More Sketchbook

Rooftop view from the Albergo Cesari in Rome - Watercolor - 4 by 5 in. - Sketchbook

This little sketch is just one of the many little architectural ornaments that adorn the rooftops of Rome. Like I said in an earlier post I loved having breakfast on the rooftop of my hotel the Albergo Cesari in Rome - a different perspective. The old, the new, the casual, the formal all co-exist up there. Below are some rooftops viewed from the Pantheon Piazza which was always swarming with people.

Rooftops Near the Pantheon - Watercolor - 4 by 5in. Sketchbook

Copyrighted © 2009 Linda Warner Constantino. Oil on linen. 6 by 8 inches.

I do not know where my summer! I returned from Italy and just got busy. I taught an intensive 5 week schedule at SCAD and was doing some design work. I am back into my painting now and have had the time to photograph some of the paintings from my trip to Tuscany this past June where I taught a plein air painting workshop.

This is a quick little painting I created. The view looks at some farmhouses surrounded by vineyards. It was late afternoon and things were just starting to go golden. No matter what the day was like painting it was always nice to come back for the wonderful dinners at Spannocchia. Everyone chats about there day and casually enjoys dining. I loved it!

Sunny Boatyard

Copyrighted © 2008 by Linda Warner Constantino. 8" by 10".

I actually have been painting over the past few weeks but I just got around to posting. I decided to drop everything between Christmas and New Year's and focus on spending time with family. So much to be thankful for this year.

I have had some nice times painting with friends and enjoying being outside over this holiday break from teaching. Some days I just putted around my studio. I go through periods when I need to incubate – read books, look at art, sketch. I love oils but watercolors always tug at me too. So I did some sketches which I will post on my watercolor blog.

The day I painted in the boatyard the temperature went up to 75 degrees! The boats out of water have such interesting shapes to paint. I mostly wanted to capture the feeling of the sun.

Cloud Study

Copyrighted © 2008 by Linda Warner Constantino - 6" by 6".

I did this little cloud study yesterday from a photo. I find clouds so compelling and challenging, especially here in the South. These were summer thunderheads.

Famous landscape painter John Constable said that the "sky is the chief organ of sentiment in any picture." I could spend a long time just trying to paint clouds. I used to live on the tundra in a small town in western Alaska where there were literally no trees to speak of and the land so flat. The sky took up so much of my view - quite dynamic. I think it made an impression.

Some Good News by the way. Shop SCAD will be carrying some of my small paintings.Not sure if the will be online though.

Sunny Window Box

"Sunny Windowbox"Copyrighted © 2008 by Linda Warner Constantino. 8"by 10" - oil on linen panel.

The flowers and gardens in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, Canada were just stunning every where I went. There were lots of wildflower gardens with such variety. I had just finished painting the garden above and had a small canvas and took on this window box. I loved that everything was kind of high key in the sunlight and the effect on color in and out of the shade. This painting was done from that small study.

Plein Air Painting on Minister's Island

"Sunny Day on Minister's Island." Copyrighted © 2008 by Linda Warner Constantino. Oil on linen panel. 8" by 10".

The day before my week-long plein air painting workshop, I spent the day painting with Michael Chesley Johnson on Minister's Islands near St. Andrews-by-the-Sea in New Brunswick,Canada. He offered a one day plein air workshop and it was well worth it. He is an excellent teacher demonstrating in oils in the morning and pastels in the afternoon. He has a wonderful sense of shape and value in his compositions. If you would like to know more about him and see his work you can visit his Plein Air Painter's Blog

The painting above was done on Minister's Island. I love the way the bright son was filtering through the trees. There are some uniquely beautiful buildings on the island. I probably could have painted there for at least a week.

Plein Air Painting in Canada - Aqua Boat

Copyrighted © 2008 by Linda Warner Constantino. oil on linen board 5" by 7".

