Up & Coming Weekly

"Up & Coming Weekly", a news publication in Fayetteville, N.C., selected my Derby Duck painting as its cover shot this week.  I am so excited to see it in print, and hope it makes you smile as you see it, too.   And since the "Up and Coming Weekly" serves the Ft. Bragg community as well, I especially hope that it gives a smile to the soldiers and their families in that community.

Go to http://www.upandcomingweekly.com/ and view the February 1-7, 2012 issue to see the cover and learn more about Duck Derbys as well (see page 12 of the issue).   Duck Derbys are generally run to support a charitable cause, and the one in Fayetteville is no exception, as it helps raise funds for a number of non-profit agencies.

Warm Holiday Greetings from Florida! 

I think there is nothing like a picture perfect chapel, nestled in the wilds of Florida, to bring the spirit of Christmas to life.  Hope you enjoy this newest addition to my Christmas chapel series.

Mary's Chapel

by CB Woodling, c. 2011

This historic chapel at Spanish Point in Osprey, Florida, was built in memory of Mary Sherrill, a young girl who came to Florida to recuperate at Webb's Winter Resort in 1892.  The current reconstructed chapel incorporates the original style, stained glass windows and bell from the 19th century chapel.  The history of the chapel and story of Mary Sherrill is nicely told in an article from the Sarasota County History Center at http://www.sarasotahistoryalive.com/stories/journals-of-yesteryear/historic-mary-s-chapel/

Historic Spanish Point is open to the public, and if you are in the area, you should definitely stop in and see this step back in history.  There are not only restored buildings from the time of Webb's Winter Resort, but also archeological digs which reveal information from Native American history in the region.  It's also a nice place to picnic on the water on warm, sunny Florida days.

Find out more at http://www.historicspanishpoint.org or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Spanish_Point.

Come See What Touch Drawing is all about

Some of my Touch Drawings will be on display at an upcoming Community Touch Drawing Exhibit, being held at Expressive Arts Florida in the Towles Court Art District in Sarasota, Florida.  The exhibit will open with an opening reception on Friday evening , November 18th and continue through December 16th.  If you are in the area, I hope you will stop by and see what Expressive Arts and Touch Drawing are all about.  Information is on the card above and additional information is on the Expressive Arts website  www.expressiveartsflorida.com.

Teton Majesties

Majesties

by CB Woodling

To my mind, the mountains of the Teton Range in Jackson Hole, Wyoming are among the most majestic mountains in the world.  Add in free roaming herds of American Bison across the golden plains, and you are transported back in time, to the land of the Native Americans, the land of cowboys singing about "a home where the buffalo roam", and a land which inspired the great song, America the Beautiful with her "spacious skies ... amber waves of grain ... (and) purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain".  So I hope you enjoy my newest painting of the American West. 

Dragonfly Art

Dragonflies are such magical creatures....irridescent and bright, yet you often don't see them unless you sit and watch quietly in their realm.  They are also symbols of rebirth, transformation, and renewal as they grow from colorless and flightless water bugs/nymphs into their bejeweled wings. 

Dragonfly by CB Woodling, 2011

 Nature Realm Dragonfly by CB Woodling, 2011

I recently heard a children's story, "Waterbugs and Dragonflies" by Doris Stickney which touched my heart ... if you are interested you can read the story at http://belovedhearts.com/stories/Doris-WaterbugsandDragonflies-632617144169637500.aspx

Wolf Creek Trading Co., Copley, Ohio

Washington County Barn by CB Woodling

Greetings from Beautiful Ohio.  A group of my original paintings  and prints are now available for purchase at a wonderful new find, Wolf Creek Trading Co. in Copley, Ohio.  They opened in November of last year  as "a unique consortium of like minded folks that want to share their hand-crafted quality artwork and cool finds with the public".   I am delighted to have my art on display  in their historic carriage house gallery building.  Examples of art on display are attached.   If you are in the area, you should definitely drop by and see all the unique, handcrafted items.  For directions and other information, visit them on their own blog at http://wolfcreektradingco.blogspot.com/

First Snow by CB Woodling

Toledo Harbor Lighthouse by CB Woodling

Shady Hollow Poppies by CB Woodling

Happy New Year

Happy 2011.  While I don't have any new paintings to post on my blog, I do have news about my art.

