I am honored to be in the Yosemite Renaissance 37 juried art event this year. Misty Merced, 24×12, oil on canvas, one of my ‘Vertical Water’ paintings was accepted into the show.
Opening is at the Yosemite Gateway Art Center in Oakhurst on Friday, March 18th, with an opening reception from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. I am not sure if I will attend. The show will travel on to Kings Art Center in Hanford, Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock, the Yosemite Museum in Yosemite Valley in October, and Madera County Arts Council Circle Gallery in January 2023. Specific dates will be announced as they are finalized.
Looking for a totally unique custom gift for the holiday season which will last a lifetime? These little paintings make great holiday gifts.. This is the biggest discount I ever sell my paintings, some up to 70% off. Most prices are for unframed original, however if the frame is shown, it is included. Shipping is free in the continental US.
I don’t have a sophisticated sales system, so just email me at donald@donaldneff.com if interested in a painting. I can take credit card or check.
The first weekend of my first Open Studio Event went quite well…until the very end. More about that later. Below is a short video walkthrough of my setup.
I put up a canopy to house my welcome table, displays, and other items. Many paintings were hung on the fence. As you walk past the canopy towards the back yard, is my studio with, of course many more paintings, etc.
Visitors came sporadically, most of them from Marina. Much of the Monterey County Studio tour centers in the towns of Monterey and Carmel. Being about ten miles north, I am a little off the beaten path.
It was occasionally a little windy, so I made sure all the hanging paintings were held down by stretching a rope across the front and used rocks to hold down brochures, etc.
A couple hours before closing time on Sunday, the wind started gusting. I was expecting some wind, as we usually get in Marina, but the canopy almost turned into a kite! Some of the tiedowns broke, and I was holding onto the flimsy structure to keep it from blowing away, with no one to help! I couldn’t run into the house to get my wife as it would have been blown into the next neighborhood by the time I came back out. I was thinking of trying to call her on the phone to come help, but just at that time, four friends walked through the gate, and we quickly got the canopy folded down. Thanks to Don, Angie, and friends!
The weekend far exceeded my expectations, selling a number of works, and a new commission, plus one spoken for on the easel to be completed. I will also be open next weekend, but it looks like rain, so am contemplating a different setup.
If you are in the area, be sure to stop by next weekend, Oct 23 & 24, 11am-5pm.
The Open Studio event starting tomorrow will be primarily a covid friendly event outdoors. Come sit by the waterfall, watch the goldfish in the pond, see some great artwork, and how it is created.
BTW, the sign above the door is “Avon near the bay”. I named the new studio after my mother as she was always encouraging and thrilled at my drawings since I was an adolescent.
Getting ready for my open studio Oct 16,17,23,24, here is a dry run of some of my paintings. I will have most of my ‘Vertical Water” series on sale, and this is the first picture of all of them together…at least the ones I haven’t sold. Dozens more paintings on sale, some on deep discount, so stop by if you are in the Marina area!
My entry in the Monterey County Artists Studio Tour Catalog
I will be participating in my first ever Artists Studio Tour Open house. Save the date to stop by my new studio in Marina, CA. October 16, 17, 23, & 24.
Besides visiting the studio, I need to clear it out! I’ll have many older but still great paintings on discount, some deep discount, both framed and unframed. I will also have my books “Plein Tahoe”, and “The Creeks and Rivers of Silicon Valley” for sale on discount.
Hey everybody, can you help me out? Fine Art America is having a contest where they will put a select number of paintings on billboards all over the country. However, to be considered, you must get at least 100 votes from the public. Can you do me a favor and vote for my paintings? Please click on each Image or URL below and vote for each one. Also, please share this post with all your friends. Thanks!!!
Looking for a totally unique custom gift for the holiday season which will last a lifetime? These little paintings make great holiday gifts. Many times they are small versions of larger pieces I have done, and some maybe an experiment for a large piece. The Sunday after Thanksgiving will be celebrated as the first #ArtistsSunday. This is the biggest discount I ever sell my paintings, up to 70% off. Price is for unframed original, unless otherwise noted. Shipping is free in the continental US. If you are interested, just email me at donald@donaldneff.com. Click on the picture or the link below to see all the paintings, including pricing. #shopart
The quest started as a simple idea. I didn’t even know if I would, or even could finish it. After all, it was a commitment for a year. I didn’t know if it would turn out worthwhile, or just a stack of sticky panels for the scrap heap. I didn’t know if anything would be interesting or worth looking at.
I didn’t know I would eventually paint ghost towns in Silicon Valley, or haunted springs, or wild beaver sign in a metropolitan city, or the worlds largest homeless camp, or the world’s first ‘plein air selfie’.
I didn’t know eventually strangers would walk up to me, give me a hug, and say I brought back their fond childhood memories of days gone by in the “Valley of Hearts Delight’.
Little did I know it would grow with a feature on NBCTV, and other TV spots, articles by major publications, multiple showings in various venues, and a book.
Seven years ago today, I started a year-long quest to paint a different “Creek and River of Silicon Valley” each week en plein air, or on location. At the time, even finishing the year successfully was not known, but I ended up with 60 paintings of 43 different creeks all over the South San Francisco Bay area.
The collection of 60 paintings is still intact and will be for the foreseeable future. I am still seeking venues both local, national, and international for showings, so ideas are welcome!
Once again, I was honored to have a painting in the Yosemite Renaissance Exhibition. This juried art show opens at the Yosemite Museum, and then travels around California for a year.The show also starts around the time of year for the annual Firefall event in Yosemite Valley, and I don’t need much of an excuse to visit!
The opening reception was Friday, February 22 this year, so I arrived a day early, Thursday afternoon.Lodging prices in Yosemite were quite high for winter season (possibly because the Firefall is getting ever more popular), so for the first time, I elected to stay outside the park in El Portal, which is right at the entrance.
After checking into my motel, I headed into the park. A series of recent snowstorms had hit the area, and it was like driving around in a winter fairyland. I wouldn’t have much time to paint, so just drove around for a few pictures, then headed to the Firefall.I won’t go into that experience here, as I posted a weblog entry you can read here.If you haven’t seen my short Firefall video, you should watch it:
I won’t go into detail on my visit, but it was very cold, barely getting above freezing most days, so my painting activities were a bit limited.Plus, with all the recent heavy snow, many pullouts and parking lots were unavailable, and those available quickly taken up by the unusually large winter crowds.
Here are a few pictures from the trip. Click on the thumbnails to get a larger picture and description.
The Firefall
The Firefall
The Firefall and me
A classic view of Half Dome
From Tunnel View
Sentinel Rock
Painting Bridalveil Falls
Bridalveil Falls study.
A study of the Merced River as it tumbles out of Yosemite Valley.
Painting Cathedral Rock. It was so cold, didn’t get very far on this one.
Painting Cathedral Rock. It was so cold, didn’t get very far on this one.
I stopped by the Yosemite Railroad exhibit in El Portal for the first time. In the old days, this is the way you got to Yosemite.
My work hanging in the museum
My work hanging in the museum
Yosemite Renaissance 34 will be on display at the Yosemite Museum from February 23rd through May 5th, 2019. The Museum Gallery is open daily 10 am to Noon, and 1 pm to 4 pm. The 2019 Traveling Exhibit will be displayed at the following venues. We will confirm specific dates and times as they become available.
Kings Art Center, Hanford, CA. (June through July)
Carnegie Art Center, Turlock, CA. (August through October)
Gallery 5 at Gallery Row, Oakhurst, CA (October through November)
