bevsbites | Beverly Shipko, Artist

Thank you RiverArts!

May 11, 2016 by Beverly

Sometimes things in life have unanticipated consequences, many of them positive. Our 1997 move to a home in Ardsley from a smaller townhouse changed my artistic life.

After two years, I transformed the living room with its 3 walls of natural light pouring through the windows into my studio. I started painting regularly and soon had a body of work to show.

So I decided to have my first Open Studio and participate in the RiverArts Studio Tour. RiverArts is dynamic and growing non-profit organization serving the Rivertowns of Hastings, Dobbs Ferry, Irvington and Ardsley.

That was over 15 years ago. The successful expansion of this event (now 80 artists strong) and RiverArts itself is reflected in this beautiful 4 page multi-color brochure featuring a painting by every artist on the tour. Mentally contrast this with the 1999 2-color single page flyer with a map and list. (You’ll have to your imagination since I can’t find the old pdf).

Now let me introduce you to Jen Moore Smith, the producer of the 2016 RiverArts Studio Tour, a huge task that has grown to include three preview exhibitions in different venues during the month of April, a Saturday night artist reception, a closing reception, and an extensive Studio Tour website including bios/statements and multiple images from each artist. Just uploading 400 images was a big task!

And Jennifer did her job gracefully and thoroughly from start to finish, always smiling, never losing her sense of humor. Bravo Jennifer! As the tour continues to grow in size and complexity, hopefully the management of the tour will be split among a multiple people.

And did I mention that these events served food? Wonderful food and a lot of it too, which you can see in the photos from the Hastings Municipal Building Preview Exhibition, where one of my prints was shown. This event was free and open to the public. (Why do I keep thinking Last Supper when I look at the first photo?)

Here’s the lady who was responsible for this banquet, Patricia van Essche. She recently joined the RiverArts Board and this elaborately presented food magically appeared this year. As you can see, she did a great job! Now my husband looks forward to these events with newfound enthusiasm.

I want to take a moment to say thank you to Jennifer Moore Smith, the unsung hero of the tour, to Doug Marouk-Coe, the Executive Director of RiverArts, as well as the Board, and to all the volunteers who made this event possible. A special thanks to Patricia, who sponsored a successful artist lunch at her house in March, and looks out for all of the artists in the community like our mother hen.

I look forward to all the upcoming RiverArts events, especially the Music Tour, which is listed on the website. With so much going on, it’s an exciting time for RiverArts and the Rivertowns.

Mother’s Day: A Ballet of Flavors

May 9, 2016 by Beverly

Today I had a terrific Mother’s Day with family and friends, featuring an inspired meal prepared by our resident chef, Bonnie. Here she is with her signature popovers.

While I’ve written about Bonnie’s artistic talents before (Thanksgiving Bonnie-Style, Bonnie’s Thanksgiving Feast), I never completely figured out why I’m so intrigued by Bonnie’s skillful meal preparation. Until today.

What I watched last night and this morning (and participated in) is a unique kind performance art that goes on for hours. It’s like a carefully orchestrated ballet of flavors, with Bonnie at the helm as the producer, choreographer, conductor and prima ballerina all rolled into one.

With careful planning, somehow all the moving parts come together into an elegant whole. It’s hard to describe how she coordinates everything, making it look effortless. Bonnie moves gracefully around the kitchen juggling multiple dishes, moving from one recipe to another and then back again – while orchestrating the rest of us.

I find the process extremely compelling, and was having flashbacks to foodie movies such as Burnt, Chef and No Reservations. Maybe I should start taking videos, but as a backstage assistant I was too busy much of the time.

Here’s the final production featuring 12+ recipes.

The menu included crudite with a homemade spinach dip, cucumber soup with a mango and tomato garnish, nicoise salad, salmon with dill, turkey meatballs on spiraled sweet potatoes with a parsley cauliflower sauce, lentil salad, acorn square creations, my favorite butternut squash/leek/green apple side dish, and potato leek goat cheese tart in a pistachio crust made especially for my brother-in-law Bill.

Ah yes, I forgot dessert – the brownie dessert and the cranberry loaf. My mouth is watering…

Bonnie’s vision somehow morphed an ordinary acorn squash into an artistic looking platter with quinoa, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts.

Her appetizing nicoise salad is always a hit.

So is the lentil salad with vegetables.

Recently Bonnie re-discovered the glory of spiralizing on inspiralized.com which translated into this sweet potato dish.

