Watercolors by Jim Oberst

Award at Brush Strokes Woodlands Exhibit

2009-04-25T21:25:00.003-05:00

Brush Strokes is holding its major 2009 exhibit at the Woodlands Auditorium lobby in Hot Springs Village from April 15 through May 31. At our reception on Friday, April 24, I won the 2nd place prize in the professional category for my full-sheet painting High and Dry. This painting is based on a scene I came upon at a marina in Maui, Hawaii. The exhibit was judged by Frank Francese.

Frank Francese Workshop

2009-04-25T21:16:00.003-05:00

This past week, I participated in a three-day Frank Francese watercolor workshop. Frank is a teriffic teacher... he teaches an approach to painting that helps one loosen up, and is a really fine, down-to-earth human being. I've posted one of the six paintings I finished at the workshop... this one in about an hour, with no pencil drawing at all on the watercolor paper! Frank finished up his week with a fantastic program for Brush Strokes, including two full-sheet painting demos. He then judged our Woodlands painting exhibit. I would recommend Frank's workshop to every watercolor organization without reservation.

Featured Artist and Gallery Changes

2009-04-20T13:46:00.003-05:00

I will be featured artist, along with Marlene Gremillion, at Artists Workshop Gallery at 810A Central Avenue in Hot Springs during the month of May. My paintings will include rural landscapes, inland and coastal seascapes, and urban landscapes. Please join me at my reception on Friday, May 1 from 5 to 9 pm during Gallery Walk, and say "Hello"

I have left ArtChurch Studio, and am now represented at the newest Hot Springs gallery, Gallery 726, located at 726 Central Avenue. Its grand opening is also during Gallery Walk on May 1.

And I have a painting on display at the Celebrating Women exhibit at the Mountain Spring Water Company during this same Gallery Walk.

I hope you can attend Gallery Walk on Friday, May 1, and enjoy the evening's art activities.

MSW Website Coordinator

2009-04-18T10:44:00.006-05:00

I've recently taken on the job of Mid-Southern Watercolorists website coordinator. I don't actually maintain the website itself; my job is to interface between MSW and the website administrator to ensure that the data on the website is up to date. We've just gone through a large update process for members and the annual exhibit images, but there are always small changes to be posted. Take a look at the website at www.midsouthernwatercolorists.com.

John Salminen Abstract Workshop

2009-02-26T15:36:00.005-06:00

Last week I attended a 4-day workshop sponsored by Mid-Southern Watercolorists given by John Salminen, built around creating a full-sheet abstract watercolor. I'd never tried to paint my own abstract, so I thought this might be a worthwhile new experience. In addition, the workshop got very high marks by others who had taken it. Using some of John's methods, we designed an interesting white space, and then enhanced the overall design with brushed watercolor, watercolor sprayed from a mouth atomizer, collage, and acrylic. John and his wife Cathy helped us continually apply design principles as we developed our paintings. The step-by-step approach resulted in striking paintings by everyone in the class. I've posted an image of mine here.

EPCOT World Showcase

2009-02-13T16:45:00.004-06:00

In January, we spent a few weeks in Florida - Orlando and Sarasota - to remind ourselves what warm weather is like. One day we went to EPCOT, and I took some photos of some of the "country areas" there. I'm always on the lookout for new urban type scenes to paint, and EPCOT provided several picturesque settings with plenty of pedestrians. In the last two weeks I painted two of them, Morocco and France, which are shown here. Next week I'll be attending the John Salminen workshop at Mid-Southern Watercolorists, and I'll probably be painting another urban scene or two.

President of Brush Strokes

2009-01-10T18:11:00.002-06:00

I have been elected president of Brush Strokes for 2009. During December, I worked to staff all of the positions we need to manage exhibits, workshops, publicity, etc., and the members came through and filled all of the defined openings. We had our first meeting of 2009 last Friday, and it started off in mass confusion... the Coronado Center said that "someone" had called and cancelled the meeting, so as members arrived, all of the room setup still had to be done. The Coronado Center folks did a great job recovering. We had our first Painting of the Month vote, and it was a big hit. Don Pohlman won with a great abstract dyptic in acrylic, which is hanging in Coronado Center until February 13. In all, the meeting was hectic, but fun. I've attached a photo of (left to right) June Harris, our secretary, me, and Marlene Gremillion, our vice-president, who is also responsible for our meeting programs. Our treasurer John Keller missed the photo-op.

Exhibit at Woodlands Auditorium

2009-01-08T19:42:00.002-06:00

Just this week, I received an unplanned opportunity to exhibit paintings in the Woodlands Auditorium lobby at Ponce deLeon Center in Hot Springs Village with friend and fellow artist John Keller. The two of us hung over 50 paintings on short notice, and they'll be there until the end of February. I have already had several people tell me that it's an impressive show, so if you have a chance to stop by and see it, please do so. I think you will find it worthwhile.