Thanks to a wonderful Salvation Army Benefit Art Tea, featuring 45 of my paintings and over a 100 prints, I was able to raise over $3,000 for the Salvation Army in late November.  I can't think of a better way for my art to "serve" others, especially during these times when we have so many more homeless families needing assistance. 

The tea was a great success and even got some press in the Sarasota Herald Tribune http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20101124/ARTICLE/11241023
as well as the Siesta Key Pelican Press  http://www.pelicanpressonline.com/afterhours/112620409.html

One of my paintings was also recently selected for inclusion in the AGC 2011 desk calendar "52 Weeks, 52 Works" highlighting work of local Ohio artists.  My painting of the Cleveland Harbor Lighthouse is featured on page 116 for the week of Dec 4-10 2011. You can see the AGC calendar at http://visitagc.com/prophp/Main.php?MagID=3&MagNo=11

Of additional interest, that specific Cleveland Harbor Lighthouse was also featured in national and international news recently as it was covered with ice during high winds this winter.  See the article and picture of the ice encrusted lighthouse at  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339132/Lighthouse-transformed-fairy-castle-encased-sparkling-ice.html

I hope you have a wonderful 2011, and may you see the beauty in your surroundings.  Cindy

Florida Scenes

Last Train to Paradise

by CB Woodling, c 2010

The painting above was inspired by a fascinating book Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean by Les Standiford (2002).  The title speaks for itself, but the story of the railroad which opened Florida to tourism and linked the mainland to the Florida Keys is one of extraordinary vision, engineering marvels and the persistence of mankind in the face of the unforeseen, unpredictable, and unprecedented forces of nature.  Nature, in this case, arrived in terrible and awesome power in the form of the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, arguably the most intense and strongest hurricane to hit the United States.  My painting depicts the triumph of mankind with the vision of the train traversing endless water, but the tinge of "red sky at morning" hints at nature's wrath to come.

Suwanee River Delta

be CB Woodling, c 2010

As the coastlands of the southern river marshes merge with the shore, the land smooths out from prickly tropical vegetation into a seemingly never ending expanse of grasslands, spreading to the horizon.  The sky, too, seems endless, almost becoming one with the land and rivers as they both meander slowly to the sea.  What a stark landscape at first view, but teeming with lifegiving waters, nourishing both land and sea.

Art and Healing

Three more examples of paintings created from "touch drawings" as part of my "Art and Healing" certificate work at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.

Serene Forest by CB Woodling, c. 2010

For me, "Touch Drawing" allows you to explore and bring out images that represent your inner being, even if you are not totally aware of them.  The painting above started out on a day in which back pain was an underlying nag at my being...but I hadn't focused on the pain until I created this painting, which initially  resembled a spinal column with "hot" red spots of pain.  I recall doing the painting in almost a massage kind of movement, with both hands almost rubbing away the pain in that spinal column.  I took that image of hot, searing pain, however, and explored it further to find something cooler and more serene, and found a herd of elk wandering in the "Serene Forest" by a frozen lake on a cool winter day.  What a cool relief!

GROWTH by CB Woodling, c. 2010

This touch drawing above has become a core symbol to me.  It is a reminder to take the every day pressures which seem to be dragging you down to your very roots, and use them in a very positive way.  Instead of letting the pressure push you into reaction or anger, use it to stimulate ideas of new and beautiful things, pushing you up into the light, bursting forth into a unique, strong tree with new growth.  

Birds and Fishes by CB Woodling, c. 2010

I live in a sub-tropical environment and still marvel at the bright colors in tropical foliage and life.  This touch drawing starting without any color, just black and white shapes on tissue.  But even then, the presence of birds of paradise flowers and colorful fish were calling to me. 