Then there was the watermelon with mint, which everyone raved about. I skipped it at lunch because I thought it couldn’t be anything special. But I was mistaken as I found out at dinner.

Another way to think about this is as piece of installation art involving food that is transitory and ephemeral by nature. The concept goes beyond a ballet of flavors, to shapes, colors, and textures that appeal to all our senses. In short, all the elements of great art.

Act I consists of Bonnie and the food. Act 2 begins with Bonnie explaining her dishes and ends with us at the dining room table demolishing her creations.

Here’s our friend Alissa, from Philadelphia, who joined the crew. She was put to work as soon as she walked in and certainly earned her meal.

My sister-in-law Pam, from Kansas City, also joined the ensemble, as did Jay with several trips to the grocery store and hours of clean up.

Pam and I had a great Mother’s Day! We hope yours was as great as ours.

The best part is the performance isn’t truly over. The encore continues as we enjoy magnificent leftovers (too good to be called leftovers; do you have a better name?). No need to cook for a long time. What a finale!

Thank You For Coming!

April 22, 2016 by Beverly

I just want to thank all of you who came to my Open Studio last weekend, to those who called and emailed their support – and to the weather gods who gave us a beautiful day here in the New York area.

There was a steady stream of people all day from different parts of our lives. Jay, Bonnie and I were ready and waiting, with lots of desserts – painted and real. My newest series of 5 candy bars, Icons of the Candy Vending World, greeted you from its place of honor on the fireplace.

I always welcome the opportunity to show my new work and get feedback from all of you who bring in fresh perspectives and new ideas. My family and I are kind of “desensitized” to all these sweets. To mix things up a bit, I took a detour and painted Avocados from a Manhattan salad bar. I loved it when Johanna arrived early on and commented right away, “My doctor wants me to eat what’s on the left, and I want to eat what’s on the right”. How true!

It’s nice to make a sale near the beginning of the weekend. Here’s the first purchaser with Westminster, London, a going away present for a good friend relocating there (yes, I do enjoy painting subjects besides desserts). What a thoughtful present!

This wall of wood panel paintings sure did attract a lot of attention the whole weekend! The Kit Kat sold right away, and I received a commission for a Tootsie Roll painting since this one sold (oops! missed my opportunity to use those little red dots you see in galleries…).

Then Lynn, a talented artist herself, arrived from Brooklyn. We were chatting away since I hadn’t seen her since my first show at OK Harris Works of Art in Soho (don’t want to think about how many years passed by). It was so wonderful to reconnect!

Sometimes the most fun was just to watch who walked through the door. Current and past winners of my annual Oreo Cookie Contest came, starting with Blake, the 2015 Winner holding his “portrait”, Blake’s Bite.

The 2014 Winner, Samantha, is second from the left between my nephew, Mark, and Bonnie, along with her friend Janki.

Here’s the mother and brother of Sadie, the 2012 Oreo Cookie Contest Winner. It was so good to see Susan and Jake (how he has grown!). Susan is so enthusiastic about my work and such a sunny personality that it’s a pleasure to be around her.

Let me introduce you to Samantha, a loyal Oreo Cookie Contest participant, with her family.

Many of Jay’s bridge buddies came, some of whom I knew like, Jill, one of Jay’s regular partners, with her husband Farley.

Here we have our New York Philharmonic Box 5 Tier 3 buddies (Saturday night B series) from Bridgeport CT, who we met at Lincoln Center 5 years ago. Talk about surprises!

And then there was my long time friend, Ilene and her sister Helen. Having Ilene there was absolutely wonderful since we worked together on the M&M Mars account at DMB&B Advertising (yes, the agency world of Don Draper on Mad Men was right on!). Ilene totally bowled me over when she brought out Bonnie’s 1990 baby announcement – a folded diaper with a diaper pin in it (don’t know where we got the time to do that with a new baby!). She also brought a holiday photo card of Laura and Bonnie when we measured their ages in single digits.

Oh, how I wish I had a photo of that moment, but my camera was in the kitchen and my path was mobbed with visitors (a good thing), as it was most of the afternoon. Next year I’ll remember to ask someone to take photos. I did manage to take a few pictures of the desserts before they were totally wiped out. Do you think there’s another Oreo Cookie Cake painting in my future?

