Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Christmas Wishes and Happy Hanukkah

 "Christmas Memories"
11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

 "Winter Dreams"
4x6 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

"A Blue Winter"
11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

"Hanukkah Glow"
12x12 Mixed Media by Liana Yarckin

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah
and the best for a very joyous New Year!

I've been busy painting home portrait commissions which I can post after the holidays as they are all going to be given as gifts.  

Save the date March 21 - I will be teaching a unique plein air watercolor class at the Dallas Arboretum.  The subject will be the interesting architecture at the arboretum.  I will post the link for sign up as soon as it comes available.


Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Watercolor Class, Gift and Show

In progress.

Somebody brought me a gorgeous little bouquet of roses and a blue hydrangea for a coffee I was hosting.  It was such a nice surprise and bursting colors, I immediately blew off everything on the schedule the next day and started the above painting.  I reasoned that this is one of the perks of being an artist - experiencing inspiration and letting it take over.  Plus, I am teaching another watercolor class in just a few weeks and the subject matter is ROSES!!!

Can you see two artists hard at work here?  This is one of the photos from the plein-air class I taught at the Dallas Arboretum.  We lucked out with great weather.  Collectively, we chose the fern garden.  Everyone did so well.  The time flew by, I didn't get a chance to take a photo of the class' work.  I loved seeing how everyone found an interesting subject to them and how their painting styles and strengths were all different.  Everyone was so pleased and wants another plein-air class in the spring.  The Arboretum is so gorgeous, so many different opportunities for plein-air painting.

A very special group of women purchased this painting as a housewarming gift for their friend.  She had seen my painting of swans at an art show.  She told me why this painting spoke to her and about the symbolism of swans.  I am so inspired to paint more swans now.

Artwork hanging at the local yoga hot spot, We Yogis.  I am so blessed to meet generous and caring artists through my work and daily life.  Dallas artist, Gina Dunn is responsible for my opportunity to show my work at We Yogis.  Gina is both a master yogi and a very talented artist. Her work hangs all over the country and she has a large piece hanging in a prominent location here in Dallas - in the window of Lululemon on Knox Street.  You cannot miss it when you are driving by.  Please visit Gina's face book page, Gina Marie Dunn, Utopia Pkwy. Art Studio to check it out.





Monday, September 8, 2014

Teaching Classes at the Dallas Arboretum



Morning Walk
by Liana Yarckin
Sold.

I will be teaching two workshops at the Dallas Arboretum this fall.  One is a plein air workshop and the other is a rose workshop.  For more information, click here.  Plein Air in the Garden, September 27 and  The Rose, an Introduction to Watercolor on November 1.  The Dallas Arboretum used the above picture on a facebook post and someone inquired to purchase!  Unfortunately, it has already sold.  However, this inspired me to do another aspen tree painting for the Cattle Baron's fundraiser coming up this October.  It is a large 22x30 painting.

Since my last two shows, I have been busy with commissions.  Here is the latest Home Portrait I completed.  It is a beautifully detailed home built with care and the greatest attention to detail.  I met the home owners at Artscape in April.  


Upcoming big news is my painting, Meet Me in the Piazza, was accepted to the Southwestern Watercolor Society 51st Annual Show, juried by Fealing Lin.

Meet Me in the Piazza
by Liana Yarckin





Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Reception for City Cafe Art Show Tonight


I have been having problems with my email subscribers not receiving my updates for April and May.  If you are an email subscriber and have not received any updates from me since March, then please press here to see what you have missed.  Scroll down to see April and May posts once you are on my blog page.  Apparently, the problem was suppose to only be with yahoo accounts, but, it seems like nobody has received the updates.  If by chance you have received an update via email, I totally apologize if you have received multiple emails Please let me know if you have been getting the updates without a problem.  

On the brighter side, I hope to see the locals at my reception at City Cafe on Wednesday night to toast to a great art show and happy summer!


Monday, May 12, 2014

Attention to fellow bloggers

Bloggers, are your feedburner subscribers still getting your blog posts?  Mine are not, including myself. I looked into the help chat rooms at feed burner and it was said the problem is only with yahoo subscribers.  I did the "fix" suggested, but, that did not work.  

If anyone knows the details on this, please let me know.

Thanks so much!

Saturday, May 10, 2014

Time to Celebrate!


Apologies to all non-yahoo readers for getting multiple blog updates from me.  Apparently, yahoo has made changes recently and all yahoo subscribers, including myself, were not receiving blog updates.  This post is for the yahoo subscribers who did not receive it the first time.

