"CHRISTIAN BAKER FARM RED BARN" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 11-2-2013

Thank you to Larry and Tammi Knorr for inviting us to paint at their Awesome Historic property on Saturday!  The paint out was well attended and the day was cool but still great weather for November.  This barn was the subject for many artists and I took up the challenge! It was cloudy and the sun was in & out.  I chose to paint the view when the sun was fully out.  I got several photos of their sheep in the pasture and hope to use them for a future studio painting.  As the afternoon got cloudier and much cooler I was the last one to leave and finished the painting at home in my studio where it was warmer.  Thank you again Knorrs for a wonderful day!

COAST GUARD BEACH, EASTHAM, CAPE COD" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-13-2013

Several of SVPAP members and Seven Lively Artists members spent last week painting in Cape Cod.  I completed 6 paintings and this painting was done on my last day of painting.  The Coast Guard beach is wide and beautiful, but very difficult to get two rolling carts down to the beach.  So I sat on the wide steps over looking this walk way to the beach.  I loved the way the waves were coming in between the dunes and the plants that framed the beach and water.

"WINDMILL ON A WINDY DAY" (CAPE COD) AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-13-2013

Day 6 plein air painting in Cape Cod.  It was very windy that day and I took shelter tucked  in front of a bank of  Catamarans.  This windmill must have been decorative because it was not turning in the wind.  The water was very choppy and the sky changed so many times, I chose to paint it when it was not as dark.  By the time I was finished there must have been 20 seagulls on the little island but I decided that three were plenty. 

"HAZY DAY AT WELLFLEET HARBOR"(CAPE COD) AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-13-2013

Day 4 in the afternoon in Cape Cod.  This was a small painting 6x6 on Pastel board.  It was very hazy that day and difficult to see very far in the distance.  But it did give a very atmospheric feeling to my painting.  It was even difficult to tell what color the cottages were so I went with what I felt would work.

"FORT HILL TWO" (EASTHAM, CAPE COD) AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-13-2013

Day 4 plein air painting in Cape Cod.  This is my second year painting at this sight.  Last year my painting included a grove of trees on the right.  I loved this view because of the linier view of the marsh and the golden rod on the hillside.  It is a beautiful location. While we were there a gentleman in full Scottish attire, kilt and all played Amazing Grace on the bagpipes.  It was 9/11 that day and a touching reminder of that tragic day.

"CHATHAM LIGHT HOUSE, CAPE COD" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-13-2013

Day 3 in Cape Cod.  Painting the Light House was challenging with the roof angles of the house.  We didn't think we would be able to stay to paint because the parking signs indicated we could only park for one half hour. So, I parked and sat behind my car and painted across the street from the Light House.  No one ever asked me to move, and several people came by to observe and chat.  Only once did I have a problem when a tour bus pulled in front of me and stayed there for a half an hour.  I just had to paint by memory at that point.  It was a beautiful sunny day and great for light and shadows.

"SWAN POND RIVER JETTY" (CAPE COD) AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-13-2013

This was my first day of painting in Cape Cod.  I loved this view but I had to be elevated slightly to see the marsh grass and water winding through it. It just so happened that the restaurant nearby was opening their deck for lunch.  So I asked if we ( Johanna and I ) had lunch could we paint on their deck and they said yes.  We had a lovely time painting, eating a great lunch and sipping on a glass of wine.  We were really roughing it!  I almost sold this painting.  A women and her daughter were admiring my painting and reminiscing about when they went to that beach.  She asked how much and I gave her a price and she was willing to buy it right then,  but I said it was not finished yet. (The perfectionist in me) So I gave her my card and got her name and phone number.  When I called her the next day to tell her it was finished and I could meet her at the restaurant I never heard back from her. I learned a valuable lesson.  Sell it on the spot whether I feel it is finished or not. She liked it the way it was and I should have signed it and sold it.

"ITALIAN LAKE IN SUMMER" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 8-30-2013

On Friday August 30, several of us gathered at Italian Lake for a paint out.
I was so happy to go there again as I had started a painting there last Summer and was never able to go back to finish it.  It was a warm hazy day in the beginning but then the sun came fully out and the temp hit 90. It gave me some nice shadows but it got quite hot as I was not in the shade.  Finally, after one year this painting is complete with some refining at home in my air conditioned sun porch. 

"WEST FAIRVIEW BOAT LAUNCH" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 7-30-2013

Last week on Wednesday a group of us painted at the West Fairview Boat launch and it was a lovely day!  There were views of the distant city scape of Harrisburg. Also beautiful views of the Susquehanna River as it wound around the banks and back to the distant hills.  I especially loved the right bank as it jutted out with the beautiful Loosestrife against the backdrop of the green trees. I had never painted there before but I definitely would go back again. 