Now I face the challenging task of whittling down these 2016 Oreo Cookie Contest entries to the finalists (so we have more room to eat!), photographing them, and choosing the winner.

All in all, it was a successful Open Studio weekend. So thanks again, and hope to see you next year – if not before then. My door is always open.

Open Studio Invitation

March 19, 2016 by Beverly

It’s that time of the year again – Open Studio time – and you’re all invited!

Saturday, April 16th & Sunday, April 17th
11 am to 5pm

Beverly’s Home Studio
36 Sheldon Street
Ardsley, NY 10502

This is one of my favorite weekends of the year, when I get to spend all weekend talking about art with like minded people. What a luxury! I always enjoy the dialog and especially the feedback. There hasn’t been a year when I haven’t walked away feeling reinvigorated and brimming full of new ideas.

You’ll be able to see my latest vending machine paintings, including a new series of oversized single candy bars. I have been working hard on this series so the paintings can dry in time to hang for the show. And you can see all the paintings from my last 30 Paintings in 30 days Challenge.

I just started a vegetable painting (horror of horrors! a healthy food), featuring a line of cut avocados from a Manhattan salad bar. With its dramatic composition, this image was practically crying out, “Paint me, paint me,” and so I am. It is my first full size vegetable painting in a very long time.

Of course, I will be sponsoring my annual Oreo Cookie Contest. Everyone can enter by just taking a bite. Come one, come all, and bring your kids and grandkids! They always have a great time. Where else can you bring your whole family to eat Oreos and look at art in one visit? I paint the winning Oreo bite, and name the painting after the biter. You can see a table full of past entries and the 2015 winner, Blake’s Bite, in previous posts.

For those people with more sophisticated palates, we’ll also have our favorite desserts (what else?) on hand from Riviera Bake House in Ardsley. Thank you, Bonnie, for handling this every year!

My Open Studio is part of the 2016 RiverArts Studio Tour, and I’ll have maps on hand which show the locations of the other 80 participating artists.

I’ll post a construction update closer to the event to help you navigate around the Ardsley bridge construction. Right now, this only effects people coming northbound on the Sawmill River Parkway (take Exit #16 at Lawrence Street since Exit #17 to Ardsley is closed). So please check my blog a few days before the tour, and contact me if you have any questions.

I look forward to seeing you soon!

The Winner!

March 7, 2016 by Beverly

In honor of National Oreo Day, I would like to announce the winner of my 2015 Oreo Cookie Contest, Blake’s Bite. Congratulations, Blake!

“Blake’s Bite – Oreo Cookie” by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled panel, 6 x 6 inches

In case some of you haven’t met the winner before, let me introduce you to Blake The Biter, from my hometown of Ardsley. Here he is proudly submitting his entry, right after taking the winning bite. It showed promise from the very beginning.

This year the selection process was daunting with over 75 entries during my April Open Studio, even more than last year . After all, I wanted to be fair to all contestants. You see, Blake is one of my most loyal fans who has entered repeatedly. And my heart was with him from past years when he didn’t win, which you can read more about here.

I narrowed the field to these 3 Oreos, which were the first works I painted during my September 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge (Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3).

Days 1, 2 & 3 of the 30/30 Challenge

Just to be sure I wan’t biased towards one of my favorite Open Studio attendees, I posted this photo on Facebook for a vote. Blake’s Bite was the overwhelming favorite!

So now it’s official. Well done, Blake! You earned this recognition in honor with your persistence and enthusiasm, in addition to your distinctive bite.

I’m looking forward to seeing you again in mid-April, so please mark your calendar. Maybe you can go for a record two consecutive wins…

Oreo Mandala

February 28, 2016 by Beverly

It’s almost that time again. Today I registered for my annual Open Studio as part of the RiverArts Tour the weekend of April 16th and 17th, 2016 – which is coming up fast.

Naturally, I started thinking about what to hang and where, including this Oreo Mandala Limited Edition Print.

“Oreo Mandala” by Beverly Shipko, Limited Edition Giclee Print (run of 150) , Available framed (27 x 27 inches) and unframed (20 x 20 inches)

I love the visual impact of this print. And I love what it represents.

It brings back memories of happy times on so many levels. This print commemorates past Oreo Cookie Contests, which I sponsore during RiverArts Studio Tour, and all the enthusiastic kids and adults who participate every year.

Each Oreo represents a different contestant who joyfully chomped down on a cookie for a chance to win and earn the honor of having a painting named after them.