The art show at the Dallas Arboretum was a huge success.  I will write about it in my next post.  Now it is time to celebrate at City Cafe!!!  Come join me, make it a girls'night out, date night with hubby or bring the kiddos and stick them in a booth with dinner!  As always, City Cafe throws an awesome reception with delicious food, cocktails and live music.  Everyone is there and we always end up going past closing.  So come celebrate!  If you want to see photos from the art show, they are posted on facebook at Liana Yarckin Watercolors.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Pics from the Dallas Arboretum - Artscape 2014

taking a 5 minute break after setting up

 first sale


When I think back to the weekend of April 25, I start feeling the energy of the weekend running through my body.  I really cannot wait until next year.  Artscape was the perfect place for me to show my paintings.  Attendees were lovers of flowers and nature just like me.  They couldn't get enough of the tulips, every tulip painting sold.  It was so much hard work preparing for my first outdoor art show.  I am not talking about painting, I am talking about 2 months of getting organized, learning how to anchor a tent so that it does not blow away in the wind, finding the display walls, framing everything, packaging everything to take to the show, marketing, finding friends to help for free, arranging rides for my children to get home from school…. 

But, I will say it was well worth it.  I made lots of new artist friends, having lunch with one of them tomorrow, in fact.  I was inspired by one female artist who is well into her 70's setting up her own tent all by herself, she says it keeps her young and in shape.  Talking with the attendees, running into old friends from the past and even meeting someone that lives in a house that I have painted long ago!  

Now, I have follow up.  I think I have 5 commissions on my plate right now.  I had a very interesting inquiry for a commission for Father's Day.  I hope they decide to do it because it is a different idea.  I entered all the emails that were listed in my guest book and sent info about my upcoming reception at City Cafe.

So, if you are in Dallas, please come celebrate with me!

May 14
6:00-8:00
City Cafe 
Lovers at the Tollway

updated website:  www.lianayarckin.com

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Time to Celebrate!


The art show at the Dallas Arboretum was a huge success.  I will write about it in my next post.  Now it is time to celebrate at City Cafe!!!  Come join me, make it a girls'night out, date night with hubby or bring the kiddos and stick them in a booth with dinner!  As always, City Cafe throws an awesome reception with delicious food, cocktails and live music.  Everyone is there and we always end up going past closing.  So come celebrate!  If you want to see photos from the art show, they are posted on facebook at Liana Yarckin Watercolors.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Preparations for Dallas Arboretum Art Show








Hard at work, framing, updating website, measuring mat boards to 11/16 of an inch, learning how to stake a tent, coordinating someone to help me with the physical labor….all in preparation for my debut at the Dallas Arboretum art show - Artscape.  I can't wait.  I know that my website shows a lot of activity coming from the Dallas Arboretum website which has my website link on it.  They are expecting huge crowds so I hope all goes well with set up and weather.  


Locals, come visit me at booth 57, right by the frog water fountains.  

updated website:  www.lianayarckin.com
let me know which paintings you think I should include or not on facebook:  

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Tip Toe through the Tulips, a Dallas Arboretum Inspiration

my first tulip painting, 1997





I found the first tulip watercolor I did as an adult in 1997.  I had gone to the Dallas Arboretum with my husband and his parents and was in love with all of the red tulips.  I did not have a digital camera, yet, so I may have taken one or two photos of the tulips.  One week later, my husband and I bought our first home, it had red tulips in the front flower beds!  I did the painting before we saw our house, and I should say before I had taken any watercolor classes!  I show this to you - who knows what your tulips would look like after a couple of classes!!!!  

Perfect timing to post this, the tulips are in full bloom at the Dallas Arboretum and I have been working so hard for my upcoming art show at the Dallas Arboretum in April.  Who knew when I was first inspired to paint tulips in the Dallas Arboretum that 17 years later I would be in an art show there.  

Important upcoming dates:  
Artscape, Dallas Arboretum, April 25-27
I am in Booth #57

City Cafe, April 28 - June 1
Solo Art Show

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Commissions

 Private Residence
16x22 watercolor

 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor

 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor

 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor

Baylor Hospital
22x30 watercolor


 Private Residence
11x14 watercolor


 Private Residence
15x22 watercolor


Contemporary Theater of Dallas
11x14 watercolor


Above are some of the commissions I received with a December deadline.  Can you believe I forgot to post them on my blog?!  Some were given as Christmas gifts, anniversary gift, thank you gifts or as a congratulations on a promotion gift.  Prints have been made of the commercial buildings to give to employees as well.  So that is why I didn't have so many blog posts prior to December.  I think I painted until December 20.  It is all coming back to me, now, that is why I had such a long break picking the up the brush again.  I loved being busy.  Each commission has a unique story and giving reason behind them.  

