Art Friends, October 31, 2007

Hello Everyone –

Does anyone NOT like chocolate cake? I don’t know why it took me so long to do a chocolate cake. Probably because I didn’t see a good one until now.

Chocolate Cake, 9”x12", acrylic, $300, framed.

© 2007 Barbara Sistak Baur

I decided to focus on the one cake, as I have been doing recently. When you work on a single item, the shape takes on a new importance. In addition, this allows me to experiment on the background with shadows and highlights. Notice how the light on the bakery pan follows the cake. The chocolate color lets me use warm hues. I also had to experiment with new techniques to apply the long green ribbons.

Warmly,
Barbara Sistak Baur, Artist

Now Online http://barbarabaur.blogspot.com/
-- I have just completed another commission – this is a painting of a dream house. To see it, go online and click on the Commissions topic.
-- I have started a new topic, Event Pics. When I am at a show, I try to remember to take some pictures and post them online. New today are pictures of the Chicago Art Open and the Fall into the Arts festival at the Walkup Heritage Farms in Crystal Lake. Go online and click the Events Pics topic. And, if you see me at a show, remind me to pull out my camera, will you?

Now On Display
-- Lemon or Cherry? is a bakery painting that is part of the Village of Algonquin Public Art Display. This will be on display until November 2008. It is being shown at a public school so it might be hard to see. But, if you want to view the painting, go online and click the Bakery Art topic. Scroll down until you see it.

On the Easel
--Another commission –This is an expressionistic painting of a vintage tractor. It is really different and I love doing it. I can’t wait to show you when it is done.
--The Friends of the Algonquin Public Library have commissioned two of my art tables with a library theme. I am just getting started on those. More on these as they progress. In the meantime, to see an art table with car art, go to my car art blog, http://baurart.blogspot.com/ then click the topic Car Art Table Top.

Barb's Blog
Fresh Paint! - Paintings, Sketches and Studies
http://barbarabaur.blogspot.com/

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Feedback and correspondence are always welcome.

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Art Friends and all images are ©2007 Barbara Sistak Baur and all rights are reserved. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, great!! Just let me know so I can give you permission. Thanks for your respect.

Barbara Baur Art
Lively, Textural, Vibrant
3404 Highland Dr.
Island Lake IL 60042
and
2944 S. Harlem #4
Riverside IL 60546
708-372-2798
barbarabaur@comcast.net

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake, © 2007 Barbara Sistak Baur, 11"x14", acrylic, $400

In my on-the-shelf paint box, I found a never-opened tube of "structural" paint I picked up some years ago. It came with plastic tips like the kind you get with cookie decorators. The idea is you replace the cap with a tip and then squeeze the paint into the shape you want. And as luck would have it, the tube I found had orange paint! Okay, I said to myself, this should be just the ticket for me since I was in the middle of doing a Carrot Cake, shown here. I am pleased with the resulting carrots and thought I had solved my textural shaping problems. Unfortunately, this paint is no longer made -- so it is back to doing it by scratch for me!
Here is the pie part of "Carrot Cake." It has lots of volume.
This piece has some wonderful texture. Here is the signature.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake, © 2007 Barbara Sistak Baur, 9"x12", acrylic, $300

A chocolate cake is one of my favorites. I liked the green trim on this cake. I found this cake in a small restaurant in Wauconda, Il.Here is a close up of the topping and cake itself.

Here is the signature. I am working on combining my new name with my old name. I acquired the new name only last year.

Art Friends, October 15, 2007

Hello Everyone,
In my on-the-shelf paint box, I found a never-opened tube of "structural" paint I picked up some years ago. It came with plastic tips like the kind you get with cookie decorators. The idea is you replace the cap with a tip and then squeeze the paint into the shape you want. And as luck would have it, the tube I found had orange paint! Okay, I said to myself, this should be just the ticket for me since I was in the middle of doing Carrot Cake, shown here. I am pleased with the resulting carrots and thought I had solved my textural shaping problems. Unfortunately, this paint is no longer made -- so it is back to doing it by scratch for me!

Carrot Cake, 11"x14", acrylic, $400

©2007 Barbara Sistak Baur

Carrot Cake will be shown this weekend at the Fall Into The Arts Festival this Sunday, Oct 21, from 10am to 4 pm., at Walkup Heritage Farm & Gardens, 5215 Walkup Rd., Crystal Lake, Il (half mile north of Rt. 176). The art sale is a benefit for Pets in Need Midwest. I will have a booth and will be showing many pieces of art. The setting is a beautiful little co-op farm with pumpkins, corn and fresh veggies. Come out for some fall fun and art.

Warmly,
Barbara Sistak Baur, Artist

Now Online http://barbarabaur.blogspot.com/
-- 2 New Bakery Paintings. I have included close ups of the textue. Check them out – click the Bakery Art topic.
-- New information on how to obtain an artwork. Click on the How to Purchase topic.

Now On Display
-- Fall Into The Art art sale to benefit Pets In Need Midwest. Sunday, Oct 21, from 10am to 4pm at the Walkup Heritage Farm and Gardens, 5215 Walkup Rd., Crystal Lake, IL. For more info: www.petsinneedmidwest.org and www.walkupheritagefarm.com
--Grand Bakery at the 10th annual "Chicago Art Open," from October 4, to October 27 on the second floor of the Iron Studios, 3636 S. Iron St. in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. Sponsored by the Chicago Artists' Coalition (CAC). http://www.caconline.org/ArtOpen.asp

In The News
I sent a simple little press release to the local paper in Riverside, IL, The Landmark, and they decided to do a feature article. It turned out to be really nice article with some great pictures. Here is the link:
http://www.rblandmark.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=3046&TM=85091.52

On the Easel
I am working on two commissions right now -- both of them gifts for spouses. One is a rendering of the house the couple will build in the north woods. The other honors a favorite vehicle -- a classic tractor! Fun!

Barb's Blog
Fresh Paint! - Paintings, Sketches and Studies
http://barbarabaur.blogspot.com/

Yes, please go ahead and forward this to a friend.

Feedback and correspondence are always welcome.

If this email has been forwarded to you and you would like to continue receiving Art Friends, click barbarabaur@comcast.net and type "Yes, Art Friends." On the other hand, if you would like to stop receiving Art Friends, I understand. Click reply to this email and just type “unsubscribe.” Thanks for your friendship!

Art Friends and all images are ©2007 Barbara Sistak Baur and all rights are reserved. If you wish to copy this material to other publications or mail lists, great!! Just let me know so I can give you permission. Thanks for your respect.

Barbara Baur Art
Lively, Textural, Vibrant
3404 Highland Dr.
Island Lake IL 60042
and
2944 S. Harlem #4
Riverside IL 60546
708-372-2798
barbarabaur@comcast.net

In the News

Check out this great article in the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark Newspaper. Riverside-Brookfield Landmark newspaper.

Chicago Art Open

My friend, Nancy Peters, came to the opening reception of the Chicago Art Open, Oct. 4, 2007, at the Iron Studios in Chicago. We viewed more than 300 artworks that evening. Here she is "tasting" Grand Bakery, the work I had in the show.
Here I am posing with my painting.

Colorful Woman

This was done during a workshop with oil pastel with an acylic wash on watercolor paper. I wanted to use different colors to show light and dark patches.