Gina Warren Buzby - Professional Artist

2012

2012-01-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Some of my more recent works...

2010-11-23T16:17:00.000-08:00

This was a quick pen / ink and watercolor study of a part of Kensington Gardens in London. I completed this on location in May while visiting my friend Kathy who lived there.

Latest Watercolor

2010-11-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

I just finished this painting, in between finishing a commission. This is of our street when we were living in Newport, RI. The spot is Coasters Harbor Island on the Naval Station, Quarters H. Our yellow labrador is "sunning" in the front yard. This is painted from one of my own photos taken in autumn.

Fall 2010

2010-11-10T17:22:00.000-08:00

It has been a very busy fall so far. Lots of travel, navy related, art related and personal. I have been blessed to have been juried into the "Out and About in Norfolk" plein air event and it was lots of fun. One of my minatures was just juried into the "Small Works / Large Works" show at the Torpedo Factory (sponsored by The Art League) in Alexandria, VA. And, I will be showing / selling art during the "Great Artists of the 21st Century" student show in Arlington. This is a show of student's of Gwen Bragg, who teaches at The Art League. More on this show later.

My most exciting moment lately, was with my art students at Knollwood Retirement Community in DC. I teach art there once a week, on Wednesdays. We planned an art show that took place the last week of October. It was so much fun for everyone. We received some great support from the staff there and everyone (9 students) had at least 4 pieces of artwork in the show, some had 6. It was one of the most popular events of the year, according to many of the residents and staffers there. We had a "People's Choice Award" too! What great fun!

Italian Art

2010-11-10T16:43:00.000-08:00

-a very large 18 x 32 inch canvas. What fun! It is hanging in Riverview Gallery in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Our Christmas Letter

2009-12-21T19:51:00.001-08:00

Saturday, August 22nd

2009-08-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to be home on a Saturday. My first in quite a while. It was a lazy morning but I got a lot done during the rest of the day. I'm slowly finding little areas of the house where I want to organize things prior to the move. And I worked on one my paintings and am almost finished with "the big commission". But, I think I could spend hours on the computer and never get caught up. Thanks goodness for a thunder storm and time to stay inside to do so.

It's been a rather odd week. After returning from travels, I think I'd caught a bug of some sort and took about three days regaining my strength and energy. Then I had a few days of getting caught up with house stuff and art stuff. Then on Thursday I spent most of the day with a friend and her sister in the hospital as we waited for word on their father's medical condition. He'd been in the hospital for a week but even though he looked well was suffering from lung cancer. Unfortunately, things worsened overnight - the family was called in and he passed away Friday afternoon. He was a dear, sweet friend that I got to know through his daughter, my friend Patty. I had fun trying to make him laugh and smile while we played cards. He became a joy to be around and a sweet friend. I will miss him. I know his family will too.

And in the sense of "Art is long, Life is Brief" I've been painting. I am including here my latest two. One is "Autumn Inlet" - 18" x 31", oil on canvas and the other "Bella Umbria", 18" x 36", oil on canvas. I hope you like them.

San Diego Trip

2009-08-07T11:37:00.001-07:00

Buz and I are out in San Diego for a Surface Warfare Officer Flag Training Symposium (basically that means if you are a Surface Admiral - you need to be here) and there is a spouse agenda - so I was on travel orders to join him. I would like to say that the agendas for these conferences are so much better than they used to be. Here are some of the topics we covered in our past two days. (This is my third SWOFTS conference)..."Keeping our Bases Safe, Global Navy Perspective, The Military Coping with Stresses, Challenges Facing the Navy Child -- it was another great conference for Navy leadership"! For years now, the Navy has 1) respected the right of the spouse to "choose to contribute" and 2) ensure the current and most pertinent information is provided to spouses - especially Flag Officer Spouses who are in leadership roles.

I have attached a few photos - a shot of the newest Bachelor Enlisted Quarters in San Diego - called "Pacific Beacon" (we've come a long way - and if you want to see more photos go to my facebook page) and a shot of Buz and me at a dinner. Art-wise, I am taking lots of great photos for references and hoping for some more fun palm tree paintings when I return - Palm trees always make me happy (so, I am in the right place).

Fine Art America

2009-07-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

Hey guys and gals...this is a good website to try. www.fineartamerica.com - it's free to list there!

My unfinished art these days is like the Geico stack of money on the commercials...it just sits over on the easel staring a hole through me!