Summer Nights in Ohio

Summer nights in Ohio...

Hot days simmer down to a cool evening breeze,

Lightning bugs flicker under deep shadowed trees,

As the sounds of a band striking up evoke yesterday memories. 

This Victorian inspired Gazebo sits in the middle of Medina, Ohio's Uptown Square. Though the current Gazebo is relatively new, having been built in 1972, band concerts in the square have been held in Medina since the mid-1800s. Today, summer band concerts at the "new" Gazebo continue the Medina tradition of families gathering to enjoy music in the summer twilight. 

"Medina Gazebo" by CB Woodling, c 2010

Rubber Town Rubber Duck Derby

Akron, Ohio was one of the waystops on the old "Ohio and Erie Canal", which ceased operation about a century ago.  Lucky for us, the towpath of the old canal has been reclaimed over the past decade to become a wonderful bike/hike trail running through most of Ohio.  Akron's Mustill Store was one of the stops on the canal and just celebrated the tenth anniversary of its renovation and re-opening as a historic site by sponsoring an art festival and rubber duck derby.  How appropriate for the "Rubber Town" to have a "Rubber Duck Derby".  :) 

I had a booth at Akron's Cascade Locks Canal Day Art Festival and Duck Derby, my first adventure into outdoor festival tents!  I count it a great success because 1) the tent stayed up 2) we were able to hang the paintings so they stayed up securely and 3) my husband and I were still speaking at the end of the day!  And the bonus:   I sold some of my art!  Local pictures seemed to be the key to sales, and my best sellers were four "Duck Derby Series" paintings I completed just for this event.  So here they are...The Derby Ducks!

"Yankee Doodle Ducky" by CB Woodling, c 2010

"Win and Place" by CB Woodling, c.2010

"Show" by CB Woodling, c 2010

"Derby Duck" by CB Woodling, c. 2010

And here's a photo of my booth at the art festival.  Cheers!  Cindy

North Coast Lighthouses

Here are a few of my most recent paintings... of the lighthouses of the "North Coast".  Lighthouses remind me of the very real hazards and dangerous waters of life, but hold out the hope of beacons of light when we need them to guide us to safe passage.  May your life journeys be safe and full of light.

"Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse" 

by CB Woodling, c. 2010

"Lorain Breakwater West Lighthouse"

by CB Woodling, c. 2010

"Toledo Harbor Lighthouse"

by CB Woodling, c. 2010

Ohio's Bicentennial Barns

The Ohio farmland is so beautiful, no matter what the season. I especially love the pristine (and sometimes, even the not so pristine) barns dotting the countryside.  During Ohio's bicentennial celebration as a State in 2003, each county in Ohio had one of their barns painted with the Ohio Bicentennial Logo. These are so unique, and give me a smile every time I pass one on the road... I hope they give you a smile and that you enjoy my Ohio Bicentennial Barn Series!

This first barn is in my home county, Summit County, Ohio.  I depicted it on a clear winter day when the air is so clear, you can feel it filling your lungs as you breathe in the fresh crispness.

"Summit County Barn" by CB Woodling, c. 2010

This second barn is seen on our road trip from Ohio to the East Coast, just west of the Pennsylvania border.  I pictured it on one of those spring days when the sky is overcast, but somehow the green, green foliage in Ohio just gets ever so much more lush and beautiful with every rainy day.

"Trumbull County Barn" by CB Woodling, c. 2010

The third barn, below, is inspired by a barn we pass when traveling north from West Virginia, across the Ohio River, and into southern Ohio.  It always serves as a welcome each spring when we return north to visit family, and also as brilliant fall farewell as we travel south to warmer climates in the fall.

"Noble County Barn" by CB Woodling, c. 2010

This last barn is also in Southern Ohio.  I was inspired to paint it with the bright yellow late summer crops.  The full corn crib reminded me of the unique joy of biting into fresh buttered ears of corn, just pulled from the fields and roasted to a juicy delight of sweet saltiness bursting in your mouth.  Yum! 