The lower left hand Oreo was bitten by Maisie, granddaughter of my good friend friend Linda, who shyly bit her entry and quickly put it on the table before she could change her mind. On the second row at the right, we see my friend Carol’s Oreo with its scattered pieces. I can see her laughing as she took a bite and the cookie made a mess – a good thing from my perspective since crumbs are interesting to paint.

I thought a lot about what to put in the middle, and decided to use my own cookie in the center – an image which led to my largest painting on this subject called Cosmic Oreo, currently available at Cavalier Galleries in Nantucket, MA. The central image take me into the realm of outer space, evoking comets and stars in the sky. It also brings me back to the days when I ate all the Oreos I wanted without feeling guilty.

“Comic Oreo” by Beverly Shipko, Oil painting, 24 x 36 inches, Available at Cavalier Galleries

Most of the other cookies are anonymous since participants didn’t leave their name, including the masculine cookie in the lower right which somehow makes me think about floating icebergs.

When I look at this print, I also think about March Madness and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Why, you might ask? Every year I watch the tournament for hours on end, but find it difficult to paint at the same time. I feel badly about all the “wasted” time. Finally, I discovered that I can sketch instead! That’s when I drew the original nine 6 x 6 inch drawings that formed the basis for Oreo Mandala.

The final Oreo Mandala concept was inspired both by a Mandala & Meditation art workshop and a mandala exhibit at the Rubin Museum, where I learned more about how Buddhists used mandalas to meditate and escape to the spiritual realm. I thought deep meditation on Oreo Cookies would provide the ultimate test of one’s ability to transcend earthly pleasures, and Oreo Mandala was born.. As I write this, I can see my recently deceased friend and meditation mentor, Bob Mawson, a Buddhist monk who taught meditation in Thailand and in Tarrytown, NY for many years, smiling down on me.

I hope you enjoy this print as much as I do.

Chihuily: A Glass Act

February 25, 2016 by Beverly

Today I was going through hundreds of wild life photos from our recent Sarasota, Florida trip when I came across these images of exquisite art glass by Dale Chihuily, glassmaker extraordinaire.

I had forgotten we left the beaches behind to visit the Chihuily Collection in St. Petersburg, about an hour away. For me, this small, well designed museum was one of the highlights of the trip.

The collection began chronologically with Chihuily’s older work, such as Seaforms, which evoke underwater forms with their flowy, asymmetrical shapes.

There’s the Venetians series, with a work missing. One piece was stolen right off its platform, which is not something museums are proud of. Fortunately, the piece was returned after the thief discovered he couldn’t sell it on the open market, and will be reinstalled shortly.

Chihuily is known for his intensely colored Macchia series. This large blue vessel make me think of a morning glory.

Stunning Chandeliers, made up of as many as 1,000 elements of glass attached to a stainless steel base, dominate this large gallery. These works are shipped in pieces, each individually numbered, and are assembled on site. It took a large team from Chihuily’s studio 8 hours to install this blue beauty.

Here are side and bottom views of a smaller multicolored Chandelier beside it.

When we came across this nook, we immediately thought of Leslie, Jay’s sister, who creates very elegant and striking Ikebana arrangements in Portland, OR. Chihuily presents his own whimsical glass Ikebana series including 3-D and 2-D works.

Then we moved into a dark, dramatic room featuring this boat piece full of large globes. Chihuily called the globes Niijima Floats, after an island in Tokyo Bay and the small Japanese fishing floats he found growing up on Puget Sound. I couldn’t help but recall other Chihuily boats and floats we had seen in outdoor installations at the Phoenix and New York Botannical Gardens.

A passageway with this ethereal ceiling, conjuring up thoughts of lily pads , flowers, and other natural elements, lead us down the hall to the showstopper.

Finally, we reach Chihuily’s own true garden of glass, Mille Fiori (Italian for a thousand flowers). This modern, sleek indoor installation took on a completely different vibe (quite a contrast to the dessert!), combining refined forms from Chihuily’s entire career.

Here Chihuily took one of his Chandeliers and turned it upside down to anchor the end of Millie Fiori.

In person, you can really see how his work is based on natural forms. For example, tips of the blue plants are inspired by frog hands, with their knobby pads located on the tips of their fingers, giving them suction.

These green plants resemble agaves and other dessert plants.

We never made it to the glass blowing demonstration at the Morean Center nearby, which is included in the $20 admission fee, and comes highly recommended. Next time.

