Monday, August 27, 2012

This Saturday, I'm planning to paint in the  Paint Herndon! plein aire competition.  Where, oh, where, will you find me?  I could be downtown on Friday night, painting jazz musicians....I could be in Frying Pan Park on Saturday, painting old barns and  historic architecture, or I could be painting the bike paths and the historic Herndon caboose. 

Meanwhile, I've just delivered my painting, "Minor Adjustments," to the Black Rock Arts Center in Germantown, MD, for the Baltimore Watercolor Society's annual Mid Atlantic Regional Exhibit.  This is always a grand exhibit, showcasing marvelous watercolor  technique.  I'm grateful and excited whenever I have a painting accepted into this show.  For information on the BWS exhibit, see the Baltimore Watercolor Society's website.  Here's the information on Paint Herndon!:


Paint Herndon 2012  -  Celebrate the Arts!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

12noon – 5pm Fun Outdoor Activities and Art on the Lawn

5pm – 6pm Reception and Awards Ceremony


Saturday of Labor Day Weekend at ArtSpace in Herndon, VA www.artspaceherndon.com







Friday, August 17, 2012

What Defines a Professional Artist?

So, what constitutes a professional artist?  I’d like to open up a discussion on this topic.  I’ve been thinking about it a lot.

To me, a professional is someone who is attempting to make a living from what they do, and they file with all government entities to that purpose.  In other words, the artist is working as a “business,” and not as a hobbyist.  Of course, I’m not even considering the “quality” of the professional’s work.  I’m just saying….if you’re filing with the government as a business, then …. are you a professional?

What do you think?

Here’s a painting that I’m working on.  I have a solo exhibit coming up at ArtSquare in Leesburg, VA in November…..I’ll post little “tastes” of what I’m doing, but I’d like to respectfully invite you to come to the exhibit to see how my paintings turn out!

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Demonstrations in the Classroom!

I really enjoy demonstrating watercolor painting when I'm teaching. Students wait expectantly, the paint is ready, the drawing is on the easel and there's just a feeling of ... tension.... in the room and it climaxes into happy sighs and those "oohs" and "aahs" that the instructor hears when things go well.  Of course, the demos don't always turn into good paintings.  I, personally, enjoy the pressure of being "in the spotlight."  I guess that's the theatre major in me; I love to be on, and I truly enjoy the drama of watercolor painting:  I like it when the water meets the paper, and then, the paint meets the water, and truly wonderful things can happen.

Here's a nice little painting that began as a demonstration.  Actually, I started it on site and "en plein aire," but I completed it in the classroom and, I think it's a nice little painting.  This piece is:  "Tree and Shadows, High Summer."

This painting is for sale, as are other originals and prints.  Please contact me if you're interested in adding a Catherine Hillis painting to your art collection!  And, thank you, out there, to all the collectors and art afficianados that I run across in my everyday life.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Clouds, Beaches, Ferries and Other Delightful Diversions

Thank you to everyone at the Dare County Arts Council, in Manteo, NC, for helping make my solo exhibit successful.  The show looks really beautiful in your new space! Friday night's reception was busy, and it was great fun to hear the band and meet all our guests.




Since I was at the beach anyway, I took a few days of vacation.  The sky was amazingly beautiful.  I took many photographs of the sky and landscapes with sky and I can hardly wait to paint some clouds AND present some sky and cloud demonstrations in my classes.