I learned today that my painting of the South Bay (view from the Dumbarton Bridge) was accepted into BAYcentric, the August exhibition at the Pacific Art League in Palo Alto, CA. The exhibition will be up from August 1 through August 28 with an opening reception on Friday, August 1 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Hoke, South Bay, 2014, oil on panel 36 x 48"
The Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica hosts an annual 50 | 50 show. Participating artists must complete 50 pieces in 50 days. The pieces must be done on the provided 6 x 6" panels. I'm about a week and a half in to this project. I'm enjoying the challenge. Some pieces are clearly more successful than others, but because of the time sensitivity, I can't fixate on what is not perfect. This is a good exercise for me.
Below are the pieces I have completed to date. Each drawing will be sold for $95 through the Sanchez Art Center.
I recently begun two new landscapes. One is from a photo taken from Iowa in December of a farm house on the horizon. The other is of the Suisun marsh area here in the Bay Area. I am enjoying the challenge of trying to capture the smoke in the distance.
Suisun
Iowa
This week I began two new paintings based on photographs taken while I was in Iowa over the holidays. Both pieces are of the snow covered landscape, appropriate given this week's weather news and the Polar Vortex.
Iowa Snowscape, oil on canvas, 20 x 30"
Tonight's sketchbook entry is not complete. Any resemblance between the tree and Snuffaluffagus is purely quincidental.
Over the past few weeks, I've been working towards this weekend's Holiday Fair at Norton Factory Studios, designing new stamps and creating over 100 ornaments and coasters. These will be on sale in addition to my drawings and paintings this weekend, December 7 and 8 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 3094 E. 10th Street, Oakland, CA 94601.
Lara Hoke, buffalo coaster
Lara Hoke, big cat coaster
Six years ago, when I first moved to the Bay Area, I thought the land around the Dumbarton Bridge was stinky, ugly, and to be avoided by any way possible. The last several years have seen a restoration of the area, from a solar salt industry back to native salt marsh.
One of my clients is located in Palo Alto and once a week I drive over the Dumbarton Bridge. Last week, the bridge was a parking lot due to an accident near Facebook headquarters. Being stuck in my car for an hour gave me the opportunity to look at my surroundings and appreciate their beauty. I snapped several photos of the sky and the marsh. Later that week I began my first painting of the area.
Dumbarton underpainting, Lara Hoke, oil on panel
I created these three drawings over the past two evenings. I spent the first evening laying down the washes, creating a base layer of light and dark. Last night, I added the lines and few more layers of wash for added dimension.
I haven't been as productive in the studio recently as I would like. I am, however, trying to work in my sketchbook every day. Below are several recent entries.
Sketchbook entry, 11/18/13
Sketchbook entry, 11/19/2013
Sketchbook entry, 11/20/2013
Sketchbook entry, 11/21/2013
I decided to try something new (for me) for the piece I submitted to Norton Factory Studios' silent auction. I painted a cloudscape. I'm pleased with the result and am considering doing more. Let me know what you think! And, if you are in town, come to the auction on Saturday night -
Sunset, Lara Hoke
This weekend I decided to spend some time painting from life. Here are the three resulting pieces, each at slightly different stages of completion.
A handful of studies fresh from the studio.
Lara Hoke, Study of Roy's House
Wellington
Glenfield
Mount Nittany
Bellanico
Getting the studio ready
It's hard to believe that another year has come and gone and it is once again East Bay Open Studios. What is particularly exciting about this year's Open Studios is that it will be the first time in 6 years that I've actually had a studio to show!
Open Studios Details:
June 1 & 2 and June 8 & 9, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
June 1, 5 - 10 p.m., opening PARTY!
Norton Factory Studios
3094 East 10th Street, Oakland, CA 94601
www.facebook.com/NortonFactoryStudios/
www.facebook.com/events/235612623244061/
I'm working on a commissioned portrait of a young girl with a butterfly resting on her wrist. I'm capturing the day by day transformation of the piece. Below is the portrait from initial sketch to underpainting to somewhat more developed painting.
Lara Hoke, portrait in progress
I am thrilled to be moving into my new studio next month at Norton Factory Studios. The past several years I've been lucky enough to have space in our home to paint. I'll miss the convenience of home, but won't miss some of the challenges (lighting, ventilation, cat hair...). What I'm most excited about is the opportunity to be part of a community. It is something I've missed dearly ever since I left Madarts Studios in Brooklyn five years ago.
It's hard to capture the beauty of the space. It is airy and full of natural light. Construction is not yet complete, but it will be ready for move-in on February 15th.
After about a month's break from the studio, there are couple of new Oakland nightscape studies in the cooker. I'm also planning a slightly new approach to the paintings, stay tuned!
Lara Hoke, Oakland Nightscape Study
I'm excited to begin a new portrait commission and looking forward to the challenges it will present. This portrait is of an adorable young girl delicately holding a butterfly on her wrist. The image was captured by her parents while visiting the Audobon Butterfly Garden in New Orleans.
The painting will be executed in oil on panel. Below is a study for the portrait.
Lara Hoke
Study of Girl with Butterfly
This past weekend I took a two-day workshop on encaustic painting at Kala with the artist and paint maker Hylla Evans. Encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting, involves using heated and pigmented beeswax.
Learning a new medium and technique is both intimidating and freeing. What I ended up creating was nothing like what I expected to create. To learn something new is to take a risk.
Photo collage of my encaustic paintings
The paintings in my studio
Below is the latest painting in my Oakland Nightscapes series. Unlike the previous paintings in the series, which were primarily concerned with a particular corner and storefront, this painting is of our house.
This series of paintings explores familiar places that take on a very different character after dusk.
This painting is still in-progress though I anticipate completing it within the next week. I apologize for the quality of the photo. This series has been notoriously difficult to photograph.
Lara Hoke, Oakland Nightscape, in-progress
Thanks to everyone for your thoughts on my painting of Ben. I've made progress, but am still having trouble with his left eye. What do you think? Does it still look awkward or distracting? Or do you not notice it?
Ben, in-progress, Lara Hoke