Dale Chihuily makes the art of glass blowing look easy, but it’s not. It’s physically demanding, technically challenging, capital intensive, and often unpredictable in lesser hands.

All of which serves to remind us that Chihuily took what some considered to be an almost forgotten minor art form and turned it into a major installation vehicle that is ubiquitous. And for that he is truly a modern master of glass, in a class of his own.

Pablo Makes Me Smile!

February 2, 2016 by Beverly

When I walked into the Picasso Sculpture show at MOMA in Manhattan, I made a beeline for this sculpture – a very old friend. The last time we saw each other was 30 years ago at the Picasso Museum in Paris.

And I smiled. Just like I did the first time.

A few words came to mind. Creative. Playful. Clever.

Woman with Outstretched Arts, by Picasso, 1961. Front view. Painted iron and sheet metal.

“Woman with Outstretched Arms”. by Picasso. Back view.

More words popped into my head through the whole show.

Classic. Epic.

“Head of a Warrior” by Picasso, Boisgeloup, 1933. Plaster, metal and wood.

Elegant. Humorous.

“Insect” by Picasso. Ballauris, 1951. Fired white clay, incised and painted with slips.

Whimsical.

“Vase” by Picasso, Vallauris, 1947 or 48. White earthenware painted with slips and oxides.

Beautiful. Stately.

“Bust of a Woman” by Picasso, Boisgeloup, 1931. Plaster.

Poignant.

“Woman with a Baby Carriage” by Picasso. Vallauris, 1950-54. Bronze.

Innovative. Technical prowess – a life-size cast bronze sculpture held up by a jump rope!

“Little Girl Jumping Rope” by Picasso. Vallauris, 1950-54. Bronze.

Creative. Visionary. Who else would see a toy car as a baboon head?

“Baboon and Young” by Picasso. Vallauris, 1951. Bronze.

Versatile. Prolific.

"Bull" by Picasso. Cannes, 1958. Blockboard (wood base panel), palm frond and various other tree branches, eyebolt, nails and dress)

“Bull” by Picasso. Cannes, 1958. Blockboard (wood base panel), palm frond and various other tree branches, eyebolt, nails and screws)

Simplicity. Essence. Sleek. Modern.

“Little Horse” by Picasso. Valllauris, 1961. Painted metal with wheels.

Other thoughts came to mind. Master of any material. Fearless. Adventuresome. Joyful. Love of Life (as the French say, Joie de Vive). Pure Genius. And what you see here is just the tip of the iceberg since my own taste gravitates towards the later work.

Going to this show made me smile from the inside out. I’m grinning as I write this.

That alone is a good enough reason to see this exhibit. With one more week to go (closes February 7th), the crowds are large. So plan your visit early or late in the day.

And don’t forget to smile for the camera.

My January Personal Challenge Collage

January 31, 2016 by Beverly

To mark the closing of my own personal challenge, here’s a collage summarizing this month’s accomplishments.

Doing my own version of the 30 Painting in 30 Days Challenge gave me an opportunity to focus on compositions I had been thinking about painting, but hesitating doing.

In December, I had no idea how to approach January. I only knew it would be flexible with the goal of hunkering down to paint, without worrying about the quantity of paintings or blog posts.

In the end, I painted 27 of the 30 days, opting for larger, more detailed works. There were actually 11 paintings within paintings, taking about 2 days each. Here’s a photo to help you get a better sense of the relative scale of each composition.

I first discovered vending machines (see my first vending painting) with their iconically packaged products during the September Challenge, and decided to run with it here.

Why these particular products, you may ask? I think it’s partially because they are semi-autobiographical and there’s an emotional attachment. My husband Jay worked at Pepsi, the parent company of the Frito Lay, which manufactures of all the chips products from Doritos to Cheetos. As you may know, I worked on Twix from M&M Mars.

You can read more about the process in previous posts (America’s Favorite Chips, America’s Favorite Candies, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups)

The rest of January was spent chasing pantry moths, going to the dentist (had a string of bad luck), and taking in special New York City events like tidying guru Marie Kondo’s talk at Japan Society introducing her new Spark Joy book (feeling another blog coming on).

In the past week, I took time off to visit the Art and Antiques Show at the Park Avenue Armory, the Picasso Sculpture show at MOMA (Marie would not be happy with all the photos I took!), and yesterday’s Michigan vs. Penn State basketball game at Madison Square Garden (Michigan won – Go Blue!).

