Art 4 Art's Sake

This spring I participated in a fundraising event for our local art gallery, The Next Picture Show.

Over 40 area artists donated their time and talent for this event. During the day the artists worked on a painting; in the evening the public was invited to come and watch the artwork be completed. Each painting was then auctioned off with the proceeds going the The Next Picture Show, which is a non-profit gallery.

I spent most of my day in front of my own painting trying to complete it in time, but I also enjoyed walking around watching the other artists work. There were so many unique styles... Hard at work...

I started painting at noon and finished by 6:00. Our delicious lunch and dinner were catered for us, but around 3:00 Faith brought me...sustenance! Lindt Excellence - "Intense Orange". Mmm...rich, dark chocolate, slivers of almonds and a wonderful hint of orange!
There were so many talented artists that participated in this fundraiser. The evening's auction was quite successful!

Most pieces were done in acrylics, but there were a few watercolors, colored pencil, pastel, and pencil drawings.

This is actually a scene from Dixon's Main Street...

I wasn't sure if I could complete a painting in one day and be happy with it, but it was a really good challenge for me!

I took a few pictures of my work as it progressed step-by-step...

As the day wore on, I was so focused on what I was doing I didn't stop to take any more pictures!

...And the completed painting!

I really enjoyed working on the sunset and the putting lots of color into the water.

I was definitely worn out at the end of the day, but it was a fun experience. I'm already looking forward to joining in on next year's Art 4 Art's Sake!