Visit it me on facebook to see work in progress and the latest news on my art shows.  Oh, I just posted a painting, "Wishing for Spring."  We have had a very long, cold winter.  I cannot believe I am still wearing winter clothes.

Happy painting!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Butterfly Study and Prep for Dallas Arboretum Show





I have posted in the past how I have this visual of a butterfly painting in my head, but, it is not complete.  I keep wanting to paint this image of butterflies in flight.  Because of the art show at the Dallas Arboretum, Artscape, I decided to start with some small butterfly studies.  This has taken me to creating abstract patterns using watercolor and a variety of resists like plastic to emulate the patterns found in butterfly wings.  I have some beautiful washes posted on my facebook page.  Right now I am so in love with them, I am afraid to go to the next step because I am enjoying the pattern as it is for the time.  I would be interested in hearing what you think about these first pass washes.  I am not sure if I should use negative painting to create the butterflies or if I should do positive painting on the wings to define the butterflies.  In the meantime, I just keep painting a butterfly every morning.  I was lucky to see a fantastic butterly collection at the arboretum in Montreal.  I took several pictures, but, the vivid silky wings don't come out as fantastic in the photos.

Have a fabulous weekend!  Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts.

Press here to go to Facebook Page

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Pouring, Prints & Paintings

 15x22 in progress
 5 prints of Baylor Hospital signed and numbered
Overview of work in the last 3 months

Greetings on this very, very cold morning in Dallas!  It has been overcast and bitterly cold, I had to lay my paintings out to see some bright colors.  Actually, someone wanted to see my work, so I invited them over to have a looksee in my make-shift gallery.  

I could not keep up with the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge this past January.  The painting on the top is a pour I started for the challenge.  It is almost finished.  Inspired from a photo I took when on a study abroad program in 1989.  I was there as part of the architecture program at Texas A&M.  To this day, our group keeps in contact via facebook.  

The next photo is a snapshot of 5 prints that Baylor Hospital ordered after seeing the original painting I was commissioned to paint as a gift to an executive at Baylor.  They are considering to order note cards, too.

Great news - I was accepted to participate in the Dallas Arboretum Art Show - Artscape!!!!  The dates are April 26 & 27.  Wow, I hope I sell some paintings.  This will be to a much broader audience, I am curious to see how it goes.  The Dallas Arboretum wants the art to be of a nature theme.  You know I love painting flowers, but, I also like my city paintings!  The city scenes are what I sell the most.  I will also have to pay to be in the show as well as pay for display rental.  The other art shows I have not had to pay anything except commission on pieces that sold.  I am thankful that my husband is encouraging and says go for it, it will be a great experience.  Can you help me by letting me know what kind of paintings you would buy if you were at a nature themed art show?  

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Day 21 - Child Playing in Water

Figure Study
11x14 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

This is the sister to "Garden Girl".  Who knew when I took these photos so long ago of our little playgroup that I would be inspired to explore them in watercolor.  This darling little girl actually had a second watering can in her left hand while she was pumping the water, while she decided to go ahead and get into the giant tub of water.  I think I would like to explore this more, do a few more studies for a  high key painting with the bright sunlight.  I got the sunlight right on her leg, hair and right arm.  Also, now that I look at this, her left arm needs work!  Oh, my don't look.  The wash tub was all lopsided in reality.

I am so glad I finally started this challenge.  I like the pressure of what am I going to paint next and having to move on quickly.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Pink Flowers for a January Birthday - Day 20 of the 30 day Challenge

Flower study
10x10 watercolor by Liana Yarckin

Okay, holidays and birthday behind, now I am going to try to get back into my routine and paint everyday.  I am finally joining in Leslie Saeta's 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge.  This study was inspired by gorgeous flowers my playgroup gave me for my birthday.  Pink tulips, pink hydrangeas and pink roses!  

I am going to try to work on a pour while I do studies for the rest Leslie Saeta's January 30 day challenge.  I thought January would be a dead month, nothing going on so I would have no trouble painting everyday, but, the first 4 days of the kids were still home from school and it has been catch up ever since.