I wasn’t sure how I was going to end this post, except to say there are more vending paintings in my future. Then this morning I discovered a surprising and totally unexpected blog post on my site, called Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: A Tribute, from my daughter, self-proclaimed Laura “Webmaster” Sloofman.

Laura wrote a very cute entry (read it twice already) with lots of photos showing how she and her friend Sarah spent Saturday night painting. The girls were inspired by my Reese’s painting, which they projected on a TV screen, a techie idea worthy of two researchers turned artists for the evening. They did a great job on their own paintings, which you can see here. (Maybe Laura and I have another career sponsoring paint nights?!$)

Reading Laura’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: A Tribute post definitely sparked joy, which Marie Kondo would heartily approve. What a fitting close to this January, 2016 challenge – and a fitting beginning to a creative year

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: A Tribute

January 31, 2016 by Laura

Hello Readers! Laura “Webmaster” Sloofman here. I’m popping in to honor our Artist in Residence, Beverly Shipko. Today, my friend Sarah and I had our first Still-Life Painting Night*. In need of a subject, we “drew” inspiration from Bev’s latest blog post and selected the composition Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Like our mentor, we painted our pictures using a 2-D image for inspiration. However, we worked from the television instead of a picture. Saturday Night [Painting] Live, if you will.

“Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup” by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, on TV.

Sarah used acrylics, so at this point she just started painting. I chose gouache. Or rather, gouache chose me because it was the only paint I had on-hand thanks to a birthday present from Grandma Dot. Gouache is fun to work with because it feels like a hybrid between watercolor and acrylic. It’s relatively easy to create precise lines and flow-y colors.

After finishing my sketch, I couldn’t wait to start painting. Thankfully, I heeded Ms. Shipko’s advice and filled in the Reese’s logo first. She was right on all counts. I had to fight the temptation to outline first, but it was easier this way in the end. Had I started with the outline, the dark gouache would have bled into the center.

Before we knew it, after a night of painting and cooking along with Chef Erik, we had our finished work!

Sarah (L) and Laura (R)

The paintings up close

All three Reese’s Artists

Chef Erik. (Sarah and I helped, though!)

Thanks Mom for encouraging us to take a bite out of life!

* Chef Erik participated in our night of creativity by woodworking and then doing some painting of his own

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup

January 30, 2016 by Beverly

I just had to rip open this package and paint America’s iconic #1 candy, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

“Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup” painting by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 8 x 10 inches

That’s what happens after looking at unopened vending machine candy for a few weeks.

This painting marks my return to wood panels after working on canvas for a while, quite a change. Canvas moves while wood is rock solid, requiring a lighter touch. Paint glides on wood since it’s smooth. It also glides off at the slightest touch, sometimes a scary thought as you’re close to finishing.

My initial concept using a double Reese’s package didn’t work at the photography stage. Neither did a single pack with a bite taken out of the chocolate. I ended up with a single Reese’s, in tact, coming out of the wrapper, similar to a small Reese’s painting from the 2015 Challenge, but different in feeling and proportion.

After taking many photos with various light sources, I made a composite of two photos, which you can see here. I know, I know, I could have done this in Photoshop (one day…). In fact, it was much easier to just whip out a pair of scissors and tape the two images together.

You would have thought I would have learned from experience. First, I forgot to velcro the wood panel to the masonite so it would sit solidly on the easel.

Second, I knew the logo process would be easier by starting in the middle of the logo with the yellow, and working outward. But no, I decided to start with the logo outline. Why? Bad idea.

It’s funny how something just gets stuck in your brain. When I re-read my old blog post which describes my history with Reese’s, I did the same thing last time. Maybe I just wanted to see quick results.

This was supposed to be a relatively quick painting and take 2+ days. However, on the second day I was eating breakfast and broke a tooth. So much for painting. I ended up at the dentist for several hours while he made a temporary crown (my second in a month, not good).

The next day, I painted the chocolate disk, a very strong shape. I struggled with the shadows, which were rather blue during the early stages (and cost me an extra day) but more dramatic. Maybe I miss the drama a bit in the final version. Do you?

I like the painting, but can’t help wondering what it would look like in a square format with a rip right through the logo… As a former brand manger, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Next time.

After working on this painting, I ordered a few long horizontal wood panels online in atypical shapes so I can try a row of vending candy bars on wood.