I am trying to get through several commissions that are overdue and I have two more on the horizon! The summer just is so busy. I am the "test rat" for a friend who's developing a "Photoshop Elements for Artists" class - we are on fourth class tomorrow and probably need to extend it to six. Plus, I'm teaching "Basic Perspective" tomorrow afternoon - it's our third of four sessions. Wednesday, I work at Riverview Gallery from 11- 5 and then Thursday I am taking Norma's Marketing class and we have "Life Drawing" at Olde Towne Art on Thursday evening. Whew! Then, Friday is filled with Navy stuff mostly. Wow, maybe I will get to paint on Saturday?

Chapel Hill, NC trip

2009-07-15T16:05:00.001-07:00

I am visiting this area with Buz while he is taking part in a Navy Leadership seminar at the Kenan-Flagler Business School (part of the University of North Carolina). As a former Clemson University employee and 1991 graduate, this is close to home - yet oh so far. My "Tigers" have "almost" triumphed over the UNC basketball teams so many times - but not yet. And still, it is an awesome campus and area. The "tarheels" have a lot of money and seem to be putting it to good use in the form of new construction and of course, their admissions numbers are as high as ever (most every college is up). I have felt that familiar tug between my former 13 year career as an admissions director and my original heart's desire to paint and create. I've talked to some former colleagues and I've met with some long-time SC friends who now live in the area. It's been fun. This area really is beautiful. I've taken some great photos that may turn out as paintings one day, who knows.

2009-07-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

This is one of my latest home portraits. It is of a home in the Sandbridge area of Virginia, near Virginia Beach. A friend commissioned it as a gift for another friend.

Finally blogging again!

2009-06-21T13:47:00.000-07:00

My artist/girlfriends, Morna and Laura, are so much better and diligent with their blogs! They are my inspiration! Life just seems to get in the way. Sometimes it's wonderful things like fun travel, time with my hubby, time with my puppy or my family. Other times it's things like household chores, social committments, military related functions, correspondence, emails, computer issues, etc. We could all probably form a list like this.

So, let me just take a moment to share what my May 2009 was like. It was filled with travel. I surprised my mother for Mother's Day by driving down to SC (with my lab in the back seat). It's about 6.5 hours from Norfolk. Some quality time with family was soon followed by a four day visit to one of my favorite places - Newport, RI. I still have some wonderfully sweet friends up there. Many of them are gals I met through a Bunco group and we've all remained in touch over the years. They took me out to dinner. (Thanks gals!). But, my main reason for being there was to work with the Command Spouse Leadership Course that the Navy sponsors at the naval station there. It is going strong and the only "fully-funded course for military spouses that equals college credit".

Soon after THAT trip, I got to visit with some friends in western PA. They live here in Norfolk but are from that area originally and have a beautiful section of a mountainside overlooking a river. The river is the Clarion River near Sigel, PA. I painted quite a few paintings there (one of which you'll see below - "River Swing" - at far bottom of blog page).

So, since then, I've been catching up on my "studio to-do list", taking a Photoshop class for artists, and general "Domestic Engineer" stuff. June is turning out to be a great month. I'm finishing up one commission, picking up two new ones and was approached yesterday at Olde Towne Art for a third. I also signed up a new student for my "Basic Perspective" course to be taught at Olde Towne Art. So, things are busy! But, I am blessed my activities are so art related and filled with many great experiences and good friends. Thanks for reading!

April

2009-04-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

It is Easter Sunday afternoon. "HE is risen indeed!" I have the basic elements in the house that signify springtime... The Masters is on TV, my dog is tired from my throwing the ball outside for her too long, my allergies are acting up so I have the tissues handy and Zyrtec is my new best friend. We said goodbye to good friends yesterday who visited for six days during their spring break. And I have been resting ever since. My plans are coming together for working on commissioned work this week and getting some headway made with those. I am going to post some of my most recent work here - hope you enjoy them!

This one to the upper left is still a bit "under construction" but should be finished soon. I am adding the shadow of another tree to balance out the composition and I am making the middle tree a bit larger. This was started during a "plein air" afternoon in Mathews, VA. The one below, left, is a piece I just finished from a photograph. This is near my husband's homeplace in Linwood, NJ. The scene in the distance is Atlantic City. There were about 25 heron in the far off bushes. I kept the scene simple and focused on the benches benches in the shadow and the afternoon light coming through the top of the tree.

2009-03-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Many of you will be checking this blog out and comparing it to the one I did last year, while living "abroad". Life isn't as interesting in Norfolk, Virginia as it was in "GB". But, it is busy. I am blessed with being able to focus on my artwork. As you read here on the main page, you will see I am affiliated with two galleries in Portsmouth, VA. I continue to receive commissions and am currently working on three...a large portrait of three children and two home portraits. But, this blog will serve in three ways: "venting for the frustrated artist", "information for local artist friends" and "showing off art". I will strive to keep the blogs brief and to post recent paintings for your enjoyment and consideration.
Thanks and take care!
Gina