Third Place RAM 4th Annual Paint Out "Quick Draw"!

Saturday, February 28th, I participated in the 4th Annual Quick Draw, affiliated with the Riverside Art Museum and PAAR (Plein Air Artists of Riverside). My painting, "RAM from Fire Station #1", a 10"h by 8"w oil won THIRD place in the judging!
In honor of the 80th year anniversary of the beautiful Julia Morgan building, 30 artists took part in the "quick draw". Each artist was to all paint the Riverside Art Museum from our chosen vantage point. We began at 9am, and quit promptly at 11:30am. This is a somewhat stressful scenario, to say the least! This painting, and the other artists' renditions will be displayed at the Riverside Art Museum through April 18, with an opening artists' reception on Thursday, March 5th. I will be there! I hope you can make it also!

Rita Pacheco-Solo Opening and Exhibit at Arrivederci Roma Restaurant through March 18, 2009

This is a "one woman show"! I hope you can make it! This painting of a Historic Heritage Home in Riverside and many other original paintings will be exhibited in Lake Elsinore, at the Arrivederci Roma Restaurant located on Riverside Drive. The address is 31731 Riverside Drive, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530. Their phone number is: 951-245-7490 Here's a review I found on the restaurant:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g32595-d644700-Reviews-Arrivederci_Roma-Lake_Elsinore_California.html
The Arrivederci Roma will be serving wine at a discount that night! I hope you can make it. Reception will begin at 5pm on March 4th, and the exhibit will run through the 18th.

Lake Elsinore, Main Street

"Lake Elsinore, Main Street" 40"h by 29"w original oil on canvas. This is one of my larger oil paintings that was displayed in the Riverside Art Museum's "Members' Show" last summer. I have always been inspired by the beauty of the architecture in our town, especially the Historic Cultural Center shown at the far left. When driving down Main Street, I always enjoy the colorful array of people and businesses, with the backdrop of the cool mountains of the Cleveland National Forest in the distance. I am offering this painting for $700.00, and will be donating 100% of the profit to the Temescal Canyon High School Dance Program. To purchase this painting, contact me through my website : www.ritapacheco.com

Telling a Story at Mystic Seaport

Come See My Art "In Person"! I was fortunate enough to have this piece juried into the 40th Annual Multi Media Mini Show, on exhibit at the Redlands Art Association's Gallery and Art Center. The RAA's Multi Media Mini Show is unique in the Southern California area, as all the art is a maximum of 14 1/2" in any direction. The jurist chose the best 120 out of 380 pieces submitted. I know you will enjoy the show-please come! Exhibit runs through March 19, 2009. Redlands Art Association Gallery & Art Center 215 E. State Street, downtown Redlands Phone: 909-792-8435 Hours are: Monday through Saturday, 10am-5pm Open to the public. This a small oil painting (7"high, 5" wide) was inspired by a photo I took of my dad in front of the historic "Charles W. Morgan" at the Mystic Seaport in Connecticut in November of last year.  He and I had journeyed to the east coast, to join his other Long Beach friends from the St. Joseph's Church Senior's Club.  He was an encyclopedia of information and would share his facts with anyone who showed an interest.  I feel fortunate to have witnessed him in a setting where he was so comfortable, (he had been building a sail boat for the past probably 15 years), and gave him so much happiness!      

Visit to the Fechin House

   

        September, 2008- My husband and I traveled to Taos, New Mexico for a few days of painting workshops (me) and golf/photo taking (him).  The workshop I attended was at the famous Nicholai Fechin Museum/former home, and it was taught by an amazing painter, Jeffrey Watts ( of Watts Atelier in Encinitas, California).   To attend such an informative workshop in the former studio of one of the true "Masters" of our century was a memory and experience that I will forever cherish.   For three days, we painted models from life dressed in authentic  Native American attire in Mr. Fechin's spacious studio under north light.  While we were there, a photographer from American Artist Magazine snapped photos of us.  What a thrill to find a photo of Jeff and I on the front cover of the winter issue of American Artist/Workshop Magazine when I got my subscription in the mail!  My work was also shown in the article!  

Oma's back porch, Brooklyn, NY

8"h, 10"w oil on canvas board

In 1976, my sister Anna and I took a flight to New York to visit our grandparents.  We were 12(me), and 15(Anna), and we were to spend our "whole summer" there in Brooklyn.  Our grandmother, whom we called "Oma", was really our caretaker, as our grandfather (Opa) was already pretty incapacitated by then, and not probably real happy about the arrangement.  I remember him banging his cane (or a broom?) on the ceiling  when my sister and I were listening to the small radio upstairs or laughing too loud.  What I remember about Opa is:he was mostly blind, and wanted to tell long stories that I  did not want to listen to.  Oma made baked goods regularly, and bought fresh bread every day, which we enjoyed with REAL butter.  And tropicana orange juice!  Ice cream every night!  She pushed one of those "granny carts" (the same kind I sometimes schlep around with my painting supplies) to the market every day it seemed.  Also to church for Mass, which happened to be a long walk through the creepiest cemetery  I had ever seen.  (I loved it of course)  We saw a few sights; one of them being a real live "flasher" (trench coat and all!) on the city streets-Anna and I never laughed so hard!  We took the subway to visit some of the historic sights, and to the beach.   Oma treated us to Radio City Music Hall where we saw "Logan's Run", and the "Rockette's".  We saw a play on Coney Island but I can't remember what.  Oma bought me my first pair of "platform" shoes and I wore them to death for months (they added three plus inches to my height!) We found a sweet "mother" German Shephard and her young pups living between Oma's house and the next.  Anna and I saved some of our food for her, but Oma found out and wasn't happy about it.  Anna must have taken the snapshot I used for this small painting on Oma's back porch.

Happy New Year PAAR

This very small oil painting (3" by 5"!) depicts a small group of PAAR (Plein Air Painters of Riverside) of which I have belonged for a few years.  At the close of 2008, I would have to say that being a member of this group has been one of the most enriching creative experiences of my career!  We are of varied backgrounds, yet we come together several times a month to share in our appreciation of this age old practice of "plein air painting".   The inspiration for this painting came from a cute picture that was taken of some of us before we painted at the DosLagos Golf Course in the spring of 2008.   Can you guess who's in it?  I sort of hope so since  I used a HUGE brush (as I have been advised to do from one of my PAAR friends) and tried to capture the comaradarie of this lively group of friends, with as little "detail" as possible. (for me that's a real challenge) For myself, being exposed to so many beautiful and talented people has been  a valued treasure for which 2008 will be remembered. Happy New Year and thank you for all the wonderful memories PAAR! I'm looking forward to another rewarding and fulfilling year as a plein air painter!