It’s showtime, folks!

Posted on April 7, 2023 by naomisilverart — 4 Comments

After a break of several years, I finally decided to show my work again. It’s a big deal to get enough work prepared for a big show, transporting the work is always a bit dicey because you always risk damaging paintings, and then the art has to be brought back home if it doesn’t sell. But two opportunities came my way late last autumn so I thought, why not? No one except my buyers had seen my art in person for quite a while, and I really wanted to see what the reaction would be to the mountain paintings.

The first show I applied to was “Spiritual Visions”at Fontbonne University, a quick drive from my house and no fee to submit, so a no-brainer. I didn’t expect any of the three pieces I submitted to be accepted, but of course they accepted the one painting that had sold between the time I submitted and the time they made their decision. Oops! So I created a similar painting “Archangel #6,” submitted it, and it was accepted. It didn’t sell, but what a nice addition to my resume to have shown my work in a university gallery. And what an opening! Lots of people and plenty of schmoozing.

Me with “Archangel #6.”
Tony Borchadt, art prof. at Fontbonne and head of the gallery, speaking about the exhibit.

The Fontbonne show came down in February, but the current show where I have 15 pieces is coming down today. Longview Farm House is in a small but beautiful park about 30 minutes west of where I live in St. Louis. The group show and the event were to benefit a tribute in Town and Country, MO to honor first responders. The opening was an art and wine event, and it was jam packed. I sold one small piece to a couple who fell madly in love with both the abstracts and the mountains! And I enjoyed seeing the responses to the mountain paintings, particularly “Cross Country,” which is based on the Mt. of the Holy Cross in Colorado. I was thrilled that people recognized which mountain it was! I was a bit nervous about the event but ended up having a really enjoyable time talking with people about my work.

Decisions, decisions!
Tom Blood, Mark Witzling, me.
Sundown and Myth
White Out, Cross Country, Slope

So that’s about it for now. I also had several very nice sales to start 2023 off, but now things have slowed down so I’ve got plenty of time to work in the studio. I’ll be sure to post what I’ve been up to soon.

Until then, take care.

Naomi

Myth

Posted on February 4, 2023 by naomisilverart — Leave a comment

Myth (2023)

12 x 36 x 1.5 painting in acrylic on stretched canvas

https://www.ebay.com/itm/175598744634

Yeah, I know. It’s been a while. Again.

But I kind of have an excuse this time. Well, not really but kind of.

Paintings have been selling. It was like someone flipped a switch at the beginning of 2023. I was seriously overwhelmed with work for several weeks, but I’m not complaining. I am so incredibly grateful for the sales. And the two shows. More on that later.

As with most of my mountain paintings, this one took months. These paintings are deceptively simple, but they require a lot of very slow, careful work. I take a lot of breaks, to the point where I periodically have to add a chemical to the paint so it doesn’t dry up.

“Myth” is based on a photo taken by a neighbor on a trip to California. The mountain in this painting is Black Mountain, in Mono County, California. I looked but couldn’t find the indigenous people’s name for the mountain, but I did find something about the people who originally settled the area and still live there. In fact, it turns out the Kutzadika people have a website. Pretty cool! https://www.monolake.org/learn/aboutmonolake/humanhistory/kutzadikaapeople/

I hope all of you have had a good 2023 so far.

Naomi

My interview

Posted on March 28, 2022 by naomisilverart — Leave a comment

Recently, I was contacted by an online magazine for an interview. No clue how they found me. Voyage Magazine is national online magazine with sites in various cities around the countries. They cover up-and-comers, entrepreneurs, creatives, & underdogs. Which is very cool. And who am I to pass up free pr? So I said yes & here it is.

Rising Stars: Meet Naomi Silver

Ok, that’s all for today because I have to head into the studio. Someone made an offer on eBay for an older painting. And of course it’s scratched. Ugh. But hat’s what happens when you’re storing over 90 paintings & they’ve been sitting around for a while. And moved around. It’s a finger painting, so trying to match the hues can be near impossible. I took at whack at it yesterday, but it didn’t go well so I’m heading back for another try. Since it’s a smaller, older finger painting if I can’t fix it, it’s not the end of the world. But I’m up for the challenge.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and sane. Naomi

Tagged with: art, art studio, artist, contemporary art, contemporary painting, fine art, interview, Naomi Silver artist, stl, stlouis, voyagestl, wall decor
Posted in Uncategorized

Undaunted (2021)

Posted on March 22, 2022 by naomisilverart — 6 Comments

Yeah, I know. It’s been a while. Again.