"Washington County Barn" by CB Woodling, c 2010

Touch Drawing

I have started a continuing studies program in "Art and Healing" at Ringling College of Art and Design...what a perfect way to combine my nursing knowledge with my artistic creativity!

The first class I took was called "Touch Drawing".  The class teaches you to let go of the left brain, logical side and get in touch with your right brain, creative side and almost enter a subconscious level as you paint. 

"Touch Drawing is a simple yet profound process. In the technique, a smooth surface is covered with a layer of paint.  A sheet of paper is placed over the paint.  Wherever the paper is touched, an imprint is made on the back side.  Impulses from within take form on paper through the touch of the fingertips" (Deborah Koff-Chapin in her book, "Drawing Out Your Soul")  See http://www.touchdrawing.com/ for an actual touch drawing demonstration, if you want to learn more about the technique.

I made 23 Touch Drawings during the first day of class...I then completed two of them by adding paint and more color. Those two are below.

"The Journey Begins" by CB Woodling, c 2009

I am:  the start of a joyous journey; not the only path, but one of many; exhilarated to begin the journey; full of color and a rainbow of possibilities; uplifted and ageless as the mountain; solid as the tree. 
I will travel through nature, over rocky terrain, and touch the glory of my very own soul.

"Peace Rising From Chaos"  by CB Woodling, c 2009

 I am:  a dove in the sky, peace, rising from chaos, light, hope, free. 
The universe began in chaos and the people of the Earth still live in chaos, but peace will rise from the very darkness and give light to all.

As you can see, these are VERY different from my usual left brained more meticulous landscapes.  I hope you find them interesting.  Cindy

Waterfalls

Waterfalls always seem miraculous ... there is power in the water as it carves the land, but also great peace and timelessness. So here are two more of my paintings... the first is my most recent (and still drying in my work room), and the second is one of my earlier paintings, completed while I was still in nursing school, some thirty years ago. Waterfalls still fascinate and inspire me all these years later.

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"Niagara Sunset" by CB Woodling, c 2009

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"Waterfall Watcher" by CB Woodling, c 1977

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Meeting of Two Washingtons

Join the Army and see the world! We were fortunate enough to be stationed in many lovely places as we served in the Army. Two of our favorites were Washington State with its monumental mountains and Washington D.C. with its memorable monuments. Thus, the inspiration for these two paintings, both of Washington.

My office at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington gave a gorgeous view of Mount Rainier to the east. Whenever my day started with the wonderful view of sunrise over the mountain, I was able to center on the joy of creation and better face the challenges of the day. As I painted, I pictured how wonderful it would be to face that view every morning across the waters of Puget Sound. Morning coffee on the dock? Hope it gives you that same joy.

"Sunrise Over Rainier" by CB Woodling, c. 2009

We were stationed in the Washington, D.C. area several times in our Army careers and the painting below celebrates the wonderful monuments, especially the Lincoln Memorial, which is impressive by day, and lovely by night. This is a sunset view... a magical time in D.C., when all the monuments come aglow with inner light.

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"View on the Potomac" by CB Woodling, c. 2009

Of Abstracts and DNA

What a wondrous time we live in, as scientists unravel the secrets of DNA, and help us in fighting disease using our own DNA. But science is not always used in beneficial ways... I recall the movie Gattaca, which showed the darker side of being able to control our own DNA.

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This painting is both a tribute to and a cautionary note about "unlocking the genome"... in a very abstract way. I hope you find it interesting.

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"Unlocking the Genome"

by CB Woodling, c. 2009

Ballroom Dancers

Ballroom dancing is hotter than ever, with all the dance shows now airing on TV. My husband and I are among an increasing number of couples who are taking up ballroom dancing as both a nice way to spend an evening together and a way to get some enjoyable exercise. So, though I really prefer to paint landscapes, I have done several paintings of dancers.


This group of paintings are from my Dance Series completed in 2007. The first three are inspired directly by paintings of Jack Vettriano and may look familiar.