"STEPS OF HISTORIC SHIPOKE" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 6-29-2013

When I was employed by Premier Eye Care most of the time I worked at the office on North Front Street. Occasionally I would work at the office in Shipoke. Now that I am retired, what I remembered  most about that quaint area was that in the summer some of the residents would have pots of flowers lining their front steps.  I would always admire the view as I drove along Race St. to the office.  This house jumped out as I walked around deciding where to paint. The grouping of the pots and the colors were so vibrant! The owner and her neighbor were so gracious.  It was a pleasure to meet them both.  Thank you to Premier for allowing us to park in their lot as parking is difficult in Shipoke.  Thank you for all who attended the paint out.  I think we had some lovely paintings from that day.

"DEEP PURPLE" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 5-22-2013

This painting was from the Quick Draw competition at the Camp Hill Plein Air Festival.  It was in need of some refining that I have been putting off for some time.  Two hours was just not enough time for me and I felt it was a bit lacking.  I added some shadows being that there were none that day.  I will be putting this painting in the exhibit at the Mechanicsburg Art Center on July 12.

"JUNE'S DELIGHT" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 5-22-2013

This was my second painting for the Camp Hill Plein Air Festival.  The lady who was the owner of the house was so sweet.  Her first name was June and she was delighted that I wanted to paint her front garden.  Her neighbor Sandy was a master gardener and had planned, planted and maintains her gardens.  They were both so gracious and accommodating.  It took me all day Thursday and Friday morning  to complete.  The weather was sunny and beautiful on Thursday and Friday.  On Friday I showed the finished painting to June and she loved it.  Friday afternoon  I got a call and June wanted to purchase my painting.  So I called the gallery and they were to put a sold sticker on it which ended up to be little red circle on the back of the painting. At the awards ceremony Friday evening the last award was the "Purchase Award" and to my surprise I won!  But, I had already sold the painting. What to do!  I found out that the benefactor who gives that award did not know that it was sold and once they did they decided to give me the award anyway because they loved the painting.

"PINK PROFUSION" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 5-22-2013

This was my first year to participate in the Camp Hill Plein Air Festival.
It was an exhilarating and exhausting experience!  This was my first painting that I did in Cecelia Lydens neighbors yard.  Her yard was just bursting with Springs blossoms! So hard to choose where to paint.  There were so many beautiful flowers.  I got a late start and completed the painting the next day when the weather was off and on drizzle.  But I remembered the sunshine from the day before. 

"FULLER LAKE IN AUTUMN" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 10-6-2012

It was great to see everyone on Saturday for the annual picnic/paint out/meeting at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. There were a few sprinkles of rain but not enough to prevent us from painting.  I was not able to complete this on sight so I finished it in my studio at home.  The morning was a little grey but I punched up the colours to make it brighter.  The scuba divers were such an unexpected entertainment.  We would occasionally see bubbles and once saw 2 divers about 4 ft down. I had no idea that the lake was 125ft deep so for the most part we didn't see them once they submerged.  There were about 40 divers and they said they would be under the water for about 1 hr.  Quite an interesting day. The food and fellowship at the picnic was great!

"FLOWER MERCHANT" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-29-12

I  plein air painted at the Harvest of the Arts festival in Carlisle yesterday and it was bustling with people, music and activity.  So much so that it was a little overwhelming to choose a subject matter to paint.  So I focused in on a flower vendor in the market square with a barrel full of dried hydrangeas which are one of my favourite flowers. I kept it small and chose a 5 x 7 pastel board.  The weather turned out to be perfect for painting.

"COME RIDE WITH ME" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-21-2012

This was my first painting in Cape Cod. It was on the Herring River in Harwich, MA. I sat on a bridge over looking the marsh to get the best vantage point of the water through the marsh. The little red boat was just inviting me for a ride.  I loved the way the river snaked through the marsh and the way the sunlight shone on the grasses.   

"LAYERS OF BLUE" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-21-2012

Day two of painting.  The location was Fort Hill, Eastham, Cape Cod, MA.

The view from the top of the hill was stunning! It reminded me of the sand paintings that were popular years ago. You would pour different colored sand into a glass container and create patterns and layers of color to create a scene.

"NAUSET LIGHT HOUSE" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-21-2012

Day 3 of painting. The location was Eastham, Cape Cod, MA.  I was only able to complete half of this painting on location.  The angles of the house were quite challenging.  I completed it in my studio at home.  There were so many light houses in Cape Cod but the Nauset Light House was definitely one of the most striking.

"SUNSET AT WELLFLEET HARBOR" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-21-2012

Day 4 of painting in Cape Cod.  I started this painting around 4pm not really intending it to be a sunset painting.  But as the sun got lower in the sky the peach hues were so beautiful that it evolved into a sunset painting.  It was just perfect timing when the little sail boat came floating along!