I based this painting on the Gore Mountain range near Vail, Colorado. I always research the people who mountains are named after and it sounds like Gore was not a good egg, to say the least: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gore_Range

So I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a title and a friend came up with “Undaunted.” Which pretty much describes how I’m feeling about the art world right now. Undaunted by the long periods of no sales. Undaunted by the gallery that recently rejected my submission of my mountain paintings after not having shown my art in a gallery since 2017. Undaunted by the fact that I have “no pedigree,” as I call it. I don’t have an art degree, never took any college-level art classes, never wanted to. Undaunted by people repeatedly telling me how difficult it is to sell art. The more you tell me I can’t do something, the more determined I become.

But in the end, with everything going on in the world, I know I am beyond lucky. I’m safe, healthy, have shelter, enough money, plenty of food, and friends and family.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and sane. Naomi

Sleeping Giants

Posted on March 5, 2021 by naomisilverart — 6 Comments

Many people may feel like they have gone into some sort of sleep mode or hibernation over the past year due having their lives curtailed to one degree or another thanks to the pandemic. For months, my productivity in the studio was zilch due to the stress, anxiety and sheer shock at what was happening. But in recent months, I’ve found myself in the studio almost every day, in my own little world where everything else is secondary.

Still painting seated on the floot. I just can’t wrap my head around using an easel. 😮

Speaking of sleep or hibernation, my most recent paintings are titled “Sleeping Giants.” The paintings came about because a collector started talking about a finger painting he wanted based on time he had spent in Silverton, Colorado. So I went online and found an image of the San Juan mountains near Silverton, fell in love with a photo I found, and did these paintings (the commission is on hold for now). I couldn’t come up with a title, so I posted on Instagram asking if anybody had any ideas, and my friend and talented singer Elleven suggested “Sleeping Giants.” I think it fits these paintings perfectly because the white shapes look like giants in the mountains. Or perhaps the mountains, themselves, are the giants. 😊

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and sane. Naomi

Refuge from the cold.

Posted on February 19, 2021 by naomisilverart — 1 Comment

I’m sure many of you can relate when I say I’m kind of been there done that with cold weather. We have much to be grateful for- all we’ve had to worry about was a dead car battery and one semi-frozen house in the pipe that we easily thawed after running the water for a few minutes. I absolutely love winter and I act like a five year old in the snow, but this has been a bit much!

I love the shadows cast by the sun on a beautiful blanket of snow.

Luckily, I can retreat to my studio with the Christmas lights, the basil plants, and my cozy rug and the outside world pretty much disappears.

How is everybody else coping with this crazy winter?

Hope you are all doing well. Stay warm, stay safe and stay sane. Naomi

Tagged with: art, artist studio, landscape painting, minimalism, mountain painting, mountains, winter
Posted in 2021 paintings

Cascade (2020)

Posted on February 12, 2021 by naomisilverart — 2 Comments

One of 5 or so paintings based on a friend’s photo of Mt. Rainier in Washington State. I finished this painting about a year ago, in February of 2020.

The painting hanging on my pretend exposed brick wall over my pretend couch. 😉

Tagged with: art, black and white, landscape painting, minimalism, minimalist, mountain painting, Mt. Rainier, painting
Posted in 2020 paintings

Has it really been over a year???!!!

Posted on February 4, 2021 by naomisilverart — 3 Comments

OMG, I had no idea it had been over a year since my last post! I’ll just blame it on the pandemic and/or politics, just like everything else. Lol

So no surprise I’ve continued to paint, what else, but mountains. I’ve spent the last year refining my technique. These paintings may look simple, but just interpreting a 3D photo into a 2D painting that still looks like a 3D mountain is tricky. And it’s taken hours and hours of painting to figure out which brushes work the best and then get the hang of creating both very sharp lines as well as a painting that’s as smooth as possible. And I’m still learning with every session in the studio. Which is good because otherwise what would be the point, right?

So here is one of my favorites from 2020, a commission for a good friend. He is one of the best lute players/experts in St. Louis (if not in the country), so I told him I’d like to see the painting titled with something related to music. He gave me a few suggestions and I chose “Stretto.” If you don’t know what stretto means (I didn’t), click here.

I based “Stretto” on a photo of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming. I chose the photo, not having realized there is actually a lower mountain range in front of the other one. That took some finagling on my part. I hope you can see a little bit of the lower range in the front.

So again, my apologies for being such a slacker and I promise to post on a more regular basis! Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and sane!

Naomi