with chattering teeth, but had a great time. If you are in the area, check out the NC Arts Incubator Gallery. A great artist I know, David Nance, has some absolutely incredible paintings at the gallery. I spent much time just studying his work. I learn so much by studying the work of artists I admire.
I am still doing my daily watercolor sketches and will post some soon along with some new oils and acrylics.

3rd Friday Art Walk - Siler City, NC

Hello friends! Tonight is the 3rd Friday Art Walk in downtown Siler City, NC. Come by Raleigh Street Gallery to see my work on display or just to say hello. Be sure and visit the other galleries and hear the great live music in the coffee shop courtyard. See you there!

For more info about this and future events, email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com

Acrylic Painting Trees & Water

"Riverside Impressions"

18" x 24" Acrylic on Canvas ( Work in Progress)

I have been painting and sketching, but have not really finished anything lately. Life gets in the way sometimes! This piece I have signed, but I might still make some changes to it. I sometimes let works sit in the studio for awhile if I don't finish them right away. I look at them as I pass by each day and sometimes I will see some changes that can be made to enhance the painting.

I used a loose, impressionistic approach for this piece, but I will have to study it for a few days to see if I need to refine it a bit more.

Some new Ebay auctions

Hello friends,
I have re-entered the Ebay market after a year long abscence. I started listing paintings last month again. Ebay is not what it once was in sales, but the pieces I offer there are generally small studies and miniatures that I do not send to galleries. They are great for the entry-level collector because they are more affordable than my gallery work due to their small size. Click on the link below to view my current auctions. Enjoy!

http://shop.ebay.com/items/_W0QQ_nkwZHoldrenQ20artQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZR40QQ_mdoZ

If you have trouble with the link just go to www.ebay.com and search "Holdren Art" from the homepage.

The business of being an artist

Most people think an artist's life is nothing but painting and enjoying doing what you love. While it is true we must paint often to have work available, and it is our passion, it is not all that is involved in the business of being an artist.

I would venture to say that most people would be suprised at the amount of other work that is involved. Just this week I have been catching up on some of these things. I show in only two galleries at the present, so I have less paperwork than most artists who are full time, but there is work that must be done. This consists of not only creating the work, but pricing, making inventories of items in the studio and items at galleries. I also have to keep sales records of sold work, new work must be photographed before it leaves the studio so I have a record of my work and hi-res images down the road if I want to make prints, postcards, etc. I must maintain my website and blogs and keep them updated in order to keep marketing my work.
It's not always as easy as making a work available and then it automatically sells. An artist has to constantly study to improve their skill set, and constantly market their work to collectors. Some gallery reps will do this for you, but it is important for you to get in the habit of marketing your work.
Pricing is not always an easy task either. I still hold a full time job in addition to my painting sales, so my work is really affordable at present, but many people wonder why artists price work the way they do. Being an artist gets really expensive, especially when you use archival and quality materials and framing. Then there are marketing costs, website costs, taxes, and many other expenses. If you sell through a dealer, they may take anywhere from 30% - 50% of your sale price, then your expenses come out of what is left. So when you see a price you think is high, just remember - it is a one of a kind original, and artists don't sell paintings everday, and they need to put food on the table as well.

Anyway, just a rambling post today, but I thought some insight into the life of an artist's business, might be of interest to some. I will have some more paintings posted for you here soon!

Some Watercolor studies

"Smoky Mountains"

Watercolor 4" x 6"

"Beach Study"

Watercolor 4" x 6"

"Arts Council Study"

Watercolor 4" x 6"

This study was done quickly on a cold day. The perspective lines are off, and there are some other problems, but I wanted a study of one section of this historical house that houses the county's Arts Council and Gallery. This will serve as a study for a larger piece. I will use this and studies from different angles to come up with a composition for a large painting.

My pocket watercolor kit has been put to good use. I have been keeping it in the car to ensure I get some sketching time in daily in case I miss my nightly studio time due to other circumstances. The house sketch was done from life, the other two from memory as I couldn't get out on my lunch break. These are loose and not wonderful, but I am an oil and acrylic painter usually. I am enjoying sketching in watercolor though, and may develop some larger work in watercolor.

Daily sketching kit and some Winter Snow!

We had about 4 inches on snow on Tuesday and temperatures never got out of the twenties, which is unusual for North Carolina, even in winter. Usually after low temps, it gets at least above freezing!

