Thistles

Artist:  Carolyn Heffelfinger
Medium:  Oil:
Size:  20"x24"
Price: $

  This painting was done for a competition  held by the Ohio Plein Air Society.  It was a pretty cool idea. The competition took place over a year with the object being to paint an Ohio prairie. (yes, there are prairies in Ohio)  Artists were asked to paint during the year 2014 depicting all seasons and prairies throughout the state.  At the end of the year the paintings were judged and those picked were exhibited in The Springfield Museum of Art. The exhibit titled " Painting the Prairies"  was to help educate the public about the conservation of these small islands of original prairie grassed in the state. 
    I had two paintings excepted to hang in the museum "Thistles" being one.

Seven forty five am.

Exhibit.

This is a very fine show with a contemporary flair! 

The details. 

Great Dog Adventure

My pet supply company is having a contest for which I needed a photo of myself and Izzy plus a 200 word essay telling why I wanted to win an adventure trip to anywhere in the USA with my dog. I wrote that I would take her on a painting backpacking trip to Michigan's UP.

   We took a photo of the two of us critiquing my painting of she and Danny and another landscape. 

Fun!  You hope I win. 

Carolyn Heffelfinger

      My son-in-law and daughter are photographers and it was no question about who would take a head shot for me.  I love the time of day that they chose to shoot this photo of myself at the easel. 

Crossing over at Dusk

   At the edge of town runs the river.  We were driving over the bridge just at the time the water captured the last of the sun on a perfect fall day.  I was amazed at the shades of violet and purples plus the orange reflection of the autumn leaves.

Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 10"x10"
Price: $

Low Country Sunset

   Low Country in South Carolina at sunset can include all the colors on a palette.  We were driving in a preserved area and were lucky enough to stop and take a few shots one of which inspired this painting.  It is a 11"x14" oil on canvas.

medium: Oil on canvas
size:  11"x14"
price: $

The Road Home

  In September The Ohio Plein Air Society held their annual Paint Out in Alexandria, Ohio.
My painting  "The Road Home" was selected after the competition to be shown in their show for two months at Sunbear Gallery. 
 In this plein air competition artists are given locations that the land owner has approved the painting on their property. We also had the option of just driving around until we found a spot that inspired us.  The event last three days with Friday and Saturday for painting and Sunday for the judging.  Friday i was driving around looking for a spot and was captured by this farm early in the morning.  This is a 15X30" board and I think I liked the way using a long rectangle helped convey the acreage on which this small farm was sitting. The fields at that time of year were that wonderful golden color.

Swensons Drive In

   Friends from my hometown still frequent the drive in restaurant that was a cruising spot when I was in high school.  This past summer they drove their VW beetle to Swensons for a burger. Chris being an former art teacher saw the photo op happening so stood behind their car and got the shot.   I was really taken with the orange and neon just popping.  After I saw it  I asked permission to use their photo as a reference for this 8 x 10" oil painting.

Rail Trip Through the Copper Canyon in Mexico

The Pacifico Railroad.

   We recently returned from a railroad trip through the Copper Canyon in Mexico.  We traveled for seven days on the train and spent the nights in historic hotels in villages along the way.  I painted in my watercolor travel journal in two locations.  Its always a pleasure to take out these journals and remember the many enriching destinations we have been fortunate to see around the world.  I started these journals about ten years ago and its nice if i can't spare the space in my luggage for an easel and oil paints to take a special bit of time to fully observe our local surroundings.
   I sat on a bench in a square in a small village in China and began painting only to be surrounded by young adult art students watching me as i painted. Wow.
    My journals are now on display at the Cultural Arts Center in Delaware, Ohio. 

A view from the road above Ceracahua.

Me on the "Rocking Rock" above.

The hotel room veranda

Widows Farm

This farm house I pass just before turning into our driveway.  The widow who lives in the home has recently moved in with her family and the surrounding fields are slowly being sold as five acre plots.
   I will miss the open soy or corn fields but am happy to have painted one of the original farms in Olive Green.

Medium: oil
Size: 11"x14"
Price: $

Thursday Night Blues

This is a blues group that we enjoy in Charleston during the week long Blues Festival.
Oysters roast, greens and blues. good times!

Medium: oil
Size: 15"x 24"
Price: $

Hotel Bar

This is the bar in a wonderful old hotel in Nashville. It is in the original train station.
I was attracted to the wine cooler and cushy looking lounge.

Medium: oi;
Size: 11x14"
Price: $

Therapy

Artist: Heffelfinger
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Size: 8"x10"
Price: $

Therapy is free  here.  A walk with a dog in the sunshine.

Bridge in January

    Our home sits up on a cliff above the creek and for 10 years if we wanted to drop down to play, our transport was a heavy yellow rope tied to the big Maple tree.  Otherwise we could take a path that slowly descended to the bottom. The rope has been loved by the kids and not so much by me.  Last summer we had a bridge built the spanned a ravine and wooden steps taking us down to Big Walnut Creek. This has been a gift that has brought such joy to the whole family giving access to all who wished to be up close and personal with the fishys.
    

Flood Aftermath

When there is more than normal rainfall, our creek overflows into the woods and the sunset on this night turned the scene a brilliant orange.

Artist: Carolyn Heffelfinger
Medium: Oil on Board
Size:  16"x 20"
Price: $

Fireflies and Stars

     The night before heading out on a weeklong backpacking trip in the Laurel Highlands in Pennsylvania I was restless in a second floor room in our B&B.   The night was beautiful and I look out onto an expanse of field between the home and the mountains. I was mesmorized by the seemingly continuation of the fireflies and this starry night.

Mayapples

Artist: Carolyn Heffelfinger
Medium:  OIl on Canvas
Size: 30"x48"
Price:

  This woods in the spring is a carpet of seldom seen wildflowers and all along the one and a half mile path the abundance of these spring beauties is quite surprising.  There is an area where the Mayapples carpet the forest floor. The sunlight caught by the large umbrella like leaves was the draw for me to want to paint this big landscape piece.

Hay Bales

Artist: Carolyn Heffelfinger
Medium: Oil on canvas
Size: 5"x7"
Price: $

   Hay Bales are so much a part of the landscape in the fields around our home. They add such architectural interest in the design of a painting.  
   Earlier on this hike it had rained and the going was quite muddy splashing our calves as we trekked but as we entered an open area the clouds were breaking up and we hoped that sun was in the forecast.