In the meantime, I sketched some single vending bars on canvas using a vertical format. Quite a change. To be continued…

A Storybook Ending: 45 Years At OK Harris

January 13, 2016 by Beverly

Last night I took time off from my personal challenge to go to a noteworthy book party in New York City. This impressive Save the Date announcement unexpectedly arrived a few weeks ago in the form of this special package.

Inside I found an amazing book, 45 Years At O.K. Harris, containing a history of the iconic SoHo gallery pedicured through a staggering compendium of art postcard announcements and exhibition lists from O.K. Harris Works of Art (1969 – 2014).

O.K. Harris, which showed my work for over a decade, was the first gallery to open in Soho and virtually the last. I blogged about this in O.K. Harris, the End of an Era.

Suzanne Kreps, manager and chief archivist at O.K. Harris since 1983 (among her many other talents), had the idea to put up the announcement cards by the closing date, April 19, 2014. The postcards went the length of this very large space, one city block long, from Wooster Street to West Broadway, that hosted 5 solo shows at any given time.

Photographs courtesy of John Halperin, “45 Years At OK Harris”, 2014

The book party celebration was a lively event at the Curator’s Gallery (23rd Street in Chelsea), packed full of O.K. Harris artists, the staff, and the Karp family, including Marilynn Karp, wife of Ivan Karp, founder extraordinaire who passed away in 2012. Also present were long time collectors, like Ann Moore, the retired Chairman and CEO of Time Inc., our hostess and now gallerist.

Everyone was connected to Ivan in some way – and therefore to each other – so conversation was lively (and loud!).

Jay and I spent some time with Rick Witter, here with a typical smile on his face. Rick deftly laid the chalkline to keep all those postcards straight – not an easy task but probably a piece of cake for him. Rick spent a big chunk of his life with Ivan at OK Harris deftly handling the back room and all installations. It was great to hear him reminisce about Ivan and the gallery.

Both the book and the party gave me the kind of closure I was looking for (but maybe didn’t know it). The closing of O.K. Harris, a true New York institution in the art world, left a gap in my artistic life. What I discovered last night was I’m in good company.

A huge thank you goes to Ron Weis, a longtime O.K. Harris artist, who had the idea for this elegant storybook properly honoring a legendary gallery in the art world. And Ron personally paid for the publication out of his own pocket, a generous offer by any standard.

With this precious momento in hand, it’s officially time for all of us to move on to happily ever after and truly make this a storybook ending.

Day 29. Mini Tootsie Roll with Bag

October 8, 2015 by Beverly

I seemed to be hooked on candy.

And just maybe Halloween is top-of-mind from the pumpkin decorations that Bonnie already put up.

“Mini Tootsie Roll with Bag” by Beverly Shipko, Oil painting on cradled wood panel, 5 x 7 inches

Whatever the reason, this was truly a rewarding but demanding painting that took a a few days. After working for several hours, I decided not to rush this since it had a lot of potential.

I wanted to revisit little Tootsie Rolls with it’s bag (that says Midgees on it, which doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue). Using a camera as my digital sketchbook, I took 25 photos with the bag before settling on this composition (reminding me of the dramatic angles in 19th century Japanese woodcuts).

It took a while to come to grips with the different scale between the bag and the Tootsie Rolls, and find a dynamic composition using this atypically shaped candy (rather static and awkward from this painter’s perspective).

Less was more in this painting. I settled on a single Tootsie Roll, eliminating both wrapped and unwrapped ones ion various stages of being consumed.

I went right to the sketch, skipping the toned underpainting, and started with the bag – not surprising since I like use the darks to establish the structure. The above photo shows where I was at the end of the first day of painting.

Thanks again to Ed Price, my Northwestern business school buddy, who first planted the seed of painting mini Tootsie Rolls, which weren’t on my radar.

I’m proud of the last two iconic candy paintings, the Day 28 Kit Kat followed by today’s Day 29 Mini-Tootsie Roll with Bag, which are drying together on my mantel. While both have a similar color palette, the approach for each is distinct. Do you have a favorite?

With Jay’s help, there will be a lot more open wrapper “research” around here as Halloween approaches. Photos of your own handiwork all always welcome.

I’m getting a sugar high just thinking about all this candy, so I need a break. Maybe it’s time to go back to painting something more healthy – and finish up Apples and Honey from Day 15, which in the sketch stage.