Richard Stephens Workshop

2008-12-13T20:20:00.005-06:00

I recently attended a 3-day workshop given by Richard Stephens and sponsored by Brush Strokes. It was great, as usual. Richard's demos were varied... a barn, an urban scene, and a portrait. I followed his pattern, and produced three reasonable paintings (all shown here). His portrait demo particularly captured my imagination, and motivated me to try a few additional portraits after the workshop. But it's been a struggle... so, what's new? Richard is a great teacher and painting coach, and I've learned an awful lot from him.

Holiday Exhibits

2008-12-13T20:06:00.002-06:00

During December, besides my normal exhibits at Artists Workshop Gallery and ArtChurch, I have a painting Country Christmas (shown here) hanging in the Coronado Center in Hot Springs Village until mid-January, and two on display in the Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs Members Holiday Exhibit. I hope you can stop by any or all of these venues and enjoy my artwork.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Alvaro Castagnet Workshop

2008-11-15T21:42:00.002-06:00

From Sunday Nov 9 through Thursday Nov 13 I attended a watercolor workshop in Columbus, Ohio by Alvaro Castagnet. He is a fantastic artist, and quite a character. Alvaro believes the primary goal of an artist is to interpret the world around him. He paints with subdued, or grayed, hues, with some bright color as accents. He uses squirrel mops almost exclusively. He enjoys painting plein air, but the Columbus weather did not cooperate, so we painted inside all five days. He basically did paint-alongs, where he repainted a painting he had done previously, and we followed along in two or three steps. I don't normally like paint-alongs, but because of his unique style and approach, it was a very valuable exercise. Using the mop brushes, and concentrating on soft and dry brush strokes and deep darks, I finally painted loose paintings, and paintings of city scenes - both of which I have been working to accomplish. I was exhausted by the end of the week. It will be exciting to work to incorporate Alvaro's approaches into my own paintings during the coming months. I've included images of alvaro and of two of the eight paintings I completed during the workshop.

Exhibit at ArtChurch

2008-11-06T11:02:00.003-06:00

Beginning this month, I will exhibit paintings at ArtChurch at 301 Whittington Avenue in Hot Springs. ArtChurch is a new art venue created by Terri and Marc Menefee by renovating the old Haven United Methodist Church. It includes display space, space for art classes, studios, a performance stage, and the Menefee's living quarters. I've provided eight paintings that should be hanging by gallery walk on Friday, November 7. Unfortunately, I'll be out of town then, so the first gallery walk when I'll be present at ArtChurch will be on December 5. Please stop by ArtChurch anytime and take a look - it's quite an unusual venue.

2008 Brush Strokes Galleria

2008-10-29T15:50:00.003-05:00

The Brush Strokes Art Club of Hot Springs Village will hold its 2008 Galleria this coming Saturday, November 1, from 9:30 until 2:00. There will be over 40 artists exhibiting their paintings, demonstrating, and offering paintings, prints, and cards for sale. The Village Strings will provide music, and light refreshments will be served. Come to the Coronado Center this Saturday to enjoy the art and the atmosphere. I've included a photo of my table from a previous Galleria.

New Paintings in October

2008-10-11T11:36:00.003-05:00

For the last few months, I've been trying to "teach myself" to paint city scenes. I've made a little progress, but I've also been getting frustrated. So I decided to take some "time off" and paint a few paintings of my more usual subjects - waterscapes and landscapes - in my traditional style. I worked at Artists Workshop Gallery two days this past week, and each day I painted (almost completely finished) a half-sheet painting (cut down a bit to better fit landscapes). They're shown here... one is from a photo I took from our cruise ship, departing Domenica in the Caribbean; the challenge was to paint convincing clouds. The other is a farm scene that I came upon near Paron, Arkansas. I like them both. It was therapeutic to regress for awhile. In November, I'll be taking a workshop from Alvaro Castagnet, and I'm hoping that will help me understand better how to paint cityscapes.

Third Place Award in Featured Artist Exhibit

2008-10-05T13:23:00.003-05:00

My painting Seahawk has been awarded third place in the Featured Artist contest sponsored by the Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs. There were 143 entries in all media from across the state. The exhibit was judged by local artist and Henderson State University art professor Gary Simmons. The painting will be on exhibit at the center until October 28.

Calendar Signing Event

2008-10-05T13:14:00.003-05:00

My painting Seen Better Days was chosen earlier this year for inclusion in the 2009 Arkansas Artists Calendar. On Friday, October 3, Gallery Walk evening in Hot Springs, I joined Arkansas first lady Ginger Beebe and other area artists at Gallery Central to autograph copies of the calendar. It was a fun event - I met many artists whom I had heard of but not yet met, and said hello to many current and potential clients. The gallery was mobbed... in fact, all of Central Street was humming.