I spoke in my previous post about finding time to sketch daily, when I am rushed. I keep this pocket watercolor kit in my car with a small block of WC paper and a bottle of water. It is so simple - just open the box wet the WC pans and mix on the lid with the tiny brush which fits in the box! I am normally an oil and acrylic painter, but my gear for that is larger and takes longer to set up. With this pocket kit, I can sketch quickly on my lunch break to ensure that I get some painting time in, in case I miss my studio time at night.
These little paintings end up being mostly studies for oil and acrylic works, but they are fresh and stand on their own as a nice little watercolor. I will post some of these studies tomorrow. I may even sell these in the miniature/sketches section of my website for a reduced price after I use them for my larger paintings.



Here is our daughter Sophia on our front porch after playing in the snow. She was not happy when it was time to come inside!

Back to painting after artist's block.

Well, I have been absent from the blog for awhile, and one of my goals this year is to be more frequent in my posting. When I started the blog a few years ago, I was better about posting regularly, but since the birth of my daughter, who will be two in March, life has been so crazy and busy - BUT WELL WORTH IT!

I am back to painting regularly, I just have gotten slack in posting new work and comments to the blog here.
I did have a lull in December, where I would start a painting, and just wipe it down, or go out to paint on location and just pack it up. I think all artists go through this sometimes. I have millions of ideas for paintings in my head all the time, but I was just going through a period where I didn't feel inspired to paint, which is rare for me. I think it was the busy Christmas season coupled with the fact that I am balancing my career as an artist with my full time job and my family responsibilities. It can be difficult to move ahead in your painting when your painting schedule has been moved to late at night and you are tired. But I want to progress in my painting to move towards my goal of painting full-time, so being flexible in my painting schedule is necessary. Could I start my studio time earlier in the evening? Yes, but then I would miss out on the little time that I have in the evenings with my wife and daughter. I would rather spend quality time with them, and paint after they are in bed.
Anyway, I have found a way to get some daily sketching time in that doesn't take much time at all. I will share that and some studies in the next post.

New year, new goals

Hello friends,
I have been absent from the blog for awhile doing family things like getting ready for Christmas and playing "Santa" for my little girl who will be two in March. I have been back in the studio this week and have been doing some plein air studies as well. After the new year, I will start posting those results, but right now - more family time!

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com - email me with questions/comments

Christmas Exhibit - Alamance Arts Council

"Water Lilies"

14" x 11" Acrylic on Canvas

$300 Framed

"Smoky Mountain View"

5" x 7" Acrylic on Canvas - Plein Air Study

$100 Framed

"Antique Teapot"

5" x 7" Oil on Canvas

$100 Framed

"Winter Shadows"

7" x 5' Oil on Canvas - Plein Air Study

$100 Framed

"Randolph County Farmland"

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas

$200 Framed


The Alamance County Arts Council is having its annual "Christmas at Capt. White's" holiday exhibit. The pieces above are in the exhibit. If you're interested in them, call the Arts Council at 336-226-4495 or stop by if you live in the area. The Arts Council's galleries are housed in a historic painted mansion and it is beautifully decorated for Christmas. Items available in this exhibit are paintings, sculpture, pottery, handmade ornaments, soaps, jewelry.... you name it, they have it! Stop by for a visit. They are located at 213 S. Main St. in Graham, NC, about half a mile from I-85/40.

As always, email me with comments or questions. I would love to hear from you.

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com

More Travel Pictures & Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope all my friends have a Happy Thanksgiving! These are some more pictures from our trip to the Outer Banks this past summer. I am finshing up some paintings from this trip and a Tennessee trip and will post the results soon.

This is the coastline at Ocracoke Island. Because no development is allowed on the beach, you can look all directions and see nothing but beach, dunes, and ocean. It feels like you are miles from civilization and it is a great place for quiet relaxation, or in my case, painting!
This is Cape Hatteras lighthouse at the Outer Banks area of North Carolina. We stopped off at the various lighthouses on the Outer Banks on our way home from Ocracoke Island.

Here is a shot of a beach access walkway on Ocracoke Island. The island has a quiet beauty to it and I have many photos and reference sketches to use in the future. I am thinking about a whole series of NC Coastal Paintings.

This is Bodie Island Lighthouse. Unlike Cape Hatteras, this lighthouse is not located near the coastline, but near a waterway in the salt marshes surrounding the Outer Banks area.

Hope to show some new paintings soon. I have been painting for Christmas exhibits, but just haven' t got those images uploaded yet. Will do soon hopefully!