I’ll decide tomorrow. Until then.

Day 27. Macarons

October 1, 2015 by Beverly

This quiet pastel painting is quite a contrast to the bold, graphic paintings from Day 24 Salmon in Red, White and Black and Day 25 Classic 1959 Dodge, which is maybe what I needed.

“Macarons” by Beverly Shipko, Oil on cradled wood panel, 5 x 7 inches

Thank you, Betty Heller, for sending me the photo for Macarons after your trip to Belgium, which was taken at the inimitable DelRey shop in Antwerp. It’s a beautiful composition and I’ve been looking at it for about a year, but that’s all – looking…. until now.

Despite the fact that I had never painted a single macaron, I plunged ahead with this rather ambitious painting of 24 macaron (not macaroon, so Bonnie tells me). I hesitated before starting, but knew I was painting well (practice makes perfect). With the official Challenge ending soon, I knew it wouldn’t be the end of the world if this took 2 days – and it did. Besides, I’m already 3 days behind, so what’s another day. Here’s where I started and ended the first day.

After painting 10 macarons yesterday, today went a little easier. It’s funny how I started seeing these as mouths (especially the ones with the dark frosting). I just plodded along, experimenting with subtle differences in colors to try and capture soft tones, which is something different for me. Near the end, I started working on the light and shadows to bring life to the piece.

This is definitely a painting I wouldn’t have tried without the Challenge. And it took almost a month of intense painting before I felt confident enough to tackle it.

I took a risk and it paid off. Having said that, tomorrow I’ll be working on something a little less risky. I’ll try and get 2-3 more paintings in before making a collage of all my Challenge work, which I’ll post here.

The collage will be a great opportunities to look back with me at all that I accomplished in September. I hope you’ll join me.

Day 24. Salmon in Red, White & Black

September 27, 2015 by Beverly

Day 24 marked another first in the Challege: my first entrée ever, salmon.

The full title of this painting is Salmon in Red, White and Black, since the colors are such a big part of this piece. (I’ve got Whistler’s Mother on the brain, which he formally titled Arrangement in Grey and Black.)

“Salmon in Red, White and Black” by Beverly Shipko, Oil painting on cradled wood panel, 5 x 7 inches

This past February, I was having lunch with my college friend, Lynn Hilkene, who still lives in Ann Arbor and goes to all the Michigan football games. (One day I’m going to go with her!) We met for a long lunch at the Beverly Hills Grill in Southfield, MI, where we sat for hours chatting a mile a minute.

I remember this particular lunch because we talked about the Challenge, when resulted in my Top 10 Lessons Learned post. After taking our obligatory photos, we ordered our favorite foods. In my case, it’s the salmon.

When my meal came, I was struck by the strong graphic quality of the composition on the table before me – the squares of the plate and napkins softened by the the circles of the glass and dressing cup and saucer, and the dramatic contrast of darks and lights. I considered the side views through the camera LED screen, but they didn’t look as compelling to me.

This was an ambitious choice because it was an entrée, which included a glass with ice cubes and a submerged spoon, either of which could have been a subject on its own. Here I was trying try to limit myself to simple paintings, and then I do the exact opposite.

The evolution of Salmon in Red, White and Black is rather interesting and I’ll show you why. I started with a detailed drawing, put in the background and shadows, and used a red background more evocative of the mahogany table appearing black in the photo. My intention was to darken the red with a deep brown. At this point, I actually thought about turning this into a gresaille painting (all greys to imitate sculpture, except for the crimson). I’m still wondering how it would have looked in greytones. What do you think?

Then I went back with the original plan and started adding in color beginning with the lemons and salmon.

I didn’t finish this in one day (probably shouldn’t have taken that hour off yesterday), and here’s what greeted me this morning. For a few hours, I worked on the glass, cup and spoon, and brought the color intensity of the salmon and vegetables up to the level of the lemons (which is more evident in person). My last step was to add the highlights to the green beans and deepen the shadows.

I have to stop to get ready for a RiverArts fund-raising party where my Oreo Mandala print is being auctioned off today. This is probably a good thing since the painting looks fresh and lively.

While I am still several days behind schedule, I am very happy with my first entrée of plated food, potentially opening a new door for a series. As with many of my paintings this Challenge, they look better in person, and this one does too. So stop by and see for yourself.

Later today, I’ll be working on another painting inspired by a Michigan trip. Until tomorrow.