Well I made it home from Canada at 2:30 am. I am trying to re-enter the real world after a week of painting in an idyllic place – St. Andrews-by-the Sea, New Brunswick, Canada. The En Plein Air Masters workshop I took with Kevin Macpherson was delightful and he is a great teacher. His wife Wanda was also a very nice person and helpful, too. Many of my fellow painters are quite accomplished and that added to the challenge. The weather cooperated for the most part too. I wanted to write to my blog during the workshop but we painted from 9-5 or longer each day. So I will add more my about the workshop in my following posts.

This boat was moored off the dock in the center of town. I loved the color and shape of it so I did this little study one morning. It seems I always like my smaller works better because they are looser.

"The Greenery"

Copyrighted ©2008 by Linda Warner Constantino. Oil on belgian linen mounted on board. 7"h by5"w. Click on image to see larger view. Available for $100 plus shipping. If you would like it framed add $40 more. Email me if interested.

The Greenery is my favorite nursery on Hilton Head to buy plants. I am like a kid in candy store when I go there conveniently forgetting about having to dig the holes for what I purchase when I get home.

There are so many scenes to paint here that it took a bit of looking and thinking about what to paint. I was teaching and demonstrating at the time and the goal was to make sure to have a focal point. I liked the urn not because it was obvious but it was a beautiful buttery color surrounded by all the other colored plants.(Our painting group:Peter, Me, Francie)

If you would like to check out my other blog: Plein Air Painting in Tuscany I am putting up paintings for sale on Ebay and donating a portion to the Spannocchia Foundation.

Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, SC

Copyrighted © 2008 by Linda Warner Constantino. Oil on linen board - 5"h by 7"w. Click on image to see larger view.Email me me if interested in purchasing.

I got up early today and headed out to a gorgeous spot along the May River in Bluffton. The ground is high by the water - thus the bluff. I did not get going early enough because it got warm very quickly, though once I found my motivation to paint, I was able to ignore the heat for at least a little while.The marsh grasses were really this green!

Art & Jewelry Show in Bluffton, SC

My daughter Morgan and I are having a show of my small paintings and her handcrafted jewelry. Maybe it does run in the family! She is totally self-taught and has her own original vision. Being an art professor I tend to think one should go for a Masters degree in jewelry-making but at this point I think her own personal motivation will take her far. She has the entrepreneurial drive that is so necessary if one is to be self-employed. I am so proud of her! Her company name is Karma and she also sells her work on Etsy.

Below is a photo of some of her work. If you are local to Hilton Head and Bluffton I hope you will stop by on Friday and Saturday. We are located in a little house at 31 Maiden Lane located south of the intersection of rt. 46 by Nickelpummpers east off of Boundary St. Hope to see you there!

2nd Annual Less is More Show - Laguna Plein Air Painters Association

Copyright 2007 by Linda Warner Constantino. 5'h by 7"w. Oil on linen on board.

The small painting above has been accepted to the "

Less is More Show

" of miniature work held by the Laguna Plein Air Painters' Association. The work will be on exhibit from November 17 through December 28th.

I pass this little palmetto tree every time I go for a bike ride. I always noticed the way it caught the dappled light and it stuck in my head until I had to paint it. It sort of reminded me of the kind of light that comes in a cathedral window.

Entry into the Small Works North America Show

I was pleased to hear that my still life painting "Arts and Crafts Pitcher with Melon" was accepted into the Small Works North America Show. It is 5"h and 7"w and it painted in oils on linen on board.

The paintings will be online on October 9th and on exhibit beginning November 24 at the Greenwich Workshop in Fairfield, CT.

Copyright © 2007 by Linda Warner Constantino.

September Clouds II on Hilton Head - Sold

September Clouds II on Hilton Head - Sold

© 2007 by Linda Warner Constantino. Oil on linen board. 5"h by 7"w.

I am forever challenged by painting clouds and they have been especially majestic for the past few weeks. They remind me of mountain ranges sometimes.I underpainted this one with cadmium orange.

Small Works North America Juried Show

Recognition Opportunity for Small Works Painters

For all of you who love painting small, here is a juried show sponsored by Greenwich Workshop Gallery.www.smallworksna.com The deadline is August 31. There are no entry fees and the maximum size is 144 sq.in. Go for it!