Summer Travel Pics, Outer Banks

Well, after a long abscence I am back. I promise to try and be more regular with my posts! My schedule is extremely hectic with working a full time job and having a second career as an artist. Add to that trying to keep up with our energetic 19 month old, and blogging time is last on the list sometimes!

Anyway, as the weather gets colder here, I thought I would post some pictures from our summer travels. I will do this over seperate posts to spread out the different trips. Hope you enjoy them. These are some pictures from a trip to Ocracoke Island back in July at the Outer Banks of NC.
The pictures have descriptions under them.

My wife Lucinda and our cutie Sophia enjoying some great food at a restaurant overlooking the harbor.

This is a view of some North Carolina barrier islands. I took this shot as we were riding the ferry to Ocracoke Island. Ocracoke feels like it is a world away from everything. It was a great place to vacation and paint.

This is similar to the type of car ferry we had to ride on to get to the island. Our daughter loves the water and she was thrilled with the ferry ride.

A shot of me and Sophia in front of the beautiful Ocracoke lighthouse. Ocracoke Island has a great history of pirate stories. It was one of Blackbeard's places to store his loot.

We stayed in this lodge which had just been redone in many of the rooms. This is the oldest hotel on Ocracoke. If you are into high rise condos, then Ocracoke isn't for you. The island has mostly lodges, inns, Bed & Breakfasts, and small hotels, but you won't see any high rise condo towers!

I will post some paintings from this trip as soon as they are finished.

As always, email me with comments or questions about my work!

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com

New giclee' prints available and some news

I have decided to make some paintings available as giclee' prints. You can purchase them through the Imagekind website. Just go to http://justinholdren.imagekind.com/ and view my gallery of available prints. If you don't use the link above, you must type in the web address as shown or go to http://www.imagekind.com/ and search "Justin Holdren" from the homepage, but the link above will take you direct to my print gallery. You can purchase prints starting it $12.74, and the price increases with size and paper upgrades. Imagekind also offers matting and framing services for an additional cost.
As time progresses, I will add more paintings available as prints. If you need more information or would prefer for me to order the print for you, just email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com .

Some news also! The Alamance County Arts Council is having their annual Beaux Arts Ball tonight. This is an annual black tie fundraiser which raises money for the Arts Council's programs. Two of my paintings will be available in the silent auction. If you are in the area, I think you can still buy tickets at the door. Back to the blog tomorrow with new paintings!

http://www.justinholdren.com/

I am still here.....

I have been absent from blogging for longer than I expected due to on overwhelming schedule right now. I have been painting and will have some completed pieces posted soon. Tomorrow I am off to a private farm in Graham, NC to go to an artists' paint out. I haven't been able to get any plein air (on location) painting done since our beach and mountains trip. I am looking forward to it, and hope the weather brightens up a bit... it is rainy and gloomy right now.
Be back soon with pics of new work!

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com
www.justinholdren.com

Finally home and missing my daughter

Well, my wife and I arrived home from Tennessee on Wednesday and I will have some pictures for you tomorrow on the blog here. My inlaws are staying in Tennessee through Saturday and since my mother in law watches the baby while my wife and I are at work, she is staying with "Grandma" in Tennessee until tomorrow. She is in good hands I know, but this is the first time my wife and I have been apart from her for more than a day and it is killing me. I miss her so much that I can't even concentrate in the studio. She has been our joy for the last 17 months and I can't wait to see her tomorrow.
Most of you know that I am primarily a landscape painter, but since my daughter was born, I have felt the urge to start working on more portraits. I will show some portrait work here soon as well.

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com
http://www.justinholdren.com/

More fun in Tennessee

Well, tomorrow my wife and I will be driving back from Tennessee to come home to North Carolina. I did squeeze in a small 5 x 7 acrylic plein air painting yesterday, but I am on my inlaws laptop here and don't have a way to post the pictures of it( no memory card slot)!
Also very sore today as we did some white water rafting yesterday. I couldn't carry the camera or paint from the raft of course, but my mind's camera captured scenery for future paintings. Anyway, Im will have more pictures to post when I get back home to the studio. Be looking for some new paintings when I return.

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com
http://www.justinholdren.com/

Tennesee Trip Update

After a beautiful drive through the Smoky mountains yesterday, we arrived in Tennessee. We normally stay in a private cabin, but are staying with inlaws at their Wyndham Resort Condo. We are in the Pigeon Forge Area, so it might be a challenge to find a quiet spot to paint because we are staying in an area that is really developed, unlike staying in a cabin in the back roads, but I will sketch when I can and post it here soon.
Be sure to check my website and blog soon as I will have many new paintings from my recent travels here in Tennesee and from our recent trip to Ocracoke Isalnd and the Outer Banks, NC.

