August Live Charity Art Show and Sale Was Very Successful
Sep 02, 2020
Seven original oil paintings by Elizabeth (Betty) Moore were featured in the Facebook Live Charity Art and Sale Show, August 28.
In this newsletter, I thought it would be nice to give you some of the highlights of the Facebook Live Charity Art and Sale Show to benefit Bike MS: Inside Out. All seven paintings have been SOLD. I will be donating 50% of the sales to MS, as a member of the United by Design Team.Thank you so much for your support
It was a mad dash to finish all the paintings and have them framed in time for the show. I placed my iphone on a tripod and attempted to go live at the same time on Instagram. It kept loosing connection, so I was a minute or so late for the start of my own show on Facebook. My bad. I also forgot to set up the ring light for the event.
"Nevertheless, she persisted." I had a great time telling stories about the paintings. Here's some of my comments:
Before I get started, let me tell you why I chose a Colorado theme. I’m the oldest of twelve, well my twin brother Bob is five minutes older. My family became known as “Maloneville.” I know raising a large family must have been challenging, but mom and dad always found ways to keep us entertained and still find some time to themselves. Mom would pack lunch and dinner and we would head to the mountains on the weekends. While Mom went hiking and climbing rocks with us, Dad would take off and spend a quiet day fishing. Sounds travel far in the mountains, so I’m sure he could hear us, as well as the neighbors and all the critters.
1. “Gone Fishing” - (5” x 7”, oil on canvas board in a wood frame with bark finish) I thought about my Dad while painting, “Gone Fishing”. I photographed this fisherman waiting for the big one in the fast moving Trout Creek along Highway 67 during the road trip. Doesn’t this look like a great way to spend the day.
2. “Purple Mountain Majesty” - (9” x 12”, oil on canvas board in a gold leaf plein air frame) During a road trip to my family reunion at The Nature Place near Florissant, Colorado, Bob and I drove through Colorado Springs. We could see the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak towering over the green foothills. I learned that during Colorado’s gold rush of 1859, the newspapers began referring to the mountain as “Pike’s Peak”. Judge James Castello from Florissant, Missouri, was one of those prospectors who settled in the area. He built a ranch, a trading post and a hotel for travelers. He named the community Florissant after his home town.
I named my painting, “Purple Mountain Majesty.” It’s a salute to Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote the lyrics to “America the Beautiful,” based on her experience while staying at the original Antler Hotel in Colorado Springs.
3. “Garden of the Gods” - (9” x 12”, oil on canvas board in a black wood frame with gold trim) Colorado Springs is also known for “Garden of the Gods.” With more than 2 million visitors a year, parking is limited and traffic can be quit heavy at times. While stopped in traffic, I was able to lean out the window and photograph this view of the Cathedral Valley. It shows some of the unusual hogback formations of deep-red, pink and white sandstones, conglomerates and limestone. This impressionistic painting features The Cathedral Spires and The Three Graces, with Cheyenne Mountain in the distance.
4. “Peaceful Encounter” - (5” x 7”, oil on canvas board in a pine frame with actual bark finish) During a hike with the family at The Nature Place, near Florissant, Colorado, we encountered deer. We had just climbed a four-story, colorfully painted treehouse and visited a museum of natural history. Along the winding trail, we chatted cheerfully and quite boisterously about our adventure.
Suddenly, one of my sisters, said, "Hey, there's a deer." "Where?" "Up there," she said pointing up the hill. I quickly got my camera ready, hoping to see another deer. We also began whispering and walking very quietly.
A few moments later, this beautiful doe peeked out from behind the pine trees, just fifteen feet from us. She stopped long enough for me to focus and then slowly walked away. It was an exciting "Peaceful Encounter."
5. “Social Distancing” - (11” x 14”, oil on stretched canvas in a gold leaf plein air frame) I began this impressionistic scene of a beautiful grove of Aspens just as the pandemic began in March. Aspens are connected through a unique, elaborate root system. Offshoots can grow hundreds of feet from the parent seedling. Like the Aspens, we are all connected through loving families that are so supportive, no matter how far apart we live or practice “Social Distancing.”
6. “The Blue Spinnaker” - (8” x 10”, oil on canvas board in a beautiful dark wood frame with gold trim) My sister Molly is an outdoor enthusiast, who loves to go kayaking. Recently, she spent three hours paddled hard into and out of the fierce winds at Grand Lake where she capturing a video of a sailboat coming toward her at about 20 knots.
Doesn’t this look like fun? I’ve never been canoeing, kayaking or even sailing, but I fell in love with the beautiful blue sail and the reflections in the water. I learned that four teenagers onboard were going so fast that the boat capsized soon after it passed her because they couldn’t control the spinnaker in the wind. Kinda like joyriding.
They were able to right the boat and go on their merry way, a little slower this time. I call this painting, The Blue Spinnaker. I’d like to give a special shout out to Molly for her amazing energy and talent in capturing this video.
7. “Aspen Gold” - (9” x 12”, oil on canvas board in a gold leaf plein air frame) The fall season in Colorado is well known for the spectacular color of the Aspens and the crisp mountain air. I used impasto and impressionistic brush strokes in this scene to capture the late afternoon sun casting light on the dancing yellow leaves. Doesn’t it makes you want to follow the path along the creek and explore nature for its wonderful healing power. I call this “Aspen Gold.”
At the end of the show, I announced the winner of my giveaway, a signed, matted image of "The Footbridge in Tower Grove Park". The winner was Janet Foote. Congratulations Janet!
If you missed the lively show, it was recorded so you can watch it here:
https://www.facebook.com/stlouisphotosandfineart
Hope you enjoy the Labor Day Weekend. I'm take a few days off to weed my garden and do a bit of dusting before starting on the paintings for the next Facebook Live Art and Sale Show, Friday, September 25.
Be safe, be happy, be kind. See you next time.
Setting up my desk for the Facebook Live Charity Art and Sale Show, August 28. Behind the chair is the beautiful blue/gray backdrop that Bob painted for his photography studio. The screensaver on the iMAC is my photograph of Dale Chihuly's Walla Walla Onion at the Denver Botanical Garden.