2009 Arkansas Artists Calendar Signing Event

2008-09-25T15:08:00.003-05:00

I am fortunate to have my painting Seen Better Days featured in the 2009 Arkansas Artists Calendar. The calendar is on sale at many galleries across the state. First lady Ginger Beebe will be signing these calendars at Gallery Central, 800 Central Avenue in Hot Springs, on Friday evening, October 3, from 5:30 to 7:30, during Gallery Walk. I plan to join her to sign the calendars, and will also have this painting on display and for sale at Gallery Central that evening.

My painting Mountain View Arkansas Barn, featured in the 2008 calendar, will be on display and for sale that evening at Artists Workshop Gallery, 810A Central Street, just a few steps down from Gallery Central. 2008 calendars are still available for sale.

I hope you can join Ms. Beebe, me, and other artists for this fun event.

Arkansas Artists 2009 Calendar Reception

2008-09-18T19:40:00.002-05:00

On the evening of September 10, Jeanette and I attended a reception for artists and sponsors involved in the 2009 Arkansas Artists Calendar at the Governor's mansion in Little Rock. It was a very nice event, with the Governor and Mrs. Beebe in attendance, as well as many calendar artists and sponsors. A lot of energy was devoted to artists autographing each others' art images in the calendar. I plan to join Mrs. Beebe at a calendar signing event at Gallery Central in Hot Springs on Friday evening, October 3.

Second Place Award in 2008 Diamond Exhibit

2008-09-11T15:07:00.003-05:00

My painting Passing Time has been awarded second prize in the watermedia on paper category in the 2008 Diamond Exhibit sponsored by the Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs. The painting will be on exhibit at the center until Tuesday, September 30.

Cookbook Cover Art

2008-08-30T22:28:00.003-05:00

In June I reported on a commission for my church - Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church - a painting of the church for the cover of the yearly cookbook published yearly by the United Methodist Women. The cookbook has now been published, and the cover looks good. There have been a lot of positive comments about it (and about the original painting) by church members.

Painting Accepted into 2008 Diamond Exhibition

2008-07-23T20:05:00.003-05:00

This week I learned that my painting Passing Time was accepted into this year's Diamond National Juried Exhibit. This Exhibit is sponsored by the Fine Arts Center of Hot Springs, and draws talent in all mediums from Arkansas and neighboring states. The opening reception is scheduled at the Fine Arts Center, 610A Central Avenue, Hot Springs, at 5 p.m. on Friday, September 5, Gallery Walk night.

Brush Strokes Exhibit at Garland County Library

2008-07-09T20:31:00.002-05:00

Today was the reception and announcement of winners at the annual Brush Strokes juried show at the Garland County Library. This is the best Brush Strokes show I've seen. I entered my painting Fresh Shrimp (shown here) but didn't win a ribbon. I've included a photo of the winners who were present, along with Gail Sheasby who organized the exhibit, and Richard Stephens who juried and judged it. It's very worth a trip to the library to see this show.

Featured Artist at Artists Workshop Gallery During July

2008-06-24T20:10:00.002-05:00

My art will be featured at Artists Workshop Gallery, 810A Central Avenue in Hot Springs, for the month of July. My opening reception will be on Gallery Walk Evening: Friday, July 4, from 5 to 9 p.m. I hope you'll be able to drop by, say Hello, and enjoy the art.

I will be showing many new paintings of all sizes, including seascapes and landscapes. Both paintings accepted for the 2008 and 2009 Arkansas Artists Calendars published by the Governor's Mansion Association will be on display. I also have done several new paintings of Hot Springs landmarks. I'll also have many matted, unframed paintings available.

If you can't make it on July 4, my paintings will be on display all month at the gallery; the hours are 11 - 5, Monday through Saturday. This is the last major exhibit that I have planned for this year, so I hope you don't miss it.

Commission For My Church

2008-06-14T20:24:00.003-05:00

Several months ago, the United Methodist Women of Christ of the Hills United Methodist Church requested that I do a painting of the church for use as the cover image for their 2008 cookbook. Like all commissions, it was a bit of a struggle, as it needed to be more realistic, or "architectural", than my normal style, and it had to be in a vertical format to fit the cover, even though the church is a low, rambling building. I painted a large sky and foreground to provide space for the text planned for the cover. I completed the painting in April, and once we were sure my image of the painting was acceptable to the printing company, I framed the painting (half-sheet size) and presented it to my pastor, Mike Morey. Everyone who has seen the image or the actual painting seems to like it. It feels good to be able to use my art in service of my church.

New Paintings of Hot Springs

2008-06-11T22:28:00.003-05:00

Over two years ago I did six paintings of Hot Springs - five of the bathhouses, and one of the three "ladies of court", the well-known pastel-colored houses on Court Street. They all sold fairly quickly. Recently, I decided to do a few more Hot Springs paintings, shown here. All can also be viewed in the gallery on my website, and most will be shown in my upcoming exhibit as featured artist for July in Artists Workshop Gallery.