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com
http://www.justinholdren.com/

Off to Tennessee!

Hello friends! I know I have been absent from the blog, but life has been pretty hectic lately! I have been painting and have some new work to post, but it must wait until I get back. I am off to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with my wife and baby girl and my inlaws. I will be back late next week and hopefully I will get some quick sketching and painting time while in the beautiful Smoky Mountains. As usual, you can go to my website to see some avaialable work or visit the galleries listed on my website if you are local to see the work I have there. Be back soon with some pictures and paintings!

http://www.justinholdren.com/
painitinglandscapes@yahoo.com

Back from trip and artist's life stuff

Hello friends!
I will be posting some new work and sketches I did on my trip to Ocracoke Island 2 weeks ago. I have been busy catching up on emails, and general studio cleanup. My studio is always a mess after a trip! I still have paintings that I haven't unpacked yet.
My time has also been taken up because I have switched positions at the non-profit ministry I work for, and so I am learning my new responsibilites. But you say, " I thought you were an artist?" Ahhh, I am but I am a young artist who still has not made the plunge to painting full time. Once my pricing gets higher, and I build my collector base a bit more, than that may become a reality. I have a daughter to think about, so at the current time my wife and I must both still work while I continue to sell my work through websites, exhibits, and galleries.
Most artists I know that paint full time, are doing so after "painting on the side" for many years and have built their clientele and gallery relationships. It does take time, but sometimes exceptional talent like that of Scott Burdick or Jeremy Lipking finds collectors very quickly.
If only I was full-time now, but I will keep on painting and doing my best to raise the value of my collector's purchases.
Anyway, hope to have more work posted this week.

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com

Ocracoke Island Trip this weekend!

Hello friends! I will be away from the easel for a few days because my wife, daughter, and I are going to Ocracoke Island this coming weekend. We will be gone this weekend through part of next week.

I am of course taking my painting gear and look forward to squeezing in time for some small canvases. I am taking my paintbox for oils and acrylics, but I might end up using only my pocket watercolor kit for some quick sketching.

When I am on a trip solely for painting, I use my paintbox and all my gear, but since this is a family vacation and my 15 month old daughter's first beach trip, I don't want to spend much time away from her and my wife. That is why the pocket watercolor kit is great! It fits in my pocket and has a single brush inside and you only need a small pocket watercolor pad. It is great for quick sketching with a minimum of gear. Since I am primarily an oil and acrylic painter, I normally use my watercolors as studies for oil or acrylic works. Keep checking the blog here and I will post work done on my trip when I get back.

We are not leaving until this weekend, so I will try to post a few more paintings this week before I leave.

As always, email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com with any questions about my work.

Palm Trees Daily painting

"Nassau Palms"

7" x 5" Acrylic on Gallery Wrap Canvas with painted sides

Wired and ready to hang

$75

Email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com to purchase

Two palms stand tall on a cloudy day in Nassau, Bahamas. Done from sketches and photo reference from a past trip to the Bahamas. Thanks for looking!

Sunset Daily painting

"Approaching Sunset"

5" x 7" Acrylic on Slim Gallery Wrap Canvas with painted sides

$75 wired and ready to hang

Email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com to purchase

This is not the usual sunset scene you see. Most artists focus on the part of the sunset with the glowing red and orange sky, but I chose to paint the scene when the sun was almost completely gone and darkness was starting to fall. It makes for an interesting array of darker colors with a hint of the sun left.

I have missed posting a couple of days due to working on some pieces for a local coffee shop, but I will have more to show you tomorrow. Thanks for looking!

Happy 4th and a palm painting

"Mombasa Palm"

8" x 10" Oil on Canvas Panel

SOLD

Happy 4th everyone! I posted a past sold painting here and will not post through this weekend due to family time for 4th of July weekend, but I will be back Monday with more small daily paintings and some new larger works.

paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com

Coastal Marsh Daily Painting

"Coastal Marsh"

5" x 7" Acrylic on Panel

SOLD

This is a coastal marsh scene that I did from sketches and memory. I love painting near the North Carolina coast and the coastal marshes.

Chatham County Pond Daily Painting

"Chatham Pond"

5" x 7" Oil on Gallery Wrap Canvas

Sides are painted and this is already wired for hanging

$75

Email me at paintinglandscapes@yahoo.com to purchase

This is a pond that I pass by every morning on my way to my inlaws house to drop off the baby. Thanks for looking.