I'm Exhibiting the Art League of Daytona through December 3, 2016

"Shadowed Memories" watercolor on paper

A few weeks ago I submitted my work to a wonderful exhibit here on our Florida coast and I awaited Hurricane Matthew. Matthew was not kind and the exhibit did not open as scheduled.  But now everything is back on track!
My watercolor paintings, "Shadowed Memories" and "Treacherous Landing" are exhibiting at the Art League of Daytona in the Members Showcase exhibit. This exhibit will be on display until December 3, 2016. 
If you are in the Daytona Beach area please stop by and view my work along with the other immensely talented members of the Art League. And here's hoping we don't have to worry about a hurricane again for a very, very long time.
Art League of Daytona

"Treacherous Landing" watercolor on paper

Krys Pettit the Website

I like images and that is what I do for a living -- I make images using paint, pencil, paper, canvas. Tools that are tactile.  So creating a website is a bit daunting at times.  I can never decide how many images to put in there because, well, I think most of them really do tell the story of me.  Deciding on 15, 20, or even 50 images is very difficult.  The writing comes easier -- my words are not as creative as my artwork and it seems easier to tell my story with paints than with vowels and consanents.  It's the 80% part of time I need to spend on marketing.  In reality it is only a slim 20% of time I truly devote to creating my art.
If I am the working artist I strive to be and true to my craft, the image file continues to grow as my art grows and develops.  I need to switch out images, share fresh image on my site as well as my postings on Facebook, Instagram, Pininterest and Twitter to what I hope are interested followers.  There are the updates to the exhibits each year.  If I am lucky and blessed, I can add an award.
I've nurtured this web site for about a year now and recently updated it with some fresh work, showing my attempts at oil paintings.  I've listed my two most recent exhibits and also shared my art memberships and affiliations. And of course the most recent blog entry has a special place under "My Story."
The more I do this the more I realize that this web site is just like my art work in progress -- a constant evolution.  Just trying to keep it simple is as challenging as keeping the composition of my paintings simple. And taking the time to do it is tough even with the 80/20 standard -- which is it -- marketing or being creative (please, can it be both??).
Take a moment and visit my website and take a look at some of the most recent additions to this evolving part of my art business.  Thanks.
Krys Pettit Original Artwork

Bittersweet Autumn

"Pumpkins on a Hill" Andrew Wyeth

"Church at Old Lyme" Childe Hassam

"Church in Eastham" Edward Hopper

"Pumpkin Patch" Winslow Homer

"Pumpkin Head Self-Portrait" Jaime Wyeth

I love the season of Autumn and although I reside in Florida I spent many years in awe of the colors that enliven the landscapes north of the Sunshine State.  To me, Maine seems a state that that was created for colorful months between summer and winter.  I did a bit of research on some of my favorite Maine artists and their interpretations of Autumn.  It's a jewel of a season and it graces only certain locations in our magnificent country.  I wish I had more time to embrace Autumn and have but a few of my own paintings that celebrate the season, like the one below.  It passes so quickly and you have to grasp the beauty when it presents itself to you.

"Fall in Tioga County"
Krys Pettit
Oil on canvas panel 

Carl Sandburg, the poet, said it perfectly.
"I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.
The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.
The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts."

Joseph Mallord William Turner Knows Storms

The Storm, c.1840-45
Joseph Mallord William Turner

Joseph Mallord William Turner -- or JMW Turner (1775-1851) to keep it short -- was a remarkable British artist decades ahead of his time.  When many were painting perfect landscapes, portraits of family pet, prize race horses and heady aristocrats (with or without the horses),  Mr. Turner turned the art world upside down and painted gritty, emotional, full-blown impressionistic paintings, long before his time.
This past week the southeast coast had its fill of storms with Hurricane Matthew.  While I sat out the wind and rain in my secure home I wondered how I could ever convey the power of such a storm. Then I remembered Mr. Turner.  And I realized I shouldn't bother when it's been done to perfection.
If you want to learn more about Turner and why many impressionist artists like Claude Monet were influenced by his work, you can find more information at this website dedicated to his work:
The Complete Works of Joseph Mallord William Turner

Hurricane Matthew, Daytona and an Art Show

"Treacherous Landing" Watercolor on Paper

"Shadowed Memories" Watercolor on Paper

If you live in Florida, you always keep an eye out on the weather between the months of May and December.  That's a long time to keep looking over your shoulder for a potential hurricane to hit the peninsula.  It never was a big fear until 2004 when within the span of 6 weeks Central Florida was battered by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne.  We lived for 6 weeks with plywood and windows taped up, a little catacomb of sorts.  Waiting.  We were spared major damage during Charley and Frances with the worse happening during Jeanne when the power gave out for a week. And perhaps even eerier was listening to the rain and wind, the constant noise on the roof, the skylights and the windows.

Ironically, I was in an art exhibit back then in a St. Augustine art gallery.  And rain was so bad residents were able to paddle in canoes and kayaks down the streets of St. Augustine.  So the art exhibit, in a sense, was a wash.

This year we await Hurricane Matthew and I am again, in an art exhibit.  The paintings I have submitted are above (note the stormy seacoast -- thought it appropriate considering the current weather situation).  I am in a marvelous member show at the Art League of Daytona, a stellar art group founded in 1929 and located in the historic residential district of Daytona. The roster of members is impressive and I am honored to be a part of this exhibit.  As to whether it is a wash, it remains to be seen at this point.  I'll let you know next week if we got rained out or lost power. Creating art is a challenge and sometimes showing it is a bigger one.

You can visit the Art League of Daytona all year long rain or shine.  They have a number of excellent courses if you are looking to take on some artistic challenges. They also have a number of strong exhibits and art for sale.  Check out their site below (an bring an umbrella during hurricane season).

Art League of Daytona