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"Dancers on the Beach 1" by CB Woodling, c. 2007

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"Dancers on the Beach 2" by CB Woodling, c 2007

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"Dancers on the Beach 3" by CB Woodling, c. 2007

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The following two paintings were inspired by photos of actual ballroom dancers. The elegant body lines and dramatic costumes really captured my interest.

"Dancers 1" by CB Woodling, c. 2007

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"Dancers 2" by CB Woodling, c. 2007

I hope you enjoyed these and remember some fun times you may have had on the dance floor, even if you've only done ballroom dancing in your dreams.

City Bridges

These two paintings are inspired by the symmetry of bridges and the beauty of city scapes. I hope you enjoy.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the confluence of three rivers, is known as the city of bridges. It's also known for the spectacular skyline that appears, almost magically, as you drive in to the city through either winding mountains or tunnels. When you actually see the city as you exit the tunnel (or wind around the last mountain), the city immediately surrounds you and it's really unexpected and breathtaking.
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"West End Bridge, Pittsburgh", by CB Woodling, c. 2009

The bridge below is inspired by an old black and white photo of a bridge, but it reminded me of the many bridges along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As you can see, I envisioned lots of color in the old black and white version of this bridge, as a sculler rows towards the sunset.

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"Sunset Over the Schuylkill" by CB Woodling, c. 2009

Great Lakes Vistas

Lake Michigan, St. Joseph Pier Lights

by CB Woodling, c. 2008

The above water scene is not so very different from the Siesta Beach Lifeguard Stand Series I did a few years earlier (see my first blogs for views of Siesta Beach). I find the contrast of the forces of nature and the man made buildings to be particularly compelling. Man adapting to and fortifying against the seas and oncoming storms by providing shelter and light as in the above painting... or man setting up guard posts and shelters for fellow swimmers as in the Siesta Beach Series.

Similarly, I find farm scenes equally fascinating ... man partnering with machines and animals to share in the bounty of the earth. I hope these landscapes portray both the beauty of nature, even in storm swept skies, and the relationship that man has with the environment.

What a gift we have in the world that surrounds us!

Greenfield Farms Cooperative, Ohio

by CB Woodling, c. 2008

Covered Bridges

"First Snow"

from the Everett Road Covered Bridge Series

by CB Woodling, c. 2009

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"Fall is in the Air"

from the Everett Road Covered Bridge Series

by CB Woodling, c. 2007

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I love the symmetry, beauty, and nostalgia of covered bridges. Though originally created as "covered" to help preserve them from the weather, many of our covered bridges are now gone. This one is on Everett Road in Bath, Ohio and is now under the protection of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, so I have hopes it will survive many more years.

Below are more paintings of the bridge in Spring and Summer. Ahhh...Beautiful OHIO!

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"Sweet Spring"

from the Everett Road Covered Bridge Series

by CB Woodling, c. 2007

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"Summer Sunshine"

from the Everett Road Covered Bridge Series

by CB Woodling, c. 2007

Winter Scenes

Since it's turning to summer quickly in Florida (whew, 96 degrees on our road trip last week!) and even Ohio has been warm (in the 80s in May!), I thought it might be nice to view some cooler weather pictures. So here are several winter and Christmas scenes. Think cool!

“Tropical Christmas Eve”

Original Art by CB Woodling , c. 2007

The painting above is inspired by the historic LaGrange Church on the east coast of Florida, It was built in 1869 and is one of the oldest churches on the east coast of Florida. I loved the stained glass in the church and added in the tropical palms and heron to depict the Florida locale.

The painting below is inspired by the 19th century chapel at Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio. It sits in a lovely valley of restored 19th century buildings, overlooking a placid pond.

"Cuyahoga Valley Christmas"

by CB Woodling, c. 2008

The painting below was part of a study for art class and is of an imaginary place. It depicts an early snow, with some of the fall leaves still on the trees. Hope these wintery scenes help you cool down in the summer heat.

"Winter Scene"

by CB Woodling, c 2009