"TUCKED AWAY" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-21-2012

The location was Nauset Beach, Orleans, Cape Cod, MA.  This was our last day to paint.  I chose a 5x7 pastel board since I knew our time was limited.  I sat in a gazebo that overlooked the grassy dunes.  The houses were "Tucked away" into the hillside and I could just see a bit of the ocean peak over the edge of the dunes.

"SEA OF SUNSHINE" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 8-23-2012

What a Glorious day.  It started out very foggy but as it lifted, what a sea of sunshine.  Windmill Creek Farm is one of my favorite places to paint.  Thank you Eric and Nancy Olson for inviting us.  What a wonderful day.

"PEACEFUL RETREAT" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 8-9-2012

I went on a paint out with a new potential member Ginger on August 9 to Liberty Forge. We quietly sat on their patio overlooking the golf course and  were hoping not to get hit by a golf ball.  It was not too busy that day and not to many golfers. It was very peaceful and serene and a lovely day to paint.

"HOUSE FOR RENT" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 8-5-2012

I was invited to Cross Creek Farm on August 4-5 for their 10th Anniversary celebration as their plein air painter and also as a vendor.  I had painted at their display at the York Garden Expo in the Spring and they remembered me.  They were voted the peoples choice award for Best Display 6 years in a row.  They have a unique barn/greenhouse and specialise in unusual container gardens and garden ornaments, antiques and many more primitive crafted items.  I painted in their front garden.  The weather was challenging with off and on rain, but a fun weekend.  I chatted with a lot of nice people and it was a good experience.  Thank you Carolyn Rupp for inviting me.

"THE SPRINKLE TREE" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 7-25-12

This painting was at Children's Lake at Boiling Springs July 25.  Weeping Willows have always been one of my favorite trees.  When my daughter Mindy was little she called them Sprinkle Trees.  What a great visual for how the branches and leaves sprinkle down off the tree.

"BEECHSPRING FARM GARDEN" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 6-28-12

We were at Beech Spring farm on June 28. There were so many choices of beautiful locations to paint.  The front garden was so abundant with flowers.  I particularly loved the Russian sage and little green house.  The paint out was well attended and just a perfect day to paint.

"SPRINGTIME AT ITALIAN LAKE" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 4-23-12

We had a great turnout today at Italian Lake.  Seven artists from SVPAP came. The weather conditions were not ideal but the colors were SPECTACULAR! I can see why this sight is chosen for wedding photos in the spring.

"SPRING PLANTING" AN ORIGINAL PASTEL PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 3-3-2012

This was my first time painting at the York Garden Expo.  There were so many beautiful settings to choose from.  However it was difficult to find a spot that was not in the display or in the way of passerbys.  I was able to nestle into a spot that worked out perfectly and loved the colors of the watering cans and flowers.  It was enjoyable talking to people and sharing stories as I painted.

"UNDER THE LAMP POST" AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR BY CLARE KLAUM 10-2011

I had the opportunity to go to Penn State with my husband recently for a conference.  I have a friend, Saundra from the Johnstown area who is an artist and also attends these conferences with her husband.
We always try to get together and for a few hours to plein air paint.  We went to the Old main campus and found a great spot.  There were several groups of touring students for next fall semester so the campus was much more lively than we had anticipated.  We even had some very friendly squirells come to check us out.  It was great fun!

"GARDEN GATE" AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR BY CLARE KLAUM 10-20-2011

For my 2nd painting that day I was going to go the the lake and paint the trees reflecting in the lake.
But some of the artists were experiencing their canvas blowing off of their easle. So I decided to find a more sheltered location.  I was captured by the open garden gate, the flowers and the view beyound.
It was much less windy and a very serene setting.

"AUTUMN LANE" (BLUE HOUND FARM) 10-20-2011

The day we painted at Blue Hound farm was beautiful, but very windy.  The sun was bright and gave some great shadow and light effects.  Fall is so fleeting, especially with the snow storm we had that brought down half of a beautiful red maple in our yard that had just started to turn deep red.  So I am glad I had a chance to capture the beauty of the fall foilage.

"UNDER THE PERGOLA" AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR PAINTING BY CLARE KLAUM 9-19-2011

The day we went to Felecita there were so many beautiful areas to paint, but when I walked under this pergola and saw the pink flowers spilling onto the walkway and saw the vista of the distant hills as I turned around I knew this is the scene I wanted to capture."Under the Pergola" (Felecita)"Under the Pergola" (Felecita)

"SUNFLOWER FIELDS" AN ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR BY CLARE KLAUM 8/30/2011

My very first post!!

It was an incredibly beautiful day when we painted at Willowmill Creek.  I have never been to Tuscany, but seeing  the 4 acres of sunflowers gave me a glimpse of what it must be like. That was also the day of the earthquake.  What an incredibly "moving" day!  I hope some day to go back there.  So many more things to paint.